What does it mean to be a great hero?Is it simply about being kind-hearted, helping the weak and rescuing the needy?
No. A true hero must also be able to kill bandits—otherwise, he's just a wealthy man who knows martial arts.
To become the celebrated hero of Jiangnan, Jiang Biehe needed to have a record of hunting down criminals and vanquishing evil.
The "Heaven's Gate Five Tigers" were exactly that kind of achievement.
When Jiang Biehe found the Five Tigers, he did not immediately kill them all—though he certainly had the ability.
Killing worthless scoundrels easily doesn't count as a true feat. No matter how wicked they are, those who die swiftly are merely lucky jesters and don't earn a hero's renown.
Instead, a true hero pursues them relentlessly—chasing for months, exhausting himself—and only after they are completely worn out does he deliver the final blow. That's the proper way to establish a name in the martial world.
Risking one's life for the righteous path—what a magnanimous hero that is!
The Five Tigers were not just a group of criminals; their combined technique, the "Heavenly Net," was infamous throughout the Jianghu.
The Skyward Tiger strikes the heavens, the Earth-diving Tiger cleaves the earth, the Sitting Mountain Tiger guards the front, the Sea-gazing Tiger watches the center, and the Gate-breaking Tiger guards the rear.
For caution's sake, Jiang Biehe avoided confronting their combined technique head-on. The Gate-breaking Tiger had already been stealthily assassinated by him.
He then drove the remaining four Tigers toward the town, seeking to claim heads in broad daylight—to gain prestige and respect in the Jianghu.
And now… they were all dead!Who did this?
From upstairs, a woman with some martial skill was coming down. Jiang Biehe glanced around but could find no one among them capable of taking on the Four Tigers.
Even top-tier fighters would hesitate against the Five Tigers' combined skills; without their joint moves, the Skyward Tiger alone was still a top expert in the Jianghu's second tier.
These people before him moved with some skill, but they were at best third-rate, or even lower.
Clenching his fists, Jiang Biehe regretted making too much noise earlier. If only he had closed the door and made more of a scene—no matter who killed the Four Tigers, the credit would have been his.
At that moment, the innkeeper's wife finally came downstairs and saw a handsome young man with a faint mustache, his face pale.
Sensing this "hero" might not be entirely righteous, the innkeeper's wife immediately began tearfully explaining:
"Hero Jiang, you've finally arrived! Those four villains caused such a commotion just now. Fortunately, an anonymous hero passed by and intervened, but that hero killed them and left right away, leaving me—an ignorant woman unfamiliar with Jianghu affairs—to handle the aftermath alone."
"Thankfully, a great and righteous hero like you has appeared, or I wouldn't know what to do next."
Her tears flowed freely, truly frightening to any outsider.
But facing Jiang Biehe—whose acting skills were a hundred times sharper—her performance was obvious at a glance.
Afraid?An innkeeper afraid of Jianghu violence? They dealt with more Jianghu corpses than Jianghu fighters ever did.
Does she think an innocent bystander deserves to be killed?
The innkeeper's graceful posture betrayed the fact that the Four Seas Inn was no innocent household, and the woman was no naïve girl.
So why the act? The Five Tigers were ruthless, and killing them would be met with praise and hardly any consequences.
Otherwise, Jiang Biehe wouldn't have chosen this as the step toward his fame.
Though Jiang Biehe had only recently completed his training, his understanding of the Jianghu was sharp even during his time with Jiang Feng.
He caught the innkeeper's meaning beneath her words: no one was claiming the credit for killing these villains, and if he wanted it, he could take it.
The ladder to fame was still in place, and this pleased the young Jiang Biehe somewhat. With a slight smile, he said plainly:
"No need for much trouble. The Five Tigers committed heinous crimes that roused the anger of both gods and men. As men of the righteous path, we must simply eradicate evil thoroughly."
With that, Jiang Biehe flicked a finger, sending a surge of internal energy that struck the heart of the defenseless Sitting Mountain Tiger, who immediately lost all breath.
