Revenge

Xia Daoming shot out of the ruined house like a python emerging from its lair. While still in midair, his hands and feet had already unleashed a flurry of killing moves.

His hand rose in a serpent-shaped blade, palm facing down, back of the hand facing up, the edge thrust forward. With a slashing sweep, he struck one Blood Wolf Guard cleanly across the throat.

The Blood Wolf Guard immediately clutched his throat and fell backward, as though his neck had been slit by a blade.

Almost at the same time, Xia Daoming's leg swept through the air like a snake lashing its tail. Two Blood Wolf Guards were sent flying in succession, smashing viciously into the wall behind them.

"Woof! Woof!" The Blood Wolf Mastiff roared as it lunged forward.

"Courting death!" Xia Daoming delivered a side kick. The Blood Wolf Mastiff, built like a calf, was immediately kicked flying. It crashed heavily to the ground like a huge sack of sand, its four legs twitching violently a few times before it went still.

"Ah!" One Blood Wolf Guard was so frightened by Xia Daoming's ferocious fighting style that he turned to flee, only to step on the caltrops Xia Daoming had scattered around the house.

Then, he felt a chill pierce straight through him from behind.

"Ah!" The Blood Wolf Guard screamed again, lowering his head to stare at the bloodied tip of a dagger protruding through his chest.

The remaining two Blood Wolf Guards had already turned and fled in different directions.

One of them was the Pockmarked One-Eyed Blood Wolf Guard.

He was, after all, the leader of the six Blood Wolf Guards and the strongest among them. Yet at this moment, he had been scared out of his wits and could only flee for his life.

But before the One-Eyed Blood Wolf Guard had run more than a few steps, a sharp pain erupted at the back of his neck. His head tilted, and his whole body collapsed sideways. His one eye remained wide open in death, staring at the figure that flashed past him.

At the Fourth-Rank Martial Master realm, with force far surpassing that of an ordinary Fourth-Rank Martial Master, every time Xia Daoming landed, he shot skyward again like a cannonball.

Sand and dust exploded from the ground.

Before the last Blood Wolf Guard could reach the village entrance, Xia Daoming had already caught him alive.

After a round of questioning, Xia Daoming killed him without hesitation.

An hour later.

In the darkness of night, a bonfire blazed in the small courtyard.

Chunks of Blood Wolf Mastiff meat were skewered over the fire.

Grease sizzled as it dripped into the flames. The fire occasionally leapt high, and the rich scent of roasted meat drifted through the abandoned village on the wind.

This desolate village, which had stood alone in the wasteland for who knew how many years, finally carried a trace of human warmth.

Xia Daoming had not tasted meat for more than ten days.

The Blood Wolf Mastiff's blood and vitality were surging, and its flesh was undoubtedly a nourishing delicacy capable of strengthening a martial artist's blood, vitality, and force.

Naturally, Xia Daoming would not waste it.

Three days later.

In the abandoned village, the morning sun slowly rose over the horizon like a blazing disk of fire.

Inside the room, Xia Daoming stared at the now-empty wooden box. He licked the residue on his fingers, his eyes full of lingering longing.

In three days, he had finally finished the last piece of Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng, along with nearly half a Blood Wolf Mastiff's worth of smoked roasted meat.

"What a pity. The Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng is gone. From now on, I can only nourish myself with Blood Wolf Mastiff meat. Ahem, Xia Daoming, you're getting carried away. Back then, Blood Wolf Mastiff meat was something you wouldn't even have dared dream of eating!"

Xia Daoming shook his head as the interface in his mind appeared before his eyes.

Xia Daoming-

Cultivation: Fourth-Rank Martial Master

Ninth Level Meridian Strengthening progress: 20%.

"Now that my meridians have been strengthened to the ninth level, even fighting a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master should not be much of a problem. It's time to leave this place and settle the final score with Blood Wolf Hall in Black Stone City!"

With that thought, Xia Daoming rose, picked up his bundle, and walked out of the house.

Mang Province was the largest province in the Great Liang Kingdom. It was also a place of harsh conditions, scarce resources, rampant bandits and brigands, unchecked gangs, and lives as worthless as blades of grass—a land of exile.

