Qin Ming Awakened

The moon shone bright among sparse stars.

A campfire burned in the dense forest.

Dozens of pairs of eyes stared fixedly at the figure beneath a tree.

Half an incense stick's time had passed, but Qin Ming still had not breathed his last.

"Everyone, I don't think we can wait any longer."

Wang Bo stood up.

"Wang Bo, what do you mean?"

Li Shengnan's expression changed. "You all clearly agreed just now!"

"So what?"

Wang Bo's face twisted savagely. "If this brat doesn't die, are we supposed to keep waiting?!"

The others had also run out of patience and were itching to divide the treasures on Qin Ming among themselves.

"Father..."

Huo Lan murmured.

"Don't rush. First, let's see if the brat is still breathing. Let them test the waters."

Huo Zheng was cautious. Worried that Qin Ming was not completely dead and still had strength left, he deliberately held back and let the others probe him. Once they had stripped him of his treasures, Huo Zheng would make his move and snatch them away. It was a seamless plan.

"Go!"

At a signal from Wang Bo, several constables immediately charged at Qin Ming.

Lu Liu and Li Shengnan had just moved to stop them when Huo Lan and Huo Lin blocked their path.

"Stay put. Don't force me to make a move."

Huo Lin spoke mildly.

He had recovered somewhat from his injuries, and his strength at Skin-Refining Realm Perfection was second only to Huo Zheng's.

"Get out of my way!"

Li Shengnan's Qi and blood surged. Gripping the Cold Iron Saber, she circulated Savage Bull Strength. Her arms abruptly swelled, and all her immense strength poured into the saber.

"Swoosh!"

A piercing sound rang through the air as an invisible wave of saber Qi hurtled down. A sharp pain stabbed between Huo Lin's brows, and he felt as though he were about to be split in two.

Li Shengnan was born with divine strength, and cultivating Savage Bull Strength had made her strength even more formidable. With the Cold Iron Saber's sharp edge added to the mix, even someone at the Perfected Skin-Refining Realm would have to give her a wide berth, to say nothing of Huo Lin, who was still injured.

Intimidated by the saber Qi, Huo Lin did not dare meet it head-on. He dodged backward, then used the Tiger Fist Method to close in, matching speed with speed.

The two exchanged several rounds in a short time. Li Shengnan had mastered no saber techniques, but her brute-force slashes alone made Huo Lin feel as though he were facing a formidable enemy. With her strength and the Cold Iron Saber's sharpness, a single hit would leave him dead or wounded.

Huo Lin was wary, but his injuries caused him to let his guard slip for a moment, and his entire arm was nearly chopped off. Even so, the saber left a wound deep enough to expose bone, and blood streamed down his arm.

"You dare hurt my son?"

Huo Zheng's face turned cold, and he struck down at Li Shengnan with his palm.

"Pfft!"

Even though Li Shengnan held her saber crosswise to block, the palm strike sent her flying several zhang. Blood sprayed from her mouth and nose, and the bones in her saber-wielding right arm were shattered.

Though she possessed brute strength, she was still no match for Huo Zheng at the Mid-Stage Skin-Refining Realm. The palm strike seriously injured her, and Huo Lan snatched away the Cold Iron Saber.

"I warned you long ago, but you wouldn't listen. This is what you get!"

Huo Lan sneered and gently stroked the blade, unable to put it down.

"Fine saber. This saber belongs to me from now on!"

At the same time, Lu Liu, Ye Wei, and the others were injured and subdued by the people from the Tiger Martial Arts Academy.

The Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy's disciples had been inferior to the Tiger Martial Arts Academy in both numbers and strength to begin with. Now that Pei Heng was unconscious, its Inner Court disciples were no match for them.

Meanwhile, several constables had already rushed up to Qin Ming.

"Strange. Why does his complexion look so much rosier?"

One of the constables was startled. Could this brat have recovered from his injuries?

"What nonsense are you imagining? He was struck by Fire Poison. His face is red because he's definitely at death's door."

Another constable snorted. Seeing the Embroiderer blocking their way, he showed his impatience. "Get out of the way. Don't force me to lay hands on you!"

"I won't. You all clearly agreed just now!"

The Embroiderer spread her arms and stood in front of Qin Ming, her gaze resolute.

"You're courting death!"

