Chapter 505: 505

Chapter 505 Prussian Barbers

“Don’t move and stand against the wall!”

The guard issued a stern warning, drawing a pair of handcuffs from behind .

When the man pretending to be a waiter saw Zhang Heng getting detained, he silently fled via a nearby flight of stairs . Even in such moments of peril, Zhang Heng remained calm and unruffled . He turned and asked Holmes, “What are the consequences of killing the prime minister’s guards?”

Sherlock, still gasping for breath, replied, “It depends on the situation . However, I’m pretty sure you can’t stay in London after that . ”

“If that’s the case, I’ll leave it in your capable hands . ”

Zhang Heng walked back into the box, opened the window, and leaped out of it in front of Holmes .

The guards soon filled the box, but Zhang Heng was long gone . A stricken Holmes, however, was found lying on the ground dumbfounded .

Zhang Heng had Lv1 rock climbing skills, and with a little assistance from the decorations on the walls outside the theater, he managed to rappel down with ease . The moment his feet touched the ground, the masquerading waiter exited the theater, bolting instantly in the opposite direction when he saw Zhang Heng . Not wasting a single second, Zhang Heng went after the escapee .

The hot pursuit covered half of the street . West District was a very lively spot at night, where the roadsides were lit to the bone with old gas lamps . Compared to the dark, dingy, wet cobblestones of East District, this place was another country . Pedestrians strolled, and carriages rumbled on the streets . The turn of the 19th century saw nightlife blooming along London’s main business arteries . A rarity in that era, eateries, theaters, saunas, clubs, and many stores were still open for business after sunset .

The waiter in disguise frantically searched around before finally racing into a barbershop . Zhang Heng followed him in, but only after a few running steps, he stopped in the alert . It was but too late . He heard the click of the door’s lock behind him .

Meanwhile, several barbers who were chatting and reading newspapers rose in unison, grabbing the razors on the barber stations .

Zhang Heng did a quick headcount of his enemies . Together with the apprentices, there were seven in total, all armed with the sharpest weapon they could get their hands on . This battle would by no means be easy, and he was all prepared to endure the upcoming challenge . He gestured for them to wait and slipped out of his suit . Like a mantis poised for its kill, he wiggled up his wrists and ankles, taunting the plump barber closest to him with a finger .

As a response, the entire seven began to swarm around Zhang Heng . Having no intention to be had no intention to be tonight’s carving, he turned around and ran . The weakest looking kid of the bunch, probably about 14 or 15 years old, acted instantly, thrusting the razor forward, but Zhang Heng managed to dodge it . Not to be outdone, he picked up the kid’s collar and threw him over the shoulder at two assailants . At that very instant, his bogey’s behind him had arrived .

Zhang Heng dropped low, rolling quickly on the ground to avoid the attack . However, before he could get up, a small knife was drawn at his back . The enemies were ruthless . While Zhang Heng focused on dodging the attacks, he managed to pick up a knife the apprentice had dropped .

Once he avoided the first blow, Zhang Heng subsequently blocked the second, and at the same time, grabbed hold of the knifed barber and tossed him to a mirror on the side . It caused the man a temporary loss of his fighting abilities, but at the cost of getting a deep gash on the left arm . The two barbers that had been rendered paralyzed had now caught up to him too .

There wasn’t much choice except for plucking up courage and standing up . One split second was all Zhang Heng needed to grab another knife from the station beside him . He could now use both hands to attack . Armed, he gained the ability to defend himself fully . The caged battleground lasted for about six minutes, and at the end of it all, four barbers, and one apprentice were defeated . The remaining two barbers were in exhaustion, gasping for breath . Zhang Heng wasn’t in good shape himself, now having a few slash wounds on his body . Fortunately, it wasn’t his face they went for .

