"Ah!"
Ma Zhankui let out a miserable scream, clutching his left eye as blood streamed out between his fingers!
His figure flashed, dodging to the doorway, and he roared, "Someone! Someone, help!"
At this moment.
In the courtyard, disciples of the Cyan Snake Gang who were gambling in other rooms all rushed out holding knives and swords, but twang, twang, twang—arrow after arrow shot forth!
The disciples at the very front fell one after another, arrows lodged in their throats!!
The whole courtyard echoed with the screams of the dying.
"Damn it! This archer is no weaker than I am!"
"Who the hell is this guy?"
Hiding at the doorway, Ma Zhankui gritted his teeth as he yanked the arrow from his eye socket, an overwhelming sense of mortal danger pressing in on him!
Ever since he'd mastered the Cyan Snake Sword Technique, this was the first time he'd ever felt so powerless!
He hadn't even laid eyes on his opponent before he was already gravely wounded!
He couldn't figure out what he'd done to provoke a second-class expert!
"Where there's life, there's hope!"
A flash of venom appeared in Ma Zhankui's one remaining eye. He gripped his sword, spun around, and used his Lightweight Skill to leap toward the outside of the manor wall!
Now his right hand and left eye were both injured, his strength less than sixty percent of his peak. Facing an equally skilled master hidden in the shadows, he was as good as dead!
"Ma Zhankui, you think you can still get away?"
Just then, a hoarse voice rang out.
"Shit!"
Without thinking, Ma Zhankui swung his sword, forming a curtain of blades that shredded an incoming feathered arrow!
With his single eye, he caught a glimpse: a lean figure masked with a black scarf stood fifty feet away, a longbow in hand, arrow nocked and aimed right at him!
That sense of mortal danger surged again!
"Who are you? Let's talk this through!"
Ma Zhankui's heart sank. Sword at the ready, he backed away, preparing to retreat into the manor!
Right now, his only choice was to use the layout to block this person's arrows!
The guy's arrows had to run out eventually!
Then he'd use his many subordinates—he just might make it out alive!
Twang!
The masked man didn't bother speaking. Another arrow shot straight at him!
Ma Zhankui deflected it with his sword, only to feel a tremendous force through the feathered arrow as he shouted, "All of you, get him—kill him!"
At that shout, a dozen Cyan Snake Gang disciples rushed out, but three immediately fell with arrows in their throats. The rest, terrified by the flawless marksmanship, cowered behind the manor wall—no one wanted to die!
Taking the chance, Ma Zhankui leapt, trying to get back inside the manor!
Twang!
A feathered arrow shot out like lightning, piercing straight through Ma Zhankui's left upper thigh!
Ma Zhankui groaned as he landed within the manor!
Right now—
His left leg, right hand, and one eye all pierced by arrows, wracked with blinding pain, he struggled to crawl toward a main hall!
Twang!
Lin Chang'sheng shoved off the ground and vaulted into the manor, landing thirty feet from Ma Zhankui, sending an arrow straight into his groin!
At that moment—
A disciple of the Cyan Snake Gang in his thirties lunged a claw toward Lin Chang'sheng's back!
Lin Chang'sheng heard the movement, sidestepped, and sent a palm strike—instantly shattering the man's hand with a sickening crack, shock written all over his face!
Lin Chang'sheng struck again, slamming his palm into the man's head!
The man's skull collapsed, and he died on the spot!
"Great Success Iron Sand Palm!"
"You killed Tie Yang!"
Seeing Lin Chang'sheng kill his trusted right-hand man Lin Li with a single strike, Ma Zhankui's eyes went wide with utter disbelief.
"Die!"
Lin Chang'sheng shot another arrow right into Ma Zhankui's remaining eye—the arrow punched clear through his skull. He was dead—dead beyond dead!
"The Gang Leader is dead!"
"......"
No one knew who shouted, but instantly, the dozen remaining unhurt Cyan Snake Gang disciples scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives!
"Trying to run?"
Lin Chang'sheng's gaze turned icy. The Cyan Snake Gang had plenty of blood on their hands—every last disciple stained with murder. He couldn't let any escape!
