A Great Haul—Which Hero Was It?

"Ah!"

Ma Zhankui let out a miserable scream, clutching his left eye as blood streamed through his fingers!

His figure flashed, and he ducked behind the doorway, roaring, "Men! Men!"

At that moment.

The Green Snake Gang disciples gambling with dice in the other rooms of the courtyard rushed out with swords and sabers in hand. But arrows came whistling out one after another!

The Green Snake Gang disciples charging at the front were struck in the throat and fell one after another!!

A wave of agonized screams rang through the entire courtyard.

"Damn it! This archer's strength is no weaker than mine!"

"Just who is this person?"

Hiding by the doorway, Ma Zhankui endured the pain and pulled the arrow from his eye socket. A deadly sense of crisis engulfed him!

Ever since he had mastered the Azure Snake Sword Technique, this was the first time he had felt so helpless!

He had not even seen his opponent before suffering grave injuries!

He truly could not understand how he had provoked a Second-Rate Expert Realm martial artist!

"As long as the green hills remain, there will be no lack of firewood!"

A flash of venomous resentment passed through Ma Zhankui's one remaining eye. Sword in hand, he turned and used his Lightness Skill to leap over the manor wall!

His right hand and left eye were both injured. With less than sixty percent of his peak strength remaining, facing an equally powerful expert hiding in the shadows meant certain death!

"Ma Zhankui, you still want to run?"

Just then, a hoarse voice sounded.

"Not good!"

Without a second thought, Ma Zhankui swept his sword in a curtain of steel, shredding an arrow to pieces!

His single eye swept around, and he saw a lean figure with a black cloth covering his face. The figure stood five zhang away, longbow in hand, arrow nocked and aimed directly at him!

A deadly sense of crisis descended upon him!

"Who are you, sir? We can talk this over!"

Ma Zhankui's heart sank. His sword was poised to strike as he backed away, preparing to retreat into the manor!

At a time like this, he could only use the advantage of the terrain to block this man's arrows!

His arrows would eventually run out!

When that happened, with so many subordinates at his disposal, he might still be able to escape!

Whoosh!

Without another word, the masked man fired another arrow!

Ma Zhankui swung his sword to block it, only to feel an astonishing force behind the arrow. He shouted, "All of you, get him! Kill him!"

Hearing the order, over a dozen Green Snake Gang disciples charged out. Yet in an instant, three were shot through the throat. The rest were so frightened that they hid beneath the wall. The other party's Arrow Technique never missed; no one wanted to die!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ma Zhankui sprang up, intending to return to the manor!

Whoosh!

An arrow shot out like lightning, striking Ma Zhankui at the root of his left thigh and piercing straight through it!

Ma Zhankui let out a muffled groan and fell into the manor!

At this moment.

His left leg, right hand, and one eye had all been struck by arrows. The pain was unbearable as he struggled to crawl toward a hall!

Whoosh!

Lin Changsheng pushed off with his feet, leaped into the manor, and landed three zhang from Ma Zhankui. One arrow struck him squarely in the crotch!

At this moment.

A Green Snake Gang disciple in his thirties drove his clawed hand toward Lin Changsheng's back!

Hearing the wind whistle, Lin Changsheng retreated and struck out with his palm. The man's clawed hand snapped with a crack, its bones broken, and terror filled his face!

Lin Changsheng struck the man's head with another palm!

The man's skull immediately caved in, and he died on the spot!

"Iron Sand Palm at Major Accomplishment!"

"You killed Tie Yang!"

Seeing Lin Changsheng kill his capable enforcer Lin Li with a single palm strike, Ma Zhankui's eyes widened in utter disbelief.

"Die!"

Lin Changsheng fired another arrow into Ma Zhankui's remaining eye. The arrow carried tremendous force, piercing straight through Ma Zhankui's skull and killing him beyond all doubt!

"The gang leader is dead!"

"..."

No one knew who shouted it, but the remaining dozen or so unharmed Green Snake Gang disciples immediately scattered and fled!

"You want to run?"

Lin Changsheng's gaze turned cold. The Green Snake Gang had caused no small number of deaths; every disciple's hands were likely stained with blood. None of them could be spared!

