Having managed to survive in the martial arts hall for half a year and run with the Golden Dragon Gang for two, Yu Zhe's reflexes were not slow.
He instinctively twisted his body and hurriedly raised his arms in a panic, trying to protect his head and face.
However, it was too late!
A grey shadow, like a fierce eagle pulling in its wings and diving silently from the highest heavens, instantly tore through the night curtain.
Claws like terrifying blades, carrying scalding blood qi, exploded by his ear.
Crack!
The tooth-gritting sound of shattering bones rang out, exceptionally piercing.
Shen Xiuhan's blood qi surged like a rushing river, entirely pouring into his right arm.
The move “Shattering Stone, Severing Tendon” that Mei Shuangfeng had demonstrated during the day was unleashed by him in full force!
His five fingers, striking at a sinister and tricky angle, gouged into the acupoint on Yu Zhe's right shoulder.
His knuckles hooked inward, locking onto the gap in the shoulder blade, and ripped backward with force!
“Ah!”
A shrill, agonizing scream echoed.
Yu Zhe's entire right arm instantly went limp and dangled uselessly.
Without giving him any time to react, Shen Xiuhan closed in like a shadow. His left hand pinched precisely onto Yu Zhe's Adam's apple, his fingers tightening like iron hooks.
“No, ple—”
Killing intent flared in Shen Xiuhan's eyes, and his fingers suddenly squeezed shut with violent force!
Squelch!
Accompanied by a hair-raising, muffled sound, the fragile laryngeal cartilage was crushed and exploded like a dry twig!
The plea for mercy cut off instantly.
Yu Zhe clawed desperately at the iron-hook-like hand around his throat, letting out wet, wheezing gasps.
Gradually, his body went limp as if all strength had been drained from it. His legs twitched a few times before he completely lost all signs of life.
Shen Xiuhan stood beside the corpse, his chest rising and falling slightly, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
“This guy was fairly high up in the Golden Dragon Gang and considered a decent fighter, yet he couldn't even fight back against me. He didn't even have time to react...”
“It seems the gap between ordinary people and martial artists is even greater than I imagined.”
Shen Xiuhan looked down at the corpse at his feet and let out a cold snort.
“Still, you dared to target Momo. You got what you deserved.”
He squatted down and began to search the body.
Moments later, he held about five taels of silver in his hand.
“Not bad, a decent harvest.”
A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Shen Xiuhan's eyes as he tucked the silver into his robe.
No wonder the Golden Dragon Gang was willing to run their extortion racket at the West Market Fish Stalls and the docks year after year, even though they had to hand over fifty percent of their earnings to the Bai family.
This cost-free business indeed brought in money incredibly fast.
Shen Xiuhan pocketed the silver without the slightest hesitation.
Then, his gaze fell upon the wound on the corpse's throat, and his brow furrowed slightly.
The claw marks of the Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force were far too distinct. If he just left the body in the street like this, someone might trace it back to him.
“I heard there's a gang called the Luanbo Gang in Xuanhua Ward that has its eyes on the Golden Dragon Gang's territory, and they've been making a lot of noise...”
Shen Xiuhan's mind raced, and a plan formed.
He stood up abruptly, raised his right foot, channeled the blood qi in his body, and stomped down hard on Yu Zhe's neck!
Crack!
Snap!
Several bone-snapping sounds echoed in succession.
Shen Xiuhan stomped several more times until the entire neck bone was completely deformed, making it look as if it had been bludgeoned to pieces by some sort of blunt instrument.
This completely covered up the claw marks of the Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force.
Having finished this, Shen Xiuhan lifted Yu Zhe's body with one arm. With his blood qi surging, he swiftly dashed toward the Golden Dragon Gang's headquarters.
...
Yeci Ward.
The Tian residence.
Tian Erhu was having a dream.
In the dream, an iron-like hand clamped tightly around his neck.
He struggled desperately, but it was like an ant trying to shake a giant tree. The iron claw squeezed tighter and tighter until his throat bone was crushed.
“Hah!”
On the bed, Tian Erhu's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he bolted upright.
He instinctively touched his neck. His hand came away drenched in cold sweat, and even the mattress beneath him was soaked.
“Damn it... just a dream...”
Tian Erhu let out a long breath, swallowing hard with lingering fear.
Jarred awake by the nightmare, all his sleepiness vanished.
He threw on a thick short tunic, rolled out of bed, and stepped into the courtyard.
The night wind cut like a knife, but Tian Erhu seemed not to feel it.
Standing in the center of the courtyard, he sank his legs, settling into a horse stance like an old tree taking root.
