Chapter 9

"Host, the system has detected the presence of police snipers on the rooftop of a building 1,300 meters away, and a small armed force is now heading towards the rooftop. Please act quickly and eliminate the target to complete this assassination mission. If the target is killed by the police, the system will automatically consider this mission a failure..."

The system's warning made Song Yicheng's heart tighten. He abandoned the idea of using the opponent to practice his gun skills. With a swift movement, he swung the three-meter-long spear, channeling his inner energy to his arms. The spear fiercely thrust towards Tian Boguang's upper body. This move, combining strikes and thrusts, is called 'Iron Ox Plowing the Field.' As Tian Boguang flew backward, Song Yicheng mustered all his strength and used the final move of the spear technique, known as 'Beauty Sewing a Needle.' With just one thrust, the spearhead sliced through the struggling Tian Boguang's watermelon knife and pierced his exposed abdomen. If hit by this spear, Tian Boguang would either die or be left half-dead, with no strength left to resist.

Although Tian Boguang was on the verge of collapse, with the 'Spring Breeze Once' internal energy rebelling and wreaking havoc inside his body, he still tried to activate his light body technique to dodge the incoming spear. However, with a 'puchi' sound, a stream of blood and flesh was flung into the air. Tian Boguang failed to dodge Song Yicheng's full-force thrust. His body had only risen halfway when the spear arrived, piercing and dragging through his body, severing his genitals. Tian Boguang tumbled through the air, leaving a trail of blood, and fell in front of Song Yicheng.

"Damn, you really live up to your reputation as a notorious bandit, Old Tian. Your endowment is truly impressive. Hehe, it seems being a bandit requires some capital. Did you grow up eating donkey whips...?"

Song Yicheng laughed, using his spear to poke the bloody piece of flesh that had fallen in front of him, taunting Tian Boguang. He had finally taken care of this guy. Damn, this guy was really tough, even in a state of mental breakdown, he still managed to slash Song Yicheng several times. Now, he had finally avenged himself.

"If you have any guts, give me a quick death. I didn't expect to be castrated by that fat monk, but my manhood ultimately fell to you. Well, this can be considered my retribution for a life of debauchery. I've lived a life of feasting and drinking, dominating the martial world, and enjoying all the beauties. I have no regrets. Go ahead, if I blink, I won't be a true martial hero..."

"Old Tian, I respect you as a man. I'll send you off. May you walk the Yellow Spring Road well and be a good person in your next life..."

The spear shot out like lightning, piercing Tian Boguang's heart. As Tian Boguang exhaled his last breath, a black light enveloped the spearhead, expanding to cover his entire body. The black light intensified, swallowing Tian Boguang completely.

This all happened in an extremely short time. When the black light dissipated, only two thick wads of cash and a white jade pendant remained on the ground.

At this moment, light and rapid footsteps could be heard at the rooftop entrance. The armed police had arrived. Song Yicheng quickly picked up the cash and the jade pendant, swung his spear, and leaped down to the air cushion set up below.

With a soft thud, Song Yicheng landed lightly on the thick air cushion. Using the cushion's elasticity, he channeled his energy to his legs and body, leaping seven to eight meters high, over the crowd, and landing on a police car. He continued to run, disappearing into the night.

"Amazing, the Stocking Hero really won. I said it, the legendary Stocking Hero, the super martial artist, couldn't possibly lose. Look at the Stocking Hero's graceful and transcendent landing, truly the mark of a master!"

"Stocking Hero, well done. Ten steps to kill one, a thousand miles without a trace, after the deed, he leaves without a word, the Stocking Hero is mighty..."

The audience, who had witnessed a free martial arts spectacle, were excited and praised the Stocking Hero. In contrast, the police were disheartened. Their carefully laid plans had all failed, and they couldn't even find the body of the crazed murderer. The middle-aged police officer leading the team was furious. They also wondered about the mysterious man in the stocking, who had used some unknown means to completely eliminate the murderer's body.

The police's cleanup efforts are not mentioned here, but the internet was in an uproar. Someone posted a high-definition video of the event, detailing the situation and highlighting Tian Boguang's brutality. Through this intense fight, the internet users gained a deep understanding of the power of Chinese martial arts. The Stocking Hero's name quickly spread across the internet, and Song Yicheng's image in a worn black jacket and stocking became an icon worshipped by millions. Many users even changed their QQ avatars to the image of Song Yicheng with a stocking and a spear.

These were all aftereffects. Song Yicheng, unaware of his newfound fame, was hiding in a dilapidated hotel room, his eyes gleaming as he examined the jade pendant that had fallen from Tian Boguang's body. Goodness, this small jade pendant was worth millions. Compared to the jade pendant, the two wads of cash seemed insignificant.

Although Song Yicheng didn't know much about jade, the system's information was reliable. The system told him that the jade pendant was made of top-quality white jade, smooth, dense, and pure, with a value that was already unattainable in the current market. The exquisite craftsmanship on the pendant, depicting a mountain city with the characters 'White Clouds' in seal script, and a poem on the back, "Yellow River flows up to the white clouds, a solitary city amidst the high mountains. Why should the Qiang flute lament the willows, when the spring breeze does not reach the Jade Gate Pass," contained information about Tian Boguang's martial arts lineage and his most skilled techniques, such as his light body technique, the Sandstorm Blade, and the 'Spring Breeze Once' internal energy.

Rich, rich, it seems that robbery is the fastest way to make money. No, it's completing missions. I am a righteous person, an angel, how could I do such a thing? This is my mission reward, earned with my life, my spoils of war. Hehe, now I'm rich. Even if I do nothing, selling this jade pendant will allow me to live comfortably for the rest of my life.

"Mission to eliminate Tian Boguang completed. System rewards are now being distributed. Power infusion is starting. Please prepare, host..."

Song Yicheng was enjoying his thoughts when he was startled by the system's voice in his mind. Hearing about the mission rewards, he immediately jumped up, having forgotten about them in his excitement. The rewards for this mission were substantial, including one-third of Tian Boguang's refined internal energy. This would surely elevate him to the level of a second-rate martial artist. The thought made Song Yicheng grin from ear to ear.

A surge of intense internal energy arose from his dantian. Compared to his own internal energy, this new energy was much more violent, about a quarter of the strength of his original internal energy. Under the system's control, the violent energy circulated through Song Yicheng's major meridians several times, gradually becoming calm and merging with his dantian, becoming part of his own strength.

At the same time, a light body technique called 'Wind and Sand Escape' appeared in Song Yicheng's mind. This technique included the 'White Cloud Drift' for movement in battle and the 'Thousand Miles of Wild Wind' for escaping after a failed attack. Tian Boguang's nickname 'Solo Traveler' came from this 'Thousand Miles of Wild Wind' technique. Additionally, there was a technique called 'Triple Clouds Backward Step' for mid-air maneuvering. During the night's battle, Song Yicheng had witnessed the power of this technique, as Tian Boguang had evaded his fatal strike by twisting and shifting in mid-air. Unexpectedly, in addition to gaining some of Tian Boguang's internal energy, he had also obtained this extraordinary light body technique.

After a short while, in the ordinary hotel room, Song Yicheng's triumphant laughter echoed. As he laughed, his figure moved, and he activated the 'Wind and Sand Escape' technique, transforming into a series of afterimages, darting around the room like a ghost.