Watching the Tiger's death, Jiang Biehe folded his hands behind his back and, with proper bearing, scanned the faces of those present. Then he respectfully cupped his fists.
"I humbly refuse to accept credit for today's deed of eradicating evil."
After his modesty, the young hero's face clouded with worry.
"However, the Five Tigers are notorious throughout the Jianghu. Though they are dead, the news must be spread. If it's said that an unknown hero killed such fiends, it lacks the weight to convince the Jianghu."
"Please, innkeeper, tell me what became of this unknown hero, so I can offer the Jianghu a proper explanation."
The innkeeper's wife had already grown wary the moment Jiang Biehe killed the last Tiger.
Hearing his polite refusal and subsequent worry, she realized he wasn't unwilling to claim credit—he simply feared exposure. Claiming this credit falsely would ruin his hero career.
There would be other chances to earn such deeds honestly, but to steal credit now would end it all.
After a moment's thought, the innkeeper's face grew troubled.
"This unknown hero seems to be driven by a strong sense of justice, indifferent to fame. I'm afraid he will be difficult to find."
She sighed and pleaded in a helpless tone:
"Hero Jiang, please take the four villains' bodies and deal with them. As a mere woman, I only want to live in peace and know nothing of the Jianghu—and I never want to."
Though she spoke like a naïve woman, Jiang Biehe didn't choose to trust her promise outright.
But since she was clearly hiding something, he didn't expose her. The reputation was his to claim. Narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, Jiang Biehe nodded and smiled.
"Then so be it. I only hope this unknown hero, upon hearing of the Five Tigers' demise, will reveal himself and show his might—so as to intimidate the wicked scoundrels lurking in the Jianghu."
Before his words had even fallen, a slightly hoarse, youthful voice from the second floor interrupted with a hint of mischief.
"Oh? So just having a reputation can stop villains from doing evil deeds?"
Jiang Biehe was momentarily taken aback and looked up. Leaning against the railing on the second floor was a young man clad in blue-black hero's attire, his long hair loose, a playful smile lighting up his face as he stared directly at him.
In the end, Li Chaofeng came forward to claim the credit.
This wasn't because he was eager to become famous or to make a name for himself quickly—rather, the so-called "hero" downstairs was Jiang Biehe.
A famed Jiangnan hero who had raised his own fourteen-year-old son to become a cold-blooded killer—no matter how many martial arts novels there are, Jiang Biehe was uniquely notorious for being truly villainous.
Even Yue Buqun had defenders, but no one would defend Jiang Biehe.
Because he was genuinely evil.
The innkeeper's wife would hand over credit to any "hero," and even if the recipient suspected her motives weren't pure, they would still prepare some excuse beforehand. If she later reneged, they'd have a ready-made, dignified explanation to fall back on.
Just like the reason Jiang Biehe was now giving—quite a decent one, in fact.
But to Jiang Biehe, this excuse wasn't enough.
A man like him hated having his words doubted, because it would tarnish his reputation as a future great hero.
More than worrying about the innkeeper's wife going back on her word, he probably already had plans to silence her permanently.
So, even after the innkeeper's warning, Li Chaofeng put on the robe and stepped forward to claim what was rightfully his.
Hearing Li Chaofeng's words, Jiang Biehe's heart jumped in shock. His eyes darted wildly as he tried to recall if he had really accepted the credit earlier.
Steeling himself, the young Jiang Biehe nervously looked up at the boy above, eyes filled with hopeful expectation.
"May I ask, young hero, did you truly kill the Three Tigers of Heaven's Gate?"
Li Chaofeng did not answer directly. Instead, he extended his right hand, spinning a short dagger roughly eight inches long on his fingertip with practiced ease. Only then did he slowly respond:
"Hero Jiang, why don't you compare the wounds on the bodies and see if it was this very blade that dealt the fatal strikes?"