A sickening crack echoed through the alley, followed by a spray of blood. The man was lifeless.
Su Lai tossed the body aside and turned his attention to the approaching crowd. There were at least thirty more.
The first man to reach him threw a punch. Su Lai sidestepped, the blow whistling past, and then his hand shot out, executing the Throat Lock Palm once more.
Another grunt, and a minion crumpled to the ground.
Su Lai reached for a second target, but as his hand closed around the minion's throat, a sharp pain shot up his calf, followed by the splintering sound of wood.
He instantly released the minion he held and spun around, glaring murderously at the one who had attacked him. The assailant, clutching a broken club, stumbled back a few paces, fear in his eyes.
"You son of a bitch," Su Lai snarled, lunging forward and locking his grip around the attacker's throat. A sharp *crack* ended the minion's life.
The remaining minions seized the opportunity to swarm Su Lai. In his prime, he wouldn't have faltered even against twice their number, but now, he was struggling.
Within moments, Su Lai had taken countless blows, his body a bloody mess. With no other option, he grabbed the nearest minion and delivered a fatal Throat Lock Palm.
The alley was filled with the sounds of agony.
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..." Su Lai gasped for air, his eyes burning with killing intent. Though covered in blood, his movements remained swift. He was clearly in a blood frenzy.
The number of surviving minions dwindled, some too terrified to even advance. Su Lai, at his limit, roared at the remaining few, "Get out!!"
Their courage shattered, the minions turned and fled in disarray. Su Lai could no longer stand. He sank down onto a corpse, pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket, lit one, and took a long drag.
Just then, his phone rang. He pulled it out to see "Master Yu" displayed on the screen.
"Master Yu is using his old number again?" Su Lai muttered, answering the call.
"Old Su, are you alright?" It was Da Hu's voice.
Su Lai exhaled a plume of smoke and chuckled, "What could happen to me? A complete victory."
Relieved to hear Su Lai was unharmed, Da Hu asked, "Where are you now?"
Su Lai didn't answer directly. "By the way, where is Master Yu?"
"Master Yu is right beside me. We've already set off for the Ghost Market auction," Da Hu explained.
Seeing that Master Yu was safe, Su Lai finally relaxed. "I'm at the corner of the alley where that just happened. You don't need to come here; just wait for me at the auction."
Da Hu offered a few more words of caution before hanging up. Su Lai pocketed his phone and, with great effort, pushed himself up and walked out of the alley.
Meanwhile, in a white van.
Yu Daohen, in the passenger seat, looked at Da Hu. "Da Hu, do we really not need to go find Su Lai?"
Da Hu shook his head. "No, let's head to the Ghost Market first."
Yu Daohen nodded, still worried about Su Lai. He had heard the story from Da Hu. After Yu Daohen lost his memory, they had been searching for a way to recover it. Three days ago, they learned that the local Ghost Market would be auctioning an item called the Memory Pearl, rumored to help people regain their past memories. The auction was scheduled for tomorrow.
Zhou Fu, in the back, thought for a moment and asked, "Brother Hu, that Memory Pearl probably isn't cheap, is it?"
Da Hu nodded, admitting, "It wasn't that expensive before, but the situation is different now. Master Yu's amnesia has likely spread through the martial world, and the value of the Memory Pearl has multiplied several times over."
Hearing this, Yu Daohen's expression grew serious. "Brother Da Hu, is the money you brought enough?"
Da Hu shook his head firmly. "Da Hu and I pawned everything we had to scrape together over twenty million. We thought it would be enough, but now, twenty million definitely won't cut it."
Twenty million! Yu Daohen also knew from Zhou Fu that Da Hu and Su Lai weren't exactly wealthy. Su Lai, in particular, was a gambler who had even taken out a loan to buy a boat, though that boat had since sunk in the Yellow River. Despite Da Hu's casual tone, he must have gone to great lengths to gather twenty million. This was evident even in how they ordered food at the restaurant.
Yu Daohen's guess was correct. To raise the twenty million, Da Hu and Su Lai had racked their brains, borrowing from their respective sects and scrambling to gather the sum.
Zhou Fu's face fell. "Brother Hu, it's probably unrealistic to acquire the Memory Pearl for twenty million now."
Da Hu nodded, his expression suddenly turning grim. "I know. That's why Su Lai and I have decided to implement Plan B."
"Plan B?" Yu Daohen asked, confused. "What is Plan B?"
Without hesitation, Da Hu declared, "We'll steal it!"
"Steal it?" Zhou Fu exclaimed in disbelief. "Brother Hu, the Ghost Market is under the jurisdiction of the City God. This might be problematic."
Da Hu understood perfectly. "I know, but we must obtain this Memory Pearl. There can be no mistakes, even if it costs us our lives!"
Seeing Da Hu's serious expression, Yu Daohen knew he wasn't joking. How could he be so fortunate to have such brothers? If it were his past self, he would surely do the same.
The van stopped in a desolate area on the outskirts. Da Hu glanced at the barren land ahead. "This is it."
Seeing nothing but an empty field, Yu Daohen couldn't help but ask, "There's nothing here ahead?"
Da Hu smiled faintly. "No rush. It's still daytime. We'll enter the Ghost Market at night."
Yu Daohen nodded and was about to step out for some air when Da Hu stopped him. "Don't get out."
Yu Daohen retracted his hand from the door handle, asking nervously, "What's wrong?"
Da Hu looked into the distance. "Master Yu, do you see the cars not far from here?"
Curious, Yu Daohen turned his head. About fifty meters away, various vehicles were parked, from luxurious Mercedes and Audis to humble Wuling Hongguangs and vans.
As Yu Daohen surveyed the cars, he asked, "Are these all here for the auction?" He had initially thought there wouldn't be many, but a quick count revealed at least twenty vehicles.
Da Hu nodded, then shook his head. "Yes, but not all of them."
Hearing this, Yu Daohen's mind conjured an unsettling thought. "These people... are they here for me?"