Do It Or Don't Do It At All!

Although Chen He himself had practiced martial arts, he hadn't become a martial artist yet, and his age was a factor. His combat power wasn't high, and after Wang Wu's wild saber slashes, he was already wounded.

Finally, Wang Wu stomped on Chen He, pinning him to the ground and rendering him immobile. Chen He watched helplessly as Wang Wu's saber was about to slice his throat, and he cried out for help with all his might.

Wang Wu, meanwhile, had seen his elder brother killed and was stunned, his heart filled with terror.

How could this be?

Brother Li Wei was a martial artist close to the Bronze Skin realm, and he was killed by an old hunter?

In Wang Wu's eyes, Xie An was no longer a hunter but a terrifying killer demon.

Just then, Xie An had already drawn his bowstring taut, nocked an arrow, and aimed at Wang Wu's head, saying fiercely, "Let him go."

Wang Wu, targeted by the arrow, felt a chill run down his spine. He knew he absolutely couldn't let Chen He go; without this hostage, he'd be a sitting duck. He didn't move the broad saber he had placed at Chen He's neck. He still wanted to drag Chen He in front of him to block the arrow.

"Don't move, or I'll shoot your head off!"

Xie An threatened fiercely.

In reality, Xie An did have a shot at Wang Wu, but he wasn't confident in his archery skills and worried about hitting the wrong person. He could only resort to a bluff.

Wang Wu didn't know about Xie An's poor archery and dared not gamble. He froze, enduring the pressure, and said fiercely, "Then let's see if your arrow is faster or my saber is. If you shoot me, your friend won't survive either."

Both sides were in a stalemate.

The autumn wind swept through the forest, and birds cried out. Moonlight streamed down from the sky. Despite it being late autumn and below freezing, both sides were sweating profusely, tense beyond measure.

Wang Wu was actually the most nervous; a single mistake would get him killed. Xie An, on the other hand, was fine, as he wouldn't be the one dying.

Chen He and he had a good relationship, and Chen He had even offered ten taels of silver to help him out earlier, showing he was someone worth befriending.

But if it truly came down to choosing one, Xie An would prioritize himself.

If there was a chance to save Chen He, Xie An would still try his best.

Why? Simply because Xie An believed that a person should have a conscience.

After a quarter of an hour, Xie An, who had been holding his bowstring taut, felt the strain. He knew that continuing the stalemate was not an option.

"Wang Wu, is it? Actually, we just want to survive. There's no need for this life-or-death struggle. How about this: we both put down our weapons simultaneously, and you seize the chance to escape. What do you say?"

Wang Wu flatly refused, "I can do that, but you have to throw your bow far away. Otherwise, you can just pick it up and shoot me before I get far."

Xie An glanced at Chen He, whose life hung by a thread, and finally decided to give it a try. "Alright."

Wang Wu thought about it and felt it was feasible, but he was still uneasy. "You must throw the bow and arrow far away."

Xie An said, "I'll throw the bow and arrow ten zhang away. At this distance, even if I change my mind later and run to pick up the bow, you'll have enough time to disappear into the forest and escape. If I throw it too far, you'll have time to take Chen He, the hostage, with you."

Wang Wu began to calculate.

For him, taking Chen He as a hostage and leaving was undoubtedly the safest option, as it would prevent Xie An from acting rashly.

However, the old man opposite him was meticulous and had cut off that idea.

He then considered that if Xie An truly threw the bow and arrow ten zhang away, even if Xie An ran to retrieve them, it would take at least five to six breaths. That would indeed be enough time for him to dart into the roadside forest and escape.

Moreover, if Xie An really discarded his bow and arrow, Wang Wu would undoubtedly be in a more advantageous position. He could easily kill Chen He with a single saber strike before fleeing.

Xie An had also considered this, but there was nothing he could do... The party initiating the rescue would always be at a disadvantage. This risk had to be taken.

Furthermore, if Xie An's strength were sufficient, he could have easily subdued Li Wei just now and used him as a hostage for an exchange. But it was clear that Li Wei was powerful; it was already good enough that he could kill him. Subduing him would have been too difficult and risky.

After weighing the options, Wang Wu finally agreed. "Fine."

