An Inch Longer, an Inch Stronger

Li Zhengyang was in no hurry to head to the mission site.

Beside the East City Office was a commercial street that catered specifically to Martial Warriors.

Equipment shops, pill stores, and weapon supply stations stood in a row. Their storefronts were small, but their signs were more boastful than the last.

He entered a Martial Warrior supply station called "Old Sun the Blacksmith."

The shop was not large. Two rows of weapon racks stood against the walls, with blades on the left and long weapons such as spears and staffs on the right.

Behind the counter sat a middle-aged man in his forties, sanding a dagger with sandpaper without even looking up.

"What are you looking for?"

"Weapons."

The fat owner lifted his eyelids and glanced Li Zhengyang over.

Young.

He looked like a student.

The fat owner set down the dagger, pulled out a pitch-black Short Blade from beneath the counter, and slapped it onto the countertop.

"Iron blade. Tough as hell. Best for beginners. One thousand."

Li Zhengyang did not even look at the blade.

His gaze was fixed on the top shelf of the weapon rack on the right.

A spear.

It was silver-white, with a slender shaft, a tapered spearhead, and black anti-slip grip tape wrapped around the butt.

Made of alloy, it gleamed beneath the lights. It was on a completely different level from that black Short Blade.

The tag read: [F-Rank Alloy Spear, total length: 2.4 meters, net weight: 9 kilograms, compatible with Martial Master-level Blood Qi infusion, price: 10,000]

An inch longer, an inch stronger.

The Mountain-Cleaving Blade from the mine had curled after only a few strikes. When fighting Demonic Beasts in the wild, long weapons were the proper choice.

They had greater reach and a wider attack range. Against armored Demonic Beasts, they could focus force on a single point and pierce through it.

"Take that spear down. I want to look at it."

The owner froze for a moment, then followed the direction of his finger and laughed.

"Little brother, that one costs ten thousand."

"I have eyes. I can see the price."

"Ten thousand," the fat owner emphasized again, his meaning obvious.

Can you afford it?

Li Zhengyang did not respond. He pulled out his phone, opened his payment code, and slapped it onto the counter.

"Scan it."

The fat owner stared at him for two seconds without moving.

"Are you sure? An F-Rank spear, and you're just a—"

"Pah! You damn snob. Are you scanning it or not? If not, I'm going next door."

The fat owner hesitated, then picked up the scanner. With a beep, ten thousand was transferred.

The instant he received the money, his attitude changed. He personally took down the spear, wiped it with a cloth, and only then handed it over.

"Good eye. This Mountain-Piercer is one of the finest pieces in my shop. The alloy-forged shaft is solid, and the spearhead has been tempered twice. It's hard and resilient. Infuse it with Martial Master-level Blood Qi, and piercing the shell of a Second Rank Demonic Beast will be like stabbing through paper."

Li Zhengyang took the spear, gripped the middle of the shaft with one hand, and weighed it.

Nine kilograms felt no different from carrying a bamboo pole to him now.

The balance point was around the first third of the shaft, with the center of gravity toward the front. It was suited for thrusting.

It felt good in his hand. The anti-slip tape was tightly wound and would not slip loose.

He slung the spear over his back with the tip pointing downward and the butt protruding over his right shoulder.

"Got a strap?"

The fat owner dug out a leather spear strap from beneath the counter and tossed it to him.

"Free. A discount for regular customers."

"This is my first time here."

"Then let's call it making a friend."

Li Zhengyang fastened the strap and adjusted its length. The spear rested snugly against his back and did not hinder his walking.

"Thanks."

After leaving the shop, he turned into a narrow alley at the end of the commercial street. There were few people here, so no one would notice.

Li Zhengyang stopped and took out his phone.

First, he did the math.

The mission reward was ten thousand. Minus the ten thousand spent on the spear, that left zero.

Zhao Hu's card had twenty-three thousand, and Shen Wei's card had seven thousand. Minus the five thousand for certification, that left twenty-five thousand.

He would keep five thousand for living expenses, food, taxis, and the like.

The remaining twenty thousand would all be recharged!

Amount entered: 20000.

Confirm.

[Recharge successful!]

[Recharge amount: ￥20000]

[Blood-Qi Value gained: +200]

[Current Blood-Qi Value: 2448]

[Current realm: Rank-Two Martial Master]

This time, there was not much of a commotion. There was simply another surge of Blood Qi in his body, with no obvious outward change.

A layer of Body-Protecting Astral Energy condensed over his body, a little thicker and sturdier than before.

Li Zhengyang clenched his fist, then released it.

Rank-Two Martial Master, Blood-Qi Value 2448.

He was still a fair way from Third-Rank Martial Master, but at this stage, his Blood Qi reserves already far exceeded those of others at the same rank.

An ordinary Rank-Two Martial Master usually had a Blood-Qi Value between 2000 and 2200. Those extra two hundred points gave him enough leeway in real combat to take two more punches or swing three more blades.

That was enough. Time to get to work.

He opened his phone, brought up the office app, and found the D-Rank Mission he had accepted earlier.

[Mission ID: D017]

[Target: Exterminate 12 Second Rank Demonic Beasts, Iron-Spine Lizards]

[Location: Outer perimeter of the North Suburban Wetland Reserve]

[Reward: 60000]

[Risk level: D]

Sixty thousand yuan meant 600 Blood-Qi Value, enough to break through to Third-Rank Martial Master.

Li Zhengyang called for a car.

While waiting, a shadow flickered at the mouth of the alley.

Li Zhengyang glanced over from the corner of his eye and frowned.

Two men, around thirty, wearing windbreakers. Their waists bulged, and they were most likely carrying weapons.

