Bloody Retaliation

## Chapter Sixteen

The stench of blood had barely dissipated from the entrance of Black Wind Gorge, and Chen Qing was already leading his soldiers back.

Of the nine-man squad, only Chen Qing had a few rapidly healing wounds, and Hei Wa's old leg injury had reopened. Astonishingly, not a single soldier was lost. However, their faces were all etched with lingering shock, and the uncontainable fear and awe they felt when looking at Chen Qing's retreating back was palpable.

The scene in the gorge, like a battlefield of Asuras, along with Chen Qing's inhuman ferocity and resilience, was deeply imprinted in their minds.

Chen Qing paid it no mind. He hurried along, silently digesting the spoils of the battle. Defeating the mid-stage Bone Forging Realm cult leader and dozens of fierce bandits had brought him an immense amount of vital energy and ferocity. The proficiency of Fierce Tiger Iron Body had surged, his understanding of Black Tiger Fist had become even more stable, and he had even faintly touched the threshold of complete mastery.

The token bearing the mark of "Li" felt cold in his embrace.

Evidence? Perhaps, perhaps not. In this army, governed by strict laws yet rife with corruption, an unidentified token might not be enough to bring down a deeply entrenched Squad Leader. But what he needed had never been justice through the law.

Power was the only truth.

***

The Vanguard Camp's encampment was filled with a subtle atmosphere.

News of Chen Qing's squad's return spread like wildfire. As they passed through the camp gates, still bearing the marks of dried blood and radiating a potent killing intent, countless eyes turned towards them, filled with shock, curiosity, and schadenfreude.

Everyone knew they had gone to Black Wind Gorge, a path widely considered a death trap. To return alive was a miracle in itself.

Squad Leader Zhao was the first to greet them. Seeing that Chen Qing, though wounded, had a steady aura and appeared even more formidable than before he left, a flicker of extreme shock crossed his eyes, quickly followed by a complex expression.

"Deputy Squad Leader Chen, are you… alright?" Squad Leader Zhao's voice was tinged with a barely perceptible dryness.

"Thanks to the Squad Leader, we were fortunate enough to survive," Chen Qing replied calmly, his tone betraying no emotion. "We were ambushed by unidentified bandits in Black Wind Gorge, about fifty of them. They have all been annihilated by my unit. This is the token we captured."

He handed over the blood-stained token.

Squad Leader Zhao took the token, his fingers trembling slightly. Without even looking at it, he clenched it tightly in his palm and forced a smile. "Good! Good! Deputy Squad Leader Chen is indeed brave! To fight against overwhelming odds and annihilate the bandits, you've earned merit! I will definitely request a commendation for you from the Captain!"

"I dare not accept the commendation; I merely completed the reconnaissance mission and did not find any trace of the Northern Mang main force," Chen Qing said, his gaze calm as he looked at Squad Leader Zhao. "However, those bandits were well-trained and coordinated, unlike ordinary mountain bandits. They seemed more like… skilled fighters from the army. Furthermore, their target was clear, aimed directly at me. This matter is quite suspicious, and I request the Squad Leader to investigate thoroughly."

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Squad Leader Zhao's forehead. He nodded repeatedly. "Certainly! We will investigate thoroughly! You have worked hard, go and rest well, and tend to your injuries!"

Chen Qing said no more and left with his men.

Watching their retreating figures, Squad Leader Zhao opened his palm and looked at the "Li" mark on the back of the token. His expression shifted uncertainly before he finally let out a long sigh and hurried towards Squad Leader Li's tent.

***

Inside Squad Leader Li's tent.

"What? All dead? That incompetent Vulture! He even boasted about being a mid-stage Bone Forging Realm expert!" Squad Leader Li's face turned ashen. He swept the teacup on the table to the ground, shattering it into pieces. His chest heaved violently, his eyes filled with rage and a hint of… fear.

He hadn't expected that even with such a force and a death trap, he still couldn't kill that brat! Instead, he had been wiped out! What kind of monster was that kid?

Squad Leader Zhao stood below, his face contorted in distress. "Brother Li, this matter is likely difficult to resolve. Not only did that brat Chen Qing survive, but his strength seems to have improved significantly, his killing intent is soaring! He even captured the token… Although I didn't say it directly, he must have guessed."

"So what if he guessed?" Squad Leader Li's eyes were sinister. "What can a broken token prove? Without proof or evidence, does he dare to touch me? The Captain wouldn't listen to his one-sided story either!"

"But…"

"No buts!" Squad Leader Li interrupted, breathing heavily. "Now that it's come to this, we can only see it through to the end! I don't believe he can be that lucky every time! As for Commander Wang, I will handle him!"

Squad Leader Zhao opened his mouth, but it turned into a silent sigh. He knew that Squad Leader Li was trapped and had no way out, and he himself was now tied to this dangerous ship.

***

Chen Qing returned to his small camp and ordered Old Niu and the others to tend to their wounds and rest, forbidding anyone from disturbing them.

He sat cross-legged inside the tent, not immediately tending to the minor wounds on his body, but sinking his consciousness inward.

