The footsteps sounded 'da da', causing the grass and trees on both sides to sway continuously as he ran past them.

In a trance, Lou Yi seemed to see a magnificent horse charging towards him, about to smash him to pieces!

"Old Ma's Heavenly Horse Leg is becoming more and more perfected," Chief Luan couldn't help but praise.

Just as he finished speaking, Chief Ma had already run up close to Lou Yi and raised his fist.

The surface of the fist was conspicuously red, glowing brightly, as if all the blood had pooled there, aiming fiercely at Lou Yi's head!

Lou Yi could even feel the heat emitting from it.

'So this is a martial artist, indeed extraordinary.'

A trace of apprehension arose in his heart, but it was wiped out in an instant.

At this point, the only thing to do is to fight!

Lou Yi's mind settled, his eyes fixed intently on Chief Ma's fist as he made his move.

His legs stomped on the ground, his waist and abdomen twisted, channeling all his strength into his right fist.

'Crackle!'

Perhaps it was due to his previously enhanced physique.

Lou Yi could even hear the sound of his muscles and bones resonating, exploding like firecrackers.

In the next moment.

His fist aimed directly at Chief Ma's fist, looking to decide a winner immediately.

"Overestimating yourself!"

Chief Ma sneered.

'My strength is no match for a true martial artist. But by leveraging the opponent's power, I might be able to slip into the forest on the right and widen the distance.'

Lou Yi's eyes shone brightly; he had long planned his retreat.

Facing him head-on, he would be blown away.

But as he would be blown away, as long as he controlled the direction, it could aid his escape.

In the next moment.

The two fists collided.

'Bang!'

In the incredulous eyes of everyone, Chief Ma's straight arm instantly twisted into a pretzel.

"Ah!"

A scream followed.

'So weak?'

Lou Yi was momentarily stunned; this was not how he had envisioned the scene.

But the opportunity cannot be lost!

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Lou Yi's eyes as he transformed his fist into a knife, slashing hard at Chief Ma's throat!

'Crack!'

Chief Ma's eyes turned white as he fell backward.

The mutant rat that had been perched on his shoulder showed visibly human-like resentment in its eyes, leaping towards Lou Yi with its mouth open, wanting to bite him.

'Snap!'

The mutant rat was brutally caught in Lou Yi's hand, and the Short Pole Halberd was also grabbed by him.

He then moved swiftly backward, retreating like a phantom into the dense forest.

"Chief Ma!"

"Chase!"

Finally, furious voices erupted from behind.

But when the officers looked at Chief Ma's fate, each wore a look of shock, their movements a bit frozen.

In a certain area of the forest, Lou Yi looked at the palmful of red flesh in his hand, pondering silently.

The Attribute Panel showed he had gained another point of energy.

Such a small mouse could also increase energy?

However, although small, judging from its appearance, it didn't seem like an ordinary mouse, rather something like a spirit.

Thinking of the giant insect he had killed before, a hypothesis emerged in Lou Yi's mind.

Obviously, now wasn't the time for research.

Killing a constable meant that the government's capture would certainly intensify; he had to find a way to survive!

Moreover, with Chief Ma dead, he needed to find an opportunity to collect the energy from him.

Elsewhere, the news of Chief Ma's death quickly spread among the officials, shocking everyone.

"Wasn't Chief Ma a martial artist? And he got killed?"

"I heard he relied on supplements to boost his strength, one of the weakest kind, not at all comparable to disciples of the major Martial Arts Halls…"

"But he was still a martial artist. Can an ant kill an elephant? This Lou Yi, could he also be a martial artist!"

Lou Yi's strength was instantly magnified in everyone's eyes.

Especially after two more reckless officers were killed, everyone was on edge, fearing they'd end up like those companions if they pressed him too hard.

Thus, the capture operation at Black Tiger Mountain bizarrely stalled, with little progress made.

Lou Yi's reputation spread not only in Xinxiang but gained considerable fame in nearby villages like Dafeng Town, Yong'an Village, and Longkou Town.

Some inquisitive individuals even came near Black Tiger Mountain to observe the capture operation and relay live updates back to the village.

Over time, more and more people gathered to watch.

The reason was that the numerous officers at Black Tiger Mountain disrupted the forest's ecosystem, causing a lot of mice, rabbits, and pheasants to flee, which turned out to be a boon for the onlookers.

In these times, eating meat was a luxury not everyone had the hunting skills of a hunter.

The villagers gathered beside the forest, not only able to 'eat melons,' could also wait for beasts and birds escaping from the mountain, achieving twofold benefits.

"If we don't catch this criminal, how can we demonstrate the authority of the court?" Inspector Cao found himself unable to sit still in the Government Office at Xinxiang, preparing to go to Black Tiger Mountain personally.

"Why not burn the forest to force him out?" suggested a subordinate.

"Absolutely not!" An elder in the office strongly advised against it, "The mountain has a Mountain God, burning it will surely invite divine retribution. Anyone who has done so in the past met with miserable ends, remember the beast tide back then!"

"No need to burn the mountains, I have my method." Inspector Cao looked into the distance, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

...

Black Tiger Mountain.

'Poof!'

With the sound of a blade piercing flesh.

A headless male corpse in grey archer uniform lay prone in front of a large tree, blood staining the ground red.

Rapid footsteps soon sounded, followed by some hissing and cursing voices.

"This guy is simply uncatchable!"

"How long is this going to last? I can't take it anymore!"

Lou Yi's gaze was cold, silently hiding in knee-high grass, like a calm yet ruthless wolf.

He looked at the transparent Attribute Panel before him; his energy had reached seventeen points, just three short of advancing in the Dragon-piercing Technique.

Among them, Chief Ma had provided him with two energy points.

Almost there, almost out of the forest.

Thinking of this, Lou Yi suddenly frowned.

With keen hearing beyond normal, he seemed to hear some familiar voices.

As the voices became clearer, Lou Yi's expression turned grim.

"A-Yi, where are you?"

"Little Yi, come out quickly, turn back!"

"Lou Yi, save us!"

At this moment, a group of people dressed distinctly from the officers stumbled up Black Tiger Mountain.

Among them were men and women, old and young.

The elderly had white hair, and the young were less than four feet tall, all dust-covered, their clothes disheveled, faces full of fatigue.

There was Mother Chang, Aunt Gu, Uncle Geng, Sister Gao...

Every familiar silhouette he saw, Lou Yi's heart sank further.

Especially after seeing a mother and son, his heart was utterly heavy!

Behind them, Inspector Cao from Xinxiang led a group of archers, armed with simple knives and bows, herding them like sheep.

The archers from other villages watched in stunned silence, shocked by Inspector Cao's actions.

"That guy always prides himself on his fairness and honesty, but who would have thought he had such a dark heart! Herding villagers like this, I could never do it." Chief Luan shook his head, sighing.

"Isn't he afraid of being impeached?" someone beside him wondered.

"If he gains Heavy Sword Sect's friendship, he might have a chance to advance further, impeachment is nothing." someone sneered.

...

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