Cao Bin’s head rolled to the side, his eyes wide open, as if still clinging to the unwillingness of his last moments.

Su Yu let out a long breath. The weight that had been pressing on his heart for so long was finally lifted.

For the longest time, that name had been like a mountain crushing the Su Family, suffocating them and forcing him to train relentlessly day and night. Now that he had become a Martial Artist and exacted his revenge, the path forward seemed to brighten considerably.

After stowing away his Nine-Ring Saber, Su Yu deftly began to search Cao Bin’s blood-soaked corpse.

He mused to himself as he searched.

’In the end, even a Martial Artist is just another person. We bleed the same blood and can die in an instant.’

’In a world like this, the only way to keep living is to become stronger!’

His search yielded a few items.

Two one-hundred-tael silver notes—a bit less than expected, but that made sense; Cao Bin wouldn’t have carried all his wealth on him. There was also a blood-stained booklet, *Black Tiger Breaking Gate Saber*. A quick flip-through revealed it to be a rather ordinary Middle-tier Martial Arts manual.

Finally, there was a fine black porcelain vial.

He uncorked it, and a sinister, bone-chilling aura washed over him. Inside, the contents looked like a swirl of thick, insoluble ink.

Su Yu tipped one out. It was a jet-black pill, and the sight of it made his pupils constrict.

’Why does this aura feel so familiar?’

’It feels similar to that strange black stone, exuding the same indescribable wickedness.’

Just then, Senior Brother Xu came up behind him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Put those things away for now. I’ll handle what comes next."

Su Yu nodded and stepped back.

He had sensed someone else in the room when Cao Bin cried for help, but with Senior Brother Xu and Senior Sister Qin present, he hadn’t been overly concerned. He simply focused all his strength on killing Cao Bin.

"Come on out," Xu Feng said calmly, his eyes fixed on the doorway.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment before the door suddenly swung open and a man emerged, laughing heartily.

The man was burly, with a hideous, centipede-like scar stretched across his face. In stark contrast, he was currently wearing a genial smile.

"Haha! I am Luo Yuan of the Water Snake Gang. Many thanks for your assistance!"

Su Yu remained vigilant, baffled by the man’s words.

Luo Yuan immediately cupped his fist toward Su Yu and Xu Feng, looking immensely relieved. "Brother Xu, it’s all thanks to your White Ape Martial Arts Hall for stepping in! That Cao Bin was a traitor, colluding with the remnants of the Money Gang. I was just wondering how to clean house. Thank you all for taking care of it for me!"

Xu Feng smiled. This Luo Yuan was a quick-witted one.

Su Yu understood as well, but he remained silent, waiting for Senior Brother Xu to make the decision.

"You’re Luo Yuan? What’s your realm?"

Just then, Qin Yu stepped forward, her longsword dripping with blood. A thirst for battle rose in her eyes.

Luo Yuan’s face remained calm, but inwardly, he was cursing his luck.

’How could I not know of Qin Yu? She’s Qin Fangqiong’s treasured daughter. And with Madman Xu standing right there, how could I dare to cross swords with her?’

"I am Luo Yuan, Vice Hall Master of the Water Snake Gang, at the Third Acupoint of the Skin Tempering Realm!"

"Perfect. I’m also at the Third Acupoint. Let’s have a go!"

Seeing that Qin Yu was about to attack, Xu Feng quickly put out a hand to stop her. "Junior Sister, let me handle this."

Qin Yu shot Xu Feng a glare. "Senior Brother, let me test him!"

"Junior Sister, the Su Family members are still injured. Junior Su, you should get them to a clinic for treatment."

Qin Yu glanced at the injured people and frowned. She didn’t want to bother, but remembering they were Su Yu’s family, she forced herself to stand down.

Xu Feng turned back to Luo Yuan, his tone even:

"Brother Luo, let’s dispense with the pleasantries. My junior brother went to a great deal of trouble to clean house for you. I’m wondering what sort of thanks the Water Snake Gang might offer?"

’He’s demanding payment.’

Luo Yuan’s eyes darted around, landing on the black porcelain vial Su Yu was holding. He made an instant decision. "Of course! Of course!"

"I happen to have a freshly caught Red Oil Fish King. It’s incredibly beneficial for the Qi and Blood of a newly ascended Martial Artist. I would like to present it to Brother Su as a thank-you gift."

He paused, then gestured toward Su Yu. "However... that vial of pills Cao Bin stole actually belongs to me. I was wondering if it could be returned to its rightful owner?"

Red Oil Fish King!

Su Yu’s heart leaped. ’That treasured fish is a potent supplement for Qi and Blood—it’s exactly what I need!’

’As for these Black Mysterious Pills... they look far too strange. I wouldn’t dare take them myself. Keeping them would be more trouble than it’s worth.’

