Chapter 19

Su Xin and Li Hua returned to Kuailelin with the heads of the two men, and Li Qing and the others had been eagerly awaiting their return.

Originally, Su Xin had arranged for them to cover the rear, but Su Xin and Li Hua acted so swiftly that they brought back the heads of Dai Chong and Zhang Hong before the Green Bamboo Gang's forces arrived, leaving no chance for pursuit.

"Boss, are you okay?" Li Qing hurriedly asked.

"Do we look like we're in trouble? Here are the heads of Dai Chong and Zhang Hong." Su Xin threw the package containing the heads to Li Qing.

This kid was quite sensible, asking about the boss's safety first instead of whether the assassination was successful, showing good judgment.

Li Qing took the package with trembling hands, his shock beyond measure.

In fact, he himself didn't believe that Su Xin could succeed in assassinating Dai Chong.

Initially, he had stepped forward out of a sense of injustice, unwilling to accept that his brother's life could be bought for ten taels of silver.

When Su Xin said he would avenge Chen San, Li Qing had vowed that, regardless of the outcome, he would give his life to Su Xin!

Unexpectedly, Su Xin had actually brought back the heads of Dai Chong and Zhang Hong.

"San, you can finally rest in peace. We've found a good boss!" Li Qing, holding the heads, followed Su Xin with red-rimmed eyes.

At this moment, in Kuailelin, Huang Bingcheng was anxiously pacing in the hall, making everyone dizzy.

Following a boss like Su Xin was indeed impressive, with money and power.

But this boss's boldness was not ordinary.

Huang Bingcheng was now accustomed to living in constant fear, especially this time, as any mishap could lead to the collapse of their small Kuailelin.

Ji Gang, on the other hand, watched the anxious crowd in the hall with a cold eye. No matter the outcome of this assassination, Su Xin would not escape death, and he would see how they would deal with the aftermath!

"The boss is back!" a gang member shouted, running to report.

Huang Bingcheng immediately stopped pacing and hurried over to welcome Su Xin and the others.

"Boss, how did it go?" Huang Bingcheng asked hurriedly.

Li Qing placed the package containing the heads on the table and opened it, causing the onlookers to gasp in shock.

Dai Chong, the head of the Green Bamboo Gang, was a figure on par with Hu San. Most of them had seen him in his usual imposing manner.

But now, this man had indeed been beheaded by Su Xin and placed before them.

"He actually succeeded! He really killed Dai Chong! Does that mean his strength can now be compared to Hu San?" Ji Gang was so shocked he couldn't speak.

He had guessed that Su Xin might die on the spot or escape by chance, but he never imagined that Su Xin would actually succeed!

Ji Gang slumped in his chair, speechless.

The situation had developed beyond his comprehension.

All he hoped now was that the higher-ups of the Flying Eagle Gang wouldn't implicate him.

Thinking of this, Ji Gang glared at Li Hua with hatred. It was all this madman's fault!

When Ji Gang was under Hu San, he knew that Li Hua was a bit unstable, bloodthirsty, and often disregarded the bigger picture.

But who would have thought he could be this crazy, defying Hu San's secret orders to assist Su Xin in assassinating Dai Chong.

"Find some lime to process these heads and pack them up. Everyone else, disperse."

Huang Bingcheng whispered, "What about Ji Gang? Should we send someone to keep an eye on him?"

Su Xin shook his head, a faint smile on his face. "No need. Let him say what he wants. Besides, even if he doesn't, the higher-ups of the Flying Eagle Gang will definitely find out."

During the assassination of Dai Chong, Su Xin and Li Hua did not conceal their identities.

Although they were minor figures in the Flying Eagle Gang, a thorough investigation would quickly reveal their identities. It would probably take less than half an hour for the news to spread throughout Changning.

"What do we do now?" Huang Bingcheng asked.

"Sleep."

"Sleep?" Huang Bingcheng was stunned.

Su Xin matter-of-factly replied, "Killing is a strenuous task, so we need to rest. It will also give the higher-ups of the Flying Eagle Gang some time to consider how to deal with us. By tomorrow, someone will likely come to us."

Hearing Su Xin's words, Huang Bingcheng was not in the mood to sleep; he was even more worried.

As Li Shu had previously told them, the Flying Eagle Gang could not afford another major conflict with the Green Bamboo Gang.