Xie An said, "I'll count to three. I'll throw the bow and arrow, and you throw your saber. If you dare to cheat or harm my friend, I won't let you off!"

"Don't worry, I just want to survive."

Xie An began to count.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

As soon as the count ended, Xie An, half a beat late, threw his bow and arrow ten zhang to his left. Wang Wu, half a beat later, threw his saber three zhang away and plunged into the forest without looking back.

He ran wildly through the woods, letting out terrified screams.

After running two to three li, Wang Wu found no one around and finally stopped to catch his breath. "This old hunter is really troublesome. Fortunately, I survived. But that other old man announced his affiliation. Wuqiao Town, Chen Martial Arts School... Hmph, just you wait, Giant Whale Gang will come for you. Li Wei was the illegitimate son of the gang leader's mistress. You people can't escape..."

Suddenly, Wang Wu felt a chill.

Whoosh.

A sharp arrow whistled through the air, shooting out from the thorns ahead. By the time Wang Wu heard the sound, he tried to dodge, but it was too late. The arrow pierced his heart.

"Gah... gah..."

Wang Wu saw the arrow piercing his chest, and he struggled to look up. He saw Xie An emerging from the thorns. "You, how did you catch up..."

"Forgot to tell you, my speed is more than twice yours..."

Wang Wu stared with wide, unwilling eyes.

This old man actually held back...

Xie An stopped six meters away from Wang Wu, not getting any closer.

Although Wang Wu was heavily injured, he still had the potential to struggle in his dying moments. Xie An didn't want to take any risks, so he slowly drew his heavy bow, nocked an arrow, and took aim.

Wang Wu was terrified. "Master, please, be merciful and let me go. I have money, I'll give it all to you..."

"If you do something, do it thoroughly!"

Xie An's expression was cold and devoid of emotion as he abruptly released the bowstring.

Twang!

The arrow whistled through the air, shattering Wang Wu's head with a resounding impact.

Brain matter splattered everywhere; he was deader than dead.

Hoo!

Only then did Xie An let out a sigh of relief.

This was his second time killing someone, and he was gradually getting used to the rhythm. He didn't feel any emotional turmoil.

He slung the heavy bow over his shoulder, then walked to Wang Wu's front and rummaged through his belongings.

Ten taels of silver.

He then found a mountain gully, threw Wang Wu's body into it, and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, after Chen He narrowly escaped death, he sat slumped by the roadside in a daze for a long time before he could compose himself. Then, as Xie An had instructed, he dragged the bodies of Li Wei and A San into the woods by the roadside, dug a large pit with a metal tool, and buried them.

After finishing, Chen He was utterly exhausted and sat on the ground, gasping for air. Holding the thirty taels of silver he'd taken from the two men, he still felt a chill of fear remembering the events.

The scene of Xie An killing people kept replaying in his mind.

His cunning mind, his seamless movements, every step meticulously planned... he was just like an old hunter!

"Old Xie's transformation lately has been too drastic. If it weren't for him, I would be dead by now."

Lost in thought, Chen He heard footsteps behind him. He turned and saw Xie An emerging from the woods, his heavy bow slung over his shoulder. He still looked like the same harmless, elderly man.

But Chen He knew this old man was no longer the same person.

Fortunately, he had trained in martial arts himself, so he wasn't so terrified that he lost his wits. He quickly approached Xie An and asked, "Did you catch up to Wang Wu?"

Xie An nodded. "Mm, he's dead."

Hoo!

Chen He finally let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you're fast, Brother Xie. If we had let him escape, he would have known my family's address. The Chen family would have been in danger. Brother Xie, you not only saved my life this time, but you also saved the entire Chen family. I don't know how to repay you, my brother."

As Chen He spoke, he prepared to kneel and express his gratitude, but Xie An quickly helped him up. "Old Chen, please don't do that. You revealed your identity earlier to help me out of a tight spot. We're even now. However, this matter shouldn't be publicized."

"I understand. Let's hurry back to town."

The two men, driving their cart, hurried back towards Wuqiao Town.

During the journey, Chen He gave Xie An the thirty taels he'd gotten from searching the bodies. Xie An accepted it without hesitation.

Gained 250 from scavenging, and 40 from killing the bandits. A total fortune of 290 taels...

Now he had the funds for Bear Heart.

This was a profitable venture!