Chapter Seven: Murder

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Chu Jie and Qi Wei made their way to the front of the encampment. Hundreds had already gathered there. Several minor leaders stood with their gangs—some commanding dozens, others over a hundred. The groups milled about in a chaotic, disordered mass.

As Chu Jie and Qi Wei approached, a burly man sauntered over, a mocking grin on his face. "Well, well, Boss Qi, where are your men? Don't tell me you're down to just this pretty boy?"

Qi Wei's expression turned cold. "I appreciate your concern, Boss Chen, but I can manage."

"Still, Boss Qi, I heard someone nearly had their way with you last night—a fellow named Li, wasn't it?" Boss Chen eyed Qi Wei lecherously. He’d long coveted her beauty, and if not for Qi Batian's deterrence, he’d have made a move already.

Lowering his voice, he continued with vulgar insinuation. "Boss Qi, if the man behind you isn’t strong enough, you know where to find me tonight."

His coarse laughter was echoed by his underlings, who roared with delight at his crude jest.

With a thunderous sound, Chu Jie struck like a dragon bursting from the sea, landing a kick that sent Boss Chen flying.

With a crash, Boss Chen smashed through a tent, sending up a cloud of dust.

"You dare, boy!" One of Boss Chen’s lackeys cursed, brandishing a long blade as he charged at Chu Jie.

Chu Jie stepped back, then punched forward, his fist slamming into the man's abdomen. The lackey doubled over like a shrimp, his face twisted in agony.

Striding toward Boss Chen, Chu Jie rolled his neck, the cracking of bones echoing ominously.

To survive in this place, one must establish dominance. Boss Chen was the perfect target.

Seeing Chu Jie advance, Boss Chen flushed with embarrassment. As a leader with over ninety followers, retreating would be a loss of face. He clenched his fists and swung at Chu Jie.

"Take this!" Boss Chen’s punch swept toward Chu Jie, a stream of dark blue energy tearing through the air with a sharp sound.

Boss Chen’s cultivation was only at the fifth tier of the Body Tempering Realm. Despite his apparent martial skill, Chu Jie was utterly unafraid. With his ninth-level body, he was unassailable. Boss Chen’s blow landed, but it was like a child’s punch against an iron wall.

Chu Jie sneered and lashed out with another kick—like a tiger leaping from its lair.

With a ripping sound, Boss Chen was sent flying. Chu Jie seized him by the hair and dragged him back like a dead dog.

"Aaagh!" A large patch of Boss Chen’s hair tore free in Chu Jie’s grip, and the pain drew forth a wretched howl.

The other lackeys, who had considered rushing in, shrank back in fear at Chu Jie’s ruthless display.

To the virtuous, one responds with virtue; to the wicked, no mercy can be shown. Chu Jie remembered well—Boss Chen was the beast who had assaulted that little girl the day before.

Wriggling in agony at Chu Jie’s feet, Boss Chen pulled a dagger from his breast and stabbed at Chu Jie’s foot.

Chu Jie’s eyes flashed cold. He stomped down on Boss Chen’s wrist, then brought his other foot down hard on Boss Chen’s skull.

With a sickening crunch, several of Boss Chen’s teeth shattered. Blood filled his mouth and he howled in torment, the sound echoing throughout the camp. All the minor leaders converged on Chu Jie’s location.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Three blows resounded like thunder in the hearts of the leaders, making their faces twitch. This newcomer was vicious! In three kicks, he had left Boss Chen’s head bloodied and unconscious.

Without a flicker of emotion, Chu Jie seized Boss Chen by the leg and dragged him aside like a carcass.

Everyone’s heart clenched—was this newcomer going to kill Boss Chen?

A cold gleam flashed in Chu Jie’s eyes. In a place as chaotic as this, leaving an enemy alive was courting death. Boss Chen could not be spared. Clenching his fists, Chu Jie gathered his chilling aura.

With a muffled sound, a milky white glow rippled over his fist as he concentrated all his power.

Boss Chen’s skull was smashed through by Chu Jie’s punch. Blood and brain matter spattered everywhere, drenching Chu Jie.

Rising, he strode over to Boss Chen's lackeys, seized one by the hand, and wiped the gore from his body. Chu Jie’s smile was strange and sinister. "Boss Chen is dead. How about I be your new boss?"

The lackey, stupefied with terror, nodded rapidly. "Y-Yes… Yes!"

