Chapter 334: The Advantage of Striking First

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Xu Lang was cunning and resourceful. The moment the light in the room went off and he sensed danger, he hurled himself to the ground and rolled away, dodging the deadly moves that were perhaps heading in his direction.

The other two were not as lucky. The moment the lights went off, the two of them were stunned for a short moment. Less than a tenth of a second later, their fates had been decided.

At the same time the flying needle was pinned onto one person’s neck, Yan Liqiang had already charged up to the other person. The Black Scale short sword he was holding released a sharp shrill in the pitch-black room, slicing through the air.

“Who’s that…” The person bellowed out loudly; his strength surged as he drew the blade hung at his waist without any hesitation. He then slashed out toward Black Scale based on the sounds he heard.

This person was also considered an expert, but it was a pity that the person he met was Yan Liqiang.

When a person’s eyes were suddenly exposed to darkness when previously in a bright environment, that person would be unable to see anything momentarily. This person was now in that state where he couldn’t see anything. He could only rely on his instincts to retaliate out of the terror he was feeling. Yan Liqiang was making use of that person’s instincts.

At this moment, the final move was not from the Black Scale short sword in Yan Liqiang’s hand, but rather, his fist. The sound of Black Scale slicing through the air was what Yan Liqiang had intentionally created in order to attract that person’s reaction. When that person drew his longsword to defend against Black Scale, Yan Liqiang’s other fist silently struck him in the chest…

It took only an instant. That person’s chest bones sank in completely and with a swooshing sound, he flew backward like a kite released into the sky. He smashed heavily into the wall and then slid down like a pile of mud.

The terrifying strength from Yan Liqiang’s punch had shattered his chest bones as well as the organs inside into powder, extinguishing his vitality.

After Yan Liqiang killed that person with a punch, he kicked his leg out and the entire table flew toward the door.

Xu Lang was about to dart out of the room when he heard the sound of the table flying toward him. It came with great impact, smashing toward the door. It was unclear whether the other person was a friend or foe, so he dodged without giving it a second thought, darting out from another side. However, just as one of his legs stepped out of the room, they suddenly felt numb. A sharp steel needle had instantly pierced through the sole of his shoes and into his feet. Numbness surged through his entire body from the sole of his foot right up to his head, as if he had been electrocuted…

There was poison on the needle…

The needles on the ground outside the door had been placed before the killer charged into the room. The killer knew that he would not be able to see the things on the ground…

The table that was smashing toward him earlier was just to force him to jump out and lean in this direction, so that he would step on the poison needles…

Xu Lang had no idea if this was considered the last moment of lucidity before his death, but at this moment, his mind went completely blank. In that instant, he understood everything…

He had never heard of such a terrifying killer in the Imperial Capital who had such great grasp of sounds, lights, appearances, colors, the environment, as well as people’s minds.

Feeling himself losing half of his body’s sensation, Xu Lang, who was a Martial Grandmaster, felt extremely frightened. His eyes were filled with fury as he let out a final enraged bellow, not willing to accept this fate, “Who are you?”

He had just said the word ‘you’ when Yan Liqiang’s silhouette appeared next to him, as elusive as a ghost. He swung Black Scale. Xu Lang’s head flew and his body fell down next to the door.

The entire process took less than five seconds, from the second the door to Xu Lang’s manor was opened and Yan Liqiang had thrust out the first attack to the moment Xu Lang’s head was sent flying. The manor was still lively a moment ago, but now, only one out of the five people who were seated together with Xu Lang was still alive…

Yan Liqiang threw a glance at Xu Lang’s headless corpse before he returned to the room and approached the person who was stiffly seated on the chair from behind.

“D… don’t… kill me…” That person was stuttering. The poison that Yan Liqiang had put on the flying needle was not lethal enough to take one’s life. Rather, it was a non-lethal but domineering paralyzer. Therefore, the person who was struck by the poison was still alive. It was just that he was unable to move.

Yan Liqiang acted as if he didn’t hear what the person had said. He did not even look at him. He first took out the needle from that person’s neck, stashed it, then slapped his palm on top of that person’s head from the back. The huge strength from his palm slapped that person’s head into their chest. The chair that the person was seated on shattered and the body dropped to the ground.

Yan Liqiang then kicked the table, sending it flying. The lamp on the table was also smashed into the wall, breaking into pieces. The fine muslin lamp shape with two needle holes on it was also destroyed.

After doing all that, Yan Liqiang retreated to the door and quickly picked up the eight needles off the ground.

The eight needles on the ground were scattered outside the door. One end of the needles was stuck in the stones on the ground, leaving only a section of the tips pointing upward. It required a terrifying amount of strength to push the top of the needle where the eye was at into the stones. Only Yan Liqiang would be able to do something like this.

After destroying all the traces he had left behind, Yan Liqiang took a final look at this small manor that was now filled with the scent of blood. Then, he flew up like an owl, entering the dark night in the blink of an eye.

…

Five minutes later, Yan Liqiang’s elusive figure appeared at the bottom of the Imperial Capital’s tall city walls. With a leap, he jumped up six to seven zhang high. Then, he inched along the city wall like a lizard, slowly climbing upward. After waiting patiently for a short while and hearing that the footsteps of the patrolling soldiers had gotten far, Yan Liqiang leaped up once again. He crossed the Imperial Capital’s city wall like a gust of wind, silently flying past the heads of two soldiers on guard, reaching the other side of the city wall. After dropping about seven to eight zhang, he tapped his foot on the city wall before he landed over ten zhang outside the city walls. With a few flashes, he disappeared without a trace…

…

After another ten minutes, Yan Liqiang appeared outside Deer Villa and greeted the soldiers who were on guard outside before returning straight to his place…

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