220: Chapter 220 Hero or Murderer?

Chapter 220: Martial Hero, or Serial Killer

Deep within the woods, amidst the tranquility.

A series of "thud", "thud", and "thud" sounds echoed.

Shovelfuls of soil were scooped up and then fell down rustlingly.

At the bottom of the pit, several corpses were faintly visible.

Their distorted limbs intertwined with one another, and their clothes were stained with blood.

The yet-undried blood merged with the soil, and the color grew increasingly dark.

With each layer of fresh soil falling down, the evidence of the tragic massacre that had just occurred was buried bit by bit in the dark underground.

Xu Sanduo forcibly endured the nauseating smell of blood, gripped the shovel tightly with both hands, and incessantly shoveled and tossed the soil.

Every time he swung it, it felt as though it was squeezing dry all the strength in his entire body.

Bead-like sweat droplets continuously rolled down his flushed face, and his arms trembled slightly from working too hard.

Yet he dared not harbor the slightest intention of slacking off at all.

Because there was still a presence resembling a god of slaughter right beside him.

Taking advantage of the moment he swung the shovel, Xu Sanduo secretly glanced at the other person.

He saw that his figure was nimble, his arms seemed to conceal endless strength, and the speed at which he wielded the shovel was as fast as a whirlwind, seemingly tireless.

That pair of eyes appeared exceptionally bright, flickering slightly as if pondering something.

It was as if he were well-accustomed to the bloody scene before him; his expression was calm and unrippled, not taking it to heart at all.

The invisible aura radiating from his entire body made people even more reluctant to approach him easily.

Xu Sanduo clicked his tongue inwardly, his mind unable to help recalling the scenes of slaughter from earlier.

That jaw-dropping ability to dodge bullets and terrifying explosive power, taking a life as casually as a wild beast with every gesture, completely exceeded ordinary imagination.

Xu Sanduo asked himself that having mixed around in the Jianghu for over a decade, frequently dealing with heinous villains, he had also encountered some eccentric people and bizarre events.

But today could be considered a real eye-opener, witnessing what a truly ruthless person was; this guy was simply a walking "human weapon"!

Thinking of this, Xu Sanduo couldn't help feeling anxious, stealing another glance at the other person while muttering inwardly:

"Where on earth did this ruthless character come from? He doesn't even blink an eye when killing people—could he be the sensational serial killer rumored recently?"

"If it's true, will he end up using me to fill the hole as well?"

"Damn it, I certainly don't want to die here unclearly. Back home, I still have such a beautiful and flirtatious wife and mistress. If I'm just gone like this, will they grieve for me? Maybe in a few days they'll forget me and go fooling around with some gigolo."

"And those fair-weather friends of mine are unreliable too; will they take the opportunity to seize my family property? Sigh, how is it that I'm so unlucky, getting dragged into this damn mess..."

At the thought of those possible tragic consequences, Xu Sanduo's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and his hand holding the shovel almost slipped due to trembling.

Fang Cheng paid no attention to the various inner monologues of the fat man beside him, fixing his gaze on the panel floating before his eyes.

While rapidly shoveling soil to bury the corpses, he looked at the prompt messages one by one.

[Boxing experience increased +50]

[Sanda experience increased +15]

[Jiu-Jitsu experience increased +15]

[Boxing lv2 (302/500)]

[Sanda lv2 (319/500)]

[Jiu-Jitsu lv2 (167/500)]

Unexpectedly, a brief battle could actually yield so much skill experience; it could be considered an unexpected pleasant surprise.

Judging by this, these bandits probably weren't ordinary people either.

From the strength of their fists and kicks and their speed of execution, they were at least martial arts experts who had rolled around in the Jianghu for many years, solid practitioners.

As for why the Boxing skill experienced an extra surge to 50 points,

in fact, it was mainly attributed to that special "sparring session" just now.

Facing the fatal danger brought by the muzzle of the gun, he chose to use the slipping and weaving technique in Boxing to gradually approach the enemy.

Every head tilt and every shoulder sway felt like nimbly dodging the enemy's continuously incoming jabs during Shadow Boxing practice.

Except that this time, the imaginary opponent's jab technique was outrageously formidable, and their execution speed was so fast it reached a startling sonic speed.

A moment of carelessness would result in being struck on the unprotected vital points of the head and throat by those metallic "jabs" whistling in like bee stingers.

It was precisely by relying on this limit-pushing training method akin to stepping on the tip of a knife that he reaped unexpected growth.

Fang Cheng took a deep breath, and at this moment he could still clearly feel the agilely surging power within his body.

Although the training method was rather dangerous, he also had sufficient confidence.

After his Agility attribute broke through 40 points, Fang Cheng's control over his body's muscles could be said to have reached an extreme.

Every movement he made could achieve a degree of mastery and utter fluency without any obstruction.

This allowed his body muscles to react in time even within a few paces, under the enemy's face-to-face gunfire.

Rather than being like before.

Although relying on exceptional perceptual ability, his eyes could capture the Flight trajectory of bullets.

