The Heir to the Seven Killers in the City

Chapter 23: On the Run

“I finished gathering most of this this morning, so I’m just now sending it to you. You can start going through it—I hope it helps.” Qin Yu, perhaps unaccustomed to offering help, felt a bit embarrassed after saying that. Damn it, what the hell was he afraid of! “Thank you!” Lin Xiaorui thanked Qin Yu excitedly. Regardless of whether this information was useful or not, she was touched by the effort he’d put into it. So it turned out he really meant it when he said he’d help her—he hadn’t just ignored her now that their contract had ended. Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Xiaorui couldn’t linger outside too long, so she gave Qin Yu a lingering look before vanishing into the darkness in the blink of an eye. “Take care of yourself!” Qin Yu certainly needed to be careful. He’d now crossed paths with a mysterious figure named Lin Hao and was still responsible for the deaths of members of the Fire Scorpion Gang. Although he possessed the Seven Killers Sutra, he was still terrified. He’d moved out of the hotel that required ID registration and rented a small apartment by the river. Every day, aside from going out to eat, his most important task was practicing the Seven Killers Sutra. Although he had memorized the internal cultivation techniques perfectly, his power simply wouldn’t improve because he hadn’t killed anyone recently. So, on a dark and windy night, Qin Yu stepped out with his hair in disarray and, before he knew it, found himself wandering down a brightly lit street—Liu Ma Road. This was the city’s most famous red-light district, lined with nightclubs, KTVs, bathhouses, and massage parlors. The colorful neon lights bathed the area in a tacky yet alluring glow, and the women standing on the street corner to solicit customers were dressed in the skimpiest of outfits, their red stiletto heels so sharp they looked as if they could kill a person. Qin Yu’s appearance caused quite a stir. Because he was handsome, even though he looked scruffy, quite a few women were eager to do business with him. “Hey, young man, out having some fun? How about coming to our place? Our prices are fair, and we’ve got every kind of girl you could want.” A middle-aged woman who looked like a madam, dressed in a suit and skirt, swayed her hips as she beckoned to Qin Yu. “Young man, our prices are transparent, and we offer discounts for overnight stays. How about it? Want to give it a try?” Not to be outdone, the PR manager from another club came over to solicit Qin Yu as well. Although Qin Yu’s head was filled with hormones, having already slept with a woman like Lin Xiaorui, how could he possibly give these common, vulgar women a second glance? Feeling deeply bored, he turned to leave, but suddenly heard a shrill scream: “Damn it, you think you can just run? I’ll beat you to death! You little slut!” A woman with disheveled hair burst out of a massage parlor across the street, wearing a tacky miniskirt, screaming for help as she ran. Several burly men who looked like thugs gave chase; one of them was wielding a club. As he caught up with the woman, he shoved her to the ground and stomped viciously on her face. “Brother Chuan, spare my life! The woman struggled while cautiously pleading for mercy. But Brother Chuan didn’t stop; on the contrary, he intensified his assault, striking the woman’s back again and again with the stick. At first, she was still able to beg for mercy, but eventually she could only lie face-down on the ground, moaning in agony. “Yan’er, you’ve been here for two months now. Why won’t you just accept your fate? You have to do whatever the customers ask of you. If you don’t obey, I’ll chop off one of your toes every day!” The men behind him burst into laughter upon hearing this: “That’d scare the customers!” “It doesn’t matter. With so many women serving the guests, one more or one less makes no difference. Does she think she’s some kind of fairy…?” Brother Chuan looked at Yan’er’s swollen half-face with disgust and spat upward. “If that’s the case, why not just let her go?” A disheveled teenager suddenly appeared in front of the massage parlor; his thick, dark eyebrows gave him a dashing and imposing air at that moment. “Oh, look who’s here to save the damsel in distress. You little brat, I’d advise you not to meddle in other people’s business, or don’t blame me if my stick doesn’t know its place!” Brother Chuan brandished his stick threateningly; business was booming right now, and this wasn’t the time to cause a scene outside the shop. Is that so? Qin Yu raised an eyebrow and silently channeled his inner energy. “Crack!” Brother Chuan felt as if half his hand had suddenly cramped up, and the stick fell to the ground in an instant. The few guys behind him looked at him in confusion. He tried to bend down to pick it up, but it was as if a mysterious force had pushed him—and he fell to his knees with a “thud.” “In such a hurry to kowtow to your grandpa, are you? Good little grandson.” Qin Yu wore a mocking smile as he walked step by step toward Brother Chuan, who was kneeling on the ground, unable to move, while glaring menacingly at the other men, who were exchanging bewildered glances. No one knew what this little brat was all about, but just being looked at by him was terrifying enough. But for the sake of their brothers, they had to step up. Just as expected. Qin Yu took care of these three burly men in just a few moves. Then he picked up the stick from the ground and brought it down on Chuan Ge’s back—just as Chuan Ge had beaten the woman earlier. After only two blows, Chuan Ge was sobbing and begging for mercy. Damn it, why does it hurt so much! It felt as if every acupoint in his body had been pierced with needles. Qin Yu looked coldly at the men on the ground, thinking that they were just ordinary thugs and probably didn’t deserve to die, so he mercifully let them go. He handed the woman all the money he had on him and hailed a taxi to take her to the hospital. “Once you’re healed, buy a ticket and go far, far away from here,” Qin Yu instructed. Under the woman’s grateful gaze, he turned and walked away. Strangely, even though he hadn’t killed anyone this time, he still felt the energy channels in his body had become much more unobstructed. Was this the blessing of punishing evil and promoting good? Qin Yu pondered this as he walked back to his rented room. Not far away, someone turned off their phone’s video recording and dialed a number: “Second Brother, that kid’s shown up again!” The following night, at the same hour, Qin Yu once again wandered through the red-light district. After stepping in to teach a lesson to a customer who was picking a fight and harassing a hostess, Qin Yu—who hadn’t quite outgrown his teenage delusions of grandeur—realized he’d fallen in love with this feeling of being a hero. If that monk and Taoist had been there, they would likely have clapped their hands and laughed heartily. Returning to his rented room feeling thoroughly satisfied, Qin Yu sensed a dangerous presence even before he opened the door. He pushed the door open and, at the same time, struck out with his right hand, sending the scumbag hiding behind the door flying. “Not bad, kid.” The Fire Scorpion Gang’s second-in-command was once again picking his teeth with a delicate, curved finger, sitting arrogantly on the sofa and grinning wickedly at Qin Yu. The room was a complete shambles—everything that could be smashed had been smashed to smithereens, leaving no place to even set foot. How did this second-in-command even know he lived here? And he actually dared to come looking for trouble with just one little henchman in tow—who knows where he got the nerve. Qin Yu crossed his arms, stepped over the debris, and stood before him, looking down at him with a smirk: “Looking to die, are you? You’re really asking for it. Since you want to die, I’ll grant your wish.” I was just wondering who to use for practice!