Then, extending his arms, he began to practice a fierce and heavy stance work in tandem with a specific breathing rhythm.
In the entire Golden Dragon Gang, although Tian Erhu had failed to break through the blood gate, he was definitely one of the top fighters when it came to raw, practical martial arts.
In fact, it could be said that aside from Gang Leader Gao Fu and his adopted son who had stepped into the Mingjin Rank, few in the gang dared to claim they could confidently defeat him.
The only reason Tian Erhu could possess such formidable combat strength as a mere mortal was thanks to a military physical tempering technique taught to him in secret by his younger brother, Tian Ping'an, who had joined the army years ago.
It was called the Iron Bone Technique.
This martial art had an illustrious origin, having been derived from the secret physical tempering technique of the Longxiang Army, one of the five main armies of the Great Qi.
The entire technique featured broad, sweeping movements, focusing on tempering the physical body, and was divided into two realms:
The first was Copper Skin;
The second was Iron Bone.
Tian Erhu's innate skeletal structure was abysmal, but he showed extraordinary talent when it came to the grueling practice of physical tempering.
After three years of bitter training, he had finally mastered the basics of the Copper Skin realm of this technique.
His flesh and skin were as tough as oxhide. Although he was far from being truly impervious to weapons—sharp blades would still draw blood—
when ordinary gang members hit him with fists, kicks, or even wooden staffs and iron rulers, not only was the pain greatly reduced, but they couldn't even damage his bones and tendons!
Because of this, during gang turf wars, Tian Erhu was always at the very front, rampaging like a human beast.
This had earned him a formidable reputation within the Golden Dragon Gang, making him highly valued by Gao Fu.
“Whew...”
Having finished a round of his physical tempering technique, Tian Erhu's body was slightly warm. He let out a breath and finished his practice.
Unbidden, the pair of iron hands from his dream that seemed capable of crushing anything flashed through his mind, causing an inexplicable wave of irritation to rise within him.
“Whatever, I'm just scaring myself. Why think so much...”
Tian Erhu shook his head and turned around, intending to go back to his room to rest.
Just as he turned!
Tian Erhu's burly frame suddenly froze. He whirled his head around, staring intently at a corner of the courtyard, and barked sharply,
“Who's there?! Get out here!”
Not a single word answered him.
His only response was a ghostly phantom tearing through the dark night!
A figure wrapped in a grey robe burst out from the shadows!
Five fingers like iron hooks forged of steel, carrying a wave of scalding blood qi, turned into a dark blue-black afterimage as they lunged straight for Tian Erhu's throat!
“You're courting death!”
Tian Erhu was furious, a fierce light flaring in his eyes!
Having spent years living on the edge, his reflexes were extremely fast. His muscles tensed all over, and a faint bronze sheen appeared on his skin.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, boldly turning his body and dropping his shoulder. Like a rampaging iron bull, he charged fiercely toward the dark shadow!
This move had been almost universally successful for Tian Erhu in past gang fights.
Relying on the defense of his Iron Bone Technique, even a martial arts practitioner who had just crossed the threshold would have several ribs broken on the spot if they took this hit!
However, the dark shadow merely tapped his toes, rising into the air like a flying swallow and gliding right over his head.
At the same time, the shadow's right hand swept downward!
A sharp, whistling sound of tearing wind exploded by Tian Erhu's ear.
“Oh no! A Mingjin martial artist!”
The stinging pain of his scalp being torn by the fierce wind caused Tian Erhu's expression to change drastically!
The opponent's movement was too fast for him to change his stance. He could only duck his head, attempting to withstand the blow with his hard skull.
Squelch!
Five fingers gouged into his scalp like iron nails, carving out five bloody holes!
“Hiss... damn it!”
Tian Erhu hissed in pain, blood pouring from the top of his head and blurring half of his vision.
“Oh?”
The dark shadow let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
He had clearly not expected this brute, who had not even entered the Mingjin Rank, to have such a hard skull.
To think he hadn't had his skullcap ripped off after taking a direct hit from the Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force.
Yet, there was not the slightest pause in the shadow's lethal moves!
Kicking off the air, he lunged forward again like a swooping eagle, closing the distance at an even more terrifying speed!
Enduring the agonizing pain, Tian Erhu stumbled backward while shouting frantically,
“Which path does my friend walk? I am Tian Erhu of the Golden Dragon Gang, we can talk this—”
Before his words could finish, a flash of venomous killing intent erupted in the depths of Tian Erhu's eyes.
His right hand reached behind his waist, drawing a short blade, and stabbed upward with extreme malice, aiming straight for the dark shadow's abdomen!
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