Kill!

Two nights later, Chen Jing wrapped a cloth around his head, leaving only his eyes exposed. He'd changed into a set of ragged clothes, too. Not only would strangers fail to recognize him—even Chen Sanwu wouldn't know it was Chen Jing.

Over the past two days, Chen Jing had made no shortage of inquiries about Brother Tiger. He'd even secretly followed him, confirming that he lived in a gloomy room in a rundown alley in West City.

At that moment, Brother Tiger and his two lackeys, Pockmarked Qiang and Scarhead, were in the room, eating meat and drinking while counting the coins they'd recently collected, piled on the table.

"Brother Tiger, the security fee from that Su family was three copper coins short this time."

Pockmarked Qiang muttered as he counted the coins.

"Yeah, the Xun family on my end was five copper coins short, too!"

Scarhead immediately chimed in from the side.

Brother Tiger snorted at that, the rolls of fat on his face twitching. "Tsk. Looks like this rabble really won't learn until they see their own coffins!"

"Tomorrow, we'll teach them each a proper lesson. They actually dare to try and fool me!"

Just then, Brother Tiger seemed to remember something. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "By the way, how are things with that Chen family? Have they borrowed the money yet?"

Pockmarked Qiang hurried to answer. "I asked their neighbor. They're borrowing it now, just waiting for us to come collect. They can't run!"

"Hahahahaha!"

At Pockmarked Qiang's reply, Brother Tiger burst into laughter, the rolls of fat on his face jiggling. "I told you, that kid's a spineless piece of trash! So what if he practices martial arts? He still doesn't dare lay a hand on me!"

He raised his wine bowl, took a long swig, then continued, "I'd like to see what this so-called River-Breaking Fist is all about!"

"Haha, with arms and legs as thin as that guy's, one punch from you, Brother Tiger, and who knows how many pints of blood he'd puke up!"

Scarhead hurried to flatter him, afraid Pockmarked Qiang would steal all the limelight.

The two of them kept heaping praise on Brother Tiger, each afraid the other would become his favorite.

The three drank for a while longer. Then Pockmarked Qiang edged closer and asked Brother Tiger in a lowered voice, "By the way, Brother Tiger, if we really end up fighting the Canal Gang, should we run in advance?"

"After all, those Canal Gang bastards fight like they don't care if they live or die."

Brother Tiger waved him off impatiently. "Obviously we run. Why else do you think I'm collecting the security fees early?"

"If you two hadn't been with me for so long, would I even bother telling you?"

Seeing that, Scarhead once again began to flatter him. "No wonder you're the boss, Brother Tiger. You really are clever and far-sighted!"

Pockmarked Qiang, unwilling to be outdone, said, "You idiot, it's 'foresighted and far-sighted'!"

Brother Tiger glanced at the half-jar of wine left on the table and hurried them along. "All right, it's late. Get out, get out!"

"We're going, we're going."

When Brother Tiger started kicking them out, Pockmarked Qiang and Scarhead cast longing looks at the half-finished jar of wine. In the end, though, Brother Tiger's glare sent them slinking out of the room.

Once the two had left, the room fell quiet again. Brother Tiger was alone, eating meat and drinking.

As the night wore on, he drank more and more. His head began to swim, his body slumped to one side, and he burped drunkenly now and then.

Knock, knock, knock.

Just then, someone suddenly knocked at the door.

At the sound, Brother Tiger frowned and cursed in irritation, "Who is it? Coming to bother me this late? You looking to die?"

Cursing and swaying, Brother Tiger walked to the door and pulled it open.

Whoosh!

A handful of fine white powder flew straight into his face.

"Ah!!!"

The instant the lime got into his eyes, Brother Tiger's still-dazed mind cleared. Then it was as if his eyes had caught fire. He screamed in agony, wildly swinging both hands as he tried to attack the enemy in front of him and ward off the coming blows.

While Brother Tiger flailed blindly, Chen Jing first stepped back to put some distance between them, then seized the opening as Brother Tiger's chest was exposed and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying.

Thud!

Like a broken sack, Brother Tiger crashed onto the floor inside the room with a heavy thump.

"Friend..."

"Friend, we can talk this out!"

Feeling the terrible pain in his chest, as if it had caved in, Brother Tiger realized he'd run into someone tough.

So, thinking of his own life, he didn't dare put up a fight. He hurriedly begged for mercy. "I have money here. Please spare my life..."

Chen Jing didn't respond to Brother Tiger's pleas. He pulled the bamboo tube from his waist, popped off the lid, and flung the water inside at Brother Tiger's head and face.

Sizzle!

The water reacted violently with the lime, sending up steam. Scalding slurry covered Brother Tiger's face, and he immediately let out a bloodcurdling scream. "Aaaaaah!"

His agonized shrieks echoed through the broken-down house. Feeling the searing pain in his face, Brother Tiger rolled on the floor, clawing frantically at it in an attempt to scrape off the lime.

The instant Brother Tiger rolled over, Chen Jing's eyes turned icy. He reached out, grabbed the wooden chair nearby, and brought it crashing down without hesitation!

Bang! Bang! Whoosh!

After two thunderous blows, the chair had been smashed to pieces. On the third, a broken chair leg, carrying the force of the blow, plunged into Brother Tiger's neck!

Blood burst forth like a punctured sack, spreading rapidly across the floor in a dark red stream.

"You..."

Brother Tiger's voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with terror and resentment. But he only managed to get one word out before he toppled stiffly to the ground, silent.

Chen Jing didn't rush. He took a deep breath and waited. When Brother Tiger still didn't move, he walked over and stomped hard on his neck.

Crack!

The crisp sound of breaking bone rang through the room.

Then Chen Jing picked up the dagger lying on the floor, bent over, and stabbed Brother Tiger in the chest three times. Each blow was sure, accurate, and ruthless, leaving no room for the slightest chance of survival.

Only after he was certain the thug was well and truly dead did Chen Jing stand up. He wiped the dagger, swept all the money from the table into his clothes, and briskly left the house.

Outside, the night breeze brushed his face. Chen Jing didn't stop. He kept walking and turned the matter over in his mind.

"Brother Tiger was a notorious brute in the Blue Scarf Gang, a man who ran rampant, bullying men and violating women. No one dared live nearby. Even though the houses here have thin walls, the sounds I made shouldn't have carried far. No one should've heard."

"Besides, I smashed him three times, kicked him in the neck, and stabbed him in the chest three times. He should be thoroughly dead!"

In these times, human life was cheap as grass. People dying was nothing out of the ordinary. When Chen Jing had worked as a rickshaw puller, he'd seen plenty of corpses lying in alleys, and plenty of martial artists killing people over the slightest disagreement.

What's more, Brother Tiger had collected security fees again and again, rousing the anger of everyone. And he'd even planned to sell my eldest and second eldest sisters to a brothel!

If he didn't die, I couldn't rest easy!

I'd always wanted nothing more than to practice martial arts in peace. He'd forced me to kill! He'd forced me with his own life!

I was ridding the people of a menace. I'd protected my family!

I was right!

At that thought, the tension in Chen Jing's heart eased. It was as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his chest, and he breathed a little easier.

In this world, if I didn't want to die, then I could only ask someone else to die!

In the darkness, Chen Jing's steps didn't falter. Next, it was Pockmarked Qiang and Scarhead's turn.

Following the rundown alley, Chen Jing headed silently toward Pockmarked Qiang's home.