SFS Chapter 19 Ruthless
Chapter 19 Ruthless
At the wall of the neighboring courtyard.
Yang Silang's eyes widened instantly, gleaming with a sharp light.
After he found out where Gao Laodao was, he didn't come to inquire every day. Except for the first few days, he basically came every five days, waiting for them to relax and vent their frustrations.
I listened to a lot of random things and pieced together quite a bit of information.
When Gao Laodao returned last time, it was because he had found another powerful patron.
Behind this man stood a powerful businessman surnamed Huang.
After that, Gao Laodao stopped working at Tongda Money Shop, which meant he had changed owners, so he dared to cause trouble for Yang Silang.
The few days I left were spent following my elder brother to run a route outside the city for Boss Huang. I vaguely heard that it was a big business involving collusion with bandits and the Huang family being responsible for receiving stolen goods.
Yang Silang didn't care that Gao Laodao had changed owners, nor did he care whether he had colluded with bandits. The world was already turbulent, and as long as the storms didn't enter the Yang family, that was enough.
Because he hadn't heard any plans from Gao Laodao to deal with him over the past month, Yang Silang was ready to give up. He had come today out of habit and was thinking he wouldn't come again.
After all, these scoundrels are all very stubborn, and their pride is paramount; it's only natural for them to boast a bit.
With a new powerful backer, making money is the priority for Gao Laodao; everything else is trivial.
Who would have thought that a turning point would occur at this moment?
Just a wall away.
Then he heard the hairy-legged follower excitedly say...
"I went to the shop, took the note, and had someone carve a stamp out of a radish to make the fake note even more real than the real one."
"When that stinking laborer gets off work and goes home, we'll swarm him and say he owes us money. We'll beat him half to death, then snatch his sister and leave."
"What do you think, Brother Dao?"
Old Gao laughed heartily.
"Dude, you're being too cautious!"
"He even carves a seal on a radish. It's like he'll just give me a blank slip of paper, and if I say he owes me money, then he owes me money!"
"Want to pay back the money? We'll only settle the debt if we acknowledge it; otherwise, it's not repaid!"
"With the Huang family's influence, Tongda Money Exchange has no choice but to accept it, even if it means holding their noses!"
"However, I like it if his leg is broken. He's a porter; if he can't work with a broken leg, how will he survive!"
The leg-haired lackey immediately began to praise Gao Laodao—"Brother Dao is indeed Brother Dao. His vision is far-sighted, far superior to my short-sightedness. He will surely become Young Master Huang's confidant in the future."
Old Gao took a sip of his drink and said excitedly.
"The young maid went to the Huang mansion to do some needlework, and just then, the young master Huang took a liking to her and wanted a foot warmer, and coincidentally, that fellow owed us money."
"Anyone can do something that can be done with money, so how can I demonstrate my ability?"
"This is a trivial matter. If I don't handle it well, how can the young master trust me to handle important matters?"
The hairy-legged follower launched into another round of boasting, and the two drank and had a great time.
The wall next door.
Yang Silang suddenly smiled.
The root of the problem has been found. After listening to the news on and off for the past few days, I still had some doubts and was unsure if this Huang was the same Huang that my younger sister had mentioned, the one who caused my father's two concubines to fight over him. Now it's confirmed.
He gently lifted the carrying pole, a bamboo pole that had been haphazardly used by him that day, and was now stained with blood.
Now, the bloodstains have dried and turned brown, but the stench of blood from the daytime still seems to linger around the nose.
Today's battle was chaotic, and Yang Silang was initially a little flustered. But when he easily knocked someone down with a swing of his carrying pole, he calmed down and his hands suddenly became steady, and his waist straightened.
With the inscription's blessing, his opponent was nothing but a weakling in his eyes. He kept hitting him with a carrying pole, and the more he hit, the more excited he became.
At one point, he even felt that Zhu Ye, Da Niu, and Xiong Shan were getting in his way, and he wished he could knock them down so they wouldn't affect his performance!
They are content to work like oxen and horses on ordinary days.
Today I have tasted the bitterness of blood.
Unleash the tiger within.
I'm starving!
This is the taste of violence!
It makes people addicted, intoxicated, and forgetful.
Fortunately, this feeling came and went quickly, disappearing along with the Ironclad Gang's porters' utter defeat.
But today's battle has undoubtedly emboldened him and made him even more ambitious!
