The Twenty-Eighth Chapter: White Jade Savage Bone Paste, a Night of High Winds and Black Skies, a Night for Murder!

A figure soared over a high wall like a startled bird and landed without a sound. Su Mu watched the two men's retreating backs, murderous intent surging in his eyes.

"So they really were Black Tiger Gang members."

With the Five Animal Frolics perfected and his Hidden Force realm attained, Su Mu's senses were far sharper than an ordinary person's. In fact, he had heard the two men skulking outside the shop and whispering to each other as soon as he stepped out of the forge.

He had deliberately turned into this alley earlier. Every word of the two men's conversation had reached his ears.

"Wu Heng, I hadn't even come looking for you yet, and you came right to my door... Why are you so determined to die?"

The trees longed for stillness, but the wind would not cease. After forging that long saber, Su Mu had begun to feel the urge to leave. Before he went, he planned to kill Wu Heng, as one last thing he could do for the shop.

In the dim twilight, the young man drew a piece of hemp cloth from his robes and covered his face, leaving only a pair of bright eyes visible. Then he slipped out of the alley and silently followed the two Black Tiger Gang members.

Wu Heng had sent men to follow him with ill intentions. Now Su Mu would turn the tables and follow these two men's trail to kill Wu Heng.

Su Mu now had near-perfect control over his body, and his Startled Sparrow Steps were close to mastery. Following two unranked Martial Artists would be child's play; even a Ninth Rank Qi Refining Martial Artist would have trouble noticing him.

The two men headed south, passing through a maze of streets and alleys before reaching a rather grand detached courtyard. At the back gate, they first "cautiously" scanned their surroundings. Once they were sure no one was behind them, they knocked twice long and once short.

Creak!

Before long, the back gate opened a crack. The two men slipped inside and shut it behind them.

Once inside the courtyard, the two men removed their face coverings and headed for the inner courtyard. Su Mu watched it all from behind them.

In a study in the inner courtyard,

the potbellied Wu Heng was beaming as he scooped a small dab from a box of ointment as white as mutton fat jade with a tiny jade spoon, then spread it evenly over his right arm.

Not long after applying the ointment, Wu Heng felt his skin grow faintly hot. The medicine then seeped into his flesh and blood, reaching the bones in his right arm, which began to heat up as well.

That morning, Wu Heng had taken men to seize the Thirty Refinements Long Saber from the Li Family Blacksmith Shop and sent it to the gang leader, Zhao Xuan. Delighted with the saber, Zhao Xuan had sent over a box of White Jade Savage Bone Paste.

The box might not have contained much, but the paste was worth a fortune. Bone Forging Martial Artists used it to temper their bones, and Qi Refining Martial Artists needed it if they hoped to advance to the Eighth Rank Bone Forging Realm.

Wu Heng had reached the Hidden Force stage several years ago. Within the Black Tiger Gang, only the leader was stronger than him. The two were brothers-in-law: Wu Heng's wife, Madam Sun, was Zhao Xuan's wife's younger sister, and the two men had always been close.

But the wealth the Black Tiger Gang had plundered from the people over the past few years had barely been enough for Zhao Xuan alone to break through to the Eighth Rank. He had only managed it with difficulty two years ago, after his second attempt at Bone Forging. Now Zhao Xuan had begun directing resources Wu Heng's way.

But Wu Heng couldn't wait. That was why he had sent men to capture Su Mu: he wanted to use Su Mu's forging skills to make money and buy Bone Forging Ointment.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside, followed by a knock at the door.

"Hall Master, it's us."

Wu Heng immediately put the ointment away in a cabinet, then called, "Come in."

"Yes, sir."

Two Black Tiger Gang members entered, looking uneasy.

"Where's that kid?"

Seeing them return empty-handed, Wu Heng's expression darkened. Two burly men with thick arms and wide waists had failed to capture a green young man?

One of them swallowed and forced himself to speak. "Hall Master, that kid's too slippery. When he went home today, he took a small alley. There were people coming and going, and before we knew it, we'd lost him."

"Useless. You two are absolutely useless!"

Wu Heng slapped the table and stood up. Turning his back to them with his hands behind him, he didn't want to look at the two good-for-nothings who couldn't get the job done.

And just then,

whoosh, whoosh.

Three sharp whistles suddenly cut through the air outside.

"What was that?"