After achieving Slight Accomplishment in Fierce Tiger Iron Body, his control over ferocity had reached a new level. Now, he was guiding the vast and pure ferocity within his body to repeatedly cleanse the bones of his limbs and torso, especially the great dragon of his spine!

The transition from the mid-stage to the late stage of the Bone Forging Realm was a qualitative leap, crucial for tempering the spine and connecting the body's vital energy, allowing power to flow as one, endlessly. Ordinary martial artists required painstaking effort, but he had the "shortcut" of ferocity.

Pain surged like tides, and the negative emotions contained within the ferocity constantly assaulted his mind, attempting to ignite his inner savagery and desire for slaughter.

Chen Qing held onto a sliver of clarity, using his incredibly tenacious will to forcibly control this violent power. The domineering and suppressive intent of the king of beasts within the Black Tiger Fist manifested crucially at this moment.

Time ticked by.

Night fell, and the camp gradually quieted.

Suddenly, a low, bone-cracking sound, like the roar of a tiger or leopard, erupted from Chen Qing's tent! The sound was not loud, but it carried a peculiar penetrating force, causing Old Niu and the others guarding outside the tent to tense up.

Inside the tent, Chen Qing slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his pupils, a dark red light flowed and then vanished.

He exhaled a long breath of stale air, his breath long and deep.

His spine was like a dragon, his vital energy flowed like a great river!

Bone Forging Realm, late stage!

Feeling the integrated, surging power within his body, Chen Qing clenched his fist, and the air exploded in his palm.

He stood up, changed into a clean black martial outfit, and meticulously wiped his ring-hilted saber before sheathing it.

Then, he lifted the tent flap and walked out.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the quiet encampment.

"Deputy Squad Leader?" Old Niu stepped forward as soon as he saw Chen Qing emerge.

"I'm going for a walk, you don't need to follow," Chen Qing said calmly. Without waiting for Old Niu's reply, he strode forward and melted into the shadows of the camp.

His steps weren't fast, but each one landed precisely in the blind spots of the patrolling soldiers and the gaps between their footsteps. Like a ghost in the dark night, he crept silently in a certain direction.

The target—Squad Leader Li's tent.

He didn't need evidence, nor did he need a trial.

He would use the most direct, most brutal method to tell everyone who was secretly watching—

If you mess with me, you'll pay the price.

Squad Leader Li's tent was still lit, and the sound of restless pacing could be faintly heard from within.

Chen Qing clung to the shaded side of the tent like a gecko, his senses heightened to the extreme. He confirmed there were no hidden sentries or approaching patrols.

He extended a finger, and a wisp of intensely condensed black-red malevolent energy pulsed from his fingertip. Like a red-hot iron, it gently sliced open a small opening in the thick oxhide tent without making a sound.

Through the gap, he saw Squad Leader Li, his back to him, anxiously drinking alone.

Chen Qing's eyes were cold, as if looking at a dead man.

He didn't use his ring-hilted saber.

His right hand's five fingers spread slightly, and the power of the dark Fierce Tiger Iron Body condensed. He aimed at the opening and, from a distance, gently pressed.

An invisible, intangible force, yet one imbued with malevolent energy and icy killing intent, pierced through the tent like a venomous snake, precisely striking Squad Leader Li's vital point in the back!

Squad Leader Li's body stiffened abruptly, and the wine cup in his hand fell to the ground. He looked down in disbelief at his chest, seeing no wound, yet feeling as if his heart had been gripped by an icy hand and stopped beating instantly.

He opened his mouth, wanting to shout, but no sound came out. The terror in his eyes froze, and his body softly collapsed, his breath gone.

[Killed Li Kui (Mid Bone Forging Realm), gained Vitality and Malevolent Energy, Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +150!]

Chen Qing withdrew his hand, the black-red malevolent energy on his fingertips dissipating. Just as he had arrived, he silently melted back into the shadows and disappeared.

The entire process took no more than three breaths.

Inside the tent, the lamp still burned, leaving only Squad Leader Li's rapidly cooling corpse.

It wasn't until half an hour later, when a personal guard delivered a late-night meal, that Squad Leader Li, who had died suddenly on the spot, was discovered.

After examination by the military doctor, the cause of death was strange. There were no external injuries, but his internal organs were suspected to have been instantly shattered by some kind of sinister and overbearing force, as if he had gone mad from cultivation or had been ambushed by an evil technique.

News spread, shaking the camp!

Everyone, without exception, turned their gaze towards the young deputy squad leader who had just returned from Black Wind Gorge, exuding an aura of malevolent energy—Chen Qing.

Although there was no evidence, everyone knew in their hearts that this was his retribution!

Bloody, direct, and without any hesitation!

For a time, the officers in the camp who had previously harbored hostility or ulterior motives towards Chen Qing were all terrified. No one dared to provoke this malevolent star lightly again.

Meanwhile, Chen Qing had already returned to his own tent, as if nothing had happened, and continued his cultivation.

The fierce tiger had awakened, and its fangs had begun to show.