Chapter 8

Indeed, if there's no opportunity, then create one!

"This is the moment!" Lu Qi's foot suddenly slipped, and he deliberately exposed a clear vulnerability. An Ze was naturally overjoyed and slashed back with his Beast-Mouthed Ringed Blade, which whistled through the air, carrying the breath of death as it swept towards Lu Qi's neck.

What a move by Lu Qi! His body suddenly sank, and as his right leg slid up, he supported himself on his left leg, performing a high-difficulty one-legged iron bridge. As the blade swept past his face, Lu Qi's left arm suddenly extended like an ape's arm, flexibly grabbing An Ze's right hand that held the blade.

The moment of truth! Just as An Ze was about to throw Lu Qi off with his left hand, Lu Qi suddenly produced a sharp wooden spike and viciously stabbed it into An Ze's neck.

"Ga..." An Ze felt a sharp pain surge to his brain, his throat seemed to be pierced, and he couldn't even scream. The shadow of death instantly covered him, and he only wanted to throw this damned boy off as quickly as possible. His life's potential burst forth in this moment, and the power he had accumulated from years of training suddenly erupted.

Lu Qi felt a heavy blow to his chest as it pressed against An Ze's shoulder and back. He grunted and was forcibly shaken away, but the wooden spike in his hand was also pulled out, leaving a shocking blood hole, with blood gushing out.

"Ka..." An Ze, whose strength suddenly drained, dropped the Beast-Mouthed Ringed Blade and desperately pressed his right neck, staggering and turning to look at Lu Qi, who had fallen to the ground and steadied himself. His eyes were full of unwillingness and anger.

Lu Qi's weapon seemed to have a special effect; An Ze's hands couldn't stop the bleeding, and they were instantly stained a bloody red. His body swayed a few times, and his tall figure collapsed with a thud, convulsing, but his eyes remained fixed on the blood-stained wooden spike in Lu Qi's hand.

Everyone was stunned, for the sudden change was too fast. No one could have imagined that Lu Qi, who was supposed to be running out of strength, would suddenly turn the tables and even defeat the powerful An Ze.

Xitu was the quickest to react. He took a few steps to An Ze's side, looked at the wound, and shook his head in surprise. Then he slowly stood up and looked at Lu Qi: "An Ze is dead, Tigerhead, you've won!"

"Ah..." Lu Kang and Huiniang's bodies suddenly relaxed, and they fell to the ground, hugging each other and crying. In this moment, their nerves had been stretched to the limit.

The crowd of slaves erupted in a commotion, looking at Lu Qi standing in the middle of the field. Most of them showed expressions of shock and fear. Yes, fear. A twelve-year-old boy had killed a warrior of the seventh level of bravery, which was indeed a miracle. Thinking about how they had treated him and his family, if Tigerhead were to seek revenge...

Especially the "Blood Spike" in Tigerhead's hand and the ruthlessness of the final blow left a lingering fear. Just one stab to the neck, and a few seconds later, the person was dead. Although the neck is a vital point, it shouldn't have killed a warrior with such strong vitality so quickly.

"He actually killed the head of the household!" Dagǔ looked at Lu Qi in horror: "He actually killed Head An Ze. Old Head, quickly have everyone catch him, or we will never have peace in the Northwest Household..."

People are ignorant. Those who were already worried about Lu Qi's revenge were greatly moved by these words and began to clamor, as if they wanted to nip this danger in the bud.

"Capture me? I'd like to see who dares!" Lu Qi raised the "Blood Spike," his eyes shining with a fierce light, instantly intimidating the crowd. Then he looked coldly at Dagǔ: "I challenged the head of the household openly. Life and death are in the hands of fate. Even if the household manager comes, they will only reward me. Who are you to incite people against me?"

Dagǔ, who had been the first to rush forward, felt a wave of panic as he sensed the killing aura emanating from Lu Qi. He had never thought that he would be so afraid of a twelve-year-old boy: "I... I..."

But when Dagǔ's gaze fell on the Beast-Mouthed Ringed Blade not far from his feet, he suddenly grew bold, bent down to pick it up, and leaped to slash at Lu Qi. The blade was swift, though it was far from An Ze's level, it still had some power, being the second strongest warrior in the Northwest Household after An Ze and Xitu.

"Idiot!" Lu Qi sneered, took a step forward, and deftly sidestepped the blade. His right hand shot out, and in a flash, the "Blood Spike" pierced Dagǔ's chest, and he then swung Dagǔ's bulky body away.

As blood splattered, Dagǔ fell to the ground with a thud, but he quickly stood up, his eyes wide with terror, staring at the blood hole in his chest, from which blood gushed uncontrollably.

