All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Fan Xingwei's pupils contracted.
He suddenly understood that the person Sun Wangxian had said attacked one of their own wasn't someone else.
It was...
Lü Jiang!!
A body crashed to the ground.
Looking at the fallen corpse, He An's eyes remained ice-cold.
But a wave of nausea swept through his stomach, and his slowly lowered right hand trembled slightly.
It was his first time killing someone. A reaction like this was only natural.
After quickly steadying himself, he slowly turned his gaze to Fan Xingwei.
His eyes were cold, as if he had plunged into an icy pit, and Fan Xingwei's back instantly went chilly.
"Brother He!!"
Seeing this, Fan Xingwei's mouth fell open in shock.
An overwhelming fear rose in his heart, especially when he noticed the killing intent in He An's eyes.
In an instant,
Fan Xingwei understood.
He An thought he was Lü Jiang's accomplice.
But... he wasn't!!
His voice quavered, and he shook like a leaf as he begged, "B-Brother He, don't kill me. This has nothing to do with me, I swear!!"
"Brother Lü and I—we weren't close. I mean, Lü Jiang and I weren't close. I wasn't his accomplice, and I'd never be so heartless as to ambush you."
He An remained unmoved.
Seeing his reaction, Fan Xingwei grew even more frantic.
"Brother He, I really am telling the truth. If you let me go, I absolutely won't say a word."
"I won't breathe a word about what happened today."
"You can even tell me what to say, and I'll do exactly as you instruct. From now on, I'll always follow your orders."
He pleaded, his voice growing heavier with despair.
"My family is poor. I barely managed to get into the Town Martial Division. My whole family is counting on my salary. Please, don't kill me."
"I'm begging you!!!"
To stay alive,
he dropped to his knees.
Thud, thud, thud.
He knocked his head against the ground again and again.
Panting, He An wondered whether he should let Fan Xingwei live.
Kill him?
He couldn't live with himself if he did.
Spare him?
Until He An grew stronger, Fan Xingwei would remain a threat.
He An was torn apart inside.
After a moment,
his gaze softened. He reached out and pulled Fan Xingwei up from his kowtowing.
"Don't worry. I'm not the sort to kill indiscriminately. I attacked him only to defend myself. Those who kill will be killed."
"Isn't that right?"
"Right!"
Once He An pulled him to his feet, Fan Xingwei didn't dare raise his head. He just nodded frantically, afraid of doing anything to upset him.
He An continued, "When Brother Sun and the others get back, tell them someone came back after leaving. After killing Lü Jiang, he fled in a panic."
"That's how the two of us escaped with our lives. If you dare say anything else, you know what'll happen, right?"
"I know, I know!"
Just then,
Clap, clap, clap.
Zhang Yongda applauded as he slowly emerged from the woods nearby.
"I never thought you'd become a Martial Artist in such a short time. Give you a little longer, and I bet you'd even reach the ranks."
Seeing him appear, He An wasn't the least bit surprised.
But now,
he still acted somewhat afraid.
"B-Brother Zhang, why are you here? You weren't assigned to today's mission, were you?"
"I did it all for you!"
He An's pupils contracted. He pretended to see the light, then forced himself to stay calm. "I knew you wouldn't let me go."
"But aren't you afraid of offending the Wu Family if you attack me?"
Zhang Yongda snorted, his words dripping with disdain.
"The Wu Family? So what! I've got Clerk Meng and the Meng Family backing me!"
"Don't tell me you really think you matter that much to the Wu Family."
"Besides, if I kill you, who'll know I did it?"
"Him?"
Fan Xingwei stood frozen. When he saw Zhang Yongda looking his way, he was instantly dumbfounded.
He had no idea who He An had offended. One minute it was the Wu Family, the next it was the Meng Family.
He shut his eyes, covered his ears with both hands, and walked straight into the house.
"I'm blind. I can't see anything."
"And I'm deaf. I can't hear anything."
He An: "..."
Zhang Yongda laughed. "Not bad, not bad. He knows how to read the room. Maybe I'll let him live. But you..."
"You have to die!"
Zhang Yongda's face turned cold.
He darted forward and kicked He An in the chest.
The kick packed tremendous force. Even though He An crossed his arms to block it, he was still sent flying.
He staggered several steps and nearly fell to the ground.
"You're still standing? I underestimated you."
Zhang Yongda spoke lightly, looking down on He An despite his having become a Martial Artist.
