A piece of Japanese incense

Chapter 232: Hidden Woman

They turned into a relatively narrow alley filled with broken baskets and nets, and the cracks in the stone pavement were filled with black mud and sand. Before they could even catch their breath, the footsteps behind them suddenly became more frequent.

"Da da da……"

The sound of leather boots stepping on the slippery stone slabs came from more than one person, and they had to stop.

The light at the alley entrance was blocked by several tall figures: the two men with folded arms at the city gate, the fish vendor, and two other strangers.

They blocked the way, their faces expressionless, leaving only the salty wind whimpering through the alley.

Zhi Yihe and Ting Zhu simultaneously leaned sideways, protecting the jade ball in the center. Their backs pressed against the cold, slippery, mold-stained wall, the rough touch seeping through their coarse cloth.

Zhi Yihe clenched his hands into fists at his sides and forced himself to remain calm.

The toothless man blocking the way ahead grinned, a grin uglier than tears. He sauntered forward, his leather boots splashing muddy water in the puddles. His fingers, tinged with a strong fishy smell, roughly reached for Tingzhu's chin.

"Tsk, why are you shaking, young lady? Lift your head and let me..."

Zhi Yihe shouted, "Get out of here! We are..." She waved her arms to push away the dirty hand.

Almost at the moment when Zhi Yihe waved his arm, someone among the people blocking the retreat deep in the alley moved.

A harpoon dart that was polished to an extremely sharp point, aimed directly at Zhiyi and wrist!

Seeing that the harpoon was about to pierce Zhi Yihe's wrist -

"Snapped!"

A sharp crack of a whip struck the harpoon with incredible precision. It flew sideways, then with a thud, lodged itself into the wooden door frame nearby, its tail still vibrating.

"Everyone get out of here!"

Behind the pile of rotten wooden boxes blocking the way deep in the alley, a tall figure suddenly pushed aside the accomplices blocking the way and stepped to the side of the man with rotten teeth in a few steps!

The man was wearing a relatively clean leather vest, and although his face showed signs of weathering, his eyes were much sharper. He mercilessly slapped the man's head hard, making a crisp "slap" sound!

"You're blind! Sixth Brother! How dare you delay my wife's affairs?! Get out of here!" He roared, spitting on the man's face.

The man with rotten teeth staggered after being slapped. His fierce aura instantly withered. He lowered his head and, like a stray dog, hurriedly pushed open the wooden door behind him and disappeared into the alley.

The man in the leather vest then turned to Zhi Yihe and asked in a deep voice, "Are you Yinpo?"

Zhi Yihe nodded in confirmation.

The man then forced a very stiff fake smile, tinged with a barely perceptible awe, and deliberately lowered his voice, "You're frightened. These bastards have no manners! Quick, this way, please. The lady... I'm afraid she can't wait any longer!"

"Isn't there still more than a month left..." Zhi Yihe was puzzled.

He turned aside and pointed hastily at an inconspicuous archway at the other end of the alley, which led to a deeper place. "Right now! Can you afford to miss the deadline?"

Zhi Yihe quickly responded, "Hurry! Lead the way!" and followed the man into the darker and more eerie interior of the huge reef fortress.

Zhi Yihe was carrying a half-worn sack, stuffed with a few packets of common herbs, a roll of clean cloth, and a thin, poisoned blade hidden in the interlayer...