Chapter 23 - 21: The Misfit Fox
Miss Yun couldn’t quite understand the young constable’s reaction.
The two at the door were foxes.
’Weren’t you... just sitting next to one, drinking wine and eating meat?’
’What’s the difference?’
"I am Cyan-tailed Fox," the fat man said, cupping his hands in a fist.
"I am High-legged Fox," the tall, thin man said with a twitch of his lips.
After introducing themselves, they shouted in unison, "Greetings to Master Lin!"
"..."
Lin Shu shot them a sideways glance, not bothering to reply.
’Since I slaughtered those people from the Hongyun Martial Arts Hall, news was bound to travel fast.’
’It wasn’t strange that someone had taken notice of me.’
’But one has to be selective about whom one associates with.’
Lin Shu already found Cyan Willow Lane filthy enough, let alone the very people who had dirtied its dark alleys with their own hands.
’Despicable!’
Chang Yi said nothing, secretly glancing at Lin Shu.
Aside from their few previous encounters, this was the first time he was directly exposed to the core of the other man’s "business."
Faced with the young man’s coldness, the two foxes kept smiling.
"Master Lin, please don’t blame us for being presumptuous. We’re here today on orders from the Hall to ask you about something."
"Speak," Lin Shu said, taking a sip of the murky wine and returning his attention to the meat on the table.
"It’s like this..."
Cyan-tailed Fox licked his lips.
’This Lin fellow is just as eccentric and difficult as the rumors say.’
’But I didn’t come here today to suck up to him.’
At this thought, Cyan-tailed Fox’s eyes flickered with a strange light. "You used to have an opera troupe in the South Suburbs. It was only through years of contributions that you were able to join our Cunning Fox Hall."
"Now you have your territory and your status. We don’t care about the grudge between you and Liu San. But what about the matter you promised back then? Haven’t you finished it yet?"
"Indeed."
High-legged Fox picked up the thread, glancing at the young widow with a smile. "After all, you’re the one calling the shots in Cyan Willow Street now. It’s pointless to move money from your left hand to your right, so we can forget about that sum of silver."
"But..."
"The Attendant you promised... we’ve already reported it to the White Tiger Hall. It’s been so long with no news. How do you expect us to answer to them?"
"A tender child of that particular age isn’t easy to find."
The two men’s initially humble expressions gradually faded after they mentioned the White Tiger Hall.
Their faces settled into masks of cold, humorless smiles.
They knew of Lin Shu’s fierce reputation, but could he really be fiercer than the masters above them?
’His arrogance a moment ago meant nothing. Now he’ll have to give us a proper explanation.’
The foxes brazenly brought up the matter of the Attendant right in front of the Purple Flood Dragon Constable, making no effort to conceal it.
This was standard practice in Black Water City.
No matter what was said openly, if the Government Office could find even a shred of evidence, that fox would be as good as dead.
Their reputation for being cunning and treacherous was not for nothing.
After the two finished speaking, Chang Yi’s lips tightened. He looked at the young man beside him, finding it hard to accept what he’d heard.
"You... you..." The young widow, meanwhile, clenched her fists, her face growing anxious.
She hadn’t expected there to be a follow-up to this matter. From the sound of it, even her benefactor couldn’t refuse!
Under the aggressive gazes of the two foxes,
Lin Shu finally finished picking out the meat from his bowl.
He sighed softly.
As if disgusted and his mood ruined, he slowly rose to his feet.
"First, that was a promise Liu San made to you."
"I can send you to him to collect."
"Second..."
As he spoke, the low table in the courtyard shot forward violently, the wine pot and food bowls shattering instantly.
A dull CRACK echoed out!
Caught completely off guard, the tall, thin man was struck squarely in the chest by the table.
Under the ferocious force, his entire body was sent flying out of the courtyard.
When he landed on the main street, his sternum had caved in, shattered. His limbs twitched faintly, his breathing was as faint as a gossamer thread, and it was unclear if he would survive.
Lin Shu casually dusted off his hands and looked at the remaining fat fox.
His expression was indifferent, but a rare defiance surged in his eyes. "It’s not your place, you despicable trash, to tell me what to do with what’s mine."
This sudden explosion of violence left everyone present stunned in place!
Chang Yi’s mouth hung slightly open. He had thought this was just some loud scheming between foxes, not expecting it to nearly turn deadly in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps his previous two experiences had created a habit for Blackhead, or perhaps he had wanted to do something similar all along.
Whatever the reason, Chang Yi just sat there, stunned, with no intention of drawing his blade to stop it.
"Now, wipe the spot you stepped on clean and get out."
Lin Shu glanced disdainfully at the footprints near the courtyard gate.
Sharing the same title as these people truly made him feel degraded.
"You! Hah!"
Cyan-tailed Fox stood rooted to the spot, panting heavily, his eyes looking as if they would split from their sockets in rage.
He never imagined that after hearing about the White Tiger Hall, the man named Lin would not only fail to back down but become even more outrageous than before!
"Master Tian was right! You have a rebellious streak! You were never one of us!"
Cyan-tailed Fox’s voice was hoarse and venomous.
But the moment the young man’s gaze fell on him again, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.
"I’ll wipe it... I’ll wipe it..."
The fat man’s breath trembled. Not daring to linger, he frantically used his two silk sleeves to meticulously wipe the footprints from the muddy ground.
Then, still on his knees, he shuffled backward out of the courtyard, picked up the barely-alive High-legged Fox, and fled in disgrace.
"Won’t this cause trouble?"
Chang Yi remained dazed for a long time before slowly turning his head to the side.
He realized his earlier feeling had been correct—Lin Shu was completely different from these other foxes!
But in this city, a constable couldn’t act against a fox without concrete evidence, and the same rule applied to members of the Black Water Gang.
That would be attacking one of their own!
"What trouble could there be?"
Lin Shu still had that same nonchalant look.
’I’m not an idiot.’
’Those two foxes were clearly up to something.’
’They might come to hold me accountable, but they absolutely shouldn’t have done it when my reputation was at its peak.’
’It defied all common sense, especially coming from foxes famous for their cunning and guile.’
The whole affair reeked of being orchestrated by someone else.
Once the name "Master Tian" was spoken, Lin Shu understood most of it, especially with the talk of a "rebellious streak" and "not being one of us."
Clearly, that damn fatso was trying to isolate him from the Cunning Fox Hall.
’As for what they plan to do after I’m isolated...’
Lin Shu lowered his gaze slightly, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.
’If I’m not mistaken, I should find out very soon.’
"Alright, I need to head to Cyan Willow Lane."
"Since you’re on patrol anyway, help me keep an eye on this courtyard."
Leaving these casual instructions, Lin Shu strode out of the Old Woodshed.
’This Woodshed contains an Immortal Aura. I can’t let anyone else defile it.’
"Sigh."
Chang Yi stood up. ’I clearly came here to vent, so how did I end up getting ordered around again?’
Then again, patrolling the streets was his duty. Just paying a little extra attention to the man’s family didn’t seem to be breaking any rules.
Blackhead turned to the side and gave the young widow a polite nod. "Don’t worry, miss. If those people dare to cause trouble again, just let me know."
"Thank you, Lord Official."
Miss Yun nodded instinctively, but her gaze drifted to the world outside the courtyard, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
She still carried the title of a widow, yet she had just been so decisively claimed as "what’s mine."
That should have been unsettling.
But remembering her benefactor’s sudden outburst just now, Miss Yun felt an inexplicable warmth spread through her heart.