The chest of the black windbreaker was slashed open, revealing the bandaged chest below which was cut open by a dagger, leaving a terrifying gash as long as a hand.
"If you don't want to die, hand over the antidote!" Galon, gripping the woman's neck, nearly lifted her off the ground, "Want me dead? I'll kill you first!!"
The red-eyed woman, suspended in mid-air, struggled to grasp Galon's arm, attempting to break free, while her other hand fumbled inside the windbreaker's inner pocket for a small yellow paper packet.
Galon snatched it away.
"I'll use it on you first, of course. But if you're the type who's not afraid of dying, I could also strip you naked and toss you onto the streets. I believe the hobos wouldn't mind a free treat," he said, as the poison spread, breathing becoming rapid. He tore open the packet, pressing the powder onto the woman's chest.
"It's supposed to be ingested..." the woman managed to squeeze out a few words with difficulty.
Galon set her down, pinching her cheeks to pour half of the powder inside before stopping.
"Cough cough..." Once released, the woman immediately doubled over, coughing violently. Yet, fearing to expel the medicine, she tightly covered her mouth, swallowing all the powder before collapsing to the ground, utterly weakened, gazing at Galon.
Galon felt the itchiness of his wound spreading to his shoulder, knowing the poison was accelerating.
Seeing the woman was alright, he endured a little longer until she seemed genuinely unaffected. Then, he took the rest of the powder and swallowed it.
The yellow powder tasted sour without any other flavor, dissolving instantly upon contact with saliva.
"Let's go!" Galon picked up the red-eyed woman, breaking into a brisk walk.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at a secluded slope behind a grassy knoll.
Galon leaned against a tree, dumping the woman aside, and sat down to rest.
Lifting his arm, he saw the blueness of the wound had significantly faded, though a slight itchiness remained.
Hidden under the tree shade, away from direct moonlight, Galon took the time to carefully examine his captive.
Her platinum blonde hair was messily draped over her shoulders, her facial features beautiful, exuding a faint noble aura. Tall and slender with a curvy waist, she epitomized beauty.
"Speak, who are you? Why did you attack me?" Galon asked coolly, sitting aside. Without her gun, and given her weak combat skills, he wasn't worried she could escape.
"You killed our people last time; naturally, we had to find you," the woman replied faintly after catching her breath, "Catching me is useless; I won't reveal any of our secrets."
"What do I need your secrets for?" Galon, feeling the last of the itchiness fading, relaxed significantly, "If I say killing your people the first time was an accident, would you believe me?"
"Do you think that's possible?" the woman retorted sarcastically, coldly eyeing him, "Well, you caught me just to have your way with me, right? Just don't throw me to the hobos, and it'll be fine."
Galon knew well enough that leaving such a beautiful woman to the mercy of hobos would result in her ending up as another naked corpse by a dumpster in the morning headlines.
"You woman..." Galon approached, starting to frisk her.
The woman leaned against the tree, slouched, letting Galon's hands roam freely over her body, eventually closing her eyes in resignation.
To her surprise, Galon merely searched all her pockets, took some items, and then retracted his hand.
"You must hold some position within your organization to be dealt with so easily," Galon mused, holding a black and gold coin thoughtfully, "Tell me where the antiques you stole are kept?"
"Are you also looking for that item?" the woman looked at him in surprise, "We checked; it's not in this city."
"Just tell me where it is."
"You won't find it even if you go there alone," she scoffed. "I thought you were one of their men, but it turns out you were alone from the start." She guessed Galon's situation just from bits and pieces.
"The person you killed before wasn't anyone important. Since you can't find the item either, why don't we collaborate?"
Galon raised an eyebrow, "You think I'd trust you?"
"If it weren't for the fact that Gadie wasn't by my side, and I thought having a gun would keep me safe, do you think you could have gotten within ten steps of me?" she scoffed.
"Why did you fire then?"
"I always strike first!" she declared proudly.
"You just guessed I was their man, but what if I wasn't?" Galon asked coldly.
"I'd kill you, drag you to the river, tie a stone around you, and no one would ever find you again," she didn't directly answer, but her intention was clear: better to err on the side of caution.
After a pause, she continued, "Since I'm offering to collaborate, I must have a way to make you believe in my sincerity. Given your skills, you're at least a four or five-segment master. Plus, your physical condition is too good; a gun can't even penetrate a little barrier. If you join me..."
"That's not happening," Galon cut her off, "I almost killed you. You must hate me enough to want me dead."
