The Art of One-Slash Kills

Ever since he had taken Huang Fugui on as his underling, Lin Feng's life had become incredibly comfortable.

Huang Fugui, this "intelligence agent," was practically the model of dedication. He treated all of Qingyang County as his own backyard, working around the clock through all twelve double-hours. From trivial gossip to the movements of every walk of life, there was nothing he did not know.

That day, Lin Feng was leisurely poking a hundred-pound training stone in the martial arts field behind the County Office with one finger, sending stone chips flying everywhere.

There was no helping it. His strength had increased too quickly, leaving him nowhere to vent all the power in his body. He always felt as though he had too much energy.

Yet in the eyes of the other constables, his lazy appearance had become the bearing of an unfathomable master.

Just then, Huang Fugui's shrill, fawning voice rang out in his mind again.

"Master! Master! Something huge has happened!"

Lin Feng's finger paused, leaving a deep hole in the hard bluestone.

"Speak."

"Master, do you remember the Black Tiger Gang's rotten plan to pull the rug out from under the pot two days ago?"

Huang Fugui's tone was full of contempt.

"They really did gather those famous habitual thieves together. The leader is called Ghost Hand Zhang San. They say his lightness skill is extraordinary, and that with those hands of his, he can silently steal anything from anyone's body. They call him the King of Thieves!"

"And then?"

Lin Feng grew somewhat interested.

"Then those idiots pulled off a huge job last night!"

Huang Fugui's voice became excited. "They... they robbed Chief Constable Li Gang's home!"

Lin Feng: "..."

He was stunned for several seconds before he processed it.

"Li Gang's house was robbed?"

"Yeah! They turned the place upside down!"

Huang Fugui said gleefully, "They say Constable Li got up this morning and found that even his underwear had been swiped. He was so angry that he immediately performed a set of Mad Dog Fists!"

Lin Feng was thoroughly amused.

What was this?

A flood washing into the Dragon King's temple?

Their own people beating their own people?

The Black Tiger Gang's intelligence was truly worrying.

Li Gang had told them to make trouble for him, yet they had instead precisely stabbed their own ally in the back first.

Sure enough, not long afterward, a constable rushed over to inform them that Chief Constable Li had an important case to discuss and requested all constables to gather in the main hall.

When Lin Feng arrived at the main hall, he saw Li Gang sitting in the chief constable's seat with a face as dark as iron, the fury in his eyes nearly bursting forth.

When Li Gang saw Lin Feng, his gaze instinctively flickered away. Then he forced himself to put on an imposing expression.

"Cough, cough!"

Li Gang cleared his throat and said hoarsely, "I'm sure everyone has heard. Last night, an extremely vile home burglary occurred in the city! The thieves were utterly audacious and lawless, daring to extend their filthy hands into this chief constable's residence! This is a naked provocation against our entire Qingyang County Office!"

He slammed the table, making even the teacups jump.

"This case must be investigated! Thoroughly investigated!"

The constables below all lowered their heads. They wanted to laugh but did not dare, their faces flushed red from holding it in.

Who did not know that Chief Constable Li and the Black Tiger Gang wore the same pair of trousers?

These thieves were probably hired by the Black Tiger Gang.

Now they had stolen from your own head. Let's see what you do.

Li Gang swept his gaze across the room before finally settling on Lin Feng. A nearly imperceptible viciousness flashed through his eyes.

Of course, he knew the Black Tiger Gang had done this. Afterward, Wang Ba had already sent someone to explain and apologize, saying his men had been ignorant and robbed the wrong place.

But Li Gang's rage could not be calmed!

What made him even more stifled was that he could not say any of this openly!

He could hardly tell others that he had colluded with a gang, only to be robbed by the gang's own underlings, could he?

Therefore, this case had to be solved! And someone else had to solve it!

And the best candidate was undoubtedly Lin Feng!

First, Lin Feng was strong and famous. Sending him to investigate would be perfectly reasonable.

Second, these thieves were desperadoes hired by the Black Tiger Gang, each one highly skilled. Ghost Hand Zhang San in particular was exceptionally cunning.

Letting Lin Feng deal with them would be the perfect way to kill with a borrowed knife and make dogs bite dogs!

Even if they could not kill Lin Feng, making him suffer a major loss would still let Li Gang vent some of his anger!

"Lin Feng!"

Li Gang called his name.

"Present."

Lin Feng stepped forward.

"This case carries extraordinary consequences."

Li Gang said righteously, "You are the foremost demon-slayer of the County Office. Dealing with such petty scum should be as easy as reaching into a bag and taking something out. This chief constable now orders you to bring this band of audacious criminals to justice within three days! Can you do it?"

This was another open scheme.

If he accepted, he would have to clash head-on with a group of vicious habitual criminals.

If he refused, it would be defying orders, giving Li Gang the perfect excuse to suppress him.

The surrounding constables looked at Lin Feng sympathetically, believing their chief had started putting obstacles in Lin Feng's path again.

However, Lin Feng's reaction once again exceeded everyone's expectations.

"No need for three days."

Lin Feng spoke calmly.

Li Gang froze. "What do you mean?"

The corners of Lin Feng's mouth rose slightly, revealing a confident smile. "I mean, dealing with this kind of trash does not take that long."

"Half a day is enough."

"Before sunset today, I will return to report."

With that, Lin Feng turned and left, leaving the hall full of dumbstruck constables and Li Gang, whose face shifted from green to purple, then from purple to black.

