The Slaughter System

"Pain! It hurt so much!"

Lin Feng suddenly began coughing, curled up on the cold, damp hay. His body spasmed uncontrollably.

He remembered that he should have already been dead—in another world, in a freak car accident.

Yet when he opened his eyes again, he had become a low-ranking Imperial Brocade Guard in Black Rock City of the Great Qian Dynasty, also named Lin Feng.

In Great Qian, martial strength was supreme. The weak were prey to the strong, and the law was nothing more than a cage drawn for the weak.

And he, this unlucky bastard who had crossed over only a few days ago—

His first assignment had been to secretly investigate the Wang Family, one of the Three Great Families.

Before he had even gotten close, he had fallen into their trap.

He had drunk a farewell toast from a "colleague," been poisoned, and ended up in this wretched state.

The strength in every bone and limb of Lin Feng's body was rapidly being drained, while a chill seeped out through the cracks between his bones.

Just then, someone kicked open the creaking wooden door of the woodshed.

Blinding sunlight, wrapped in dust, poured inside, making Lin Feng narrow his eyes.

Two people stood at the doorway.

The leader was a burly man with a face full of coarse flesh. A saber hung at his waist, and he wore the uniform of the Fierce Tiger Gang. He looked down at Lin Feng with the same disdain one would show a dead dog.

Beside him stood a skinny young man who bowed and scraped, his face covered in ingratiating smiles.

"Well, well, Lieutenant Lin, you're not dead yet?" The burly man bared his yellow-black teeth. His voice was harsh and grating. "You sure are one tough bastard."

Lin Feng recognized him. He was a minor leader of the Fierce Tiger Gang, surnamed Zhao, and often handled dirty, unspeakable tasks for the Wang Family.

He had no strength to speak and merely stared coldly at the other man.

Seeing that he remained silent, Leader Zhao assumed he no longer even had the strength to talk. He grew even more pleased with himself and paced two steps forward, his boots squelching against the filthy ground.

"You're only a Subordinate Seventh Rank lieutenant, a pipsqueak of an official, yet you actually dared investigate the Wang Family? Do you really not know how the word 'death' is written?"

The skinny young man immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Leader Zhao is absolutely right!

"Kid from the Lin Family, you should take a piss and see what kind of virtue you've got. Do you really think someone like you can cross the Wang Family's threshold?"

Lin Feng's throat bobbed. He forced out a faint, hoarse voice. "The Wang Family's dogs... sure bark... loudly."

Leader Zhao's face darkened, the flesh on his cheeks twitching.

"You're still being stubborn with death staring you in the face! This grandpa is in a good mood today, so I came to deliver some news and let you die with your eyes open!"

He leaned closer and lowered his voice, lacing it with malicious mockery.

"The Wang Family's eldest son, Young Master Wang Teng, heard you've got a younger sister. Apparently, she's a real little beauty.

"She's probably almost home by now, right? Young Master Wang said that once he's finished playing with her, he'll let the brothers have a taste too.

"Heh heh. When the time comes, this grandpa might even get a share..."

Buzz—!

It was as if something had exploded inside Lin Feng's mind.

His younger sister... That timid little girl from his memories, who always followed behind him and called him "Big Brother"?

A fury far more violent than the poison in his body instantly smashed through the remnants of his reason, burning his eyes blood-red!

"Beasts!" he roared. Somehow finding a burst of strength, he tried to prop himself up, but the movement stirred the poison. He spat out another mouthful of black blood and crashed heavily back into the hay.

Leader Zhao was delighted by his reaction and burst into laughter. "That's it! That's the spirit! Just wait for death!" He spat on the ground. "Once you're dead, won't your sister be ours to do with as we please?"

"I... even as a ghost... I won't let you off!" Lin Feng's eyes bulged with rage, and his fingernails dug deep into the straw mat beneath him. Mud mixed with blood was driven into the gaps between his fingers.

"A ghost?" Leader Zhao let out a sinister laugh, his patience finally exhausted. "I'll send you to meet the King of Hell right now! Get him—kill him!"

The skinny young man answered and drew a short dagger from his waist. With a cruel smile on his face, he advanced toward Lin Feng step by step.

"Lieutenant Lin, don't blame your brother for being ruthless. Who told you to be so blind?"

Lin Feng's entire body was wracked with pain, and his vision grew even blurrier. The icy touch of death had already crawled up his spine.

He watched the cold blade approach, his heart filled with unwillingness and towering hatred.

Just as the dagger's tip was about to pierce his chest—

Ding! Detected the host's intense will to survive and killing obsession. Binding conditions met...

The Slaughter System is binding... 1%... 50%... 100%... Binding successful!

A cold, emotionless mechanical voice abruptly rang out deep within his mind.

This system exists to assist the host in becoming stronger through slaughter. Killing enemies grants Slaughter Points. Slaughter Points can be used to infinitely increase the progress of martial arts and techniques.

Newbie benefit: While the host is in a near-death state, a portion of physical damage will be repaired free of charge, and a portion of the poison will be removed.

A weak but distinct current of heat suddenly welled up from deep within his dantian and rapidly coursed through every limb and bone.

Although it failed to eradicate the poison, the bone-gnawing pain actually eased a little, and his previously limp arm recovered a sliver of strength!

The skinny young man's dagger had already stabbed toward his chest!

With life and death hanging by a thread, the combat instinct accumulated by his original body as a lieutenant of the Imperial Brocade Guard was awakened.

Lin Feng almost instinctively rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding his vital organs. The dagger scraped across his ribs, leaving behind a trail of blood.

At the same time, the five fingers of his right hand curled like hooks. Gathering that tiny bit of restored strength, he used the technique his original body knew best—Eagle Claw Skill—and fiercely seized the opponent's dagger-wielding wrist!

"Crack!"

The skinny young man had never expected a dying man to still be capable of counterattacking. Caught off guard, his wrist bone was crushed outright by Lin Feng's desperate claw!

He let out a shrill scream, and the dagger clattered to the ground.

Lin Feng pressed his advantage. With a forceful yank, he sent the screaming youth stumbling, then drove his left elbow forward with every ounce of strength he possessed, smashing it into the opponent's throat!

"Urgh!" The skinny young man's scream cut off abruptly. His eyes bulged as he clutched his throat and collapsed limply. His body spasmed twice before falling silent.

Killed one enemy. Obtained Slaughter Points: 0.05.

The cold notification sounded again.

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.

The sinister grin had not yet faded from Leader Zhao's face when he saw his subordinate's death. Shock and fury immediately twisted his features. "You little bastard! How dare you kill my man!"

He roared and drew the long saber at his waist with a clang, then charged forward murderously.

Lin Feng gasped for breath. The tiny current of heat inside him was fading, while the weakness brought by the poison and severe injuries surged back.

Facing Leader Zhao as he charged with saber in hand, he had virtually no chance of winning.

But at that moment, a translucent interface appeared before his eyes:

Host: Lin Feng

Realm: Martial Artist (Severely Injured/Poisoned)

Martial Art: Eagle Claw Skill (Not Yet Initiated, Progress: 50%)

Slaughter Points: 0.05

A new line of notification flashed into view:

The current martial art "Eagle Claw Skill" can be upgraded. Required: 0.05 Slaughter Points. Upgrade?

Upgrade?

Leader Zhao's blade had already cleaved down before him with a howling rush of wind, his ferocious face close at hand.

A ruthless, resolute light flashed through Lin Feng's eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, he blurted out:

"Upgrade!"