News spread like thunder

Thud! Thud!

The unrestrained laughter still echoed in the wind when the four heads, hurled into the air by the tremendous force of the slashes, finally hit the ground. They rolled every which way like balls, leaving trails of blood that chilled the heart.

One head happened to roll to the feet of a thug holding a laborer hostage. His neck stiffened, but he could not help lowering his gaze.

The head's face still bore the vicious expression it had worn when its owner swung his saber. Its eyes bulged as though their corners would split, staring straight at him. An abyss seemed to lurk within those dark, empty pupils, ready to unleash a vengeful ghost to claim his life.

A chill rose through the thug from nowhere. His hands and feet turned icy, his entire body went limp, and the steel saber in his hand fell with a clang.

He screamed and collapsed, his crotch soaked in an instant.

No one laughed at him. No one even paid him any attention. As though his collapse were a signal, several more thugs lost their grip on their sabers. Even the bolder ones gulped repeatedly, their faces stricken with terror.

Every thug still standing panicked and turned toward the man who could give them orders.

Yan Tieshan stood rigidly upright, staring ahead without a word, the expression of alarm still frozen on his face.

"Third Master..."

The five dark-skinned hunters could not conceal their shock either. All were seasoned hunters who, before joining Yan Tieshan, had spent years pursuing game through the mountain forests.

When that wandering swordsman lunged and leaped just now, they had truly felt the terror of facing a man-eating tiger alone and bare-handed in the depths of the vast mountains.

His attack had been too fast. He had darted forward as though flying, leaving them no chance at all to draw their bows and nock their arrows.

"That brat... that man hasn't gotten far. Do we chase him or not?" One hunter approached Yan Tieshan and asked, his heart pounding like a drum.

Before the words had finished leaving his mouth, the hunter felt something cool on his face. He wiped it with his fingers, and blood stained them red.

He jerked his head up, eyes widening.

Hiss!

A long line of blood spread across Yan Tieshan's neck. Rank blood spurted out, then his head dipped, and his massive skull rolled off his neck.

"Ah!" The hunter staggered backward with a startled cry.

Only now did the travelers, merchants, and people of every stripe on the docks fully react. Cries erupted everywhere, and the crowd scattered into chaos like a startled school of fish.

Shouts of alarm rose one after another.

The timid had already covered their eyes, unable to look again. Others, suddenly confronted with such a shocking sight, felt their limbs weaken with fear and opened their mouths to retch.

Even the wealthy gentlemen and great merchants who had traveled far and wide, seen much of the world, and surrounded themselves with guards were dumbstruck, their minds reeling.

The laborers held hostage at saberpoint seized the thugs' confusion to scramble away on hands and feet. Their faces showed terror, but also a trace of satisfaction at seeing their hatred vented.

Several men of the martial world in close-fitting clothes had watched everything from within the crowd. Now even they could no longer remain calm. One man with a saber at his hip stammered, "Wh-what exactly happened?"

"What else could have happened?" Beside the swordsman, a bronze-skinned man with a full beard smiled bitterly. "We all misjudged him. How was that some greenhorn fresh out of the mountains? That was an old turtledove pretending to be a little sparrow! Such a fast saber, such ruthless attacks. One strike landed, and he immediately fled far away... heh!"

As the bearded man spoke, admiration and reverence gradually surfaced on his face. He murmured, "One man slain every ten steps, no trace left over a thousand miles... this trip was truly worthwhile. Truly worthwhile!"

Elsewhere, the thin He Xiaofeng paid no attention whatsoever to the panicking thugs. With a wooden expression, he sheathed his curved saber, crouched, and carefully examined the severed neck of Yan Tieshan's headless corpse.

After a moment, he shifted his gaze to the five hideous bloody holes in Scholar Qian's throat. His eyes were so gloomy they seemed ready to drip water.

"Well! Fine work, brat. You even played me for a fool!"

He muttered hoarsely, narrowing his eyes as he recalled his opponent throwing the bamboo hat to obstruct his curved saber.

Taking advantage of the brief pause in his saber's momentum, the man had lunged bodily forward. A sweep of saber light had easily sliced off Yan Tieshan's head.

He Xiaofeng remembered the instant the bamboo hat shattered, its fragments and splinters flying everywhere. What had met his gaze was a pair of calm, indifferent eyes.

They had passed each other in that fleeting exchange, with dust obscuring his view. He had not seen the man's face very clearly, but once someone had seen those eyes, they could never forget them.

The next time they met, he would recognize him at once.

He Xiaofeng glanced indifferently at the thugs. Some were still lying on the docks, wailing incessantly, while others had become headless flies, stumbling about with their souls seemingly lost.

