Chapter 42

"That guy's been targeted?"

"It's the guy with the bamboo hat! That kid's in trouble!"

"Martial novice, first level of Qi and Blood. That kid doesn't look strong at all. With the bamboo-hatted guy after him, he's probably done for."

"He's too young, not enough experience. That kid thought wearing a hood would hide his identity. But he didn't consider that his thin frame makes him look like an easy target. He didn't even think to pad his body with cloth to appear stronger. Serves him right for being careless!"

"Yeah, when you're out there, you have to be careful about everything. This is on him for not having the strength and still flaunting his wealth."

"..."

"He's catching up!"

After turning a few corners, Chen Ping'an noticed the person behind him speeding up.

They were still in a relatively secluded area. Clearly, the other party planned to rob him here.

Whether they would kill him or let him live would depend entirely on their mood.

"Come on then."

A cold glint flashed in Chen Ping'an's eyes. He pretended to notice the person tailing him and hurriedly quickened his pace.

"Trying to run? Do you think you can escape!?" The bamboo-hatted man behind him also sped up. He stopped pretending and revealed his intentions.

His Qi and Blood were abundant, and his speed was fast. In just a few breaths, he caught up to Chen Ping'an. Seeing the panicked figure fleeing ahead, he reached out and grabbed, intending to completely subdue the kid.

As a martial novice at the first level of Qi and Blood, his strength far surpassed that of an average adult, let alone the kid in front of him.

Just as the bamboo-hatted man's hand landed on Chen Ping'an's shoulder and he prepared to exert force to control him...

The figure in front didn't budge at all.

What's going on?

The bamboo-hatted man's face showed confusion, and his heart skipped a beat.

In the next moment, Chen Ping'an's other hand shot up and clamped down on the man's wrist. A surge of immense force followed, and as Chen Ping'an bent his waist, the bamboo-hatted man was lifted off the ground and slammed hard onto the ground.

"Damn it! I misjudged him!"

If this had happened to an ordinary person, they would have been dazed and unable to get up for a while.

But the bamboo-hatted man was a martial novice, his skin and muscles toughened, his Qi and Blood abundant. He wasn't an ordinary person. The slam only left him slightly sore.

At this moment, he realized he might have bitten off more than he could chew.

However, his reaction was swift. He used his core strength to perform a "iron bridge" maneuver, trying to stand up.

This kid was playing the fool to lure him in!

From the immense force just now, it seemed this kid might have already reached the second level of Qi and Blood, or even the peak of it.

He couldn't fight this!

Run!

But before the bamboo-hatted man could fully stand, a foot came crashing down toward his head.

"Damn it!"

The bamboo-hatted man was terrified.

At the last moment, he managed to tilt his head to the side.

Boom!

The foot smashed through his bamboo hat, grazing his ear and slamming into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It was hard to imagine the damage that would have been done if that foot had landed squarely.

Just as the bamboo-hatted man thought he had narrowly escaped, another foot came flying toward his temple at an unimaginable speed.

"No!" The bamboo-hatted man panicked, raising his arms to protect his head.

But...

A sharp pain shot through his head, and then he lost consciousness.

After landing the decisive blow, Chen Ping'an didn't relax. He aimed a few more kicks at vulnerable spots until the man was completely unconscious. Only then did he step forward to search the body.

The bamboo hat on the man's head was now in tatters, revealing the bloodied face of an ordinary middle-aged man. His head had been deformed and twisted from the repeated kicks.

Looking at the man's mangled, bloody head, Chen Ping'an suddenly felt a wave of nausea, his stomach churning.

This wasn't the place to linger!

Reason told Chen Ping'an to clean up quickly and leave.

Suppressing his discomfort, he searched the bamboo-hatted man's body and found a small black pouch and a dagger. The fight had ended too quickly for the man to draw the dagger.

After checking and confirming there was nothing else of value, Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment. Then, he picked up a nearby rock and smashed it down on the man's head.

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Although fights were common in Nanquan Lane, actual killings were rare. While the injuries on the man's head might not reveal much, Chen Ping'an decided to cover his tracks just in case.

Fortunately, as long as no important figures were killed or any major incidents occurred, murders near the black market were often ignored by the Nanquan Lane authorities unless someone reported them. Even if reported, cases like this were usually closed hastily.

The world wasn't exactly peaceful.

The Great Qian Dynasty had stood for eight thousand years, but it was no longer at its peak. Martial law violations were frequent, though those living in the city might not feel it as acutely.

Using the bamboo-hatted man's clothes to wipe the blood off his feet, Chen Ping'an quickly left the scene.

He cleaned the blood to avoid leaving any traces.

"These shoes... I'll burn them when I get back!"

"If I had practiced some kind of leg technique, maybe I could have crushed his skull with that kick. But with just brute strength, this is the best I could do. Iron Shirt is great for defense, but it lacks killing power. Against a tough opponent, it would just be a slugfest.

Luckily, this bamboo-hatted guy's martial skills were inferior to mine. My sudden burst of strength caught him off guard, so I managed to take him down quickly. It might have looked like I overpowered him, but if he had been prepared and armed, even with my higher martial level, killing him wouldn't have been so easy!"

Chen Ping'an was acutely aware of his current shortcomings. Having only practiced Iron Shirt, his offensive capabilities were severely lacking. In a real fight, he was just a tough, brute-force fighter.

If his opponent was agile, even with a lower martial level, they could drag out the fight.

"At least I got my hands on the Locust Throwing Technique! It should help patch up some of my weaknesses."

The Locust Throwing Technique, also known as the Locust Stone Technique, sounded impressive.

In reality, it was just an ordinary, low-tier martial art. It fell under the category of hidden weapon techniques.

Calling it a "hidden weapon technique" was a bit of a stretch.

Locust Stone! Locust Stone! In plain terms, it was just about throwing stones. The Locust Throwing Technique was essentially a manual on how to hit people with rocks.

Being short on funds, this was the best he could find—a hand-copied version of the technique. After all, even a hand-copied version of Iron Shirt could sell for six taels of silver.

Having this technique was better than nothing. At least it meant his martial training wouldn't come to a complete halt.

Staying cautious the entire way, Chen Ping'an made it back to his small courtyard without incident.