Zhou Qiming snapped the necks of the remaining men one by one, showing not the slightest mercy.
In his eyes, Xu Hailai and Zhang Tie had gone to the Luoshan Army's front line, which meant they were temporarily safe. This was the sorrow of lacking strength: anyone could bully and manipulate you at will. The weak had no room to choose and could only drift with the current, helpless to control their own fate.
"I'm still not strong enough. I have to keep training hard and gather better cultivation techniques and better Precious Medicines. Once I grow stronger, no one will dare provoke me!"
Zhou Qiming clenched his fists, feeling a growing sense of urgency. Even the Luoshan Army concealed darkness within its ranks. In this world, there was no longer any haven untouched by the storm. He could only rely on himself, struggling forward—saving himself first, then saving all living things.
He had just reached the Small Courtyard gifted by the Cheng Family when he heard a familiar voice.
"It's the two brothers Wu Wen." He hurriedly stopped and eavesdropped from a corner.
"Second Uncle, I never thought you'd be among those appointed this time. I nearly never got to see you again." The two brothers embraced their second uncle, Wu Hui, and complained bitterly.
"Stop crying. Bandit troubles are breaking out everywhere, and Jinshui Town is also going to be built into a fortified stockade by Lord Jiang. There's plenty of profit and opportunity to be found here, so you must seize it."
Wu Hui stood before the artificial hill and offered them a few words of guidance.
"It's just a pity that Zhou Qiming ran so fast. Back then, relying on Old Xu's favor, he made us suffer such humiliation. He'd better not fall into our hands!"
Wu Wen and Wu Wu clenched their fists, jealousy and resentment burning in their eyes.
Wu Hui frowned and sneered arrogantly. "Don't lower yourselves to the level of ants. Once you enter the Luoshan Army, you'll have whatever you want. Still, that boy really knows how to enjoy himself, living alone in such a large courtyard."
Suddenly, a cold voice shattered the atmosphere and left the air deathly still.
"Were you looking for me?" Zhou Qiming's eyes gleamed coldly as he stepped out from the shadows in the corner.
"What? Why are you here?" Wu Wen cried out in shock, sensing that something was wrong.
Wu Wu was stunned for a second, then broke into a mocking grin. "There was a road to heaven, but you refused to take it. You even dared to come back. You don't know, do you? That old fool Xu Hailai had his leg bones broken by our own hands, then was thrown into a prisoner transport cart. By now, he's probably gone to the front line to chop firewood and cook."
"You can go keep him company too. A chef's skills shouldn't be wasted!" Wu Wen also regained his composure and eagerly prepared to make his move.
This was the territory of their Luoshan Army. Zhou Qiming was alone and had no way to escape.
"You're Zhou Qiming? You have some courage. Why not come work under me? Once I'm promoted to Centurion..."
Wu Hui immediately saw that his opponent possessed Body Tempering strength and was definitely not as simple as the chef he appeared to be.
But before a Tendon Transformation leader like Jiang Baichuan, any attempt at resistance was nothing but a joke.
What a pity. This boy had already escaped alive, yet had returned to rescue Xu Hailai. He was certainly a man of loyalty.
"In your next life."
Zhou Qiming shook his head coldly. Under the astonished gazes of the two brothers, he seized Wu Hui by the throat with one hand.
"A Tendon Transformation Martial Artist? How—how is this possible? Don't kill me! Commander Jiang won't let you off..."
Wu Hui kicked and struggled desperately, but it was all futile. Both his life and his legs rose from the ground, leaving this world like the dead spirits at the town gate.
"You—you aren't Zhou Qiming!"
Wu Wen and Wu Wu instantly dropped to their knees, so frightened that they lost control of their bowels. In their minds, Zhou Qiming was merely a chef who clocked in and worked on schedule. How could he possess such strange and terrifying strength?
Among the four great stages of Body Tempering, a force at the Tendon Transformation level was the absolute ceiling of this town. Yet such power had actually become bound to a fifteen-year-old boy. It made their scalps crawl.
"Summer insects cannot speak of ice. After you die, you'll have plenty of time to think it through."
Zhou Qiming shook his head, too lazy to bother with these ants. If they wanted someone to blame, they could blame themselves for being pitifully weak yet insisting on provoking an enemy they could never afford to offend.
