A Heart of Jade

Translator: CinderTL

Half an hour later, as the last man emerged from the village, drenched in blood, Xu Sanyan turned around and asked, "Is it done?"

"Rest assured, Chief. No survivors."

The men were covered in blood, a terrifying sight, yet none dared to meet Xu Sanyan's gaze.

Only now did they truly grasp the ruthlessness of their new chief.

"Good." Xu Sanyan inspected the scene to ensure no one was left alive.

Counting the men behind him, apart from the one he had killed, another had died in the chaos, leaving only eighteen.

"Dismount," Xu Sanyan commanded, and the men obeyed without hesitation.

"You've followed me through this journey. How shall I reward you?" Xu Sanyan scratched his head, seemingly troubled.

After a moment of silence, someone spoke up, "We serve the Chief willingly. We dare not ask for rewards."

"No," Xu Sanyan turned with a smile, "I shall reward your families with a thousand taels of silver."

The men were puzzled but bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, Chief."

Suddenly, a flash of blade light cut through the night, and three heads fell, blood spraying onto those nearby.

"Chief, what is the meaning of this?!" someone cried out in shock and anger.

"Your wives and children, I shall take care of them. Go in peace."

In an instant, the scene turned into a bloody massacre. The swordsmen fought back, unwilling to die without a struggle.

Moments later, Xu Sanyan plunged his blade into the last man's heart, gently closing his eyes, "Go in peace. When you reach the underworld, greet the Song siblings for me."

With a hiss, he pulled out the blade, and a spurt of blood drenched him.

Xu Sanyan then stabbed the small knife into the corpse, which quickly withered, much faster than the Fang boy earlier. The blood droplets on the knife's handle were also fewer, less than half before.

It seemed the knife condensed blood droplets based on strength or physical resilience.

Looking at the scattered corpses, Xu Sanyan used the small knife to extract essence blood from each until the eighth corpse, when the knife no longer reacted.

"This thing has its limits," he thought, recalling Song Zhu's mention of the mystical object "Wine Cup," which also had a daily limit.

Xu Sanyan swallowed the blood droplets, and the burning sensation returned, though weaker than before.

"Now, I could take down Song Zhu in two moves," he thought, feeling his strengthened body.

He gathered the corpses and set them ablaze. Soon, even the village's thatched houses caught fire.

As the acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air, Xu Sanyan felt a strange calm.

"In the underworld, don't hate me. The world is such that weakness is the original sin."

With that, he mounted his horse and galloped towards Taian City.

In the dark night, under the towering flames, a blood-soaked figure emerged, his long hair tied back casually. The young man's face was calm, his slightly lowered eyes filled with indifference towards life.

He never enjoyed killing, nor did he feel guilt. He killed not for the sake of killing but to achieve certain goals.

...

As dawn broke, Xu Sanyan returned to Taian City.

Upon entering, Madam Wu heard the servants' exclamations and rushed out. Seeing Xu Sanyan covered in blood, she asked with concern, "Fourth Master, are you injured? I'll fetch a physician."

"No need. I'm fine. Fetch me some water and clean clothes," Xu Sanyan replied.

Madam Wu nodded and hurried to arrange it. Having seen much bloodshed in the bandit den, she wasn't shocked and didn't ask further, knowing curiosity could be deadly.

After washing and changing, Xu Sanyan left his room, had a quick meal, and headed to the gang.

On the way, he pondered over the small knife in his pocket, thinking of ways to extract blood droplets.

Randomly killing civilians was out of the question; it would draw the authorities' attention. Even with his increased strength, he was no match for the government.

Perhaps he could collaborate with Zhu Yong, the county captain, who managed the city's prison, to get some prisoners.

Lost in thought, he arrived at the gang.

Early in the morning, most gang members were still asleep, with only two exercising in the courtyard. They greeted him, "Chief, you're here."

Xu Sanyan nodded, "Call Wang Gang."

"Right away."

Soon, Wang Gang rushed over, "Chief, you called?"

"Yes. We were ambushed on this trip. All the brothers are dead. Give each family a thousand taels for their loss."

Wang Gang's pupils contracted sharply, his expression unreadable as he bowed, "Understood. I'll arrange it."

As Wang Gang left, Xu Sanyan thought, "This man can't stay. Tonight, I'll send him to meet the Song siblings."

The secret of the mystical object couldn't leak. Even a hint of it would mean certain death for Xu Sanyan. He had to minimize the risk.

Bai Wuxia alone would surely kill him if he found out.

The allure of the Heavenly Earth Treasure was too great.

That night, deep into the darkness, Xu Sanyan approached Wang Gang's courtyard, climbed over the wall, and saw a faint light inside.

Creak—

Xu Sanyan pushed the door open to find Wang Gang seated, holding a book.

Hearing the noise, Wang Gang looked up, unsurprised by Xu Sanyan's late visit. He stood and bowed, "Greetings, Chief."

Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you curious why I'm here?"

Wang Gang shook his head, "I've already guessed. I never mentioned your trip to anyone."

Xu Sanyan chuckled, walking over to sit on a chair, "I underestimated you."

He hadn't expected Wang Gang to anticipate his visit, waiting so calmly. Such intelligence made him reluctant to kill.

Wang Gang placed the book aside and knelt, "Chief, my death is of little consequence. But my wife and child know nothing of this. I've sent them out of the city. I beg you to spare their lives."

With that, he kowtowed, remaining silent.

Xu Sanyan gazed at the bright moon through the window, then softly said, "If you could send them away, why didn't you leave too?"

Wang Gang paused, then replied, "If I don't die, you'll never rest easy. You'd surely wipe out my entire family. For my child, I'm willing to die."

Xu Sanyan laughed, a sound filled with complex emotions, "I always root out the weeds."

Wang Gang's heart raced, but before he could speak, Xu Sanyan interrupted, "Enough. I'll make an exception today. I hope you've hidden them well. If they come to me, I won't show mercy."

Relieved, Wang Gang's expression softened. Xu Sanyan's words meant he wouldn't go out of his way to hunt them down, giving them a chance to survive.

"Thank you, Chief. I die without regret."

Wang Gang drew a dagger from his chest and plunged it into his heart without hesitation. Blood flowed from the blade, and his eyes gradually lost their light.

In his final moments, his gaze lingered on the crescent moon, as if seeing his wife and child smiling at him from beyond the window.

Xu Sanyan looked at the lifeless body, feeling a pang of regret. Wang Gang, with a heart of jade, had sensed his impending doom and arranged his affairs in advance.

(End of the Chapter)

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