He glanced at Xu Feng, and seeing his senior brother give a slight nod, he agreed readily. "No problem. How about you come find me at the martial arts hall in a few days, Brother Luo?"

Seeing him agree, Luo Yuan visibly relaxed, and the smile on his face became a little more genuine. "Haha, excellent, excellent! I’ll be sure to pay a visit in a few days and have a drink with you, Brother Su."

"You all should get going, then. My men from the Water Snake Gang will be here soon to clean up this whole mess."

...

「Outside the stronghold, the wind and snow began to subside.」

"Senior Brother Xu, why didn’t you let me kill that Luo Yuan?" Qin Yu asked, looking displeased.

Xu Feng sighed in resignation. "Junior Sister, you’re about to attempt your breakthrough to the Flesh Refining Realm. Getting injured now just isn’t worth the risk. Besides, Cao Bin was just a minor leader, and this was a personal grudge, so it’s fine. But if we killed Luo Yuan, a Vice Hall Master, it would mean all-out war between our two factions."

"Besides, by letting him live, he’ll naturally absorb all of Cao Bin’s assets and influence, which means he’ll help us cover up what happened here today."

Qin Yu pursed her lips. "So much scheming. Whatever. We saved who we came to save, and I got to let off some steam."

Xu Feng smiled and turned to Su Yu. "Junior Su, we’re heading back now. The rest of this... you can handle it yourself."

"Thank you for your help, Senior Brother, Senior Sister!" Su Yu said, giving them a deep, solemn bow.

’Without them here to back me up, even if I had managed to kill Cao Bin, I never would have escaped the Water Snake Gang’s encirclement.’

...

「Qingxi Village, at the Su Family’s Old Mansion.」

Su Yu and the others stood at the bedside, looking at Mrs. Chen, whose face was flushed with a deceptive ruddiness.

The precious Hemostatic Pill Su Can had given her was holding her at the very edge of death, but it could do no more. What they were seeing now was merely a terminal rally.

"Mother, I’m useless! I couldn’t become a Martial Artist... I couldn’t save you..." Su Can knelt on the ground, his eyes bloodshot, repeatedly slamming his forehead against the floor.

Mrs. Chen struggled to turn her gaze toward her one-armed son. Her heart ached with sorrow, but she still managed to force a smile. "My son... you’re so strong... Your mother knows... It was your father and I... we weren’t capable enough... we couldn’t help you..."

"COUGH COUGH..."

Mrs. Chen suddenly sensed her end was near. She didn’t look toward Third Uncle Su Da Wen. Instead, she struggled to turn her head toward Su Yu at the door, her withered hand stretching out, trembling as it grasped at the empty air.

Su Yu was silent for a moment, then walked forward.

Mrs. Chen gripped Su Yu’s sleeve tightly. "Yu, COUGH COUGH... Your aunt was a fool. I wronged you in the past. COUGH COUGH... Please don’t hold it against me."

"Please, for the family’s sake... COUGH COUGH COUGH... In the future... help... help... help... Can’er..."

Having used the last of her strength to speak her final words, her arm dropped limply to her side.

"MOTHER!"

Instantly, the room was filled with nothing but Su Can’s anguished wails.

...

Outside the door.

Listening to the cries from within, Wang Yuechi sighed silently and waved to the villagers outside. "Prepare for the funeral."

Su Yu emerged, pushing Su Hong in his wheelchair, his expression calm.

"Uncle Wang, thank you for your trouble." He took out five taels of silver and handed it to him.

Wang Yuechi quickly tried to refuse. "Younger Brother Su, there’s no need for such formalities! I’ll handle it. You don’t need to pay me..."

Su Yu didn’t argue, simply pressing the silver into his hands.

After speaking with the village head, Su Yu pushed his older brother, Su Hong, back into the courtyard and pressed twenty taels of silver into his hand.

Su Hong looked at his younger brother, the one who had saved them all, and his eyes grew red-rimmed again. "Second Brother!"

"Just live well, Big Brother."

Without a second glance at the room, Su Yu strode out into the wind and snow.

...

「Back at the White Ape Martial Arts Hall.」

Upon his return, Su Yu sought out Senior Brother Xu and Senior Sister Qin individually to thank them once more.

Senior Brother Xu simply told him to train hard.

Senior Sister Qin, however, was surprisingly different, her usual cold demeanor gone. "Junior Su, now that you’re in the Inner Courtyard, you’re one of us. My father may have a strange temper, but he never mistreats the true disciples of the hall! If you run into any trouble in the future, don’t hesitate to come find me!"

After this incident, Su Yu once again immersed himself in his training with peace of mind. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The incident with Cao Bin had made one thing crystal clear: in this world, even a Martial Artist’s life was uncertain. To have a better chance at survival, the only path forward was to become relentlessly stronger!