The Crime Scene Was Too Obvious

The Instant Kill Technique was a skill, but there was a prerequisite for training it until one could strike without a sound: one's cultivation had to reach Rank. Only ranked martial artists possessed sufficient strength, speed, and physical fitness to execute the Instant Kill Technique.

Chi Yan knew perfectly well when Zhong Lin had begun cultivating. He had even helped him find his first teacher. Yet in a mere half month, Zhong Lin had actually reached Rank. No one would believe it if they heard.

Ssh!

Chi Yan twisted and shifted through the air, narrowly evading the fatal strike aimed at Zhong Lin's chest at the very last instant. Even so, his chest was slashed deeply, crimson blood streaming down.

"Damn it, I'm going to kill you."

What had been a game of cat and mouse had turned into the mouse catching the cat.

In an instant, rage surged from Chi Yan's heart. He swung the short blade in his hand, his strength erupting wildly as he charged Zhong Lin for the third time.

"One, two, three..."

Zhong Lin stood where he was, raising one finger for every number he counted. When he reached three, Chi Yan, who was rushing toward him, felt his body suddenly shudder. A piercing pain followed from his chest.

He instinctively lowered his head. The bright red blood around his wound had somehow long since turned blackish-red, and a foul stench wafted from it.

"P-Poison..."

"Yes, the kind that seals the throat at the sight of blood. I had prepared it for Dan Wenlong, but I never expected to use it on you today," Zhong Lin said with a smile.

"Y-You have no martial virtue."

Chi Yan's face turned bluish-gray. He could feel his life force draining away rapidly, and his body went limp as he collapsed to the ground. Blood had already begun to seep from his seven orifices.

Zhong Lin gave a derisive snort and mocked, "Why talk about martial virtue with a scoundrel like you, one who plots against his fellow constables?"

Pfft!

Chi Yan spat out a mouthful of poisoned blood, then breathed his last with a face full of unwillingness.

Seeing Chi Yan dead, Zhong Lin quietly let out a breath of relief, though his heart was still filled with lingering fear.

So close. So very close!

Had he not prepared so thoroughly over the past few days, the one who died would definitely not have been Chi Yan, but himself.

Their brief exchange just now had seemed plain enough, but it had been perilous beyond measure. Zhong Lin had been dancing on a steel wire every moment; one misstep, and he truly would have met his end.

Zhong Lin took a deep breath and called over the wall, "Brother Hai Kuan, a thief broke into my home. I've already subdued him. Please help notify the yamen."

"Hey! I'll go right away."

Before long, a response came from beyond the wall, followed by the sounds of footsteps and a door opening.

Not only had the neighbor to the left lit up their home, but the seven or eight surrounding households had as well. Clearly, the sounds of fighting had awakened them all.

Thus, from the moment Chi Yan had been discovered, there had been no way for him to escape. The only question was whether Zhong Lin would die.

Zhong Lin sat on the threshold, recalling the battle just now. Before long, chaotic footsteps sounded outside. The main gate was pushed open, and five constables rushed in carrying torches. At their head was none other than "Lao Fang," Fang Shunjin.

Fang Shunjin swept his gaze around the courtyard, then saw Zhong Lin and the black-clad corpse lying on the ground. The smile on his face, once full of delight, froze.

The build was wrong!

He had been on duty today, so upon hearing that Zhong Lin had been attacked, he had rushed over in haste, believing it was Dan Wenlong who had appeared.

Dan Wenlong's escape from his hands had already cost him greatly in face. More importantly, it had drawn the dissatisfaction of the County Lieutenant and the Chief Constable. Thus, when he heard Dan Wenlong had surfaced, he ran faster than anyone, terrified that the man would escape again.

Zhong Lin rose and cupped his hands. "Constable Fang."

Fang Shunjin nodded and stepped forward to carefully inspect Chi Yan's corpse. The moment he approached, he caught a fishy stench. When he saw the blackened wound on Chi Yan's chest, he could not help saying, "What potent poison. Golden Ringed Snake venom?"

