Scar Master

Long Ao would return, probably wanting to save him, for a goal that might be doomed to fail, for a friend he hadn't known for very long.

This was currently Long Ao's side story. With such a title, Long Ao was bound to gain some sort of improvement in this incident. However, he wouldn't pin all his hopes on one person, even if this person was taking a huge risk for him.

A fragment appeared in his palm. This was what White Tiger had once given him. Chen Guan hesitated for a moment, but still put the fragment away.

[The White Tiger summoner is here.]

[The boss bro is pretty cool, when something happens he really steps up.]

[Reasonable speculation that this should be an important plot node, an important turning point for Brother Ao, otherwise it wouldn't be a standalone side story plot.]

As the bullet comments drifted by, Chen Guan finally realized that in the eyes of the audience, he had just been zoning out. They didn't know about Baal's existence, nor did they know about his relationship with Baal.

This actually confirmed his agreement with Baal; this was a secret between the two of them, unknown to any third party.

The audience... was not omniscient.

This discovery actually improved his mood quite a bit.

Time ticked by minute by minute.

The night grew deeper. Both inside and outside the courtyard was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of the wind unique to Jiang City coming from afar.

Approaching ten o'clock, Long Ao's door finally opened.

"Let's go." Long Ao knocked on Chen Guan's door.

What his grandfather thought was no longer important to him. Chen Guan was his friend. He couldn't stop his grandfather's ideas, but he wouldn't abandon his friend.

The night wind was very cold.

Chen Guan, carrying the coffin on his back, followed behind Long Ao. The two walked north along the alley outside the courtyard.

The nights in Jiang City were always like this. The sound of the wind seemed to drill out from underground, carrying an indescribable chill.

The streetlights were dim yellow, unable to pierce through the darkness deep within the alley.

"Lord Scar's place isn't easy to find," Long Ao walked in front, keeping his voice very low. "It's in the abandoned factory district on the outskirts of the city. That area is full of people from all walks of life. Don't speak carelessly when we get there."

"Got it," Chen Guan replied.

He knew what Long Ao was worried about.

He hadn't come completely unprepared either. Lord Scar was one of the information brokers in Jiang City's underground intelligence network, specializing in reselling all sorts of shady news.

This kind of person wandered in the gray area, belonging neither to the Great Wall nor to any evil syndicate, but he could get his hands on intel from both sides.

To understand the specific layout of the Flesh Embrace in Jiang City, finding Lord Scar was the fastest route.

But also the most dangerous.

Because at Lord Scar's place, you could run into anyone.

The two passed through several alleys and turned into an even narrower path. The surrounding buildings became increasingly dilapidated, with peeling paint and boarded-up windows, looking as if they had been abandoned for many years.

Chen Guan glanced around, and the bullet comments began to float by.

[This place looks sketchy.]

[Feels like something is going to jump out at any moment. How did a hot-blooded shonen turn into a horror movie...]

The audience's intuition was very accurate.

Chen Guan also noticed it. The spiritual energy fluctuations in this area were very chaotic, as if many espers had just had a fight nearby.

"We're here."

Long Ao stopped in front of a three-story building.

The exterior walls of the building were covered in vines. The rolling shutter door on the first floor was half-open, and it was pitch black inside.

A bald, muscular man squatted at the door, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his cold eyes sweeping over the two.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Lord Scar," Long Ao said.

The bald muscular man looked Long Ao up and down, then exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Go in. Second floor, third room on the left."

Long Ao nodded and led Chen Guan inside.

The hallway was very dark, with only a few dim yellow lightbulbs hanging on the walls. The air was filled with the smell of mold and tobacco, and the stair handrails were covered in rust.

Chen Guan followed Long Ao upstairs. He could hear low voices coming from above, as well as a woman's laughter, which was very piercing.

The second-floor corridor was even narrower. Most of the doors on both sides were closed, and occasionally light could be seen shining through the cracks.

Long Ao walked to the third door on the left and knocked three times.

