The moment he left the dock, Han Li instructed the two porters to walk ahead and lead him to a nearby inn. He intended to rest first and sort out other matters afterward.
The two men agreed readily and led Han Li and Soul-Summoner into the city. But after winding through one twisting alley after another for what felt like an eternity, there was still no sign of any inn.
Han Li continued following behind the porters, but as the streets grew progressively more remote and the people they passed grew fewer, a faint frown creased his brow.
Even without experience staying in large cities, he knew that no inn would be built in such a desolate area. Who would come here?
When they finally arrived at an exceedingly filthy, pitch-dark alley, Han Li let out a bitter laugh and decided he should simply apprehend the two men right now and interrogate them to find out what they were after.
But just as he was about to make his move, a dozen or so burly men emerged from the depths of the alley ahead. They looked somewhat familiar—he seemed to have seen them all standing in the shelters back at the dock.
The men brandished iron clubs and sharp knives, their eyes fixed on Han Li and Soul-Summoner with undisguised malice. The two porters carrying the pack suddenly darted into the crowd, then turned back and flashed Han Li a wicked grin.
Han Li sighed. He didn't need an interrogation to understand their intentions anymore. He hadn't even set foot properly in Doctor Mo's hometown before running into a classic case of robbery and murder.
"Don't blame us for being ruthless, kid. You brought this on yourself by walking around with that much silver. If you've got someone to blame, blame your own bad luck!" A rough voice came from behind.
Han Li turned around. Seven or eight more burly men had appeared at his rear, and at their head stood two figures—one broad-shouldered and swarthy, the other lean-faced with squinting, rat-like eyes. Black Bear and Sun Ergou.
This wasn't the first time the pair had orchestrated robbery and murder. They both understood that as long as the job was done cleanly with no witnesses left alive, the disappearance of a non-local wouldn't even warrant a police investigation. People vanished in this city every year in such numbers that the authorities couldn't possibly look into every case.
With that, Black Bear wasted no more time. He flashed a signal to the dozen or so men, and they charged forward, weapons raised, surging toward Han Li and Soul-Summoner where they stood trapped in the center.
Han Li watched the bloodthirsty savagery on these men's faces, and a flash of killing intent passed through his eyes. He could tell from the way they moved that this wasn't their first time. They carried the stench of blood, all of them.
"Kill them. Show no mercy," Han Li ordered Soul-Summoner in a flat, cold voice.
At Han Li's command, Soul-Summoner let out a low growl—a growl tinged with excitement. He burst forward like a bolt, charging straight into the approaching mob.
A fist shot out with lightning speed, smashing into one man's skull. The burly thug flew sideways like a sandbag, slamming into the stone wall. Blood and brain matter spilled across the ground—half his head was simply gone.
At that same moment, a sharp knife and a thick iron club swung toward Soul-Summoner's back in the opening left by his attack.
Without even turning his head, Soul-Summoner swept his free arm behind him in a half-circle. Two hollow thuds rang out. The instant the weapons made contact with his arm, they went flying through the air, and the men's hands split open, blood streaming from their palms.
Soul-Summoner planted one foot and swung the other like a scythe in a vicious backward sweep. The two men took the blow to their waists and were sent hurtling over a yard through the air, crashing to the ground motionless.
The remaining thugs witnessed this scene and collectively sucked in a cold breath. Those still surrounding him showed naked fear on their faces, and several hesitated, unwilling to close in.
But even as they faltered, Soul-Summoner showed no such restraint. He continued swinging left and right, shattering the skulls of two more men at his flanks. Without Han Li's order to stop, he would not relent on his own.
Sun Ergou and Black Bear's faces were grim. It was painfully clear they had misjudged the situation—this giant was no ordinary bodyguard. He was terrifyingly formidable.
"Kill this giant! Twenty taels of silver to the man who does it!" Sun Ergou, sensing a deep unease, immediately shouted a hefty bounty to the "experts" at his side.
The men around both Sun Ergou and Black Bear lit up at the words. These were all rough fighters with only rudimentary martial arts—certainly not skilled enough to perceive the vast gulf between themselves and Soul-Summoner. They assumed he was merely strong and a touch more agile than average, nothing to truly fear. Spurred on by the promise of silver, they surged forward.
Black Bear's facial muscles twitched at Sun Ergou's words, but he remained silent, his expression dark. His gaze, however, flickered restlessly toward Han Li.
At this moment, Black Bear was cursing inwardly.
Unlike Sun Ergou, he had earned his position through genuine fighting and killing—real blood and steel. Not only did he possess a decent level of martial skill that barely qualified him as a third-rate fighter, but his eye for judging an opponent was razor-sharp.
The instant he saw Soul-Summoner move, his heart plummeted. He could tell at a glance that the giant's abilities far exceeded anything their gang leader could match, let alone pawns like them. Yet he didn't dare turn and flee—clearly the giant hadn't even exerted full effort yet. If Soul-Summoner sensed his attempt to escape, death would come even faster.
To survive, his only hope lay in targeting the young man. The youth's status was obviously far above the giant's. If he could take the young man hostage, there might be a way out. As for the silver in that pack—the very idea of going for it now was unthinkable. A bodyguard this powerful didn't serve some country landlord's son. This was clearly a young lord from a prestigious clan, traveling in disguise. If he escaped with his life today, he would count himself blessed by the gods. Trying to drag along that massive pack? Out of the question.
With this thought, Black Bear crept forward while the other thugs charged in, slipped Sun Ergou a meaningful look, and began closing in on Han Li.