They could run fast, but faster than Lin Chang'sheng?
Not long after—
All thirty-three Cyan Snake Gang disciples in the manor, plus Gang Leader Ma Zhankui, lay dead!
"Ma Zhankui was Mu City's richest man, leader of the Cyan Snake Gang. He must've hoarded tons over the years!"
Once Lin Chang'sheng made sure there were no survivors, he didn't forget to search the bodies and raid Ma Zhankui's room.
Soon after.
Lin Chang'sheng found over 1,500 taels of silver, mostly in silver notes.
There was also a good haul of gold and jade artifacts.
Most importantly, he found a sword technique manual—the Cyan Snake Sword Technique.
And a Lightweight Skill manual called Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill.
"Hell yeah! This was a damn good haul!"
Light flashed in Lin Chang'sheng's eyes. He wrapped everything up in a cloth, piled the thirty-four corpses together, doused every room in flames, and strode away into the night.
Not long after—
Lin Chang'sheng made it back home, buried the silver and gold under the jujube tree in his courtyard, pulled up a chair, bathed in the moonlight, and practiced his Moonlight Breathing Technique while studying the Cyan Snake Sword Technique and Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill.
The Ma Family Manor—a rich home—was engulfed in a raging inferno. Countless East Street residents woke up in the night and rushed out to help.
But the flames were far too fierce—there was no saving anything.
........
Yan Zhen sat at home.
Her heart raced with anxiety.
The three-day deadline Ma Zhankui gave her was up tomorrow.
Run away?
But to where?
Just then, Yan Zhen heard the sound of people pounding down the street, frantic, yelling—many folks on the run.
She followed the sounds and couldn't help but widen her eyes. "The Ma Family Manor… it's on fire?"
Tomorrow was the last day of Ma Zhankui's ultimatum, and now, his home was burning. If… Yan Zhen couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope rise in her chest.
......
The Ma Family fire burned most of the night.
Flames soared several stories high, lighting up half the sky over Mu City. Even County Magistrate Chen Ling was roused from sleep.
Ma Zhankui's younger sister Ma Qian fainted on the spot when she found out her brother died in the blaze.
"Ma Zhankui's dead. Sister Zhen doesn't have to live in fear anymore,"
Lin Chang'sheng murmured, bathed in the faint moonlight.
At three in the morning—
[Detected Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill. Simplify for 1 tael of silver?]
A red prompt popped up on Lin Chang'sheng's panel.
"Simplify!"
Lin Chang'sheng clicked confirm immediately.
[Great Dao is Simple: Simplifying Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill… Simplifying… Success… Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill == Running!]
"Uh? Running?"
Lin Chang'sheng blinked at the panel in surprise.
The Great Dao really is simple!
Running? Now that's as simple as it gets!
Doesn't that mean I can max this out to Great Perfection really quick?
"Right now, my only attack technique is the Great Perfection Arrow Technique. Iron Sand Palm just makes my hands tougher—if I run into a second-class expert with some weird and tricky moves, things are still risky!"
"I've got to get started on this Cyan Snake Sword Technique!"
Lin Chang'sheng jogged a few steps and saw his Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill experience tick up, then pulled out the Cyan Snake Sword Technique manual.
......
The next day.
Sister Zhen's Noodle House.
"Did you hear? Last night, the Ma Family Manor didn't just burn—an enemy showed up, Ma Zhankui and over thirty disciples of the Cyan Snake Gang got slaughtered!"
"Ma Zhankui had already reached second-class, one of Mu City's four top experts. Whoever killed him—must be first-class!"
"That I don't know. But Ma Zhankui's sister Ma Qian has already posted a reward of a hundred taels of patterned silver for clues!"
"Damn! A hundred taels? That's enough to feed my family for twenty years!"
"...….."
Yan Zhen was busy cooking noodles when she overheard a few customers gossiping. She felt a wave of relief sweep through her.
Ma Zhankui was dead. That meant she was safe now.
And yet…
Who was it that killed Ma Zhankui?
Whoever that nameless hero was, they'd really helped her out!