Punish Evil, Uproot Corruption; Officials and Bandits in Collusion

The night wind howled, and drifting snow dusted Central Peace Street.

This place neighbored the docks, and most of its residents were prominent figures from the western part of the city. Shops lined the roads, while carriages and horses made the streets roar with activity by day.

But it was now deep in the night, and not a soul could be seen on the street.

Chen Mu wore a bamboo hat and a straw rain cape, softened his footsteps, and hurried through the dark alleys with his head lowered.

He deliberately avoided the main road, threading through alleys and scaling walls until he swiftly reached the base of a wall beside the side gate of a residence midway down the long street.

This was Ma San's residence, a modest two-courtyard compound.

But Ma San had always acted without restraint and had made countless enemies over the years.

Chen Mu had expected the place to be heavily guarded, so he did not dare act rashly.

He crouched patiently beneath the wall and listened for nearly half a quarter-hour. Only after confirming that no one was moving inside did he vault over the wall, roll with the momentum, and land hidden in the courtyard grass.

The entire sequence flowed like drifting clouds and running water. The moment Chen Mu concealed himself, his ears twitched.

Footsteps were approaching from ahead.

This appeared to be the front courtyard, used for martial training. Several rooms stood on either side, all dark and unlit.

A few withered trees stood beside the path, and a stone-strewn trail connected this place to the main house in the rear courtyard.

Two blade-wielding guards carrying lanterns were patrolling while yawning. One of them, a short man, muttered in complaint.

"Master Ma really has it easy. He gets to sleep on a warm kang while we have to stand out here in this freezing wind."

The tall, skinny man beside him immediately snapped, "Shut your mouth. Do you have a death wish?"

"Master Ma failed to take down Chen the Butcher today, and he's already boiling with rage. Be careful he doesn't hear you and tear out your tongue."

The short, fat man shuddered at once, all sleepiness gone. But then he seemed to recall something and gave a sinister chuckle.

"What's there to fear? If you ask me, Chen the Butcher is the unlucky one. Of all the people he could provoke, he had to provoke Master Ma."

"Once he's dead, that sickly little woman of his will be in for hell. Wonder if she'll live long enough for us to have some fun with her too..."

His face was twisted in a lecherous grin when his eyelids suddenly twitched. A rustling sound came from the grass near the wall.

"Who's there? Come out!"

The tall man heard it as well and raised his lantern toward the base of the wall.

Both men gripped the hilts of their blades, their faces wary as they prepared to call for others.

But then a black cat with bristling fur sprang out of the snow-covered grass and vanished into the inner courtyard in the blink of an eye.

The short, fat man spat angrily. "Where did that damned beast come from? Scared the hell out of your grandpa."

Before his words had even faded, Chen Mu, who had lain in wait for so long, suddenly erupted into motion, pouncing like a tiger on the hunt.

"Not good! An intrud—"

The two had barely opened their mouths when Chen Mu's palm, broad as a cattail fan, clamped precisely around their throats.

Killing intent surged in his eyes. He yanked both men back into the grass and slammed them viciously against the corner of the wall.

Bang! Bang!

Amid two dull, explosive impacts, their heads smashed against jagged stones. Their skin split open, flesh burst apart, and blood sprayed everywhere.

Remembering the filthy words they had just spoken, Chen Mu still could not vent his anger. His large hands twisted fiercely.

Crack!

Both necks snapped to a ninety-degree angle. Their last lingering breaths were extinguished on the spot, foul-smelling blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.

Only then did Chen Mu release them, hiding their corpses in a heap of wild grass blanketed in snow.

At that moment, it was as if he heard metal and iron clashing by his ear, and bloody words appeared before his eyes.

[ Ding! Killed two evildoers. Seized Blood Essence: +25. Gained Karmic Slaughter: +2 ]

The Blood Essence returned by the Slaughter Register surged through Chen Mu's limbs and bones.

His body, which had been somewhat stiff with cold, immediately loosened up, and strength throughout his body grew ever more abundant.

With those two dealt with silently, no more obstacles stood in Chen Mu's path.

Without a word, he advanced through the darkness. In a few quick moves, he vaulted into the rear courtyard and dealt with several more night-watch lackeys at the turns of the corridors.

Unfortunately, the later few gave him less than ten points of Blood Essence combined and no Karmic Slaughter.

After pondering it briefly, Chen Mu understood.

The first two men he had strangled were both blade-wielders, fierce-looking and vicious. They had clearly spilled plenty of blood, and their physiques were stronger than ordinary people's.

The night watchmen afterward were mostly just common street thugs...

It seemed that the Karmic Slaughter gained was related to the evil deeds the target had committed.

As for the Blood Essence seized, it fluctuated according to the difference in strength between Chen Mu and his opponent.

Having understood the crux of it, Chen Mu immediately suppressed his stray thoughts and looked toward the only main house with lights on.

