3: Chapter 3: Poor at it

Shunyi Ward in the south of the city was only a ten-odd minutes' walk from the alley where Su Jiuchuan lived.

Yang Hu's residence was in this area.

Actually, Su Yuanjiang had already had Su Jiuchuan look into it. He also knew that this rogue had been eyeing his younger sister, and trouble would brew sooner or later.

The two brothers had long planned to teach Yang Hu a lesson, but before he could make a move, he was sent away by the escort agency.

At night, Hechuan City was dead silent, with almost no one on the streets.

Of course, the inner city was not like this. In the neighborhoods where the high officials and nobles lived, the imperial constables patrolled day and night, and security was excellent, which naturally could not be compared to this slum.

Su Jiuchuan passed through a row of low bamboo poles used for drying clothes and arrived in front of a low, dilapidated courtyard.

Instead of entering through the front gate, he climbed over the low wall.

Yang Hu's family had also died out long ago, leaving the place unkempt. It seemed the courtyard had a decent foundation in the past, at least much better than Su Jiuchuan's dilapidated house, but it was now filthy and ruined, with a foul stench permeating the entire house.

Holding back his disgust, Su Jiuchuan observed the surroundings.

"This Yang Hu actually hasn't returned yet."

"Then I'll hide here and make my move when he gets back."

Su Jiuchuan's face was calm, but his heart was not. He had come here today to kill.

From his past life until now, he hadn't even killed a chicken, yet now he had to kill a person. This psychological hurdle was not easy to overcome.

However, if Yang Hu didn't die, Su Jiuchuan would never have peace of mind.

Afterward, Su Jiuchuan hid behind a broken cabinet, closing his eyes to rest his mind as he waited quietly.

After a full incense stick's time, noisy footsteps came from outside the door.

The visitors spoke at the door, and a moment later, the gate opened with a creak, and a man walked into the courtyard.

Having just parted with his two lackeys, Yang Hu was in a good mood, humming a little tune and burping from time to time.

Su Jiuchuan held his breath, waiting for the other party to get closer before striking.

"Who's there?!"

Suddenly, Yang Hu shouted loudly.

A chair smashed toward the side of the cabinet where Su Jiuchuan was hiding.

As it turned out, the moonlight was bright, and Su Jiuchuan's hiding spot happened to cast a shadow on the ground.

Yang Hu was also extremely alert. He had noticed something was off as soon as he entered the room, but instead of reacting immediately, he quietly grabbed a chair, circled to the side, and launched a sudden attack.

Su Jiuchuan instantly realized he was spotted. He simply stopped hiding and dodged out to the side.

He raised his hand and punched the chair. As the True Qi inside his body circulated, a "bang" resounded, and the chair actually shattered into wood splinters in mid-air.

"It's you!"

Yang Hu clearly recognized Su Jiuchuan. Seeing the scene before him, his pupils contracted.

"A Martial Artist?"

Although Yang Hu was a thug, it didn't mean he lacked worldly knowledge. In fact, in this chaotic world, those without any wits had died out long ago.

But with this kid suddenly becoming a Martial Artist, Yang Hu was greatly shocked and wanted to say something more.

However, his vision suddenly went dark as a large handful of lime powder was thrown directly onto his face.

Ah!

Yang Hu flailed his hands wildly, trying to block any incoming attacks.

Finding an opening, Su Jiuchuan slipped behind him, gathered his Qi, and slammed a powerful punch into Yang Hu's back.

"Bang!"

Yang Hu collapsed to the ground without a sound, dead just like that.

He probably couldn't understand even in death why a Martial Artist would use such a cheap trick as throwing lime powder to attack him.

Su Jiuchuan nudged him with his foot. Seeing no movement, he finally felt relieved.

Although the plan had a minor hiccup, the outcome was very smooth.

As for throwing lime, he didn't have the slightest psychological burden.

