What Can Kill Is a Sword!

The next morning, Su Xin woke early. Seeing Xin'er still sleeping beside him, he quietly tucked the blanket around her.

He opened the rice jar and saw that only a dozen or so grains remained. His heart gave a painful twinge.

He staggered out the door, intending to find something he could use to make a sword.

Now that he had obtained Jing Wuming's Fast Sword, he first needed a sword of his own.

Outside, muddy streets ran with filthy water. The low, dilapidated houses and numb passersby all showed that this was a slum.

It was a place so poor that even beggars wouldn't come, yet it had a rather pleasant name: Joyful District.

Of course, Joyful District hadn't always been like this.

Changning Prefecture had once been the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with forty-nine wards and markets. Even Joyful District, near the city's edge, had been prosperous.

But thirty years ago, after Emperor Longwu—whose civil and military achievements would be praised for ages—appeared like a bolt from the blue and transformed Zhou from a small Southern Barbarian country into the Great Zhou Dynasty, with a thousand miles of territory and the former hegemon, Jin State, fleeing in disarray, Changning Prefecture began to decline.

After Emperor Longwu moved the capital, perhaps because the old city offended his eyes, he simply had the imperial city torn down and moved nine-tenths of the city's wealthy merchants and officials to the new capital, Shengjing. From then on, Changning Prefecture gradually fell into ruin.

In a corner, Su Xin found a scrap of iron about as long as his forearm and three fingers wide. It was covered in rust and had once been used to block off a chicken coop. Unfortunately, after his mother died, his family had never kept chickens again.

He found two pieces of wood, sandwiched the iron between them, and bound them with hemp rope. That made a hilt.

Then Su Xin found a whetstone and carefully ground the rust off the iron, sharpening its edge.

Just then, the door opened. Xin'er stepped out, bleary-eyed, rubbing her eyes and pouting. "Brother, what are you doing?"

A gentle smile touched Su Xin's lips. "Be good, Xin'er. In a little while, I'll take you to eat something delicious."

In this life, Su Xin had a pleasant appearance: a handsome, clean-cut youth of sixteen or seventeen. He wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but his smile was lovely.

"Mm, Xin'er will be good." Su Xin'er nodded hard and quietly swallowed.

Her brother used to take her to eat the tripe noodles Granny Wang made at the end of the street, but he hadn't taken her there in a long time.

"Hey, Su Xin, you're still alive? You're one tough bastard."

Two men in neat, short martial uniforms wandered over. An embroidered flying eagle adorned each of their chests, and their faces showed open surprise.

Su Xin watched them coldly. He knew the two of them well. In fact, three days ago, they had fought side by side as brothers.

The Flying Eagle Gang was one of the Three Gangs and Four Associations of Changning Prefecture. Aside from the gang leader, it had three hall masters.

Beneath the three hall masters were more than ten senior enforcers and over fifty junior enforcers.

When they had fought the Green Bamboo Gang last time, the senior enforcer had given an order: whoever killed the most men would become a junior enforcer, in charge of a street.

Su Xin was young, but he had real strength. With his ruthless, fearless fighting, he had killed three members of the Green Bamboo Gang right off the bat, immediately striking fear into the enemy.

But in the end, Liu Sandao, the man he had regarded as his big brother, had suddenly withdrawn with the others who had fought beside him, leaving Su Xin alone amid the Green Bamboo Gang's encirclement. They had beaten him to death.

"So Liu Sandao's already become a junior enforcer? Doesn't he worry that the position he bought by selling out his brothers will burn his backside?" If Su Xin hadn't been betrayed, his battle record would have earned him the position.

One of them shrugged. "Su Xin, you were too impressive. You killed the most men in that fight. If you hadn't died, Third Brother wouldn't have gotten to be a junior enforcer."

"Heh." Su Xin chuckled. For some reason, the sound sent a chill through both men.

"From the day I joined the Flying Eagle Gang, I've followed Liu Sandao. All these years, I've treated him like my big brother! Even though I had the most kills, I was going to let him have the position of junior enforcer!"

"Heh. You can't judge a book by its cover. Only a dead man is truly safe."

The other man drew the dagger at his waist and said viciously, "Lao Si, why waste your breath on him? The kid's badly injured. Now's the perfect time to finish him off!

"While he's alive, he's a stain on Third Brother's reputation. And his little sister—she's a bit young, but we could sell her to Yangzhou Prefecture as a lean horse and get a few taels of silver!"

Seeing him draw his blade, the passersby in Joyful District showed no surprise. Instead, they stopped to watch with interest.

The martial world was cruel, especially for people like them, who came from the slums.

Gang members fought and even killed one another every day. One or two deaths were nothing; they were all worthless lives, and the authorities couldn't be bothered to intervene.

Su Xin got unsteadily to his feet. His body was still weak.

"Xin'er, close your eyes."