They entered through the alley entrance at an unhurried pace, their destination unmistakable.

They were coming for him.

Li Zhengyang did not move.

"Brother." The one in front spoke. He had a buzz cut and an old scar stretching from the corner of his brow to his cheekbone. He was smiling, but there was something off about it. "Just came out of Old Sun's, right? Nice spear."

The other man said nothing. He circled to Li Zhengyang's right and blocked the exit at the other end of the alley.

They had sealed off both ends.

A classic ambush.

"Waiting outside supply stations to rob people?" Li Zhengyang planted the butt of his spear on the ground and looked at the two men.

Scarface did not deny it. He spread his hands. "Just making a living, brother. Don't take it personally. Leave the spear, hand over your wallet and phone, and we'll part on good terms."

"Sure, bro. I'll hand over the spear money right now."

Scarface froze.

Most people who got cornered either panicked or cowered. He had never seen someone this cooperative.

It would save him some effort.

"Kid, you've got a bright future." Scarface's smile widened. "I'll even leave you enough for a meal."

Scarface stepped closer and reached out to take the spear.

"Wait." Li Zhengyang drew back slightly. "I just bought this spear. I haven't even used it yet."

"Quit the bullshit," the man behind him urged in a muffled voice.

"Fine, fine, I'll give it to you." Li Zhengyang nodded repeatedly, smiling as he pulled a bank card from his pocket and held it out. "Bro, there's over twenty thousand on this card. The password is six eights. Take it and spend it. Can I keep the spear? This is how I make my living. I can't work without a weapon."

Scarface was clearly getting impatient.

"One more word, and I won't even leave you meal money."

He reached out for the bank card.

The instant his hand touched it, silver flashed before his eyes.

It was not the reflection from the card.

It was the spear.

Li Zhengyang thrust forward with his right hand while releasing the bank card with his left. In the fraction of a second when his hands crossed, the spearhead had already pierced Scarface's chest.

The alloy spearhead had been tempered twice. It was hard and resilient.

Human ribs were much softer than Demonic Beast shells.

The spearhead entered through Scarface's chest and emerged from his back, flinging a streak of blood across the wall.

Scarface looked down at the spear protruding from his chest. His mouth hung open, and a bubble of blood gurgled from his throat.

He wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

Li Zhengyang pulled out the spear cleanly, without the slightest hesitation.

Scarface toppled backward, struck the brick wall with the back of his head, then slid down and sat on the ground, his eyes still open.

One and a half seconds from start to finish.

The man behind him reacted quickly. He had already drawn the dagger at his waist and turned to run.

Run?

The alley was only so long, and both ends were dead ends. You had blocked me just now. Now I was blocking you.

Li Zhengyang swept his spear sideways, took a long stride forward, and drove the spearhead toward the man's back.

The Mountain-Piercing Spear was 2.4 meters long. There was nowhere to dodge.

The spearhead plunged into the left side of the man's lower back. He screamed, dropped his dagger, and grabbed the wall with both hands, trying to hold himself up.

Li Zhengyang was in no hurry to strike a second time.

"Take out your wallet."

Trembling, the man reached into his inner pocket, pulled out a wallet, and threw it backward.

"Your phone too."

The phone was tossed over.

"What else?"

"Nothing! Really, nothing! Please spare me, big brother..."

Li Zhengyang hooked the wallet off the ground with his spearhead and opened it one-handed.

Inside were several hundred-yuan bills, an ID card, and two bank cards.

"Fine." Li Zhengyang pocketed the wallet and phone, then nodded. "I promised not to kill you."

The man let out a breath of relief.

When the spear was pulled from his lower back, he screamed again. Blood ran down his pant leg, but at least his life had been spared.

When the Mountain-Piercing Spear stabbed in again, it pierced the back of his neck.

The man did not even have time to scream. His limbs twitched twice before he collapsed facedown and stopped moving.

Li Zhengyang pulled out the spear and wiped the blood on the dead man's clothes.

"I did promise not to kill you." He looked at the corpse on the ground. "But my spear never promised anything."

The alley fell silent.

Two corpses lay one before the other, blood splattered across the ground.

Li Zhengyang searched Scarface and found another wallet. It held several hundred yuan in cash and another card. There was no phone on him; he had probably left it in the car, and Li Zhengyang could not be bothered to look.

After cleaning up, he wiped the blood off the spear and slung it back over his shoulder.

As he walked out of the alley, his ride-hailing app chimed: The driver has arrived.

A sedan was parked at the alley entrance.

Li Zhengyang opened the rear door and got in, placing the spear diagonally beside his legs.

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Brother, what's that?"

"A prop. I use it for cosplay."

"Oh. You young people really know how to have fun these days."

"Yeah. Take me to the outer perimeter of the North Suburban Wetland Reserve."

"That place is pretty remote. You going alone?"

"Alone."

"I heard Demonic Beasts show up around there. Be careful."

"Don't worry. Demonic Beasts are afraid of me."

The driver smiled, not taking him seriously, then started the car and headed toward the northern outskirts.

Li Zhengyang leaned back in the rear seat, took out his phone, and checked the balances of the three bank cards he had taken earlier.

The first had 8,200.

The second had 11,000.

The third had 12,000.

Including the cash, it came to around 30,000 in total.

It wasn't much, but no one ever complained about free money.

Once he finished the mission and collected the 60,000 reward, adding this amount would give him over 900 Blood Qi points to recharge into the system.

Li Zhengyang smiled soundlessly in the back seat.

Before long, the car stopped on a dirt road.

Ahead lay a boundless stretch of wetlands.

"This is it. We're here."