Blood Splatter (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The moment the blood sprayed, it instantly terrified Liu Yu and the remaining man.

"Motherfucker!"

The other black-clad martial artist reacted in an instant.

After cursing, he shoved Liu Yu toward Xu Feng with all his might.

The moment he blocked Xu Feng's line of sight, he crouched low and drew the standard-issue combat sword from his waist.

Using Liu Yu's body as cover, he launched a fierce attack toward Xu Feng.

"Watch out!"

Although Liu Yu could not see the man, she could still sense him behind her.

She shouted a terrified warning to Xu Feng.

However, Xu Feng acted as if he had not heard her; he stepped onto the wall beside him.

Then, he leaped upward with a sudden burst of speed!

Just as his line of sight cleared Liu Yu's body, his arm flicked instantly.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Three blades shot out violently.

The Flying Blades grazed Liu Yu's scalp with pinpoint precision.

The black-clad martial artist had just looked up in shock.

Before he could react, his eyeballs were shredded, and the Flying Blades buried themselves entirely into his brain!

By the time Xu Feng landed silently.

"Thud—"

The black-clad martial artist's corpse lunged forward due to momentum.

It slid three meters before coming to a stop.

The alley fell silent instantly, leaving only the sound of Xu Feng's heavy breathing and Liu Yu's sobbing.

"Huff—huff—"

Xu Feng panted heavily, then quickly swallowed his saliva and straightened his body.

He wasn't panting from exhaustion, but from fear.

Fear of himself.

That split-second strike had felt like some kind of instinct.

Or perhaps, like a long-repressed release.

Coming back to his senses, Xu Feng realized that two lives had vanished in an instant.

And he had only moved his hand.

Were people really this fragile?

"Xu, Xu Feng!"

It wasn't until Liu Yu recovered enough to call him that Xu Feng snapped out of his daze. He looked at her with a pale face and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I, I'm fine. Are you okay?"

Liu Yu wiped away her tears and asked with concern.

Because at this moment, Xu Feng's expression was terrifying.

It was a mixture of lingering fear and the panic that comes from being startled.

It was also laced with a hint of ferocity.

Xu Feng took a deep breath and quickly calmed himself down: "I'm fine."

After a long while, his expression returned to complete calm, and he looked at Liu Yu to ask: "I'm fine, are you doing alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you. But you... when did you become so strong?"

Liu Yu glanced at the two corpses on the ground with lingering fear, then turned to look at Xu Feng, her eyes filled with a strange light.

Xu Feng shook his head and smiled: "Just lucky. Hurry and report this; the patrol team must know about this matter."

After speaking, Xu Feng turned to leave, only to realize his legs were weak.

He stumbled and nearly collapsed to the ground.

Liu Yu was quick-witted and caught him just in time.

The fragrance wafting from her made Xu Feng instantly clear-headed, and he said awkwardly: "Pardon the display, it's my first time killing someone."

Liu Yu lowered her head, her tone sounding somewhat strange as she muttered, "So cool."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, I'm going to call the police!"

Soon, the arrival of the patrol team attracted a crowd of neighbors.

Upon seeing the corpses of the foreign martial artists in the alley and hearing Xu Feng's account, everyone's expressions shifted, and they began to whisper among themselves.

"Old Xu is that strong? He fought two and killed them both?"

"He's been hiding his true strength."

"I never expected such an expert to be living on the edge of our shantytown."

"I thought he was just a repairman; no wonder he was able to get certified as a quasi-martial artist."

"But these foreigners are too lawless, aren't they? We must file a formal complaint!"

"That's right, let's all file a complaint together!"

At the scene.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Xu. Since there is surveillance footage as evidence, the matter is quite clear. You acted in defense of others, which is commendable. However, please do not leave the residential area for the next two days, just in case we have any further questions."

Luo Feng, a martial artist from the patrol team, said to Xu Feng with a smile.

Xu Feng glanced at the corpses in the alley, now covered by white sheets, and nodded slightly. "Will there be any trouble from the Eagle Alliance?"