Su Xin'er gazed at him with worry. She knew what her brother did, but she obediently closed her eyes because she trusted him.

The man sneered scornfully. "What, you think you can fight? In your current state, do you still think you're the Su Xin who could take on three burly men by himself without losing? You don't even have a weapon. What are you going to fight me with? That scrap of iron in your hand?"

"It's not a scrap of iron. It's a sword." Su Xin's voice was utterly calm, as if he were merely stating a fact.

"You call that a sword? Hahaha! Don't make me laugh!"

"If it can kill, it's a sword!"

Su Xin's left hand suddenly moved. He thrust once, and the ridiculous scrap of iron sank into the man's throat.

Jing Wuming's sword was a sword for killing! There were no fancy sword forms, only the simplest techniques for taking a life.

His swordsmanship wasn't martial arts, just a pure killing skill!

Su Xin slowly pulled the sword from the man's throat. Blood stained the rusty iron, turning it strangely vivid.

Now everyone believed that the weapon in Su Xin's hand really was a sword—a sword that could kill!

A hint of blood-red flashed in Su Xin's eyes. He didn't know why, but though this was his first time killing someone, he hadn't hesitated at all. Even the sight of blood spraying through the air hadn't made him feel the slightest discomfort.

Perhaps it was because the memories of his two lives had fused. Though Su Xin was a youth in this life, he had already taken lives.

"Killing someone seems pretty easy." Su Xin flicked the beads of blood from his sword, as if recalling how easily he had died in his previous life.

Lao Si was almost scared out of his mind.

He had known Su Xin for years and knew he could fight, but he had never seen such a terrifying sword technique!

Su Xin had merely raised his hand, and his sword had already pierced the man's throat. Simple, direct, and terrifying!

Lao Si didn't hesitate. He turned and ran, but suddenly felt a chill atop his head. At some point, Su Xin had sliced off a lock of his hair!

"If you run again, I'll kill you."

Lao Si immediately turned back and dropped to his knees. Kowtowing, he pleaded in terror, "What happened last time really had nothing to do with me. It was all Liu Sandao's decision! For old times' sake, please spare me!"

"Get up!"

Lao Si scrambled to his feet, too frightened even to breathe loudly.

"Hand over all the silver on you."

Lao Si hurriedly pulled out all the loose silver he had and placed it in Su Xin's hand.

"Take him back to Liu Sandao and tell him that what he owes me, I, Su Xin, will come collect myself."

Su Xin's face showed no emotion—not cruelty, not anger. Yet that was what made Lao Si feel cold to the bone.

Lao Si dragged and carried the corpse away, vanishing down the alley in a flash.

The other passersby in Joyful District hurriedly scattered.

They had seen people killed before, but Su Xin's swift, clean execution still left them trembling with fear.

"Xin'er, you can open your eyes now."

Su Xin rubbed Xin'er's head. "Come on. Wash your face, and I'll take you to eat beef brisket noodles."

A happy smile immediately appeared on Su Xin'er's face. As long as her brother was there and there was food to eat, she was content.

Granny Wang had been running her stall at the street corner for decades. Ever since Su Xin was little, he had brought Su Xin'er here to eat noodles.

Granny Wang sold only three kinds: plain noodles, tripe noodles, and beef brisket noodles.

In the past, Su Xin only occasionally brought Xin'er here for a bowl of tripe noodles to satisfy her cravings. They only ordered beef brisket noodles on holidays, and then only one bowl, for Xin'er.

"Granny, two bowls of beef brisket noodles, please."

Granny Wang brought them two bowls of beef brisket noodles in gleaming red broth, making sure Xin'er's bowl had a few extra big chunks of brisket.

"Good girl, take your time." Granny Wang spoke with a strong Xiangchuan accent. Watching Xin'er wolf down her noodles, her deeply wrinkled face lit up like a blooming flower.

"Mm, thank you, Granny Wang." Xin'er eagerly slurped her noodles and mumbled her thanks.

Su Xin put the beef brisket from his own bowl into Xin'er's, then ate his noodles in big mouthfuls.

As the food settled in his stomach, Su Xin felt some of his strength return. His body, which had gone hungry for three days, regained most of its energy.

Though he had gained a trace of pitiful internal energy from practicing Quanzhen Sect Basic Internal Skill, that little bit wasn't enough to fully restore his strength.

After finishing his noodles, Su Xin saw Xin'er still wolfing hers down. He gently rubbed her head and said to Granny Wang, "Granny, I have something to take care of. Could you watch Xin'er for me for a while?"

Granny Wang waved a hand and sighed. "Little lad, the martial world is treacherous. Don't forget you've got a little girl for a sister."

Su Xin smiled at Granny Wang. Could the martial world really be worse than the human heart?

"Be good, Xin'er. Stay here with Granny Wang and finish your noodles. I'll be back tonight."

With her cheeks puffed out, Su Xin'er obediently nodded.