Ambushed 2

Watching one companion die and another crippled, the last tall, burly man, built like a wild bull, was gripped by terror and panic. His eyes instantly flooded with blood, while fear and despair gave birth to a savage madness.

He let out a roar that sounded nothing like a human voice. Throwing caution to the wind, he raised a fist as large as a cooking pot and hurled it at Cui Hao with all his brute strength, without the slightest trace of technique! The wind shrieked around it, its momentum terrifying.

Facing this attack, which relied solely on brute force and intended to drag them both to their deaths, Cui Hao's gaze remained calm. Rather than retreat, he advanced.

He planted his foot, united his waist and legs, and fired his right fist like a cannonball leaving the barrel. Without any fancy variations, he used the most basic Mountain Collapse!

"Bam—!!!"

The two fists collided viciously in midair, producing a muffled boom like leather being struck!

A vast force traveled through their fists. Cui Hao's body swayed slightly as he slid half a step backward to disperse the impact, leaving a shallow pit beneath his foot.

The tall, burly man staggered back a step as well, but the rage on his face was instantly replaced by incredulous horror. His eyes bulged wide, filled with terror.

"You... you're at the Mortal Martial Realm's Great Completion!!" he screamed, his voice warped by fear.

When their fists collided, he had felt as though he had smashed his fist against an iron anvil. The "fat sheep's" fist had carried an incomparably solid force, and the rebound had left his entire arm numb and aching with pain. This was absolutely not power that someone who had only just reached Minor Completion could possess!

Cui Hao remained expressionless, but his heart stirred slightly.

The panel's added twenty points of physique and other boosts had pushed his actual strength far beyond that of his peers. He had deliberately restrained himself in ordinary times, but his true power had been exposed when he went all-out.

Fortunately... the dead couldn't talk.

Without giving his opponent any chance to catch his breath or think, he took an electric advancing step, closing in on the highwayman like a ghost.

The tall, burly man threw another punch in his panic, but Cui Hao struck first despite moving later. His left hand clamped precisely onto the man's right wrist joint like an iron vise, while his right hand flashed out and locked the opponent's elbow joint—this was Locking the Dragon, one of the grappling variations of Broken Fist!

"Break!"

Cui Hao shouted in a low voice. The strength of his core erupted instantly. The muscles in both arms bulged as he twisted his waist and turned his hips, adding deft leverage, as though snapping a thick sugarcane stalk—

"Crack!"

The tooth-grinding sound of shattering bones rang out clearly.

"Ah—!!!"

The tall, burly man let out a heart-rending howl, far more shrill than the short, stout man's earlier cry. His entire right arm bent unnaturally, clearly broken at the bone, with the tendons torn apart.

Mercy for one's enemies was cruelty to oneself. Cui Hao moved with nimble steps, following like a shadow as he circled behind the burly man, whose body had hunched over from the pain.

His right fist clenched, his qi and blood pouring into it. Then he drove a plain but full-powered straight punch viciously into the spine just above the back of the man's heart!

"Thud! Crack!" A dull impact was accompanied by the even softer sound of cracking bone.

That punch not only shattered the man's organs but directly broke the crucial section of his spine!

The burly man's howl stopped abruptly, like a rooster strangled by the neck. His eyes widened to their limit, and his massive body seemed to have its soul pulled out in an instant, going limp and powerless.

"Thump—!"

His knees gave way, and he dropped straight down onto them. Then he slammed face-first into the cold, hard ground with a heavy crash.

His body twitched twice before falling silent.

Only his hollow, vacant eyes still held the terror and bewilderment of his final moments, like a dying stray dog swallowing its last breath in despair.

The night wind swept past as Cui Hao breathed slightly harder, adjusting the qi and blood stirred by the fierce battle.

An indescribable feeling welled up in his heart—not wild joy or bloodlust, but a strange calm born from controlling power and surviving a life-and-death struggle.

It was as though, beneath the vast heavens, between life and death, only strength and intelligence could be relied upon.

"G-Great sir! Spare me! Please spare me!!"

Just then, the short, stout man whose right arm had been crippled struggled to prop up his upper body with his still-mobile left hand. He repeatedly knocked his head against the ground before Cui Hao, his voice trembling violently from fear and pain.

"Y-You're an expert at the Mortal Martial Realm's Great Completion! This humble one failed to recognize Mount Tai! Please show mercy and spare my life! I'm already crippled—I pose no threat to you anymore! I have money on me. I'll give it all to you! All of it!"

Cui Hao's tone was strange. "You people make a living robbing and killing. Before taking action, don't you ever investigate your targets and find out their cultivation level and strength?"

The short, stout man seemed to have seized a glimmer of hope and hurriedly replied at lightning speed, "We did! We did! We heard it from a disciple of Qingsong Martial School with the surname Cui while drinking at Yuexiang Tower!"

