Fifth Young Master glanced back and saw the distance between them steadily shrinking. Terror seized him.
"Huang Haitao, what are you standing there for?" Fifth Young Master roared.
He had dared to swagger so brazenly through the Black Market, acting as though he feared offending no one,
not only because Lu Li was young, but, more importantly, because Huang Haitao had his back.
Huang Haitao reluctantly stepped out of the shadows.
Now that he saw Lu Li and the tall, powerfully built Hu Niu, his scalp prickled.
"Brother, would you be willing to show some mercy?" he asked, forcing down his fear.
He really didn't want to show himself, but his master had ordered him to keep Fifth Young Master safe.
If anything happened to Fifth Young Master, his master would skin him alive!
Besides, Lu Li had revealed that he was at the Tendon-Refining Realm, the same level as Huang Haitao.
With White Tiger helping him, Huang Haitao had no chance of winning.
He had already cursed Fifth Young Master a thousand times over in his heart.
Everyone knew that a Tendon-Refining Realm expert was a master in Changfeng County!
It was bad enough to make an enemy of the Huang Family for no reason. He'd even gotten himself dragged into it.
Dumb as a pig!
And then he'd shown off his worldly experience right in front of Lu Li. What a joke.
Lu Li had been so confident because he could crush him. Did Fifth Young Master really think he'd bluffed that out of him?
Lu Li sneered, unaware of what was going through Huang Haitao's mind.
All he knew was that neither man was any good.
He charged forward astride Hu Niu, like a cannonball hurtling toward Huang Haitao.
Lu Li sprang into the air and unleashed a punch that descended from the heavens.
With man and tiger attacking together, Huang Haitao didn't dare meet them head-on. He barely managed to dodge Lu Li's powerful punch.
But Hu Niu couldn't get out of the way in time. Huang Haitao took the hit head-on, punching her square in the forehead.
It felt like he'd struck iron, and the impact numbed his palm.
Demons had always possessed formidable bodies.
Hu Niu slammed into him, sending him staggering backward as he spat blood.
Pain stabbed through Huang Haitao. He sucked in a sharp breath, his face twisted in agony.
The impact had broken every one of his ribs!
If his realm had been any lower, he might have died on the spot!
He realized the situation was beyond saving.
If they kept fighting, he might not only fail to save White Tiger and Fifth Young Master—he could lose his own life!
He turned around, but Fifth Young Master was nowhere to be seen.
He'd probably run the moment the fight began. Huang Haitao had just been a shield to take the hits for him.
He cursed under his breath, then said to Lu Li, "Brother, I admit defeat."
"I'm a Tendon-Refining martial artist too. Even with you and your tiger fighting together, you won't be able to kill me quickly."
"Let me go and chase that young master instead, all right?"
Lu Li nodded calmly.
His target was Fifth Young Master, and he didn't want to get bogged down fighting Huang Haitao.
If Fifth Young Master escaped, then this trip would have been for nothing.
Seeing Lu Li agree, Huang Haitao relaxed and hurriedly slipped into the bushes and ran.
Lu Li climbed back onto Hu Niu, and before long they caught up with Fifth Young Master.
Fifth Young Master clutched a tree and panted violently.
When he looked back and saw the man and tiger, his face turned deathly pale.
Even at the Tendon-Refining Realm, a fighter shouldn't last so little time against two opponents, should he?
That meant his enemy was even stronger than he'd imagined!
"Useless fool! You barely held them off at all!"
He swallowed his fear and did his best to calm his expression.
"I'm the Huang Family's Fifth Young Master. If my father finds out you killed me, he'll take revenge for me."
"You can't withstand the Huang Family's fury!"
"Let me go, and I'll apologize for my rashness today."
"And I'll give you everything I bought today!"
"It's better to settle a feud than to deepen it. How about we become friends?"
"The Huang Family is recruiting martial masters right now. If you join us, we'll make you an honored guest and treat you generously!"
"What do you say?"
Lu Li listened to his string of offers and only sneered.
Those in power only wanted to control those beneath them.
Only after the underdog grew strong enough did they know how to negotiate.
And even now, Fifth Young Master still didn't understand his place.
"If I kill you, the things will still be mine!" Lu Li spat coldly.
"If you kill me, my father won't let you get away with it!" Seeing that Lu Li wouldn't be swayed, Fifth Young Master instantly flew into hysterics.