He was in the Muscle Condensing Realm.
Even if He An had broken through and become a Martial Artist,
with so little time, he could only have reached the Body Refining Realm at most.
That sort of strength was no match for him—not even enough to withstand three moves.
Though the kick hadn't badly injured He An,
he bit through his tongue to fool Zhang Yongda and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Seeing this, the contempt in Zhang Yongda's eyes deepened.
"Honestly, I thought highly of you."
"To reach the Body Refining Realm in such a short time proves you really have an exceptional Martial Talent."
"Given enough time, entering the ranks would be a sure thing for you."
"But it's too late for all that now."
"Your talent is just too outstanding. If you don't die, I'll never sleep easy!!"
"Don't worry. Once you're dead, your Eldest Sister-in-law will come around."
"And I'll spare your Eldest Brother too."
"Truth be told, we don't have any real grudge between us. I just can't disobey orders."
"Clerk Meng is from the Meng Family. I have no choice but to follow him. Even my wife..."
At this, he fell silent, humiliation written all over his face.
Just three days earlier, he had respectfully sent his wife to Meng Cao's room.
He'd watched with his own eyes as another man cuckolded him, yet he still had to bow and scrape, smiling obsequiously at Meng Cao.
Turtle.
He was the biggest turtle under heaven!!
Hearing Zhang Yongda bring up his wife, He An burst out laughing.
"What, you had the nerve to do it, but now you're too ashamed to say it?"
"Everyone in Fangcheng knows that you, Zhang Yongda, couldn't wait to send your own wife to your superior."
"Now you're acting like you care. Are you upset for your wife's sake, or your own?"
"Cuckold King!!"
He An laughed out loud.
He wanted to provoke Zhang Yongda. If he lost his temper and stopped thinking, he'd leave more openings in the fight, and He An would have a better chance of killing him with one blow.
Just as he'd expected,
the moment Zhang Yongda heard the words "Cuckold King,"
he flew into a rage, like a crazed beast with bloodshot eyes.
"You... you're asking for death!!"
Zhang Yongda charged like a cannonball.
He An couldn't dodge in time. The impact hit him like a runaway cart.
His organs felt as if they'd been shattered inch by inch, and his bones cracked audibly.
He An spat out a mouthful of blood.
Unlike last time, this time he was truly badly injured.
"He's strong!"
He An panted.
His Eldest Brother was also in the Muscle Condensing Realm, just like Zhang Yongda.
Even so, He An had never seen just how powerful his Eldest Brother was when he fought with all his strength.
All he knew was that with his Eldest Brother around, none of the nearby gangs or Martial Arts Schools dared come looking for trouble.
Now that he'd seen Zhang Yongda in action, he finally understood why.
The difference between the two realms was like the difference between heaven and earth!
Bone Forging Realm.
As the name suggested, it involved tempering the bones to support the body's explosive strength.
But the Muscle Condensing Realm—
it condensed the sinews and ensured Qi and Blood flowed freely.
That was already close to the threshold of entering the ranks. A Martial Artist could mobilize their Qi and Blood to make their attacks even more ferocious.
He An estimated that
Zhang Yongda's charge had carried at least three thousand jin of force, perhaps even four thousand. He could have knocked down a house with ease.
Before He An could think any further, Zhang Yongda charged again, swinging a fist straight at his face.
If that punch landed, He An would die for sure.
But Zhang Yongda hadn't noticed that his vital point was exposed.
His throat.
He An endured the agony and took another punch.
As Zhang Yongda stared in surprise, he swung again, ready to finish the fight.
He An dodged in a position that should have been impossible, his eyes fixed on Zhang Yongda's throat as it rose and fell.
"Die!"
A roar burst from He An's mouth.
At the sound, Zhang Yongda jolted to his senses, but it was already too late.
Every muscle in He An's body bulged as all his strength gathered into his fist.
He threw the punch with everything he had, striking Zhang Yongda squarely in the throat.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Zhang Yongda's eyes bulged.
"You..."
He opened his mouth, gasping for breath and trying to scream, but all he could manage was a hollow, gurgling "uh-uh."
Thud, thud, thud.
One punch, then another, then another.
He An felt no fear, only a strange rush of exhilaration.
Zhang Yongda's eyes instantly went dim. Like a rotten log, he finally toppled straight backward.
He twitched a few times, then fell completely silent.
Before you continue