"He said you were a poor hunter from Willow Tree Village who had recently gotten lucky and hunted some game, so you should have a little silver on you, but that you were stingy and miserly... At most... at most, you'd only be at the Mortal Martial Realm's Entry Level. Or you had only broken through recently... That's why... why we dared to make a move, great sir!"

By the end, the short man was nearly sobbing, filled with regret.

Cui Hao's gaze turned cold. Someone surnamed Cui, from Qingsong Martial School—his cousin, Cui Huo!

"Great sir! Let me go! I'm really crippled! I'll give you all my money!" Seeing Cui Hao remain silent, the short, stout man thought he had hope. Tears and mucus streaming down his face, he tremblingly extended his injured left hand toward his chest, as though he truly intended to take out his money.

Cui Hao moved! His right foot lashed out like a whip, striking with lightning speed and kicking the short, stout man precisely and viciously beneath the chin!

"Crack! Pfft!"

The tooth-grinding sound of bones breaking mixed with the splintering sound of teeth.

The kick sent the short, stout man flying nearly five feet into the air. His neck bent at a bizarre angle before he crashed to the ground like a torn sack. After twitching twice, he stopped moving completely.

And his left hand still remained extended toward his chest.

Still uneasy, Cui Hao smoothly followed up with a kick to the short man's heart. His chest caved inward.

Only then did he quickly search the body, finding a cold, hard metal object shaped like an oversized writing brush. Fine holes covered its tip, clearly identifying it as some kind of mechanical hidden weapon.

Sure enough, it was impossible to guard against. Fortunately, he had acted first and kicked the man to death.

He kicked the other two corpses as well, searched their bodies, and then turned to dealing with the corpses.

There was no river nearby in which to sink them.

And Second Mountain was too far away.

After a brief moment of thought, Cui Hao drew the bloodstained short blade and quickly destroyed the faces of all three corpses until they were impossible to recognize.

Finally, he dragged the bodies into a deeper patch of withered grass by the roadside and hastily covered them.

After finishing everything, he took a huge detour and slipped in from the other side of Willow Tree Village. Moving like a civet cat, he returned to the outside of his family courtyard wall without making the slightest sound.

Knock! Knock!

"Sister Yun, it's me. Open the door."

"Brother Hao!" Hearing the familiar, faint knock, Su Yun, who had been anxiously waiting, promptly opened the courtyard gate.

Seeing Cui Hao return safely just as he did every day, she finally relaxed and said softly, "You must be starving, right? The food's been kept warm. It'll be ready to eat in a moment."

"I'm fine." Cui Hao puffed out his chest, deliberately putting on a few airs of a "real man." "Today, this man is going to bathe first and wash away the bad luck."

"All right, bathe first." Su Yun was almost unfailingly obedient to him. Knowing how hard her man had worked outside, she said, "I'll get you a clean change of clothes."

As she spoke, she turned toward the main room.

"Wait." Cui Hao stopped her, the corners of his mouth curling into a wicked smile. Lowering his voice, he said, "You... put on the red one."

Su Yun's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, as though painted with sunset clouds. She glared at him in embarrassed annoyance, but the look had no force behind it and only made her appear even more charming.

She hurried to the western room to change into the bold little red garment known only between husband and wife.

Taking advantage of this time, Cui Hao acted quickly. He first went to the latrine and carefully hid the short blade and the copper hidden weapon he had taken beneath a loose flagstone, inside a concealed compartment.

Finally, he went to the kitchen and poured out and counted the contents of the three money pouches beneath the dim oil lamp.

—There were 637 copper coins in total, along with about one tael and eight qian of broken silver.

It wasn't a huge sum, but it was still a considerable gain.

At the same time, he noticed the panel.

[Realm: Mortal Martial Realm, Minor Completion] and [Broken Fist Stance Training Method] had each surged by 60 points!

They had leaped from 220 all the way to 280!

To level up, killing people really was the way!

He quickly stripped off his outer clothes, trousers, and shoes, which were stained with dirt and a faint smell of blood, and tossed them into the large wooden basin used for washing clothes. He ladled in cold well water and soaked them first to remove the odor.

By the time Su Yun finally emerged after changing into that alluring red garment, her cheeks flushed, Cui Hao had already stripped to the waist and quickly rinsed himself with hot water in the kitchen.

"Ah!" Su Yun had not expected him to be completely naked above the waist. She gave a soft cry and hurriedly turned her face away, the tips of her ears completely red.

"We're an old married couple. What are you shy about?" Cui Hao said boldly, handing her the soapberry. "Come over and scrub my back."

Su Yun shot him an exasperated glare. Her enchanting manner made Cui Hao's heart ripple.

Taking the soapberry and cloth, Su Yun walked behind him and began gently and carefully wiping his back.

The warm water and his wife's tender ministrations relaxed Cui Hao's body and mind, gradually washing away the tension and tautness of the battle.

Halfway through, Su Yun's movements slowed. She sniffed lightly, ultimately unable to suppress her worry, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Hao... when you came in just now, there was... a faint smell of blood on you. It's gone now."

