Chapter 23: Cut the Grass (Request Follow Reading)

Soon, Xu Jin made his decision.

From the tone of their voices, these ruffians were going to kill his entire family tonight, kidnap his sister Jiang Er, murder his father, and take Xu Jin’s heart’s blood.

On the surface, since his sister wouldn’t return tonight, he and his father could simply flee.

But what about tomorrow, the day after? Could they hide forever? The problem had to be solved.

Quickly, Xu Jin devised a solution: an ambush.

Within Xu Family Village, all were uncles and brothers; he could gather seven or eight strong men, lie in wait, and beat the ruffians to death with clubs when they arrived.

But Xu Jin immediately rejected this plan.

They wouldn’t die.

Because the uncles and brothers of Xu Family Village were mostly farmers; under bloodlust, driving these men off was no problem.

But killing them outright? They lacked the courage.

And they had to be killed completely.

If even one or two escaped, Xu Family Village might escape blame, but Xu Jin’s family would face certain disaster—and drag the uncles and brothers down with them.

Alerting the enemy?

Also impossible.

There’s no such thing as guarding against thieves for a thousand days—only stealing for a thousand days.

After much thought, Xu Jin could only think of one way to completely resolve the trouble: cut the grass and root it out.

Thinking about it was one thing.

Xu Jin had only killed chickens since arriving in this world.

But the moment he imagined the terrifying fate his sister Jiang Er and his father Xu Dajiang might face, fury surged through his heart.

His mind flashed to Lu Xianbing’s starlight strike shattering a large blue stone during training.

It was his only advantage now.

Give him a knife, and he might not even kill a man with one stab.

But the scene of starlight exploding the blue stone gave Xu Jin confidence.

If this starlight exploded on these ruffians, hitting vital spots, they’d die instantly; even hitting any other spot would cause severe injury.

This was Xu Jin’s only advantage now.

He had to use this advantage!

With a thought, the Can Dou Platform appeared in his mind.

【First-Stage Can Dou Platform】

【Master: Xu Jin】

【Blessed by the Stars: One bow per day grants one thread of starlight】

【Star Lamp: Solidified Star Technique—Basic Star Shield, replaceable.】

【Can Cultivate: Zero】

【Star Techniques: Basic Star Shield (solidified), Basic Star Mang , Basic Star Ring, Basic Star Arrow, Basic Star Veil】

【Can Ascend】

The solidified star technique could now be replaced.

Of the five basic star techniques mastered through the Five Stars Killing Fist, the most powerful was actually Basic Star Arrow.

Because it could leave the body by one meter.

But casting Basic Star Arrow required at least Canxia Second Layer cultivation; even if he forced it out with his tempered shoulder, his accuracy would be terrible.

That left only Basic Star Mang .

With a flicker of thought, Xu Jin replaced the solidified star technique in his Star Lamp with Basic Star Mang .

A familiar sensation rose in his heart—he knew that after replacing the solidified technique, his Star Mang could now be cast instantly.

But Xu Jin was still acutely aware of his true advantage.

If he charged in now, facing five against one, he would die without doubt.

Though these ruffians had never cultivated, their street-fighting skills were a hundred times better than his.

So what Xu Jin did was wait for an opportunity.

Wait for a chance to pick them off one by one.

He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, calming his trembling hands, and slowly moving to observe the terrain of the courtyard where the ruffians lived.

On the roof, the green-clad man sat casually; to outsiders, he was invisible.

From afar, one could only see the roof, not the green-clad man.

As he watched, the green-clad man evaluated Xu Jin’s actions.

“Now he’s showing some brains and patience—not too reckless.”

“Boss, you guys drink—I’m going to piss!” Inside the room, one ruffian suddenly stood up.

“Go ahead, don’t piss your pants.”

“Heh, I can piss three zhang into the wind now!” Amid laughter, the ruffian staggered out the door.

Just as Xu Jin secretly rejoiced, another ruffian stood up too: “I’m going to piss three zhang too.”

Xu Jin’s heart sank as he looked toward the outhouse in the back courtyard.

If both ruffians relieved themselves right in the yard, Xu Jin wouldn’t dare strike—two of them.

It would make noise and trigger immediate surround.

If they went to the back courtyard outhouse, then…

But Xu Jin dared not overestimate these ruffians’ discipline; urinating outside after drinking was normal.

The next instant, Xu Jin’s eyes flickered.

The first ruffian who had exited turned and walked toward the back courtyard.

Perhaps because this was their usual residence, and it was summer, they didn’t just go wherever.

A few breaths later, the second ruffian stepped out, his gait heavier, his drunkenness not too strong, seven or eight meters behind the first.

Crouched in the shadowed corner of the wall, Xu Jin made his decision instantly—the opportunity was rare.

Two of them, one ahead, one behind, both heading to the back courtyard—this was already an excellent chance.

The next instant, Xu Jin, crouched in the corner, slowly followed.

Suddenly, as the second ruffian entered the back courtyard, the first vanished from sight—having turned into the outhouse at the corner.

And the second ruffian was ten meters from the room where Deng Hu and the others drank, separated by two walls.