Ma San had always committed every manner of evil, and he possessed Body Tempering cultivation as well. How much Blood Essence would killing him yield?

He did not dare lower his guard. Lightly and silently, he climbed onto the courtyard wall, crept onto the roof of the main house, and pressed his ear down to listen.

People were talking inside. One voice belonged to Ma San, and it sounded incomparably furious.

"...Bastard! That Zhao fellow wants forty percent too?"

"He takes forty percent! The Red Whale Gang takes thirty percent! Am I supposed to go drink the northwest wind?!"

Hearing this through the roof, Chen Mu caught the gist of it and felt his heart stir.

The one surnamed Zhao?

It should be Commander Zhao of the East City Drill Ground, who commanded a battalion of government troops.

He had not expected Ma San to have ties with people from the military camp as well.

As for the Red Whale Gang, it was another criminal force entrenched around the docks.

While Chen Mu was thinking, Ma San finished venting his rage, and another person spoke.

"Master Ma, do not be angered. This is a good thing! The greater Zhao Dong's appetite grows, the more he will be unable to leave you."

"When the time comes, we can bring him in to traffic military supplies. Wouldn't that make money faster than smuggling salt? Why would he refuse?"

The voice was sly and sharp. From the tone, the speaker sounded like some sort of advisor.

Sure enough, Ma San restrained his anger after hearing this and said in a low voice, "Then I'll leave this matter to you."

"Also, send word to the Red Whale Gang. Next month, they can only take twenty percent of the profits from the illicit salt. If they refuse to accept it, tell them to reason it out with Zhao Dong."

Advisor Li immediately accepted the order respectfully. Ma San then snorted coldly, put the matter aside, and spoke again.

"Oh, right. Send someone to Azure Dragon Martial Academy and ask around. Find out whose connections Chen the Butcher used to obtain that token."

"There's something strange about that brat. How could a lowborn wretch like him possibly have a hundred taels of patterned silver for the apprenticeship fee? Get to the bottom of this. In a couple of days, I'll show him what's what."

Advisor Li pondered for a moment, then proposed, "Master Ma, I don't think we need to go through so much trouble."

"Oh?"

Ma San's tone rose. "Go on. You have an idea?"

Advisor Li gave a sinister chuckle. "Hasn't the city been plagued by a Water Ghost recently?"

"That Chen fellow is nothing but a cheap life. We kill him, toss him into the river, and let the martial academy go ask the Water Ghost for their man back. What do you think, Master Ma?"

"Before killing him, we capture him first. With your methods, Master Ma, are you worried you won't be able to torture the secrets out of him?"

"If he truly is a hard bone, then gather a few dozen brothers and have them thoroughly toy with that little woman in his home right in front of him. No fear that he won't open his mouth."

The moment this vicious scheme was voiced, Ma San burst into loud laughter and praised him.

"Well done, Advisor Li. This plan is brilliant! Since that's the case, I'll go capture that brat tonight. It'll be the perfect chance to vent my fire on that sickly woman!"

Hearing this, evil flames surged in Chen Mu's chest. His carefully restrained aura loosened slightly, and he stepped on a roof tile, producing a crisp crack.

Ma San's expression immediately changed drastically. He roared upward, "Who's up there?! Get down here!"

Now that he had been exposed, Chen Mu no longer hid himself. With a thunderous crash, he stomped through the roof. Like a great eagle sweeping through the sky, he pounced down to kill.

"Die!"

Boom! His fist hammered down from midair with the force of wind and thunder, instantly smashing apart the tables and chairs in the room.

"Bold bastard!"

Ma San could only raise his arms to block, enduring the falling shattered tiles as they struck his body before taking the heavy blow.

His entire body flew backward. With a crash, he shattered the door panels and fell heavily into the courtyard.

Chen Mu pressed his advantage without mercy. He sprang up at once, chased out the door, and unleashed the Mighty Bull Fist in succession, hammering Ma San's vital points all over his body.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Advisor Li, hiding at the corner of the doorway, watched with his eyelids twitching.

In the snowy wind, the fists and flesh of the two figures collided, somehow producing faint sounds like metal striking iron.

Chen Mu had seized the initiative, but Ma San's skin, flesh, tendons, and membranes were incomparably tough. After taking several heavy punches while defending, he finally steadied himself.

"Master Ma, be careful! It's that Chen brat!"

Advisor Li had now seen Chen Mu's face clearly and shrieked a warning.

Ma San focused his gaze and saw him. He immediately flew into a rage, then bared his teeth in a vicious grin.

"Good, good, good! I wondered what petty rat had come seeking death. So it was you! Mud-legged peasant! Watch my blade!"

Clang!

A cold flash suddenly streaked through the wind and snow.

Ma San's waist blade left its sheath, carrying towering killing intent as it slashed for Chen Mu's neck, determined to take his head with a single strike.