Demon hunter's Cooking Manual

Chen Tong had seen an ice hockey mask.

Two years ago, when he and his elder brother traveled north, they saw some foreigners playing on the frozen surface of a lake in the Imperial City, wearing thick protective gear and masks like this.

To this day, Chen Tong couldn't understand the point of a group of people chasing after an iron disc.

On the other hand, the curved courtyards of the Imperial City were quite enjoyable.

You could listen, and you could play, especially the private rooms on the second floor.

The events that took place on the second floor at that time flashed through his mind, and Chen Tong's gaze focused again on the ice hockey mask.

He opened his mouth wide, ready to shout.

But Jason was faster.

The hand gripping his cheek applied force.

Crack.

Chen Tong's neck emitted a sharp snap, breaking cleanly, and his body limply slid to the ground.

Everything occurred in the blink of an eye.

By the time Peng Liang came to his senses, Chen Tong was already dead.

And more importantly, Jason was right in front of him.

Peng Liang didn't hesitate, raising his hand to deliver a punch.

Short and stout, Peng Liang lashed out with a punch, keeping his body steady as he prepared to follow up with a kick after Jason dodged or blocked.

Not just a kick.

Not a stomp either.

It was a step.

A step on the ankle.

A step on the toes.

This was a killing move from the boxing style that Peng Liang had learned, an underhanded trick, one he would never use unless it was crucial.

After all, a special move is special precisely because it's used sparingly, and others know little about it.

The more it's known.

The less special it becomes.

Laying this move on the line, Peng Liang harbored the clear intention to kill Jason.

Chen Tong was dead.

If he couldn't provide the Chen family with an explanation, he wouldn't survive.

Because the Chen family didn't just consist of Chen Tong.

There were also his elder brothers Chen Yin and Chen Jin.

Compared to Chen Tong, those two were the true pillars of the Chen family.

Especially the ruthless methods of Chen Jin, which made Peng Liang's scalp tingle.

So, if he wanted to live, Jason had to fall.

With that resolve in mind, Peng Liang's punches grew faster.

Swoosh!

Strong and heavy.

In an instant, the punch landed squarely on Jason's chest. But to Peng Liang's surprise, Jason neither dodged nor blocked.

Peng Liang froze for a moment.

But he didn't overthink it, following up with another punch.

His fists had been honed with painstaking effort and secret teachings.

Training through the coldest winter days and hottest summer weeks, applying medicinal water diligently, day in and day out.

For a full five years.

One punch could shatter three slabs of green brick.

The average person struck by his punch would suffer broken bones and torn muscles; if hit in a vital spot, they'd meet their demise.

It was thanks to these iron fists that he had managed to establish himself on Martial Arts Street, with a large entourage of disciples paying their respects.

Now, it was the time for these iron fists to prove their value once more.

Peng Liang's eyes widened.

He had already imagined Jason writhing in agony on the ground.

But—

Bam!

Crack!

A muffled sound rang out, along with the crunching of bones breaking. But it wasn't Jason's ribs that broke—it was Peng Liang's fist.

"Horizontal Training!"

Peng Liang stared in shock at the towering, burly figure before him, clad in the mask, instinctually preparing to flee.

Horizontal Training itself wasn't terrifying.

What was terrifying were those who mastered it.

Each one was a Qi-Blood flourisher in the truest sense.

Not someone like him, unable to reach the level of "Bone Tempering," could possibly contend with.

A moment ago, Peng Liang had been ruthless and aggressive.

This moment, his courage evaporated.

Without any hesitation, Peng Liang was about to scream for help, knowing clearly that only by summoning the Chen family could he hope to escape.

However, just as Peng Liang opened his mouth, Jason delivered a punch.

Swoosh!

The forceful wind of the strike instantly smothered Peng Liang's attempt to cry out.

As his breathing became disordered, Peng Liang tried to take a step back to shout again, but a sharp pain hit his abdomen. Looking down, he realized, to his shock, that at some unknown moment, a blade had pierced his lower abdomen.

With pain surging, his strength drained away.

He couldn't manage to take a single step back before Jason grabbed him by the throat, squeezing with force.

Crack.

Peng Liang followed Chen Tong's path to death.

Jason reached out to grab a nearby tablecloth, wiping the blood off his short-handled broad blade cleaver, then bent over to search the bodies of Chen Tong and Peng Liang.

This was a habit cultivated in Nightless City.

On Chen Tong, aside from a jade thumb ring, there was nothing of note.

From Peng Liang, however, Jason discovered a torn page sewn into the lining of his jacket.

[Special inheritance item "Iron Fist Vigor" detected, assessing...]

[Barehanded Combat skill at Master level confirmed, assessment successful!]

[Consume 30 points of satiety to add this to additional options? Yes/No]

...

"Additional options?"

Jason paused.

He was familiar with additional options—both [Grappling Mastery] and [Apprehension Master] had been extra options he acquired before. He had planned and strategized around them, but the results had been limited by time.

This unexpected benefit was something he hadn't anticipated.

"An inheritance item, huh?"

It didn't take long for Jason to understand the reason.

The page was written on aged calfskin, clearly created long ago by the developer of the boxing technique. It detailed the training methods for "Iron Fist Vigor," beginning with the fundamentals of "Muscles," progressing to "Bone Tempering," and "Skin Training," though the section on techniques was incomplete.

This didn't concern Jason at all.

To him, technique paled in comparison to the importance of "Vigor."

Stashing the "Iron Fist Vigor" page away.

Jason proceeded to search the room, quickly discovering a chest of gold near the headboard hidden within a concealed compartment.

It wasn't ingots of gold but gold leaves.

No insignias marked them.

Clearly something Chen Tong had prepared for a rainy day.

Without hesitation, Jason pulled down the nearby curtain, wrapped the gold leaves within, and stuffed them into his cloak.