Chapter 28: Kill Kong Hu! Spirit Snake Fist! The Strength of Two Oxen
After gritting his teeth and exiting the garrison, Kong Hu could finally hold back no more and began to curse venomously, "Damn it! Since when did that brat get involved with Battalion Commander Fan!?"
The ruffians beside him were stunned. "Battalion Commander Fan? How is that possible? He’s only been in the army for a few days!"
Kong Hu gnashed his teeth. "It’s obvious he’s blocking me from touching the kid. On what grounds!?"
"I’ve spent all my energy lining his pockets, and in the end, he won't even help me settle a grudge? That dog!"
"Brother Hu, what should we do... are we just going to let it go?"
"Let it go!?"
*Smack!*
Kong Hu could no longer contain himself. His face flushed red as he struck the man across the face, growling, "That is my only brother-in-law! Whoever dares to touch him, I won’t let them go even if I become a ghost!"
Let it go? How could that be possible?
Outsiders didn't know that years ago, Kong Hu had lost his ability to father children due to excessive indulgence. He treated his brother-in-law like his own son, pinning all his hopes on the boy to care for him in his old age.
Aside from what the boy might have gained from selling his body, he simply couldn't fathom why Battalion Commander Fan would protect Xia He so fiercely.
Such a vicious person—if he were to rise above him in the future, how could he endure it?
A life for a life—that is the law of nature!
"Damn that bastard Fan. I don't care; I’m going to kill that brat myself! If he won't help, I’ll do it!"
Although he had little talent for martial arts, after all these years of relying on the various precious medicinal concoctions provided by the martial arts school, he had already reached the peak of the Skin-Refining stage.
Killing a young brat who had only been in the army for a few days would be easy and enjoyable.
He grabbed the ruffian, whose face was red and swollen from the slap, and asked viciously, "Where is that brat’s home? Lead the way!"
"No need for that. Aren't I already here?"
Birds scattered from the forest, startled.
Kong Hu’s body stiffened as if he had seen a ghost!
He whipped his head around, and just as he prepared to identify the intruder and counterattack, a whistling sound filled his ears.
"Xia He!"
Channeling his strength, Xia He felt his arms swell to the point where his veins threatened to burst. He held nothing back.
A javelin tore through the air with terrifying momentum!
*Screech!*
"You?!"
The javelin was too fast and too sudden. Carrying hundreds of pounds of force, coupled with the weight of the throw, it plunged directly into Kong Hu’s raised arm.
*Argh!*
With a miserable shriek, Kong Hu tumbled to the ground in a sorry state. The agony of what felt like a shattered bone made his vision go black; he nearly fainted.
*Whoosh!*
There’s more!?
The second spear pierced through Kong Hu’s chest as if it were tofu, meeting no resistance at all!
"How is this possible!"
He was at the peak of the Skin-Refining stage, not some ordinary person! At this level, his skin was as tough as ox hide, impenetrable to ordinary blades!
But that wasn't an arrow; it was a javelin! Such force was terrifying—could he be a Blood-Refining warrior!?
*Whoosh!*
Xia He pivoted and threw the third spear.
His actual combat experience was limited. Unlike Hu Da and Song Bao, who were ordinary men, he was exceptionally cautious when dealing with Kong Hu. This was his first time facing a martial artist!
*Bang!*
Kong Hu, abandoning all pride, rolled away to dodge the final spear. The weapon embedded itself into the earth where he had just been, its shaft trembling and leaving him drenched in a cold sweat!
Was the person attacking him really Xia He? He wasn't just an ordinary person! How could an ordinary person possess such strength?
"You little rat, how dare you ambush me! You have no shame!"
Roaring, Kong Hu crawled forward on all fours like a wounded dog.
"Out of javelins! What a pity!"
Xia He’s expression tightened. This man truly lived up to the peak of Skin-Refining; after taking two hits, he still had the strength to crawl away so quickly!
