Chapter 7 The Remaining Two
The man crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
His face, already fierce and distorted, twisted even further in pain.
A scream tore from his throat as he stared in terror at the ragged beggar slowly approaching.
"Spare me, great hero! Please, spare my life!"
Just a moment ago, he hadn't even seen where the sword came from—yet his hand was already gone.
Such a sword strike was like that of a ghost or demon; far beyond anything he could resist.
He flipped over, dropped to his knees, and kowtowed repeatedly.
"We have no past grudge, no present feud! I don't know how I offended you, but please, great hero, have mercy! Spare this dog's life!"
Chu Qing advanced slowly, his sword in hand, voice calm.
"You're right—we have no past feud."
"…"
Even this ruthless killer among the Iron Horse Seven Bandits was struck speechless. No grievance yesterday, no enmity today—then where had this demon come from, cutting off his hand for no reason at all?
But none of that showed on his face. He merely kept bowing, knocking his head against the ground.
"If that's the case, then I understand! Great hero must be displeased with the wicked things I've done.
"I swear I'll change my ways—turn over a new leaf, abandon all evil—"
Mid-sentence, a glint flashed in his eyes.
His plea for mercy was a ruse. His true intent was to strike when Chu Qing lowered his guard.
Hidden in his sleeve was a poisoned dart mechanism. With a burst of inner energy, he could fire it at point-blank range—guaranteed to kill.
The dart's tip was coated in venom—instant death upon contact.
Now, the distance between them was perfect.
He suddenly lifted his head, grinning viciously, hand rising as he shouted, "Go to hell—"
But he only managed to utter half the word before a streak of silver light flashed.
The arm he had just raised went limp and dropped uselessly at his side.
Before he could even activate his mechanism, the meridians of his left arm had been severed clean by that single sword strike. He could no longer muster the slightest strength.
That twisted smile froze on his face. Before he could speak again, the sword flashed once more—
—and pierced straight through his chest.
"You…"
He barely got one word out before the blade slid free. The rest of his words died with him.
His body slumped sideways and hit the ground with a dull thud.
Chu Qing flicked the blood from his sword, retrieved his scabbard, and muttered quietly,
"In a case like this, how am I supposed to prove I killed him?"
He turned his gaze toward the riderless horse circling nearby. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
He drew his sword again and cleanly severed the bandit's head.
Then, tearing a strip of cloth from the corpse, he dipped it in blood and wrote a few words upon it:
[The Iron Horse Seven Bandits, murderers whose crimes fill the land—they deserve death. —Night Emperor]
"Night Emperor… doesn't that sound a little too melodramatic? Must be the original owner's influence."
Chu Qing rubbed his chin, but shrugged it off.
It was only a codename anyway. He might not even use it next time—so what did it matter?
As long as no one connected it to him, it was fine.
Back in the Mirror of Retribution, his code name had been "Sword Demon." Heaven only knew what possessed him to choose that.
Either way, the two names had nothing in common. Even if the Mirror of Retribution caught wind of this, they'd never link the two identities together.
He tied the severed head to the horse's saddle.
When the horse was later found wandering, someone would see the written message.
Word would spread quickly, and the teahouse keeper would understand what had happened.
As for why he didn't take the head back himself—
First, parading around with a severed head was cumbersome, and the stench of blood would only draw trouble.
Second… Chu Qing had never planned to collect payment from the teahouse keeper in the first place.
How much money could that man possibly offer?
The loot from these bandits was surely worth far more.
Besides, his true reward would come from the Assassin System's commission. Unless the system specifically instructed him to meet the client again, Chu Qing had no intention of seeking him out.
A teahouse keeper who knew no martial arts was safer the less he understood.
Delivering the message in this manner—letting him know his nephew's killers were dead—was more than enough.
After finishing the deed, Chu Qing began searching the headless corpse.
Moments later, he stood up, satisfied.
"It seems being a bandit pays better than being an assassin. This guy was pretty wealthy."
There wasn't much silver, just seven or eight taels, but there was also a small handful of gold leaves.
Only five or six pieces, yet each was heavy—altogether a decent fortune.
He paid particular attention to the man's left sleeve and dismantled a hidden sleeve crossbow from within.
The mechanism was crafted with precision—a small leather bracer fitted with a finely forged copper tube.
It could be strapped to the wrist and triggered by a pulse of internal energy—deadly and discreet.
Its only flaw: a single arrow.
Without hesitation, Chu Qing fastened it to his left wrist.
For an assassin, no tool was beneath use.
Something so unexpectedly useful deserved to be accepted with gratitude.
Next, he took out a fire starter and set alight the flammable items—banknotes and clothes alike. Soon, the headless body was engulfed in flames.
Once the fire rose high, Chu Qing patted the horse lightly on its flank.
A fine steed, even without its master, still knew the road. Beyond serving as a messenger to display the bloody warning, it could also help him find the remaining two targets.
With that thought, he opened the system's commission panel.
[Commission: Assassinate the Iron Horse Seven Bandits (Remaining: Two)]
Chu Qing frowned slightly.
"That doesn't seem right. Chu Fan's martial skill is no joke. The Iron Horse Seven Bandits may be infamous, but even six of them together couldn't match him alone.
"After chasing that bandit leader this long, he should've already finished him off.
"So why hasn't the man died yet?
"Could something have gone wrong?"
But after a moment's thought, Chu Qing shook his head.
Chu Fan possessed innate strength and had trained under Taiyi Sect—his abilities were extraordinary.
That cold-faced junior sister of his hadn't acted yet, but she didn't look ordinary either.
With the two of them working together, even if something unexpected happened, it shouldn't be serious.
Thinking so, Chu Qing quietly followed the horse's trail.
After about one incense stick of time, the terrain grew damp and sunken, a creek winding nearby. He could hear the sounds of battle echoing ahead.
Chu Qing raised a brow.
"They're still fighting?"
He pondered briefly, then quickened his pace.
Within moments, he reached a vantage point and climbed to higher ground.
Peering down, he saw shadows clashing below in fierce combat.
Chu Fan was there, along with the two remaining Iron Horse bandits—but there were also two unfamiliar women.
The bandits were of little concern, yet the two women made Chu Qing's brows rise slightly.
They looked young, but their martial prowess was exceptional.
The pair fought using a strange form of joint technique—their coordination uncanny and their combined strength immense.
Their method, however, was rather bizarre. One woman was tall, the other short. During combat, the taller one actually swung the shorter one by the arm like a spiked club, her movements fierce and powerful.
If Chu Fan had only been facing the two surviving bandits, he would have already finished them.
But now, not only had he failed to defeat them, he was being steadily forced backward under the strange assault of those two women.
(End of Chapter)