The next morning, Su Long's heavy eyelids slowly opened. His body still carried the exhaustion of yesterday's battle, but the first thing that entered his sight wasn't the ceiling—it was a tiny, pinkish hand resting across his arm. Drool was trickling down from small rosy lips, soaking into his sleeve.
Su Long turned his head and saw Mimi curled up against him, sleeping peacefully with her little face pressed against his chest. Her breathing was steady, soft like a kitten's purr.
For a moment, Su Long's eyes softened. He gently shifted his arm, trying to sneak away without disturbing her.
But as soon as he moved even slightly, Mimi's tiny brows scrunched together, and in her sleepy voice she mumbled, "Mhhmmm… don't go…"
Su Long froze. His heart trembled at the childish plea. He leaned down, pressed a gentle kiss against her fluffy cheek, and whispered, "Sleep well, Mimi." Only then did he carefully pull away, managing to slip out of bed without waking her.
From the corner, a muffled snicker broke the silence.
Su Feng, who had been quietly watching the whole scene, couldn't help but laugh. Covering his mouth, he whispered mockingly, "So our young master even knows how to act soft, ah?"
Su Long shot him a glare but didn't speak. Su Feng quickly followed him outside, still grinning. Stretching his arms with a wide yawn, he muttered, "Hahh~ I didn't know this new skill consumes so much spiritual energy. Looks like I need to raise my cultivation soon."
But before Su Long could respond, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the city.
"Ahhhhhh! Run! Bandits!"
The ground trembled as chaos spread. Dark figures rushed in through the gates—Black Fang Vultures had once again entered the city.
At their head walked a mountain of a man, carrying a massive hammer that looked like it could shatter stone walls. With a single swing, he crushed a person who blocked his path, laughter booming wildly through the air.
The people screamed as bandits swarmed the streets, cutting down men, robbing houses, and dragging away women.
Su Feng's face paled as he tugged at Su Long's sleeve. "Young master! T-this time the leader himself has come! You might be able to handle him, but there are too many of them… You must be careful!"
But when he looked at Su Long's face, his words froze.
Because Su Long wasn't panicking. He was smiling—a twisted, almost eager smile. His lips curled upward as he muttered in a low voice, "So the points… have walked right to me…"
With that, he rushed forward, leaving Su Feng behind. "Protect the house. I'll be back soon."
In the city center, Gao Ren, Karu's right-hand man, tugged on his leader's arm nervously. "Boss… what if that mysterious cultivator shows up again? What if he's stronger than us? W-what will we do?"
Karu sneered, his hammer resting on his shoulder. "Stronger? If he was powerful, would he need to hide in the shadows with a bow? He's nothing but a coward. And don't forget, we have a backer. He won't dare kill us. If he's weak, we'll chop him to pieces. If he's strong, we'll use our backer's name and he'll tuck his tail between his legs!"
The bandits roared with laughter, emboldened by Karu's arrogance. They continued their rampage.
But suddenly—
Shoosh!
An arrow pierced through a bandit's arm, blood spraying into the air. The man screamed, clutching his wound as he fell to the ground.
The streets fell into silence.
Shoosh!
Another arrow flew, slamming into a bandit's leg. He too collapsed, rolling in agony.
Gasps echoed through the city. The bandits looked around wildly, but no one could spot the shooter.
On a rooftop, Su Long narrowed his eyes. His hands gripped the Starpiercer Bow tightly. He could have killed them in one shot, but that wasn't his goal today.
His plan was simple: don't kill—make them suffer.
Karu's furious voice tore through the silence. "You bastard! If you're a man, come out! Stop hiding like a rat!"
"Coward! Coward!" the bandits echoed, trying to drown their fear in mockery.
But their words were answered only by more arrows.
Shoosh! Shoosh! Shoosh!
Three more arrows embedded themselves in arms and legs. One by one, the bandits dropped to the ground, shrieking in pain.
[Ding! 130 Hatred Points obtained.]
Su Long's lips curved. His eyes glittered with excitement as he glanced at the panel. "Perfect… now I know how to bleed hatred out of them."
Again, the Starpiercer sang.
Arrows rained down without mercy, yet none struck a fatal blow. The bandits fell, rolling like pigs in the mud, cursing through clenched teeth.
"F**k! This bastard is too much!"
[Ding! 340 Hatred Points obtained.]
Su Long's breathing grew heavier, not from exhaustion but from greed. Hatred points filled his vision, and his smile widened.
On the street below, a group of bandits huddled together. Su Long thought for a moment. If I shoot again, my position will be revealed… Fine, let's play more violently.
His figure blurred.
In an instant, he appeared in front of the group, his Heavenbreaker sword flashing. The bandits barely had time to gasp before their bodies split apart. Blood sprayed across the walls.
Su Long vanished again, reappearing on the rooftop.
From above, he tossed the severed heads into the air. Shoosh! With perfect precision, arrows pierced them mid-flight.
Thump! One head landed at Karu's feet.
The bandit leader's eyes widened in shock. Rage boiled within him. "You motherf**ker! Come out! I'll rip you apart limb by limb!"
Another head landed, blood pooling by his boots.
[Ding! 130 Hatred Points obtained.]
Su Long chuckled darkly. After toying with them long enough, he finally changed tactics. Now his arrows pierced straight into foreheads and throats. The healthy bandits dropped like flies, while the already injured ones were spared—left to wallow in agony.
Shoosh!
An arrow burst through Gao Ren's skull.
"B-boss…" he croaked, collapsing to the ground.
Karu's eyes turned bloodshot. "Gao Ren! NOOO! You bastard, if you're a man, show yourself!" His roar shook the air, but his words were silenced by a final thwip!
The last arrow flew, embedding itself in his throat. Karu's face froze in disbelief before he toppled to the dirt, lifeless.
[Ding! 50 Hatred Points obtained.]
The rest of the Black Fang Vultures barely had time to scream. Su Long descended from the rooftop, mask covering his face, sword gleaming coldly.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
His blade moved like lightning, cutting through flesh and bone. Within moments, the bandits were nothing but corpses littering the street.
Standing amidst the carnage, Su Long's voice was low, filled with steel. "When the Su Family stood strong, these rats didn't even dare peek at the city gates. But now they march in without fear… There's definitely someone backing them."
Wiping his sword clean, Su Long returned to the courtyard. He summoned the system panel.
[System Panel]
Host: Su Long
Cultivation: Qi Refining Early (0 / 600)
Body Physics: True Titan Body – Allows fighting one stage higher
Total Hatred Value: 930 points
Skills: Star-Annihilating Slash low (0 / 120 points), Sacred Healing Palm mid (0 / 300)
Treasures: Heavenbreaker Sword (mid-grade, 0 / 1000), Starpiercer Bow (mid-grade, 0 / 1500)
Su Long didn't hesitate. He poured 600 points into cultivation and 300 into Sacred Healing Palm.
[Cultivation Increased! Qi Refining Early → Qi Refining Mid]
[Skill Upgraded! Sacred Healing Palm: Mid-grade → High-grade]
[Can fully heal external wounds, deep flesh injuries, broken bones, muscle tears, and damaged organs. All pain and physical trauma are eliminated instantly. Limitations: Cannot regenerate lost limbs, cure poisons, dispel curses, or heal soul injuries.]