Killing Intent Arose

Outside the window.

Lin Zheyu let out a long breath.

He hid himself in the darkness.

Reaching into his robe, he pulled out black Finger Tigers and slipped them over his fingers.

Finger Tigers, also known as Iron Fists, Fist Buckles, or Iron Four Fingers, were weapons made specifically for fist techniques. Worn over the fingers, they could increase the killing power of one's punches.

It wasn't as though he had never killed anyone before.

Back when he had been mixed in with the refugees, Lin Zheyu had taken out more than one person who had tried to steal his food.

Now that he knew these men intended him harm, how could Lin Zheyu possibly let them off?

Lin Zheyu clenched his fists, his feelings somewhat complicated.

He only wanted to live a peaceful life, one of leisure and freedom from worldly strife.

Yet this world was simply that cruel. Even if you did not take the initiative to harm others, others would still set their sights on you.

After the people inside finished discussing their secret plan, they did not leave at once. Instead, they brought out wine and began drinking.

The houses in the Outer City were not packed together as densely as those in the Inner City.

There was quite a distance between one house and the next. Some even stood alone amid fields on all sides.

The moon rose, and a gentle breeze blew.

Winter had already arrived, and the weather was somewhat cold. But with Lin Zheyu's current physique, he felt nothing.

The three men drank until deep into the night before staggering out of the house.

These fellows could hold their liquor well. After drinking for so long, they were only mildly drunk, their steps swaying slightly.

This house seemed to be their temporary hideout. After drinking and shooting the breeze, they each headed home.

One at a time. I'll deal with the two weaker ones first, then take down the big fellow.

Lin Zheyu quietly followed the frailest of them, intending to dispatch him as swiftly as possible before going after the other two.

"Damn, even after drinking, it's still this cold. Time to add some clothes."

"Once we rob that kid, I'll have money to buy a warm set of clothes."

Wen Biao walked down the path, chuckling as he muttered to himself.

His nature was somewhat timid and shrinking. He coveted Lin Zheyu's silver, yet feared something might go wrong.

Hic—

After belching, Wen Biao felt much better.

Under the moonlight, a black figure rapidly closed in on him.

"What the—"

Wen Biao saw the shadow, but before his brain could process it, a fist fitted with Finger Tigers crashed into his temple.

The powerful blow sent Wen Biao reeling, while the sharp protrusions on the Finger Tigers pierced into his temple.

He opened his mouth, wanting to cry out for help, but no sound came out. An icy, rough hand covered his mouth.

Lin Zheyu clamped his left hand tightly over Wen Biao's mouth, pinning him firmly against his chest, while his right fist struck rapidly toward his temple.

After three consecutive punches, the body in his arms stopped moving. Only then did Lin Zheyu cease, blood staining his fists and clothes red.

Looking at the silent corpse, his arm trembled slightly, but a trace of resolve flashed through his eyes.

In these chaotic times, good people did not live long.

"Hoo—"

Letting out another long breath, Lin Zheyu suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

His feet moved, and he quickly gave chase in another direction.

Since he had made his move, he had to clean up every possible threat to himself.

Lin Zheyu did not want to spend every day being watched by rats from a filthy cesspit.

On the other side, Yanling was rather woozy from drinking. Swaying as he walked, he made his way home by moonlight.

"If I get back this late, the wife will nag me again."

"What does a woman like her know? Times are hard. It isn't easy to earn a little money. If this job works out, it'll keep us going for a year or so."

Yanling muttered, venting the stifling frustration in his heart.

Standing beside a ditch, he pulled out his thing and relieved himself.

After drinking too much, the urge to piss came.

His whole body shuddered, and Yanling muttered, "Why did it get dark?"

Bang—

Gurgle, gurgle—

A tremendous pain shot through the center of Yanling's brow. He toppled into the ditch, struggling to climb back out, only to be pinned down by a large hand so firmly he could not move.

Bubbles gurgled up from the ditch. Within moments, there was no more movement.

Those two were merely ordinary men. They knew no martial arts, and neither was as sturdily built as Lin Zheyu was now. Lin Zheyu dealt with them easily.

"One left."

Lin Zheyu looked impassively at the man who had fallen silent in the stinking ditch.

