From Sword to Slaughter: Evolution

"What's the matter, can't handle losing?" Ma Honghu said with a smile.

"Exactly!"

"Can't handle losing?"

"We've lost so much, and now that we're winning a bit, you're kicking us out?"

Voices filled with complaints and grumbling echoed through the room.

"Gentlemen, please do me, Jin Chan, a favor. We're closing for the day to handle some private matters," a middle-aged man said as he descended from the upper floor.

"Everyone will receive 100 gold coins."

As he spoke, Jin Chan waved his hand, and his subordinates began distributing 100 gold coins to each person.

"Now that's more like it," some grumbled, but they left content after receiving their payout.

"And what about mine?" Ma Honghu asked, smiling as he extended his hand.

The gambling den's staff looked at him and sneered.

"Hold on a moment. I've got a special gift for you," Jin Chan said with a smile.

Once everyone else had left, his expression turned cold. The doors to the gambling den were shut tightly.

"Ma Honghu, do you think you can play games with me?" Jin Chan's eyes narrowed as he glared at Ma Honghu, his voice icy.

There were over twenty people in the gambling den now, all of them glaring at Ma Honghu with fierce looks.

Ma Honghu placed the bags of gold coins on the ground.

"Leave the money and get out, and we'll let this slide," Jin Chan said with a cold smile, assuming Ma Honghu was scared.

"If not..."

Jin Chan's smile widened, confident that Ma Honghu was intimidated.

"And if I don't?" Ma Honghu responded with a sinister grin. "Did you really think I put the money down because I was afraid?"

He waved the Flowing Shadow Blood Sword slightly as he spoke.

"What are you getting at?" Jin Chan's eyes narrowed further, sensing something was different about Ma Honghu.

"Do you know what happened to Scarface and the others?" Ma Honghu asked, staring at the black sword in his hand with a twisted smile.

"You killed them!?" The others in the room were shocked, their expressions changing drastically.

Scarface and his group had been missing for over half a month, along with Ma Honghu. The fact that Ma Honghu had suddenly reappeared today was suspicious.

"What do you think?" Ma Honghu laughed maniacally.

"You're asking for death!"

Unable to contain his anger, one of the men drew his sword and charged at Ma Honghu.

With a thought, Ma Honghu channeled his energy into the sword. The Flowing Shadow Blood Sword instantly surged with dark energy.

Clang!

Ma Honghu's sword clashed with the man's, sending sparks of dark energy flying. The energy splattered onto the man's arm, corroding it with terrifying speed, leaving deep pits in his flesh.

The man's face twisted in pain, but Ma Honghu didn't stop. He slashed again, shattering the man's sword and then slicing him cleanly in half.

Blood splattered onto Jin Chan's face.

The entire exchange happened in an instant. Jin Chan's eyes widened in shock, never expecting Ma Honghu to be so ruthless.

"Kill him!" Jin Chan roared.

"The sword's getting sharper," Ma Honghu muttered, excited by the increasing power of the sword. With a thought, blood began to seep from the pores of his right hand, flowing into the sword. The sword emitted a powerful blood-red aura.

[Bloodthirsty Frenzy]!

"This guy has already mastered this ability," Ye Fan observed, slightly impressed. As long as the amount of blood consumed and absorbed was balanced, the sword master wouldn't suffer any significant loss. In fact, with a rapid absorption of blood, there could be a surplus.

"Die, all of you!" Ma Honghu shouted, a crazed grin on his face.

Clang, clang, clang!

The sound of clashing weapons echoed through the room as Ma Honghu's sword easily cut through the opponents' blades. The Flowing Shadow Blood Sword was simply too sharp, far superior to their ordinary weapons.

As bodies began to fall around him, Jin Chan's body started to tremble. The power Ma Honghu had just unleashed was overwhelming, utterly crushing Jin Chan's subordinates.

"Jin, you're next," Ma Honghu snarled, his eyes fixed on Jin Chan.

"You... you..." Jin Chan stammered, his voice shaking as he stared at Ma Honghu. He could clearly see the sword absorbing the blood from the ground—an eerie sight.

"What about me?" Ma Honghu taunted, taking slow, deliberate steps toward him. With each step, Jin Chan felt his legs weaken.

"If you kill me, the city lord won't let you get away with it!" Jin Chan shouted desperately. "Boss Jin is a close friend of the city lord!"

"The city lord?" Ma Honghu sneered. "That worthless city lord isn't even fit to be me!"

With a furious roar, Ma Honghu swung his sword, cutting Jin Chan down in one strike.

As the sword absorbed the blood, Ma Honghu closed his eyes, feeling the surge of power.

"As long as I kill fast enough and absorb enough blood, I won't just survive—I'll get stronger," he thought, exhilarated by the sword's power. "With this sword in hand, even the city lord can't stop me!"

Ma Honghu laughed loudly, his voice echoing through the empty den.

...

By evening, the Frenzied Mercenary Group had gathered.

"Ma Honghu, that's the leader's seat! What do you think you're doing?" a group member shouted angrily as they entered the hall and saw Ma Honghu sitting in the leader's chair.

"Damned fool, disappearing for half a month and now daring to act so arrogantly," another member snarled as more of them stormed in.

"From today on, I am your leader," Ma Honghu declared coldly.

As he spoke, he tossed a head onto the ground.

The members stared in horror—the head belonged to their former leader!