Heart of Certain Kill

Whether in a past life or this one.

Lu Wu-bing had only heard stories of villages and cities being slaughtered.

But he had never witnessed it firsthand.

Coming to this world, his experiences over these past few days had shown him that in this era, whether prosperous or chaotic, the lives of the common folk were always filled with suffering.

He thought he had long grown accustomed to the sight of blood and gore.

But when he truly saw the vast expanse of corpses lying everywhere, he still felt a strong sense of unease.

Near and far, the tragic deaths of the old, the young, men and women, from one end of the village to the other, formed a brutal picture.

It left a knot of anger in his heart that he couldn't seem to spit out.

At this moment, he felt a kinship with the long sword in his hand, something he had never felt before.

A true man should wield a three-foot sword to sweep away all injustice in the world.

What was the point of martial arts and sword training? Lu Wu-bing had originally thought it was to protect his own peaceful days, and more importantly, to keep his friends and family safe from bullying.

Now, there was one more reason.

In this world, there were always many beasts unfit to live.

When you see them, don't stand idly by.

Even though he was not yet strong enough, nor could he deter all directions.

However, that day would eventually come.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

At this moment, Lu Wu-bing's heart was as cold as ice.

He lunged forward, his sword light like flowing silk.

He finished off the remaining bandits.

And then, he delivered a final sword thrust to the throats of the bandits still moaning on the ground.

Only the cold hilt in his hand could extinguish the rage in his heart.

He finally understood why Senior Sister Xiaolan had used the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle without a word.

She didn't want these bandits to live another second in this world.

"Grand Elder... San Niang, Xiao Hu..."

Gu Dashi threw down his steel fork and rushed to the corpses, tears streaming down his face.

The sturdy man, like a rock, cried like a child.

He was as soft as a puddle of mud.

Faint cries could be heard from all directions; these were the surviving villagers.

Out of a village of over three hundred people, only seven or eight remained.

Nearly half were severely injured and would likely not survive long.

"If you keep crying, they won't come back."

Although the words were cruel, Lu Wu-bing felt he had to say them: "If you have this much free time, you might as well tell me which faction these bandits belong to and where they are based?"

"Bandits, right, bandits, Chaoyang Stronghold, it was that scoundrel Chen San-yang of Chaoyang Stronghold. I hate him! I shouldn't have taken in those brothers back then; I never expected to be raising two vicious wolves."

Gu Dashi began beating his chest again. After finally calming down a little, he turned and went into a small thatched cottage that hadn't been burned down. He took out a small silk bundle.

His eyes were vacant as he slowly opened the silk cloth, revealing the items within. He held them with both hands and then kowtowed before Lu Wu-bing.

"Young hero, your life-saving grace is beyond repayment. This batch of medicinal herbs is what the Chaoyang Stronghold coveted.

A few days ago, the news of finding a wild ginseng leaked out, which attracted the bandits.

I've always said that even though that Chen Shanyang came from Gu Family Village, we shouldn't have any illusions.

This man is an insatiable wolf; he would eventually set his sights on the village. The Grand Elder and the others never believed me..."

Gu Dashi's mind was too stimulated, and he was speaking incoherently now, without any focus.

However, Lu Wu-bing still understood.

A few days ago, Gu Dashi, a hunter, had found a precious ginseng on the mountain.

He knew the principle of not flaunting wealth.

He had stayed at home, suppressing his excitement, and secretly drank a few sips of strong liquor, thinking that as long as he found a way to sell this wild ginseng, not only would his child's mother's illness be cured, but the extra money could also be used to properly raise his son, Er Gou.

Because he had drunk a bit too much, Gu Dashi told his wife about it. The couple happily discussed how to live a good life in the future, but little did they know, their five-year-old son, Er Gou, overheard them.

What followed was a melodramatic story.

It was also a tragic story.

Who would have thought that childish words could also be a sharp knife that kills?

No one could have imagined that the Three Heroes of Chaoyang would turn their blades on the very village that nurtured them.