We had no grudge between us, but since you set your sights on me, your deaths were only fitting!

He did not hurry to clean up the scene. Delayed by those two, Gao Yu had already gotten quite far away.

Lin Zheyu pushed off with force, sending clods of mud exploding beneath his feet.

Of the three, Gao Yu alone was relatively strong.

He was a tall, powerfully built fellow, standing one meter eighty-three. His family hunted for a living, and he had learned some rudimentary martial arts as a child, though he had neglected them after growing up.

"Hehe..."

Gao Yu walked down the road, chuckling and humming a tune, in excellent spirits.

He had found an easy fat sheep to fleece. Once this score was done, he could live it up for another while.

"That kid's got some talent too. It'd be great if I could control him and have him earn money for me."

Gao Yu muttered, though unfortunately, he knew that was impossible.

Rustle, rustle.

The cold wind swept past, making the trees rustle.

Gao Yu pulled his clothes tighter and quickened his pace.

It was late. He ought to hurry home; his wife had already warmed the bed for him.

Whoosh—

A black shadow darted past, its movement masked by the howling cold wind.

Coupled with the wine he had drunk, Gao Yu failed to notice anything amiss around him.

Gao Yu rounded a bend and passed a civilian house. After walking another dozen meters, all was silent around him.

Just then, Lin Zheyu burst forth.

His fist, fitted with a Finger Tiger, flew toward Gao Yu's temple. It was a vulnerable part of the human body; after suffering a fatal blow there, one might suffer dizziness at best or die in a single strike at worst.

Bang!

Gao Yu lost his balance and fell to the ground.

After all, he came from a hunting family and had experience fighting wild beasts. Gao Yu actually struggled and kicked at the Lin Zheyu who was closing in on him.

Lin Zheyu twisted aside to evade it, then grabbed Gao Yu's leg with both hands. Using his body weight, he pressed down hard toward Gao Yu's head.

A crack rang out as Lin Zheyu broke Gao Yu's leg.

Because of the alcohol, the searing pain came several seconds late. When he opened his mouth wide to scream, a rough large hand clamped firmly over it.

Bang bang bang—

A relentless barrage of punches landed on Gao Yu's forehead. Within a few breaths, he stopped breathing altogether.

Lin Zheyu sat on the ground, gulping down mouthfuls of air as he tried to suppress the indescribable emotions in his heart.

This was the first time he had actively killed someone. During his time as a refugee, he had only passively resisted in order to survive.

He did not remain dazed for long before quickly getting to his feet.

"Better clean this up."

Though he knew the chances of this murder being traced back to him were slim, it was still better to take precautions and handle it.

Carrying Gao Yu's corpse, he found an uninhabited patch of wasteland and abandoned the bodies there.

"Dirt poor. They didn't even have a hundred coppers on them."

Lin Zheyu looked at the silver and coins he had searched from them and could not help shaking his head.

After returning home, Lin Zheyu lit a fire and burned the bloodstained clothes.

He went into the courtyard and washed himself over and over, yet still felt as though the blood of his own kind clung to him.

He had lived too long in peace in his previous life and received decades of civilized education. He could not quickly accept the idea that human lives were as cheap as grass, nor kill his own kind without bearing any psychological burden.

Lin Zheyu lay down to sleep, but when he could not sleep, he got up to wash again. He did this several times before finally falling asleep deep into the night.

Cock-a-doodle-doo—

Morning.

The rooster with the voice of a broken gong crowed again, waking Lin Zheyu from his dreams.

He groggily opened his eyes, pulled the blanket over himself, and went back to sleep.

He slept until the afternoon.

Haa—

Lin Zheyu yawned as he arrived at Bi Dan Teahouse.

"Did you visit Hundred Flowers Pavilion yesterday, kid? Why do you look so listless?" Steward Wu teased.

"I was homesick. Didn't sleep well last night," Lin Zheyu said.

He had nightmares all night, a chaotic mess of them, and had not slept well at all.

"It's still early. How about going back to sleep for a while?" Steward Wu suggested.

"Alright. Wake me when it's time."

Lin Zheyu did not refuse. He truly needed to catch up on sleep.