「Two days later.」
The night was as black as ink, so thick it felt tangible.
Deep within Mute Bay, a small, dilapidated boat rocked gently. A few slivers of dim, yellow light escaped from beneath its canopy.
Qian Biao sat cross-legged on the deck. Spread before him on a greasy, torn cloth were several pieces of broken silver, a string of copper coins, and a few rings and bracelets of varying quality.
His two followers, Ma Wu and Lame Seventh, squatted to the side, a hint of greed in their eyes.
"Brother Biao, did you squeeze every last drop out of the Wei Family?" Ma Wu asked, rubbing his hands together, his voice low.
Qian Biao picked up a piece of silver and weighed it in his hand, a savage grin spreading across his face. "No matter how tough those old bones are, they're no match for the chisel in our hands. There are a few more families. Tomorrow, we'll go 'light a lamp' for them, help them see things clearly."
Lame Seventh took a swig of cheap liquor and said in a low voice, "Brother Biao, things are getting tense. Those mad dogs from the Tiger Gang have been vicious at the docks these past two days. Even over at the canal mouth... I hear a lot of the brothers are already packing their valuables."
A muscle in Qian Biao's fleshy face twitched, his eyes turning sinister. "I fucking knew it! That's why we need to make one last score, and then... we run!"
Ma Wu's eyes lit up. "Brother Biao is brilliant! Then... the floating lantern meat?"
"Sell it all!"
Qian Biao's voice was firm. "Who gives a damn if it stinks? As long as we can trade it for copper coins! Especially that orphan and widow from the Chen Family. That little bastard Chen dared to give us the runaround. We already gave them a warning! If they still refuse to buy, they can't blame me for being merciless..."
He grabbed the four corners of the torn cloth, hastily bundled up the valuables inside, and stuffed the bundle into his robes.
"Let's go! Back! We have to turn all this into hard currency before dawn tomorrow!"
He stood up, causing the small boat to lurch violently.
The three of them extinguished the faint light under the canopy, leaped off the boat, and went their separate ways.
Qian Biao headed for 'home.'
He'd made enough enemies over the years to get himself hanged ten times over, so he always made sure to have multiple hideouts.
The night grew deeper. All of Mute Bay was deathly silent.
Only the sound of his own footsteps echoed in the empty alleyway, seeming particularly jarring.
Qian Biao subconsciously quickened his pace.
Just as he ducked his head and rushed into the depths of a dark alley so narrow only one person could pass, he suddenly heard a CRUNCH behind him, like a shoe crushing a dry twig.
The hair on Qian Biao's body stood on end. He spun around, but it was too late.
A coarse hemp rope, soaked in tung oil, had coiled around his neck like a venomous snake.
"HRK—!"
Qian Biao's eyes bulged. Survival instinct drove him to claw frantically at the deadly rope around his neck. His fingernails scraped against the coarse hemp, making a grating sound and leaving bloody white marks.
From the darkness came the CREAKING sound of the rope tightening. It bit deep into his flesh, and the bones of his throat groaned under the unbearable pressure.
He struggled in vain, his feet kicking wildly and his body slamming backward, but the noose around his neck only tightened.
Every futile gasp for air only brought a burning sensation of suffocation, his lungs feeling as if they would explode.
In the shadows, a cold light glinted in Chen Qing's eyes.
He had been lying in wait for three days and had finally found his chance.
Now, he pulled the hemp rope taut with all his might, his palms rubbed raw and red by the friction.
"AGGH—!"
Qian Biao let out a strange cry as his body was dragged staggering backward, trying to use his weight to fight back.
Chen Qing suddenly spun around, slamming his back hard against the cold, solid brick wall.
Using the wall for leverage, he dug his feet in and unleashed an explosive burst of power from his core.
The moonlight cast their entangled silhouettes onto the mottled wall, twisting and distorting them like beasts locked in a life-or-death struggle—one fighting for survival in desperation, the other claiming a life in silence.
Starved of oxygen, Qian Biao's face turned from crimson to a ghastly purple.
Bulging veins throbbed wildly on his forehead and temples, like countless dying earthworms squirming beneath his skin.
Chen Qing's killing intent was resolute. Veins popped on his hands as he held the rope in a death grip.
