novelraw Chapter 147: Killed Too Early
Chapter 147: Killed Too Early
While harvesting Experience Value, Su Wangchuan had been waiting for the Five Poison Sect’s Snake Elder to show himself.
But after waiting for quite some time, although the number of snakes kept increasing, the Snake Elder never appeared. A trace of doubt arose in his mind.
Everyone knew that committing crimes within the city required swift action.
No matter how powerful a force might be, it would not dare blatantly provoke the authorities.
Once the officials intervened, the Five Poison Sect would not be able to accomplish its objective.
As time passed, Su Wangchuan gradually began to question whether it was truly the Snake Elder who had acted.
At that moment, Captain Zhao Heiniu had already noticed something unusual at the interrogation chamber…
Many of the venomous snakes were slithering in that direction.
Su Wangchuan immediately understood.
Xu Zhen!The snake swarm had been orchestrated by Xu Zhen.
He could not escape during the day, so from the very beginning he must have prepared to break out at night and, in the process, take revenge by destroying the hall.
Although this was only Su Wangchuan’s conjecture, it did not stop him from strengthening surveillance of the interrogation chamber.
The instant he saw someone emerge from the chamber and step into the moonlight…
The moment he recognized the man surrounded by countless venomous snakes as Xu Zhen, he did not hesitate to send an Armor-Piercing Arrow his way!
He gave the man no chance to make a move!
The arrow pierced through chest and back!
Then he immediately followed with a second shot!
The moment Xu Zhen died, the snake swarm inside and outside the hall seemed to lose its backbone, its sense of direction. It grew confused…
Under the irritation of the realgar powder scattered within the hall, many snakes instinctively began searching for an exit, wandering aimlessly.
On the dock plaza outside, the snakes collectively began to turn back.
Su Wangchuan’s heart sank.
He had killed him too early.
With Xu Zhen dead, the snakes were retreating.
And all of them were precious Experience Value.
He hastily increased the speed of his draw, prioritizing the snakes on the dock plaza.
TWANG! TWANG! TWANG!
Fortunately, 《Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar》 required only a little more Experience Value. Before long, he heard the system notification:
“Ding!”
“《Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar》 has advanced from ‘Entry-Level Mastery’ to ‘Integration.’ Reward: +4 Strength.”
Excellent!
Su Wangchuan had drawn the bow so many times that both arms were numb and aching. Now he felt a powerful warm current surge through his body, and his arms became much more comfortable.
Without hesitation, he tossed the Iron-Reinforced Bow to Chen Ergou and grabbed a Hundredfold Steel longsword.
“The Five Poison Sect’s man is dead!”
“Hold the rooftops. I will go down and take a look.”
Step!
He ran down the wall and landed on the hall’s ground.
A venomous snake nearby, startled, instantly reared up. Its triangular head opened wide, fangs bared as it lunged for his calf.
Flash!
A streak of sword light.
The snake’s head separated from its body.
After landing, Su Wangchuan scanned his surroundings. Many snakes raised their heads from among the corpses and began slithering toward him in unison.
Their ferocity was astonishing.
Swift Sword Art!
One step, one strike—fast and fierce.
Five snakes were decapitated before they could even approach.
The Hundredfold Steel longsword gleamed coldly.
“Hall Master, behind you!”
Someone on the rooftop shouted a warning.
Su Wangchuan’s ear twitched slightly. He turned and slashed—
A cobra was split cleanly in two and fell limply, its body twitching.
On the rooftop, Wang Yuehui let out a breath of relief.
He truly admired Su Wangchuan.
All night long, the hall master had drawn the bow with both hands, killing more snakes than anyone else, as if he possessed inexhaustible stamina.
And now, he dared leap directly into a hall covered with writhing snakes and corpses, strolling through what looked like a living hell and cutting down venomous snakes with calm composure.
This was not something an ordinary person could do.
Just looking from afar at the mass of writhing snakes was enough to make one’s skin crawl and scalp tingle. Who could still wield a blade with ease under such conditions?
The position of hall master was not one for ordinary men.
Under the watchful eyes of Wang Yuehui and the others, Su Wangchuan continued cutting down snakes, seemingly without fear…
They did not know that Su Wangchuan’s own scalp felt numb as well.
But once Iron Shirt was activated, the fear in his heart seemed to lessen. The numbness in his scalp faded, and even goosebumps could not rise.
He fought his way to the entrance of the main hall, then turned back, clearing the stray snakes in each courtyard.
Suddenly—
As he stepped over a threshold, a five-ring snake coiled in the corner’s shadow shot up like lightning, its exaggerated mouth clamping onto his calf.
Venom seeped down his trouser leg.
Su Wangchuan glanced down. Sword flash—he severed the snake and checked the bite.
His calf felt no pain at all.
“The tailor did good work.”
A smile touched his lips.
The inner lining of his clothes, sewn with beast hide, had not been pierced by the snake’s fangs.
With that reassurance, Su Wangchuan became even more unrestrained.
He accelerated his pace, clearing the venomous snakes throughout the courtyards.
The Experience Value for 《Swift Sword Art》 rose rapidly.
“Ding!”
“《Swift Sword Art》 has advanced from ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ to ‘Entry-Level Mastery.’ Reward: +3 Agility.”
His sword speed grew faster, sharper, more lethal.
He summoned the Status Panel and glanced at it:
Su Wangchuan: Male (Hunger 77/100)
(Life Profession: Blacksmith)
(Combat Profession: First-Rank Martial Artist)
Strength: 31; Attack: 10–11;
Agility: 37; Defense: 7.4; Speed +37;
Stamina: 25; Health: 250/250;
Spirit: 9 (Inactive).
Free Attribute Points: 3 (Unassigned)
Combat Skill 《Archery》: Integration; next realm ‘Perfect Mastery’ 198/5000;
First-Rank Martial Art 《Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar》: Integration; next realm ‘Perfect Mastery’ 11/5000;
Second-Rank Martial Art 《Swift Sword Art》: Entry-Level Mastery; next realm ‘Integration’ 1/2000;
(Other martial arts folded)
He quickly scanned the detailed attributes of Swift Sword Art:
Swift Sword Art: Entry-Level Mastery
Charge-up: +7 Speed, +15 Attack. Delivers rapid strikes; hitting wrists, joints, and other vital areas may cripple, dealing double attack +30 damage; strikes to head, heart, throat, and organs deal triple piercing damage +45 Attack.
Next realm: Integration
Charge-up: +9 Speed, +20 Attack. Delivers lightning-fast strikes; hitting wrists, joints, and other vital areas may cripple, dealing double attack +40 damage; strikes to head, heart, throat, and organs deal triple piercing damage +60 Attack.
Swift Sword Art had finally grown vicious—reaching the realm Zhao Changhong once held.
But Su Wangchuan felt his speed could be even greater.
His Agility had already reached 37, nearing the agility and speed of a Second-Rank Martial Artist.
Each strike was becoming increasingly nimble.
“There are still some snakes left in the hall.”
“To push 《Swift Sword Art》 to Integration would require killing two thousand snakes. That is no longer feasible… Better switch to another Second-Rank martial art and use this opportunity to break into Entry-Level Mastery!”
He quickly made his decision—to cultivate 《Crocodile-Mouth Saber Art》, using this chance to push his Agility to 40 and further enhance his speed advantage.
“Ergou!”
“The saber.”
Chen Ergou responded by tossing down a Hundredfold Steel saber.
Su Wangchuan caught it one-handed, the blade’s tip striking the ground lightly. His gaze was firm as he strode toward the infirmary.
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