Luo Feng smiled calmly. "As long as they haven't lost their minds, they won't dare to act recklessly. After all, they are in the wrong here. Still, you should remain cautious. It would be best to keep a low profile; these two were soldiers from the Eagle Alliance army. They were mid-level warriors and official martial artists, so there's no guarantee some of their comrades won't lose their heads. However, we will be increasing security patrols in the shantytown."

Xu Feng felt a chill in his heart, then nodded nonchalantly and thanked him before turning to leave.

Watching Xu Feng walk away, Luo Feng nodded slightly. "So it really was him. Flying blades? To think the one who killed the Copper-Winged Bird that night was using flying blades... and it was actually him?"

A moment later, he turned to his colleague and asked, "What level of martial arts technique is the Secret Blade Art?"

"Secret Blade Art? Isn't that just a basic martial technique used in universities to help students practice arm coordination? It doesn't have a level."

A tall martial artist replied with a laugh.

Luo Feng was slightly stunned, realizing the terrifying implication.

He took a deep breath. "A talent, indeed. To think a basic flying blade technique could be practiced to such a masterful level. Or perhaps... he is just hiding his true methods?"

Luo Feng's eyes suddenly narrowed as he considered another possibility, one that was incredibly unlikely yet had a slim chance of being true.

"Could he be a Spirit Reader? This matter must be reported."

Back home, Xu Feng sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly with his head lowered.

Mid-level warriors.

He had actually killed two real martial artists!

He held up his hands and looked at them, finding it hard to believe.

Grandmaster-level flying blades—they were truly terrifying.

But thinking about it carefully, mid-level warriors were still human, not gods; if they were hit by a blade, they would die.

However, he had heard that once they reached the higher War-General level, they wouldn't be so easy to kill.

Just then, Xiao Dan nestled into his arms and looked up at him. "Daddy, are you okay?"

Xu Feng couldn't help but tremble, then snapped out of his daze and forced himself to smile at Xiao Dan.

"Haha, I'm fine. Your old man just played the hero saving a damsel in distress. It's a pity you didn't see it; it was incredibly cool."

Xiao Dan bumped her head against his chest and nudged him gently. "As long as you're okay, Daddy."

A smile touched the corners of Xu Feng's mouth as he ruffled her hair. "Alright, what could possibly happen to me? Go wash your hair, blow-dry it, and then it's time for bed."

"Mm-hmm." Xiao Dan quickly recovered and hopped out of his arms happily. "So, is Sister Liu Yu grateful to you? Did she offer to marry you in return?"

Xu Feng rolled his eyes. Here she went again.

This little one was the number one person concerned with his love life.

"To hell with 'repaying with my body,' what era do you think this is? Hurry up and come wash your hair!"

With that, he rubbed his face, stood up, and headed toward the bathroom.

Killing was for self-preservation, for acting righteously, and for legitimate self-defense.

The others were the ones in the wrong; why should he carry any burden in his heart?

Screw the Eagle Alliance!

Xu Feng had assumed that as long as he relaxed his mind, he would be fine.

Yet, he hadn't expected to have nightmares during the night.

First, he dreamed of being hunted, fleeing the shantytown, escaping the base, and running deep into the mountains.

Later, he dreamed of himself and a woman.

Ahem, in short, when he woke up in the morning, Xu Feng was sporting dark circles under his eyes and yawning incessantly.

He washed up, cooked, and headed out to work.

Xu Feng had assumed life could go on as usual.

But shortly after stepping out, he ran into a few neighbors coming his way.

"Mr. Xu!"

"Big Brother Xu!"

The neighbors, with whom he hadn't been particularly close, suddenly wore expressions of deep respect and performed a martial artist's cupped-fist salute toward Xu Feng.

Xu Feng was stunned for a moment, only realizing he needed to return the gesture after a beat.

He cupped his fists and smiled, "Good morning, you three."

The trio walked away laughing excitedly, still discussing the events of last night.

Xu Feng just felt it was strange.

He had a fleeting, airy feeling of "who in the world does not know you."

But after walking a few steps further away from his neighborhood, none of the passersby recognized him anymore.

Xu Feng scratched his head awkwardly, "Damn, I was overthinking it."

It's the start of the month, so I'm begging hard for votes. I can't update too much during the new book phase, so I'll be hoarding chapters to unleash them once the book hits the shelves. Brothers and sisters, please show your support!