Ruthless Toward Enemies, Even More Ruthless Toward Himself!

Yu Sheng gave Xu Bin a long look. He did not ask anything further, merely nodded and said lightly.

"Martial Arts Universities answer directly to the Ministry of Martial Affairs. The City Lord's Manor cannot interfere—we belong to two different systems! And Xia Country has a clear rule: regardless of the reason or who it is, anyone who dares harm a student inside a martial arts school faces only death!"

Xu Bin's killing intent had grown so thick that he could no longer suppress it. As a martial artist who had fought and killed for many years, how could Yu Sheng fail to sense it?

He said those words as a special reminder, out of the friendship between them.

Although martial cultivation in Xia Country was cruel and riddled with peril, certain bottom lines had to be upheld.

Never mind how low that bottom line was. As long as it remained, Xia Country's system could continue to function without going wrong in the grand scheme of things.

Among them, the bottom line with the harshest punishment was that the strong could not kill students inside martial arts schools!

It was fine for students to slaughter one another freely—that was raising venomous insects in a jar. But once the strong crossed the line, everything would collapse!

By then, there would be no need for an invasion from the Outer Regions. Xia Country would crumble from within on its own.

This was the consensus of Xia Country's gods. Whoever violated it would have to die, even if they came from a Lineage of gods!

Xu Bin came from Central Prefecture, so he naturally understood this point well!

At the same time, he knew certain unspoken rules that Yu Sheng did not.

For example, once someone from the Ministry of Martial Affairs arrived and verified Xu Jie's talent and strength.

Xu Jie would effectively gain an extra protective talisman.

No matter how many methods the Jiang Family had or how vast their network was, they would no longer be able to knead Xu Jie however they pleased. That was how important a supreme monster was to Xia Country!

In other words, if Jiang Family members came to Jincheng City right now, relying on the Jiang Family's power in Xia Country, they could even kill Xu Jie outright and bear only a little blame at most.

But if Xu Jie gained the Ministry of Martial Affairs' recognition, Jiang Family members would have to spend far more effort to kill him...

Therefore, if Xu Bin wanted to kill Xu Jie and avenge his children—or rather, complete Young Master Jiang's assignment—

He could only kill Xu Jie before the Ministry of Martial Affairs' examiners arrived!

Even if he was exposed afterward, it would not matter much!

Because at that time, the Ministry of Martial Affairs would not yet have concrete proof of Xu Jie's talent. Xu Bin would at most be breaking the law; he would not necessarily have to die.

Thinking of this, Xu Bin took a deep breath. After exchanging a few more words with Yu Sheng, he found an excuse to leave the City Lord's Manor.

After Xu Bin left, the deputy city lord, a trusted confidant of the city lord, emerged from the back and asked with a frown.

"Old Yu, there's clearly something going on between Xu Bin and Xu Jie. You're just going to stand by and watch?"

"What are we supposed to do?"

Yu Sheng did not care in the least. He said flatly, "We are martial artists stationed at the border. What the Ministry of Martial Affairs' University Administration does has nothing to do with us!"

"What I mean is..."

"I know!"

Yu Sheng suddenly laughed, his eyes carrying a streak of cruel madness.

"How can flowers grown in a greenhouse protect Xia Country, protect this world? You've never been to the Outer Regions, so you don't know how cruel it is there! If that kid really is a monster, then he should climb upward over mountains of corpses and seas of blood. If even a mere Xu Bin of the Xu family, a Fourth-rank Martial Artist, can crush him, is he still a monster? If he dies, he deserves it!"

"I heard from a friend at Jincheng Martial Arts University that Xu Jie might be a madman, one who repays every grievance..."

"Who the hell isn't a madman?"

Yu Sheng suddenly shouted coldly, "We went mad a long time ago! If he can truly rise up, then in the future, I'll kneel and let him cut me down without resisting! That's how this world is: the strong live, the weak die. Don't talk to me about the future—we... are about to have no future!"

Deputy City Lord: "..."

It was still that same lounge.

Xu Jie was bare-chested, holding a dagger as he expressionlessly sliced away his own flesh.

In his battle with Xu Ming, he had taken sword qi several times. Wounds covered his body, and blood streamed everywhere.

Some of the wounds had been corroded by the power of his qi and blood, and were even on the verge of becoming inflamed and festering.

Therefore, just as he had done when injured in his previous life, Xu Jie treated his own wounds, gouging out the rotten flesh and allowing blood to gush forth.

Compared to the pain in his body, what Xu Jie, brows tightly furrowed, cared about more was what Xu Ming had mentioned about his mother before dying.

According to Xu Ming, Xu Jie's mother should already have died...

But no matter what, Xu Jie had to find out who his mother truly was, why she had died, and why Xu Ming had said that his father had always been following in his mother's footsteps...

Xu Jie even seriously suspected that his father's death this time might be connected to his mother!

Since the Xu siblings were already dead, the key to all of this pointed to their father, Xu Bin!

Xu Bin, a Fourth-rank Martial Artist!

Xu Jie did not know exactly how strong he was, but he had to become stronger quickly, find Xu Bin, and force him to reveal the truth about his mother.

Of course, there was also the Jiang Family of Central Prefecture that the Xu siblings had mentioned before their deaths!

This Lineage seemed to be the mastermind behind the deaths of Xu Jie's parents!

And at present, members of this Lineage were coveting some kind of treasure left behind by Xu Jie's father...

Just as Xu Jie hurriedly treated his wounds and pondered all these mysteries, a sharp intake of breath sounded from the doorway.

A fourth-year instructor stood there holding a bag. He had originally come to deliver Xu Jie's reward.

But when he saw what Xu Jie was doing in the lounge, he was truly startled.

This kid was actually this ruthless toward himself?

Xia Country did not lack ruthless people. Every martial artist who survived was a fierce character; the weak had died long ago.

The key was that Xu Jie was only a second-year student, still a youth, and had never experienced the slaughter of the wilderness or battles against demons.

Yet as he cut away his own flesh, his expression remained cold and his gaze resolute, as though it did not matter at all—as though that body did not belong to him.

That was terrifying!

If this boy's temperament allowed him to survive, he would surely become eternal someday!

Xu Jie was too ruthless!

He was not only ruthless toward his enemies, with cruel methods—he was even more ruthless toward himself. He was simply a madman!

Hearing the sound, Xu Jie turned his head and swept a calm glance at the instructor who had pushed open the door. He ignored him and continued treating his wounds.

The male instructor placed the bag in his hand beside Xu Jie, then explained softly and gently.

"Xu Jie, this is your reward for fighting ten ranking battles this time. The principal personally instructed that it be given to you. And because of your outstanding performance, the school has issued double the amount. Shall I leave it here?"

"Mm."

There were rewards for fighting ranking battles!

Usually, rewards were granted according to one's rank.

This was only the first reward. From now on, Xu Jie could also collect rewards corresponding to his rank every month.

Because Xu Jie had killed Xu Ming and become ninth on the rankings.

His reward was therefore exceptionally generous—far more generous than the pills he had previously borrowed from Class Six of the fourth year!

Seeing Xu Jie's indifferent, unconcerned manner, the male instructor would have flown into a rage in the past.

But now, Xu Jie had proven himself with his strength. The male instructor did not find anything wrong with it. After all, which monster did not have a bit of pride?

The male instructor hesitated briefly, but still offered a well-meaning piece of advice.

"Xu Jie, it would be best for you to go to the infirmary for professional treatment. They have all sorts of medical equipment there. If you keep handling it so recklessly yourself, and something goes wrong, it might..."

"It's fine!"