Chapter 12: Instant Kill!

"Deathflash!"

Lu Changsheng unleashed his move, crouching low like a panther poised to strike from the shadows.

In the moment when all three had their eyes fixed on the bundle mid-air, Lu Changsheng crossed the five-step gap in a flash and suddenly appeared before the masked man.

"You—" The man had only just registered Lu Changsheng's charge, and he didn't even get to draw his saber. A flash of white gleamed, and Lu Changsheng's dagger swept cleanly across his throat.

Squelch.

The blade sliced through his neck like butter, blood spurting at once. The man clutched his throat, desperately trying to stop the bleeding, but it was useless. He collapsed the moment the bundle hit the ground.

Thud.

That's it? So disappointing.

Lu Changsheng shook his head. The man hadn't even struck back. Killing him had been no different from slaughtering a chicken.

"Third Brother!"

The faces of the other two men twisted in rage, their eyes bloodshot as they stared at their companion lying lifeless in his own blood.

"Damn it! I'll tear you to pieces!" one of them roared, though they both were slowly stepping back. It didn't seem like they had the resolve to avenge their companion.

After all, Lu Changsheng had slit their companion's throat in the blink of an eye. His attack had been fast, precise, and ruthlessly clean—clearly the work of an expert. Going against such a man would be suicide.

Regardless, Lu Changsheng had no intention of sparing them. Earlier, he had been cautious simply because he hadn't known how strong they were. Now that he had engaged them in combat and realized they weren't particularly strong, there was no reason to hold back. After all, one has to pull their enemies by the roots[1].

Whoosh!

Lu Changsheng sprang forward, covering several zhang[2]in a single stride, and within a few bounds, he was upon his foes. Seeing that there was no escape, the savagery buried deep in their bones erupted. They spun around as one, swinging their sabers down at him.

"Die!"

They struck at the same time, sealing off both his left and right. Their movements were so perfectly timed that it was clear they were seasoned partners with years of practice fighting side by side. At this point, most martial artists would step back to avoid getting killed. However, the moment Lu Changsheng retreated, he would be caught in a relentless storm of blows.

So, he did not retreat. A sharp gleam lit his eyes, and at the instant their sabers came down, his blood qi burst forth with explosive force.

Boom!

The surge of blood qi marked a martial artist's full commitment to battle. The sudden burst amplified Lu Changsheng's speed tremendously; he moved like a leopard on the hunt.

Instead of retreating, he advanced like a gust of wind, slipping past the tips of their sabers and appearing before them in a heartbeat.

"What?!" one of them blurted, and both of them blanched.

Lu Changsheng struck at lightning speed, moving even faster than when he had closed the gap between him and his foes.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Two streaks of white light flashed past, and twin streams of blood burst from their throats as he passed between them.

Having executed his attack, Lu Changsheng slowly turned around to watch the two men writhing on the ground, clutching their throats in despair. Moments later, they lay still in their blood, just like their companion.

Lu Changsheng's three pursuers were all dead.

"You dare try to rob someone when you fight like this?" Lu Changsheng shook his head.

Killing the three had taken only a few breaths; it had been far too easy. Perhaps Lu Changsheng was simply too strong; or perhaps Deathflash was just that powerful.

All three martial artists had been at the Blood Strengthening Stage—one of them likely at the peak—yet none had managed to fight back or withstand a single strike from Lu Changsheng. That alone spoke volumes about the deadly power of Deathflash. It was a martial technique designed for a single, lethal strike, and only when truly unleashed could one grasp its terrifying might.

Lu Changsheng remained calm as he looked at the three corpses soaked in blood. This was not the first time he had taken someone's life, but it was the first time he had fought and slain martial artists. Even so, he didn't feel much different from when he had confronted those two bandits in the cave.

Martial arts were important, but so were martial techniques! A superior technique could turn the tide of the battle and decide the victor. Through this fight, Lu Changsheng's understanding of both had deepened further.

He crouched and proceeded to carefully search the corpses. After a short while, he came away with over three hundred silver taels in notes, along with some broken silver.

Not bad at all. Three hundred taels would be enough for me to purchase the Eight Treasures Blood-Tonifying Concoction for a good while.

