Chapter 5: The Jianghu Is All About Killing

“*Clang!*”

A crisp sound echoed as an iron shoe blocked the falling saber.

It was a burly middle-aged man with arms crossed over his chest, wearing a pair of heavy iron shoes.

He stood on one leg, his other foot hovering beneath the saber.

With lowered eyelids, he didn’t give Gu Shiyi a single glance, instead staring at Xu Wen beneath the blade. “One hundred taels of gold—is that a joke?”

Configuration: “Fine.”

The man spat out a single word, and his iron shoe whistled through the air, kicking straight toward Gu Shiyi’s forehead.

With a loud *bang*, the saber was bent out of shape by the sheer force.

Gu Shiyi leaped back. The man launched a rapid succession of kicks, his pair of iron shoes howling with wind; wherever they struck the ground, the floor tiles shattered into pieces with terrifying power.

His leg technique was superb and packed immense force, forcing Gu Shiyi back again and again.

The commotion quickly drew a crowd of onlookers.

“It’s Lu Tiejiao of the Ironfoot Gang! Why is he making a move?”

“That kid has a grudge with the young master. The young master put a bounty of one hundred taels of gold on his head.”

“What? One hundred taels!”

…

Overhearing the chatter, a dwarf suddenly darted out from the crowd, dual blades in hand, rushing toward Gu Shiyi.

“The hundred taels of gold is mine, haha!”

Lu Tiejiao suddenly whirled around and kicked the dwarf squarely in the chest. Spitting blood, the dwarf flew backward to the ground, his dual blades flying high into the air.

“Anyone else steps in, they die!”

Lu Tiejiao shot a cold glance at his surroundings and barked out the words. The crowd fell dead silent; no one dared to step forward again.

Interfering with someone else’s prey was a taboo in the jianghu!

“Little Jianjia, let me test you. Who do you think has a better chance of winning?”

The old man suddenly rubbed Lu Jianjia’s hair and asked.

Disciples of Mei Changgong cultivated both scholarly arts and martial skill; besides possessing vast knowledge, their discernment naturally couldn’t fall behind.

“This Lu Tiejiao has the strength of at least a third-rank martial master, and he’s a veteran of actual combat. His kicks are tricky, aiming for the youth’s vital spots every time—throat, ribs, neck, side of the head, crotch…

No matter which spot he hits, that youth will end up dead or severely injured. Furthermore, his internal breath is deep and untiring. If it continues like this, I’m afraid the youth will lose.”

Although Lu Jianjia said this, as she looked into the youth’s eyes, she felt something was off.

His wolf-like eyes were far too sharp.

A person in a perilous situation should never have eyes like that.

“Little Jianjia, everything you said is correct, but you overlooked the most important point,” the old man said.

“What is it?”

“This kid hasn’t even made a move yet. How do you know his strength? Just like a saber—if it hasn’t swung, how do you know it isn’t sharp?”

Lu Jianjia froze.

Just then, the youth suddenly tossed the saber in his hand onto the ground, placed both hands behind his back, and stood on one leg like a golden rooster.

Everyone was startled.

“What is he doing? Matching kicks with Lu Tiejiao? Is he crazy?!”

“Has this kid not woken up yet?!”

“Lu Tiejiao is the third-generation successor of the Ironfoot Gang! He’s been famous for his leg techniques since he was young. How could he lose to him?”

“Besides, Lu Tiejiao is wearing iron shoes! What bloody good are his tattered cloth shoes?!”

…

Whispers buzzed all around, yet only the old man chuckled, watching with an amused expression.

Lu Jianjia also hurriedly widened her eyes, not wanting to miss the crucial moment.

Lu Tiejiao’s face darkened. “Are you insulting me?”

The youth didn’t answer.

He rarely spoke.

“Fine.”

Lu Tiejiao sneered, ripping off his upper garment to reveal a heavy iron vest underneath.

He threw the vest to the ground; with a loud *thud*, cracks actually fractured across the stone floor under its weight!

Next, he pulled out several lead plates from his waist and dropped them all onto the ground with a series of *clangs*.

