Volume One, Chapter Two: Betraying Brothers

Early the next morning, Su Ming changed into a clean set of black clothes. Looking back at the dilapidated thatched hut behind him, a bitter smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

He had followed that elder brother Bakun for many years, always leading from the front, never expecting in the end to gain nothing at all. After several years with the Hehai Gang, the only thing he truly possessed was this mud-and-straw shack behind him.

After becoming a cripple, he was abandoned on the streets, left to fend for himself.

Su Ming had not slept all night. He picked up a dry branch and furiously practiced the Deathless Mad Sword technique. By dawn, his proficiency had reached ten points—a breakthrough into mastery.

With the last of his savings, he bought a longsword and a dagger. Without hesitation, he set off straight toward the Star-Picking Pavilion. Halfway there, two familiar figures suddenly appeared before him.

“Hey, look at that! Isn’t that Su Ming? You’re still alive?” The Fourth Brother’s eyes flashed with surprise upon seeing him.

Su Ming recognized these two—former comrades and sworn brothers of Bakun, the Fourth and Fifth Brothers.

The Hehai Gang ranked among the Seven Underworld Gangs of the Thirty-Six Factions across the Four Domains. Within the gang were a leader and three hall masters, each in charge of law enforcement, finance, and combat power respectively.

Beneath the hall masters were thirteen major lieutenants and dozens of minor lieutenants.

Bakun, having joined the Hehai Gang for years, never managed to break through to the realm of martial cultivators, so he remained stuck at the lowest rung.

Recently, for reasons unknown, the Hehai Gang had declared war against the Gelao Society—another of the Seven Underworld Gangs—and set a rule: whoever killed the most enemies would be promoted to minor lieutenant.

Though Su Ming had not reached the martial realm, his ruthless methods and reckless spirit made him stand out in the conflict. This sparked Bakun’s jealousy, who conspired with several brothers to betray him.

As a result, Su Ming was ambushed and hacked to death by members of the Gelao Society.

Afterwards, Bakun used the connections he had built over years at the bottom to smooth things over and barely secured the position of minor lieutenant.

No one dared say a word to his face, but in private, they surely whispered about his illegitimate rise.

“Thanks to you, I’m still alive,” Su Ming said flatly, touching the longsword at his waist. “Lord Bakun climbed up by selling out his own people. Is he comfortable sitting in that minor lieutenant’s seat?”

The Fifth Brother snorted coldly. “Su Ming, don’t blame us. If you hadn’t died, Bakun wouldn’t have gotten that position. Out here, who doesn’t want to sell themselves for a good price? Better to kill you now than wait for you to rise.”

“Is that so?” Su Ming smiled faintly, the last remnants of their brotherhood fading away. “But following the wrong person is a death sentence.”

“Just you?” they scoffed.

“Just me, and my sword.”

“That piece of junk you call a sword?” The Fifth Brother laughed derisively at the cheap weapon worth barely a couple silver coins. “You’re still not clear-headed, huh? No matter, you can think about it in your next life.”

“Why waste words on him? He’s a cripple—just finish him off!” The Fourth Brother snapped impatiently. They exchanged a glance, a fierce gleam flashing instantly.

“If you die, no one will dare speak ill of Lord Ba,” the Fourth Brother began, but then—

—Whoosh.

His words cut off abruptly—not because he didn’t want to speak, but because the sword had sliced across his throat. A spray of blood arced through the air.

“Fourth Brother!” The Fifth Brother’s eyes widened in horror as the Fourth collapsed, clutching his neck tightly, blood pouring out uncontrollably. Shock turned swiftly to terror. “How... how is this possible?”

They had fought alongside Su Ming for a long time but had never seen him wield a sword before. How could a single strike be so swift and deadly?

With a thud, the Fifth Brother dropped to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. “Don’t kill me! I had nothing to do with what happened before—it was all Lord Ba’s orders! Please, I know I was wrong, Su Ming.”

Su Ming merely shook his head calmly, wiping the bloodied sword clean on the man’s shoulder. “No, you don’t know you were wrong. You just know you’re about to die.”

Seeing the cold glint in Su Ming’s eyes, the Fifth Brother turned and fled—but before taking two steps, he felt a chill at his knee. Looking down, he saw it had been pierced without his noticing.

Su Ming advanced and struck again, severing his right arm.

“I’ll spare your life this once. Go back and tell Bakun this: what he owes me, I will collect—in full.”

“Including his life.”

“Understand?”