"You..." Pointing at Lu Qi, Dagǔ couldn't speak for a few seconds before collapsing with a thud.

In the blink of an eye, Dagǔ was dead. Lu Qi's iron-fisted methods completely intimidated the crowd. Dafēng, who had been wavering, was now thoroughly subdued.

"Dagǔ attacked Tigerhead in violation of the rules and deserved to die!" Xitu's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said: "Tigerhead successfully challenged Head An Ze, making him a hero of the Northwest Household. The household manager will certainly reward him. From now on, Tigerhead's rations will be the same as the head of the household's, and Dakuang and Huiniang's rations will be increased by one level. No one is allowed to discuss Dakuang taking food from the warehouse; violators will receive twenty lashes. Do you understand?"

Taking and stealing, a single word made a world of difference. The crowd of slaves responded loudly. With Head An Ze dead, Xitu, the old head, was undoubtedly the most respected person in the Northwest Household, and Tigerhead had become the most intimidating. As long as these two didn't have a conflict, who would dare to defy them?

"Thank you, Old Head!" Lu Qi nodded to Xitu. Although Xitu hadn't really taught him any force techniques, he still had some affection for this old man who could talk to him from time to time.

"You're welcome. You earned it with your own strength!" The strong are always respected. Xitu, without any airs, returned a small bow and continued: "An Ze is dead. Before the household manager arrives, I will temporarily take over as head of the household. Tigerhead, you will lead the winter hunt. Do you have any objections?"

Lu Qi shook his head: "No objections. I understand that with power comes responsibility. I know this simple truth. Old Head, please rest assured. My father often talked to me about hunting, and I won't do worse than An Ze in this area!"

At this moment, no one would laugh at Lu Qi for being overconfident, and no one would think he was boasting. The victor is the king, the loser is the bandit. With An Ze dead at Lu Qi's hands, even if the winter hunt results were not as good as before, no one would dare to say anything.

Xitu looked at Lu Qi with a gleam in his eyes: "I hope so. If the winter hunt is successful, when the household manager arrives, the position of head of the household will be yours. Being granted a name and taught force techniques will be no problem, and there's even a good chance you'll be taken out."

"Taken out?" As the slaves murmured, Lu Qi looked at Xitu with some surprise, his emotions slightly stirred.

As someone who had lived in a technologically advanced world like Earth, Lu Qi understood the hard truth that "going out" was the only way to achieve good development. Hiding in this remote swamp forest, even if he became head of the household for life, what was the point?

Xitu nodded: "I see you as a once-in-a-thousand-years talent. Without even practicing force techniques, you can use your own methods to kill a warrior of the seventh level of bravery. If you learn force techniques, who knows what you could achieve? I think a person with the household manager's discernment wouldn't let such a talent go, and they might give you a status."

Lu Qi's eyes suddenly lit up: "Tigerhead thanks Old Head for your kind words. If Tigerhead really has such a fortune, I will surely treat you to wine and meat in the future to repay your fair protection."

"Of course, of course!" Xitu, the usually stern old man, even smiled. Then he picked up the Beast-Mouthed Ringed Blade, reinserted it into its original position, and said loudly: "Everyone, return to your posts. Don't let the death of the head of the household disrupt your work. Dafēng and Dakuang, you two are responsible for the village's defenses. Make sure they are perfect before the winter hunt to avoid any worries."

Lu Kang, who had recovered and showed a hint of joy, quickly responded. Dafēng, who had been somewhat dejected, also perked up, looking at Xitu with surprise and gratitude. He then glanced at Lu Qi, saw that he wasn't paying much attention, and quickly gathered his thoughts to organize people to repair the defenses.

Lu Kang and Huiniang, after an emotional and tearful exchange with Lu Qi, also went to do their respective tasks. Even if Lu Qi became head of the household in the future, their lives wouldn't change much. They would still have to work according to their quotas, or they would lose their right to survive.

After everyone dispersed, An Ze and Dagǔ's bodies were dragged away. An Ze, as the former head of the household, had the right to be buried, while Dagǔ would inevitably become bait, an unwritten rule in the villages of the Guokan Forest.

On the eastern slope, only Lu Qi and Xitu remained, along with the Beast-Mouthed Ringed Blade, which glinted in the twilight, reflecting the new bloodstains on the slope, symbolizing the vicissitudes of this land.

"Tigerhead, I never thought that a jest would become reality!" Xitu suddenly spoke, his eyes on the Blood Spike in Lu Qi's hand: "But what I'm most interested in is your weapon. If I'm not mistaken, it's made of ironwood, right?"