Lu Li stepped forward and shot out like a cannonball, whipping up roaring gusts of wind as dead leaves and broken branches swirled through the air.
Fifth Young Master was badly wounded, and his desperate flight had left him with no means to fight back.
He could only watch as the fist before him rapidly grew larger.
He stood there dumbstruck, his body rigid as he waited to die.
He'd never imagined that he, the Huang Family's exalted Fifth Young Master, would meet such a miserable end!
With a squelch, the sound of a fist sinking into flesh rang out.
With no qi and blood to protect him, Fifth Young Master's chest was punched through. Blood and flesh sprayed everywhere in a gruesome sight.
A wheezing sound came from his mouth like air escaping a bellows. He could breathe in, but not out.
Anger and unwillingness filled his eyes, while resentment crawled across his face.
"The man you kicked to death this morning probably never thought you'd kill him so easily, either," Lu Li said with a faint, mocking smile.
"You... who... are you?" Fifth Young Master's eyes widened as he struggled to speak.
Only those common folk knew about that!
But his gaze had already grown unfocused, his mind hazy as he teetered on the brink of death.
Lu Li pulled out his arm.
Fifth Young Master spat out another mouthful of blood, convulsed a few times on the ground, and went still.
"I'm just a lowly herb gatherer," Lu Li said softly.
Then Lu Li quickly searched the corpse.
He took out the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist that Fifth Young Master had bought at the Black Market, along with the Fire God Pill.
He stripped off all the clothes and found a light-footed technique called the Flying Swallow Step.
Only then did Lu Li rise, satisfied.
He'd noticed earlier that Fifth Young Master had run fast, his steps carrying a peculiar rhythm. He must have had a movement technique.
The fact that he'd slipped away right under Lu Li and Huang Haitao's noses without making a sound proved it.
He just hadn't mastered it, and he didn't know how to conserve his strength. That was why Lu Li had caught up with him.
Sure enough, he'd found it.
Lu Li nodded in satisfaction and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, clear footsteps sounded behind him.
A chill ran down Lu Li's spine, and he spun around.
Hu Niu let out a hoarse growl, her tiger eyes gleaming fiercely in warning.
For a moment, the atmosphere turned taut and the air seemed to freeze.
But the newcomer wasn't fazed at all. The black cloth covering his face had crinkled, as if he were laughing.
Lu Li braced himself for a fight. This man had watched everything he'd done, yet Lu Li hadn't noticed him at all.
He eyed the newcomer warily. The man was stout, and his night clothes were stretched tight across his body.
It was the black-clad man who had sold him the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist!
Lu Li had sensed at their first meeting that the man was no ordinary person, but a master.
And sure enough, he was!
What did he want? Had he come to take back the martial art he'd sold?
But when he spoke, Lu Li was taken by surprise.
"You're pretty good, kid. You strike hard, and every move goes for the kill. You've got the makings of an assassin."
"I approve of you!"
His voice was warm and jovial.
Without another word, he tossed Lu Li a token.
Lu Li caught it and glanced at the front. Three crooked characters were written on it: Wind and Rain Pavilion.
A piece of paper was tied to the back.
The stout man in black explained, "There's a map on the back. It shows where the Wind and Rain Pavilion is. Feel free to visit anytime."
"Oh, right. The Wind and Rain Pavilion is an assassin organization. Assassins are affiliated with the Pavilion."
"Take on jobs, and you can earn generous rewards."
The stout man cheerfully explained it all to him.
Lu Li's whole body tensed as he stared at the man, his eyes sharp.
The stout man in black pursed his lips. "Relax. I don't need those few things of yours."
"I can earn that little bit back at the Wind and Rain Pavilion anytime."
Lu Li was slightly startled by that.
Were the rewards at this so-called Wind and Rain Pavilion really that generous?
"You're an assassin?" Lu Li asked in a low voice.
"I told you the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist didn't come by honest means. What do you think?" the stout man in black replied with a laugh.
Only then did Lu Li believe him a little, though he remained wary.
"I asked you to go there because I get a generous reward for referring someone, too."
"When you join the Wind and Rain Pavilion, give them my name—Black Hawk. That's how I'll get my reward, so don't forget."
With that, he spread his arms and soared into the air, vanishing in an instant.
He truly lived up to the name Black Hawk!
What a master! Lu Li thought.
Before you continue