Cui Hao's body paused slightly. He reached out, his wet hand gently pinching her smooth cheek, and said in a gentle tone that brooked no argument, "Men have men's business. Women shouldn't ask too much. Keep your heart in your stomach."

Su Yun lowered her head, her long lashes drooping. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum. "...I was just worried about you."

"I know." Cui Hao's tone softened. "Practice throwing lime powder more whenever you have the time. You need to train until you can scatter it casually even with your eyes closed. At a critical moment, it can save your life."

"Mm, I'll remember." Su Yun obediently agreed, her movements as she scrubbed his back growing even gentler.

After bathing and changing into clean undergarments, he felt refreshed from head to toe.

The delicious food filled his stomach and replenished the strength he had expended.

After the meal, Su Yun heated water to wash the clothes soaking in the basin, while Cui Hao lay on the bed with his eyes closed, reviewing the ambush he had just encountered.

Judging from their coordination and the ruthlessness of their attacks, the three men had definitely not been novices. They were probably all skilled fighters at the Mortal Martial Realm's Minor Completion, with abundant practical experience.

He had won for two reasons.

First, the all-around attribute boosts from his golden finger had given him strength, speed, and resistance to blows far beyond those of people at the same level. That was his foundation.

Second, the Broken Fist Stance Training Method taught by the martial school was genuinely practical. In particular, the footwork practiced from the stance had played a decisive role in dodging, maneuvering, and seeking openings.

The next morning, at first light, Cui Hao entered the city with Lin Da as usual.

On leaving the village, they inevitably passed near the battlefield from the night before. Cui Hao kept his eyes straight ahead and his steps steady, managing to do three things—not look, not listen, and not imagine.

It was as though it were merely an ordinary stretch of road.

Lin Da was preoccupied, chattering the entire way about his fear of the two-month deadline and his worries over whether he could break through into the Mortal Martial Realm. Naturally, he failed to notice anything unusual by the roadside.

That morning, he trained as usual at Qingsong Martial School, tempering the complicated martial arts techniques.

At noon, he left the martial school and headed straight to Xuanhu Hall beside the City Garrison.

It was one of the largest medicine halls in the city, with both a trustworthy reputation and reliable medicinal quality.

"Two packets of Qi and Blood Powder." Cui Hao addressed the shop assistant behind the counter.

"Coming right up, honored customer. Three taels of silver." The shop assistant deftly took out two small packets carefully wrapped in oiled paper, each bearing Xuanhu Hall's mark.

Cui Hao handed over the final three taels from the twenty taels of silver he had obtained from Zhou Menglong.

In exchange, he received two packets of medicine crucial to cultivation in the Mortal Martial Realm.

Just then, a familiar and irritating voice sounded behind him. "Cui Hao?"

The newcomer was none other than his uncle, Cui Hu.

Cui Hu's gaze first fell on Cui Hao's noticeably more robust figure, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes. Then he fixed his stare on the oiled-paper packets that Cui Hao had not yet put away.

"What you're holding... is Qi and Blood Powder?" Cui Hu's voice suddenly rose. It carried accusation and a strange sense of righteous entitlement. "Cui Hao! What do you think you're doing? You only barely entered the Mortal Martial Realm by clinging to the two-month deadline. Your aptitude is mediocre and your future limited! Using Qi and Blood Powder on you is pure waste!"

Cui Hao sneered. This wretch was utterly shameless.

Cui Hu could not hide the greed in his eyes. "Listen to your uncle and hand that Qi and Blood Powder over to me. Your cousin Cui Huo is a key talent being cultivated by Qingsong Martial School. He's only one step away from the Mortal Martial Realm's Great Completion!"

"This is exactly when he needs resources! Give the powder to him and help him break through sooner so he can pass the Martial Xiucai examination! That's what truly matters for bringing glory to our Cui family! It'll be a great benefit to you and to our entire lineage! You must put the greater good first!"

The grudges of the previous generation had caused their branch and the main family to become complete strangers long ago, practically cutting off contact until death.

The only reason Cui Hu could shamelessly speak such "lofty and righteous" words today was that the main family had already piled up enormous debts for Cui Huo. They had borrowed everything they could and were crazed with poverty, desperate to seize even this tiny advantage.

Cui Hao could not be bothered to waste words on such a person. He shifted his step and used exquisite footwork, slipping easily around Cui Hu like a swimming fish before striding away without looking back.

Cui Hu was stunned by the seemingly casual yet incredibly swift movement. By the time he recovered, Cui Hao had already gone several dozen feet away.

His face turned livid with rage. He stamped his feet and cursed several times where he stood, but there was nothing he could do.

Before the New Year, the old man had personally come to their door. Not only had he failed to obtain a single copper coin, he had instead been firmly but politely rebuffed. After that, the two families had completely stopped interacting.

Today, they had run into each other by chance. Cui Hu had intended to use his status as an elder to pressure the boy a little, but he had not expected the fledgling to have grown wings. The boy simply ignored him.