Thud!
The two heads smashed together, and the bodies collapsed into a pool of blood.
The construction of Jinshui Great Stockade was proceeding in full swing under the soldiers' efforts. It had already begun to take on the scale of a defensive stronghold and was worlds apart from the little town it had once been.
"Who goes there!"
Inside the Main Military Tent, Jiang Baichuan, who had been resting, shot to his feet and drew the precious sword at his waist.
He had been checking the accounts seized from the Jinsha Gang when he keenly sensed danger, as though he had been targeted by a demon or ferocious beast. A needle-sharp sense of crisis pricked at him.
Zhou Qiming entered with the Mountain-Weight Saber strapped to his back.
"You're the Myriad Commander Jiang?"
"Are you one of the Sky Shaker Bandits? To break into my camp alone—what tremendous ability. Which of the Five Great Heavenly Generals are you? Jiang does not kill nameless men beneath his saber."
Before he had even finished speaking, Zhou Qiming's figure vanished from where he stood.
The Mountain-Weight Saber weighed several hundred pounds, but in Zhou Qiming's hands, it was as light as a feather. His twice-Limit-Breaking Woodcutting Saber Technique was swift as lightning.
With the long saber in hand, Brute Force combined with the Body Piercing attribute. This strike represented the ultimate fusion of power and speed.
"I—I'm dead?"
Jiang Baichuan felt his entire body soar into the air. But when he looked down, he saw his body still charging forward—while his head had already spurted blood and flown away.
"So—so strong. Why did you kill me..." Jiang Baichuan died with his eyes wide open.
"Your subordinate Wu Hui threatened me. I hate sleeping uneasily, so I had no choice but to come send you on your way."
Jiang Baichuan: "..."
Zhou Qiming hurriedly searched the corpse and stripped it of anything valuable, showing not the slightest attachment before immediately vanishing from the tent.
The turmoil in Jinshui Town had finally settled completely. He could now safely head to the County Town.
"This world is too dangerous. I have several more lives on my hands now."
Zhou Qiming shook his head. If he did not kill others, others would kill him, so he felt no psychological burden whatsoever. This time was different, however. He had actually provoked the troublemaker known as the Luoshan Army.
But the county magistrate's deputy would not be able to trace it back to him. At most, they would attribute the grudge to a surprise attack by the Sky Shaker Bandits. Even if the truth came to light, by then Zhou Qiming's strength would have long since changed beyond recognition. How many people would still dare to move against him?
Zhou Qiming wrapped up the three thousand taels of silver he had taken and hurried through the night toward Luoshan County.
Behind him, Jinshui Stockade descended into chaos.
"My heavens, why is Commander Jiang's head hanging from the flagpole too?"
"Could the Hantian Army have come? Damn it!"
"Quick, go report this to the county! We're in trouble now!"
The soldiers trembled in terror, utterly at a loss. And none of this had anything to do with Zhou Qiming anymore.
Five days later, Zhou Qiming had rented a quiet courtyard in the Outer City of Luoshan County. During those days, he had consolidated his strength, and his Root Bone Value had also been replenished and restored.
His cultivation of the Evergreen Skill had made progress as well. Everything was developing in a favorable direction.
The incident in Jinshui Town had not caused too great a disturbance either. The county magistrate's deputy had pinned the matter on the Sky Shaker Bandits, claiming that King Chaotian had massacred the town and killed Jiang Baichuan to establish his might. By the time reinforcements from the Luoshan Army arrived, the bandits had already fled.
At least, that was what the public announcement claimed. Seeing this, Zhou Qiming felt reassured and prepared to register with Hero's Tower.
"Kid, are you here to eat or challenge the trials?"
Two guards stopped Zhou Qiming outside Hero's Tower.
According to the rules, Hero's Tower was where the Heavenly Prodigies from the several counties under the commandery could make a name for themselves. Experts who made it onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking could eat and drink for free on the top floor.
But if they were merely idlers here to watch the excitement, they could only obediently pay the entrance fee and enjoy a meal on the first floor.
"Challenge the trials?" Zhou Qiming frowned. He had not expected Hero's Tower to be such a place, and naturally had never heard of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
"I'm here to see the tower master." Zhou Qiming got straight to the point and took out the letter of introduction Xu Hailai had given him.
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