In the past, these bandits would raid other villages for food, wreaking havoc and violating women. Some villagers in Gu Family Village had always felt fortunate.

They believed that despite the bandits' cruelty, they wouldn't harm those closest to them, that they still held some regard for their shared history.

Thus, the village's Grand Elder would send grain to the stronghold every few days, hoping to maintain good relations...

But they never expected that temporary safety did not guarantee perpetual security.

The rabbits near the tiger weren't eaten... simply because the tiger was full and didn't deem them worth the effort.

"I know neither of you young heroes seeks reward, but I cannot rest easy with such a great debt owed. Please, do not refuse. This ginseng is ancient and will greatly aid in cultivating internal energy, which you can certainly use."

"If I were twenty years younger, I might have been able to use this to defy fate. But now, it is of no use to me."

Seeing Lu Wu-bing refuse, Gu Dashi looked troubled. After repeating himself a few times, he finally relented, "Chaoyang Stronghold is in a treacherous location, and they have seventy to eighty strong men. Their leader, Chen San-yang, learned some formidable body-hardening techniques somewhere and wields the Coiling Dragon Staff with incredible skill. Their second-in-command, Soul-Reaping Spear Ge Zhong, is said to be from the Northern Army and possesses extremely sharp spear techniques... Attacking this stronghold was never a high-probability endeavor. I only hope that when you, young hero, achieve great cultivation in the future, you will come to slay these villains..."

"Day is short, night is long. I cannot wait that long."

Lu Wu-bing was finally moved.

This man desperately wanted to charge up the mountain and fight to the death, yet he entrusted the ginseng to someone he'd just met, all for the hope of future revenge.

"Senior Sister, a sword's sharpness comes from grinding. I feel that only through actual combat can swordsmanship improve rapidly. How about..."

"How could I possibly be left out of this? Such vicious bandits... it would have been better if we hadn't encountered them. But now that we have, if we turn a blind eye, my father would surely think I, his daughter, am useless and disgrace his name." Ouyang Lan declared resolutely.

When the Eastern Sea Sword Sect had designs on the Lu family, she had watched from the sidelines, wanting to intervene several times. However, due to certain complications, she could only watch, offering only subtle warnings and aid. This incident showed that her fiery spirit was still alive, and she possessed a sense of chivalry.

The two exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them. Without further hesitation, they accepted the ginseng...

Ouyang Lan was more familiar with such mountain treasures than Lu Wu-bing, a young master from the Hall of Returning Spring. After a mere glance, she determined it was a fine specimen, at least three hundred years old.

"Junior Brother, do you know? Besides diligent, day-by-day practice, there's a shortcut to cultivating internal energy: consuming various qi-replenishing items. A ginseng like this, in the martial world, would at least cause a bloody scramble, if not a full-blown conflict. You've just begun practicing Dripping Water Force and are in great need of a tonic to speed up your qi cultivation."

Ouyang Lan sighed, "Unfortunately, while the cultivation of Dripping Water Force is balanced and peaceful, its progress is slow. The meridians you've opened cannot support such a massive medicinal potency. If you were to switch to the Celestial River Orthodox Method, your internal energy cultivation speed could increase severalfold."

In truth, Lu Wu-bing's progress in internal energy cultivation had already astounded Ouyang Lan. But the more exceptional he was, the more she felt it was a waste for such a cultivation genius to only practice the basic Celestial Star internal energy. She longed to witness the day her junior brother soared to the heavens. The thought that she had discovered such a talent and facilitated his entry into the Celestial Star Sect filled her with immense pride. History would remember this. Her reputation as the heroic Ouyang Lan would be magnified because of it.

Holding the three-hundred-year-old wild ginseng, a strange, half-smiling expression appeared on Ouyang Lan's face, leaving Lu Wu-bing bewildered. He thought perhaps his senior sister was still affected by the tragic scene they had witnessed earlier. He waved his hand in front of her, "Senior Sister, since I can't fully absorb the ginseng's power, and you practice the Celestial River Orthodox Method, you can use it."