I Have Infinite Skill Points

Arriving at the scene, it was as noisy as a marketplace. Punks with multicolored dyed hair surrounded the area, hurling insults at each other's entire families.

"Back off, back off! Don't come any closer!"

"Fuck your mom! Think you're hot shit just 'cause you're a cop?"

"Qiu, I swear I'll avenge you—"

"It's the cops who killed Qiu! They grabbed Li first, and now they've gone after Qiu! Brothers, don't give these cops any respect! They screwed over Qiu, so let's turn their world upside down!"

"Jian, avenge Qiu—"

"Who said not to show the police any respect?" Hu Qing's voice boomed like thunder through the crowd. As his voice swept over them, everyone present felt a shiver run down their spines.

"Who the fuck are you—"

BOOM—

With a muffled thud, before the talking punk could finish his sentence, his body flew backward, sending the crowd behind him sprawling in chaos.

"The cops are hitting people! The cops—" The shouting abruptly stopped. Realizing no one was echoing him, the punk suddenly clammed up like a rooster with its throat seized.

"Are you fucking looking to die? Wise up! You don't even know who he is and you're running your mouth? Don't drag us all down with you!"

"Who is he?"

"Hu Qing, Senior Inspector of the Suzhou City Police Department and head of the Major Crimes Unit. Li was taken down by him."

"It's not just Li. Crow from the industrial park, Mr. Qi, and Hei from the brothels—they all fell to him. He's the Yama of our underworld."

"Damn, he's that badass? Hasn't anyone tried to take him out?"

"He's a Star Martial Warrior. You dare mess with him? If you've got the balls, go ahead. Your family and brothers will take care of your funeral arrangements."

"I... Since when did a Star Martial Warrior become a cop?"

"That's old news, man. The Police Department is recruiting Star Martial Warriors now. The Suzhou City Police Department isn't the same rule-abiding force it used to be. Let's just watch and see how the department plans to handle this."

In the past, it wasn't that the police department didn't need Star Martial Warriors, but rather that those who idled in the cities weren't looked upon favorably by the state. They were unwilling to enlist and serve the people, nor were they willing to venture into the undeveloped territories to guard the nation. Lingering in the cities and living comfortable lives, they simply wouldn't pass the political vetting process.

However, the state was still willing to accommodate Star Martial Warriors like Hu Qing, who had certain unmentionable difficulties. For instance, take Lan Die, who had previously clashed with Wang Lan. After being profoundly traumatized and unable to return to the battlefield to pioneer new territories, the state wouldn't consider her a deserter.

The police department's regulations used to be strict. Qualified Star Martial Warriors were reluctant to join, and those who didn't meet the criteria weren't accepted. But now, with relaxed regulations, many new Star Martial Warriors have begun to join the police force. Even so, a Star Martial Warrior still had to go through multiple layers of screening to join.

Wang Lan followed Hu Qing to the scene, which was already under police control. A middle-aged officer hurriedly approached. "Captain Hu, the incident happened at five this evening."

"Somehow, word got out that Qiu was collaborating with the police. Rumors on the street claimed that Qiu had allied with the police and sold out Li. Consequently, Qiu had already survived two assassination attempts before this incident."

"Qiu was a cautious man; this was one of his secret hideouts. He had been staying here for the past three days, remotely directing his men."

"After being cooped up for three days, Qiu couldn't take it anymore and called over a familiar prostitute to blow off some steam. This prostitute, named Qin, was an old acquaintance of Qiu's, so he let his guard down around her. But who would have thought that this Qin was actually an assassin?"

"While Qiu was... otherwise occupied, she snapped his neck. When Qiu's bodyguards heard the commotion and rushed in, Qin, completely naked and armed only with a fruit knife, killed two of them and severely injured three before being hacked to death on the spot."

As he spoke, Hu Qing and Wang Lan were led into the room, which was spattered with blood everywhere.

Qiu's head had been twisted a full 180 degrees, so he lay bizarrely on the bed facing backward. The blood splattered around the room looked like something out of an oil painting, and the pungent, metallic scent of blood assaulted their nostrils.

Hu Qing's subordinates quickly handed towels to Wang Lan and Hu Qing so they could cover their noses and mouths.

A fair-skinned woman, appearing to be only in her early twenties, lay in a corner. Her body bore seven or eight stab wounds, including two penetrating wounds to her chest and a large gash on her neck.

Near the doorway lay two corpses. One had a hole punched through his throat, while the other's neck was half torn open, exposing blood vessels and his trachea. Their faces were frozen in masks of sheer terror from before they died, a truly gruesome sight.

"Where are the eyewitnesses?"

"There are three survivors. They've been sent to the hospital for treatment. Our guys are at the hospital taking their statements; they should be sent over shortly."

Wang Lan surveyed the scene. Blood was splattered everywhere; 'gruesome' didn't even begin to describe it. A single woman had snapped the neck of a head of mafia, then, armed with only a short fruit knife, fought five or six burly men wielding machetes, killing two of them.

Damn it, why does this plot feel so familiar? Like something out of *Naked Weapon*?

"What a formidable woman. It must have taken considerable effort to train an assassin like her," Hu Qing sighed, muttering to himself.