The next few dozen breaths felt like a century to Qian Biao.
His struggles grew weaker. His flailing feet gradually fell still, and the hands clawing at the rope dropped limply to his sides.
But Chen Qing didn't loosen his grip in the slightest. Instead, he pulled even harder.
His arms trembled violently from the sustained effort, his teeth clenched so hard they nearly shattered.
CRACK! CRACK!
A gruesome sound of cracking bone came from Qian Biao's neck.
Only then did Chen Qing's taut nerves finally slacken. As if all his strength had been drained away, he slowly released his numb, stiff hands.
THUD!
Qian Biao's corpse fell heavily to the ground.
Chen Qing leaned against the wall, panting heavily. Sweat mixed with grime that had splattered on him at some point trickled down his forehead.
He wiped his face and looked down at his stinging palms. The blisters there had long since burst, leaving them a bloody mess.
WHOOSH—!
Chen Qing exhaled, then channeled his strength into his right foot and stomped down hard on the vital point of Qian Biao's twisted neck.
CRACK!
The neck bones shattered on impact, extinguishing any last spark of life.
More importantly, the stomp also mangled the ligature marks left by the rope, making their original shape unrecognizable.
'A finishing blow must be thorough.'
Without pausing, he stomped again with the force of a cold grindstone, swiftly and heavily crushing Qian Biao's finger bones, sternum, and the vital area of his groin.
Only after confirming that all traces had been erased or obscured did Chen Qing stop.
He quickly bent down and collected the valuables from Qian Biao's body, along with the hemp rope.
His movements were clean and efficient, without a single wasted motion.
Having done all this, his figure flickered and quickly vanished into the depths of the alley, leaving only the thick stench of blood lingering in the air.
...
On a street in Mute Bay.
Under the moonlight, Chen Qing looked at his trembling hands. He could still feel the rough texture of the hemp rope on them.
'I thought I'd be terrified, that I'd vomit, but all I feel is an icy calm...'
'When it comes to killing, it's either never, or countless times.'
'I have to adapt to this world.'
Chen Qing took out the bundle he had taken from Qian Biao. His eyes lit up as he opened it.
Inside were four or five taels of broken silver and a Jade Bracelet...
'Qian Biao just died, so I can't get rid of these valuables right now. I'll have to wait for the heat to die down. They'll be a good supplement to our household income then.'
Chen Qing took a deep breath, his heart turning cold as ice.
'You are what you eat... Enduring hardship won't make you rise above others. Preying on them will.'
...
「The next morning, in the Lianchuan District of Mute Bay.」
"Did you hear? Master Qian was done in!"
"He was so arrogant last month when he was collecting the 'Dragon King Incense' money!"
"Shh... The Jinhe Gang is searching for the killer like madmen... They say they're going to tear the murderer limb from limb."
...
The neighbors in Mute Bay were all talking about it. When the news of Qian Biao's death spread, countless people secretly celebrated.
「Zhou Institute, Morning Practice.」
The disciples formed a circle, their eyes fixed on Zhou Liang in the center.
"Long Arm Fist is not Fancy Boxing and Embroidery Kicks."
Zhou Liang's voice was not loud. "It emphasizes 'Long-Range Attack, Cold, Crispy, and Quick.' Its purpose is not for show, but to kill!"
His gaze was like lightning as it swept over the disciples. "The Fist Technique's Fighting Method is rooted in the qi and blood from your Pile Skill. Your bones and tendons are your Weapon, and your Power is the cutting edge. Today, we will not discuss fancy routines. We will only discuss how to take a life when facing an enemy!"
At these words, Chen Qing held his breath.
'He knew his master was going to show his true skills today.'
"Sun Shun!" Zhou Liang called out in a low voice.
"Disciple is here!" Sun Shun immediately stepped forward, assuming a guarded stance with a solemn expression.
"Watch closely!"
Before Zhou Liang's voice had faded, his entire demeanor changed abruptly. He was like a ferocious ape, poised to strike.
Zhou Liang's body remained motionless, but his right arm shot out as if boneless, so fast it left only an afterimage. His five fingers were brought together like a bird's beak. It wasn't a straight punch, but a vicious, arcing strike that pecked like lightning toward the 'Yifeng Acupoint' below Sun Shun's ear.
