Zhao Jinsheng was certain he hadn't seen it wrong.
The River Saber Sect excelled in saber techniques, and Zhao Jinsheng was a standout among its disciples.
The man who had just passed by him, although unassuming in presence, carried an aura of saber training.
Only those who trained with a saber could sense it.
"It must be a chance encounter that led to an opportunity."
With just a glance, he could tell that the other was dressed like an ordinary person, with no scent of the Jianghu on him.
If he were a Jianghu person, he wouldn't settle down in a small place like Ding County.
The fact that he knew some saber skills yet was not part of the Jianghu meant he must have stumbled upon an opportunity.
Such occurrences were not uncommon in the Jianghu, but they didn't lead to overnight success as stories often suggested.
An ordinary man might possess a precious stone and invite trouble.
Most of them died terribly.
"If he has saber skills, wouldn't that be a boon for me?" Zhao Jinsheng thought eagerly.
Only those with influence like his could truly appreciate the value of a Cultivation Technique.
Even though he was a standout in the River Saber Sect, he was ultimately an outsider and needed significant merit for more benefits.
Now, with an opportunity right in front of him, swayed by alcohol, Zhao Jinsheng couldn't resist and, as if driven by fate, followed Qin An into the alley and disappeared.
...
After returning home, Qin An rehung the bell.
He planned to rest early, conserve his energy, and visit the bookshop the next day.
Upon his return, Chen Chun's house was completely dark; Qin An guessed Chen Chun had not yet returned.
The spies of the Evil Extermination Bureau naturally had tasks, and given the unlucky location of the coffin shop, no one noticed Chen Chun's frequent absences.
After tidying up for a moment, Qin An was ready to go to bed.
At deep night, a sudden knock on the door sounded.
Qin An frowned slightly, looking toward the door, but didn't respond. Instead, he grasped a sharp knife and hid behind the door.
Since the sow demon incident, Qin An had become increasingly cautious.
He only knew Chen Chun in Ding County, and if Chen Chun came, he would definitely speak first.
Without any word, it meant it was someone other than Chen Chun.
A visitor at deep night must be unusual.
Silence enveloped the house.
The knocking ceased after a moment.
Under the moonlight, a sliver of brightness pierced through the door crack.
Qin An's eyes narrowed slightly.
It was a knife.
The knife blade slowly lifted upward, brushing the door latch.
Most houses in Ding County used a single latch, and Qin An understood the intention behind the outsider's action.
This was an attempt to enter silently.
Qin An frowned, thinking, "Without that cold Evil Qi and using a knife, I shouldn't have encountered this person before."
He couldn't sense Evil Qi, so it likely wasn't a demon.
And using a knife suggested it was a human.
But he had no idea who it could be, as Qin An hadn't provoked anyone.
As he pondered, the knife blade moved side to side.
Soon, the door latch was moved aside by the blade.
A young man silently entered from outside.
Upon stepping inside, he immediately stumbled upon the bell at his feet.
"Ding ling ling."
In the darkness, the sound of the bell was piercing.
Zhao Jinsheng, focused on observing, was startled by it.
Before he could react, a swoosh came from behind him.
Qin An made his move with the knife.
No matter who it was, a night visitor was an unwelcome guest.
For safety, he decisively struck.
The sharp knife sliced through the air, producing a violent thunderous sound, aiming straight for Zhao Jinsheng's back.
The target was the heart, a wound that even a deity couldn't heal if struck.
Energy coursed through the sharp knife, accelerating its speed.
Zhao Jinsheng's hairs stood on end, the impending explosion of sound drenched his forehead in cold sweat.
In the nick of time, Zhao Jinsheng countered by gripping his long saber in reverse, positioning it behind him.
"Clang!"
The sharp knife clashed against the long saber blade, emitting a metallic clashing sound.
The immense force pushed Zhao Jinsheng into a stagger, who used the momentum to take a few steps forward, turning to look.
"As expected, you only know saber skills, lacking a Heart Method, just an ordinary person with a chance encounter!"
Zhao Jinsheng's eyes gleamed, he lifted his long saber and slashed down at Qin An: "Today, this opportunity is mine!"
He wasn't mistaken, from Qin An's previous saber, he could feel it was merely saber skills.
This truly was an ordinary person who only knew saber techniques.
Every craft has its limits; only the Heart Method can elevate it.
What good is it if such a common person has learned saber techniques?
Could he reach great heights?
"Dying under my Small Success Water Shadow Saber Skill today, you can rest in peace."
Zhao Jinsheng licked his lips, sneered, and with strength in his right arm swung towards Qin An's neck.
Shadows twisted upon the long saber, as if water flowed over it.
The River Saber Sect was renowned for the Water Shadow Saber Skill, transforming Qi into water upon attacking, able to adhere to an opponent's weapon.
With no experience, an average person would naturally pull back and defend upon encountering it.
Once ensnared by the water flow, they would be prey on the chopping board, at his mercy.
Zhao Jinsheng had already pictured the wondrous moment of obtaining the saber manual.
But at this moment, the sharp knife in Qin An's hand quickened slightly.
Not making the first move, it arrived first, slashing right to left across his neck.
A chill spread from Zhao Jinsheng's neck, instinctively reaching up to touch, only to see his hand drenched in blood when looking down.
"You..."
With his throat slit, his voice was raspy like a broken bellows.
Qin An emotionless, reversed the grip and plunged the sharp knife into Zhao Jinsheng's chest.
Blood sprayed, splashing onto the ground.
Zhao Jinsheng, in the moonlight, saw Qin An's impassive face, a chill pierced his heart.
He'd hit a steel wall.
Though his opponent lacked Heart Method enhancement, the knife technique was far beyond Small Success.
The Heart Method might be the core, but technique mattered in combat too.
Without a method, progress indeed halted at the Qi Storage Realm.
Yet Zhao Jinsheng himself was only at the Qi Storage Realm.
He possessed a Small Success saber skill, but his opponent's was perfected.
How to fight?
Qin An remained expressionless, kicked Zhao Jinsheng in the abdomen.
Zhao Jinsheng's body dropped from the knife, rolling a few times on the ground, then went still.
Qin An knelt down, confirmed Zhao Jinsheng's death, then used Zhao Jinsheng's clothes to wipe the blood from the knife.
This was an old habit from his butcher days, always wiping the blade clean after a slaughter, as it was a tool for his livelihood.
He thought while cleaning.
"Not much different from slaughtering pigs, actually."
He felt he had adjusted, at least no longer experiencing nausea.
After cleaning the knife, Qin An gazed at the corpse, pondered briefly, then searched the corpse.
In his previous life, reading novels, whenever the protagonist didn't search the enemy after killing them, Qin An always thought it was foolish.
Deeming himself not foolish, naturally, he had to search.
After searching thoroughly, Qin An found a book on Zhao Jinsheng's chest.
Under the moonlight and oil lamp, Qin An discerned the characters on it.
"Cold Source Heart Skill"