The Martial Saint of Humanity, I Have Transformed Low-Level Martial Arts Into Immortal Martial Arts - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Bewildering Trace Fist! Leader of the Black Snake Gang!

He Zhiyong had deliberately made trouble by ordering a rather good quality Ten Refinements Long Sword from Zhao’s Blacksmith Shop. He then tampered with the sword to provoke Zhao Tie. As for Su Hao, He Zhiyong, a young man, had not taken him seriously at all; he merely saw him as a bargaining chip to pressure Zhao Tie, even sending someone to kidnap him.

However, He Zhiyong never expected that this mysterious second-stage Refining Strength expert before him was actually the young blacksmith from the shop.

“You are Su—”

He Zhiyong blurted out, but before he could finish his sentence, Su Hao had already pressed his palm against He Zhiyong’s heart. Inner Energy seeped through his pores, forming a beam that struck He Zhiyong’s ribs, causing them to collapse and shatter his heart!

He Zhiyong’s eyes widened in disbelief as his body slumped to the ground, having been killed with a single blow.

He could not have imagined that he, merely acting on orders to extort Zhao’s Blacksmith Shop, would pay with his own life. Nor could he have guessed that a humble, low-key youth from a poor background could be hiding such depth!

“Master He… is dead?”

The remaining two Black Snake Gang martial artists, who had originally been lurking nearby, preparing to find an opportunity to attack Su Hao, were caught off guard when what seemed to be an advantageous situation for He Zhiyong was abruptly turned on its head, leading to his instant demise.

“Run… run!”

Coming back to their senses, their hearts raced wildly as they turned to flee through the back door of the courtyard, lacking the courage to continue fighting Su Hao.

However, just after they had taken a few steps, they heard a whoosh behind them. In just a matter of strides, Su Hao had caught up, grabbing their heads and violently bringing them together!

“Crack!”

With a crisp sound of impact, their heads collided forcefully, leaving them bloodied and lifeless on the ground.

The once-bustling courtyard, where they had been discussing how to deal with the blacksmith shop, had fallen into silence, with all of He Zhiyong’s Black Snake Gang disciples meeting their end at Su Hao’s hands!

“Quickly clean up and then leave.”

After confirming that He Zhiyong and the others were dead, Su Hao did not linger but quickly sprang into action. He knew that the commotion from the earlier fight must have attracted the attention of others in the village, so he needed to leave as soon as possible.

Su Hao immediately entered He Zhiyong’s room to search for anything useful.

In the bedroom, Su Hao indeed made some discoveries!

Inside a wooden cabinet, Su Hao found about twenty to thirty taels of silver, along with a book titled “Bewildering Trace Fist,” which was likely the boxing technique that He Zhiyong excelled at and that he could study later.

“Hmm? There’s also a bottle of pills… Are these Blood-Boosting Pills?”

In addition, Su Hao discovered a medicine bottle containing thumb-sized dark black pellets with a strong medicinal aroma. Just a whiff accelerated his blood flow, and Su Hao’s eyes lit up as he recognized the item’s origin.

The Blood-Boosting Pills were something Su Hao had seen in the Black Market. They were used to enhance blood vitality and breathing for martial artists practicing Refining Strength, and they were quite effective, albeit expensive, with each pill costing five taels of silver. This bottle contained twelve pills, making it worth around fifty to sixty taels of silver.

“He Zhiyong, as the leader of the Black Snake Gang, indeed had some wealth.”

Su Hao felt quite satisfied with his haul, stashing everything neatly away. Without wasting any time, he swiftly disappeared from Maple Leaf Village and made his way out.

As night faded, dawn approached, and the new day began in Crouching Tiger Town, with merchants and farmers bustling about for their livelihoods.

“I heard last night that He Zhiyong was killed… along with a few of his loyal followers, in his own residence.”

“That scoundrel got what he deserved! I wonder which brave hero eliminated this menace!”

Su Hao arrived at the Blacksmith Shop and immediately overheard Zhou Xiong and the others discussing the matter excitedly.

There was no doubt that Zhou Xiong and the others had been guarding the Blacksmith Shop with weapons last night, yet the anticipated clash never occurred. Instead, they woke up to the news of He Zhiyong’s gruesome death in his home.

