Killing and Getting Rich

The night was deep and the dew heavy. The lights of the Martial Guard Division gradually extinguished, leaving only a few long-burning lamps in the side courtyard swaying gently in the night wind.

Gu Chang'an had just finished his mission and was preparing to return to his room to rest when he heard light footsteps approaching.

He looked up and saw Li Hongye dressed in black, her slender figure tall and straight, her eyes filled with concern.

"Junior Brother," she walked forward, her tone gentle, with a hint of a smile, "How was your first day on patrol?"

Gu Chang'an nodded lightly. "Brother Liu and Uncle Song took good care of me, and everything went smoothly."

A smile flickered in Li Hongye's eyes. She raised her hand and gently brushed her hair aside, saying:

"I heard from Zhou Yue that you were quite impressive today. You fought in the street and broke the shoulder of someone from the Qingzi Hall of the Firewood Gang with one palm?"

Gu Chang'an pondered for a moment, then said calmly:

"The Firewood Gang was bullying people, so I fought back in the street. He deserved to be hit."

"They rely on their gang's power to oppress the common people. I can't stand people like that."

Li Hongye's expression tightened slightly upon hearing this, then she smiled, but a hint of worry showed in her eyes.

"I know your temper," she said in a low voice. "You have a sense of right and wrong, and a bottom line. That's very good. You did the right thing regarding the Firewood Gang matter."

"It's just..." she changed her tone, her eyes darkening slightly, "The Firewood Gang has been rooted too deeply in Nanning County these past few years. They are not reasonable people. You offended a Hall Master yesterday, and today you injured one of their men. They won't let you off easily."

Her voice was soft, yet carried genuine concern.

Gu Chang'an's heart stirred, and a sense of warmth filled him.

"Senior Sister, don't worry, I will be careful," he said softly. "I don't regret what happened today. But I understand that being too sharp can easily lead to trouble, so I will be cautious."

Li Hongye looked at his steady expression and nodded slightly, not saying more, seemingly a little relieved.

"Alright, then get some rest early. Remember to come find me if you need anything."

She gently patted his shoulder, turned, and left, her figure gradually fading into the lamplight.

Gu Chang'an watched her leave, standing in the courtyard for a long time before finally departing.

The night was as black as ink, with dark clouds obscuring the moon. A chilling dampness permeated the streets and alleys of Nanning County.

Gu Chang'an walked down a familiar alley. The houses on both sides were low, and the walls were covered in mottled moss. A gust of night wind stirred them, releasing a damp, rotten smell.

Suddenly, a whiff of blood assaulted his nostrils.

Gu Chang'an's heart jolted, and his footsteps paused. He instinctively placed his hand on the long saber at his waist, his eyes flashing coldly.

"Not good, there's killing intent."

"Whoosh!"

Just then, a cold glint broke through the air!

"Swish!"

The blade, carrying intense killing intent, came slashing diagonally from his right rear, aiming directly for his neck and shoulder.

Almost in an instant, Gu Chang'an shifted his feet, spun his body, and suddenly swung out his long saber!

"Clang!"

The long saber collided with the cold blade, sparks flying. The attacker's momentum was forcibly suppressed, and he let out a muffled groan, staggering back three steps!

Gu Chang'an's gaze was like lightning as he focused on the attacker--

He saw a disheveled figure covered in bloodstains, with a hollow left eye socket and torn flesh. One of his hands was trembling slightly.

It was none other than the Hall Master of the Black Sand Gang--Lu Tong!

This man was formerly one of the Hall Masters of the Black Sand Gang, known for his poisoned blade, cruelty, and bloodlust. He was a Ninth Rank Martial Artist.

Now, he looked like a stray dog, covered in wounds, clearly having escaped here after suffering a heavy blow.

"Mis... Mistake... I wasn't coming for you..."

Lu Tong clutched his chest, his voice hoarse. Terror mingled in his eyes as he looked at Gu Chang'an in disbelief, as if he had seen a monster.

Just moments ago, he had sensed someone approaching and thought it was the Flowing Gold Gang chasing him.

Even if it wasn't, if he were discovered now, his whereabouts might be exposed.

Therefore, with the idea of "better to kill by mistake than let go,"

Lu Tong decided to strike first.

He had assumed this was just a young constable and that his attack would be successful. He never expected the opponent's reaction to be faster than a veteran soldier's, his swordsmanship clean and swift, like lightning!

Gu Chang'an remained silent, his eyes fixed coldly on him.

If he had been half a moment slower, the one lying on the ground now would have been himself.

This was no mistake.

This was an attempt to silence him!

He who kills others shall be killed by others.

This man could not be let go.

"Kid, die..."

Lu Tong seemed to sense his killing intent, gritted his teeth fiercely, and stomped his foot. He suddenly burst out again, like a mad tiger pouncing, straight for Gu Chang'an's throat!

"Seeking death."

Gu Chang'an snorted coldly. He had long been ready. He stepped forward with his left foot, swung his saber, and suddenly slashed upward diagonally--

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

"Chii--!"

The saber light was like a crescent moon breaking through the night, a chilling silver gleam cutting through the darkness!

