"Fine, I accept your terms."
Gu Chang'an said these words in a low voice, his head drooping slightly as though completely resigning himself to fate.
Zhang Qiang sneered, just about to say "it's good that you know what's good for you," when in that exact instant—
A cold flash burst forth!
The firewood chopping blade tore through the wind, hacking straight for Zhang Qiang's face!
This sudden blade was so fast that its trajectory was almost impossible to see, and Gu Chang'an erupted into action like a tiger that had coiled its energy for a long time!
—Iron Cutting Saber Technique!
Zhang Qiang's pupils contracted violently, dodging to the side almost purely on instinct. The blade edge grazed the side of his ear, shearing off a lock of hair and drawing a trail of blood!
"Damn it! You actually dare to resist?"
Zhang Qiang roared, his body retreating violently as his right hand drew his blade!
But—
The second blade had already reached his chest!
This strike was fiercer and deadlier than the first, carrying his body's center of gravity charging forward. It managed to catch up right as the opponent retreated, unleashing a momentum like a raging flood!
Zhang Qiang barely managed to block horizontally with his blade. With a single deafening clang, his arms shook and the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split open, the sheer force of Gu Chang'an's strike leaving his arm numb!
"Kill him!"
Zhang San roared, charging straight for Gu Chang'an's back with his blade.
Though Gu Chang'an had little combat experience, relying on the rationality of his past life and this month of grueling tempering, his reaction speed was extremely fast!
He slid his left foot, his entire body sinking low, and swept his firewood chopping blade backward in an uncanny arc!
"Pfft!"
Zhang San had charged too fast; his abdomen was ripped open by the blade edge, fresh blood sprayed, and he staggered backward!
Li Si roared as he pounced from the side, hacking fiercely right at Gu Chang'an's head!
Gu Chang'an hurriedly blocked, but the force behind this blow was immense.
Bang!
The impact forced him to retreat two steps, the wild grass at his feet tumbling backward!
Zhang Qiang had already steadied his stance, laughing out of extreme anger, "You dog of a thing really dare to fight back—I'll finish you!!"
The three of them quickly separated, forming a semicircle with blades drawn!
Facing the pincer attack from three sides, Gu Chang'an's mind tightened to the limit, his advantage of 42 Constitution coming into full play right now!
He suddenly stomped hard, his figure darting like an arrow—
"You—!" Before the terror could fully surface in Zhang San's eyes, Gu Chang'an had already swung his blade down, the blade light shining like the moon and its sharpness tearing the air apart!
"Splat!"
This time, there was no obstruction at all—
Zhang San was struck in the chest by the blade and sent tumbling onto the dirt. Fresh blood dyed the yellow earth red, and his eyes still wide open, he twitched a couple of times in unwillingness before losing his breath completely.
"Zhang San!!" Li Si roared, his eye sockets turning red!
Zhang Qiang was calmer, shouting, "Don't get distracted! He has training—together, charge!"
Consumed by rage, Li Si hacked with his blade like the wind, but he had already lost his composure.
Gu Chang'an sidestepped to evade, using the enemy's momentum against them, and smashed an elbow strike into Li Si's vital point beneath his armpit, fiercely thrusting his blade forward in one smooth motion to pierce beneath the ribs—
"Pfft!"
Li Si roared as he collapsed onto the ground, the blade in his hand clattering to the earth. Blood poured from his face like water, leaving him unable even to struggle.
With both men down, only Zhang Qiang remained.
Filled with panic and fury, he cursed in a low voice:
"Are you crazy—do you know what you've done? I'm from the Firewood Gang, if you kill me, you won't survive either!"
Gu Chang'an's face was covered in blood, but his eyes were as cold as iron.
"You wanted money, I gave it. You wanted my life, I gave that too—except, it's your own."
"Arrogant brat, go to hell!"
Zhang Qiang roared as he charged forward, his blade wind like a storm, pouring all his strength into the attack!
This was the desperate, life-or-death strike of a veteran scoundrel who had loitered on the streets for years!
Gu Chang'an's pupils shrank fiercely; taking this head-on was definitely not wise.
He shifted his feet lightly, stepping three inches to the left and half a step slantwise to the right. His body moved like a fish cutting through the waves, managing by a hair's breadth to evade the terrifying edge of Zhang Qiang's charge!
Iron Cutting Saber Technique: Flow Breaker!