In the past, he might have thought twice before acting, but now, he felt his blood boiling, as if it were about to burn. He had the joy of a wild beast lurking with its claws, waiting quietly, and finally watching its ignorant prey appear.
hiss……
Yang Silang trembled with excitement. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, realizing he had lost his composure. He wrapped his arms around himself and began practicing stance training. Sure enough, after a few breaths, he entered a state of calm.
I don't know how much time passed.
The noise from next door has stopped.
When Yang Silang opened his eyes again, they were gleaming with a sharp light.
He wasn't masked. He took a few steps back, pushed off the wall, grabbed onto it, and flipped down, landing silently in the courtyard—all that time spent practicing the stance hadn't been in vain.
Although it can only carry fifty pounds, now it feels light and agile, climbing the wall with ease and landing silently, just like a nimble tabby cat.
Of course, Yang Silang would not be careless. A new day had arrived, and he did not hesitate to use his divine powers.
Divine Strike: A combination of hypnosis and hard qigong. When activated, one can withstand attacks and fight, but afterwards becomes lethargic and can only last for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
The courtyard was completely dark inside and out.
This is a small courtyard with three rooms in the front and a side room on each side; it's unclear what their purpose is.
The lights in the room were off, and only the sound of snoring could be heard coming from one of the side rooms.
Yang Silang approached quietly, pushed open the door (which wasn't locked), stepped inside, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted out. He closed the door, adjusted his breathing for a moment or two, and then opened his eyes again.
There was a table and a few chairs inside, with some food and drinks scattered on it.
Against the wall was a four-poster bed, the curtains half-drawn, where a burly, ugly man with a sharp face was fast asleep, still fully clothed. It was none other than Old Gao.
Click click.
Yang Silang was not in a hurry. He found a flint on the table and lit the oil lamp.
Old Gao hasn't used the candles yet, which means he's made some money, but probably not much.
The light here comes on.
Despite not being on the right path, Gao Laodao on the bunk bed remained alert. He opened his eyes groggily and saw a person standing by the oil lamp on the table. He subconsciously asked who it was.
He braced himself on the bed with one hand to get up, while reaching under the pillow with the other...
shuh...
His vision blurred.
Just then, the man at the table turned around and took a single step, appearing as swift as the wind in front of his face. An iron hand reached out and gripped his throat like an iron hoop, pulling him forward.
thump……
Old Gao was pulled off the bed, his legs dangling as he half-knelt on the ground. He could only manage to pull out half of the knife from under his pillow before it fell to the ground.
"You stinky porter...it's you..."
He exclaimed in surprise, his eyes flashing with ferocity, his face filled with shock.
He immediately grabbed Yang Silang's arm with both hands, his fingers digging into it.
You poor bastard, I haven't even gone looking for trouble with you yet, and you dare to come looking for me first!
One arrest, then another, then a third!
Gao Laodao strained with all his might, but the arm that was gripping his neck suddenly shimmered with a faint metallic light, swelled up, and became as thick as a calf.
His ten fingernails were almost breaking, and blood was gushing out, but they didn't even pierce the other person's skin.
Instead, a tremendous force came from his neck, almost suffocating him.
How is that possible?
Gao Laodao was terrified. The person opposite him had skin as dark as bronze and as thick as cowhide. This was clearly the level of a bronze-skinned martial artist!
He was shocked and horrified, thinking he had misjudged the man. If the porter had such martial arts skills, why would he need to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates?
Yang Silang loosened his grip slightly, but his hand was still around the other man's neck.
"Copper-skinned thug? Merciful sir, spare my life..." Old Gao's voice was already hoarse...
Yang Silang shook his head.
"Master Dao, it's you who won't let me go."
"I've already paid back the loan sharking, why are you still bothering me?"
Old Gao's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets—it really was that stinky porter! He had found out about his plan. How deep was this guy's hiding?
"Fourth Brother..." he said, trembling.
"No... Fourth Master..."
"I was blind, spare my life..."
"I'm willing to give up all my possessions...right here in this house..."
Yang Silang listened patiently, nodding and then shaking his head.
"I'll let you go; it's a small problem."
"But who can blame you, Master Dao, for being so eloquent and a master at debt collection?"
"Perfect timing. I owe the King of Hell a debt. Go down and run an errand for me. Tell him to hold off for now and put it aside."
"You're in the same industry, so it'll be easier to discuss things."
"Right?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Laodao was about to roar loudly, his whole body struggling violently, his eyes filled with resentment and venom.
Yang Silang exerted force with just one hand.
A crisp snapping sound.
Gao Laodao's neck suddenly caved in, and his body went limp like noodles as he collapsed.
Yang Silang suddenly felt full and even felt a little nauseous.