From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

"Damn!"

At this moment, a man dressed in a servant's uniform saw the skeleton lying next to the sword and was instantly startled, jumping back in fear. Instinctively, he began to back away, ready to leave the place.

But soon, he stopped and returned. After a moment of hesitation, he gathered his courage and walked closer.

"A dead person. They've turned into bones, so they must have been dead for a long time, right?"

He thought to himself as he cautiously approached the sword embedded in the ground. The sword, though black, emitted a faint, ominous aura, making him feel a chill run down his spine.

"I, Ma Honghu, am a quasi-warrior. How can I be scared of a weapon? Ridiculous."

He muttered to himself, trying to muster the courage, though his trembling body betrayed his fear.

"Hmm? After waiting for days, finally, someone dumb enough comes along."

At this moment, Ye Fan, the sword spirit, awoke. Even sword spirits need rest, after all. He had expected to be discovered sooner, but it took several days for someone to show up.

Ma Honghu slowly gathered his courage and stepped forward.

"Let me see if this sword is usable."

He reached out and grasped the sword's hilt. As soon as he did, he felt a strange sensation course through his body, nearly causing him to drop the weapon in fright.

"Is this... a divine sword?!"

He trembled as he stared at the sword in his hand. He could feel his strength increasing the moment he touched the blade. His entire body felt more invigorated, more powerful.

Ma Honghu gulped, looking around to make sure no one had seen him. Then, he quickly left the area.

"I've struck gold."

He examined the sword closely and tested it by slicing a rock in half effortlessly. This had to be a weapon of at least C-grade!

"Ma Honghu, have you collected the protection fees yet?"

As he exited, a few rough-looking men called out to him.

"No, no one's been home."

Ma Honghu replied casually. He had been out collecting protection fees from local residents, a task assigned to him as a new member of the mercenary group.

"Still haven't collected them? What are you doing? If you don't finish by this afternoon, you're in for a punishment!"

One of the men, clearly the leader, growled at him.

"Got it."

Ma Honghu replied with a nervous smile.

"Useless."

The man spat, leading the others away. With the Violent Tiger Mercenary Group wiped out, smaller gangs had started to rise again, eager to claim the territory left behind.

"Hmph, one day I'll get back at them for being so arrogant."

Ma Honghu muttered as he watched them leave, spitting on the ground in disdain. He glanced down at the black sword in his hand, a smile of satisfaction creeping across his face as he headed home.

His home was a shabby little hut, showing signs of wear and neglect. As he entered, he noticed a figure emerging from inside—a woman. But alongside her was a tall, burly man.

"You slut!"

Ma Honghu's face contorted in rage as he charged forward.

"Is this your husband?"

The burly man raised an eyebrow, showing no fear as he watched Ma Honghu approach in a fury.

"Yes," the woman replied, her face showing a hint of fear as she hid behind the man.

"You shameless slut!"

Ma Honghu shouted, but before he could do anything, the burly man kicked him hard, sending him crashing to the ground. Ma Honghu, a mere quasi-warrior, stood no chance and was knocked down instantly. The man planted his foot on Ma Honghu's chest, pinning him to the ground.

"A man should never lay a hand on a woman."

The man glared down at Ma Honghu, his voice cold.

"You bastard Huang Qingxi! You slept with my wife!"

Ma Honghu's sword fell from his grasp as he yelled, his voice filled with fury.

"Pathetic rage."

Ye Fan, now lying on the ground, muttered to himself. This man was a real waste—a man who could only scream in anger after his wife had been taken. Truly pathetic. Even Ye Lan, for all his flaws, had known how to fight back in the end.

"One thousand gold coins, and I'll take her away."

Huang Qingxi looked down at Ma Honghu with a smirk, tossing a bag of coins beside him.

"One thousand gold coins...?"

Ma Honghu paused for a moment, stunned by the offer.

"It's enough to pay off your gambling debts and still leave you with some profit."

Huang Qingxi smiled, withdrawing his foot from Ma Honghu's chest.

Ma Honghu opened the bag and saw the gleaming gold coins inside. His face lit up with joy.

"Take this slut and get as far away as possible."

Ma Honghu spat, his voice full of resentment. The woman glanced at Ma Honghu with a look of utter disgust before clinging to Huang Qingxi and leaving.

"Slut."

Ma Honghu muttered as they left, his face twisting in anger. Even though he had gotten a thousand gold coins, he was still seething with rage. As he entered his dilapidated hut, he could still smell the lingering scent of the other man in his home. Huang Qingxi had slept with his wife right under his nose, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Once I have money, I can get any woman I want!"

Clutching the bag of coins tightly, Ma Honghu muttered darkly. He tossed the sword carelessly aside and stormed out of the hut.

"Damn, this new swordmaster is not just a loser but a gambling addict too."

Gambling was bad enough, but from their conversation, it seemed clear that this man had lost everything, including his home and wife, due to his addiction.

"Picked me up and isn't even bothering to train."

Ye Fan sighed in frustration.

"If this keeps up, I'll just have to kill him and find a new swordmaster."

With the energy he had stored, Ye Fan could now move for over a minute. Killing Ma Honghu, a mere quasi-warrior, would be an easy task.

Night fell quickly.

"Here, right here."

Ma Honghu's voice echoed as he returned, this time accompanied by the sound of several footsteps.

"You said there's a C-grade weapon here?"

Five or six men carrying torches followed Ma Honghu into the hut, their voices filled with skepticism.

"Yeah, it's in this room."

Ma Honghu replied as he led them inside.

"Tsk, tsk. You're a real piece of work, aren't you? I heard your woman got taken right here by Huang Qingxi."

One of the men, a bit on the chubby side, sneered as he spoke, his tone laced with mockery.