Killer: A Heart of Iron, Viewing Human Lives as Mere Grass

He Qi was dead!

In the He Family residence in the County Town, more than three hundred and sixty people had all died.

Aside from He Qi and his two personal maids, everyone else had been killed with their necks twisted.

At first:

No one noticed.

At most, they merely wondered why the He Family had not opened its doors that day.

It was not until evening:

When Sister Lan and the other Fortified Village Disciples came looking for He Qi to drink that they discovered—within that enormous residence, not a single living soul remained.

Then came a citywide manhunt.

Crackle, crackle:

Torches burned.

Sister Lan and the other Fortified Village Disciples all gathered at the He Family's grand residence.

Their expressions were grave. The timid ones were pale-faced and trembling all over.

"They killed Brother He Qi today. Tomorrow, they'll kill me."

"I want to go back to the fortified village!"

Sister Lan turned around and slapped that Fortified Village Disciple across the face, shouting, "Shut up!"

"If you leave, you might be beaten to death before you even get out of the city."

That Fortified Village Disciple covered his face and choked back sobs.

Sister Lan discussed matters with several other outstanding Fortified Village Disciples.

First, they sent people to notify all the major gangs to search the city, and ordered that whether or not they found the murderer, they had to kill some people to accompany He Qi in death.

Then they jointly sent a notice to the military camp, telling them to seal off the County Town.

Everyone was permitted to enter but forbidden to leave; moreover, they would begin a thorough search.

At the same time, they were also told to kill people, spill blood, and offer sacrifices for He Qi.

Finally, they dispatched seven or eight waves of servants and guards, one after another, to leave the city and deliver the news.

By the time all the arrangements were complete, it was already past eight in the evening.

All the Fortified Village Disciples gathered in the main hall, heavy with worry.

Sister Lan privately brought several Fortified Village Disciples into a small room for a secret discussion:

"Did He Qi discover traces of the secret transmission, only to be silenced?"

One Fortified Village Disciple said, "The Rebel Army has a decent relationship with us. They would not go so far as to silence him."

"Unless... an outsider obtained the secret transmission and killed him to keep it quiet."

Sister Lan frowned. "If an outsider obtained the secret transmission, they definitely would not remain in Stone Rock County."

Another Fortified Village Disciple guessed:

"The two Stone Bamboo Pearls that should have been produced are gone."

"The Rebel Army's secret transmission has also appeared in Stone Rock County."

"A few days ago, the Blood River Gang lost many people, including a hall master."

"Senior Brother Zhang of the Armored Soldier Sect suspects that his enemy is also in Stone Rock County."

"And now the Martial Academy's Preliminary Exam is drawing close."

"Everyone... why are all these things happening at the same time? And why have they all gathered in Stone Rock County?"

Sister Lan's heart stirred, and she blurted out, "Could all these matters be connected to one person?"

"And could that person be in Stone Rock County?"

That Fortified Village Disciple gave a bitter smile. "Sister Lan, how could one person possibly have the ability to do so many things?"

"Behind these matters stands an organization directing them."

Sister Lan fell into thought.

The other disciples suddenly understood. "That's right. One person alone could not accomplish this."

"Those who could do it would not dare."

In all of Stone Rock County, there were only a dozen or so people capable of killing He Qi.

But even if He Qi had slept with their wives and daughters, they would not dare harm a single hair on his head.

After all, He Qi was a Fortified Village Disciple.

"But... judging by the scene, there was only one murderer!"

That was right. After all that analysis, there was only one murderer.

What was this murderer's background? How could he kill Fortified Village Disciples as though slaughtering chickens and dogs?

Was he not afraid?

Sister Lan and the others sank into deep thought.

After the great families of Stone Rock County received the news, they gathered at once.

Though they did not go to the He Family residence themselves, their servants and guards did. After carefully investigating, they all frowned.

"He Qi, the seventh son of the He Family Head from the fortified village."

"His talent was ordinary, but he had trained more than a hundred Iron Sinews."

"Other than us, no more than a dozen people could kill him."

"But would they have the nerve?"

"In a single night, he killed a Fortified Village Disciple and more than three hundred people."

"This murderer... truly knew neither law nor Heaven, with a heart of stone and iron."

"Terrifying."

Their expressions darkened.

At that moment, one family head said:

"Everyone... the Millennial Tribulation is approaching, and the Rebel Army is colluding with the fortified villages."

Everyone looked at that family head in astonishment.

The family head continued, "Stone Rock County has historically been a place every military force fought over."