"Hm? Is this... a Bone Tempering Stage martial art?"

Lu Changsheng pulled a manual from one of the corpses. It was titled

Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art,

most likely used by the martial artist who had reached the peak of the Blood Strengthening Stage, since reaching that stage meant it was time to begin tempering the bones.

He glanced around and saw no one nearby. As for the three corpses, there was no need for him to deal with them. In the jianghu[3], when vendetta killings occurred, the authorities usually just collected the bodies without investigation. Matters of the jianghu were resolved within the jianghu; it was an unspoken understanding between officials and martial artists.

Lu Changsheng did not linger, and with a flicker of movement, he disappeared into the depths of the night.

***

In Nanyang City, Lu Changsheng returned to his dwellings at Miaoshou Garden. He changed out of his clothes, shedding the cold, murderous aura that still clung to him. Dressed in the uniform of a Miaoshou Garden apothecary's apprentice, he looked once again like a humble apprentice.

Who would have imagined that this unassuming apprentice had just slain three martial artists?

Lu Changsheng took out the Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art along with the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art.

He murmured to himself, "The Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art can refine the bones and allows for four rounds of tempering, but it's still only an ordinary Bone Tempering method. Still, with my Great River Blood Fortification Art at the Third Layer of Perfection, I can already begin tempering my bones. Once I cultivate the Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art, I could become a Bone Tempering martial artist."

Even so, he weighed his options carefully. What would be the point of stepping into the Bone Tempering Stage now? With an unstable foundation, he would at most reach the Organ Refinement Stage, and advancing to the Divine Strength Realm would be almost impossible.

But with the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art, it would be different. This method could forge an extremely solid foundation while still in the Blood Strengthening Stage. At that thought, Lu Changsheng barely hesitated. He set the Wild Ox Bone Tempering Art aside for now and opened the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art.

"That woman said the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art is very hard to train in... I wonder if I could manage it with my current Perception."

Top-tier martial arts were indeed excellent, but only a few could truly practice them. Lu Changsheng followed the manual's instructions, attempting to circulate his blood qi. His mind was perfectly calm, and even the obscure, complex terminology became clear to him in an instant. Thus, in just two hours, he had already completed his first cycle of blood qi circulation.

"That's it? I've already activated the art?"

Lu Changsheng immediately checked his status panel.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 147 (The Bearing of an Average Man)

[Skills]

Deathflash: Adept

Iron Sand Palm: Advanced Mastery

Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art: First Layer

As expected of a top-grade martial art. Just one circulation, without the aid of medicinal meals, and my blood qi has increased this much? Its effect far surpasses that of the Great River Blood Fortification Art.

Still, this doesn't quite match what that woman said. The Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art doesn't seem that difficult. Perhaps it's because my Perception is exceptionally high. Since it's not difficult and the increase in blood qi is so tremendous, I'll keep training until I reach Perfection, then consider advancing to the Bone Tempering Stage.

Lu Changsheng had a clear plan for his martial path. However, the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art also required the aid of medicinal meals. Therefore, he couldn't stop taking the Eight Treasures Blood-Tonifying Concoction; if anything, he needed to increase the dosage, which meant silver taels—a great deal of them.

The medicinal herbs in the valley would not last much longer, so he needed to find a way to earn more silver taels. They often said, "a poor scholar, a wealthy warrior." Without money, the road of martial arts was full of obstacles.

For the time being, Lu Changsheng couldn't think of any viable method of making more money. In the end, he decided to set the matter aside until an opportunity presented itself.

1. A Chinese idiom meaning to eliminate an enemy so completely that no trace or future threat remains, destroying not only the target but also any allies or hidden dangers. ☜

2. 丈 (zhàng) is a traditional Chinese unit of length equal to 10 chi (尺), which is approximately 3.33 meters (about 11 feet) in the modern metric system. ☜

3. jiānghú (江湖) , literally “rivers and lakes,” is a figurative term in xianxia for the martial underworld, a self-governed realm outside imperial law. It is defined not by place but by identity and conduct, where honor, vendettas, and shifting alliances shape life beyond official society. ☜