At Xie Chong's furious roar, Chen Jing didn't even twitch an eyelid. Like a beast that had been lying in wait, he suddenly stepped forward. The bluestone beneath his feet shuddered, and he swung his fist again, smashing it toward Xie Chong with a sharp whoosh.
"That bastard!"
Watching Chen Jing move, Xie Chong forced himself to endure the stabbing pain in his fingers. His blood surged, his muscles bulged, and he suddenly raised a leg.
The kick came at a vicious, tricky angle, aimed straight at Chen Jing's groin.
Anyone else might have dodged on instinct—or been kicked into permanent disability.
But Chen Jing didn't dodge.
Because Chen Jing was faster than Xie Chong!
At the very moment he launched his ambush, Chen Jing had detonated the blood qi he had accumulated over half a month of practicing the Five Harms Technique. Now the blood qi within him roared so violently it seemed ready to burst from his pores.
At this moment, Chen Jing's combat power was already approaching that of a Second Blood Martial Artist!
Boom!
Xie Chong's kick missed and slammed into the blue-brick wall of the alley.
The wall instantly cracked like a spiderweb, and fragments clattered down, showing just how savage the force had been.
If that kick had struck a person, it would have killed them on the spot.
By then, Chen Jing had already reached Xie Chong.
Steadying himself, Chen Jing's lungs boomed like drums and his blood qi thundered. His arm snapped out, his fist sinking and rising in one fluid motion as a River-Breaking Fist burst forth.
"Come on!!"
Seeing the fist hurtling straight toward his head, Xie Chong's pupils shrank in terror. Instinct made him pull his leg back, turn, and raise his arm to punch again.
Bang!!!
Fist met fist, their hard bones crashing together.
But the next instant, Xie Chong screamed in agony.
"Ah!!! You son of a..."
Xie Chong's fist felt as if it had been smashed by a hammer. Three fingers had been pierced clean through by iron nails, which dropped to the ground.
Pain from the fingers shot straight to the heart. Chen Jing had thrown the punch with all his strength, and Xie Chong nearly fell to his knees. His voice cracking, he roared, "You despicable coward!! You used a hidden weapon! If you've got the guts, don't use hidden weapons! Fight me fair and square!!"
Xie Chong howled like a mad dog, but his hand shook so badly he couldn't hold it steady. Even his blood qi had fallen into disarray.
Chen Jing ignored him completely. There was only one word in his eyes: kill.
The next moment, Chen Jing sank his weight and charged again.
Another River-Breaking Fist flew out.
This time, Xie Chong couldn't even raise a hand to block. He could only watch the fist smash toward him.
Thud!!!
The fist struck like a hammer, landing squarely on Xie Chong's forehead.
Blood and spittle sprayed at once. Xie Chong's head snapped to the side, and he toppled to the ground. After rolling twice, he was seized by the collar by Chen Jing.
"You... who are you... why... ambush me..."
Blood and foam spilled from Xie Chong's mouth. His voice was so weak it was almost inaudible.
But Chen Jing didn't answer.
After all, he had come to kill, not to seek justice.
All he needed was for Xie Chong to die.
Then came the third punch, the fourth, the fifth...
With iron nails embedded in his fists, he rained blows down on Xie Chong's head, face, and temples.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud...
Every punch sank into flesh. Every punch drew blood.
The alley held nothing but the dull sound of flesh being crushed and Xie Chong's garbled moans. Within moments, all was silent.
No one knew how much time had passed.
At last, Chen Jing's fists stopped.
Xie Chong lay motionless at his feet, his head turned to one side, his face smashed beyond recognition.
In the silent alley, only Chen Jing's ragged breathing remained.
"Hah..."
Chen Jing looked down at the body, its face beaten beyond recognition. After making sure Xie Chong was well and truly dead and that no one else was nearby, he slowly exhaled.
"Looks like I'm still not strong enough!"
There was no joy or relief in Chen Jing's voice, only the chill of someone jolted awake by reality.
"Against a good-for-nothing whose body's been hollowed out by wine and women, someone who only bullies the weak, I still had to prepare iron nails and ambush him... just to kill him."
"This still isn't nearly enough."
Chen Jing clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white.
"I have to get stronger—strong enough to kill trash like him with a single punch, without hidden weapons or an ambush!"