The towering Vast Mountain Range, stretching endlessly for tens of thousands of miles, divided Mang Province into north and south.

The Vast Mountain Range blocked the moist air drifting north from the vast southern ocean. As a result, the lands north of Mang Province received little rain, sweltered unbearably in summer, froze bitterly in winter, and consisted mostly of desert and Gobi wasteland.

In the northern region of Mang Province, people lived only where there was water.

Every city, fortress, town, and village had been built around a water source.

Black Stone City was built beside Black Dragon Mountain.

When the mountain snow melted, it carved out a lake at the foot of the mountain and created an oasis. Black Stone City had been built because of it.

Outside Black Stone City, even the gravel was black.

Its city walls were also built from black stone, hence the name Black Stone City.

Black Stone City could only be considered a small city in the northern region.

The people maintaining order within the city were not government officials, but clans, gangs, and martial halls.

Blood Wolf Hall was one of Black Stone City's many gang factions, controlling three neighborhoods in the southern part of the city.

Dragon Serpent Martial Hall was also located in the south of the city. Its master, Qiu Zhiheng, was already advanced in years. He only accepted disciples and taught martial arts, living the carefree life of a wealthy man. He did not fight for territory, so there was no conflict of interest between his hall and Blood Wolf Hall. The two sides got along fairly well.

Qiu Zhiheng and Wei Mao also had frequent dealings and were usually on brotherly terms.

It was precisely because of this that Wei Mao noticed the changes in Qiu Zhiheng after he consumed the Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng. The secret leaked out, bringing disaster upon both Qiu Zhiheng and Dragon Serpent Martial Hall.

In the rear courtyard of Blood Wolf Hall stood a spacious room.

A man was on top of a woman, moving violently.

Heavy panting and enticing moans echoed through the room.

Creak!

The door was pushed open.

"Get out!"

Wei Mo was at the crucial moment when he suddenly heard someone enter. He continued what he was doing while a beast-like roar rumbled from his throat.

Smack! Smack!

Wei Mo was answered by sharp applause.

Wei Mo realized something was wrong and abruptly turned his head.

"It's you!" Wei Mo's expression changed slightly upon seeing who had come, and he hurriedly pulled himself away.

"Young Hall Master, please continue. It's fine. I'm not pressed for time," Xia Daoming said with a smile, folding his arms as he leaned against the doorframe.

Seeing that Xia Daoming did not immediately make a move, Wei Mo completely relaxed.

After all, he was a Fourth-Rank Martial Master, while Xia Daoming had previously been only a Second-Rank Martial Master. Even if Xia Daoming had profited as the fisherman and seized the Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng, he would still have had to consume it gradually. In a mere dozen days, reaching Third-Rank Martial Master would already have been the limit.

Besides, this was Blood Wolf Hall's headquarters, with plenty of men stationed outside.

"I'm very curious. How did you escape my father and the others' pursuit, then make it all the way here?" Wei Mo asked as he leisurely put on his clothes.

"I'm also very curious. Your father's bones are not even cold yet—how do you still have the mood to indulge in pleasure here?" Xia Daoming asked.

Wei Mo's expression changed drastically at those words. But then, as though he had heard the funniest joke in the world, he burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Don't tell me that you killed my father!"

"Is that so funny? Since I could kill your uncle, why couldn't I kill your father?" Xia Daoming said.

"If my uncle had not been badly injured and completely focused on the Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng, would you have had any chance to kill him? But speaking of the Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng, brat, since you're here, obediently offer it up with both hands. I may consider sparing your life." Wei Mo looked greedily at Xia Daoming.

"Tsk, tsk. They said the Young Hall Master was cruel and heartless. It seems that is indeed true. For the Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng, you can even set aside the vengeance for your father and uncle." Xia Daoming sneered.

"Brat, you're courting death!" Wei Mo finally could not be bothered to waste any more words. With a cold shout, he sprang forward and threw a vicious punch at Xia Daoming.

Xia Daoming did not dodge. Blood and force surged through his body as all five fingers spread wide and reached forward.

