"Let's see the power of this grenade," Su Hao thought excitedly. All men have a heart full of hot-blooded ferocity, and he wanted to witness the explosive force.
Before Gu Xi'er could get close to the Blood brothers, Su Hao quickly pulled out the grenade, removed the safety pin, and hurled it forcefully towards them.
"Die, you bastards!" he shouted.
After throwing the grenade, Su Hao immediately ducked his head to avoid being spotted.
A ninja beside him waved his hand, and their figures gradually blended into the color of the roof tiles before vanishing completely. It was as if no one had ever been on the roof.
Whoosh!
The eldest Blood brother, who had been confronting Gu Xi'er, suddenly sensed something flying towards them. He looked up to see a smoking object appear before their eyes.
It hit the ground!
Gu Xi'er, standing nearby, seemed to sense something was amiss. As the bomb fell, her expression changed, and she swiftly retreated.
"Boom!"
Just as she backed away, the fallen bomb exploded. The blast's shockwave caught Gu Xi'er slightly.
On the rooftop, Su Hao only saw a cloud of black smoke rise, followed by the system's notification of task completion.
[Task to help Wang Tong's revenge completed. Reward: 200 check-in points and 1 Bronze Draw Card, added to inventory.]
"Not bad!" Su Hao grinned, noticing the new Bronze Card in his inventory. He then looked towards the bombed alley.
The alley was now in ruins, with the Blood brothers' bodies strewn across the ground. The eldest brother, who had been the bomb's primary target, had a gaping hole in his chest, a severed arm, and bomb fragments embedded in his forehead. His eyes were wide open, seemingly unable to rest in peace.
"Who did this? I'll kill you!" Gu Xi'er's furious voice rang out.
Her pristine white dress was now covered in black dirt, and her silky hair was in disarray. Some parts were even singed. She looked thoroughly disheveled but wasn't seriously injured.
Ignoring her pain, she leaped onto a nearby rooftop, her eyes scanning sharply in the direction the bomb had come from. Finding nothing, her already frustrated expression grew even more agitated.
"She was still affected by the blast. This should keep Gu Xi'er off my back for a while," Su Hao thought, hidden on the roof.
After lingering for a while without finding any suspicious traces, Gu Xi'er had no choice but to retreat, taking her injured companions, Qing Yi and Zi Yi, with her.
"You're not good enough to find me yet, little Gu," Su Hao mused as he watched her leave. While the lower-rank ninja cards he got from the system might not match Gu Xi'er in strength, their ability to conceal themselves was beyond her perception.
"Let's go to Mingyue Tower. I want to see exactly how Wang Tong died," Su Hao instructed the ninjas beside him.
The two ninjas escorted Su Hao as they quietly left the rooftop, heading towards Mingyue Tower.
Mingyue Tower, one of the four famous brothels in Fu City, was home to four renowned courtesans, including the Thirteenth Lady.
The Thirteenth Lady got her name when Mingyue Tower introduced thirteen exceptionally beautiful women. Being the youngest, she was ranked thirteenth, hence her nickname.
Now, of the original thirteen, some had been redeemed, while others had fallen from grace. Only the Thirteenth Lady remained as one of Mingyue Tower's top courtesans.
Wrapped in silver gauze that accentuated her graceful figure, the Thirteenth Lady sat in her chamber. Beside her stood a little girl.
The child, about five or six years old, had a naive face with large, dark eyes that were strikingly beautiful. Her delicate eyebrows curved like crescent moons, making her utterly adorable. However, there was an air of nobility about her, suggesting she wasn't from an ordinary family.
"Thirteenth Aunty, why hasn't Uncle Wang visited these past few days?" the little girl asked softly, tugging at the Thirteenth Lady's silver gauze.
The Thirteenth Lady looked at the child and gently stroked her head. "Your Uncle Wang has some business to attend to, so he can't come see Lan'er for now."
As she mentioned Wang Tong, a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes. She had received news of Wang Tong's death but couldn't tell Lan'er. For now, she could only continue caring for the child and wait for someone to come for her.
Tap! Tap!
Footsteps approached from outside the chamber.
The Thirteenth Lady exchanged a look with Lan'er. Understanding the silent message, the child turned and walked into an inner room, hiding inside a wardrobe.
Creak!
The door opened, and Han Lu, dressed in the fine clothes of a constable, slowly entered.
"Officer Han, what brings you to my humble abode today?" the Thirteenth Lady asked, masking her sadness with a cheerful expression as she approached Han Lu.
Han Lu, the deputy chief of Fu City's constabulary, was a well-known figure. As one of Mingyue Tower's top courtesans, the Thirteenth Lady was certainly aware of his status. She was, however, puzzled by his unexpected visit.
"Thirteenth Lady, Brother Wang Tong instructed me to take someone back," Han Lu said softly, having surveyed the room without finding who he was looking for.
Hearing Han Lu's words, a strange light flashed in the depths of the Thirteenth Lady's eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.
Wang Tong had told her that a noble person from the Northwest Prefecture would come to collect Lan'er, and she could hand the child over to them. In return, they would help her escape her status as a government slave.
"Hand the person over to me," Han Lu said, having noticed the Thirteenth Lady's subtle reaction and the sudden change in her heartbeat. He knew he had come to the right place; the person must be here.
"Officer Han, there's no one here but me," the Thirteenth Lady replied softly, composing herself.
"No one? Thirteenth Lady, you shouldn't try to deceive me," Han Lu's face turned cold as he stepped closer to her. Suddenly, he raised his hand and grabbed her throat.
"Give up the person, and I won't kill you," he threatened.
Thud! Thud!
Outside the room, Li Tan, who had accompanied Han Lu, also entered. His eyes scanned the chamber, searching for any sign of the little girl.
Mingyue Tower
Across from the Thirteenth Lady's chamber was a restaurant. In one of its luxurious suites, a young man dressed in purple finery was observing the events unfolding in the chamber.
He wore a valuable jade pendant at his waist, exuding an air of nobility that set him apart from others.
Beside him stood a tall man wearing the uniform of the constabulary. However, his clothes were yellow and white, with a golden four-clawed dragon embroidered in the center—attire reserved for the commander of the Inspectorate.
His eyes were also fixed on the situation in the chamber across the way. Upon seeing Han Lu's actions and the subsequent appearance of Li Xing from the Blood Demon Cult, his eyes lit up with a fierce glint.