Chu Jie clapped the man’s shoulder, stepped back, and addressed the rest. "Boss Chen is dead. Those who want me as your leader, stay. The rest, leave now."

There was a stir in the crowd. Two men glared murderously at Chu Jie and moved aside.

In a flash, Chu Jie was upon them, his hands seizing their heads and slamming them together.

With a dreadful crunch, both skulls burst, blood and brains splattering the ground.

Ruthless! Lethal! That was the judgment of everyone present. A few others who had considered leaving turned pale and froze, awkwardly rooted to the spot.

"I said you could leave," Chu Jie declared coldly, "but I never said you could leave alive."

His dominance blazed forth, so intense that even Qi Wei, for a fleeting moment, found him dazzling—sharp and resplendent. Yet she did not think him cruel; in a place like this, one needed power, presence, and a heart of ice.

"What’s happened here?" Qi Batian strode over, flanked by his black-clad followers.

In fact, Qi Batian had witnessed everything. Boss Chen had been colluding with other regional leaders, and Qi Batian had simply used Chu Jie to eliminate him. Nevertheless, Chu Jie’s efficiency astonished him—this young man was decisive and would make a formidable aid in the future.

Before Qi Batian could speak, Chu Jie stepped forward. "Boss Qi, I discovered Boss Chen was plotting treason, so I dealt with him."

A hiss swept through the crowd—even a three-year-old could tell this was a lie. Did Chu Jie take Qi Batian for a fool?

More shocking still, Qi Batian nodded. "I long suspected Chen Ling of ill intent. He deserved to die."

The sharp ones immediately understood—Chu Jie had killed Boss Chen on Qi Batian’s orders. Any lingering resistance vanished at once.

Qi Batian glanced at Qi Wei, a flicker of grief in his eyes, but he masked it well. Turning to the others, he announced, "Today is the Battle for Spirit Herbs! Fight well, according to the old rules: whoever seizes the most Spirit Gathering Grass may keep seventy percent and command the leader who brings in the least!"

The others nodded and followed Qi Batian.

The site of the battle was a great open space, about the size of a basketball court, already ringed by the other two factions.

In this Dragon Nine District, there were nine factions in all, with three at a time competing for a batch of Spirit Gathering Grass.

Among the other three factions was the one led by Li Hun. When he saw Chu Jie approach, Li Hun pointed at him and whispered urgently to his companions.

"Chu Jie, the main fighting will be between the underlings," Qi Wei explained, clenching her small fists. "We just need to go for the spirit chests containing the grass."

Chu Jie narrowed his eyes. "Once you grab a chest, won’t everyone try to take it from you?"

Qi Wei nodded. "Yes. Everyone outside our camp is an enemy."

Chu Jie nodded. "You stay here with our people to shield you. I’ll go after the chests and pass them to you."

Qi Wei hesitated. "Can you really do it?"

Chu Jie took a bold step forward. "There’s nothing I can’t do."

Suddenly, three black-clad men appeared above the arena. One was the Lord Lin who had stood at Qi Batian’s side the other day. Each held spirit chests in their hands.

When all three factions were assembled, the men expressionlessly tossed down the chests.

With a thud, the chests landed on the ground.

Thousands surged toward them in a wild charge. Yet few leaders rushed in, for everyone knew that whoever grabbed a chest first would become the target of all.

Like a panther, Chu Jie sprang at a chest, seized it, and hurled it toward Qi Wei. Planting his feet, he sent several underlings flying as he raced for the second chest.

Qi Wei leaped up and caught the chest as their followers clustered protectively around her, watching the chaos intently.

Still, someone managed to snatch the next chest before Chu Jie. Grinning in triumph, the man was suddenly slammed by Chu Jie’s body, as if struck by a furious dragon.

Bones snapped within the man’s body. Chu Jie grabbed him by the collar and hurled him aside, snatching the second chest without pause.

Qi Wei caught it, her eyes glowing with joy.

The third chest was already being carried off toward another faction. Chu Jie seized a nearby disciple and flung him at the fleeing man, knocking him down. Then Chu Jie bent his knees, leaped like a cannonball, and crashed both knees onto the fallen disciple.

With a sickening crunch, the disciple’s spine shattered beneath the blow. Chu Jie snatched the third chest.

As more and more underlings surged at him, Chu Jie’s eyes shone with excitement.

Now, this was a battle worth fighting! After years of hard cultivation, he finally had a place to unleash himself.

Come! Let all who wish to kill me, come forth!