She laughed, "Your style resembles Baiyun Martial Arts School, with strong explosive power catching people off guard. But being so young with such strong qualities, you must have practiced some body-strengthening secret techniques. You're likely from Baiyun Martial Arts School here in the city. Coincidentally, I know people from your school. You can contact them to meet with me and make a pact. Baiyun Martial Arts School is not a small force in this city."
"Baiyun Martial Arts School is involved in these matters? Well-known in your circles?" Galon was slightly stunned.
"More than well-known," she sneered again, "In Huai Shan, Master Fei Baiyun's word is as good as the governor's. In the shadows, he's like an underground emperor. Anyone who dares defy him gets squashed."
"Then let's go to the martial arts school," Galon said without hesitation, picking her up and heading straight for Baiyun's main hall.
Twenty minutes later.
Fei Baiyun sat in the second-floor martial hall, sipping coffee calmly while observing the two standing before him.
"This isn't a big deal. Just an accidental killing of a subordinate," his gaze fell on the platinum ponytailed woman, "Goris, how's your mother, Lady Yalan? It's been many years since we last met."
"Thank you for your concern, Master. My mother is doing well," the woman replied anxiously, not daring to meet Fei Baiyun's eyes. She had thought Galon was just a random student or perhaps a disciple of Baiyun Martial Arts School, which wouldn't matter much.
But arriving here, she discovered he was the master's formal core disciple.
Knowing this, she broke out in cold sweat. No one knew better than those living in the shadows how extensive Fei Baiyun's influence in Huai Shan was. And she had almost killed his core disciple!
Galon, standing aside, could clearly see her temples drenched in sweat.
"This was indeed a minor issue," Fei Baiyun took another sip of coffee, "But since you resorted to using a gun, the nature of the matter changes."
Goris lowered her head even further.
"Any compensation is acceptable! This was indeed our mistake."
"It just so happens my disciple here is in need of money. You could help him out in this regard. Also, the antique you took from him should be returned as well," Fei Baiyun continued.
"Of course, the most important thing is that Galon himself agrees to the settlement."
"All these conditions are acceptable! We will make it happen!" Goris earnestly promised, "Whatever you desire, Lord Galon, just command me. As long as it's within my power, I will do my best."
Galon shook his head, "My conditions are included. If you're going to compensate, compensate my teacher and fellow disciples." He was well aware that without Fei Baiyun's influence, this woman might have tried to play tricks on him.
"You, kid," Fei Baiyun pointed at Galon with a laugh, "I just came back from drinking with the governor, and you've brought me a big gift. It's only because we haven't released the news of your apprenticeship ceremony. Otherwise, come a little later, and no one in Huai Shan would dare to trouble a disciple of Fei Baiyun."
"It's indeed Goris's bad luck. She mistook Galon for an assassin from the other side. But I'm curious, Galon, why did you stop their car at that time?"
"I saw they had the stolen antique I was looking for," Galon quickly explained.
Goris said helplessly, "So it turns out to be a newly appointed core disciple. This time it's my bad luck. If it were a bit later and I had seen his face, I wouldn't dare to order an assassination."
"Alright, Goris, you've made a mistake, and you have to make up for it. When Galon is truly satisfied, then you're off the hook," Fei Baiyun said with a smile, "But if I hear your sincerity is lacking..."
Goris shuddered, quickly agreeing.
Fei Baiyun appeared amiable, but once he got serious, eradicating entire families or even sending people to exterminate roots back home was common practice.
"Alright, you can go now," Fei Baiyun waved his hand.
Goris hurriedly ran to the staircase and descended.
Galon sat upright, lowering his head.
"Teacher... I've caused you trouble."
"It's no trouble at all. What I wanted to say is, whether it's your eldest sister, second brother, or third brother, each has their own career, or rather, power. They and the martial arts school are closely connected, forming a complete, powerful system," Fei Baiyun stood up and said lightly.
"I was planning to discuss these matters with you later, but I didn't expect you to encounter them so soon. How was it facing a handgun today? A profound realization, right?"
"Yes," Galon nodded, deeply understanding.
"We practice martial arts not just for physical fitness. You'll encounter these kinds of situations more in the future. So, you need to learn to handle and get accustomed to these matters. Actually, there's something else I haven't told you," Fei Baiyun paused.
"I originally had seven disciples."
Galon was initially shocked, then understood, feeling a chill at heart.
He got the message from his teacher.
The original seven disciples, now only three remain. The rest are either dead or met with some other fate.
"Let Goris accompany you to practice lethal punches for the next few days as punishment. Being a demonstration dummy, she'll just need a few years to recover. Alright, that's it for this matter. It's up to you if you can recruit her in the future," Fei Baiyun said.