Wu Heng spun around warily. He saw three dark shapes tear through the window and shoot inside. Even with his keen eyesight, he could only make out that they were three fist-sized pebbles.

Thud! Thud!

Wu Heng reacted in time, but the other two Black Tiger Gang members weren't so capable. Before they could move, two of the pebbles struck them squarely in the backs of their heads.

In an instant, both felt as if a heavy hammer had smashed into their skulls. Their bodies convulsed, their pupils clouded over, and blood ran from their noses and mouths as they collapsed.

Boom.

Compared to the dead Black Tiger Gang members, Wu Heng reacted swiftly. The force within him surged into one palm, and he struck at the incoming pebbles.

His force roared, and the pebble shattered against his palm, bursting into a cloud of dust.

"Who's there?"

Wu Heng roared. His enemy was hidden while he stood in the open; staying inside would leave him open to an ambush. He immediately poured force into his feet and strode out through the door.

Whoosh!

Beneath the waning moon and night sky, a masked figure leaped over a wall nearly ten feet high. The figure landed with barely a sound, its shadow stretching long across the moonlit ground, steeped in murderous intent.

Hearing the commotion in the inner courtyard, several Black Tiger Gang disciples hurried over from the outer courtyard. Four or five burly men, weapons in hand, filed through the inner courtyard gate and surrounded Su Mu.

One by one, gleaming blades were drawn, their cold light chilling to behold.

Wu Heng showed no panic at the sight of the newcomer. Remembering how the stones had just been infused with force to kill two men, he knew the masked figure was undoubtedly a Ranked Martial Artist too.

Wu Heng raised a hand and ordered his men to hold their positions. "Who are you, sir? If you have a grievance with me, just tell me your name. Perhaps we can settle this between us."

Ninth Rank Qi Refining Martial Artists were known by name throughout the Qingshui Town area, but Wu Heng couldn't identify the person before him.

Unable to place Su Mu, Wu Heng didn't want to fight a Ranked Martial Artist without good reason. It would be one thing if they could kill the man tonight, but if he escaped, he would become a grave threat.

Settle this?

There was only one way: death.

Su Mu didn't waste words. He launched into the deer's bounding form of the Five Animal Frolics, his body swaying as it left a blur in its wake. He lunged at the nearest Black Tiger Gang member, intending to deal with the rabble first.

Seeing Su Mu attack without a word, Wu Heng flew into a rage. In the Black Tiger Gang, he was second only to the leader. Even the officials of Qingshui Town wouldn't dare provoke him lightly.

This man had infiltrated Wu Heng's home and killed two of his men without a word. Now that he'd been exposed, he was attacking outright. Wu Heng immediately swept out a hand.

"Brothers, get him! Kill this bastard!"

Wu Heng wanted to see what sort of big shot had come tonight, daring to act with such arrogance.

"Hmph, you picked the wrong opponent!"

Seeing Su Mu charge at him first, Zhang San snorted. He was the strongest of the four. Though he had failed to reach the Qi Refining stage, his saber technique was nearly at the level of mastery. He immediately urged the force within him into the long saber in his hand.

The next instant,

the long saber cleaved through the air, whistling down toward Su Mu's head.

Zhang San's strike was seasoned and practiced. Even a Ninth Rank Martial Artist couldn't afford to underestimate it. A saber technique near mastery, enhanced by force, could cut through rock.

But in Su Mu's eyes, Zhang San's confident strike was far too slow.

End this quickly.

Su Mu took a deep breath. The flesh throughout his body rippled, his bones and sinews humming. His entire frame grew a little thicker.

In the blink of an eye, Su Mu entered the Limit Break State.

The saber came down.

"I hit him!"

Zhang San's face lit up with delight. But just as the blade was a hair's breadth from Su Mu—even seeming to touch him—a sudden gust of wind rose.

A figure flashed like a sparrow startled into flight.

Startled Sparrow Steps, Sparrow Leap!

The strike that looked certain to hit missed in an instant, and Su Mu was suddenly right in front of him.

"So fast! What kind of movement technique is that... No good, I have to retreat!"

Zhang San's pupils constricted. The delight on his face froze. He tried to pull back his saber to defend, but it was too late.

Roar!

A thunderous tiger's roar suddenly rang out as Su Mu casually threw a punch.

Boom!

The moment the fist landed, a muffled thud came first. Then another dull thump sounded from inside Zhang San's head. Blood poured from all seven orifices, and his head burst apart on the spot.