Weak, Poor, Useless, Cowardly, Single

The alley reeked of blood and mingled with the stench of trash. He didn't glance at the hooligans but approached the man in black.

The hooligans had already fled, and he felt no inclination to chase after them; instead, he came to the side of the black-clothed man and began searching his body.

It was unforgivable to kill an enemy without seizing any valuables afterward!

Before long, Xu Zhong extracted a small cloth bag from the other party's pocket, inside of which lay a tiny porcelain bottle.

The porcelain bottle contained five pills.

"Blood Replenishing Pill?!"

Xu Zhong's eyes lit up.

Indeed, even an E-rank martial artist still carried something of value.

The combined worth of these five blood-replenishing pills amounted to approximately 20,000 yuan, a delightful surprise.

After having searched meticulously and confirmed that the search was thorough, he redirected his attention to the camera.

The camera's indicator lights still gleamed, signifying its continued operation.

Hiss, Xiahou Chi is quite twisted, intending to document my demise. I'll remember this.

Xu Zhong picked up the camera, which was still recording.

Upon taking a deep breath, he began reviewing some of the earlier footage on the camera, and his pupils immediately contracted.

It was as if the camera had captured the events leading to his death today, complete with gruesome scenes.

Ordinary people were assaulted and left crippled by the hooligans and a young girl was violated. Xu Zhong's pupils shrank.

In that instant, he felt he had killed the man too swiftly. He should have subjected him to more torment to help these people exact their blood debts.

"I wonder how many dark deeds the Xiahou family has committed secretly."

Xu Zhong's eyes concealed his thoughts. Without hesitation, he uploaded the video from the camera to his phone and removed its hard drive before smashing it with a single punch.

At that moment, a phone inside the man's pocket rang.

The caller ID was "Uncle Dog."

He answered the call, and a voice responded.

"You said you'd report to me once this was resolved. What's going on?"

"I'm alright. How about you?"

There was silence on the other end of the line and then a dial tone.

"Tsk, how impolite," Xu Zhong muttered.

Just then, a swift-moving shadow appeared at the alley's entrance. Xu Zhong initially tensed, but when he saw the Nighthawk badge on the figure, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It was a middle-aged man clad in a black trench coat with a prominent nose.

A scar ran from the corner of his right eye to the right side of his mouth, and his nose bore the marks of a habitual drinker, almost entirely reddened.

Drinking on the job. Hiss, were all Nighthawks so nonchalant?

Yet, with the physical resilience of a martial artist, ordinary alcohol wouldn't easily intoxicate them.

"Phew! Looks like you're fine. If I had arrived a moment later, my year-end bonus would have been forfeited…"

The middle-aged man muttered with lingering anxiety.

If someone had died in the city center of Luo City while on duty in the area, he would shoulder the primary responsibility, a grave dereliction of duty.

Furthermore, he had been drinking just moments ago. If the matter were pursued, he might lose his stable job.

Once again, Xu Zhong muttered, "Shouldn't your primary concern be my well-being?

Why are you concerned about your year-end bonus at a time like this?!"

At that moment, the Nighthawk glanced at the lifeless body on the ground before focusing on Xu Zhong. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"My name is Qi Mang. I'm with the third team of the Luo City Nighthawks, an E-rank martial artist."

Xu Zhong nodded slightly.

Qi Mang then looked back at the man's corpse, astonishment evident on his face. "He was an E-rank martial artist? You should be an F-rank, right? How did you pull it off?"

Qi Mang was a little surprised.

"I-I've been practicing a potent martial technique," Xu Zhong vaguely brushed past the inquiry.

Qi Mang chose not to press the issue further. "Young man, although I know you're not the killer, I'd appreciate it if you could accompany me to the police station for routine questioning."

"Alright." Xu Zhong did not refuse.

…

Luo City Police Station.

In an inappropriate situation, Xu Zhong was squeezed onto a cramped bench amidst a group of thieves and inebriates.

Especially discomforting was the drunkard beside him who continued to chew betel nuts, their pungent odor causing Xu Zhong to feel a tad queasy.

He glanced at the handcuffed thief on his left and the belligerent drunkard on his right, who seemed on the brink of vomiting while insisting he wanted to fight someone. Was this the infamous left-and-right men?

In truth, Xu Zhong had little to worry about; it was a case of self-defense. The only challenging aspect was how he defeated an E-rank martial artist. He could attribute that to his knowledge of basic sword techniques and the E-rank warrior underestimating his abilities.

"Next, Xu Zhong, please come in."

Oddly, Xu Zhong was led into a narrow room with thick walls and a small table in the center.

The police officer who greeted him wore a black coat with sparse eyebrows, cold blue eyes, and razor-sharp features.

What troubled Xu Zhong the most was the possibility of collusion between the Xiahou family and the police station to eliminate him. Therefore, he'd already sent a message in advance to his sister, Xu Yun'er, that if he didn't return home tonight, she should come to the police station to inquire about him.

The man glanced at Xu Zhong and offered a gentle smile. "No need to be nervous; it's just routine questioning. According to our investigation, there's no evidence to support a charge of intentional murder against you."

Xu Zhong was taken aback. "What do you mean by no evidence?"

"Put simply, despite your talent, you wouldn't typically go out of your way to assassinate an E-rank martial artist without reason. Secondly, your savings are modest, and you're not the aggressive type. Even in conflicts, you wouldn't resort to murder. You're single… Thus, we've concluded you're not a suspect now," the man smiled.

Xu Zhong felt puzzled. What was the meaning behind that last sentence?

Was he insinuating that I'm feeble, financially lacking, ineffectual, timid, and unattached?

"Officer, you're pushing the envelope here. Who are you to judge me like that?"

"In that case, do you have any inclination to assassinate that E-rank martial artist of your own volition?" The man's lips curled into a smile.

"Well… I'm not much of a threat," Xu Zhong admitted, bowing his head and refraining from the argument.ed his head and didn't argue.

"This person is associated with the Xiahou family. I have a general idea of the situation. You've unwittingly fallen into their trap. Nevertheless, since you've already dealt with him, the matter ends here." The man's expression grew more serious as he observed Xu Zhong. "I understand you might not be content, but now isn't the time for impulsive actions. If you truly seek revenge, even the Xiahou family won't dare to touch you once you reach the C-rank."

The man's words were both caution and counsel.

As expected…

Xu Zhong sighed. He realized there would be no resolution.

Yet, suddenly, Xu Zhong spoke up, "I have something else to say."