"Crack!"

Lu Tong's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes instantly losing their light--his throat was sealed by the sharp blade, blood spurted out, and before he could even struggle, he fell to the ground twitching.

at the moment of death, his eyes still held unwillingness and malice, and he died with his eyes wide open.

"I... I'm not reconciled..."

Gu Chang'an stood in place, his long saber dripping blood, motionless for a long time.

He slowly exhaled, but his heart was calm.

This was an enemy, and also prey.

If he hadn't killed the other party, tonight would have been his own death in this alley.

A moment later, he sheathed his saber and crouched down to examine Lu Tong's body, his movements skilled and swift.

He quickly found a heavy money bag and opened it--silver ingots gleamed coldly, containing a lot of broken silver, a pack of dry rations, and a small, intricately carved token.

Gu Chang'an quickly counted and found that there were actually two hundred taels of pure silver.

This was a big profit.

Then he flipped over the bottom of the money bag, his fingers touching a layer of soft, tough sheepskin.

His eyebrows twitched, and he pulled it out--

Two ancient books, their covers yellowed. One was written with Mountain Shattering Saber Technique, and the other was Green Lotus Poison Scripture.

"Secret manuals?!"

Gu Chang'an quickly flipped through a few pages, his gaze becoming more fervent.

Mountain Shattering Saber Technique had thirteen forms in total, fierce and domineering, specializing in breaking shields and protective techniques. It used strength to break through defenses and ruthlessness to subdue enemies, making it extremely suitable for practical combat to suppress opponents.

The Green Lotus Poison Scripture was even more bizarre, divided into seven layers of poison theory. The first few layers were methods for using and making poisons, while the later layers explained how to identify and detoxify poisons, and how to refine the body with poison--its methods were extremely poisonous and insidious.

Gu Chang'an put away the ancient books, a slight smile on his lips, and murmured in a low voice:

"This old guy was probably planning to take all his foundations with him before fleeing... Unfortunately, he took the wrong alley and ran into me."

"This two hundred taels of silver is enough for me to get a few medicinal baths, and my cultivation might improve further."

"The Mountain Shattering Saber Technique is a mid-grade Yellow-tier saber technique, stronger than the Iron Cutting Saber Technique. Moreover, this saber technique perfectly suits my saber style. It's rough yet refined, and it's an advanced version of the Iron Cutting Saber Technique."

"As for the Green Lotus Poison Scripture... even if I don't learn to use poison, just knowing how to defend against and detoxify poisons will save me a lot of trouble."

He put away the silver, the token, and the secret manuals, and looked around the alley entrance.

The night was deep, the surroundings were quiet, and not even a cat or dog could be seen.

Confirming that no one had witnessed it, he then left the scene with light steps, his back blending into the depths of the night as if he had never appeared.

However, a quarter of an hour later, Hurried footsteps echoed from the alley entrance. A group of Flowing Gold Gang members dressed in black appeared. The leader was lean and fierce, with sinister eyes.

They quickly surrounded the corpse. One of them crouched down to examine it, his expression changing slightly: "It's someone from the Black Sand Gang... Lu Tong."

Another person drew a short knife and pried open the wound on Lu Tong's throat, saying solemnly: "A single stab to the throat, clean and efficient... This saber technique, this strength, is by no means ordinary."

The leader--the Flowing Gold Gang's Qu Xiangzhu, about forty years old, dressed in a black robe, with eyes like a hawk.

He stared at the corpse for a long time, then suddenly sneered:

"This old bastard is really lucky. After being chased by us for half a day, he was actually finished off by someone in this alley?"

Someone whispered: "Hall Master, should we investigate the killer?"

Qu Xiangzhu narrowed his eyes, his gaze sinister:

"No need to investigate."

Everyone was stunned, and then someone asked in confusion: "But he was our target, and someone else reaped the rewards, isn't that--?"

Qu Xiangzhu waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Look at this wound, a single stab to the throat, with force that penetrated the bone. The attacker is definitely not someone an ordinary gang member could be."

"Such a swordsman, if not a hidden rogue cultivator master, then an elite disciple of a sect or a high-ranking figure in the Martial Guard Division..."

"This is a critical moment for integrating the West City territory. We shouldn't stir up unnecessary trouble."

"Furthermore—"

He walked to Lu Tong's corpse, reached out to examine it, and said softly, "The silver is gone, the dry rations are gone, and even his few cherished books have vanished without a trace."

"He couldn't have escaped the West City. These items must have been taken by whoever killed him on the road... We'll consider this incident an accident."

"Lu Tong is dead. There is no longer a Black Sand Hall Master in the West City. This also means we've achieved our objective."

As the words fell, everyone remained silent, understanding that their Hall Master had ordered them to let the matter rest.

Several subordinates nodded in tacit agreement. They casually covered Lu Tong's body with a tattered cloth, dragged it to the street corner, and disguised it as a refugee who had died in a common street brawl.

Afterward, the group left in silence.

The wind blew across the blood-stained flagstones, scattering the lingering resentment of the deceased and also dispelling the potential storm of bloodshed that might have ensued.