Chapter 15: Want to Rent a Room?

Bang bang bang...

The knocking sounded urgently. Qin Ruo went downstairs and opened the door. Just as he did, a thick bloody scent rushed past him. A burly black shadow staggered by, brushing shoulders with Qin Ruo.

"Close the door!" The rugged man who had stumbled inside turned his head and roared at Qin Ruo, his momentum as fierce as a tiger.

Qin Ruo calmly sized up the man before him. The fellow had a ferocious, villainous face covered in crisscrossing knife scars and wounds—terrifying enough to make any child burst into tears.

The man's features were rugged. His mighty frame radiated thick killing intent. He wore a sleeveless vest on his upper body, with several wounds slashed open by sharp blades, revealing twisted, blood-drenched gashes that looked especially horrifying under the light.

Qin Ruo closed the door—not out of fear. This big man was a decent expert, but he posed no real threat to Qin Ruo.

The living room plunged into darkness, save for a pair of tiger-like sharp eyes flashing with cold glints.

Heavy panting filled the air, making the room's atmosphere oppressive.

Soon, chaotic footsteps echoed from the alley outside the villa.

"There's a bloody smell in this alley. The Fierce Tiger must have fled this way. Search every corner carefully—no blind spots!"

A gloomy voice rang out from outside. Qin Ruo noticed the man before him tense up suddenly, a resolute ferocity flashing in his eyes. The aura of resolve and killing intent from his mighty body grew even thicker.

"Your personality reminds me a bit of Black Bear, heh."

The man whipped his head around and glared at Qin Ruo, his sharp eyes like an eagle's, the fierce glint sending chills down the spine.

At that moment, a ding-dong doorbell rang outside the door. The big man's face changed abruptly, frost spreading across his features as his whole body grew tense.

Qin Ruo opened the door to find a group of men in black standing there.

These men wielded sharp daggers. At the front was a gray-robed elder around fifty, his dagger still dripping with fresh blood.

He gave Qin Ruo an icy glance and said, "Someone fled into your house. We need to search it!"

His words brooked no refusal, carrying an astonishing aura.

Qin Ruo lazily shrugged his shoulders. "Early Qi Energy cultivation."

The elder's face changed dramatically. This ordinary-looking young man had seen through his cultivation at a glance, sending a chill through him.

The next moment, he cupped his fists in a martial artist salute. "Senior, I am an elder of the Night Dragon Gang, acting on our gang leader's orders to pursue a certain expert. I hope you won't stand in our way!"

Qin Ruo didn't reply, merely giving him a disdainful look. "The person you're after isn't here. And breaking into private property is against the law, you know."

At Qin Ruo's last words, the elder's expression flickered uncertainly. Their line of work broke the law all the time. But facing this unfathomable young man, he knew he was no match.

"Then we won't disturb your cultivation, Senior!" The elder politely cupped his fists, then turned. "Withdraw—the target's not here!"

The group vanished from outside Qin Ruo's villa. Qin Ruo lazily shut the door. Behind him, the rugged man gratefully cupped his fists. "I am Fierce Tiger. Thank you for saving my life, expert!"

Fierce Tiger stared at the young man before him, who was several years his junior. He was utterly shocked inside. With just a few words, he'd forced back the Night Dragon Gang's grand elder—a level of terrifying strength he could never hope to match.

Qin Ruo chuckled, lounging onto the sofa and lighting a cigarette. "I only saved you because you remind me of a brother of mine. That's all."

"Thank you!"

"Smoke?" Qin Ruo asked, eyeing Fierce Tiger, whose face was covered in scars and wounds still oozing blood.

Fierce Tiger nodded, taking a cigarette from Qin Ruo with trembling hands. The two men smoked in silence for a bit, the atmosphere quiet.

Qin Ruo didn't ask why the man was being hunted—there were too many possible reasons for that.

Fierce Tiger paused, then explained himself. "I came to Binhai City for one man: Ye Long, the boss of Binhai's underworld, who controls the Night Dragon Gang. Tonight, I tried to assassinate him. I failed, got wounded by him, and then his men chased me down!"

Qin Ruo shrugged with a smile. "Oh, that's interesting."

Fierce Tiger glanced at his torn, bloody wounds and grimaced in pain. Qin Ruo said, "I've got rooms for rent here—one thousand a day. Interested?"

Fierce Tiger nodded without hesitation. "Rent for a month."

Qin Ruo smiled. "Pay in the morning. There's bandages and medicine in the room."

Fierce Tiger cupped his fists gratefully. Qin Ruo led him to a standard room.

Not long after, Xia Fei Xuan returned. Qin Ruo sat on the sofa, looking at her weary face, and chuckled. "What's up?"