A flash of killing intent crossed one constable's face, and he raised his foot and kicked viciously at the Embroiderer's abdomen.

At the Mid-Stage Skin-Refining Realm, even a casual kick carried several hundred jin of force. With the Embroiderer's build, she could not possibly withstand this kick. It would kill her on the spot.

"Embroiderer!"

Li Shengnan and the others went pale. They had not expected these constables to be so ruthless as to use force against an ordinary, defenseless woman!

Just as the kick was about to hit the Embroiderer, a dark flash streaked past.

"Ah!!"

The constable stared blankly at his leg, severed cleanly at the base and spraying blood. After a brief numbness, pain rushed over him, and he could not help screaming.

Behind the Embroiderer, a burly figure slowly rose from the ground. He stood a full three meters tall, his arms several times thicker than her thighs. His physique was as imposing as a savage bull's, and the thin moonlight cast a shadow from his body.

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Savage Bull Strength (25/1000), Great Accomplishment]

Earlier, five ghosts had possessed him, only to be destroyed by the Butcher's Knife. Their Yin Qi had all been devoured and converted into five hundred Free Proficiency Points.

Qin Ming had used all those points to upgrade Savage Bull Strength, forcing it all the way to the Great Accomplishment stage.

The Fire Poison had entered his body and eroded his organs and meridians. Fortunately, Qin Ming had the Centipede Spirit Pearl. Its spiritual power circulated throughout his body, gradually suppressing the Fire Poison. Once Savage Bull Strength reached Great Accomplishment, Qin Ming's Qi and blood surged, finally suppressing the Fire Poison completely and forcing it into his palms.

The saber wound on Qin Ming's abdomen had also mostly healed under the nourishment of Spiritual Qi.

However, the Centipede Spirit Pearl had completely melted as a result. All its Spiritual Qi merged into Qin Ming's body, allowing his Eight Trigrams Stake Skill to gain three hundred points.

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Eight Trigrams Stake Skill (330/1000), Great Accomplishment]

Enveloped in his shadow, the constables could not stop trembling.

"Y-you..."

They pointed at Qin Ming, their lips quivering so badly that they could not speak.

Not only was Qin Ming alive, but he had also grown even bigger than before. A single glance at him made their scalps tingle.

How was this still a man? He was a savage bull standing upright in human form!

"Savage Bull Strength at Great Accomplishment!"

Li Shengnan looked at Qin Ming's forearm, which was nearly as thick as her thigh, and sucked in a breath.

This was the largest physique Savage Bull Strength produced. Once it reached the Perfection Realm and returned to its original simplicity, he would look as he had before cultivating it, or even thinner than before.

"How is that possible?! Didn't the Fire Poison invade his organs, leaving him with no time to live? What in the world is going on?"

Wang Bo was so frightened that he fell on his backside, his face deathly pale.

Could Qin Ming have been pretending?

But those signs of poisoning didn't look fake at all!

The others were also scared half to death, especially those who had just been clamoring to kill Qin Ming and seize his inheritance.

Now that Qin Ming had awakened, how could he possibly spare them?

"Clang!"

The Cold Iron Saber fell heavily from Huo Lan's hand, ringing out sharply. In the stillness, it was no less startling than a sudden clap of thunder.

Huo Lan's face was pale, and she did not dare pick it up.

"Junior Brother!"

A trace of delight appeared on Li Shengnan's face. "I knew you'd be all right."

Qin Ming's gaze swept over the blood on Li Shengnan, then fell on the Cold Iron Saber at Huo Lan's feet. He understood everything at once.

"Let go of me! Junior Brother Qin!"

"Senior Brother Qin Ming!"

The people from the Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy had all been pinned to the ground. When Qin Ming's gaze swept over them, their captors hurriedly let go.

Those who had just been shouting about dividing the banknotes also quietly retreated without a trace, as though everything that had just happened had been an illusion.

Qin Ming's face was icy as he looked over the crowd one person at a time.

When Qin Ming saw Pei Heng lying on the ground, his pupils contracted slightly. A nameless fire surged in his chest, with nowhere to vent it.

"Brother Qin!"

Looking at Qin Ming, who seemed both familiar and strange, the petite Embroiderer could only wrap her arms around his thigh and pour out her grievances in tears.

Qin Ming was now three meters tall, and the Embroiderer's head came just level with his waist.

"Have you decided how you want to die?"

