Volume One, Chapter 11: Breakthrough to Second Rank

Page (1/3)

The moment Chen Dao caught sight of that figure, he began trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face as his hands flailed wildly.

“You’re quite bold, wading into someone else’s turf without a care. Don’t you know this is the territory of the Hehai Gang?” Su Ming lounged casually atop the wall, a broad smile on his face. “Why don’t you identify yourselves? Maybe after you die, I’ll take pity and erect a memorial plaque for you.”

The group before them looked intimidating at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that aside from the man leading them, the others were mostly just extras dragged along for numbers.

Their uneven breathing and the slight trembling of their hands hidden behind their backs revealed they were novices.

If it came to a fight, despite having the numbers, they might not necessarily win. The crucial point was that Su Ming held the initiative. Positioned on the wall, each of his men was armed with crossbows, ready to unleash a volley at his command.

The gaunt man fixed his gaze on Su Ming, his eyes heavy with seriousness and confusion, as if wondering why Su Ming was here.

“What? Can’t figure it out?”

“It’s simple. That idiot has two of my informants by his side. Didn’t he tell you?” Su Ming chuckled lightly, his mouth curling into a mocking sneer.

The man’s face darkened with anger. His eyes seemed ready to spew flames as he shouted at Chen Dao, “What kind of fool are you?! You didn’t inform us of something this important! You almost got us all killed!”

Chen Dao shrank his neck, helplessly gesturing with his hands. The waiter beside him trembled in fear but still translated: “Our shopkeeper thought you would discover such minor matters yourselves, so he didn’t mention it.”

“Damn it! If it weren’t for the Qinglong Gang’s rules, I’d have cut you down right now!” the man scolded bitterly.

Su Ming raised an eyebrow, catching the hidden meaning in those words. He turned to Liu Lecheng, who immediately explained, “The Qinglong Gang, like our Hehai Gang, is one of the Seven Great Gangs in the realm. They specialize in assassination. If someone pays, they take the job. As long as the price is right, they’d kill even the Heavenly King himself.”

Su Ming nodded with understanding. No wonder there were so few elites in this large group.

It turned out that Chen Dao had really been blinded by money, hiring Qinglong Gang assassins but unwilling to pay a high price, resulting in a motley crew of killers.

“Begin. Leave no survivors.”

In an instant, countless arrows rained down from above. The surrounding walls formed a natural prison, trapping the assassins with no escape.

Soon, the ground was drenched in crimson.

Occasionally, a few stragglers were overwhelmed and slain by the Hehai Gang members.

When the dust settled, Su Ming jumped down from the wall and slowly approached Chen Dao, who was crouched in a corner behind the stone wall, clutching his head tightly and trembling.

“Hey, wake up,” Su Ming crouched beside him and whispered in his ear, “Dawn has come. Come on, I’ll send you off. With so many people accompanying you, you’re not alone.”

Chen Dao turned his head, his eyes already bloodshot, brimming with anger and despair, but more than anything, a silent plea and a flicker of hope for life.

—Bang.

—Bang! Bang! Bang!

Tearful and trembling like a child who’d committed a grave mistake, Chen Dao dropped to his knees and bowed repeatedly, mumbling incoherent sounds: “Mmm… woo woo mmm.”

Perhaps only then did he truly realize fear. What should have been a win-win situation had turned into this outcome because of his stubbornness and concern for face.

Page (2/3)

The shopkeeper of Zhanhua Street had been thriving, but Chen Dao’s business had collapsed. The expensive assassins he hired were wiped out by Su Ming, and now his life was hanging by a thread.

An assassination that should have remained hidden in the shadows had been exposed due to his carelessness, causing heavy losses for the Qinglong Gang. Even if Su Ming spared him today, the Qinglong Gang would not.

“Shh, quiet.”

“Chen shopkeeper, you’ve been in this world for years. You should understand some principles.”

“I offered you a cooperation that would guarantee profit, but you refused. You wanted a free ride, and afterward you hired people to kill me. That makes no sense anywhere.”

Su Ming smiled faintly, his indifferent gaze sweeping the surroundings.

