A black-clad figure slipped silently into Liu Chu's courtyard. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he lifted his feet lightly, making not the slightest sound.
Like a ghost, he slowly approached Liu Chu's room.
"They say this young man has already broken through into the Grade-Entry Realm, and that he's no slouch in a fight. He can overpower martial arts hall disciples of the same rank. Zhu Kai may well have died at his hands."
"The chief specifically warned me not to be careless. I must act cautiously, assassinate him, and eliminate him in one strike, before he can become a threat."
"I also need to clean up every trace so nothing is left behind. That way, the old fool Yang Wenhuai won't suspect a thing or avenge him..."
The black-clad figure's eyes were icy as he recalled the chief's instructions.
The Green Tiger Gang chief's brother-in-law had been captured by Han Qi and Liu Chu while the gang was swallowing up the Golden Fish Gang. He had been careless, and the two men handed him over to the Golden Fish Gang chief to claim a reward.
Afterward, the Golden Fish Gang chief used him to threaten the Green Tiger Gang chief. But in the end, the chief refused to be coerced and resolutely launched an attack!
As a result, the Golden Fish Gang chief killed his brother-in-law outright!
After Han Qi escaped, the Green Tiger Gang chief sent Ah Sheng, a former Golden Fish Gang member, to extend an olive branch to Liu Chu. Ah Sheng claimed that the chief had put their old grievances behind him and that if they joined the Green Tiger Gang, he would still put them to good use.
In truth, if either of them joined the Green Tiger Gang, death would be their only fate!
If Liu Chu joined, the chief could even arrange for him to die without anyone being the wiser—not even Yang Wenhuai, the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall's head instructor, would suspect a thing.
Unfortunately, Liu Chu hadn't been fooled. He'd stayed on his guard and moved out of his place in Heilu Bay that very night, rushing into the inner city.
The Green Tiger Gang chief's plan had failed, and instead he'd alerted his prey.
With no other choice, he sent Hall Master Zhu Kai to watch the entrance of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall from the shadows, hoping to catch Han Qi!
Who could have guessed that this move would instead cost Hall Master Zhu Kai his life?
It was Zhu Kai's death that finally made the Green Tiger Gang chief investigate Liu Chu in earnest. He learned of Liu Chu's outstanding performance at the martial arts hall.
In just three months, Liu Chu had broken through into the Grade-Entry Realm and fought a Great Accomplishment Realm opponent to the death. He could overpower Skin Refining Realm martial artists of the same rank and had the potential to enter the Eighth-Rank Tendon Refining Realm!
This made the Green Tiger Gang chief deeply wary of Liu Chu!
The chief himself was only a Tendon Refining Realm martial artist. If Liu Chu managed to break through into Tendon Refining, he would have the strength to threaten him.
The two sides had already become mortal enemies. It was either his death or Liu Chu's. At last, the Green Tiger Gang chief decided to stop using Liu Chu as bait to lure Han Qi into the open.
Instead, he sent a hall master to silently dispose of Liu Chu under cover of night.
That way, there would be no room for failure!
A night ambush was unquestionably deadly for a martial arts hall disciple like Liu Chu, who had never experienced the treachery of the martial world!
"Tonight... you die!"
The shadow pressed close to the door and silently drew out a thin iron wire, deftly working it between his hands.
A faint click sounded. His eyes suddenly gleamed in the darkness.
"The lock's open!"
The shadow smiled and slowly pushed the door open.
The door creaked softly, but in the next instant, a cascade of white powder poured down from above.
The shadow instinctively looked up. His eyes suddenly stung, a fierce burning sensation welling up in them.
"Damn... lime!"
The shadow grunted, realizing something was wrong.
He sprang backward at once.
Whoosh!
Just then, a gust of wind rushed toward him, its icy blade glinting so sharply that his skin prickled.
"Danger!"
The shadow realized at once that his target was awake. His figure flickered as he used his footwork to dodge left.
The blade split the night and flared with dazzling brilliance, fierce and deadly. Almost the instant the shadow dodged, it cut through the spot where he'd been standing.