Without a second thought, he drew his blade and gave chase!
Hearing movement behind him, Kong Hu’s eyes widened in fury. He sidestepped the incoming blade, simultaneously swinging his arm back in a desperate counter-strike.
"Spirit Snake Fist!"
Kong Hu had trained at a martial arts school; thanks to his connection with Battalion Commander Fan, he had naturally learned a technique! This was his ultimate trump card!
This kid was dead!
The power of a martial art was immense. Even if it were a low-level technique, one solid hit would crush this kid, no matter how much raw strength he had!
*Bang!*
Xia He threw a punch of his own, not dodging at all!
"Wild Ox Strength!"
A terrifying force erupted instantly, slamming forward like the charge of a sturdy bull.
"You know it too!!"
Kong Hu was dumbfounded. With a sickening *crack*, his knuckles shattered as if he had struck a block of iron!
*Bang!*
Pain shot through his arm, his throat dry as if scorched by fire!
The overwhelming force surged through Kong Hu’s arm and directly into his heart!
His pupils dilated, his body collapsed with a heavy thud, and blood stained the mud.
Kong Hu was dead.
Still not fully at ease, Xia He hacked at Kong Hu’s head with his blade several times. Only after the body was a mangled mess did he stand up, shaking his numb wrists.
"That wasn't easy!"
He truly hadn't expected Kong Hu to be so difficult to deal with! He had actually secretly practiced martial arts! The technique he had just unleashed was clearly a formal martial art.
"Spirit Snake Fist? Could it be from the Spirit Snake Martial School in town?"
Kong Hu was connected to the martial school—could the school be the mastermind behind the blood plague?
If he hadn't first joined the army and mastered his fist-posture to break through to the Skin-Refining stage, and if he hadn't coincidentally acquired the "Wild Ox Strength" technique bestowed by Battalion Commander Fan, he might not have been a match for Kong Hu!
At this thought, Xia He felt a lingering chill and hacked the corpse a few more times!
He squatted down to search the body but found no manual for the "Spirit Snake Fist," which left him deeply disappointed. "But since this technique belongs to the Spirit Snake Martial School, they certainly wouldn't have let Kong Hu carry it on him."
He found three crumpled banknotes and a jade bottle. Upon opening it, he didn't find pills, but a dozen blood-red granules!
"What is this?" He could sense a thick, concentrated essence of blood energy emanating from them!
He had no time to study them now. He pulled the javelins from Kong Hu’s body and the nearby ground, then sprinted ahead. The remaining ruffians were fleeing in panic, running blindly! But no matter how fast they were, could they outrun a thrown javelin?
Dealing with these ordinary men didn't even require a fraction of his strength!
"Finally, those mad dogs are disposed of!"
The killing of Song Bao couldn't be kept secret; he had expected that Brother Hu wouldn't let him go. He just hadn't expected to run into them on the way back from the army camp—it was fate!
After this battle, his [Javelin Throwing] and [Wild Ox Strength] had both improved significantly.
[Skill: Javelin Throwing (Heavy Strike Lv2)]
[Progress: 0/1000]
[Effect: 500 lbs of throwing force, absolute accuracy.]
"Heavy Strike reached level two; that adds another 100 pounds of force!"
[Skill: Wild Ox Strength]
[Progress: 222/400]
[Effect: Strength of two oxen, instantaneous explosive power.]
Although it was a low-level martial art, "Wild Ox Strength" allowed for the stacking of force. The strength of one ox was 100 pounds, and two oxen was 200 pounds. The upper limit depended entirely on the limits of the individual's body!
That was why, even when Kong Hu used his Spirit Snake Fist, he was no match for him! His strength was at least double that of Kong Hu's!
With his mastery of the fist-posture, Wild Ox Strength, and Javelin Throwing, the combination of these traits had pushed Xia He’s strength to the peak of the Skin-Refining stage.
"Kill the man, dispose of the body—no steps can be skipped..."