Qin Ming bent over and looked down at the constables before him.

Compared with his enormous body, the three constables were tiny.

The constable lying on the ground, howling over his severed leg, fell silent as well. Qin Ming's presence and killing intent left them trembling.

"Qin Ming, don't be rash. We're all from the yamen. If you kill us..."

"Pfft!"

Before he could finish, a head fell to the ground.

In an instant, the constables became souls beneath the Butcher's Knife.

The sight stunned everyone. They had not expected Qin Ming to actually dare kill constables in front of so many people!

He's insane! This brat has completely lost his mind!

Wang Bo cursed inwardly, scrambling backward on hands and feet, wishing his parents had given him two more legs.

"Wang Bo, you can't escape!"

Qin Ming casually picked up the Embroiderer and sat her on his shoulder. With two long strides, he caught up to Wang Bo and reached out with an iron palm as large as a palm-leaf fan.

"Bang!"

Wang Bo was slapped into the ground.

When Qin Ming slowly raised his hand, everyone saw that Wang Bo's bones were fractured all over. He lay on the ground like a pile of mud, his body still twitching.

"D-don't kill me!"

Wang Bo mumbled his pleas, his eyes filled with terror.

Had he known this would happen, how would he have dared set his sights on Qin Ming?

"Pfft!"

Qin Ming raised his foot and stomped down, bursting Wang Bo's head like a watermelon.

Red, green, yellow—all manner of colors flowed across the ground.

Qin Ming's face was cold. He had long wanted to kill Wang Bo. Last time, it was Wang Bo who, without knowing right from wrong, had ordered the Embroiderer seized for questioning, making her suffer so much for nothing.

Now Qin Ming's strength had greatly increased, and he no longer had anything to worry about. With Liao Bing dead as well, he was even less inclined to spare Wang Bo.

Killing Liao Bing alone was a capital crime anyway, so he might as well kill them all!

It took longer to tell than to happen. In less than ten breaths since Qin Ming made his move, the remaining constables from Qingshan Town and Wang Bo had all died by his hand, each death exceedingly gruesome.

After Savage Bull Strength reached Great Accomplishment, the enormous change in Qin Ming's physique had brought terrifying strength with it. Even a casual blow possessed terrifying destructive power.

Qin Ming slowly straightened up and fixed his gaze on Huo Lan.

"Was it you who hurt Senior Sister?"

Huo Lan jumped in fright and hurried behind Huo Zheng, hastily explaining herself.

"Qin Ming, don't misunderstand. I didn't lay a hand on her. I picked up the Cold Iron Saber myself."

"Young friend Qin..."

Huo Zheng had just opened his mouth to speak when a palm as large as a palm-leaf fan came straight down at him. It was so fast that he had no chance to dodge.

It was Qin Ming!

Huo Zheng instinctively moved to block.

"Crack!"

Huo Zheng screamed as both arms snapped in an instant, jagged ends of bone piercing through his skin.

With a pfft, Qin Ming's palm struck Huo Zheng squarely in the chest. The force sent him flying several zhang before he crashed heavily into a massive ancient tree, shaking down more than half its withered leaves.

Huo Zheng's face turned deathly pale, and he spat out a great mouthful of blood with a retch.

"Father!!"

Huo Lan's expression changed drastically. "I'll fight you to the death!"

"Smack!"

Qin Ming slapped Huo Lan across the face, sending her flying more than ten zhang. The tremendous force burst open half her face on the spot, leaving it swollen like a pig's head.

"Qin Ming!"

Huo Lin used Tiger Fist to launch a sneak attack from behind. To his surprise, Qin Ming did not even turn his head. A casual punch left Huo Lin bleeding from all seven orifices, kneeling on the ground and vomiting blood without end, unable to rise again.

The rest of the Tiger Martial Arts Academy's people tried to help, but Qin Ming sent them all flying with a few punches and kicks, knocking their teeth out and leaving them searching the ground.

Seeing this, the local gentry and families backed away, too frightened to make a sound.

"Didn't you want the banknotes on me? Come and take them."

Qin Ming looked at those ungrateful wretches and approached step by step, a trace of mockery on his lips.

Everyone lowered their heads. No one dared speak.

"I gave you a chance, but you were no use!"

The killing intent in Qin Ming's eyes suddenly surged.

"In that case, all of you can die!"