Chapter 20: A Dark and Windy Night at the Brothel

That night, after the lamps had been lit, Su Yi climbed back over the courtyard wall.

“Master, please take a look.”

In the main hall, Su Yi sat at the head of the table, while Zhou Kui’an wore a sycophantic smile.

Su Yi picked up the papers and began to read. The densely packed writing listed names, affiliations, businesses, martial skills, backgrounds, patrons, misdeeds, and connections—organized and logical, with every detail thoroughly accounted for. From these records, it was clear that Zhou Kui’an, an old hand in Jiangting City, was well acquainted with all the shadowy figures who operated in the city’s gray areas, far more than his current position would suggest. This could only mean he had long been consciously gathering information.

Su Yi chose several entries from the papers and questioned Zhou Kui’an about them. Zhou answered each one with confidence, even adding his own insights and speculations. Su Yi’s satisfaction far exceeded his expectations.

After praising Zhou Kui’an a few times, Su Yi left Widow Li’s house and returned to the inn.

In his room, by the light of the lamp, Su Yi carefully reread everything Zhou Kui’an had written.

Though he had boasted in Widow Li’s house about purging Jiangting City of all its lawbreakers, Su Yi was no fool. In a bustling city like Jiangting, the various powers were deeply intertwined. As the saying goes, you squeeze the softest persimmons first—Su Yi cared only for those at the bottom, the scoundrels and thugs whom none of the major factions would notice.

If such people died without a clear cause, only the common folk who knew them would cheer, providing a few days' worth of gossip over tea.

Zhou Kui’an was a clever man; he likely realized that Su Yi’s grand words were mere rhetoric. Even members of the Yuanmo Sect would be mad to challenge the dark underbelly of one of the world’s grand cities like Jiangting.

Thus, everything Zhou Kui’an had written was arranged in order of how troublesome each target was, from lowest to highest, and organized by how much information he possessed. Those listed at the front were people Zhou Kui’an knew well—their activities and territories lay within a few miles of the city center, and he could recount their crimes in detail. The pages were filled with their misdeeds and intelligence.

The further back the papers went, the more the entries referred to powers Zhou Kui’an barely touched or understood—their threat and martial strength rising accordingly. These entries were brief, sometimes just a question mark. After all, beyond a certain level, Zhou Kui’an’s reach ended.

Even so, Su Yi now had a simple grasp of the depths of Jiangting City from Zhou Kui’an’s notes.

After reading everything, Su Yi turned back to the first page, committing the initial entries to memory.

A dark, windy night—perfect for killing. Let’s see how my “Whale Devouring Method” fares, starting with you!

———

In a muddy alleyway, flanked by towering, blackened brick walls, a dim lamp hung at the end. Su Yi’s shoes sank into the muck, squelching as he approached the door.

Under the weak light, he saw that the so-called door was just two filthy, greasy red curtains. Lifting them, he entered a two-story house. Directly ahead, a wooden staircase led upstairs, guarded by two burly men in tight clothing.

Upon seeing Su Yi, one of the men eyed his brocade robes with suspicion. “Friend, do you know what kind of place this is?”

“Of course. I’m here for some entertainment,” Su Yi replied as he strode toward the stairs.

Could it be that rich young men now favored such disreputable brothels? The two guards grew wary—one placed a hand on his waist, the other stepped forward. “Friend, it’s against the rules to bring weapons in here.”

Su Yi removed his belt knife and handed it over. The guard relaxed, thinking that indeed, those with peculiar tastes were beyond comprehension, and was about to crack a crude joke.

But as Su Yi passed between them, about to climb the stairs, he suddenly struck. Both palms landed simultaneously on the men’s flanks with tremendous force. Their insides churned as if overturned by a raging river; not even a scream escaped their lips. Though struck hard, their bodies didn’t fly backward.

Su Yi’s palms acted like powerful magnets—the two burly men couldn’t escape or utter a word. Their feet left the ground as Su Yi lifted them, drawing forth the faintest trace of true energy from their bodies, which flowed into his hands and then into his own dantian.

In moments, the true energy of both men was completely drained by the “Whale Devouring Method.” Su Yi flicked his wrists, ending their lives, and tossed their bodies aside before reclaiming his knife and heading upstairs.

The second floor was a den of chaos. Down a narrow corridor, both sides were lined with beds cobbled together from wooden frames. Torn, stained curtains hung above, and a mingling of moans, heavy breathing, and acrid odors made Su Yi frown in disgust.

He moved along the corridor into darkness. As he passed one bed with its curtain drawn aside, a hand, battered and bruised, grabbed his trouser leg.

Su Yi turned. Sitting atop a moldy plank was a girl, her hair tangled and dry, her face pale beneath the mess. Though not ugly, the dark circles and sunken eyes betrayed severe sleep deprivation. Half her body lay exposed outside a dingy, gray blanket, her skeletal frame marked with whip scars.

Like all the women forced to serve here, she was pitiable.

“Sir…” she whispered, timidly, with a hint of hope.

Su Yi shook his head, speaking softly, “I’m here for Xue Lingbao. Where is he?”

The girl’s hand released him suddenly, as if she’d heard the name of a terrifying figure. Hoarsely, she pointed, “He’s in the back room,” then curled herself into the shadows at the head of the bed.

Su Yi followed her direction to the end of the corridor. Through the wooden door, he heard the screams of a woman inside.

Knocking firmly, the cries ceased.

The door cracked open. A man stood behind it, voice hostile. “What do you want?”

Su Yi didn’t reply. He reached out and grabbed the man’s face.