Leaving the underground market, Lex was in a good mood. If it weren't for maintaining his persona, he would have even hummed a little tune.
He didn't leave the bar immediately. Instead, he sat at the bar counter, ordered a beer from the Bartender, took a sip, and said, "Can I get some information here? The paid kind."
The Bartender nodded without surprise: "What do you want to know?"
Lex cleared his throat, deliberately raising his voice: "The Sea Serpent Gang! I want to know everything about this Gang, the more detailed, the better."
The Bartender's expression instantly changed: "Are you crazy? Why are you shouting so loud? It seems you're drunk, go home and rest early."
Through the Bartender's reaction, Lex confirmed his suspicion: there were members of the Sea Serpent Gang in the Evil Dragon Bar.
It wasn't hard to guess.
The Sea Serpent Gang was active in the Dock Area. As the only bar in the Dock Area, it was normal for Gang members to patronize it.
Lex had no intention of investigating the Sea Serpent Gang in a proper manner; that would be too time-consuming and laborious. He couldn't be a 'Tingen Vigilante' every night, so he needed an efficient, time-saving method.
A tactic of 'luring the snake out of its hole' could quickly achieve this goal.
Dropping the lowest denomination banknote from his pocket, Lex finished his beer and walked out of the bar.
He wasn't disappointed. Soon after leaving the bar, he heard faint footsteps and smelled a mixture of alcohol, sweat, and fish.
Lex deliberately walked into an alley. Immediately, the footsteps behind him quickened, and the other party pursued him into the alley without any attempt to conceal themselves.
"Stop!"
"Who are you, and why are you asking about the Sea Serpent Gang!"
Lex turned around. The alley was dimly lit, and he couldn't make out their faces. He only saw four people opposite him, of varying builds, all dressed as dockworkers and Sailors.
Beneath his iron mask, Lex smiled, then swiftly pulled out his Golden Revolver, letting bullets answer for him.
Bang, bang, bang—
Gunshots echoed in the alley. Someone screamed, someone gasped in surprise.
"Damn it, is this guy crazy? He just started shooting without a word."
"I've been shot in the leg, quick, get me out of here."
These people scrambled, holding their heads, fleeing the alley, supporting their injured companion, and rushing deeper into the Dock Area.
Lex walked out unhurriedly. The bloodstains on the ground, the scent in the wind—these clues were enough to guide him in tracking those few people.
Even if those people weren't from the Sea Serpent Gang, they were definitely connected to it. Following them might lead him to the Gang's headquarters.
At the very least, he could find one of their strongholds.
Soon, Lex ventured deeper into the Dock Area, which was mostly warehouses, of various sizes, scattered throughout the area.
It didn't take much effort for Lex to discover that the people he was following had entered a warehouse.
The warehouse door had a number: 54!
Remembering this number, Lex decisively left. His objective for the night had been achieved.
Having obtained the Midsummer Grass powder and a clue about the Sea Serpent Gang, he was quite satisfied.
Unexpectedly.
Before he even left the Dock Area, he heard several gunshots, followed by voices from a distance: "Quick, block that guy, I've been watching this rat for a long time, let's see where he goes tonight!"
"Daring to probe the depths of our Sea Serpent Gang, he's got guts, but we won't let him leave!"
Lex paused.
He recalled what Old Parker from the club had said yesterday, that two other Beyonder were also investigating the Sea Serpent Gang. Could this be one of them?
He thought for a moment, then moved in the direction of the gunshots.
In a warehouse, someone was breathing lightly. He came to a window. The crimson moonlight shining through the window fell upon him.
The man appeared to be in his early thirties, dressed in clothes suitable for movement. His light golden hair was damp with sweat, but there was no despair in his grey-green eyes.
He pulled out a pocket watch, but didn't open it, quickly putting it back in his pocket. Then, in a few steps, he leaped onto a stack of wooden crates, climbed out of the unclosed window, and landed in a small alley.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, a wooden crate was thrown at him. The grey-green eyed man quickly rolled on the ground, hiding behind a pile of debris, and then heard an arrogant, unmasked malicious voice.
"Run, I'd like to see where you run to!"
"If I'm not mistaken, you're an Arbiter, aren't you? My subordinates said that whenever they saw you, they couldn't help but want to obey, not daring to look you in the eyes, which is why you slipped away a few times."
"I didn't expect you to be so bold, even coming here tonight. What a pity, Mr. Arbiter. If you hadn't been so cautious, and had been decisive just now instead of being bluffed by my words, you would have already left the Dock Area."
"But now, you are surrounded. I, Terros, bet you won't live to see tomorrow's sun!"
Footsteps echoed from both ends of the alley. The grey-green eyed man observed his surroundings, finding only one kerosene street lamp in the alley.
If he could break it, he could create darkness and an opportunity to escape.
Unfortunately, during his earlier run, his revolver had been knocked away by the man named Terros with an iron rod.
He believed that Terros must be a Beyonder of a certain path. The other party's body was too strong, and his intuition was sharper than an ordinary person's.
He was skilled at using various objects to attack opponents and was very cunning. Just now, he had been influenced by Terros's words, causing him to miss the best opportunity to break out.
Which led to him being heavily surrounded now.
Bang.
A bullet grazed his foot, sending up a shower of sparks. The grey-green eyed man had no choice but to cower in the corner. A short stick slid from his sleeve; this was his last weapon.
As the Sea Serpent Gang closed in, Lex lay on the roof of a warehouse, taking in the scene in the alley below.
He confirmed that the Beyonder cowering in the corner, suspected to be an 'Arbiter', was one of his colleagues on this mission.
Old Parker had given him information last night, and the person's appearance perfectly matched the description of 'Cromwell Monroe'.
Looking at the Sea Serpent Gang's side, the man calling himself Terros was bare-chested, with a two-headed Sea Serpent tattoo on his chest. His hair was deliberately dyed red, making him very conspicuous.
But due to the angle, Lex couldn't see his face clearly.
Terros was slightly bent over, holding a dagger in his hand, advancing with his subordinates.
Sea Serpent Gang members were at both ends of the alley, making the situation quite unfavorable for the Arbiter.
After seemingly simulating several action plans in his mind, Lex decided to use one of them. He pulled out his Golden Revolver and Blood Praise.
The two revolvers were aimed at the alley's kerosene street lamp and the two-headed Sea Serpent tattooed Terros, respectively.
Just then, the red-haired Terros suddenly felt a chill and instinctively moved to the side.
In that instant, a gunshot rang out from the roof of the warehouse to his left, then the alley's street lamp went out, and at the same time, Terros felt a sharp pain in his left hand.
In the darkness, a strikingly vibrant bloody flame appeared on his arm!