Chapter 0002: Crossing into Another World

And strength determines speed. Therefore, when Tang Yin was only 8 years old, even in the icy and snowy conditions, he had to wield a large axe, nearly as long as his height, to chop down trees in the deep mountains that were thicker than his body. If he failed to meet his master's requirements, upon returning, he could only compete with the hunting dogs raised by his master for food.

At first, from a distance, they could not clearly see Tang Yin's appearance. It was only after he approached that the four bald men recognized him, simultaneously letting out a sigh of relief, realizing that he was the timid pretty boy from the dance hall

Upon hearing the term "bastard," Tang Yin, who had originally been walking forward, suddenly halted in his tracks. Bastard! He had not heard those two words for several years. He was an orphan, raised by others and had lived in a remote mountain village in Northeast China. In his childhood, many people had used those two words to insult him, but now, those people no longer existed.

He stood in the alley, with his back to the bald man, turned his head slightly, and asked with a smile, "What did you just say?"

At this moment, a faint moan emanated from the depths of the alley. The sound was very low and weak, imperceptible to the average person, yet it did not escape Tang Yin's ears

The two of them spread their legs and exerted all their strength to escape, but in Tang Yin's eyes, their speed was almost comparable to that of a turtle crawling. He swayed his body and, with a single swift step, darted behind the two. With a swift motion of his hand, he struck down, and with two muffled thuds, both of them had their backs pierced. Their frantically running bodies surged forward a few more steps before they collapsed, lifeless.

The person who adopted him, namely his master, once said that martial arts is about combat, and one must never hold back when striking; the goal is to bring your opponent to their demise. To achieve this, one must possess speed. There is no martial art that can effectively defeat an opponent in a slow and leisurely manner, including Tai Chi.

The ruffians are at most involved in brawls; when have they ever witnessed such a scene, and when have they encountered such formidable and ruthless individuals? The other two bald men were terrified, screaming in unison, and turned to flee.

Before he finished speaking, suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning erupted from the dark alley. A crackling sound echoed in the air, and when one looked again at the bald man, his round, shiny head had actually fallen off from his neck, rolling away on the ground. Then, with a thud, a stream of hot blood gushed from his severed neck, resembling a red fountain, vibrant and ghostly in the night.

The ballroom is resplendent and lavishly decorated, shining with gold and brilliance. In stark contrast, the alley behind the ballroom presents a different scene: dark, damp, filthy, and chaotic. Just a wall separates these two worlds, one side a paradise, the other a hell.

When the young woman woke up, she found herself lying in a hospital. She asked the nurse why she was there, and the nurse told her that a man had brought her in. She inquired, "What kind of man was he?" The nurse momentarily seemed dazed, then smiled and said, "He was a very handsome and cheerful young man"

Hmph

The other three bald men could hardly believe their eyes; they dumbly raised their hands to touch the droplets of blood splattered on their faces. Then, glancing at the headless body that remained standing in place, they all let out a chilling scream.

A bald man suddenly weakened in his legs, kneeling on the ground, his face ashen and devoid of color, his body trembling uncontrollably. He shakily raised his head to look at Tang Yin and stammered, "B... Brother, I... we..."

How he drew the knife, from which part of his body he pulled it out, and how he struck, the three bald men, including the deceased, did not see clearly; all they witnessed was the sudden flash of lightning that appeared.

He opened the lid, filled a cup to the brim, and with a single tilt of his head, he drank all the wine in the cup

In the cold silence of the library, they heard footsteps behind them. The four of them were startled and quickly raised their heads to look back.

Ah

Among the bald heads, someone laughed derisively. In their eyes, Tang Yin's indifference transformed into cowardice, becoming a catalyst for their unrestrained behavior. Someone coldly remarked: "You little brat are clever, daring to stir up trouble. I’ll damn well cut you down with a knife!"

Quick! Tang Yin's blade cannot be described merely with the word 'quick'

Oh my...

In his childhood, he never truly understood what happiness meant. During that time, he had already endured more suffering than an average person would experience in several lifetimes. Therefore, when faced with any bitter or difficult situations in the future, he was able to persevere and grit his teeth to get through.

As he exited through the back door, a foul stench of rotting garbage assaulted Tang Yin's senses, causing him to involuntarily furrow his brow

At this moment, Tang Yin felt quite conflicted. With his head lowered, as he walked past the four bald men and the woman, his steps did not falter; instead, he continued to walk slowly past them

Tang Yin did not give him a chance to speak at all; with a slight flick of the crescent moon blade in his hand, the sharp tip had already deeply pierced the nape of the bald man's neck. It was yet another fatal blow; the bald man did not utter a sound and fell to the ground, dead.

The four men were momentarily taken aback, but then they confronted Tang Yin head-on, forming a fan shape in front of him. The bald man at the forefront sneered and said, "Kid, what do you want? Are you looking for trouble..."

Tang Yin let out a long sigh, pushed the wine bottle and glass forward, then took out his wallet and pulled out several hundred yuan bills, neatly placing them on the table. He stood up and walked towards the back door of the dance hall

What a student! Damn it, I see him as nothing but a bastard

He clearly knew he should not head this way, yet his legs moved uncontrollably

Haha! Lao San, don't scare him. Just look at the way his fetal hair hasn't shed; he might still be a student!

Thud

Tang Yin let out a sigh; it seemed that he was not angry, but rather relieved in his heart

The narrow alley is dim and dark, frighteningly so. In the dead of night, there is an indescribable terror; the deeper one goes, the more it feels like approaching the mouth of a gigantic monster.

As high concentrations of alcohol coursed through him, it felt as if countless knives were slicing through his insides. He closed his eyes, his fingers tapping anxiously on the table. After a while, he slowly opened his eyes, and in that moment, it seemed as if two beams of brilliance shot forth from his gaze, though it was fleeting, a mere flash.

He slowly turned around and walked directly towards the four bald men

Several bald men shouted and mocked each other, their voices growing louder and their words increasingly offensive

This is Tang Yin

What are you saying? A bald man laughed and scolded loudly, "I say you are a bastard, a damn son of a bitch"

Unbeknownst to him, Tang Yin suddenly found a crescent-shaped curved dagger in his hand. The blade was narrow and presented a semi-circular arc; upon closer inspection, it resembled a sickle. However, it was a deathly sickle capable of reaping away souls.

When he was fifteen years old, he no longer had to use a large axe to chop down trees; his master gave him a large machete. When he turned eighteen, the machete was replaced with a kitchen knife. By the time he was twenty, he had killed his master in a fair duel, using his genuine skills to do so.

A man who will be respected, admired, feared, and hated by countless people in the future

Just as the good event was about to begin, it was interrupted by someone. The leader, a bald man, stood up straight, his face revealing a fierce expression, his eyes glinting with menace, glaring at Tang Yin as if he were a wolf robbed of its prey, ready to pounce and take a vicious bite out of him at any moment

He turned around and walked straight into the depths of the alley

After walking more than ten meters, I saw a group of people squatting at the corner of the alley. Four bald men had placed a disoriented woman on the ground, her clothes having been completely stripped away. The four surrounded her, groping her while occasionally bursting into laughter and whispering softly.

After a short while, the young woman returned, carrying a tray. She placed a bottle of vodka in front of Tang Yin, then gave him a deep glance before slowly walking away