The crowd gasped in shock.

The weight of these items alone was nearly three hundred catties!

So Lu Tiejiao hadn’t even been using his true strength all along!

“If he was bearing such weight, then Lu Tiejiao’s strength is even greater.

Body like an antelope, strength like an ox—Lu Tiejiao must be a fourth-rank martial master! Even if this kid hasn’t shown his true hand, he definitely can’t be above a fifth-rank martial master!”

Xu Wen, who hadn’t spoken until now, suddenly chimed in. Lu Tiejiao’s strength put his mind at ease. As the saying went, a heavy reward breeds brave men—and Lu Tiejiao was the best brave man to handle this youth!

The old man shot a cold glance at Xu Wen without saying a word.

What the hell did a young master from an influential family know about the jianghu or mysterious arts?

At the same time, Lu Tiejiao made his move.

He launched a barrage of kicks, the powerful wind whistling from his legs. Sand and stones scattered on the ground, and even the clothes of the onlookers on both sides fluttered incessantly from the gusts of wind—one could well imagine how terrifying the power of his legs was.

“Ha!”

Lu Tiejiao kicked up a pebble, which whizzed past the youth and embedded itself into the wooden door of a distant inn with a loud *bang*!

Everyone gasped—that flying stone alone was enough to take a life!

Lu Tiejiao stomped on the ground, leaving behind a two-inch deep footprint, and surged forward like a bolt of lightning.

He and Gu Shiyi were originally over fifty feet apart, but in the blink of an eye, his iron shoe arrived before the youth, aiming straight for his neck!

Among the onlookers, some cried out, some closed their eyes, and others stared wide-eyed.

Lu Jianjia clenched her delicate fists, staring intently at the youth.

The fierce wind whipped up the youth’s hair, and he suddenly smiled.

The next moment, he leaned his body back and kicked out.

*Boom!*

With a loud crash, the youth sidestepped to safety. Lu Tiejiao crashed into a nearby stall, lying on the ground and clutching his crotch, howling madly in agony.

“You little bastard… I’ll fuck… your… ancestors… to the eighth generation…”

His face turned purple and black as he squirmed frantically on the ground.

The onlookers wore strange expressions. Lu Jianjia’s pretty face flushed red, feeling both embarrassed and amused.

“S-S-S… Shameless! In a duel between martial masters, how can you sneak-attack… that… that spot?! Shameless! Utterly shameless!”

Xu Wen’s face turned blue and red as he shouted in fury.

“Hahaha…” The old man laughed loudly, casting a glance at Xu Wen. “Young Xu Wen, in terms of learning and background, this kid certainly can’t match you. But when it comes to the jianghu, he leaves you a hundred thousand miles behind!

In jianghu slaughters, the living are strong and the weak die. Kicking crotches, gouging eyes, ambushes, poison—no matter the trick, as long as you win, that’s real capability!

If you can’t even protect your own crotch, you shouldn’t be wandering the jianghu. Not every warrior will preach benevolence and morality to you… Hahaha…”

*Clang!*

The sudden sound broke through everyone’s laughter.

Everyone turned toward the sound, and the laughter came to a screeching halt.

The youth drew a sword from a young nobleman at the roadside, bounded to Lu Tiejiao’s side in a single stride, and snapped his lower leg with a kick.

“No—I…”

The voice cut off, blood sprayed, and a head rolled!

Silence enveloped the surroundings. The crowd looked at one another, their minds failing to react for a long moment. When they snapped back to reality, they were drenched in cold sweat.

Just like that… he killed him?

The youth suddenly turned his head, and those sharp eyes sent a violent shiver through Xu Wen.

“Kid, stop!”

The old man suddenly shouted, reaching out with a swift grab.

With a sharp *clang*, his withered palm slapped the youth’s bloody sword aside. Xu Wen was terrified into falling flat on his ass.

The old man roared angrily, “Kid, you’ve already killed one person from Mei Changgong! Kill another, and not even the Emperor of Heaven himself can save you! You… bastard!”

The old man flew into a rage.，The youth had simply ignored his words,，and he actually threw a punch at his face.！