Chapter 68: Surveillance and the Black Wolf Gang

“Brother Su, please don’t say that. These days I’ve enjoyed your hospitality, feasting and drinking—how could you possibly be neglecting me?”
“Come, let’s drink.”
Shen Lian was in high spirits, and as the cups circulated, he grew drunk and pulled his younger sister, Shen Yushui, over. He placed her small hand in Su Yang’s palm and declared, “Brother Su, if I die out there, you must look after Yushui for me. Promise me you’ll take good care of my sister… She’s wonderful in every way… except…”
“Brother Shen, don’t say such ominous things. Your sister is yours to care for; how could you entrust her to another?”
While speaking, Su Yang habitually employed his “Root Measuring Technique” to gauge Shen Yushui’s innate potential.
But before his own vital energy could enter Shen Yushui’s body, a surge of even greater vitality rushed toward him, causing Su Yang’s expression to change dramatically.
A martial artist?
Feeling the torrent of energy within Shen Yushui, Su Yang stared at her in shock.
She was slender, her features delicate yet laced with a heroic spirit, her hair tied in a high ponytail, long legs taut and straight, her body fuller than it had been just days before.
With a thud, Shen Yushui brought her hand down in a chopping motion, knocking Shen Lian unconscious. With her other hand, she grabbed Su Yang by the neck and dragged him into the room. Su Yang wanted to resist, but sensing the overwhelming vitality inside her, he abandoned the idea.
Sixth rank!
Shen Yushui was actually a sixth-rank martial artist?
Dangling in her grasp, Su Yang was bewildered. This woman was a master at hiding her strength! If not for his Root Measuring Technique provoking a reaction, he might never have discovered that such an expert was right beside him.
Wait.
He himself possessed seventh-rank strength, though he only revealed the power of the eighth rank, holding back some of his true ability.
What about Shen Yushui? She was so adept at concealing her strength—though her current energy felt like that of the sixth rank, who could say it wasn’t actually the fifth?
Clearly, there were more hidden talents than one might imagine.
He recalled Shen Lian’s constant worry for his sister, his efforts to curry favor with Su Yang, hoping he would care for her. Yet it turned out his sister was the true powerhouse.
And he had just been struck down by her.
Shen Lian was truly pitiable—years of concern wasted.
No wonder Shen Yushui had remained unmarried for so long. Not yet twenty, and her revealed strength was already sixth rank; who in Yanggu County could possibly meet her standards?
Shen Yushui threw Su Yang onto the bed, her gaze icy cold.

“Cough… Yushui… Don’t do anything reckless… You’re a proper maiden, it’s not worth it!”
Feeling Shen Yushui’s predatory stare, Su Yang edged toward the corner of the bed.
The stronger one’s cultivation, the greater one’s stamina and resilience.
Usually, with his seventh-rank physique, he could tease his favored concubines—Peach Blossom, Plum Blossom, Spring Cherished, and Ping’er—with satisfaction.
But Shen Yushui…
Su Yang felt he truly couldn’t withstand her. He feared being drained dry!
“What were you doing just now?” Shen Yushui sneered, approaching the bed. Gone was the obedient sister from before Shen Lian; she was now a greedy, predatory enchantress.
“My family has a hereditary technique that measures a person’s innate potential, so… so I just wanted to test yours, Sister Yushui…”
“Don’t tell my brother about me, or else…”
Shen Yushui glanced meaningfully at Su Yang’s lower body, the corner of her lips curling into a threatening smile. She left the rest unsaid and turned away, departing without another word.
Humiliating.
It was the first time Su Yang felt so thoroughly embarrassed, slipping out of the room in shame.
Before leaving, he noticed Shen Yushui’s gaze was somewhat odd, as if she were looking at a little underling.
Sixth rank.
What’s so impressive about that? Once I advance to sixth rank, I’ll show you what I’m capable of.
Leaving Shen Lian’s courtyard, he slipped into Pan Yinlian’s neighboring quarters.
The door was locked from the inside.
Two maids lived in the side rooms, but Pan Yinlian never allowed them inside, keeping the main door locked. They could only wait outside.
Su Yang knocked, and Pan Yinlian unlocked the door from within. Her figure was soft as water, clad in thin gauze. These days, she’d been living in fear, her face pale, her eyes brimming with a vulnerable, watery sadness that tugged at the heart.
When she saw it was Su Yang, her nose tingled and she rushed into his arms.
Her fragile, boneless body truly felt like water, making him wish he could absorb her into himself. The unique fragrance of a woman filled his nostrils; Pan Yinlian was indeed a peerless beauty.
“Master, you’ve finally come to see me. Have you already forgotten me?”
Pan Yinlian lay in his arms like a devoted kitten, her voice soft and sweet.
“Let’s talk inside.”
Without another word, Su Yang swept her up into his arms and carried her into the room.
Inside, the light was dim, the air filled with feminine fragrance, ancient decor, and a beautiful woman nestled in his embrace. All these stirred Su Yang’s blood.

Seated on the bed, Pan Yinlian nestled against him, obedient as a kitten, gentle and considerate.
“Wu Song is dead.”
Su Yang got straight to the point, delivering the good news.
Pan Yinlian immediately looked up, her eyes, once watery and sorrowful, now flushed with vibrant color.
With Wu Song dead, she could openly follow her master.
These past days,
Pan Yinlian had lived in constant terror, fearing that Wu Song would discover her whereabouts and kill not only her, but Su Yang as well.
Now, with Wu Song gone,
Everything was over.
“Master…”
Pan Yinlian buried herself in Su Yang’s chest, trembling with quiet sobs, tears quickly soaking his clothes.
That day, Pan Yinlian became Su Yang’s personal maid.
Early the next morning,
Su Yang took two servants and went to a shop specializing in wedding supplies. Fortunately, the owner had not starved to death, or it would have been an ominous sign. He quietly purchased some celebratory candles and similar items.
Currently, in Yanggu County, only the Zhou family market and the Yanggu County market were allowed to trade goods. Anywhere else in town that dared sell would invite trouble, since the taxes in the markets were so steep.
But now, with rebels besieging the city, who would buy wedding supplies? The two markets had none for sale; Su Yang was forced to seek out the wedding shop.
Had he not pounded on the door and brought two servants, the owner likely wouldn’t have dared sell to him.
“Boss Liu, do you not care about living anymore?”
“The government’s rules don’t apply here, is that it?”
While Su Yang was buying goods, a discordant voice rang out from outside.
A bald man wielding a long blade strode in, his face fierce and threatening, flanked by several enforcers from the Black Wolf Gang. The bald man leading the group was a ninth-rank martial artist.
Black Wolf Gang.
Su Yang’s brows arched—he hadn’t seen them in ages. It was time to plant an informant within the Black Wolf Gang, and this bald fellow seemed just right.