Translator: CinderTL
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"Clang!"
Behind Li Chunjun, the sword in Zhang Li's hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
Driven by the instinct to survive, Zhang Li, like almost anyone whose throat had been pierced, could only use both hands desperately to cover the gaping wound, as if that could stop the arterial blood from gushing out uncontrollably.
This horrifying scene sent an uncontrollable wave of fear surging through the heart of the so-called "Fourth Senior Brother."
If earlier, when he had been shot and fallen to the ground, his appearance of weakness and helplessness had been a deliberate act—intended to divert Li Chunjun's attention and create the perfect opening for Zhang Li to land the killing blow—
Then now, the terror in his eyes was entirely real.
That fear, like an overwhelming flood, overflowed from his face.
"No! No! Please, no!"
He screamed in panic, his body instinctively writhing backward, retreating in terror. In his desperation, he even forgot that his legs were uninjured and that he could still stand up and run.
Li Chunjun wasted no time. He stepped forward and ended him with a single strike.
This way, he spared him the agony of moving around with a gunshot wound.
Once he ensured that the man lay "peacefully" on the ground, Li Chunjun inhaled the metallic scent of blood and continued toward the inner hall.
The entire process, from killing Zhang Li to eliminating the "Fourth Senior Brother," had taken mere seconds.
The "Second Senior Brother" hadn't managed to escape far but had called several junior disciples back into the courtyard.
However, compared to the few inner-strength martial artists among them, these junior disciples were barely at the level of external body training.
Some of them hadn't even reached Li Chunjun's level—despite the fact that he had only been practicing martial arts for a week.
Then came the sounds—
The sickening tear of flesh as swords pierced bodies.
The horrified, desperate screams.
The agonized cries of those at death's door.
The frenzied footsteps of those who had lost all will to fight, fleeing in despair...
One after another, these sounds echoed through the Pinjian Martial Hall.
For several minutes, the noises continued, but soon, the once lively hall fell into an eerie silence.
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"Killed Level 6 creature, experience +59!"
"Killed Level 5 creature, experience +23!"
"Killed Level 5 creature, experience +22!"
"Killed Level 3 creature, experience +2!"
"Killed Level 2 creature, experience +1!"
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[Life Level: 9 (149/900)]
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Li Chunjun turned and left the inner courtyard of the Pinjian Martial Hall.
In just a few minutes, he hadn't had time to wash up, but he had at least changed his clothes.
His previous set was drenched in blood—walking outside in such attire would surely terrify the passersby.
Not only had he changed his clothes, but he had also replaced his sword.
Although his original sword, worth millions, had served him well in battle, its edge was no longer as sharp and cold as before.
Upon entering the inner courtyard, he had noticed a finely crafted sword displayed on the weapon rack—one of even better quality than his own. So, he had simply taken it as "compensation for equipment wear and tear."
Still, though he killed for revenge and sought a personal sense of justice, he was no bandit.
He did not loot or set fire to the place.
Aside from the sword, he only took some money—enough to serve as makeshift tissues for wiping the blood off himself.
Then, with nothing else in hand, he stepped out of the Pinjian Martial Hall.
And…
He closed the door.
And locked it from the outside.
Outside the Pinjian Martial Hall, several people had already died, attracting some passersby who stopped to watch.
However, more people, upon seeing the corpses, hurriedly left.
Better to avoid trouble.
It wasn't even certain that anyone would call the police.
If they did, the guards would have to take statements, and that would be such a hassle.
And they might even be blackmailed by the deceased's family or the guards themselves.
So, for these people...
If they're dead, they're dead.
...
Li Chunjun casually walked to the road near the Pinjian Martial Hall's entrance.
He glanced at the luxury cars parked at the entrance.
He didn't have a driver's license, nor could he drive.
If he could, it would be easier.
It would also be faster to reach the Jin family's place.
But...
It was the tail end of rush hour, so if there were traffic, it would be quite annoying.
Just then, he spotted a passing motorcycle taxi and waved it down.
The motorcycle stopped, they agreed on a price, and soon the motorcycle headed towards Hengguang Garden.
The driver seemed quite talkative.
Curious, he asked, "It looked like there was a crowd gathered earlier, what happened?"
"Someone died."
Li Chunjun answered truthfully.
"Someone died?"
The driver was surprised but quickly adopted a worldly tone and said, "The Pinjian Martial Hall has grown big in recent years. No one dares to mess with them. A decade ago, it wasn't unusual for a person to die every once in a while."
"The number one martial arts force in Guangzhou City isn't something that just earned its reputation—it was fought for."
Li Chunjun replied.
"That's right. The Pinjian Martial Hall may seem like just a martial arts group, but their influence spreads far and wide. Anything involving construction, demolition, real estate—they have their hands in it."
The driver continued, then suddenly remembered something: "Half a year ago, when Chen Family Village's ancestral hall was being demolished, a company called Runhe Real Estate handled it. Several old people were lying in the hall, and what happened? They just disappeared. No trace, no corpse. The leader of the company is a disciple of the Pinjian Martial Hall."
Li Chunjun simply hummed in response, not commenting on why the police hadn't been alerted.
"A few years ago, a foreign businessman came to Guangzhou City to invest in an industrial park. But because the Pinjian Martial Hall had their eye on that land, they worked with the guards, the security office, and local authorities to deploy hundreds of people. They uprooted the industrial park. And now? It's become a private estate, tsk tsk..."
The motorcycle driver was clearly a local and spoke about such matters with authority.
Li Chunjun listened quietly.
A month ago, he had stayed on campus.
His concerns back then were about whose grades were the best, who topped the class, what awards were won.
At most, he'd notice which female classmate was pretty, whether his favorite star had a new project, or if his favorite games had received an update.
The world of adults seemed far away.
Now...
He was an adult.
"Master, you've shared so much bad news about the Pinjian Martial Hall. Aren't you worried I'm from there too?"
Li Chunjun asked.
"Hahaha."
This remark made the driver laugh out loud: "The Pinjian Martial Hall has developed to this point. Not to mention their core members—even their regular members are important figures in Guangzhou City. They all have their own cars. How could they ride my motorcycle?"
"Maybe someone just wanted to experience riding a motorcycle for fun."
Li Chunjun said.
"Impossible. The powerful and influential always find ways to establish a class system and exclude people like us from the lower levels. The food they eat, the water they drink, it's not even the same kind. If they wanted a joyride, they wouldn't come ride our motorcycles, right?"
The driver joked with a smile.
Li Chunjun nodded after hearing that.
The Pinjian Martial Hall wasn't far from the Jin family—only about three or four kilometers.
When they got close to Hengguang Garden, there was obvious traffic.
The motorcycle driver seemed well aware: "I heard one of the big shots from this villa area lost a family member, and today they're holding the funeral. Too many guests have arrived. It's said they'll close the roads when the procession starts..."
Li Chunjun understood: "It's Jin Guangming's wife and son who died."
"Ah? How did they die?"
The driver was surprised.
"They were killed."
Li Chunjun said as he looked at the cars filling the road and the Hengguang Garden entrance just a couple hundred meters away: "This is far enough."
"Alright."
Immediately, Li Chunjun got off the bike, paid the driver, and walked towards Hengguang Garden.
(End of the Chapter)
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