CRACK! A crisp sound, not from a heavy blow, but from a precise tap.
Although Sun Shun was prepared, his body still shuddered instinctively. His head whipped uncontrollably to the side and back, leaving him wide open.
"This move, 'Thunderous Window Strike,' is also called 'Punching Acupoints and Striking the Jaw.'"
Zhou Liang withdrew his hand and said coldly, "A light strike to this acupoint causes dizziness; a heavy one brings death. The advantage of Long Arm Fist lies in its suddenness. Attack a point they must defend, break their balance with a single strike, and seize their consciousness."
Just as Sun Shun regained his balance, Zhou Liang's left hand shot out silently like a striking viper. His arm seemed to lengthen out of thin air. His five fingers formed a claw, whistling sharply as it tore through the air, aimed straight for Sun Shun's throat.
This claw strike was exceptionally vicious. The Penetration Power contained in his fingertips felt as if it could pierce leather.
'Chen Qing knew this move was called White Ape Throat-Cutter, or Throat Locking Armor Shattering.'
Sun Shun was terrified. He hastily crossed his arms to block in front of his throat.
SWISH!
Zhou Liang's claw didn't meet the block head-on. Instead, it slithered like a snake along the inside of Sun Shun's forearms. His fingertips, hooked like talons, precisely latched onto the 'Tiantu Acupoint' below Sun Shun's Adam's apple.
The sharp wind from the claw made the skin on Sun Shun's neck instantly break out in goosebumps. He felt as if his throat had been locked by a cold iron hook.
Zhou Liang's fingertips stopped steadily the instant they touched skin, but the bone-chilling killing intent made cold sweat break out on Sun Shun's forehead.
"The throat is a fatal point! The craftiness of Long Arm Fist lies in avoiding the solid to strike the void, finding openings to penetrate. With the power of the fingers and claw, shattering the throat and breaking bone takes but an instant!"
Zhou Liang relaxed his stance, his breathing even, as if those two sharp and lethal moves had been executed with casual ease.
The training ground fell deathly silent.
The disciples' faces were pale, and they even breathed cautiously.
Normally when they practiced their fists, they focused more on the rules of the forms and the completeness of their power generation. When had they ever seen their master so blatantly display the lethal killing intent contained within the Fist Technique?
The precise strikes to vital points, the cunning throat locks—every move was aimed at the human body's most vulnerable spots. The goal was not victory, but instantaneous destruction.
Zhou Liang looked around at them. "Did you see clearly? This is the true Fighting Method of Long Arm Fist. When you practice martial arts, you are training the ability to kill enemies and protect your own life. Pile Skill tempers your bones, tendons, qi, and blood. The Fighting Method trains your heart to be ruthless and your hands to be precise. A real fight is not a tournament match. In the space between life and death, there is no room for the slightest hesitation or flashiness."
"Remember!"
Zhou Liang's voice rang out, "The Fist Technique routines are to make you remember the 'rules' of shifting your Power and coordinating your Body Technique and Step Technique. But when you face an enemy, you must forget all these 'rules.' Only one thing should remain in your mind: how to knock down and destroy your opponent in the fastest, most ruthless, and most effective way. Attack their vitals, break their foundation—these are Killing Techniques."
"To practice forms without building foundation is to be empty in old age. To build foundation without understanding principles is to court death in a fight."
Chen Qing felt a chill shoot up his spine and straight to the top of his head. His heart was pounding uncontrollably.
Those few moves just now were brutal, direct, and brutally efficient.
It wasn't a performance; it was the naked law of survival.
'A real battle is about attacking the unprepared and striking vital points. You don't get bogged down by forms; you only seek to fell the enemy in a single blow.'
Zhou Liang concluded, "If you want to live, you must develop this ruthlessness and precision. Now, all of you, go practice."
"Yes!"
The disciples responded in unison.
Sun Shun walked up and said, "Junior Brother Chen, let's exchange a few moves."
"Alright!"
Chen Qing took a deep breath, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and took his stance.
With Sun Shun's guidance and partnership, Chen Qing began to truly practice the Fighting Method of Long Arm Fist.
Starting with the first form, "Thunderous Window Strike," sweat soon soaked through the back of his clothes.