Perfect opportunity!

Xu Jin took a deep breath and lunged forward, crouching low.

As if sensing the wind, the second ruffian instinctively turned.

What he saw was a burst of starlight—and Xu Jin, shoulder-first, crashing into his chest.

Almost simultaneously, the green-clad man on the roof, idly counting his fingers and waiting for the show, shot to his feet.

A flicker of light danced across the roof, but the green-clad man’s form remained hidden.

Yet on his face was pure shock.

“Damn it, did I just see that?

Canxia First Layer cultivation, instant Basic Star Mang —that’s only possible with perfect Five Stars Killing Fist, isn’t it?

If you’ve mastered Five Stars Killing Fist to perfection, how could you still be Canxia First Layer?

Where did this freak come from?”

The Star Mang exploded on Xu Jin’s shoulder, then slammed directly into the ruffian’s chest.

Instantly, Xu Jin heard the crackling of breaking bones and a loud thud as something shattered.

Too much force.

Xu Jin, charging with full momentum, toppled to the ground with the second ruffian.

But as he fell, he saw blood mixed with pink foam and chunks of internal organs gushing from the ruffian’s mouth.

The ruffian’s throat gurgled, but the sound was choked off by the flood of blood, foam, and tissue.

He killed someone!

Xu Jin’s heart hammered like a drum; every hair and pore on his skin prickled with electric numbness; his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.

On the roof, the green-clad man froze again.

“Killed a man and his limbs are shaking like this? He’s never seen blood before?”

Strange.

A freak who mastered Five Stars Killing Fist to perfection, with courage, strategy, and patience—at least so far.

Where did this fledgling freak come from?”

As he pondered, the green-clad man’s face suddenly softened with a nostalgic smile—he remembered his own first kill had been much the same.

No, even worse.

He recalled feeling like he’d wet his pants.

Whether he actually did, he’d forgotten.

All he remembered was sweating like a river, soaked through by rain.

Almost at the same moment, laughter came from the outhouse in the courtyard: “Ironhead, are you a weakling?

Got drunk on this little wine and fell over—how are you going to get things done tonight? How are you going to handle that little girl?” He must have heard the fall.

Xu Jin killed his first man and saw blood; he was terrified, feeling as if all the blood in his body rushed to his skull, his heart pounding, gasping wildly.

Crawling beside the corpse still twitching in its death throes, Xu Jin forced himself to take deep breaths, calming his body’s stress response, ignoring the sounds from the latrine.

Huh!

After four consecutive deep breaths, his heartbeat slowed slightly; his limbs still trembled, but now under his control, and the dripping water from the latrine gradually ceased.

He’s almost out.

Xu Jin took another deep breath and crawled toward the latrine door, using hands and feet.

Just reaching the latrine door, he saw the thug inside fastening a cloth strap—his belt, though merely a strip of cloth.

Night was dark, no lamps, only faint starlight.

The thug could barely make out a figure crawling on the ground ahead.

“Hahahaha, Ironhead, you coward, you actually fell!” he laughed and cursed, yet instinctively bent down to help.

It seemed these fellows had decent relations among themselves.

Xu Jin, who had planned to ambush, seized the moment and surged upward, driving his shoulder hard into the thug’s chin.

In that instant, starlight flared abruptly.

Thud!

The sound of shattering bone rang out again.

But this time, instead of striking the chin as intended, Xu Jin’s blow struck the throat by accident.

Under the starlight impact, not only was the larynx shattered, but the cervical vertebrae snapped too.

No sound followed except the thump of the body hitting the ground.

Xu Jin collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily.

On the roof, the invisible green-clad man watched, his expression distinctly surprised.

“To recover so quickly from trembling limbs—that boy’s willpower is formidable.”

As he pondered, the green-clad man recalled: how long had it taken him, in his first kill, to rise again?

Half a stick of incense?

Or a full quarter-hour?

He couldn’t quite remember.

No—he should’ve been stronger than this boy, right?

Xu Jin had killed his second man.

But this second kill brought none of the earlier electric shock, drenching sweat, or uncontrollable limbs—only heavy breathing.

He lay still for a full minute; his heartbeat steadied, his breath slowed, and except for slight trembling in his hands, most of his stress responses vanished.

He rolled over, turning beside the dead thug, and rummaged through the man’s robes.

He pulled out a small cloth bundle—silver fragments—but he didn’t take it, tossing it aside.

This wasn’t the time to loot corpses.

He reached again and found a bundled ox-ear dagger at the man’s waist.

The blade was over a foot long, cold to the touch.

With the sharp blade in hand, Xu Jin’s courage surged again; he turned toward the room with light, his killing intent fully revealed.

Indeed, possessing a sharp weapon stirred the killing urge.

He went to the first thug he’d killed, felt him over—this one also carried an ox-ear dagger, but had two cloth bundles in his robes.

One was likely silver fragments; Xu Jin didn’t hurry to take it. The other bundle was soft, and quite sizable.

Xu Jin opened it: powder, white, smelled faintly—not like flour.

What is this?

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Xu Jin—he immediately knew what it was.

(End of Chapter)