From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

"Get out of here!"

He endured the excruciating pain and swung his knife in a backhand motion, but Zhu Hong ducked to avoid it and then punched him in the abdomen.

The punch was even more powerful. Zhang Chengyou felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with a "whoosh." He staggered back several steps and knelt on one knee.

He looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Jiang Chengzhi...

What kind of evil spirit has that bastard Jiang Chengzhi provoked?!

The owner was right to scold me that day.

I should have shot him against the wall back then.

Try a different breed!

He felt indignant, and even more so, a pang of unspeakable regret. "You..." he gasped for breath, managing to speak with difficulty.

"Was it all intentional?"

His only thought was to play dumb to outsmart others.

I feel deeply ashamed.

"Just sharpening the knife."

Zhu Hong's gaze was as cold as a knife.

But these casual words stung Zhang Chengyou even more. His face flushed red with anger, then turned ashen, and his lips trembled twice: "You, you... you actually used me to sharpen a knife?!"

"Die."

Zhu Hong, unwilling to gossip further, twisted his waist and swung his fist.

Dive!

That was truly lightning fast.

There were about ten feet between them, but it seemed as if they could cross that distance in a single step.

"My life is over."

Zhang Chengyou felt a chill in his heart and struggled to stand up.

But the previous rapid attack had already exhausted his strength, and his bones felt like they were falling apart, so he couldn't muster any strength.

She could only watch helplessly as the boy approached, her eyes filled with terror.

At this critical moment:

"stop!"

A furious shout rang out.

Immediately afterwards, several figures rushed in from the mountain path in the southeast. The one in the lead was Jiang Chengzhi. Behind him were Jiang Heling, Zhao Biao, and several wiry, newly trained martial arts students.

They all rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.

pity:

That cry of "Stop!" came too late.

No.

It should be said that it is useless.

Then, a muffled "thud" was heard.

Red and white things splashed.

The head is missing.

Rolling a long way, Zhang Chengyou's body, now only an 8/10 in proportion, swayed twice before collapsing under the shocked and angry gazes of Jiang Chengzhi and the others.

"Instructor Zhang!"

Jiang Chengzhi rushed closer, his pupils suddenly contracting. "How...how is this possible?" He simply couldn't believe his eyes.

An ant trying to shake an elephant?

Is that right?

This is the head instructor of their Zhenyuan Martial Arts School.

Even I myself struggled to withstand a few moves.

now……

His head was smashed to pieces by Zhu Hong, who had been his equal not long ago.

"Impressive skills."

Jiang Heling, being a scion of a prominent family, was the first to recover. He coldly glared at Zhu Hong: "Didn't you hear what people were saying?"

"Human language?"

Zhu Hong's expression remained unchanged as he casually replied, "What kind of human language is this?"

"Zhu Hong!"

Zhao Biao turned his head, his face alternating between pale and flushed, as if a vat of paint had been overturned in a dye shop, his expression constantly changing. "You...do you know who was speaking to you just now?"

That statement sounded rather blustering.

His eyes, darting around erratically, completely betrayed him. They held horror, apprehension, and a hidden fear he desperately refused to acknowledge.

"Oh? Someone with a distinguished background?"

Zhu Hong responded casually, his gaze sweeping over the group before suddenly landing on Jiang Heling's waist.

There hangs a jade plaque there, its carvings faintly visible.

Fishing alone on the river.

He slightly curled the corners of his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "So it's the Jiang family, a powerful clan." He drew out his words, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Heling's face.

Jiang Heling thought Zhu Hong would back down after learning the truth, and was about to start showing off when Zhu Hong slowly added:

What are you doing here?

What business is it of yours now?

Jiang Heling's face stiffened, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This is unprecedented.

This was the first time I had ever encountered a commoner who dared to speak of the Jiang family in such a disdainful tone in Jinyang.

"Zhu Hong, how dare you!"

Jiang Chengzhi instinctively tried to interrupt, "You..." but before he could finish speaking, Zhu Honghan's cold eyes glared at him.

Just a light, fleeting glance.

As if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head in the twelfth lunar month, Jiang Chengzhi felt a chill run up his spine. The words that were on the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throat, and his Adam's apple bobbed several times, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Her face went from white to red, then red to white again.

This……

This is the villain who killed the instructor!

Jiang Chengzhi swallowed hard, reorganizing his words, his voice involuntarily lowering by three digits: "Do you know," he pointed at Jiang Heling, trying to embolden himself with this:

"My cousin Jiang Heling is a distinguished member of the Jiang family."

After a few flattering words, Jiang Heling immediately beamed with joy, his body felt light as a feather, his chin held high, his nostrils almost pointing to the sky as he looked at people with such smugness that he practically had his tail held high in the air.

Junjie.

Although he was still a bit lacking within the clan.

But in the eyes of others, it is no exaggeration to say that he is a hero.

Not an exaggeration...

"Haha! Junjie?" Zhu Hong ignored him, only glancing at Jiang Heling, and sneered:

"The person you, Jiang Chengzhi, invited."

Thinking about it...

He only achieved so-so success within the Jiang family.

Jiang Heling's expression changed instantly.

These words struck at his deepest pain. He could say such a thing, but he would never allow others to discuss it at will.

"What did you say?"

Jiang Heling's face turned ashen upon hearing his dismissive words. "So you think killing Zhang Chengyou makes you so great?!" His robes billowed without wind, and his bones crackled. "He's nothing but a mediocre hand who's been stuck at the minor level for years, never even touching the threshold of mastery!"

"I……"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Hong began to speak on his own:

"Looks like I was right."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Heling's face, then over Zhao Biao, Jiang Chengzhi, and the other newcomers to martial arts with their various expressions, and suddenly smiled.

"If that's the case—"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly kicked off the ground, declaring, "I'll die first as a sign of respect!" He unleashed his martial arts skills without holding back.

A strong wind was blowing.

This sudden change caught everyone off guard.

且：

Listen to the tiger's roar.

The group's expressions changed drastically, and they exclaimed in unison, "Martial arts!"

They rushed over and found Zhang Chengyou lying dead on the ground, his head shattered. They assumed Zhu Hong had used some underhanded trick or launched a sneak attack. But now, seeing the force of the punch, they realized they were sorely mistaken. The tiger-like wind of the punch, the fierce and domineering power, was clearly a genuine entry-level martial arts technique.

"He... he actually possesses martial arts skills!"

Zhao Biao's face turned ashen, and he subconsciously took a half step back. Jiang Chengzhi was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly, hiding behind the crowd before daring to peek out.

"Martial arts..."

Only Jiang Heling's eyes flashed with surprise, followed by a strange glint. His heart pounded, and a thought flashed through his mind like lightning:

"If we could take it..."

"With the Jiang family's next clan election, why should we worry about them not being able to take the lead of the direct line?"

Although the Jiang family was a powerful clan with countless martial arts manuals, those "hot commodities" were reserved for the direct descendants. Jiang Heling, however, was merely from a collateral branch and was not valued within the clan, unable to even get close to mastering any advanced martial arts techniques.

But right now:

This young man is a gift from heaven!

"He must be killed."

That kid is just a minor martial arts student, while I am already a master. This opportunity should fall into my hands.

Without further hesitation, Jiang Heling crossed his palms and lunged forward.

"Cloud-Shattering Palm!"