Chapter 7: First Time Successfully Changing Destiny Against the Heavens!

"Heh... heh..."

Han the Eighth parted his lips, spitting up a mouthful of crimson blood, and slowly lowered his head. He stared at the sharp blade still trembling deep within his chest, his expression blank for a fleeting moment before a sudden, sharp realization struck him.

—From the very beginning, Li Chang'an never had any intention of letting him live!

All that endless chatter just moments ago had been nothing more than a ruse to prepare for this sudden, treacherous strike.

Alas, his realization came far too late.

Had it only been an injury to his eyes, Han the Eighth might still have relied on his battle instincts to put up some resistance.

But now, Li Chang'an's blade had slipped through the gaps in his bones at a devilishly precise angle, piercing his very heart. In a mere matter of moments, he could feel the strength draining from his body, slipping away into nothingness.

[Incredible Savant: Through your intense focus in combat with the long blade, you have successfully comprehended the martial arts technique, the Thirteen Blades of the Ghost Gate!]

[Incredible Savant: Having attempted slaughter for the first time, your mind was stirred, and you have successfully comprehended the mental cultivation technique, the Heart-Cleansing Mantra!]

During the fierce battle just now, Li Chang'an had comprehended yet another technique and another mental discipline. Among them, the Thirteen Blades of the Ghost Gate was a realization born of his innate, monstrous talent, sparked by observing the stances of the several clerks and Han the Eighth as they held their weapons.

The Heart-Cleansing Mantra, on the other hand, was born right after Li Chang'an completed his slaughter, emerging from the fierce and violent emotions that had surged within his chest.

The blade technique was, naturally, a set of combat moves.

The Heart-Cleansing Mantra was rather unique; once activated, it could maintain an absolute serenity within Li Chang'an's heart.

He had not expected that a fierce battle would prompt his miraculous comprehension to grant him two highly practical arts. The feeling of carrying his own built-in cheat was truly delightful!

[Defiance of Fate Successful!]

[At the age of two and a half, in a fit of rage, you slew several clerks who came to collect grain, successfully avoiding the fate of being extorted and starving!]

[Reincarnation evaluation has risen; you have received an additional 500 Reincarnation Points!]

Looking at Han the Eighth, whose heart was filled with resentment but who could only fall reluctantly to the ground, Li Chang'an let out a heavy, long sigh of relief.

High-intensity combat exacted a terrifying toll on both mind and body.

That he had been able to smoothly dispatch these beasts this time was due not only to his own solid strength, but most importantly, to how he had used his "harmless" appearance to mislead the judgment of Han the Eighth and the others.

Strictly speaking, it was akin to repeatedly leaping back and forth upon a tightrope.

A single slip of attention, and this reincarnation would likely have met an early end.

Fortunately, the final result was acceptable. Leaving aside the techniques gained through his incredible savant talent, by killing these beasts, he had at least rewritten the destiny of a fixed turning point!

Though five hundred Reincarnation Points were not many, if used merely to purchase ordinary household necessities, their purchasing power was already equivalent to five thousand yuan in his previous life.

And this was merely the rewriting of a minor, insignificant node of fate.

In the days to come, there would be far too many turning points left to change...

Of course, the prerequisite for everything was that he had to properly handle the matter at hand.

Six black-clothed clerks had vanished within Li Family Village, and among them was Han the Eighth, a hound belonging to Magistrate Chai.

If this was not handled well, a few days from now, even the ants outside Li Chang'an's door would likely be scalded with boiling water.

Looking at the corpses strewn across the ground, still dripping with blood, Li Chang'an took a deep breath, suppressing the churning in his stomach. He turned to look at Li Dashan and Huang Xiaoru, asking, "Father, Mother, are you alright?!"

Li Dashan and Huang Xiaoru had long been struck dumb, standing frozen in place for a good while without regaining their senses.

Now, as Li Chang'an's gaze shifted over to them, the expressions in their eyes still held a trace of disbelief... along with a thread of terror that could not be hidden no matter how they tried!

There was no helping it; the methods Li Chang'an had displayed just now were simply too terrifying and shocking, to the point where even as his biological parents, Huang Xiaoru and Li Dashan could not accept it in such a short time.

In the end, it was Li Dashan, as the head of the household, who summoned his courage and spoke in a trembling voice, "We are well, ch... child, are you hurt?"

Li Chang'an shook his head, rolling his shoulders and stretching his limbs to show he was perfectly fine.

Seeing this, Li Dashan breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment of hesitation, as if throwing caution to the wind, he gritted his teeth and said, "Just... just now, how did you manage all that?"

Faced with this situation, Li Chang'an could only offer a bitter smile. After a brief thought, he spoke up, "Those methods just now were learned from a passing Taoist priest. He taught me quite a few ways to cultivate martial arts!"

He did not elaborate further.

It was a lie, yet not entirely a lie.

After all, he really had learned the cultivation methods from a passing Taoist priest.

As for the means by which he had learned them.

Did that really matter?

Hearing Li Chang'an's reply, although Li Dashan still found it somewhat hard to believe, the heavy burden in his heart lifted completely, and his anxious, pounding heartbeat calmed down considerably.

After all, having an explanation for things and having absolutely no way to explain them were two entirely different concepts.

Li Dashan knew that there were extraordinary martial artists in this world; perhaps his son had simply been lucky enough to receive a bit of guidance from some great figure, and there was nothing wrong with that.

With his shallow experience, he would never have guessed that the combat strength his son displayed at this age, even if placed among the ranks of martial artists, would be considered an utterly explosive existence!

With the burden lifted from his mind, Li Dashan's brain finally resumed its functions. Looking at the corpses scattered all over the ground, he said in utter helplessness, "This... what do we do about this? Should we pack our things and flee tonight?"

Li Chang'an shook his head and said, "We cannot run. Fleeing at this juncture would be like pouring a basin of filth over our own heads. With a whole family to carry along, we wouldn't run far before being beheaded!"

When Li Dashan heard this, he knew his son was right, and his face instantly grew even paler.

Ignoring his bewildered parents, Li Chang'an had already thought of the subsequent handling of the situation before he even struck. Therefore, he spoke up immediately, "Father, go and bring the village chief here now!"

Upon hearing this, although Li Dashan felt that seeking the village chief might not necessarily be useful, he still went to do as he was told, having neither the time nor the energy to fret over why his child, not yet three years old, understood so much.

The village chief of Li Family Village was named Li Xiao, a hunched old man of nearly sixty years. By generation, Li Chang'an would have to call him grand-uncle.

When he saw the corpses covering the courtyard, Li Xiao's withered, tree-bark-like face could not help but twitch.

With great effort, he steadied his mind. Li Xiao's gaze locked onto Li Dashan, and he spoke, "What happened here?"

In this chaotic world where the average lifespan was a mere thirty or forty years, Li Xiao had managed to live to nearly sixty, outliving almost all the other elders of his generation in the village; he naturally possessed a degree of competence.

At this moment, with just a single glance at the scene, he discerned the gravity of the matter.

Under what could be called Li Xiao's deathly stare, the pressure on Li Dashan mounted heavily. He stammered and hesitated for a long while without being able to utter a word, only able to cast a helpless, pleading glance toward Li Chang'an.