A Commoner's Fury, Blood Splatters in All Directions

After finishing everything, Liang Qisheng did not linger in Lotus Town.

All the matters that needed handling were done, and he turned to leave.

Along the way, he encountered little of note.

Liang Qisheng had originally stood one meter eighty tall, and after training in the Black Tiger Fist stance, his height had actually shot up again, reaching around one meter eighty-five by now.

He was tall and sturdy, bursting with vitality, his bones, skin, and flesh all appearing firm and compact.

Even with clothes covering him, one glance showed he was powerfully built, and ordinary people dared not provoke him.

However, just five li outside Lotus Town, as he entered a dirt path.

Passing by a stretch of woods, several people leaped out from the trees, surrounding Liang Qisheng in an instant.

The leader, face covered, pointed at him and directly ordered him to hand over his money.

Liang Qisheng narrowed his eyes, sneering inwardly.

He recognized that familiar figure—it was the former clerk from Nine Harmonies Hall—and said coldly on the spot.

"Is this the rule of Nine Harmonies Hall? Not running a pawnshop or pharmacy, but turning into highwaymen who rob travelers?"

"I wonder if this is your shopkeeper's intention, or if you, the clerk, have been overcome by greed and broken the rules?"

The man knew Liang Qisheng had seen through his disguise, so he stopped hiding, tore off the black cloth from his face, and sneered in reply.

"A hunter from some poor, remote backwater village—didn't expect you to actually have some skill."

"But I never planned to let you live anyway. What use is good archery?"

"...Now that we meet on a narrow path, I've already countered your bow skills. Why don't you take out your bow and see if my blade is faster than your nocking an arrow?"

Then, without ceremony, the clerk waved his hand and commanded the others directly.

"Brothers, get to work. This guy has at least a hundred taels of silver on him."

"I only want the Body Nourishing Pill; the rest of the silver is yours!"

The other bandits clearly weren't new to this trade; they moved with practiced ease.

Surrounding Liang Qisheng from front, back, left, and right, they exchanged glances, then brandished their weapons and charged.

"Just when I was nodding off, a pillow comes—I was thinking where to find some Man-Ghouls to practice on. And here they deliver themselves..."

Watching these blade-wielding men rush at him, their swords glinting, each one clearly carrying some martial skill.

Liang Qisheng murmured to himself, his body moved, transforming into a tiger released from its cage. Without a word, he met them head-on.

Clang!

A loud crash rang out as their weapons collided.

An irresistible force transmitted directly along the blade.

Under the other's horrified gaze, his molded steel knife was sent flying high.

The man felt his tiger's mouth split open with searing pain, let out an involuntary grunt, and his weapon slipped from his grip.

Having broken through the Flesh Refining Realm, Liang Qisheng possessed the strength of an ox—this was no empty boast.

With the Black Tiger Fist stance as his foundation, every move carried immense power, and at this moment, it was displayed to the fullest!

Faced with the other's panicked expression, Liang Qisheng showed no mercy.

This group had never intended to let him live from the start.

But Liang Qisheng, too, harbored a tiger in his heart, his killing intent leaking out.

Then, left and right.

Two arcs of blade light swept out.

The chopping knife, barely warmed in his hand, carved a sharp edge.

Instantly, blood sprayed, heads flew, and the two attacking bandits died on the spot.

"...Killed a guilty person, gained two points of merit!"

"...Killed a guilty person, gained three points of merit!"

With ease, these two blade-wielders, clearly trained in martial arts, were felled by Liang Qisheng like chopping vegetables.

And their deaths were gruesome—heads severed, blood splattering.

But the headless bodies didn't fall at once; they stood there for a moment, then, as the wind stirred by Liang Qisheng passed, they toppled in unison.

They fell right at Liang Qisheng's feet, blood flowing freely, the stench of gore rising thick.

This sight nearly made the remaining few piss themselves.

They abandoned all sense of brotherhood and turned to flee.

But how could Liang Qisheng let them go, especially the leading clerk, a man from Nine Harmonies Hall?

If he really escaped, even for the sake of Nine Harmonies Hall's reputation, Liang Qisheng would be in serious trouble.

The other side would surely not let him off.

Thinking this, Liang Qisheng's feet struck the ground as he sped off, one blade per man, instantly felling two more.

These two were solely focused on fleeing; by the time the gale stirred behind them, they had no chance to resist before he lopped off their heads.

Now, only that shop assistant remained.

His face was pale and panicked, as if he had just recalled Shopkeeper Lin's words: "...This hunter is extraordinary, not easy to deal with."

Liang Qisheng swept through the wind, showing no mercy, and in an instant arrived before him.

"Nine Harmonies Hall won't let..."

Liang Qisheng was cold, silent without a word, and without hesitation swung his woodcutter's axe, chopping down fiercely.

Ten steps kill one man, not half a step's pause.

The venom hidden in the shop assistant's eyes was clear to him.

With a scream, the knife in the shop assistant's hand was sent flying, a gash slowly splitting open along his brow, his entire head cleaved in two from the middle.

His hard skull shattered into pieces, eyes wide in death, blood splattering as he fell to the ground.

"A shop assistant, just a dog of Nine Harmonies Hall."

"...Killed is killed, dead in this wild wilderness, who knows you came?!"

"...Slaying a guilty man, gained ten points of merit!"

Looking at the data in his mind, Liang Qisheng grew even more certain that this bunch wasn't new to such deeds.

They had probably marked many fat sheep before, their merit points nearly matching those of Big Head Li and the herb-gathering crew.

Figuring all this out, he followed his usual routine and searched the bodies first.

From these men, he only found some loose silver, no martial arts manuals or pills he wanted.

Then without pause, he dragged the corpses into the ditches along the road.

He tossed them down without ceremony, piled up random stones, and hastily buried them.

As long as their bones weren't found, even Nine Harmonies Hall could only suspect.

In the short term, they shouldn't trace it back to him, but he still needed to prepare early.

For a moment, Liang Qisheng felt little worry in his heart.

Ever since he had drawn blood in killing, the evil thoughts within him surged violently, no longer containable.

Like a tiger caged in the heart, a prison pressing on his body.

After hastily cleaning the scene, Liang Qisheng left.

Along the way, he made no stops.

Leaving the bounds of Lotus Town, he cut into the field paths, his feet never pausing.

Once back home, he rested a moment, then checked the data in his mind again.

The information had changed once more.

"Name: Liang Qisheng

Realm: Flesh Tempering.

Lifespan: 67 and a half years.

Technique: Black Tiger Fist 52%(+)

Auxiliary: Hundred Herb Scripture!

Merit: Nineteen points!"

Seeing the nineteen points of merit, Liang Qisheng felt a surge of joy.

Merit points, plus two bottles of Body Nourishing Pills, were enough for him to take another step forward.

The Black Tiger Fist was likely heading toward the Great Completion realm—a level Old Man Zhao had never reached in his entire life.