Chapter 880: Chapter 439: Gutter Rat (Part 2)

Once this matter is over, Jerry will officially be part of the organization.

In the future, just by collecting safety gold for the big bosses, the perks would be enough for him to indulge in the tavern all night long, living in utter comfort.

Thinking of this bright future, Jerry couldn’t help but grin, even the dull pain in his nose from the rainy weather seemed to ease a bit.

The mud-stained, ill-fitting leather boots suddenly came to a halt.

"Blood-nosed Rat" Jerry stood in front of his shack, his body suddenly frozen.

His nostrils flared slightly, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.

Though very faint due to the dilution by the rain, he still smelled a metallic, rusty scent of blood.

Having grown up in the chaotic alleys, Jerry was particularly sensitive to this smell.

An alarm in his mind rang loud and clear.

His brain rapidly analyzed the situation, yet his facial expression returned to normal within a few breaths, pretending as if nothing had happened.

But just as he was thinking of pretending he hadn’t noticed anything and continued walking forward...

The shadows from the depths of the alley behind him suddenly squirmed.

"Ssst."

A sharp glint of metal flashed by.

A cold, large hand reached out from the rainwater behind him, tightly covering Jerry’s mouth, making the impending scream only a fleeting whimper.

Scalding blood gushed out from his throat, mingling with the cold raindrops, adding more crimson to his already soaked collar.

His feet kicked the ground chaotically, and his hands clawed at the arm as hard as steel, yet life was swiftly ebbing away with the blood surging from his throat wound.

The body that struggled in intense pain gradually convulsed.

His eyes first narrowed, bloodshot, then dilated and lost focus as his limp arms drooped.

A dozen seconds, or maybe a few minutes.

When Jerry’s body’s balance shifted backward and fell onto the muddy ground, he truly became a corpse. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Huh..."

A soft sigh was exhaled.

The scorching air inside turned into white mist in the chill.

A tall, thin middle-aged man stood beside Jerry’s corpse, with blood still on his fingers and the blade of his dagger.

His face was sullen, a scar ran diagonally from his forehead, cutting through half an eyebrow.

Shadows of energy remained on the surface of his leather boots.

After confirming that the thug beneath him was thoroughly dead, the scarred man re-sheathed the dagger at his waist, crouched down, and began to search Jerry’s body with his calloused, large hands.

He seemed very experienced; the coins Jerry had hidden deep inside his shirt were pinched out within seconds by those hands.

But evidently, his target wasn’t the few simple coins.

After searching Jerry all over without finding what he sought, his eyes flashed with a trace of ominous viciousness.

The inside of the house had been thoroughly searched earlier, with nothing found.

If it wasn’t hidden on his person, nor in his hideout,

where could the little rat have put the goods within a morning’s time?

Nobody knows.

But at least his main goal of the trip was accomplished, with the "Blood-nosed Rat" thoroughly silenced.

Ensuring nothing was missed.

The man with the scarred brow glanced down at the corpse beneath him, then at the dilapidated shack ahead, a flash of disdain and contempt in his eyes.

The shadows squirmed, disappearing on the spot.

The drizzle continued to fall gently.

The old wooden shack door hadn’t had time to be closed, half ajar, letting the cold wind sweep in, swinging with a harrowing creak.

The blood spread.

Jerry lay there, no different from the countless dead rats in the corners of the Saltwater District.

...

...

Gangs, or unofficial small groups, exist in every aggregation of sentient beings.

They could be evil mafia organizations profiting from casinos and brothels, or just temporary interest groups formed by a few fishing buddies.

Most of the time, the accommodating nature of the officials and the composition of the town’s residents greatly affect the nature of these small groups.

Take Neum and Suo Yu Bay for instance.

The former is located inland, the most critical large commercial town within Pan Yun Province, essentially the core of all human settlements nearby, needing no further elaboration on its prosperity.

Its internal power structure is clear, with the City Lord Mansion and the Church jointly controlling everything in the town.

Although there are out-of-reach areas like the "Neum Sewer," the nobles and clergy still firmly grasp the city’s order.

No rat dares to stand under the sun.

An underworld power like the "Gray Badger Gang" even needs to cozy up to the upper echelons to barely find a niche in the perpetual darkness of the sewers.

Order and rules reign above, and even the most foolish professionals wouldn’t choose to stand against the officials in such a place, as there’s no profit in it, and the income doesn’t justify the risk.

But Suo Yu Bay is different.

Though it’s also a core city in the province and even more important due to its port attributes,

it’s like the broad, chaotic, and unruly sea beyond the bay.

Suo Yu Bay lacks the stable order that Neum has.

Its internal powers are in a complex interlace, with disputes and dirt among the Governor Mansion, Church, and merchant houses understandable, but most importantly, unlike Neum, there is a branch of the adventurer association in Suo Yu Bay.

This caused the number of adventurers in the town to multiply exponentially compared to other large towns.

And as known to all, on the Aifala Continent, adventurers are sources of chaos.

These individuals, wielding Extraordinary Power, freely enjoy the privileges brought by their strength, with no psychological burden to stand above ordinary people.

Thus, ambitious groups flourish in the maze-like alleys of the Saltwater District.

Satisfied with the status quo while wary of opponents taking this opportunity to attack, the town’s major forces dare not break the current weak balance, turning a blind eye to those small groups.

Thus, in Neum City, the Gray Badger Gang, despite having more people and a broader territory, its leader hasn’t even achieved a Professional Level;

While the Corner Shark Gang seems to be at the bottom among the gang forces in Suo Yu Bay with territory just a sliver large, its leader, however, is a mighty Professional with a Professional Level of up to Level 5.

Moreover, the Boss Lailo, aside from his role as a "gang boss," also holds the part-time role of an "adventurer."

Though both are gangs, their nature and actions vary vastly.

Xia Nan gained understanding through personal experience.

The subtle differences between cities cannot be found in local customs publications.

You must visit both places to discern the distinctions through personal experience.

If Xia Nan, with a decent combat capability as a professional adventurer, wanted a peaceful retirement, Neum would undoubtedly be a more suitable choice.

But should he need to locate a gang member or even indulge and make some kills with his remarkable combat ability... the superiority of Suo Yu Bay’s environment speaks for itself.

Especially after gaining a certain extent of official support.

The Baron Mansion expedition, owing to the interest relationship between Hai Yin and Baron Farrow, and the intel acquired from "Blood-nosed Rat" Jerry,

granted Xia Nan and the others significant emphasis in the current Baron’s daughter’s disappearance case.

Aside from promising a generous reward for finding his daughter, Baron Farrow also exercised his noble privileges, temporarily granting Xia Nan’s team command over a whole squad of guards.

Effectively giving Xia Nan and the others official endorsement for their subsequent activities in the Saltwater District, legitimizing actions that might have been otherwise in a legal grey area.

Of course, knowing Xia Nan and Hai Yin’s character and conduct, they wouldn’t exploit the opportunity to commit outlandish acts that breach their bottom line.

Accompanied by the twin warriors from Hai Yin’s team, the group, after leaving the Baron Mansion, proceeded straight to the Corner Shark Gang’s core stronghold in Bent Blade Alley as originally planned.