After taking a whip kick from Hairy Fish head-on, Chen Ping’an felt as though his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer.

For a moment, all he felt was immense pain. But... that was it.

Having achieved Great Success in Iron Cloth Shirt, his durability was immense. That whip kick could have injured a Qi Blood Second Layer practitioner who didn’t specialize in Hard Skills, but for him, it was manageable!

The instant the kick landed, Chen Ping’an’s hands followed the motion and clamped down on the leg. With a sudden exertion of force from his arms, he yanked Hairy Fish toward him.

In an instant, Hairy Fish lost his balance and toppled toward Chen Ping’an.

"How is this possible!?"

Horror was written across Hairy Fish’s face.

Even in the dark, he had easily noted that his opponent had an average build and was a head shorter than him.

Therefore, from the very beginning, the battle-hardened Hairy Fish had ruled out the possibility that his opponent cultivated Hard Skills. He had most likely followed a path of agility. That was why Hairy Fish had opted for such a simple and brutal whip kick.

But now...

’This handsome youth before me has actually cultivated an Outer Sect Hard Skill!?’

The current situation gave Hairy Fish no time to think. The immense power traveling up his right leg instantly threw him off balance. He threw his upper body downward, using his captured right leg as a pivot. Exerting force from his waist, he used the momentum to swing his left leg up violently.

His target: his opponent’s head.

WHOOSH!

A fierce gust of wind struck!

Chen Ping’an, seasoned by his combat experience with Great Success in Iron Cloth Shirt, made the perfect counter in that split second.

His hands shot open, releasing his opponent’s right leg. Then, he kicked off hard with his right foot, launching himself into the air.

He bent his left leg and drove his knee upward with savage force, aiming for Hairy Fish’s own left leg.

The point of impact was the most vulnerable spot—the side of Hairy Fish’s knee.

’This is bad!’

Hairy Fish’s expression changed drastically; he never thought this seemingly ordinary youth would react so quickly. He desperately tried to reposition himself, but he was virtually airborne with no point of leverage. He was helpless.

’It’s too late!’ 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

CRACK!

The sound of breaking bone echoed.

Chen Ping’an’s knee strike had shattered Hairy Fish’s left kneecap. Their opposing forces and divergent points of impact resulted in this exact outcome.

The broken bone sent a flush across Hairy Fish’s face. His eyes were bloodshot with pain. But his incredibly strong Will forced him to endure.

He landed on his right foot, intending to regain his balance and deliver a heavy blow.

But obviously, Chen Ping’an wasn’t about to give him that chance.

Using the recoil from the collision to land first, Chen Ping’an pushed off and stomped down on Hairy Fish’s right foot.

He stomped on the exact spot where Hairy Fish’s foot was coming down.

THUD!

Hairy Fish felt as if the top of his foot was about to shatter.

Ignoring the pain, he flew into a frenzy, unleashing a wild barrage of heavy punches at Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an threw his arms up to protect his head, meeting the fists head-on.

POW! POW! POW!...

The solid thud of fist meeting flesh.

Hairy Fish’s power was considerable, but Chen Ping’an was able to parry his blows.

The man’s furious assault didn’t cause him too much trouble. And with his legs nearly crippled and unable to utilize his Step Technique, Hairy Fish had lost almost all of his agility.

Chen Ping’an seized an opening. Taking a punch to the chest as the price, he drew his own fist back and smashed it into Hairy Fish’s face.

POW! POW!

The two sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

Chen Ping’an felt a dull ache bloom in his chest, forcing him to pause for a fraction of a second.

Meanwhile, Hairy Fish, having taken a heavy blow to the face, had blood gushing from his nose. The powerful impact made him see stars, and he began to wobble.

Fighting through the discomfort in his chest, Chen Ping’an executed a leg sweep that knocked the already unsteady Hairy Fish to the ground.

Then, he kicked off with his left foot, launching himself into the air and driving his knee down like a weapon, straight toward Hairy Fish’s throat.

"Die!"

"No!"

Hairy Fish roared in terror.

If he wasn’t a wanted man, unable to buy food even with money, why would he be reduced to stealing in the dead of night?

He never could have imagined that the house he had chosen at random would be where he met his end.

He had weathered great storms, only to capsize in a filthy ditch!

CRUNCH!

The knee landed, crushing his Adam’s apple.

Hairy Fish, a leader of the Cyan Fish Gang, was dead!

But Chen Ping’an didn’t stop. He ground his knee into Hairy Fish’s throat again and again, not stopping until it was completely mangled.

Chen Ping’an’s body went slack, and he collapsed to the side, gasping for breath.

"HUFF... HUFF... HUFF..."

Sweat soaked his hair, and a faint tremor ran through his arms and legs.

This was his first real battle, and he hadn’t dared to hold anything back. In a situation like that, only one thought had occupied his mind: ’Kill him! Don’t give him a single moment to catch his breath!’

Because he knew that if he had slacked off, if he had held anything back, he might have been the one lying dead.

Now, with Hairy Fish dead, the dust had settled. As his senses returned, Chen Ping’an felt like it had all been a dream.

The scenes of the fight flashed through his mind in a blur, making it all seem so unreal.

’Hairy Fish... is dead?’

’Dead by my own hands?’

Chen Ping’an stared at his hands, his mind a complete blank.

This was his first fight, and his first time killing a man. The feeling was indescribable.

After a long while, Chen Ping’an’s mind gradually began to clear.

Looking at Hairy Fish’s corpse, he felt no fear, no regret, none of the so-called acute stress response.

After accepting the fact that he had killed Hairy Fish, a strange sense of calm washed over him.

’Is it because of my Golden Finger? Or is it just this world?’

Chen Ping’an couldn’t figure out why. And he didn’t want to.

As a constable, he had seen too much of the world’s harsh truths. Now, he just wanted to live a good life. To live well with his sister, to live with dignity.

To live free from bullies and threats, carefree and untroubled.

And to get all that, Chen Ping’an knew he needed enough power, and a status that would make others fear him.

That’s right...

Status!

Chen Ping’an’s mind was now completely clear.

’Hairy Fish, a leader of the Cyan Fish Gang, has completed Skin Refining and entered the stage of Refining Flesh, with a Martial Arts Cultivation at the Qi Blood Second Layer. Anyone providing a valid tip will receive a reward of five taels of silver and be credited with one minor merit. Anyone who kills or captures him will be credited with one medium merit and receive a reward of ten taels of silver.’

’Kill on sight, and be credited with a medium merit!’

In the darkness of the night, Chen Ping’an’s eyes shone.

’A medium merit! For me, that means the status of an official constable.’

’Right, I need to report this immediately!’

Chen Ping’an instantly understood what he needed to do.

’But...’

A series of thoughts flashed through Chen Ping’an’s mind.

’I can’t let anyone know I’m the one who killed Hairy Fish. I can’t expose my Martial Arts Cultivation yet! If it comes out now, I might be able to explain away the Cultivation Technique, but the training process for this External Skill... if they dig too deep, I won’t be able to explain it.’

’So now... what do I do?’