"Sharp eyes, Constable Fang. It is indeed Golden Ringed Snake venom—seals the throat at the sight of blood. You know, I haven't felt very safe lately." Zhong Lin gave a bitter smile.

Fang Shunjin's expression remained unchanged, without the slightest embarrassment at Zhong Lin's words.

"Masked in the dead of night, wielding a blade to commit murder—he deserved to die. Take the corpse away. Have Lao Fang write up the case file..."

"Constable Fang, you should take a look at this man's true face."

"Hm?"

Fang Shunjin's brows drew together slightly, puzzlement appearing in his eyes. Still, he cautiously used the long blade in his hand to lift away the black cloth covering Chi Yan's face.

"Chi Yan?"

The other constables behind Fang Shunjin were equally stunned. None of them had expected the dead man to be Chi Yan.

Fang Shunjin looked thoughtfully at Zhong Lin, then at Chi Yan, who had become a corpse.

As veterans of the yamen, how could they not know of Chi Yan's vile habits? And yet, the masked man was Chi Yan, while the place of death was Zhong Lin's home.

The crime scene was too obvious.

Fang Shunjin's breathing noticeably quickened. His gaze upon Chi Yan's corpse became filled with disgust and anger.

If someone had bad habits, others might ignore them at most, merely dislike them and keep their distance. But to strike ruthlessly at one's own fellow constable over silver was something no one within the system could ever tolerate.

"As a constable, he knew the law and broke it—his crime is all the more severe. Take Chi Yan's corpse back to the yamen. Tomorrow morning, hand it over to the Chief Constable for handling," Fang Shunjin said angrily.

"Yes."

Zhong Lin also stepped over and said bitterly, "Constable Fang, I never expected this black-clad man to be Chi Yan. I only thought Dan Wenlong had come to kill me, so I used lime powder and poison. Had I known it was Chi Yan, I would not have struck so ruthlessly."

Zhong Lin had no choice but to explain himself. No matter how bad Chi Yan was, he was still a yamen constable. Constables had their own circle; they were not people an outsider could simply kill. When one kind was hurt, the others would feel it—sometimes they did not care what reason you had.

"This has nothing to do with you. Chi Yan was at the Eighth Rank Tendons Transformation Realm. If you had not gone all out, I'm afraid you would have been the one to die. Still, I never expected that you had actually reached Rank." Fang Shunjin gave Zhong Lin a deep look.

"By luck."

The yamen constables came quickly and left quickly. After seeing them off and dismissing the nearby neighbors who had come to express concern, Zhong Lin finally shut the main gate.

"System."

Host: Zhong Lin

Skills: Archery (Max Level), Flying Locust Stone (Max Level), Three-Dimensional Painting (Max Level), Calligraphy (Max Level), Cooking (Max Level), Iron Mountain Skill (Max Level), Instant Kill Technique (Max Level).

Skill Points: ∞

Looking at the max-level Instant Kill Technique lying in the system panel, Zhong Lin felt fortunate beyond measure.

This martial art was essentially a technique for concealing one's blade, then launching a surprise attack to kill with a single blow.

After reaching Rank in martial arts, Zhong Lin had gone to the yamen's Martial Pavilion intending to choose a martial technique. After considering them all, he had ultimately chosen the "Instant Kill Technique." As for the other fist, kick, blade, and sword techniques, while they were all good, Zhong Lin did not have the confidence that mastering them would let him deal with Dan Wenlong, who was at the Seventh-Rank Bone Forging Realm.

This martial art was just right—catch the enemy unawares, then kill with a single strike.

Before Dan Wenlong had even arrived, however, he had first tested it on Chi Yan.

He quickly entered the main room and lifted the straw mat from the bed, revealing a pitch-black hole.

"Come out, Shi Tou. It's all right now."