Sure, Zhang Heng had an endurance of a bull, but he had already endured a battle earlier at the theater . A sprint of pursuit then followed, consuming more of his stamina . Having spent all his energy, he no longer bothered to deal with the remaining two, leaning against the table, gasping with short, shallow breath .

In these tense moments, someone suddenly knocked on the door, causing the entire room to jump in fright . Zhang Heng saw Holmes standing outside, signaling for someone to open the door for him . The two barbers merely looked at each other, and no one went and opened the door . Holmes shrugged, having no choice but to figure it himself . Holding his cane with two hands, he drove it into the door’s glass, shattering it to smithereens . He then and reached in with his right hand and unlocked the door from the inside .

Seeing how the situation had escalated, a barber rushed over to Holmes with a knife . However, Holmes still did not retract his hand . He waited for the opponent to get closer before hooking the barber’s neck with his cane . Along with the rod, the barber’s head was dragged into the door, jamming itself between the door and Holmes with an awful thump .

After that, Holmes opened the door quickly and walked in . He put his cane on the ground . “Sorry, did I interrupt you?” he quizzed the room . “A little bit, I would say . I thought you would have retreated to the safety of the carriage, well on your way to Scotland Yard by now,” Zhang Heng replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead .

“Ha! Nice move to let me deal with the police . Lucky for me, the theater’s guards know who I am, and the precinct’s deputy chief in the other box can testify for me as well,” Holmes said . “So, here we are . If you stayed for a little longer, you would have heard my warning . The man who pretended to be a waiter is a Prussian, and the Prussians in London happen to love them group fights . So, it wasn’t a coincidence you were ambushed . Best avoid Prussian places when you are going after your target . ”

Holmes looked around, seeing the defeated Prussian barbers at his feet .

“However, I have to admit the results surprised me a bit . I know you’re a good fighter, but I didn’t have the faintest that you were this good .

After saying that, Sherlock swung his cane at lightning speed, striking the only barber who was still standing . The latter was about to escape, but his lower abdomen was smacked so hard that he fell on the ground .

“You are welcome . ”

“Is your neck better?” Zhang Heng asked .

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“It has seen better days… I don’t know . When this fiasco is over, I’ll probably visit the clinic for a basic checkup . ”

Holmes’s mood had turned sour after Zhang Heng mentioned his neck injuries . “Is that guy still inside?” he asked Zhang Heng while rubbing the sore spot .

“I don’t think so . Otherwise, I would have fought eight men instead of seven . ”

After that, Holmes walked to the back room . As expected, the window was wide open .

“Well, we are not without gain this time . At least, we got an answer to your second question . ”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you curious about how Mr . M knew the secret behind the viscount’s oil painting?”

Holmes rubbed his chin .

“After this incident, I become more and more convinced that Mr . M is not acting alone . Since he has errand-boys, he would naturally have people helping him gather information . I’m afraid we didn’t simply come across a simple criminal this time . It’s a criminal organization . They have a clear division of labor . Some are responsible for gathering information, some to the area, and some to bribe those around the target . Mr . M is the head of the snake . All he needs to do is to plan . ”

Sherlock watched Zhang Heng pick up the dusty, wrinkled suit that had been trampled .

“Where are you going?” he asked .

“Back to the theater to enjoy tonight’s interrupted show,” Zhang Heng replied as he put on the suit again . “Anyway, the ticket is a gift . It would be rude for me to leave halfway through the show . And, oh…” Zhang Heng stopped at the door .

“You don’t have to thank me for saving your life . ”

“I thought it had slipped your mind . Apparently not,” said Holmes .

“It’s not easy to forget that red and bloated tomato of a face when you got strangled,” chuckled Zhang Heng . “I’m leaving,” he waved . “And I will leave you to deal with this mess . I didn’t kill any of them . Their injuries are only external . ” “Well, the female lead is indeed gorgeous . I hope her fatal attraction on you won’t compromise our plan, dear Oriental friend of mine,” Holmes smiled, troubled, and with a cocked eyebrow .

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