Without Yan Tieshan, these men could never maintain their foothold on the docks. Before long, another gang or powerful clan would intervene.

Some might be kept on to continue doing dirty work, but no one would spend money supporting the thugs whose bones had been shattered.

He Xiaofeng had no intention of looting Yan Tieshan's lair.

Not because he had no greed for money, but because he knew there was little spare wealth there.

Yan Tieshan had become the docks' Third Master, controlling the profits from the docks and the surrounding Fishery Street, Coolie Alley, and other territory, because wealthy households in town supported him.

He had to distribute most of the wealth he acquired and support nearly a hundred thugs himself. How many coins could he have left in the end?

Precisely because his profits were lower than others imagined and his expenses were substantial, Yan Tieshan had begun feeling the pinch after investing in He Xiaofeng for only a few days.

Without a word, He Xiaofeng turned and strode away.

The autumn wind stirred the clear ripples.

On the Yudai River, an eerie silence had settled over the deck of the Tao Family's large ship.

Only after a long while did Master Jin shake his head with a bitter smile and let out a deep breath.

"I've traveled far and wide all these years, priding myself on being an old hand in the martial world. These eyes have seen every sort of person, yet today I proved to have eyes without sight..."

"You're not to blame, Master Jin. Even I failed to spot anything amiss."

The richly dressed young man gazed toward where Hong Yuan's retreating figure had disappeared, his expression grave.

"That man's real target was probably Yan Tieshan's head all along. But he didn't want to risk breaking into Yan Tieshan's lair, so he pretended to be a reckless novice just starting out, then feigned softhearted mercy to lure him out. Yan Tieshan's death was well deserved."

Master Jin said, "That cunning certainly warrants caution, but his martial arts are even more daunting."

"Indeed. In the flick of a finger, he knocked aside four sabers with one stroke and cut off four heads. That must have been a burst of true force, correct? Then he killed Old Third Yan and that old scholar. His saber was so fast that no one noticed anything wrong even after the head had been severed, and his claw strike tore open the old scholar's throat in a single blow!"

"With martial arts like that, never mind the younger generation—even among renowned experts still in their prime, few could match him."

The richly dressed young man suddenly smiled again. "To think that a passing whim to get out and about would bring me across someone so formidable this quickly. Truly, the world is vast, and heroes emerge in abundance! Judging by his voice, he isn't very old either. With such caution and cunning, he may well reach subtlety one day."

"Subtlety..." Master Jin sighed, envy showing in his eyes.

He had come from humble roots, and his martial skill had earned the Tao Family's appreciation. He had become both guard and martial arts instructor to their young master and young lady. The Tao siblings were usually quite courteous to him, consistently addressing him as "Master."

But he knew where he stood. Their courtesy was merely the cultivated manners expected of children from an established family. It did not mean he could truly put on the airs of their teacher.

To put it plainly, "Master Jin" was only a high-ranking household servant whom the Tao Family valued somewhat more than the others!

But if his martial arts reached the level of subtlety, everything would be different.

Those who reached subtlety already stood among the martial grandmasters. One man could fight dozens of armored soldiers or more—a true "match for a hundred men," a master capable of founding a sect and reigning over a region of the martial world.

On the battlefield, clad in heavy armor, such a man would be a first-rate warrior who stormed enemy ranks and swept aside all who stood in his way. Even if he could not stand as an equal with those powerful clans of ancient lineage, they would at least have to grant him the respect and courtesy he deserved.

Unfortunately, Master Jin lacked both the talent and the opportunities. For him, subtle force was merely a distant dream.

Recovering from the shock of the bloody spectacle, the girl in red said, "Since he's so capable, why don't you find him, Brother? Bring him over to our Tao Family's side before he reaches subtlety, and we'll gain another powerful ally."

The richly dressed young man considered briefly, then shook his head. "Forget it. From the way he acted, he's decisive and ruthless, with no hesitation or loose ends. If I rashly investigate his identity, my cleverness might backfire and anger him instead..."

"I didn't think it through." The girl in red's expression grew more serious.

Remembering that swift, ruthless slash, she too felt a little uneasy. At the same time, she could not help yearning for such prowess. "I've read so many tales of wandering heroes and studied martial arts under Master Jin. I thought I'd gained some ability myself. Only today did I learn what the true spirit of a wandering swordsman looks like..."

"One man slain every ten steps, no trace left over a thousand miles. The deed done, he brushes his robes and departs, concealing his deeds and name." She could not help reciting softly. "What a wonderful poem. I wonder which great master wrote it? Only a poem like that could match such a heart-stopping stroke!"

Hands clasped behind his back, the richly dressed young man stood tall at the prow, watching the ongoing commotion on the docks. Some shouted about reporting it to the authorities, while more hurried away, unwilling to concern themselves with someone else's affairs.

