Chapter 5

Chen Mo held back the nausea in his heart, took a step back to avoid the long saber of another assassin, and without waiting for the opponent to finish his move, he threw the small iron knife in his hand, aiming at the opponent's chest.

"Ah."

In just a few seconds, Chen Mo had transformed from an ordinary person into a martial artist. The assassin he had just killed hadn't even hit the ground when another one had a half-foot short knife stuck in his chest. However, the force of the short knife was too weak, only piercing an inch into the assassin's chest. In the intense pain, the assassin swung his long saber wildly at Chen Mo.

It must be said that the direct enhancement effect of the Martial World Gate was incredibly powerful. Although Chen Mo had only practiced for a year and had just learned the basics of the Jade-Breaking Hand, he could see that his opponent was merely an elite among the ordinary Tartar soldiers. If they were on the battlefield, a large group of such Tartar soldiers would be difficult to deal with. However, he could see through his opponent's next move at a glance. The moment the assassin's move was fully extended, Chen Mo darted forward like a monkey, his palms crossing and striking the handle of the small iron knife embedded in the assassin's chest.

"Thud."

With a dull sound, the half-foot blade of the small iron knife was completely embedded in the assassin's chest. The assassin's eyes widened, and his limbs stopped moving. Chen Mo pulled the small iron knife and stepped back, avoiding a spray of blood.

After killing two people in succession, Chen Mo's face had turned pale. Living in a peaceful society, he had never imagined that one day he would kill people as if they were animals without hesitation. But in a society filled with killing and chaos, and with the need to survive, he had killed two assassins. His heart was pounding, but the small iron knife in his hand remained steady.

Chen Jinan, who had also eliminated two Tartar assassins, looked at Chen Mo in surprise. The little book boy who had grown up with him had actually dared to kill. Although his face was pale and his eyes were conflicted, Chen Mo's eyes had become cold and ruthless like a wolf's.

In the world of martial arts, the killer will eventually be killed. Right and wrong, good and evil, are all viewed from the perspective of one's own side. As for those Tartar assassins, they were just following orders. The idea of aiding the tyrant was only held by those who opposed them.

"Are you okay?" Chen Jinan walked up to Chen Mo and asked in a low voice.

Chen Mo smiled slightly and shook his head. He then began to search the bodies of the four assassins. In a short while, he found over twenty taels of silver and four identity plates.

"Indeed, they are Tartar assassins." Chen Mo handed the identity plates to Chen Jinan and said in a low voice.

Chen Jinan turned his head to look at the scholar hiding behind a large tree. The scholar looked like an ordinary, bookish person. Why would Ao Bai send people to intercept him along the way?

"Alright, dispose of the bodies, and let's head to the capital quickly." Chen Jinan nodded and threw the identity plates into the grass.

Chen Mo dragged the bodies into the bushes. The scholar then timidly walked out of the forest, bowed to the two men, and said:

"Cheng Yu from Shaoxing thanks the two benefactors. These Tartar dogs were indeed trying to kill me. If it weren't for the two benefactors' righteous actions, I would have lost my life."

Chen Mo sheathed his small iron knife in the leather scabbard at his waist. After some thought, he chose a three-foot-long saber and its scabbard from the assassins and hung it at his waist. This made him look more like a martial artist. As the scholar Cheng Yu spoke, a voice from the Controller sounded in his ear:

"Cheng Yu, the eldest son of Cheng Weifan, the former secretary of General Song Kui of Hangzhou. Due to the Zhuang family case in Huzhou, the Cheng family was implicated, and Cheng Yu escaped death while studying abroad. Originally, he was supposed to be killed on his way to the capital, but your appearance changed the course of events, and he was saved.

The Martial World Gate recognizes that you have completed a hidden side quest. Killing two assassins earns you one martial arts point, saving Cheng Yu earns you five martial arts points, and gaining Chen Jinan's recognition earns you five martial arts points.

Chen Mo, the chosen one, now has eleven martial arts points, which can be exchanged for any ability or resources you need at any time."

Chen Mo was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected to gain so much from a single action. He had guessed that killing enemies might earn martial arts points, but he hadn't expected that saving Cheng Yu and gaining Chen Jinan's recognition would each earn him five points. After all, killing two people had only earned him one point.

For someone who had just entered the mission, one martial arts point could mean the difference between life and death. For the future, such rewards might be meaningless, but he knew the value of these eleven points now.

In the exchange options, if calculated in terms of money, one martial arts point could be exchanged for five kilograms of gold. In the world he lived in, one gram of gold was worth 280 yuan, so one martial arts point was equivalent to over 100,000 yuan. This meant that from the moment he entered until now, he had already become a millionaire, in addition to the substantial benefits he had received for free.

He quickly calculated that his main goal was to survive, not to get rich. The first priority was to enhance his various abilities. The most powerful aspects of a martial artist were strength, internal energy, and martial skills. However, after some calculations, he found that while the exchange for strength was relatively cheap, the exchange for internal energy and martial skills for five points each seemed insignificant.

"Exchange for two years of internal energy." After some thought, Chen Mo decided to enhance his internal energy, which was the hardest to cultivate.

As Chen Mo made his decision, a stronger aura rose within him, circulating through his meridians. He now had only three years of internal energy, which still made him a minor player in the martial arts world. However, after killing people, his use of martial skills had improved significantly, and he could feel that reaching mastery in martial skills was not a difficult task.

The exchange and enhancement seemed to take some time, but under the effect of the Martial World Gate, it was actually an instant. After finishing everything, Chen Jinan just happened to speak to Cheng Yu:

"I wonder why Mr. Cheng was being pursued by the Qing dogs. You are just a weak scholar, and Ao Bai sent so many people to kill you. There must be some hidden reason, right?"

Cheng Yu smiled bitterly and nodded.

"I am the eldest son of Cheng Weifan, the former secretary of General Song Kui of Hangzhou. My father was accused by Wu Zhirong of concealing the original Ming History Compilation and informing Lord Zhuang. As a result, Ao Bai had our family executed. I was fortunate to be traveling abroad and escaped death. However, I uncovered evidence of Ao Bai's corruption and wealth accumulation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

This time, I am taking the evidence to the capital to file a complaint. I am determined to remove Ao Bai and his gang of dogs. I didn't expect that the dogs would send people to kill me upon learning of my plans."

Chen Mo, standing to the side, understood and said with a sneer:

"Ao Bai has immense power in the court, and the Tartar emperor is no good either. Even if you go to the palace, you will likely be beheaded by the guards. No wonder he only sent some minor assassins to kill you. After all, you won't be able to see the Tartar emperor anyway."