“Actually, it’s nothing serious.” Henry Webb smiled. “I just plan to take a walk around Nanshan Town.”

“Uh…” Samuel Hayes was instantly stunned.

He had just provided information about Nanshan Town, and now this guy was heading there—his intentions were obvious.

After all, he’d previously asked him to keep an eye on William Brooks’s movements, and now that William Brooks was injured, he was going to Nanshan Town…

For the first time, he carefully sized up his junior, Junior Webb, from head to toe.

He had always treated him as his little follower, because Henry Webb was quiet and reserved, kept secrets well, never gossiped, and never talked about others behind their backs.

So whenever he wanted to vent, he would chat idly with Henry Webb.

All along, his impression of Henry Webb was that he was silent, resilient, and well-behaved.

But just now—

Samuel Hayes suddenly found his view of his junior Junior Webb had inexplicably changed a little.

The two fell silent for a while, continuing their sparring in silence.

Samuel Hayes was clearly now a bit wary—wary of Henry Webb.

The once harmless little junior had suddenly shown his claws, making him feel a bit unsettled and unable to adjust.

As for Henry Webb, he remained as silent as ever.

Practicing quietly, dismantling moves quietly, carefully experiencing how to exert force, how to respond.

After finishing their offense and defense drills, it was time for real fist training: Cowhide, Stonehide, Ironhide—the three stages of Huishan Fist, which were also the foundation of its renowned reputation.

It was the basis for standing one’s ground.

As dusk fell, it was soon time to finish up.

Samuel Hayes wiped his sweat with the towel around his neck and looked at Henry Webb, who was changing clothes.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped.

Although he had practiced Huishan Fist for a long time, he had never met anyone like Henry Webb.

That ruthless edge hidden in silence was like a venomous snake lurking in a dark corner, quietly waiting for the right moment.

Then, a sudden strike.

Most others were superficial, acting as soon as they spoke.

Samuel Hayes quickly snapped back to reality, but in just that brief moment of distraction, Henry Webb’s figure had already disappeared from sight.

Chapter 7: The Barrier (Part 1)

Nanshan Town.

Located in the southern part of the city, this town was filled with shops and stalls selling cloth and textiles.

But most of the shops and stalls were tightly shut, long gone was the former bustle and excitement.

In recent years, the imperial taxes had become increasingly heavy, and the commercial taxes were unbearable. The former glory had long since faded, leaving only faint traces.

Henry Webb walked along the street, head lowered, most of his face wrapped in cloth, hurrying along, dressed in the most common gray hemp clothes.

These days, he hadn’t relied solely on his third senior brother Samuel Hayes to gather information about William Brooks and his two companions.

After carefully tailing them a few times, he had obtained the address where William Brooks and the others lived.

Lowering his head to duck under a broken bamboo pole used for drying clothes, Henry Webb soon arrived at a small, shabby courtyard.

The courtyard gate was half open. Just then, a woman with red eyes, carrying packed luggage and leading a child of only a few years old, walked out.

The woman was somewhat attractive, but the tear stains and swollen eyes on her face showed she was in a terrible state.

With the child in tow, the woman glanced at Henry Webb’s attire, kept her head down, didn’t bother closing the door, and quickly left.

Henry Webb recognized her.

She was William Brooks’s wife, Daisy, who had been a well-known widow in the area before marrying.

“Who’s outside?!” came William Brooks’s voice from inside the courtyard, sounding a bit puzzled.

Henry Webb pushed the door open and entered the courtyard.

In the middle of the yard, William Brooks sat on the steps in front of the inner room, one arm wrapped in a gray cloth bandage, with spots of blood seeping through.

“William Brooks, as soon as I heard you were hurt, I rushed over right away.” Henry Webb smiled.

“You? You are…?” William Brooks stood up in confusion.

He was about to say something else when suddenly his vision blurred—a handful of lime was thrown hard into his face.

Ah!!

William Brooks flailed his right hand wildly, trying to fend off any possible attack.

Henry Webb kicked William Brooks in the stomach, grabbed a hoe from the corner, and smashed it down on William Brooks’s head several times.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Throwing aside the hoe, Henry Webb didn’t even look at the now lifeless William Brooks on the ground. He turned and left the courtyard, pulling the door shut behind him.

Then, without a word, he wrapped his head and quickly walked away.

He kept going until he left Nanshan Town, reaching the small river between the towns, and sat down among the wild grass.

Only then did he start gasping for breath.

Everything had gone just as he had planned from the start, even more smoothly. The injured William Brooks had no strength to resist, especially after being blinded with lime.

He had simulated this so many times, but when it actually happened, it was much easier than he’d imagined.

The William Brooks he’d pictured as strong and intimidating had, in reality, been finished off without even a grunt.

‘I… No one saw me come or go, my head was wrapped the whole time, and he never called out my name. Only that widow Daisy saw me, but she probably didn’t see my face.’

Henry Webb, hands trembling, untied the cloth from his head, took off his outer garment, and turned it inside out to cover the bloodstains.