With that thought, Chen Jing took a deep breath, put his feelings aside, and began skillfully stripping the spoils from the bodies.
He searched all three men again and again to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Then he brought over a few rocks and smashed the corpses several times, stopping only when it was impossible to tell that the fatal wounds had come from the River-Breaking Fist. Then he slipped soundlessly into the night.
Chen Jing didn't head straight home. Instead, he followed the Cold River to a secluded stretch, took off his clothes, and burned them completely. He dumped the ashes into the river.
Only after changing into a prepared set of clothes did he slowly make his way home.
All along the way, Chen Jing kept turning over the night's fight in his mind, searching for anything he could improve so he could make sure to kill in a single strike.
"I was still too slow this time... Next time, I'll throw lime in his eyes first, then follow up with a punch... That'll make sure I kill him in one strike."
Chen Jing picked apart every detail, repeatedly replaying the movements of a killing blow.
Back home, Chen Jing counted his silver and found that Xie Chong and his two guards had been carrying a full eighty taels.
"That really is a fat dog of a rich bastard. No wonder he can afford so many wives and concubines—he's loaded!"
Seeing that, Chen Jing's thoughts stirred.
As the old saying went, murder and arson won you a golden belt!
For an instant, several small gangs flashed through Chen Jing's mind. Gangs might not be rolling in wealth, but every one of them was rich and dripping with profit.
But the thought appeared for only a moment before Chen Jing pushed it down.
After all, Hu Duanzhuo stood behind Xie Chong. Who knew what forces stood behind those small gangs?
Chen Jing still wasn't strong enough to ignore the major powers of Red Rock County.
"Forget it. This eighty taels alone is enough for my cultivation."
Chen Jing tucked the silver under his bed, then went to sleep.
The next day.
Chen Jing didn't go to the Fist Academy. Instead, he loitered near Spring Return Hall and Eight Desolations Academy, pretending to shop as he wandered around and listened for news.
Normally, news of a man like Xie Chong being beaten to death should have spread within a day.
Yet even as the sun sank toward the horizon, there was no sign of anything. Xie Chong's guards hadn't even come to Spring Return Hall to look for him.
It was as if everyone had forgotten Xie Chong.
This eased Chen Jing's mind a little.
It seemed even Xie Chong's family didn't care for him. He had been missing for a whole day, and still no one had come looking.
That suited Chen Jing just fine.
On the third day, Chen Jing stopped wandering outside and returned to the martial arts hall, where he resumed his training as before.
When the sun was already high in the sky, Zhuang Tao arrived at the Fist Academy. Seeing Chen Jing, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "Junior Brother Chen, why haven't you been around these past few days?"
From the day Xie Chong said he wanted to marry Chen Chunmiao, through the investigation and the attack, to yesterday's watch for any reaction, Chen Jing had been gone for four whole days.
Zhuang Tao hadn't seen Chen Jing in four days and had worried something had happened to him.
Hearing Zhuang Tao's question, Chen Jing gave the excuse he had prepared in advance. "My sister and I had a little celebration... This is a big deal, after all, and I had to tell my family."
"I see."
Zhuang Tao nodded and said, "You really should celebrate. But you're only a First Blood Martial Artist for now. When you advance to Second Blood, I'll treat you to a feast at a restaurant!"
Zhuang Tao hadn't spoken quietly, so the other senior and junior brothers in the Central Courtyard had naturally heard him.
Hearing what Zhuang Tao said, everyone present shook their heads. Even Pu Shaojie wore a look of disdain.
In their eyes, Chen Jing had taken two whole months to break through to First Blood. He had clearly exhausted his potential, and advancing to Second Blood was little more than a pipe dream!
The resources Zhuang Tao was now investing in Chen Jing seemed like a waste to them.
Those resources would be better spent on someone with more talent!
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Senior Brother Zhuang."
Chen Jing smiled as he spoke, ignoring the looks around him.
"Haha, no problem, no problem!"
Zhuang Tao laughed heartily. Then he glanced around and lowered his voice to Chen Jing. "I knew you were the one, Junior Brother. Unlike certain people who don't know how to appreciate a kindness!"
As he spoke, Zhuang Tao deliberately shot a glance at Xiang Lingfei, who had just walked out the door.
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