THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
In the dilapidated alley, the constant sound of cracking roof tiles was punctuated by the occasional frenzied bark of a dog.
Jiang Hui's movements were remarkably clean and efficient, but he was drunk and heavily injured, so his pace had slowed considerably.
Chen Qing's gaze was icy. He was light on his feet and quickly closed the distance.
Jiang Hui knew he couldn't shake his pursuer and resolved to fight to the death.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The moment he vaulted over a low wall, Jiang Hui suddenly flung a spray of dark light behind him with a backhanded motion.
The Poisoned Flying Needles, concealed by the night, shot straight for Chen Qing's face.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Already on guard, Chen Qing executed his Shield of Spinning Blades. The three Poison Needles struck his saber, quivering and buzzing on the flat of the blade.
He tapped his toes to the ground and leaped into the air. The blood-stained hem of his robes fluttered like a bat's wing in the moonlight as he unleashed the Long Arm Fist's Mountain-Breaking Technique in mid-air!
Jiang Hui felt as if his organs had exploded. His body flew backward, rolling twice on the ground as a spray of blood erupted from his mouth.
Naturally, Chen Qing wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. He strode forward, saber in hand.
"Don't... don't kill me..."
The edge of Chen Qing's saber reflected Jiang Hui's deathly pale face. The leader of the Black Water Gang now looked like a dying dog, his fingers clawing bloody streaks into the stone slabs.
Without hesitation, Chen Qing slashed his saber across Jiang Hui's neck.
SQUELCH!
Jiang Hui's eyes bulged. He subconsciously reached for his neck, and in the moonlight, a horrifying line of crimson was visible.
THUD!
Jiang Hui collapsed, unwilling to accept his fate, and breathed his last.
"Haaaah..."
Chen Qing flicked the blood from his saber and deftly looted the spoils: a money pouch, a Jade Pendant, a Hidden Weapons Pouch... After confirming he had missed nothing, his figure quietly vanished into the night.
Upon returning home, Chen Qing didn't hesitate. He immediately burned his clothes and then jumped into the river to wash himself clean.
'This was much more dangerous than last time,' Chen Qing thought. 'The Peak of Manifest Force Realm is truly a handful.'
Especially against a cunning and ruthless expert like Jiang Hui, he couldn't afford to relax for even a moment.
After his bath, Chen Qing let out a long breath, composed himself, and began to take stock of the night's earnings.
Silver ingots rolled across the tabletop, clinking crisply.
He gently pushed aside the pieces of broken silver and did a rough count. It came to more than fifty taels.
Chen Qing's heart stirred. 'This silver is enough to last me until the Martial Arts Examination begins.'
While these gang members weren't fabulously wealthy, they certainly had a decent amount of savings.
For a moment, the idea of preying on smaller gangs flashed through his mind—but Chen Qing quickly suppressed the impulse.
These gang grunts weren't rich, but each one was a fat sheep ripe for the slaughter.
But even a shallow pond can have many turtles. Who knew what kind of deadly expert might be hiding behind some unremarkable gang hall? Not to mention their tangled networks of influence; one wrong move could bring about his utter destruction.
'If I can avoid a fight, I absolutely will.'
Chen Qing placed the silver in a hidden compartment and slowly closed his eyes.
...
「The next day」
Captain He stepped into the Black Water Gang's headquarters.
Bodies. There were bodies everywhere, scattered haphazardly in all manner of positions.
Captain He's gaze fell upon a spot not far away. Jiang Hui's face was half-buried in a pool of blood, the single visible eye frozen in an expression of incredulous shock and confusion.
"Bastards! Absolutely lawless!" Captain He's voice suddenly rose to a shout. His bloodshot eyes swept over the pale-faced Government Officials behind him. "All of you, open your damn eyes! Seal this place! Seal all the exits immediately! Don't let a single fly escape! Investigate! I want you to search every single inch of this place! I don't care if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find these lawless bastards and drag them out!"
He waved his arm, stirring up a furious gust of wind. "To dare slaughter an entire gang right under my nose, they're not just slapping me in the face! They're slapping the iron laws of the Government Office!"
He clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug deep into his palms.
The Government Officials, stunned by his sudden outburst, hastily agreed.
It was just a small gang. It was normal for them to be replaced every few days.
They didn't understand why their captain was so furious today.
He Kai was furious. This was his money tree! It was Mr. He's steadiest, most lucrative source of income in this entire territory.
And just like that, it had been pulled up by the roots, slaughtered to the very last man.
This wasn't just about killing a few dogs under his protection; it was about overturning Mr. He's personal treasure basin.
A cold glint appeared in He Kai's eyes. 'If I find the killer,' he vowed, 'I'll flay him alive.'
...
「Morning」
Brilliant golden sunlight filtered through the leaves of the Old Locust Tree, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow in the Chen Family's courtyard.
The old man sat on the bluestone steps, the embers in the bowl of his pipe glowing and fading.
Chen Jinhua leaned against the doorframe, her face as pale as paper. The dark circles under her eyes were particularly jarring.
She hadn't slept a wink all night.
"Why isn't Xiaoheng back yet..." Her voice was hoarse, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the corner of her clothes until the fabric was nearly shredded.
Second Aunt forced a smile from the side. "Don't worry, Sister-in-law. Xiaoheng is surely figuring something out."
As she spoke, she handed over a bowl of hot tea, but her trembling hands caused most of it to spill.
"Sigh!" Yang Tiezhu let out a heavy sigh.
Chen Jinhua suddenly grabbed her husband's sleeve, her nails digging almost into his flesh. "Husband, what if... what if we run away tonight?"
"Run? And where would we run to?"
Yang Tiezhu gave a bitter smile. "Do you think those people are pushovers? There are definitely men watching the entrance to the alley right now..."
Chen Jinhua trembled, tears welling up in her eyes.
Just then, the courtyard gate was slammed open with a BANG.
Chen Wen stumbled in, his face ashen as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Father! Big Sister!" he panted, completely out of breath. "Something... something terrible has happened!"
The old man's brow furrowed. "What's the panic? Speak slowly!"
"The... the Black Water Gang..." Chen Wen swallowed hard. "They're all dead! Not a single one left!"