Zhang Long was tall and lean, while Zhao Hu was sturdy. The two kept chatting idly, paying Zhao Han no mind, though their eyes swept their surroundings from time to time like a hawk's.
Clearly, they had their eyes on the Energy Pills in Zhao Han's hands, and were also looking to put him in his place.
Putting newcomers in their place was nothing unusual anywhere. It was an unspoken rule in every line of work.
"So that bastard Wang Liang was the one who let it slip." Zhao Han's eyes narrowed.
Wang Liang was one of the gang members skilled at hunting. During a casual conversation, he had learned that Zhao Han often came to the eastern side to practice martial arts.
"So an Energy Pill can sell for one tael of silver!"
That was no small amount.
The purchasing power of one tael of silver in this world was comparable to two thousand yuan.
One copper coin had the purchasing power of about two yuan.
A single copper coin could buy a plain steamed bun the size of two fists.
An inn waiter earned only a hundred copper coins a month, while laborers made just three hundred. One tael of silver was no small sum.
It was only natural that the two men would grow greedy.
"How did they know I had Energy Pills? Could Liu Gang have told them?"
Apart from Liu Gang, no one knew Zhao Han had Energy Pills. It could only have been Liu Gang.
Clearly, Liu Gang had told them. The two men were undoubtedly his trusted aides.
Zhao Han's expression turned cold. He had just been talking about repaying Liu Gang, and now he had to take that back. Sure enough, in this world, no one could be trusted lightly.
The two slowly disappeared from Zhao Han's view and continued straight ahead.
"Since you two are asking to die, I'll grant your wish." Zhao Han gave a contemptuous smile, having thought of a good plan.
He jumped down from the tree, lowered his body, and crept after them, following close behind.
He picked up a sharp stone from the ground. He didn't have a throwing axe, but a stone would do.
"Perfect!"
When they reached a gentle slope, Zhao Han looked down and saw the two with their backs to him, chatting.
"Take this!"
"Whoosh!"
The stone flew straight at them. Hearing it whistle through the air, the two immediately turned around. The sharp stone struck Zhao Hu squarely in the face.
"Ah!"
The sharp point pierced one of Zhao Hu's eyeballs, and blood quickly streamed from his eye and socket as they swelled up. The sight was horrific.
He dropped onto his rear, clutched his eye, and howled incessantly.
"Zhao, it's you! You actually dared to ambush a fellow gang member! According to gang rules, your fingers should be chopped off!"
Zhang Long's expression changed. He glared fiercely at Zhao Han and invoked the Poisonous Snake Gang's rules to intimidate him.
"I'm not one of your fellow gang members. I'm clearly a member of the Black Wolf Gang." Zhao Han sneered, drew the saber at his waist, and charged straight at them.
In close combat, use a weapon if you have one; if not, use your fists.
"A member of the Black Wolf Gang? What do you mean? Could it be... you're a spy?!"
"You talk too much. Die!"
He slashed straight at Zhang Long's face. Zhang Long's expression changed dramatically. Zhao Han was serious—he meant to hack them both to death here.
"Dodge!"
Zhang Long immediately threw himself to the side, evading the slash, then warned Zhao Hu.
Zhao Han missed with his first slash, then swept his saber at Zhao Hu the next instant.
Clearly, Zhao Han's target was Zhao Hu; he had only meant to drive Zhang Long back.
Zhao Hu dodged at the last second, enduring the agony of his burst eyeball as he leaped aside and avoided the slash.
"Die!"
Zhang Long quickly drew his saber and slashed at Zhao Han, hoping to show him the power of a Skin Refining Warrior.
"Ha!"
Zhao Han did not retreat. Instead, he turned and slashed straight back.
"I'm a Skin Refining—"
"Clang..."
"You... That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The two sabers collided with a metallic ring. Zhang Long immediately felt the web of his thumb go numb, and his grip wavered.
That meant his opponent was stronger than him.
It also meant his opponent was in the Skin Refining Realm—and had reached it long ago.
"Hesitate and you die!"
"Bang!"
Zhao Han kicked out, knocking the stunned Zhang Long to the ground, then stabbed at him with his saber.