"Come in."

A man's voice came from inside.

Pushing open the door, the room was shrouded in smoke.

A thin middle-aged man sat on the sofa. He had a scar on his face that extended from his forehead to his chin, looking as if it had been slashed open by a sharp weapon.

He held a cigarette in his hand, his other hand resting on the arm of the sofa, his fingertips gently tapping out a rhythm.

"The kid from the Long family?" Lord Scar narrowed his eyes. "A rare guest."

As an information broker, he recognized Long Ao, even though he was someone who rarely returned to Jiang City once a year.

"Buying intel," Long Ao said directly.

"Straightforward." Lord Scar smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Speak, what do you want to know?"

"The distribution of Flesh Embrace's strongholds in Jiang City, and their recent movements."

Lord Scar's smile paused.

He re-examined Long Ao, then turned his gaze to Chen Guan.

"This intel isn't cheap. Even the officials are fighting for it. And to be honest, I'm really afraid of getting into trouble."

"How much?"

Long Ao ignored Lord Scar's nonsense. His words clearly implied just one thing: he wanted more money.

"This isn't a matter of money."

Without hesitation, Long Ao poured out a large pile of items from his storage ring, scattering them all over the floor with a clatter.

Lord Scar could tell their value with just one glance, and his smile immediately became fawning.

"Flesh Embrace has indeed been very active in Jiang City recently." Lord Scar flicked his cigarette ash. "They are looking for a person, or rather, an item. I heard it's a kid carrying a coffin who stole an important item from them. He looks quite a bit like this little brother here."

Chen Guan looked expressionless, but he was actually at a loss.

Where did this scapegoat come from?

When did he steal anything?

"As for larger strongholds, there are three on the surface." Lord Scar stopped there and continued, "The abandoned hospital in the east of the city, the old pier warehouse in the west, and the underground casino in the south. But these are all fronts. The true core stronghold is in the north of the city."

"Where in the north?"

"I don't know." Lord Scar spread his hands. "Even the officials probably can't find that place. I only know the general area. Moreover, the spiritual energy fluctuations in the north have been very frequent lately. They must be planning some big move."

Long Ao frowned.

"Anything else?"

"Yes." Lord Scar exhaled a puff of smoke. "Besides a little brother carrying a coffin, the people from Flesh Embrace are also looking for someone else recently. That person calls himself Lin Jiu and is an appraiser. Heh, even I can't find out his background."

There weren't many things Lord Scar couldn't find out, but today they clashed together. Even he was somewhat surprised by the coincidence.

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

"The intel has been given." Lord Scar stood up. "Take care, you two. I won't see you out."

The two didn't stay long and walked out the door. The hallway was still dim.

As they went downstairs, Chen Guan suddenly spoke, "He knows my identity."

"Yeah," Long Ao said. "Lord Scar knows a lot, but he won't tell anyone. That's the rule."

"But Flesh Embrace already knows."

Long Ao fell silent.

The two walked out of the building. The bald muscular man was still squatting at the door, watching them leave coldly.

The night wind grew even colder.

Walking behind Long Ao, Chen Guan suddenly noticed something amiss.

It was very faint, but it definitely existed.

It felt as if something was staring at them from afar.

Chen Guan stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?" Long Ao turned around.

"Someone is watching us."

Long Ao was instantly on high alert, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.

The street was completely empty, with only the distant streetlights swaying in the wind.

Yet, the feeling of being watched was growing increasingly distinct.

Chen Guan raised his head and looked toward a distant rooftop.

In the darkness, a silhouette stood motionless at the edge of the roof.

A second later, the figure vanished.

[Holy crap! What was that just now?!]

[There's someone on the roof!]

[Mom, I'm scared.]

The live chat exploded.

Long Ao's face darkened. "Let's go, hurry."

The two quickened their pace, sprinting back in the direction they had come from.

From the darkness behind them came the faint, almost imperceptible sound of footsteps.

There was more than one person.