A carriage slowly came to a halt at the entry stairs leading down to the waterside dock.
The door of the carriage opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit vest stepped out.
His hair was meticulously combed back, with a few strands of white adding a touch of mature charm.
Fedman covered his nose with his hand, his face set in a grim expression.
"Every time I come here, I feel as if I've taken a bath in a cesspool."
A hint of disgust flickered in his eyes.
Two tall bodyguards in black suits flanked him, descending the steps together.
The door to the Mermaid's Song tavern was thrown open.
The landlady, her face almost brimming with obsequiousness and fawning, approached them, but before she could speak, she was pushed away by the bodyguards.
"I've told you many times, keep your distance, 'lady'!"
He emphasized the word "lady" with a pause.
Fedman didn't even grant her a glance, walking straight in while still holding his nose.
The landlady's eyes twitched, and she stepped back, feeling aggrieved.
The tavern patrons all stood up to clear a path, taking off their dirty hats and bowing.
A few serving maids, carrying trays, watched Fedman carefully, making the charming middle-aged man feel uneasy.
He frowned and, accompanied by the two bodyguards, made his way through the kitchen to the backyard.
The underlings of the Iron Fist Gang seemed to have received notice of an important visitor. About a dozen of them were waiting in the courtyard for Fedman's arrival and saluted in unison upon seeing him.
Although some brothers were missing, this was normal for them. The Outer City District was chaotic, and the waterside dock was even more so—a battlefield of gang violence. The Iron Fist Gang, stationed here, was occasionally harassed by other gangs.
Deaths in these scuffles were common.
The good thing about the waterside dock was that it was never short of people; many strong young men wanted to join the Iron Fist Gang. In the past two days, twenty new recruits had been inducted.
"Sir, Boss Gary is waiting for you inside," said an elderly member of the Iron Fist Gang with respect.
He recognized this well-dressed figure who often came to see Boss Gary. Although he didn't know the specifics of their discussions, it was clear that Gary held this man in high esteem.
Fedman hummed a monosyllable and entered the building.
But when he went in, he found not Gary waiting for him on the sofa.
It was a black-haired young man.
The other person did not look like a member of a gang, but more like a young student deep in his studies at the academy.
Handsome and extremely neat.
His demeanor and poise revealed a confidence that was intimately familiar to Fedman; he had seen it in the nobles of the Inner City District.
The black-haired youth smiled at him politely, with a hint of appraisal in his gaze.
Gary stood by his side respectfully, looking every bit the part of a sycophant.
"Who might you be, sir?"
Fedman's brow furrowed tightly, a bad feeling rising within him.
Then, he glanced at Gary again and asked with suppressed anger,
"Gary, what is the meaning of this!?"
The sturdy man did not answer him, standing there like a humble statue.
"Are you the butler of councilman Daniel?"
"It seems some disloyal dog has told you some things."
Fedman let out a cold sneer.
"But you shouldn't interfere in matters here because that's asking for death... no matter who you are!"
Chen Lun was too impatient to waste words with him.
If this guy wasn't willing to talk, Chen Lun had his ways to make him talk.
With a flick of his hand, a flintlock gun appeared in his grasp.
He raised his hand, pulling the trigger and firing at the two bodyguards.
The lead bullets hit the bodyguards in the arms, piercing through their suit jackets and blossoming into flowers of blood.
The bodyguards reacted swiftly; the moment Chen Lun drew his gun, they shielded Fedman with their bodies. They quickly raised their arms and turned, using their arms to protect their heads, thus avoiding being instantly killed by a shot to the head.
Chen Lun was somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected two ordinary people to be able to react to his speed.
After being shot, the two bodyguards grunted and quickly drew their guns, returning fire at Chen Lun.
Bang bang! Bang bang bang!
Their flintlock guns, like the one in Chen Lun's hand, were products of the Transcendent workshop with rapid-fire capabilities.
The bodyguards, having undergone professional training and likely military veterans, were extremely accurate shooters, and the rapid-fire firearms in their hands were an added advantage.
But Chen Lun was faster, darting through the tables and columns like a Spirit Cat. Not a single lead bullet hit its mark, as they only kicked up clouds of wood and stone dust.
In a flash, he was in front of them.
With a whoosh of wind, the complexion of one of the bodyguards changed drastically as he attempted to block with his crossed arms.
—But it was clearly in vain.
It was like being hit by an iron bar as the powerful kick not only shattered his arms but also penetrated through his chest and back. His bones cracked loudly as he screamed and was thrown aside.
With several loud bangs, after crashing through a few tables and chairs, that bodyguard was buried under debris and did not move again.
[Kill: Professional bodyguard (High-concentration nectar enhancer), awarded 100 experience points]
A notification popped up.
But Chen Lun paid no attention to it and dodged the incoming dagger with a sidestep.
The other bodyguard's face was stern as he launched a continuous ferocious attack on Chen Lun with a short dagger.
In the brief pause after the fourth stab, Chen Lun threw a powerful punch.
His dark gold fist, covered in Carp Armor, not only broke the dagger in the bodyguard's hand but also smashed into his abdomen.
Spewing out blood, the bodyguard staggered backward a few steps and then fell to his knees.
[Kill: Professional bodyguard (High-concentration nectar enhancer), awarded 100 experience points]
All of this happened in a few breaths, before the others even had time to react.
"Damn it! A Transcendent!?"
Fedman cursed, turning to run towards the door.
At that moment, Gary shouted.
The remaining members of the Iron Fist Gang, unaware of the truth, paused momentarily before rushing to block the entrance.
Seeing the way out blocked, Fedman turned around with a gloomy face.
"Do you know what you're doing?"
He stared at the slowly approaching young man with black hair and said in a deep voice.
Noticing the scales on the back of the young man's hand receding slowly, his eyes twitched.
"Even if you're a Transcendent, you can't kill me... You have no idea what you'll face."
"By your logic, is Daniel the congressman not the real mastermind then?"
Chen Lun asked with a polite smile.
"Spill everything you know."
He activated the "Mermaid's Song" hypnosis ability and covered Fedman with it.
A dark light burst forth from Fedman's arms, neutralizing Chen Lun's psychic influence.
Then, a painting flew out from under his vest, unfolding swiftly in midair.
The rough oil painting depicted the back view of a long-haired woman, with four or five vague black spirits swirling around her.
Four of five dark shadows flew out of the painting and entered Fedman through his mouth and nose.
"The power of the soul… Is this the Moon Faction's Sequence Nine Medium?"
In just a few seconds, Fedman had turned into a 'black figure'.
Covered in shadows and emitting black smoke, he glared at Chen Lun with a fierce look on his face.
"You troublemaker, you deserve to die!"
"Are you threatening me?"
Chen Lun asked with a polite smile.