Prudence

"Phew!"

Baili Qingfeng reached out and braced himself against the wall, breathing slightly heavily.

Eddie...

As expected of an elite warrior who had followed General Melbourne for decades and seen countless battles, his cultivation and strength were superior to any opponent Baili Qingfeng had ever encountered.

At the very least, Francolin, Hong Lie, and Jiang Ziheng were clearly a level below him.

As for martial artists on the level of Jiang's Three Heroes, Eddie could probably take on ten of them at once.

Although he had killed Eddie in an extremely short time, the price he had paid was far from small.

In other words...

His injuries were severe.

"Hiss!"

Feeling the stabbing pain radiating from every inch of his body, Baili Qingfeng's face gradually paled. A trace of cold sweat even began to seep from his forehead.

"No... My injuries are too serious. The last time I dealt with that assassin named Francolin, I did use the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art, but I couldn't be said to have gone all out. But this time... this was a true, total release! If someone else had suffered injuries like these, they would probably have called an ambulance by now, and there'd be a very good chance they wouldn't survive the trip. Even with my special constitution..."

Baili Qingfeng finally could not remain standing. He sat down nearby and breathed lightly.

"Even with my special constitution, I still need to sit and rest for an hour before I can recover."

That was thanks to the fact that his constitution had broken through somewhat recently.

If it had been before...

He would have needed at least three hours.

"These famous martial artists are all tough opponents. Eddie wasn't as strong as me. Especially after I used the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art, his strength and speed were a level below mine. But that bizarre secret technique made his arm grow three inches longer, and he nearly turned the tables. If I hadn't outplayed him, this battle would have been... difficult. From now on, whenever I encounter martial artists like these, I must be careful—careful beyond careful, cautious—cautious beyond cautious!"

Baili Qingfeng's expression was solemn.

This battle had made him recognize the gap between himself and those veteran martial artists.

It was not a gap in strength, but a gap in combat experience, combat awareness, and mastery of secret techniques.

The next time he encountered an opponent like this...

He had to be faster, stronger, and braver!

Fast enough to leave his combat experience no room to come into play, strong enough to make his fighting spirit collapse, and brave enough to reduce any secret technique to a paper tiger!

In other words, he had to unleash his full state, clash head-on, stake his life, and kill with a single blow!

"The Rushing Thunder Thirty-Six Forms is only a Body Refining Method. It strengthens the physique and boosts Qi and Blood. I still need a true Body Refining Technique, one that enhances my defense and endurance. Only then can it complement my constitution and bring out the best in both."

Baili Qingfeng understood his constitution very well.

Its recovery effect did not depend on complexity, but on severity.

A needle piercing the brain and a needle piercing the arm required the same amount of time to recover from.

Thus, minor injuries such as pulled muscles, severed nerves, and torn internal organs were nothing worth mentioning. Fractures, severed hands, and severed feet, on the other hand, were extremely troublesome. They often took one or two days, or even three or four, to heal.

The battlefield Eddie had chosen was an abandoned construction site. Normally, no one came here, and now that it was night, even fewer people would appear.

Baili Qingfeng sat quietly there.

Only after resting for nearly an hour did he stand up again.

The aftereffects of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art had already vanished, and his broken ribs had grown back. It was just that...

They hurt a little.

"These martial artists... they're all monsters. They break people's bones at the drop of a hat... Two of the ribs in my chest were broken. They won't fully heal until tomorrow night... But..."

Baili Qingfeng's expression grew grave.

Another person had come with Eddie: Et. Under his father Eddie's guidance and training, Et was also an expert. He might not have reached Eddie's level, but he was no weakling either. If Baili Qingfeng went home to sleep and nurse his injuries now, Et, upon learning of his father's death, would surely fly into a violent rage. Given the viciousness of father and son, he might rush to Wuhe City at the first opportunity and storm into Baili Qingfeng's home to slaughter everyone. By then...

It would be too late for regrets.

Therefore...

Even with his serious injuries, he had to finish today's business today.

Even if it might worsen his injuries, he would not hesitate.

"After getting out of the car, Eddie sent the driver away, which shows that he lived somewhere nearby. There aren't many cars in Xia City. If I follow the road and find the car, I'll be able to find Eddie's home, then trace the clues to Et."

Baili Qingfeng left the construction site.

As he was leaving, he seemed to sense something and glanced in a certain direction.

He looked himself over and found nothing unusual, then withdrew his gaze. After recalling the direction in which the vehicle had driven away, he followed it.

After Baili Qingfeng left, two people stepped out of the shadows.

They were Su Wei and Gude, who had crossed paths with Baili Qingfeng not long ago and had just finished dinner before coming out for a stroll.

"Was that Baili Qingfeng? It seemed like he saw us."

"Baili Qingfeng? What was that kid doing skulking around in this abandoned construction site? Anyone could tell he wasn't up to any good."

Su Wei's face was filled with hostility as resentment churned in his heart.

"Actually, Su Wei, it won't be easy for you to make a move on that woman Gu Lingying. Nicole told me that although she's usually very low-key, everything she uses in daily life is top-of-the-line. Besides, she's an international student. Nothing can come of things between you two."

Gude spoke.

"Come of things? Heh! What do I need that for? You don't really think I'm pursuing her because I want to marry her someday, do you? I just want to get her into bed."

As Su Wei spoke, his eyes turned sinister. "Today's matter didn't have much to do with that kid, but I'm still pissed off. One of these days, I'll contact a few people and give that kid a good beating to vent my anger!"

"Su Wei, don't do anything reckless. It was just a minor matter. There's no need to go that far."

Gude frowned unhappily.

"Relax. I know what I'm doing. According to what your cousin said, that kid is definitely a coward. I'll have some people beat him up, then scare him a little. If he dares to call the police, we'll kill his entire family. He'll definitely swallow the matter obediently and won't dare make a fuss."

Su Wei spoke casually.

He knew several guys who ran with the gangs, and he had done something like this once before. It was nothing more than treating those friends to a good meal and spending a little money.

In this world, as long as you had money, there was nothing you couldn't settle.

Gude frowned. He was just about to say something when he suddenly sniffed. "It smells like... blood!?"

"Blood? Where's that coming from?"

"My nose has been sharp since I was little. I can't be mistaken. It's over there..."

"That construction site? Baili Qingfeng just came out of there..."

As Su Wei spoke, his eyes lit up. "Could that kid have done something bad? Come on, let's go take a look!"

"Su Wei, don't meddle in other people's business..."

Gude tried to stop him, but Su Wei had already strode forward. Before long, he was heading toward the source of the bloody smell.

At once, Eddie, covered in blood and collapsed beside the wall, appeared in their field of vision.

The moment they saw Eddie, Gude and Su Wei both drew a sharp breath.

"D-dead... He's dead..."

"A dead man!?"

Although it was still early, night had already fallen. On top of that, this was a remote, quiet, abandoned construction site. For a dead man to appear in a place like this...

The two young men, who were ultimately only students, were so frightened that their faces turned white.

"Could... could this person have been killed by Baili Qingfeng?"

Looking at Eddie in the pool of blood, Su Wei, who had earlier been loudly insisting that money could solve anything, began to stammer.

He had beaten people before, that was true, but those had merely been fights between young men.

But this was...

A dead man!

A real dead man!

Gude's face was equally pale. After standing there shivering with fear for a moment, he grabbed Su Wei and left without hesitation. "Let's go. We're leaving. Don't tell anyone about this! Don't let anyone know we were here!"