"Pfft!"
A single slash landed on Zhang Qiang's right wrist!
Zhang Qiang shrieked in agony, the firewood chopping blade flying out of his hand as blood gushed from his right wrist like a spring!
He still wanted to counterattack, but Gu Chang'an coldly slashed horizontally!
Crack—
His tendon snapped, and Zhang Qiang collapsed to his knees, face toward the yellow earth, his nose and mouth choked with dust.
"You... you can't kill me, I'm a man of the Firewood Gang, there are people behind me—"
Gu Chang'an remained unmoved, resting his blade edge against the man's neck.
"Do you remember what you said just now?"
"Ten miles around... no one will come."
"So you die—and no one will know."
The blade fell, blood splashing like ink.
Zhang Qiang's head rolled into the grass, his eyes still wide open as though unable to believe he had just died like this.
Gu Chang'an let out a long breath, his back soaked with sweat like water, his arms trembling slightly, completely exhausted.
The three corpses lay quietly stretched out at his feet, the grass dyed a dark red by blood, the coppery stench so thick it was almost choking.
Staring at this scene without a shred of hesitation, he bent down and searched the corpses of Zhang Qiang and the other two one by one for their firewood chopping blades and money pouches.
Giving them a simple sweep, he actually fished out two silver ingots, heavy and flashing with a cold light.
"Ten taels per ingot... two silver ingots, twenty thousand copper cash."
The corners of Gu Chang'an's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a satisfied smile.
This wave was a massive profit.
Yet just as he prepared to turn and leave, a sinister, chilling aura quietly manifested, surging over his heart like a tide.
"Squeak—"
In the woods not far away, the brush was parted as if by something, and an eerie figure slowly stepped out.
Gu Chang'an felt as though his entire body had plunged into an icy abyss.
That was not a human.
It was about half the height of a man, pitch black as ink all over. Its skin was cracked and split apart as though scorched by fire, its shape resembling a cat, yet its limbs were terrifyingly long—
The elbow joints bent backward, and sharp bone spurs protruded from the ends of its limbs. Its footsteps were completely silent, yet carried a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.
Its head was flat, its ears elongated like blade edges, and a pair of pupils as red as two poisoned pearls glowed brilliantly in the night.
As for its mouth, it split open from the corners of its ears, and a maw filled with jagged fangs bit down on the neck of Zhang San's corpse, tearing violently!
Crack-crunch!
The head separated from the torso, the sound of tearing bone and flesh exceptionally grating.
The demon chewed, emitting a low, gnawing sound imbued with an unspeakable bestiality and greed.
[Unknown Demon: Constitution Unknown]
[Note: This demon cannot be defeated with brute force, Host please flee quickly...]
Gu Chang'an merely glanced at it, and immediately his vision turned black, his heart beating like thunder, his entire body feeling as though pierced by ice needles.
This demon was an existence that utterly crushed him.
I can't move... the moment I move, it will see me...
Enduring his terror like a statue, he slowly backed away.
He didn't dare to walk fast, didn't dare to breathe.
Fortunately, this demon seemed immersed in a feast of fresh blood and corpse meat, chewing, swallowing, tearing, and gulping down...
It even used its claws to tear open Li Si's chest cavity, gouging out the heart to savor it slowly like licking syrup.
Cold sweat poured down Gu Chang'an's face, his complexion deathly pale, the sole thought in his heart being:
I cannot make a sound, I cannot let it notice me...
He knew—even half a breath taken too heavily could leave him dead without an intact corpse.
Finally, retreating behind a small earthen slope, he suddenly turned, spun around, and ran for his life!
His footsteps were hurried, vegetation streaking past on both sides, the wind whistling in his ears!
He pushed himself to the limit to keep his footsteps light, yet still ran until his heart and lungs felt like fire and his legs felt like they were filled with lead.
This world... is far too dangerous!
Barely having killed a few people whose bodies hadn't even cooled yet, it already attracted a demon—
Hiding low... staying low and biding time is definitely better!
He ran frantically for several miles, until he was far away from that patch of mountain forest and the chilling aura had completely dissipated, before collapsing onto the grass to gasp for breath.
His whole body trembled with cold, sweat and blood mixed together as if he had just dragged his life back from hell.
Staring off in the direction of that distant, pitch-black forest, a trace of lingering fear filled his eyes...
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