Listening to the crowd’s chatter, Su Hao quietly shook his head. Zhou Xiong, Zhao Tie, and the others had no idea that He Zhiyong had dispatched someone to kidnap him the previous night, which prompted Su Hao to decide to kill. He had followed the trail and eliminated He Zhiyong and his men without hesitation!

“The shopkeeper… There’s someone outside asking to see you, claiming to be Li Shuqing, the leader of the Black Snake Gang…”

At that moment, an apprentice rushed over to report to Zhao Tie, his voice a little stammering.

“The leader of the Black Snake Gang?”

“Could it be that they suspect our involvement in He Zhiyong’s death?”

Zhou Xiong and the others were taken aback, exchanging nervous glances.

He Zhiyong had recently had conflicts with Zhao’s Blacksmith Shop, and now he had been killed in his home at night; it was only natural for anyone to suspect a connection to their blacksmith shop!

Zhao Tie’s expression grew serious, but he remained calm. “Quickly, invite Leader Li in.”

Soon, Li Shuqing entered the blacksmith shop, accompanied by several people.

On the surface, Li Shuqing appeared cultured and amiable, likely no older than thirty, dressed in a refined manner. It was hard to imagine that he was the leader of the Black Snake Gang, a figure reputed for calming children who cried at night in Crouching Tiger Town!

Zhou Xiong and the others tightened their bodies, secretly gripping the handles of their weapons, worried that Li Shuqing was here to cause trouble.

“Leader Li,”

Zhao Tie greeted politely, thinking that in broad daylight, Li Shuqing would not attack him in front of everyone.

Li Shuqing wore a slight smile. “Shopkeeper Zhao, you previously helped forge my weapons. I have always trusted the craftsmanship of your blacksmith shop. I just heard that He Zhiyong was causing you trouble. I was about to admonish him when, unexpectedly…”

At this point, Li Shuqing let out a long sigh, shaking his head in regret. “In any case, He Zhiyong acted too impulsively before, and I hope you can let it go.”

His words left everyone stunned; Li Shuqing was not here to cause trouble but to reconcile with Zhao’s Blacksmith Shop, shifting all responsibility onto He Zhiyong and claiming he was completely unaware.

“Li Shuqing seems to think that the expert who killed He Zhiyong is connected to our Zhao’s Blacksmith Shop.”

Zhao Tie and the others immediately understood why Li Shuqing chose to come and reconcile.

The person capable of killing He Zhiyong and several elite members of the Black Snake Gang was undoubtedly a Refining Strength martial artist, or perhaps even a Martial Artist who had begun Forging Bones!

Given that this figure struck at the moment when He Zhiyong had conflicts with the blacksmith shop, Li Shuqing could not believe it had nothing to do with Zhao’s Blacksmith Shop.

Moreover, the enemy was hidden while they were in the open; if that expert were to secretly strike at the Black Snake Gang, it would certainly lead to significant losses. Hence, weighing the advantages and disadvantages, Li Shuqing directly came to reconcile, placing the blame entirely on He Zhiyong—the dead cannot speak!

Having reached Li Shuqing’s position, he naturally understood the importance of knowing when to advance and when to retreat.

“We at the Blacksmith Shop have not suffered much loss either, and I too feel quite regretful about the matter concerning He Zhiyong…”

Li Shuqing was willing not to cause trouble for the blacksmith shop, and Zhao Tie naturally breathed a sigh of relief, engaging in some polite conversation with him.

“Well then, Shopkeeper Zhao, you all have your work to do, so I will take my leave.”

After exchanging some casual pleasantries, Li Shuqing departed with his entourage.

“It seems Li Shuqing believes that the person who killed He Zhiyong is connected to our Blacksmith Shop.”

“The expert who killed He Zhiyong was just a coincidence; if we knew such an expert, would we have had to suffer so much these past few days?”

Zhou Xiong and the other blacksmiths exchanged glances.

“Since the matter has been resolved, everyone should get back to work. We need to pick up the pace and fulfill our orders.”

Zhao Tie smiled as he urged everyone to resume their work, feeling a sense of relief himself, partly grateful to the mysterious martial artist who had killed He Zhiyong and several others overnight.

It was fortunate that this person had struck at that moment, causing Li Shuqing to feel apprehensive and choose to come forward for reconciliation.

Of course, no matter how Zhao Tie and the others speculated, they could not imagine that last night’s events were not a coincidence at all; rather, it was that He Zhiyong had provoked Su Hao, which ultimately led to his demise!