He chuckled. "Word of this will probably spread very soon. When those wandering swordsmen hear about it, they'll be beside themselves with delight and hold this poem up as their guiding ideal..."

Whoosh! Whoosh, whoosh!

Hong Yuan sped like the wind. After quickly leaving the docks, he made several turns into an unfamiliar alley and stopped in a secluded corner, regulating his breathing to steady his slightly hurried breath.

His face was a little flushed, a sign that repeated bursts of true force within a short time had sent his blood and qi surging upward.

On the docks, Hong Yuan had unleashed true force three times in all. The first had knocked aside the four guards' sabers in a single stroke and cut off their heads in the same motion!

The second had propelled him toward Yan Tieshan to kill him.

The third had erupted beneath his feet, letting him race like the wind and vanish.

Had Yang Erhu done it, a single burst would have left him helplessly awaiting death. Hong Yuan's blood and qi were merely somewhat disordered.

After slowly regulating his breathing for half a quarter-hour, Hong Yuan opened his eyes. He was back to normal, his spirit whole and his energy full.

Carrying his saber, he set off to seek trouble with Meng Yue's superior, the so-called "Mr. Cui."

An hour later.

Hong Yuan emerged from a dim alley looking somewhat displeased. He had come up empty. Mr. Cui was not in the house.

He had even hidden in the shadows and waited quietly for over half an hour, but there was still no sign of anyone.

With his [Clear Eyes Through the Nether] ability, Hong Yuan's powers of observation surpassed those of ordinary people. He was ninety percent certain Meng Yue had not lied under interrogation.

Thus, either Mr. Cui did not fully trust Meng Yue and kept three burrows like a cunning hare, or he had simply been lucky.

Either way, Hong Yuan felt it would be difficult to find any trace of Mr. Cui in the near future.

After all, he did not even know exactly what Mr. Cui looked like.

Once word of the incident on the docks spread, Mr. Cui would likely become alert as soon as he heard it. Then, when Meng Yue continued failing to appear...

In fact, while Hong Yuan was lurking in hiding, awaiting Mr. Cui's grand arrival, news of the shocking events on the docks had already spread through several bustling streets in town.

"What? Yan Tieshan, the docks' Third Master Yan, was killed?"

"What? Third Master Yan's adviser, Scholar Qian, died too?"

"Why are you still calling him Third Master? Yan San's nothing but a dead dog with his head cut off now. Tsk, tsk! You didn't see the scene. It was too horrible to look at. Blood everywhere!"

The docks were always crowded, gathering people of every stripe alongside numerous traveling merchants. Yangquan County's town was not large either. Though a single hour was not enough for the news to spread throughout the county, the busiest commercial districts were already clamoring, everyone bustling about as though celebrating the New Year.

Crowds gathered in restaurants and teahouses to argue over the news. Many had witnessed the scene on the docks and come specifically to spread the word. Their faces were flushed with excitement, and they gesticulated wildly.

"Ah! What a shame you didn't see it yourselves. It was far more exciting than any story those teahouse storytellers tell."

In one teahouse.

The speaker's face danced with animation. With one foot planted on a stool, he gestured with his hands. "That wandering swordsman wore a bamboo hat and black robes, with a steel saber at his waist. All by himself, he beat Old Third Yan's hundred-odd men until corpses littered the ground. Then he slashed again, so fast it was just like lightning. My eyes blurred, and several heads flew into the sky..."

"The funniest part was Old Third Yan. His head had already been cut off, but his men still thought he was alive. They went over and touched him, and bang!" The speaker spread his hand before his eyes and tilted his own head.

"His head fell right off!"

"Good! Well killed! That old dog Yan committed every kind of evil. He should have died long ago! Boo-hoo..." Someone burst into tears, perhaps another victim of Yan Tieshan's bullying.

"Heh, the docks' King of Hell met the real King of Hell!"

"How come I heard that swordsman killed several hundred people all by himself, stained the Yudai River red with blood, and blocked its course with corpses..."

"Ah! Such a spectacle—why don't we go take a look now?"

"Forget it, forget it!"

"Has anyone notified the authorities?"

"Someone reported it ages ago, but what can the county office do? Matters of the martial world are settled in the martial world. At most, the magistrate will send people to collect the bodies..." someone muttered quietly.

In a corner by a teahouse window, a prosperous-looking middle-aged man with a jade thumb ring on his right hand had been leisurely sipping his tea. Now his brows knitted tightly. He set a little broken silver on the table, rose hurriedly, and headed outside.

But after taking only a few steps out of the teahouse, he abruptly stopped. A thoughtful expression crossed his face, and he turned back inside.