Practicing is easy when one has infinite skill points.

---

"Sh*t, can't they keep it down while doing their business?" 

Muttering to himself, Xing San walked towards the latrine in the corner. He didn't even bother stepping inside—he just loosened his belt by the wall and began relieving himself. 

**Swish!** 

Xing San suddenly felt a searing heat in his chest. Instinctively, he looked down, only to see the gleaming tip of an arrow protruding from his body. 

A wave of excruciating pain engulfed him. His face twisted in terror as he opened his mouth to cry out, but the life draining from his body robbed him of the chance. With a heavy **thud**, he collapsed, never to move again. 

In the shadows, Zhong Lin leapt down from the wall, his expression cold and emotionless. He walked over to Xing San's lifeless body, pressed his fingers against his nose, then yanked the arrow out. Blood spurted from the wound like a crimson snowfall. 

Without lingering, he carefully moved toward the main house. 

Even before he reached the doorway, he could hear the heavy breathing of a man and woman coming from the bedroom. Being no stranger to such sounds, Zhong Lin immediately understood what was happening inside. He let out a quiet breath of relief. 

Stepping into the house, he was met with the lingering scents of alcohol and roasted meat. 

Zhong Lin casually pulled out a chair and sat down, his eyes fixed on the bedroom door. 

From the moment Qin Yong and Xing San had robbed him earlier that evening, he had already decided—they had to die. After finishing dinner, he had waited for the cover of night to make his move. 

Less than half a cup of tea's time later, a woman's irritated voice echoed from the room, followed by Qin Yong grumbling, "I'm too tired today." 

The bedroom door creaked open. 

The moment Qin Yong stepped out, his eyes immediately locked onto Zhong Lin. He froze. Then, his face twisted in alarm. 

**Swish!** 

Zhong Lin drew his bow and released an arrow in one fluid motion. 

With a sharp **whizz**, the arrow pierced straight through Qin Yong's eye socket, burrowing deep into his skull. 

Qin Yong didn't even have time to grunt before he crumpled to the ground. 

**"Ah—!"** 

A terrified scream erupted, only to be cut short as a cold blade pressed against the woman's throat. 

"Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!" 

The woman—whom they called "Big Sister-in-law"—was trembling uncontrollably. The icy blade at her neck sent goosebumps rippling across her fair skin. 

Having just climbed out of bed, she hadn't even had time to put on an outer robe. Dressed only in a pink chest wrap, her trembling caused it to slip slightly, revealing a patch of snow-white skin. 

"Shhh… Keep your voice down." Zhong Lin's voice was as cold as the blade. "I don't usually kill women, but if you wake the neighbors, I won't have a choice. Right, Big Sister-in-law?" 

She nodded frantically. 

"I won't scream! I won't scream! Please, spare me, great warrior! I know nothing! Qin Yong kidnapped me—I was forced to serve him night after night! If anything, I wished him dead myself!" 

Her voice trembled like an arrow still quivering after embedding itself in a tree trunk. 

"Oh? In that case, Qin Yong deserved to die even more. Big Sister-in-law, you've lived here for a while—you must know where he kept his silver, right? Don't tell me you don't." 

"I do! I do! I'll get it for you right away!" 

Suppressing her fear, she turned and hurried back into the bedroom, rummaging through cabinets and drawers. Zhong Lin followed closely behind, never letting her out of his sight. 

Moments later, she pulled out a heavy money pouch from a camphor wood chest. Judging by the weight and the clinking sound of silver inside, it was far more than the dozen or so taels he had been robbed of earlier. 

"This is all of it?" 

"Yes, yes! This is everything! I swear I didn't hide anything! Qin Yong had a bunch of drinking buddies who were always wasting money—this was all I managed to stash away in secret." 

Zhong Lin nodded, then suddenly smirked. His left hand reached out and yanked down her half-loosened chest wrap, grabbing hold of her exposed flesh. 

The woman stiffened for a moment, but then her heart eased. 

She wasn't afraid of a lustful man. She was only afraid of a man with a heart of stone. 

"Big Sister-in-law, don't you think it's a bit unfair? A whole night's work, and this is all I get?" Zhong Lin squeezed tighter, his tone carrying a hidden meaning. 

She arched her back slightly, adjusting her position so that his grip was more comfortable. A flirtatious smile graced her lips. 

"Of course not. You killed that bastard Qin Yong—I owe you my life. I'd do anything to repay you, my savior. The night is still young… Just be gentle, alright?" 

"Good. Now, get on the table. Stick your ass up higher." 

She complied without hesitation. Thinking it was just his particular taste, she not only bent over but also lifted her skirt up to her waist. 

**Shhhh—** 

With a swift motion, the razor-sharp hunting knife slit her throat. 

Blood gushed out in torrents. Within seconds, she lay lifeless atop the table. 

Zhong Lin's expression remained as cold as ever. 

Retrieving the arrow from Qin Yong's skull, he wiped the blood from his blade and arrowhead with a tattered cloth before flipping over the courtyard wall and vanishing into the night. 

---

As he moved through the darkness, he constantly changed directions to avoid being tracked. 

Setting fire to a house within the city would be too risky, so the best he could do was make his trail harder to follow. 

Suddenly, a raindrop splashed onto his face. Zhong Lin halted and looked up at the sky. 

Then, the rain began pouring down in earnest. 

"Rain... Perfect."

A satisfied smile crept onto his lips. 

No more need for detours—he sprinted straight home. 

The rain would wash away any trace of his presence. 

Back at his house, he didn't knock—he vaulted over the wall instead. Knocking might wake the neighbors. 

The room was dark, but as soon as he opened the door, he was surprised to find a small figure sitting at the corner of the bed. 

"Second Brother." 

The voice was filled with joy—the relief that came after hours of worry. 

"You're still awake?" 

"I was waiting for you." 

Little Shi hopped off the bed and took Zhong Lin's bow and quiver, skillfully hanging them on the wall behind the door. 

"Did you take care of it, Second Brother?" 

"It's done. Everything went smoothly. Tomorrow, we'll go to Master Liu's school to learn how to read and write. Excited?" 

"Yes!" 

Little Shi nodded vigorously. 

"Haha! Let's see how excited you are after a few days of studying. Now, go to sleep!" 

"Mm!" 

Not long after, the little one was sound asleep. 

Zhong Lin finally took out the money pouch and emptied its contents onto the table. 

"Forty-eight taels of silver. Aside from my own eighteen taels, I gained another thirty... Three lives for thirty taels. This world is truly cruel."

There was no regret in his heart. 

Ever since the day his family had been wiped out, he understood—if he wanted to survive in this brutal world, he had to be even fiercer than the wicked. 

Otherwise, one day, he'd be the one left with nothing.