But in actual combat, he still needed to maintain a safe distance as much as possible, making side-dive dodging motions to find cover.

There was simply no way to reach the degree of ease and calm like now.

Of course, the reason why the "sparring" could have such a remarkable experience-boosting effect was mainly because it was the first time adopting this near-crazy method to hone his skills.

Next time, it might not necessarily have the same effect.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng raised his wrist and glanced at the time.

7:42.

Lowering his head to look again at the corpses in the pit that were about to be completely buried by soil, he immediately accelerated the speed of wielding the shovel.

He had to finish the work quickly and return to the hotel for breakfast.

In the woods, the two continued shoveling soil, doing the deeds of destroying corpses and wiping out traces without a sound.

The atmosphere appeared increasingly frighteningly quiet, so oppressive that it made a certain fat man even more apprehensive, and cold sweat continuously emerged from his forehead.

Thud!

A shovel heavily stabbed into the leveled pit.

Xu Sanduo's entire body couldn't help trembling violently, his eyeballs rolling around flurriedly.

Seeming to ponder how to save his life: should he immediately kneel and beg for mercy, crying with snot and tears about having elderly parents above and young children below at home, hoping to arouse the other party's compassion?

Or promise lucrative rewards, bribing this fellow in front of him who was suspected to be a serial killer with heavy funds to make a life-or-death "trade"?

"Stop shaking."

Just as Xu Sanduo was struggling internally, Fang Cheng finally spoke: "I won't kill you now."

"Ah, you... you really won't kill me?"

Hearing this, Xu Sanduo seemed to have grasped a straw, and a ray of hope instantly flashed through his eyes.

But when he heard the word "now" clearly, his expression couldn't help collapsing again, and his body shook even more severely.

Fang Cheng frowned slightly and said:

"Killing you is just a matter of a single finger for me; you would have lost your life long ago just now. The reason I'm keeping you is because you still have some use."

Xu Sanduo swallowed a mouthful of saliva, hurriedly nodded, his face piled with ingratiating smiles:

"Yes... yes, Martial Hero, what... what instructions do you have?"

At this moment, he completely lost half a shred of his usual slickness, leaving only obsequiousness.

Fang Cheng stared at him with torch-like eyes, intensifying his tone as he said:

"What on earth is the deal with that antique you acquired earlier that flowed out from the Xishan Ancient Tomb? Tell me everything clearly, one by one. Don't attempt any tricks; you've witnessed my methods."

Xu Sanduo was so frightened he shivered, hastily waving his hands:

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, Martial Hero. I'll tell the truth: I'm just a middleman, helping people bridge connections. That antique... actually, a mysterious person found me and asked me to help find a suitable buyer. I really don't know what heaven-shaking secret is hidden behind it; I just wanted to make a little money..."

Fang Cheng suddenly opened his mouth to interrupt his mumbling:

"Why are all those underworld forces and chaebol aristocratic families spending heavy money to acquire these kinds of antiques?"

"I... I..."

Xu Sanduo deliberated his words, and when he saw the Killing Intent vaguely emanating from Fang Cheng's eyes, his heart couldn't help skipping a beat. He immediately racked his brains, and the sweat droplets on his forehead increased even more.

Suddenly, he let out a cry, and with a bit of joyful expression said:

"I found something unusual about this matter: everyone who wants to buy this kind of antique seems to have martial prowess superior to ordinary people, just like you, Martial Hero, or else they have extraordinary backgrounds."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he turned to ask:

"What is the background of that mysterious person, and what do they look like?"

Xu Sanduo continued racking his brains and said:

"I... I only remember he wore a duckbill cap pulled down very low, there seemed to be a scar on his face, his voice was a bit hoarse, and he spoke with a southern accent. Otherwise... I really have no impression."

Fearing that Fang Cheng wouldn't believe him, he then hurriedly added an explanation:

"In our line of work, probing into the true identity of a seller is a huge taboo. If our reputation is ruined, no one will dare do business with you in the future."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng nodded slightly and pondered for a moment.

Xu Sanduo looked on eagerly:

"Martial Hero, I've said everything I know. Can you let me off the hook?"

Fang Cheng glanced at him and said coldly:

"Give me your name card. I'll spare your life for now. Remember that after you go back, you must not mention to anyone that you met me here today, otherwise..."

Xu Sanduo acted as if granted amnesty, hurriedly nodding and swearing:

"Definitely, definitely, Martial Hero. I absolutely wouldn't dare leak your news. As for today's matter, even if beaten to death, I will never speak of it!"

As he spoke, he somewhat flurriedly fumbled around his pants pocket, trembling fingers pulling out a crumpled name card from inside.

As if it were his "life-saving talisman" being handed out, he presented it forward with both hands utmost respectfully, his face piled with ingratiating intentions.

Fang Cheng raised his hand to take the name card, cast a faint glance at the contact information and company address written on it, and then casually hid it in his clothing pocket.

Then without saying much else, he immediately brought the shovel, turned around, and strode towards the outside of the woods.

