Top-Class Insight: Start with Basic Fist Techniques - Chapter 42
Chapter 42: Night Visit to the Xu Family’s Village!
Translator: Daoist6fubtiW
“Swish.”
A bright white light flashed.
Lu Changsheng held a dagger and swiftly spun around, instantly slashing the throats of the two individuals.
“Thump.”
The expressions on the faces of the two men froze for a moment, their eyes revealing a hint of astonishment, as if they couldn’t believe it.
They fell to the ground and soon became lifeless corpses.
Lu Changsheng took slow steps towards the last remaining figure.
“You…”
The final figure widened his eyes, his face filled with fear.
Without hesitation, he tried to flee.
But before he could lift his foot, Lu Changsheng’s dagger was already in front of him.
The sharp blade was just inches away, and its chilling edge filled the man with dread.
“Spare me, Doctor Lu, spare me.”
“Do you know me?” Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat surprised.
“We know you. Every apothecary and assistant physician at Miaoshou Garden, we know them all.”
“Doctor Lu is the prized disciple of Master Wu, and we’ve been keeping an eye on you.”
Lu Changsheng contemplated for a moment, thinking about the recent disappearances of apothecaries and assistant physicians. He had some suspicions.
“Who are you?”
“We…”
The man hesitated.
“Shing!”
Lu Changsheng used his dagger to slice off one of the man’s ears, and the man let out a painful scream, clutching his bleeding ear.
“Speak, I’m listening.”
“We are warriors hired by Xu Dashan, a wealthy man from the outskirts of the city. He paid us to kidnap apothecaries and assistant physicians and bring them to the Xu Family’s Village.”
Lu Changsheng furrowed his brow. He had heard of the Xu Family’s Village and even knew about Xu Dashan.
Xu Dashan was a renowned figure in Nanyang Prefecture, with a diverse range of businesses. He contributed to the region’s prosperity by building bridges and roads, earning him a reputation as a local benefactor.
But why would he send warriors to abduct apothecaries and assistant physicians?
“What does Xu Dashan want with these apothecaries and assistant physicians?” Lu Changsheng continued to inquire.
“Xu Dashan is quite mysterious, and he doesn’t tell us much.”
“However, we work for him, and we’re not completely in the dark. If I’m not mistaken, the recently emerged ‘Vital Blood Pills’ in Nanyang Prefecture should be traced back to the Xu Family’s Village.”
“Perhaps Xu Dashan abducted these apothecaries and assistant physicians to manufacture the Vital Blood Pills.”
Lu Changsheng was surprised once again.
Somehow, this was related to the Vital Blood Pills.
The Vital Blood Pills were very mysterious, with their origin unknown.
It seemed that they might have originated from the Xu Family’s Village.
Lu Changsheng questioned the man in detail and confirmed that the man hadn’t hidden anything. He gently swiped the dagger in his hand.
“Splash.”
The man clutched his throat and fell to the ground, lifeless. Perhaps he would never understand why, as a mere assistant physician, Lu Changsheng possessed such remarkable martial skills.
Lu Changsheng squinted his eyes, evaluating the situation.
“These warriors were sent by Xu Dashan to kidnap apothecaries and assistant physicians. They targeted me, believing I was an ordinary doctor. Little did they know I’m a visceral cultivation martial artist.”
“My identity should not have been compromised. After all, they operated freely within the city and targeted more than just me.”
“Moreover, these three are now dead, with no witnesses. No one knows 1 killed them.”
“However, Xu Dashan’s abductions of so many apothecaries and assistant physicians suggest that he has ulterior motives!”
“I didn’t initially plan to get involved, but if 1 don’t act, Xu Dashan will eventually send more warriors.”
Lu Changsheng was starting to form a decision.
Furthermore, Cheng, the apothecary, had also been abducted by Xu Dashan. Cheng had been kind to him when he worked at the pharmacy. Now that Lu Changsheng knew about Cheng’s situation, he couldn’t ignore it.
However, he couldn’t act rashly.
Lu Changsheng returned to Miaoshou Garden, changed into dark clothing, and covered himself with a black cloth. He also took a short sword.
A short sword in the light, a dagger in the dark; Lu Changsheng had come to appreciate this combination. It had its uses at times.
He made his preparations and left Miaoshou Garden, blending into the night and quickly heading toward the Xu Family’s Village.
The Xu Family’s Village was about twenty li (approximately 6 miles) from Nanyang City, similar to the distance to Gaojiabao, but in a different direction, east instead of west.
As Lu Changsheng neared the Xu Family’s Village, night had completely fallen. However, the village itself was brightly lit, suggesting a festive occasion.
Lu Changsheng stealthily approached the Xu Family’s Village. He observed a gathering of people in an impressive estate.
Red lanterns were hung inside and outside the estate, with “double happiness” symbols posted, indicating a wedding celebration.
“Come on, drink up!”
“Xu Old Four, we won’t rest until we’re drunk today.”
“Today is the Big Young Master’s big day. We must drink well.”
“Yeah, we’ve been busy during this period, no free time even to visit the brothels in town.”
“When will we ever get a break?”
“Soon, once we finish our tasks for the Master, we’ll have time to rest.”
Lu Changsheng overheard various conversations from the crowd. His overall perception had significantly improved since the blood exchange. Even from a distance, he could hear their discussions.
As time passed, after several rounds of drinks, a burly man spoke with a tipsy tone: “Alright, we’ve eaten and drunk our fill today. 1 should get back to my guard duty.”
“That place is important to the Master, and I can’t afford to delay.”
“All right, Xu Second Fool, you should return quickly. Don’t let the Master find out, or he’ll give you a beating.”
Xu Second Fool stood up, still inebriated, and tossed two bottles of wine, saying, “Here you go, my friends. Take these back with you.”
“Heh heh, not bad, and you even remembered us.”
“By the way, sober up quickly, don’t let the Master find you in this state.”
Thus, the three men prepared to enter the secret passage.
Lu Changsheng knew that it was impossible to follow the three men into the passage. In this situation, he would need to confront them head-on.
If he was fast enough, he could find out what lay below before anyone noticed.
So, as the three men turned to enter the passage:
“Whoosh.”
Lu Changsheng, like a ghost, instantly appeared behind the three men.
“Shing!”
The three men barely felt a gust of wind from behind before they were stabbed by Lu Changsheng, not even having the chance to turn around.
Lu Changsheng disposed of their corpses in a corner behind a big tree and silently entered the passage.
Inside the passage, there were muffled sounds coming from below, and the deeper he went, the more he heard a sense of panic in the commotion. The heavy air was tainted with a faint, bloody scent.
“Something’s gone wrong?”
Lu Changsheng rushed down the passage.
Soon, he reached a spacious hall under the ground. Many people lay in a pool of blood on the floor, and several warriors seemed to be attacking a figure in a red robe.
“Is that him?”
Lu Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked at the red-robed figure in the crowd..