"Huh!"
Liu Chu looked surprised. He hadn't expected his opponent's footwork to be so nimble.
Then again, it made sense. The Green Tiger Gang wouldn't have sent him to assassinate Liu Chu if his footwork and lightness skills weren't exceptional.
Yes, Liu Chu had already guessed that the newcomer was most likely from the Green Tiger Gang!
He had no other enemies he could think of. The Green Tiger Gang was the only one that might be after him.
"Hmph. Your eyes are blinded by lime. How many times do you think you can dodge?"
Liu Chu's expression was cold as he continued swinging his saber.
He wielded the Great Accomplishment Realm Duanmen Saber with a fearsome rush of force. His strikes were swift as thunder, each one whipping up a fierce gust of icy wind!
The shadow's eyes were blinded by the lime. Even with his excellent footwork, he dodged only two blows before Liu Chu's saber slashed through his throat!
Pfft!
The blade flashed across his throat. The shadow's eyes flew wide, but all he saw was darkness. His lime-blinded eyes still burned fiercely, leaving him unable to make out a thing.
But as a chill crept through his throat and blood sprayed out, the burning pain in his eyes gradually faded.
"Ghk..."
The shadow tried to say something, but in the end, only a breathy rasp escaped him. Clutching his neck, he collapsed heavily to the ground.
Liu Chu stepped forward and struck him once more to make sure he was dead, then frowned and searched his body.
All he found was a little over seventy taels of silver and a short sword.
"Sure enough, robbing people makes money faster than earning it. I've got over a hundred and eighty taels of silver on me now. I'm almost at the minimum for sacrificing ten Treasure Fish!"
Liu Chu pocketed the silver and couldn't help sighing.
As the saying went, "Kill and rob, and gold belts you'll earn." Plunder really was the fastest way to make money.
He'd killed just two Grade-Entry Realm martial artists and already pocketed over a hundred and seventy taels of silver!
"The Green Tiger Gang..."
Liu Chu stared at the figure on the ground, a murderous glint suddenly rising in his eyes!
"I was still wondering whether, after breaking through into Tendon Refining, I should kill the Green Tiger Gang chief and take his place!"
"Now there's no need to wonder. If I don't kill him, I won't be able to eat or sleep in peace!"
Murderous intent surged within Liu Chu, and he made up his mind at once.
If he hadn't been alert enough to rig his door with a lime trap every night before bed, he might already have been lying here with his head severed!
And where there was one, there would be another!
A thief could rob for a thousand days, but no one could guard against thieves for a thousand days!
Liu Chu had no intention of waking one night to find someone creeping up to his home again!
"Better now than later. Tonight... I'll unleash a killing spree!"
A chill flashed through Liu Chu's heart. He changed into a set of black night clothes, then picked up the Black Dragon Mask beside his bed and put it on.
He gripped the long saber he'd taken from the Black Market robbers.
Lifting the body from the ground, he vaulted over the wall and silently headed toward the Green Tiger Gang.
As for the corpse, he tossed it into Heilu Bay to feed the fish along the way!
He made his way there without a sound. When he reached the Green Tiger Gang, he didn't charge in recklessly but first studied the layout of their patrols.
Gang thugs drifted past him, some yawning, others chatting and jeering.
"The defenses aren't tight... Looks like a big victory has only made the Green Tiger Gang complacent!"
Liu Chu watched from the shadows for a while. He got the measure of the place and figured that with his strength, sneaking in undetected wouldn't be difficult.
He didn't hesitate. Like a tiger prowling through the night, he took advantage of the gap between patrol shifts and sprang forward. His figure flickered several times before he vaulted over the courtyard wall.
His feet touched down. Liu Chu's eyes gleamed in the darkness like a beast king surveying his territory, appearing and disappearing like a specter.
"I have to kill the Green Tiger Gang chief quickly!"
Liu Chu thought to himself as he weaved through the compound, soon reaching its heart.
"This should be the Green Tiger Gang chief's residence!"
Liu Chu eyed the brightly lit hall and crept closer.
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