"If someone from the fortified village dies... they can enter Stone Rock County openly and aboveboard."

Everyone was horrified.

After a long while, one family head ground his teeth and said, "Stone Rock County is our Stone Rock County."

"If the Rebel Army wants it, they can only negotiate with us."

"Everyone, return and guard against the fortified villages!"

The He Family of the fortified village:

The He Family Head was over fifty.

Yet he was vigorous and spirited, powerfully built, and highly accomplished in martial arts.

He was frolicking with the fiftieth concubine he had just taken when he received the bad news.

Mm... it could not really be called bad news.

Was it not merely one dead son?

He had more than twenty sons and over fifty daughters.

He could not even be bothered to name his sons.

One dead son was no great matter!

But He Qi was still his son. He had suddenly died in the County Town, chopped into meat paste until only his head remained.

Several hundred servants had also been killed.

"A warning from the Rebel Army?"

"A warning from the powerful and noble people in the city?"

"Or... infighting among my sons?"

He considered many possibilities.

The one thing he never considered was that a steward from his family had caused this extermination tragedy.

Still less could he imagine that Chu Qing, clad in coarse hemp and barefoot, would dare act with such monstrous audacity as to kill a Fortified Village Disciple.

"Have He Qi Dog take twenty iron cavalrymen to investigate."

"If the murderer is one of my sons, bring him back."

"If not... butcher the murderer."

A servant replied with utmost respect, "Yes!"

He Qi Dog had originally been a hero of the greenwood.

But after he pledged allegiance to the He Family of the fortified village, he was assigned to He Qi and thus became He Qi Dog.

He was skilled at tracking, had once served as a constable chief, and had trained more than a hundred Iron Sinews and over thirty Iron Bones.

His strongest martial art was—the bone-training-level Great Hand Seal.

Relying on the Great Hand Seal, he had trained more than thirty Iron Bones.

One Iron Bone was equivalent to five Iron Sinews.

When the Great Hand Seal was unleashed, its power was equivalent to more than a hundred and fifty Iron Sinews surging together.

Its force was fierce and unyielding, exceedingly terrifying.

Moreover, he was meticulous in thought and ruthless in his methods. More importantly—he was obedient.

When the He Family Head gave him a task, he could rest assured.

As for the iron cavalry, they were equally terrifying.

The Fortified Village Iron Cavalry consisted entirely of collateral-line disciples.

Every one of them had trained at least a hundred Iron Sinews and possessed weapon techniques as well. If seven or eight iron cavalrymen joined forces to surround and kill someone, even He Qi Dog would be unable to withstand them.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The iron cavalry galloped into Stone Rock County.

They went to the scene immediately.

He Qi Dog was in his forties, sturdy and strong, with an honest-looking face.

When he appeared, Sister Lan and the others let out sighs of relief.

With He Qi Dog and twenty iron cavalrymen here, they believed that murderer would absolutely not dare cause trouble again.

"If he's smart... he fled long ago."

He Qi Dog inspected the scene.

Ten minutes...

Half an hour...

Many traces had been battered away by wind and rain, making them impossible to see.

Yet he still reconstructed the general scene of Chu Qing's killings.

"The killer first cleared out the guards, then killed his way inward from the perimeter."

"This killer had a heart of iron and regarded human lives as mere grass and weeds."

"After killing so many people in one breath, his hands did not go soft in the slightest."

Sister Lan and the others did not care. Someone muttered:

"When I chop people down, my hands don't go soft either."

He Qi Dog said sternly, "How many people have you personally killed at once?"

That Fortified Village Disciple thought for a moment. "At most, twelve."

"The rest were killed by the guards."

He Qi Dog said, "Why didn't you kill them yourself?"

"Was it no fun? Or did your hands go soft?"

The Fortified Village Disciple's face turned pale. He remembered that back then—his hands had gone soft.

Sister Lan and the others fell into thought.

He Qi Dog inspected He Qi's room and continued:

"The killer should have spoken with Young Master He Qi, then Young Master He Qi suddenly attacked him."

"Young Master He Qi should have used the Perfection-level Eagle Claw Technique to strike from midair; but... the murderer crushed his hand."

He Qi Dog spoke in a measured stream, reconstructing Chu Qing's battle scene with remarkably little deviation.

Finally, when he went to the kitchen and saw the head on the chopping block, He Qi Dog became graver than ever before.

"Killing people like cutting grass, with a heart of iron."

"Killing people, looting valuables, destroying corpses and erasing all traces—a complete one-stop operation."

"His heart did not soften, and his hands did not stop!"

"What kind of person could do this?"