Too arrogant!

This brat simply did not put anyone in his eyes!

Li Gang trembled with rage, yet sneered inwardly.

"Fine! Fine! Fine! I'd like to see how you bring back their heads today! Ghost Hand Zhang San is no brainless monster like a Zombie or a Water Ghost!"

"Huang Fugui, do you know where their hideout is?"

"Master, just watch!"

Huang Fugui's voice was incomparably excited. "Those stupid thieves thought they were clever. After stealing the goods, they did not leave the city. Instead, they hid in Widow's Alley in the eastern part of town. That place is a mixed bag where people from all walks of life gather, the perfect den for filth and corruption. Right now, they're fencing the loot and dividing the money at the Red Sleeve Brothel, at the deepest end of the alley!"

Killing intent flashed through Lin Feng's eyes.

He liked enemies gathered together like this the most. It saved him the trouble of looking for them one by one and made it convenient to wipe them out in one sweep.

Widow's Alley.

This was one of the most chaotic areas in Qingyang County, no less disorderly than the south side of the city.

The narrow alleyways were packed with gambling dens, brothels, and every kind of shady business.

Dressed in his constable's uniform, Lin Feng held his saber and strode inside.

His reputation as a "fierce man" had long spread throughout Qingyang County's underworld.

The moment he appeared, the entire alley fell silent. Everyone stared at him in terror and hurriedly kept their distance.

Lin Feng arrived unimpeded at the entrance of the Red Sleeve Brothel.

Seeing him, the two burly men guarding the establishment forced themselves forward, squeezing out smiles uglier than crying.

"Lin... Lord Lin, you... you are here to...?"

"Scram."

Lin Feng said only one word.

The two burly men felt as though they had received a pardon. They scrambled away on hands and knees.

Lin Feng kicked open the brothel's doors and walked inside.

The madam and a group of beautifully dressed girls screamed in fright, huddling together and trembling.

Lin Feng ignored them and went straight up to the second floor.

Guided by Huang Fugui, he quickly arrived outside the innermost private room.

Noisy laughter and arguments over dividing money came from within.

"Stop arguing! This time, we robbed that skinflint Li's home and made a rich haul. Everyone gets a share!"

A hoarse voice spoke. It belonged to Ghost Hand Zhang San.

"Hahaha, Big Brother is right! That skinflint Li struts around and throws his weight about every day. Who would have thought he had hidden so many good things in his house?"

"I say Gang Leader Wang of the Black Tiger Gang really has vision, hiring us to deal with that constable surnamed Lin! Once we divide the money, we'll pay that brat's home a visit too!"

"Exactly!"

Just then, the private room's door was violently kicked open from outside, exploding in a shower of wood splinters.

The seven or eight burly men inside were startled and all turned to look.

There, in the doorway, stood Lin Feng with one hand resting on his saber hilt, backlit from behind. His expression was as cold as ice that had never melted for ten thousand years.

"Are you looking for me?"

"Lin... Lin Feng!"

Ghost Hand Zhang San's pupils contracted. He had never dreamed that the other party would find them so quickly!

"Brothers, get him together! He's alone! Hack him down!"

Zhang San reacted swiftly. With a sharp shout, he pulled a pair of Water-Splitting Daggers from his waist. His body flickered, and like a wisp of green smoke, he was the first to pounce at Lin Feng.

His lightness skill truly was impressive. His movements were elusive and unpredictable, impossible to track.

The other habitual thieves were all desperadoes as well. They grabbed their weapons and charged forward with strange cries.

Facing the siege of seven or eight men, Lin Feng's face showed not the slightest ripple.

He merely slowly drew his saber.

[3.5x Critical Strike Triggered!]

Whoosh!

There was no earth-shattering technique, nor any dazzling special effect.

There was only a saber flash, swift to the extreme and cold to the extreme.

That saber flash seemed not to have come from the human world, but from the Nine Nether Hells, carrying the resolute will to reap all life.

The saber flash vanished in an instant.

Lin Feng had already appeared behind Zhang San and the others, slowly sheathing his saber.

The entire room instantly sank into deathly silence.

The seven or eight habitual thieves who had been charging forward all froze in place, maintaining all manner of lunging poses. They did not move at all, as though they had been struck by a immobilizing spell.

"Gurururu..."

The next moment, seven or eight fine heads rolled neatly from their necks, falling to the floor and bouncing several times.

Blood, like belated fountains, gushed wildly from the seven or eight headless bodies, instantly staining the entire room red.

One slash, total annihilation!

They had not even had time to let out a single scream!

This was Lin Feng's art of one-slash kills.

[Ding! Successfully slain eight utterly wicked villains!]

[Critical Strike Multiplier increased to 4x! Obtained 400 Crit Points!]

Lin Feng did not even look at the corpses on the ground. Calmly, he untied a rope from his waist, threaded the eight heads with their eyes still wide open one by one, carried them in his hand, and turned to go downstairs.

Downstairs, the madam and the girls had long since been scared out of their wits, each one pale as paper.

When they saw Lin Feng descending from upstairs carrying a long string of dripping heads, they finally could not bear the horrifying shock any longer. With a collective cry, they all fainted.

Lin Feng walked out of the Red Sleeve Brothel, ignoring every terrified and horrified gaze in Widow's Alley as he carried the heads toward the County Office.

At this point, less than one double-hour had passed since he left the County Office.

The afterglow of the setting sun stretched his shadow longer and longer.