Night is Dark and the Wind is High, Fists Kill Song San

The night was deep, at the entrance of a small alley in the western district of the outer city, filled with the scent of perfume and alcohol.

Song San, a thug from the Black Tiger Gang, stumbled out.

He had just come from a low-class brothel called the Soul-Shattering Pavilion, reeking of alcohol, his face flushed with a residual satisfaction.

But deep in his eyes, a lingering shadow of gloom and ferocity was hidden.

Earlier that afternoon, the gang leader, Zhao Hu, had summoned him.

Those brutal words had shattered the slight joy he had felt from extorting a small sum of money.

"Song San, our Black Tiger Gang has thoroughly offended Wang Yuan."

"Before, we could bully him because he was poor and lowly."

"But now? Now he's a True Disciple of Zheng Shan."

"A High Grade Bone Structure! Do you know what that means?"

Zhao Hu's voice echoed in the dim gang hall, filled with suppressed rage and a hint of imperceptible fear.

"Once he grows up, he won't even need Zheng Shan to act. The first person he'll settle the score with is our Black Tiger Gang."

"By then, you, me, and all the brothers in the gang will be finished."

Song San broke out in a cold sweat, staggering.

Zhao Hu stared at him, his eyes fierce: "This mess was caused by you, and Wang Yuan probably hates you the most."

"Now, there's only one path before you—while his martial arts are not yet formed and his foundation is unstable, find an opportunity and cripple him."

"A crippled genius is no longer a genius."

"Even if Zheng Shan is enraged, he won't go all out against us for a cripple!"

"But... Zheng Shan is a Hua Jin Martial Master..."

Song San's voice trembled.

"You don't need to worry about that. I have powerful backing as well."

"After you've done this, you must immediately leave Gaoye City and lie low until things blow over."

"It's better than staying here and waiting for that kid to grow powerful enough to uproot us all!"

Zhao Hu threw him a small bag of silver, "This is for your travel expenses and a settling-in fee."

"The opportunity, you'll have to find it yourself."

"Remember, if you're going to do it, do it cleanly and decisively. Never give him a chance to recover!"

Recalling his gang leader's words from that afternoon, Song San clenched the money bag.

A surge of ruthlessness mixed with fear washed over him.

He knew he had no way out.

Wang Yuan had to be crippled!

Otherwise, he, Song San, or even the entire Black Tiger Gang, would be the ones to die.

"Damn it, a poor kid who got lucky..."

Song San cursed under his breath, staggering as he turned into a dark, deserted narrow alley, the only way home.

His mind was still calculating how to deal with Wang Yuan.

Should he ambush him near his home, or on his way to the martial arts academy...

Just then, a slightly hoarse voice suddenly came from behind him:

"Brother, you dropped your money."

Song San, still tipsy, instinctively believed him about seventy to eighty percent.

He even muttered to himself, wondering if he had accidentally dropped some silver when he took out his money bag earlier.

He spun around abruptly, mumbling, "Where? My money..."

Before he could finish speaking!

A handful of pungent, irritating red powder was thrown directly at his face.

It was pre-prepared chili powder.

"Ah! My eyes!!"

Caught completely off guard, the chili powder instantly invaded Song San's eyes.

The intense burning sensation made him let out a pig-like scream, tears and snot gushing out.

His vision turned blood red, and he couldn't see anything.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm from the Black Tiger Gang! If you dare touch me, you'll face retaliation from the Black Tiger Gang!"

Song San flailed his hands wildly in front of his face, cursing furiously, trying to scare away the attacker.

And in the instant Song San completely lost his vision and his mind was in chaos.

A figure approached like a phantom.

"Heh, I'm beating up members of the Black Tiger Gang."

This person was Wang Yuan, who had been lying in wait.

Wang Yuan's eyes were cold, seeing this as a perfect opportunity.

The newly formed Rock-Solid Qi and Blood within him instantly surged.

The terrifying strength granted by Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone rose along his spine and converged in his right fist.

He didn't use any fancy moves.

It was just the simplest, most direct straight punch.

This punch, carrying a heavy force like a boulder, landed fiercely on Song San's unguarded chest.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud, accompanied by a clear bone-cracking sound.

Song San felt an irresistible, immense force hit him.

He felt as if his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer.

Then, he was sent flying backward like a kite with its strings cut.

Finally, he crashed heavily against the dirt wall of the alley and then slid softly to the ground.

"Pfft!"

Song San spat out a large mouthful of blood, which seemed to contain fragments of internal organs.

Agony and fear instantly overwhelmed him.

His survival instinct made him force himself to endure the burning pain in his eyes and the agony of his broken ribs.

He crawled forward on all fours, wanting to escape this terrifying place.

"Spare... spare my life... good sir, spare my life... the money... I'll give you all the money..."

Song San's voice was hoarse, filled with despair.

However, a foot stepped down, precisely landing on his lower back, pressing his body, which had just begun to rise, firmly back onto the cold ground.

The force from the foot rendered him completely immobile, making even breathing difficult.

"Who... who are you... I have no quarrel with you..."

Song San gasped for breath with difficulty.

His heart was filled with confusion and fear; he truly couldn't recall offending such a powerful individual.

He had always bullied the weak and feared the strong. He usually avoided such martial masters from a distance.

How could he have offended someone?

But at this moment, a calm voice with a hint of amusement sounded from above him:

"Yesterday you kept calling me a sickly ghost, what, you don't recognize me today?"

This voice...

Song San's entire body stiffened abruptly, his blood seeming to freeze instantly.

He felt an boundless chill surge from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

"Wang... Wang Yuan? It... it's you!"

His voice was distorted by extreme terror, filled with disbelief.

How was this possible?

Didn't he only join the martial arts academy a few days ago?

How could he possess such strength?

This power, this ruthlessness...

"Correct, unfortunately, no prize."

Wang Yuan said indifferently, applying slight pressure with his foot.

The power of Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone erupted instantly through the sole of his shoe.

"Crack!"

A gratingly crisp sound, Song San's spine was snapped.

His body convulsed violently.

His eyes remained wide with terror, filled with endless regret and unwillingness, and his life instantly ceased.

Wang Yuan leaned down expressionlessly and took the still warm and wine-scented money bag from Song San's embrace.

He lightly weighed it and put it in his own pocket.

He didn't even glance at the gradually cooling corpse on the ground again.

Then, his figure flickered, and he melted into the shadows of the night, disappearing at the end of the alley.

The night wind blew, rolling up a few fallen leaves, covering Song San's unclosed eyes.

All that remained at the scene was a thick smell of blood and the pungent scent of chili powder, slowly dissipating in the dim alley.