Su Jiuchuan was just an ordinary person yesterday and was now a Martial Artist; he didn't have any of the pride or awareness of a Martial Artist.

He searched Yang Hu's body and found two taels of silver.

Su Jiuchuan was somewhat unsatisfied. He was dirt poor and going crazy. To become stronger, he had to keep feeding silver to the simulator.

Just now, Su Jiuchuan had been focusing on waiting for Yang Hu to arrive and hadn't searched the house yet. Now that Yang Hu was dealt with, he naturally wouldn't let the opportunity slip.

An incense stick's time later, Su Jiuchuan found a bundle under the coal ashes of the stove, which actually contained a hundred taels of silver.

"This guy idles around all day, yet he actually has so much money?"

Su Jiuchuan was somewhat surprised. One had to know that in these times, a hundred taels of silver, if spent frugally, was enough to feed a family for two or three years.

"What is this?"

In his hand, he held a black iron token. The front was engraved with the word "Order," while the back read: Hechuan City.

Su Jiuchuan was startled as a conjecture formed in his mind. He walked out of the house, bolted the courtyard gate from the inside, and then climbed back out over the wall.

Not long after.

Inside a small single-story house, the residence of another of Yang Hu's lackeys.

Su Jiuchuan walked in expressionlessly, and a short while later, he walked back out with a bit of blood on his hands.

This trip was not in vain. The two lackeys were still inside drinking wine, and Su Jiuchuan finished them both off.

Of course, before taking action, Su Jiuchuan still interrogated them for some information.

Sure enough, just as he had suspected, Yang Hu was actually a secret agent of the City Lord of Hechuan City.

No wonder this guy idled around and wandered everywhere all day; he was likely spying for information.

Unfortunately, the status of the two lackeys was too low, and they didn't know anything more.

Su Jiuchuan washed his hands in a nearby river and then returned blankly to his residence.

Now, not only had he found no clues about his elder brother Su Yuanjiang, but the trouble also seemed to be piling up.

"Top up!"

Tonight, the only good news was that he had gotten some money from Yang Hu.

[Top-up successful. Current balance is 102.2]

[Would you like to use the Life Simulator? Each use consumes 20 money points]

"It doubled just like that?"

Su Jiuchuan was somewhat speechless. This price hike was too brutal. He just didn't know if this simulator doubled in cost with every use, or if it doubled every time his martial arts Realm increased.

Now was not the time to think about this, so he directly selected yes.

[At eighteen, you became a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist. You decide to search for the whereabouts of your elder brother Su Yuanjiang.]

[You catch wind of some news that Su Yuanjiang's escort shipment was hijacked by the people of the Black Wind Stronghold. You plan to infiltrate the Black Wind Stronghold but are discovered by the bandits. During the battle, you are knocked off a cliff, but fortunately, you survive by getting caught on a tree.]

[You find a cave beneath the cliff, inside of which you discover a set of saber techniques: 'Wind Cleaving Saber Technique']

[At twenty-three, you have painstakingly cultivated your saber techniques at the bottom of the cliff for three years, finally achieving Major Achievement in your saber play. You prepare to seek revenge on the Black Wind Stronghold.]

[At twenty-four, you charge up to the Black Wind Stronghold once again. Although your saber play is exquisite, the chief of the Black Wind Stronghold, Chieftain Li Heihu, is an 8th Grade Martial Artist. Ultimately, you are no match for him and are killed, dying at the age of twenty-four.]

Su Jiuchuan understood it a bit now; this simulator deduced things on its own based on the thoughts in his head.

In other words, since he was currently thinking of going outside the city to track down Su Yuanjiang's whereabouts, the simulator simulated a scenario based on that path.

[The simulation has ended. You may retain one of the following options.]

[1. Your martial arts Realm at the age of twenty-four.]

[2. Your martial arts experience at the age of twenty-four.]

[3. Your life wisdom at the age of twenty-four.]