"Huh?" Qian Jin's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping over the warriors who, moments before drunk, were now suddenly full of vigor, each man turning his head aside! A short-range crossbow bolt shot out from a warrior's sleeve, whistling past him so closely it nearly grazed his silk attire!

The surprise attack by sword and arrow both failing, the three warriors paused, stunned. None could believe that their carefully laid trap had been evaded by a mere academy warrior cadet, and moreover, the opponent's Dueling Might seemed formidable—as if reaching the **-level!

Why? Do they want to kill me? A flurry of confused thoughts flashed through Qian Jin's mind, but his body didn't slow for an instant. He stamped his left foot down hard, the sole of his shoe scraping against the ground with a sharp 'jiu' sound, like the dying shriek of a trapped mouse. Using the immense reactionary force, his entire body surged forward directly into the path of the oncoming blade!

This kid isn't afraid to die? The eyebrows of the third warrior shot high in sheer surprise. When truly facing mortal danger, everyone possesses an instinctual recoil, a moment of fear. Even those with the superior mental fortitude of warrior academy cadets, having never truly experienced life and death, often falter at the critical moment. A Level Six Warrior might perform worse in a genuine duel than a Level Four Warrior who has already killed.

A fierce, cruel grin split the third warrior’s lips. Then die! He suddenly exerted extra force on his gripping right arm! Level Seven Dueling Might, trailing the blade, almost stirred a tiny draft of wind. He was a warrior who had truly killed before! Even if you are a Level Eight or Nine Warrior, you tender sprout…

Qian Jin saw the third warrior instantly pull his blade for a strike after his initial surprise. He took two quick steps, his body swaying gently side-to-side like a willow catkin, making it impossible to predict his dodge.

What strange combat technique is this? It looks hideous! The third warrior couldn't gauge Qian Jin’s lateral position, and a flicker of hesitation crossed his mind. The downward chop of his saber immediately lost considerable speed. Suddenly, he met Qian Jin’s eyes, and his body involuntarily shuddered!

A sea of blood! Killing intent! Killing intent so dense it was almost tangible! The third warrior's entire body abruptly froze in that instant, the instinct between life and death screaming at him to retreat.

He had seen that look once before—in the eyes of Kuraku, the leader of the Raging Thieves Gang. Facing the regular army, Kuraku’s eyes held no fear, only the exhilaration of slaughter.

In that battle, the third warrior participated as a mercenary for the True Counsel Dynasty, escaping only by feigning death. But Kuraku’s savage eyes had haunted his nightmares for years. The moment he locked eyes with Qian Jin, he had a delusion—these were the fierce eyes of Kuraku!

In the split second between life and death, the difference is night and day. Qian Jin reached out, fingers spread wide, and clamped down abruptly on the third warrior’s wrist. The immense strength trained over many days, coupled with his Level Nine Dueling Might, erupted simultaneously!

Kacha-kacha… The third warrior’s wrist bone was crushed instantly. The excruciating pain forced a wretched scream from him, rendering him unable to hold onto his battle saber.

Qian Jin snatched the saber with his left hand, flowing seamlessly into a reverse upward slash! His target was the first warrior who had struck—the one among the trio possessing the strongest Dueling Might, a Level Seven Warrior!

A swift, vicious backhand cut arrived like lightning. The warrior who had initiated the ambush had no time to channel his full strength for defense. He hastily raised his saber to his lower abdomen, attempting to parry the blow first…

Clang! The instant the two sabers collided, the warrior felt an overwhelming force transmit through the blade, striking directly at his arm and wrist. It felt as if a savage, brute-force magical beast was violently yanking his arm upwards and backward, leaving his chest wide open.

Qian Jin planted his feet, twisting his waist to drive power through his back as he wrenched the blade upward with full force! The saber did not pause, plunging straight into the opponent’s body, then continuing its upward trajectory, slicing—directly splitting the man’s upper torso in two. Blood jetted high into the dark night like an artesian well.

On the battlefield, it is either you die or I die! Qian Jin’s experiences in the West Mountains had made this reality abundantly clear. Thousands of practice swings had forged in him a calm and decisive ruthlessness absent in warriors his own age.

This…? The sleeve-arrow warrior stared, eyes wide, watching his companion fall dead. A wave of cold sweat instantly broke out across his body. He had never witnessed such brutality in killing; the method could almost be described as savage! And the person employing such tactics was, according to the intelligence gathered, merely a warrior cadet from the academy.

One blade, one kill! Qian Jin paid no heed to the spectacle created by his violent kill. He slightly bent his right knee and ground his heel onto the ground! His body exploded forward like a tiger breaking from its cage, arriving before the sleeve-arrow warrior.

"Aaaahhhhh…"

Seeing Qian Jin’s eyes filled with the lust for slaughter, the sleeve-arrow warrior’s spirit shook violently. He opened his mouth to voice his shock, but his left arm, where the second sleeve arrow was concealed, had only risen halfway when Qian Jin’s raised saber flashed down like lightning from the sky. The bright blade severed the warrior’s raised arm, and the battle saber continued its trajectory, splitting him from head to groin, cleaving him cleanly in two.

On the battlefield, only dead demons are truly safe! Qian Jin had internalized this adage from his days in the West Mountains, refining it to: only dead enemies are truly safe!

Two blades, two kills. Qian Jin twisted his waist in coordination with the rotation of his ankles and thighs, spun around, and delivered two swift slashes at the enemy who was still screaming while clutching his mangled wrist! He cleanly severed the arm connecting to the shoulder. Watching the man writhe and scream in agony on the ground, he asked coldly, "Who sent you to kill me? I don't recall offending anyone here, do I?"

"Aaaahhhhh…"

The warrior whose arms had been severed merely rolled and screamed, his eyes flashing with hatred and terror toward Qian Jin, but he uttered no more words, only his eyeballs darted around constantly.

"Are you waiting for the Xuncheng City Guard?" Qian Jin smiled faintly. Fighting and brawling within the city limits was strictly forbidden. Killing, regardless of justification, brought immense trouble. The laws of the True Counsel Dynasty were not mere decorations. If this man were to suddenly reverse his story or claim this was a drunken brawl, his charge of murder might still stick.

Even if he could escape the charge of murder, the charge of excessive self-defense would be unavoidable. Qian Jin had recorded numerous cases from the Qian Family's legal volumes concerning the True Counsel Dynasty—such matters typically resulted in at least twenty years of conscripted service on the Human-Demon Battlefield.

Twenty years? Even a Demon Slaying Warrior couldn't guarantee survival for twenty years on that battlefield.

:Woke up this morning, went out to eat, and have returned. Please send recommendation votes and member clicks. Bows deeply. F