Chapter 8: One Strike, One Kill!

Xing Yong's residence was not at the Big Knife Gang's outpost in Changping Fang, but in a two-court courtyard several hundred meters away from the outpost.

In his first year as a lieutenant, Xing Yong bought this house and took seven concubines.

In the past, after nightfall, Xing Yong would drag his concubines into wild revelry.

Tonight he did not move, but stood guard in the front courtyard.

With him were four trusted subordinates, Liu Bao being one of them.

"Why hasn't there been any news yet?" one subordinate couldn't help asking.

"What's the rush?" Liu Bao glanced at him. "Huang Feiyang probably just died. If our people show up at the scene right now, wouldn't that look too suspicious?"

"That's true," another subordinate nodded. "For safety, besides keeping men at the neighborhood gate, I didn't station anyone near the Red Dates Alley—just in case."

"Relax," Xing Yong said sternly. "Even if Huang Feiyang and his brother sensed something, they couldn't cause trouble."

As he finished speaking, a muffled thud echoed through the courtyard.

Thump~

"What was that?!"

Liu Bao sprang to his feet, his fierce gaze locking onto the window.

"I'll go check," one subordinate strode toward the door and stepped outside.

"Old Gao?"

Liu Bao called from inside, "What's going on?"

His only reply was another muffled thud.

Thump!

"Something's wrong!" Liu Bao's face changed; he spun to face Xing Yong.

"Playing ghost tricks."

Xing Yong snarled, rising and striding toward the door.

Seeing this, Liu Bao and the other two subordinates followed close behind.

The four exited the room and entered the courtyard, scanning the surroundings.

Aside from a few lanterns, they saw no one.

Xing Yong's seven concubines, who also served as servants, were in the back courtyard.

"Old Gao?"

Liu Bao shouted into the empty courtyard, "Old Gao, you—"

Shh-shh-shh!

A faint, almost inaudible hiss cut through the night.

"Ahh!"

"My eyes!"

Liu Bao and the other two subordinates screamed simultaneously and collapsed to the ground.

The three stood around Xing Yong, shielding him—each face pierced by three or four flying needles, the tips buried deep into their flesh; Liu Bao's eye had been entirely impaled by a needle, and he barely managed one scream before dying on the spot.

Protected by the bodies of Liu Bao and the others, Xing Yong instantly dropped to his knees, dodging two flying needles that shot in from the side, then rolled backward into the house.

But just as he instinctively reached out to shut the door…

Hss!

A sudden rush of wind arrived.

Puff~

Xing Yong froze in his half-crouched position—a sharp iron spike pierced through the back of his neck, drove through his throat, and emerged at his chest.

"Ugh…"

Xing Yong's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking; his mouth opened to scream, but only gushes of blood poured out.

Puff~

Chen Mu withdrew his thrusting sword, shaking off the blood.

Killing Xing Yong went even smoother than expected.

The flying needles cleared the way, eliminating Liu Bao and the other three.

Xing Yong had dodged and retreated into the house, but Chen Mu followed close behind, unleashing his internal Qi and sprinting with the Wall Lizard Technique, leaping several meters in a single step.

Though the Wall Lizard Technique was primarily for climbing and leaping, it also granted exceptional bodily agility.

Combined with the Flawless Realm of the Piercing Heart Sword Art, one thrust struck Xing Yong mid-roll, piercing his neck.

One strike, one kill!

Xing Yong never got a chance to draw his blade.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

……

Five cards acquired.

Chen Mu didn't even enter the house—he turned and left.

He arrived without disturbing anyone; he departed without disturbing anyone.

Swish~

He leapt over the wall, landed, and walked down the alley, reaching into his pocket to check the five new cards he'd obtained.

Energy Card, Stamina Card, Energy Card, Stamina Card, Power Card!

Only the Power Card is decent.

Chen Mu silently willed them into use; the cards transformed into streams of light and drilled into his body, strengthening his flesh and increasing his strength.

……

He returned home.

Huang Feiyang had not yet come back.

An hour later, he finally returned.

The moment he stepped inside, he asked, "How did it go?"

Chen Mu said, "Taken care of."

"Phew…" Huang Feiyang let out a long breath.

With Xing Yong dead, a mountain seemed to lift from atop their heads.

"How about you?"

Taking a deep breath and steadying his mind, Huang Feiyang looked at Chen Mu and asked, "Were you hurt?"

"No."

Chen Mu shook his head. "Brother, the lightness skill and body technique I learned—you should learn it too. This 'Wall Gecko Art' is pretty good for climbing walls and mountains, and there's no difficulty in cultivating it. The internal cultivation method 'Evergreen Art' also has no threshold, but if you want to achieve anything, it takes time."

"This… isn't that appropriate?" Huang Feiyang was somewhat tempted, but could restrain himself. "If you pass your Wu Gong to me, your master…"

"It's fine." Chen Mu raised a hand to cut him off. "These two Wu Gong don't count as top-tier—they're bottom-tier. I asked when I learned them; passing them to others has no impact."

Including 'Falling Star Needle' and 'Heart-Piercing Sword,' he could also hand them to Huang Feiyang.

But the former had high requirements for talent, and the latter was likewise a slow-grinding effort, even more time-consuming than 'Evergreen Art.'

'Evergreen Art' could at least cultivate internal force and Breakthrough Realm.

'Heart-Piercing Sword' was simply pure assassination—take a sword, stab stab stab like an idiot, stab a few thousand times a day, continue for several years, only then could one achieve anything. It was fundamentally unsuitable for Huang Feiyang.

Even 'Evergreen Art' could be said to be not very suitable.

Not because Huang Feiyang lacked patience, but because he didn't have that much free time.

……

The fact was indeed so.

Chen Mu explained both Wu Gong in turn; Huang Feiyang gave up on 'Evergreen Art' and only took 'Wall Gecko Art.'

"Although it's an internal cultivation method, this 'Evergreen Art' is basically a turtle art—without several years or over a decade, don't even think about cultivating internal force."

Huang Feiyang said soberly, "Only those with extraordinary talent can cultivate this internal art. I'll pass. Wait until next year when I've scraped together enough money, it'll be better to go learn 'Rolling Cloud Art.'"

'Rolling Cloud Art'—the signature Wu Gong of the Falling Cloud Martial Hall where Huang Feiyang trained.

"That's fine too."

Chen Mu didn't press the matter. "Then learn 'Wall Gecko Art.'"

'Wall Gecko Art' was much simpler.

One taught, one learned.

Neither of them slept at all, staying up until dawn.

Then they were interrupted by knocking at the door.

"Big Tiger, Second Tiger, it's bad—Boss Xing is dead!"

"What?" Huang Feiyang was "shocked." "What's going on? How did he just die out of nowhere?"

"He was silenced! Including Liu Bao and the others—they all died together!"

The gang member who came to report wore a face full of tension. "Boss Xie has already arrived and is calling all of us over."

"Boss Xie?"

Huang Feiyang froze for a beat, his heartbeat quickening, though his expression barely changed. "Then let's go quickly!"

As the words fell, Chen Mu included, the three of them sprinted toward Xing Yong's residence.

Among gang leaders, there were ranks of big and small.

Xing Yong and Yu Baoliang were both only small-time leaders.

Above them were big-time leaders.

The entire Great Saber Gang had a total of five big-time leaders, each of whom had cultivated an internal cultivation method and was a martial artist.

Xie Hong was the big-time leader of the Great Saber Gang who had overall jurisdiction over several districts including Changping and Changlong.

Chen Mu and Huang Feiyang's boss's boss!