The two gangs were evenly matched, and a war would only drain resources and manpower, with no clear winner.

But now, Su Xin's assassination of Dai Chong had disrupted the balance between the two gangs. Huang Bingcheng could imagine how enraged the Green Bamboo Gang would be.

When the two gangs clashed, Su Xin would be the primary culprit, and their fate would be clear.

Ignoring the anxious Huang Bingcheng, Su Xin returned to his small courtyard.

In the courtyard, Xing'er was practicing with a wooden sword.

The small wooden sword Su Xin had made for her was now being wielded with skill, using the Great Mount Sword Technique.

When Xing'er had said she wanted to practice swordsmanship, Su Xin thought it was just a whim, so he casually taught her the Great Mount Sword Technique. He didn't expect that, while he was busy training, she had practiced diligently.

"Tsk, my sister is a sword genius."

Su Xin's lips twitched. He couldn't deny that Su Xing'er had a talent for swordsmanship that surpassed his own.

If it weren't for the 5% proficiency bonus from the system, he might not be as skilled as Xing'er now.

"Brother, you're back!" Seeing Su Xin, Xing'er immediately pounced on him.

But then she pushed him away, pinching her nose in disgust. "Brother, what's that smell? You stink! Go take a bath!"

"You little brat, your nose is sharp." Su Xin tapped her forehead.

After killing, he inevitably carried a scent of blood, which, under the midday sun, had a faint sour smell.

"Alright, stop playing. Take a bath and then come eat." Su Xin pinched her nose.

Xing'er swatted his hand away, dissatisfied. "I'm not playing. When I master the sword technique, I can protect my brother."

After bathing and eating, Su Xin did not immediately rest but instead reflected on today's battle.

This was actually his first real combat since starting his martial arts training. Killing Liu Sandao didn't count, as both Chen Dao and Liu Sandao were too weak to test his true strength.

This time, Dai Chong and Su Xin were evenly matched, and in terms of combat experience, Su Xin was even less experienced than Dai Chong. If it weren't for the power of the sword technique, the outcome could have gone either way.

He also saw his own shortcomings in this battle.

Whether in his past life or this one, Su Xin had seen blood and killed, though in his past life, he was the one being killed.

He wouldn't tremble at the sight of blood like a novice.

However, as a latecomer to martial arts, having only practiced for a month, he couldn't match the seasoned martial artists who had trained from a young age and had the guidance of a master to integrate their skills.

In combat, Su Xin's movements were stiff, partly due to his unstable foundation and partly due to his lack of experience.

Jing Wu Ming's fast sword technique was offensive, while the Great Mount Sword Technique was defensive.

Currently, Su Xin only knew these two techniques but couldn't switch between them naturally. Without a heavy sword, he couldn't even use the Great Mount Sword Technique.

This was due to his low proficiency in the sword technique, which was only 5%. At this level, he could barely use the technique, let alone master it.

To improve his proficiency, he needed to practice diligently. After the battle, his proficiency in the Great Mount Sword Technique had increased to 10%.

However, this was a problem. If he relied solely on practice to improve his proficiency, it would take a lot of time.

The Great Mount Sword Technique was only a one-and-a-half-star technique, destined to be obsolete. Spending time on it would be a waste.

Thinking about this, Su Xin quickly entered the system to ask.

"Host 01, welcome to the Great Villain System." A cold voice greeted him.

"I have a question. Can martial arts proficiency only be improved through practice and combat?

The Great Mount Sword Technique is still useful to me now, but if I practice it intensively, won't it be useless when my strength improves? And won't the time I spend practicing be wasted?"

The system replied, "Martial arts proficiency can also be improved through enlightenment. Some advanced techniques cannot be improved through practice alone and require enlightenment.

As for your second point, you have a misconception. Martial arts proficiency not only comes from learning new techniques but also from your understanding of martial arts.

If you were a sword god like Ximen Chuixue, you could instantly maximize the proficiency of the Great Mount Sword Technique and even enhance its level with a bit of thought.

So you don't need to worry about wasting time practicing the Great Mount Sword Technique, as you are not just practicing the technique but also the sword path."

After the system's explanation, Su Xin understood that he had indeed been mistaken.

Martial arts techniques are just tools, while the essence is your understanding of martial arts.

What he needed to do was not to focus on practicing the Great Mount Sword Technique but to understand the sword path.