They might run fast, but could they outrun Lin Changsheng?

Before long!

All thirty-three Green Snake Gang disciples in the manor, along with their gang leader Ma Zhankui, had been killed!

"Ma Zhankui was a wealthy man of Pasture City and the leader of the Green Snake Gang. He must have amassed quite a fortune over the years!"

After confirming that everyone had been killed, Lin Changsheng naturally did not forget to loot the bodies. He also searched Ma Zhankui's room.

Before long.

Lin Changsheng had found more than 1,500 taels of silver, most of it in banknotes.

There was also quite a bit of gold, jade, and other valuables.

Most importantly, he found a sword manual called the Azure Snake Sword Technique.

And a Lightness Skill called the Flying Eaves Lightness Skill.

"This feels incredible! This job was a great haul!"

A gleam flashed in Lin Changsheng's eyes. He wrapped everything in a cloth, then piled the thirty-four corpses together, set every room ablaze with several fires, and departed without a backward glance.

Before long.

Lin Changsheng returned home. He buried the silver and gold beneath the jujube tree in the courtyard, brought over a chair, and while bathing in moonlight and cultivating the Moonlight Breathing Method, he examined the Azure Snake Sword Technique and Flying Eaves Lightness Skill.

A towering blaze erupted from the home of the wealthy Ma Zhankui. Many residents of East Street were awakened and rushed over to fight the fire.

But the flames were far too fierce. There was no way to put them out.

Yan Zhen sat at home.

Her heart was filled with extreme unease.

The three-day deadline Ma Zhankui had given her was tomorrow.

Run away?

But where could she run?

Just then, Yan Zhen heard footsteps and shouts rise from the street, as if many people were running.

She followed the sound and looked over, her eyes widening. "Ma... Ma Family Manor is on fire?"

Tomorrow was the final deadline Ma Zhankui had given her. Now that his home was on fire, if... a flicker of hope rose in Yan Zhen's heart.

The Ma family fire burned for most of the night.

Flames several zhang high dyed half the sky over Pasture City red, alarming even the county magistrate, Chen Ling.

When Ma Zhankui's younger sister Ma Qian learned that her brother had died in the fire, she fainted on the spot.

"Ma Zhankui is dead. Sister Zhen won't have to live in fear anymore."

Bathed in faint moonlight, Lin Changsheng murmured to himself.

At three in the morning.

[Detected Flying Eaves Lightness Skill. Spend 1 tael of silver to simplify?]

A red prompt appeared on the panel before Lin Changsheng.

"Simplify!"

Lin Changsheng immediately selected confirm.

"Uh? Running?"

Looking at the panel prompt, Lin Changsheng could not help blinking.

As expected of Great Dao Made Simple!

Running was simply too easy!

Wouldn't that mean he could reach Grand Perfection very quickly?

"At present, my only offensive move is the Arrow Technique at Grand Perfection. Iron Sand Palm merely strengthens my palms. If I encounter a Second-Rate Realm expert with strange and exquisite techniques, that still won't be reliable!"

"I must get started with this Azure Snake Sword Technique!"

Lin Changsheng ran a few steps. After seeing the Flying Eaves Lightness Skill gain several experience points, he immediately took out the Azure Snake Sword Technique.

The next day.

Zhen's Noodle Shop.

"Did you hear? Ma Family Manor didn't catch fire last night—it was an enemy coming to their door! Ma Zhankui and more than thirty Green Snake Gang disciples were all killed!"

"Ma Zhankui had already entered the Second-Rate Realm! He was known as one of Pasture City's four great masters. The person who killed him must have been a First-Rate Master, right?"

"I don't know about that. Anyway, Ma Zhankui's sister Ma Qian has already offered a reward of one hundred taels of silver for information!"

"My heavens! A reward of one hundred taels of silver! That's enough for my family of three to live on for twenty years!"

"..."

Yan Zhen was busy cooking noodles when she suddenly heard several diners discussing it. She felt her whole body relax.

Ma Zhankui had been killed, so she was safe now.

Only.

Who had killed Ma Zhankui?

That unknown hero had truly helped her!