"Ah!" Zhang Long cried out in pain.
The blow missed any vital organs, but pierced the major artery in his thigh.
"Shrrk!"
"Pfft!"
He yanked out the saber, and blood immediately sprayed everywhere.
Having temporarily crippled Zhang Long, Zhao Han glanced at Zhao Hu, who was trying to flee.
You think you can run? Did you ask me?
"Take this!"
Zhao Han picked up a stone and hurled it at Zhao Hu. It struck him in the back of the head, knocking him down and unconscious.
Seeing this, Zhao Han sneered inwardly. A Skin Refining Warrior isn't that fragile. Pretending to be unconscious won't fool me.
He picked up another stone, aimed at Zhao Hu's crotch, and threw it.
"Ah!"
The devastating blow to the crotch made Zhao Hu, who had been pretending to be unconscious so he could ambush Zhao Han, instantly turn purple as he clutched himself below.
"So you were pretending!"
Zhao Han threw another stone, striking Zhao Hu in the face and worsening his injuries.
"Die!"
He stepped closer and slashed. Zhao Hu barely managed to raise his saber to block, but Zhao Han overpowered him, easily knocking the weapon aside.
The blade curved downward, leaving a line of blood across Zhao Hu's face.
"Uhh..." Zhao Hu clutched his throat, writhing in agony.
The cut opened, and blood poured out, clogging his throat and windpipe. He couldn't make a sound.
Before he could bleed out, he would suffocate as the blood choked him.
One man was down. The other was dragging himself away by his injured leg, trying to escape.
A river of blood trailed across the ground. After all, his major artery had been pierced. Even if Zhao Han didn't kill him, he wouldn't survive.
Even in the modern world of Blue Star, if the major artery in your thigh was pierced and you didn't get medical attention and a blood transfusion in time, you could die within minutes.
Zhao Han approached, his voice cold. "You think you can get away?"
"P-please, spare me! We got greedy. I'm begging you, let me go." Zhang Long begged repeatedly, dragging himself along in a desperate struggle.
Zhao Han said coldly, "Spare you? If I hadn't been this strong and you two had caught me, who would have spared me?"
"We... We were just blinded by greed. We only wanted your money; we didn't mean to kill you. We're all working for Leader Liu. Why kill each other?"
Zhao Hu's face was pale as he begged again, invoking Leader Liu in the hope that Zhao Han would show mercy.
"What a fine excuse—'why kill each other?' No matter what you say, it's useless. In this world, the one with the bigger fist wins. Die!"
Zhao Han kicked the saber from his hand, then unleashed a full-power set of Black Wolf Fist strikes against his body.
Zhang Long's chest caved in, and his ribs broke.
The method was the same as the Black Wolf Gang members used: anyone struck by Black Wolf Fist suffered damage to the same few parts of the body.
"Uhh... Black... Black Wolf Fist. You... you spy..." Zhang Long pointed at Zhao Han, his face full of disbelief. In the end, he died unavenged.
Zhao Hu was already dead, but Zhao Han still unleashed a set of Black Wolf Fist strikes on his corpse, leaving the marks behind.
Now there was no evidence.
The two men had been killed by members of the Black Wolf Gang. What did that have to do with me, Zhao Han? I was a perfectly proper member of the Poisonous Snake Gang.
And I wasn't even a Skin Refining Warrior—just an insignificant nobody.
The blame would land squarely on the Black Wolf Gang.
Then came the looting.
It was Zhao Han's first time searching corpses, but he felt not the slightest discomfort. Instead, he went through their belongings with practiced ease, taking everything they had.
It felt like opening blind boxes.
Zhao Han had done the same thing while fleeing disaster before.
Four taels of silver.
Two copies of Snake-Style Deft Hand.
Two Energy Pills.
"Good stuff."
"I've got enough silver now. It's enough to simplify Snake-Style Deft Hand."
Without a second thought, Zhao Han took out five taels of silver and used them to simplify Snake-Style Deft Hand.
[Would you like to simplify Snake-Style Deft Hand?]
"Yes!"
Before you continue