"You're actually a Fourth-Rank Martial Master!" Wei Mo's face changed drastically, and unease rose in his heart.

But he did not withdraw his fist or change his move.

His punch had been charged and released with an overwhelming momentum, while Xia Daoming had merely responded casually. Even if Xia Daoming had broken through to Fourth-Rank Martial Master, so what?

Bang!

Xia Daoming's palm closed around Wei Mo's fist like an eagle's claw.

Wei Mo was startled and instinctively tried to pull back his fist. But Xia Daoming's hand was like an iron clamp, cold and powerful, and his fist could not move at all.

"How is this possible?!"

Beads of cold sweat the size of soybeans instantly formed on Wei Mo's forehead. Gritting his teeth, he raised his left hand in a palm blade and stabbed straight at Xia Daoming's neck.

"Hmph!" A cold glint flashed through Xia Daoming's eyes. His other hand formed the Serpent Head Fist and struck out with lightning speed.

The Serpent Head Fist smashed heavily into the palm blade.

Crack!

"Ah!"

The sound of finger bones breaking was followed by Wei Mo's scream.

Wei Mo's left hand snapped back like lightning. His four fingers were bent at grotesque angles and trembling uncontrollably.

They were both Fourth-Rank Martial Masters, but the gap in their force was simply too vast.

"Guards! Guards!" After screaming, Wei Mo quickly began shouting in terror.

But his voice echoed through the room, while outside remained deathly silent. Not a single person came in.

"Stop shouting. You could scream your throat raw, and no one would come," Xia Daoming said with a smile.

His right hand suddenly tightened.

Under Xia Daoming's grip, Wei Mo's fist made faint cracking sounds as the bones were crushed and broken. The fist even began to deform.

"It hurts! My hand is breaking! Let go! Hero, let go!" Wei Mo cried miserably, begging again and again.

"Let go? Then why didn't you let Master Qiu and the people of Dragon Serpent Martial Hall go?" Xia Daoming's face was cold as ice.

"I know I was wrong! I won't dare do it again! Please, spare my life!" Wei Mo continued to beg.

"Stop dreaming. If you honestly tell me where the wealth you've plundered over the years is hidden, I can give you a quick death," Xia Daoming said.

"Go to hell!" Wei Mo suddenly kicked upward at Xia Daoming's groin.

But Xia Daoming's kick was faster. One kick knocked Wei Mo's leg back, and then he ruthlessly stomped down on Wei Mo's knee.

Crack!

Wei Mo's right leg snapped at once.

"Ah!" Wei Mo screamed again, nearly passing out from the pain.

"I'm not in a hurry. I'd quite like to see just how hard the Young Hall Master's bones are," Xia Daoming said coldly.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Wei Mo quickly gave in and obediently revealed where the treasure was hidden.

"You can go now." After hearing him out, Xia Daoming spoke indifferently. Both hands formed Serpent Head Fists, and he struck fiercely at Wei Mo's temples.

Wei Mo's eyes rolled back, and he fell backward dead.

"Master Qiu, Daoming has avenged you. You can rest in peace now," Xia Daoming said silently in his heart as he looked around.

A woman was clutching a piece of clothing in her hands, curled up in the corner and trembling.

When the woman saw Xia Daoming look toward her, she became so frightened that she no longer cared about using the clothing to cover herself. Her lovely jade-like body was completely bare as she repeatedly kowtowed to Xia Daoming and begged, "Hero, spare my life! Hero, spare my life! I'll do anything you want me to!"

Seeing her jade-white flesh trembling before him, Xia Daoming hurriedly shifted his gaze away. He casually tossed a piece of clothing over and said, "Go. I won't kill you."

"Thank you, Hero." Clutching the clothes, the woman hurriedly fled the room.

Xia Daoming first went to the place Wei Mo had mentioned and retrieved the savings the Wei family had accumulated through years of plunder. Then he thoroughly ransacked Blood Wolf Hall.

The system could continuously strengthen his meridians, but it required a great quantity of nourishing materials. That meant Xia Daoming needed a great deal of money to buy them.

Since he had destroyed Blood Wolf Hall this time, Xia Daoming naturally intended to seize the chance to strip it clean.

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