To Chen Dao, standing amidst the carnage, that smile was more terrifying than any demon.

Suddenly,

Su Ming’s brow twitched sharply. A foreboding sensation surged in his mind.

The earlier hail of arrows had obscured the view, making it seem as if the man who had spoken to him was struck down. But now, amidst the corpses, that man was nowhere to be found.

“Liu Lecheng…”

Su Ming sprang to his feet, barely had he spoken when a sharp, cold gleam shot toward his back, aimed precisely at his heart!

“Just now realizing? Too late!”

“You and I are both top-tier warriors. You fight in the open; I lurk in the shadows. You can’t dodge this sword!” The black-clad man appeared from nowhere, using the drizzle and dim light to his advantage, unleashing a lightning-fast Thunderbolt Sword strike. At the same time, his fingers flicked, sending a volley of throwing darts flying.

Seeing Su Ming surrounded on all sides, the man thought himself lucky. Once Su Ming was dead, these people would be leaderless, and no matter how many remained, none would reach the warrior realm he had attained.

“Boss Su!” Liu Lecheng shouted, trying to rush forward, but it was too late.

The sword aimed straight for the heart!

—Swoosh!

The darts shot out but were blocked by Su Ming’s sword, creating a sharp clang. Just as he tried to turn, he caught the black-clad man’s blade piercing toward him from the corner of his eye. He instantly knew things were dire.

“Damn! I can’t dodge!”

—Shing.

—Ugh.

Two sounds of flesh being pierced rang out simultaneously. Su Ming’s right hand pressed over his left heart was pierced through; the sword tip embedded half an inch into his chest, blood instantly staining the black clothes.

Meanwhile, the black-clad man’s neck was sliced, a line of blood appearing. His eyes wide with shock, he stared at Su Ming: “You…”

“Didn’t do your homework before coming, did you? I have two swords—hidden power within my sleeves,” Su Ming gasped, sweat streaming down his forehead.

Page (3/3)

That fatal sword strike, even with his palm acting as a shield, still wounded his heart with tremendous force.

Had it been anyone else, they would have already reported to the underworld.

But Su Ming had reached the warrior realm, his physical constitution far superior to ordinary men, so this was merely a serious injury.

A cruel smile spread across Su Ming’s face as he raised his hand and delivered a finishing stab to the opponent’s neck.

“This time, I win.”

—Plop.

The man fell stiffly to the ground, soon lifeless.

No matter how hard he tried to fathom it, the fatal sword strike had been forcibly redirected by Su Ming, who swung his left-hand dagger forward with great momentum, twisting his body.

That tiny moment was the key that allowed Su Ming to insert his hand in between.

“Boss!” Liu Lecheng rushed over to support Su Ming.

Su Ming waved him off, quickly assessing his injuries. His right hand was pierced and bleeding; the forced sword technique had ruptured the meridians in his left hand, and the sword tip grazed half an inch into his heart.

With such wounds, even the best doctors would struggle to heal him. The only option now was to break through!

He needed to harness the realm’s spiritual energy to repair himself; otherwise, he would soon follow the same path as the dead man.

“Clear this place out. Have the brothers watch the perimeter and stay silent. I need to break through and heal!” Su Ming’s face was pale as he gritted his teeth through the pain.

“But… boss, there are so many people here…” Liu Lecheng knew exactly what Su Ming meant by breakthrough.

With so many eyes and ears around, even if they were all their own brothers, the secret would not remain safe forever. When that day came, they would all be hunted by the world.

“Enough talk! If I die now, so will you! Hurry!” Su Ming barked.

“Brothers, everyone out! Guard the perimeter tightly. Not a single mosquito is allowed in. The boss needs to heal. If you don’t want to die, shut your eyes and ears!” Liu Lecheng gave the order without hesitation.

The area was soon cleared. Su Ming sat on the ground as his inner furnace roared to life, unleashing a power beyond description that spread throughout the surroundings.

The black-clad man on the ground shriveled visibly at a glance.

Half an hour later,

Su Ming rose, completely healed, his aura reaching an unprecedented peak. Even Liu Lecheng, standing beside him, felt suffocated.

“A second-tier warrior!”