Seeing this, Xu Sanduo couldn't help letting out a long sigh of relief, his tense body instantly relaxing.

At this moment, he suddenly realized that his back had long been soaked through with sweat, his sportswear clinging tightly to his body, feeling chilly.

Gazing at Fang Cheng's departing figure, Xu Sanduo's eyes were filled with awe, knowing clearly in his heart that he had truly encountered an eccentric person today.

That was a powerful aura and unfathomable ability he had never witnessed in his usual days mingling in the marketplace and the underworld.

Hesitating for a moment, he still mustered up his courage, raised his voice, and shouted:

"Martial Hero, might I have the honor of knowing your name? I wish to repay your life-saving grace!"

"There's no need."

Without looking back, Fang Cheng's voice came from afar, cold and crisp:

"Remember to spread some more leaves over the pit before leaving and clean it up nicely, lest the police come looking for you at your door."

The words echoed in the forest, but the person quickly vanished behind layers of branches and leaves, as if he had never appeared here, leaving behind only a string of gradually fading footsteps.

Recovering his wits, Xu Sanduo dared not slacken in the slightest, hurriedly and clumsily picking up leaves everywhere in the woods, scattering them over the pit to cover up the traces of digging as much as possible.

Amidst his busyness, he suddenly remembered that there were still two bandits watching outside his front door, and he didn't carry a phone on him.

At this thought, he was instantly burning with anxiety, throwing the shovel far away.

Following closely, he also ran towards the outside of the woods, cursing those bodyguards from head to toe in his heart as he ran:

"Damn it, I raise you guys with good food and drink on ordinary days, yet at a critical moment not a single one is by my side. Truly a bunch of trash, wait until I get back, I'll show you!"

His fat body was as nimble as a monkey at this moment, quickly passing through the dense forest filled with weeds and bushes.

Leaving the forest tract behind, it appeared increasingly eerie and tranquil, as if quietly swallowing all secrets.

At this time, the sun had already quietly climbed up the branches, and the scattered light became increasingly bright, proclaiming that it was getting late.

The winding stone path twisted and coiled among the mountain forests, resembling a sleeping giant serpent awakened by a burst of hurried footsteps.

Fang Cheng ran all the way, rushing down the mountain along the stone path like lightning.

His posture was as nimble as a leopard shuttling through the forest, swiftly leaping and maneuvering.

The strong wind he whipped up whistled aloud, blowing the branches and bushes by the roadside to sway violently, rustling.

Whenever he encountered morning runners coming from ahead, he would intentionally slow down his speed, panting huffily and puffily.

Then with an unperturbed face, he pretended that he was also just an ordinary exerciser.

This ability to switch roles in an instant made people deeply admire him.

In less than two minutes, Fang Cheng ran down the mountain like a gust of wind, arriving at the open area by the lakeside.

The lake water shimmered under the sunlight, resembling a huge mirror reflecting the green trees and blue mountains on the shore.

Fang Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the beautiful scenery before him, yet had no heart to appreciate it.

Lingering in his mind were the gains of today's morning exercise, as well as the scene of killing and burying corpses deep within the woods.

Reaching out, he pulled out that crumpled name card from his clothing pocket and glanced at it once more.

Fang Cheng's gaze flickered slightly. The reason why he paid special attention to things flowing out from the Xishan Ancient Tomb

was simply because he had a mysterious premonition in his heart, always feeling that this matter had some connection with the disappeared Jiang Chen.

After all, that old ghost Jiang Chen, just like those antiques, had been sealed deep underground for over a millennium, and only due to an explosion accident was able to see the light of day again.

After thinking about it, he hid the name card back into his clothing pocket and jogged towards the direction of the hotel.

He would just keep this matter in mind and pay special attention to it; there was no need to wade into muddy waters.

Rather, those few unsold antiques in his hands could perhaps be disposed of through Fat Xu.

Returning to Yuehu Hotel, it was already around 8 o'clock.

His mother was taking care of his grandfather's daily life, and his uncle was yawning, seemingly having just gotten up not long ago.

They had obviously just knocked on the door and received no response, thinking he had gone wandering around the lakeside early in the morning, so they were waiting to go have breakfast together.

Fang Cheng offered a brief explanation, telling them not to wait idly and that they could go a step ahead to the downstairs restaurant.

Afterward, he took a simple hot shower in the room, changed out of the blood-stained clothes, and came back out.

When he arrived at the first-floor hotel restaurant, the interior was brightly lit, the warm atmosphere and the aroma of food blending together.

Many people were already dining here, the sounds of laughter and speech interweaving with melodious music.

Fang Cheng searched with his gaze and soon saw his family sitting by the window.

His mother was smiling and talking with his grandfather, who nodded gently from time to time, his face beaming with a kind smile.

His uncle was reading a newspaper on the side, holding a cup of coffee in his hand.

Sunlight gently spilled through the window onto them, outlining a tranquil and warm picture.

The corners of Fang Cheng's mouth curved upwards, and he strode over, naturally switching back into his family role.