When Your Skills Fall Short, Stand Straight and Take the Beating

"Ah—!!!"

"Murder! Murder!"

Madam Cui had never seen anything so bloody.

She was used to throwing her weight around, but the sight of blood twisted her painted face with terror. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

That scream snapped the others out of their daze.

"Shit! This one's tough! Get your weapons!"

The newly appointed Boss of South City had been born a dirt-poor peasant. He owed his position to Abacus Song and was loyal to the bone.

He hadn't seen how Qin Geng had struck, but he knew that no matter how skilled a man was, a gun could still kill him.

The Boss of South City thrust a hand inside his coat and drew a black handgun. He moved fast; clearly, he had practiced.

At the same time, several burly men behind him reached for the weapons at their waists.

They yanked out the bulky things tucked beneath their belts.

Several gleaming Short Qingzi pistols!

The dark muzzles gleamed coldly beneath the overcast sky.

"Kill him!"

The newly appointed Boss of South City looked ready to burst with fury. Perhaps eager to impress his new master, he opened fire without a moment's hesitation!

An instant before the Boss of South City pulled the trigger, a chill shot up the back of Qin Geng's skull—the bone-deep terror of a brush with death.

Qin Geng didn't even look at the man's hand. His body reacted before his mind did.

Step-Sensing Danger!

Coiling Dragon Steps!

His body slid sharply sideways at an angle that seemed to defy reason.

Bang!

The gun went off.

Flame spat from the muzzle. The bullet grazed past Qin Geng on a wave of scorching air and punched a deep hole in the wall behind him, sending brick dust and chips flying.

A chill ran down Qin Geng's back. Cold sweat soaked through his clothes in an instant.

It was his first time facing a firearm. That terrifying sense of life and death being decided in a heartbeat shook him far more than any contest of fists and feet.

If Shopkeeper Lu hadn't given him that Wolf-Hair Brush last time, he might not have dodged this shot.

He missed!

The Boss of South City's pupils shrank to pinpoints.

Qin Geng didn't pause after dodging the bullet.

He drove off with his feet, and the blue bricks beneath him cracked!

The savage look had not yet faded from the Boss of South City's face when boundless horror took its place.

All he saw was a blur hurtling toward him. The thick stench of blood nearly suffocated him.

Like a tiger charging down the mountain!

The Boss of South City tried to fire again, but his finger felt filled with lead and would not obey.

Too fast!

Clawing Strike!

Qin Geng clenched his right hand. Using his fist in place of a claw, he drove it straight forward.

He poured all his strength into that punch, along with the overwhelming ferocity of his Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone!

Qin Geng's fist slammed squarely into the Boss of South City's chest.

Bright Force punched through his body!

The Boss went rigid. Before he could even scream, he crumpled to the ground as though every bone had been pulled from his body.

Had anyone cut open his chest then, they would have found his heart reduced to pulp and a large section of his breastbone caved in.

Dead on the spot!

One strike, one kill. Qin Geng kept moving.

At that moment, the explosive power of his Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone was on full display.

He wove through the crowd so fast their eyes could barely follow him.

Crack!

"Ah!"

"My hand!"

Several more sharp cracks rang out amid screams.

How terrifying was the explosive power of Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone?

The burly men had only just drawn their guns and hadn't had time to aim. Agony tore through their wrists, blood streamed down their hands, and their Short Qingzi pistols clattered to the ground.

Qin Geng's figure came back into focus in the middle of the courtyard.

At his feet lay the Boss of South City, his chest caved in. Around him, Dragon King Society enforcers clutched their wrists and wailed.

Red blood stained the white snow—a sight that made the heart jolt.

Qin Geng gave his hand a light shake and looked at Madam Cui, who was still screaming.

"You're too loud."

Qin Geng spoke softly, but his voice carried a chill. "You're disturbing Master Xin's rest."

With that, he shifted his shoulder slightly as if about to strike.

"Ah—!"

Madam Cui was in full cry when her eyes met Qin Geng's. Her scream stopped as abruptly as if a knife had cut it off.

"Mother of mercy!"

Madam Cui was scared out of her wits. Her usual airs as a fine lady had flown beyond the nine heavens.

She shrieked and scrambled away on hands and knees. One high heel came off as she ran, but she didn't dare go back for it. She limped through the courtyard gate in utter disarray.

Qin Geng didn't pursue her.

He didn't know what stood behind someone like her, so he let her go for now.

Qin Geng turned to Abacus Song, who had remained where he stood.

The gloom on Abacus Song's face vanished as suddenly as a mask changing in Sichuan opera. In its place came a bitter, helpless smile.

Only three to five breaths had passed.

A Bright Force expert had been crippled, a Boss killed on the spot, and three gunmen had had their arms broken.

The Qin Xiao Wu before him was no longer the greenhorn who had muddled through killing Chen Sanpi with one brute-force punch. He was Fifth Master Qin, a man who killed without hesitation and whose force could pierce bone!

With skills like those, he could stand on equal footing with the Dragon Head even within the Dragon King Society.

Was he supposed to fight a Bright Force Martial Artist that deadly to the bitter end over a shabby courtyard and a few antiques no one had even laid eyes on?

That deal was a loss all the way back to his grandmother's house.

"F-Fifth Master."

Abacus Song cupped his hands, a note of ingratiation in his voice. "What happened today was nothing but a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding?"

Qin Geng glanced at the corpse on the ground, then at the enforcers with broken hands. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, baring a row of white teeth. "You came to my door with guns. That's quite a misunderstanding."

"Ah, the men under me didn't know any better."

Abacus Song was an old hand, with skin as thick as a city wall.

He pointed at the Boss of South City on the ground and cursed, "That bastard! I only told him to come and bolster our numbers. Who told him to use a gun? He deserved to die! He offended you, Fifth Master, and you still showed restraint. If it had been me, I'd have cut him into eight pieces long ago."

Abacus Song cupped his hands again. "Fifth Master, forget whether it was a misunderstanding. This is on me. I handled it badly. I was blind and failed to recognize your true ability. If I'd known you'd reached Bright Force, I wouldn't have backed that whore even if you'd given me two extra sets of guts."

It was a blunt admission.

Those were the rules in Tianjin: accept the beating and accept the penalty.

When your skills fell short, you stood straight and took the beating.

Explaining the misunderstanding any further would only breed more resentment.

Owning up to it honestly was the straightforward way.

"If it was a misunderstanding, clean this place up."

Qin Geng raised a hand and waved it before his nose, his face full of distaste. "The smell of blood is too strong. You've dirtied Master Xin's courtyard. I don't want him smelling it when he wakes."

"Done! I'll take care of it."

Abacus Song felt as though he had been granted a pardon.

The words had been spoken lightly.

But Abacus Song was an old hand. He understood what Qin Geng meant.

He was to clear away the mess he had brought with him and leave no trace.