"Boss, latest discovery," an officer reported, approaching Hu Qing. "This Qin was a prostitute from Hong's Phoenix Building. Qiu ordered her services through Hong."

"Hong? The owner of the Phoenix Building?"

"Yes. The owner of the Phoenix Building, who used to form a triumvirate with Li and Qiu."

"Where is Hong?"

Wang Lan followed Hu Qing to the Jun Jue Hotel. By then, hundreds of thugs had already surrounded the building.

"Hong, come on out and greet your clients!"

"Hong, come out! Don't think hiding will save you! If you had the guts to kill Qiu, then show your face!"

"A bunch of grown men bullying a woman? What kind of heroes are you?" A provocatively dressed woman suddenly stepped out from the Jun Jue Hotel entrance, her voice sharp despite its delicate tone.

"Jiu Mei, why are you the only one out? Where's Hong? Tell her to come out and entertain her guests!"

"Yeah, the brothers are eager to experience Hong's 'Phoenix Soaring Through Nine Heavens'..."

"Damn it, why are we wasting time yelling at this broad? Charge in and drag that bitch out! Whoever gets her first can have their fun! Shit..."

"Charge, brothers! Let's have Jiu Mei as an appetizer—"

"Who dares!" Suddenly, Jiu Mei gave a hard yank, dragging a gas canister in front of her. She plopped down on it and pulled out a lighter.

"Which one of you death-wishers wants to go down with me? Come on over!"

At this sight, the thugs, who had been itching for action, abruptly halted. Then, like a receding tide, they scrambled backward.

"Gutless cowards!"

WEE-WOO WEE-WOO—

Police sirens blared as Hu Qing's car sped toward them, plowing directly to the entrance of the Jun Jue Hotel without regard for who or how many people were in its path.

Hu Qing kicked open his car door and stepped out. His icy gaze swept over the thugs. "A bunch of trash."

Wang Lan got out of the car and followed Hu Qing toward the hotel entrance.

"Stop! If you come any closer, I'll light it!"

"Miss," Wang Lan called out, "if you're going to light a gas canister, could you at least use one that isn't empty? Who are you trying to scare with a dud?"

Wang Lan's words caused the faces of several head mafias lingering on the periphery to darken.

SLAP!

One of them struck a subordinate. "Idiots! Scared shitless by an empty canister? Go grab that dame! I'll deal with her myself!"

BOOM—!

Hu Qing lightly stomped his foot, and a loud explosion erupted beneath it. A shallow pit, half a meter wide, appeared where he stood, cracks spiderwebbing outwards. The thugs who had been about to surge forward froze in their tracks once more.

"Don't test our patience." Hu Qing snorted coldly, turned, and walked towards the Jun Jue Hotel, brushing past Jiu Mei.

"Inspector Hu, you honor us with your presence. My humblest apologies for not greeting you properly, how terribly rude of me..." A coquettish, seductive voice purred. A voluptuous woman in a shoulder-baring, black see-through dress and sky-high heels swayed towards them.

"You're Hong?"

"I am."

"Do you know why I'm looking for you?"

"Something must have happened."

"And you know what that is?"

"Inspector Hu, if I knew what had happened, I wouldn't be in this predicament. My girls and I were just enjoying a game of cards, a little vacation, when suddenly we found ourselves barricaded in. If I'd known something was amiss, don't you think I would have been prepared? Inspector Hu, what exactly is going on? I can see Qiu's men out there, and Li's men too..."

"Qiu is dead!" Hu Qing stared coldly at Hong. "Did you send one of your girls to Qiu's place today?"

"It was Qin." Upon hearing that Qiu was dead, Hong's pupils contracted instantly, but her expression betrayed no surprise.

Even before Hu Qing spoke, Hong had her suspicions. The only reason these thugs would dare to target her so brazenly was if something had happened to Qiu.

"Qin killed Qiu. Judging from the struggle at the scene, Qin was a professional assassin. After killing Qiu, she also killed two of his highly skilled men before she herself was hacked to death."

This time, Hong's composure finally cracked. "Impossible! Qin couldn't be a professional assassin. She's been with me for five years, in this line of work for five years! You think I wouldn't know what kind of person she is?"

"Qin has no dignity, no self-respect; she'd do anything for money. She's also a hopeless gambling addict. How could someone like that be an assassin? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

"The evidence at the scene proves it was Qin. We have both witness testimonies and physical evidence."

"This..." After a long pause, Hong finally seemed to accept the reality. "Inspector Hu, if I told you I had nothing to do with this, would you believe me?"

"I only believe in evidence. Right now, I'm hoping you'll cooperate with our investigation. I don't have an arrest warrant, so if you're unwilling, I won't arrest you by force. What's your answer?"

"You must be joking, Inspector Hu. If I don't go with you today, those thugs will torture me to death tonight. Of course, I'll go with you!"

In the car, Wang Lan remained silent for the entire journey.

"Hey, Lanzi, what are you thinking about?" Hu Qing asked.

"I'm wondering," Wang Lan said, "how much strength it would take to twist a person's head a full one hundred and eighty degrees. Especially when that person's neck is twenty centimeters thick."

At these words, Hu Qing's expression changed instantly.

"We could do it," Hu Qing admitted. "But for an ordinary person, unless they're a world-class bodybuilder, a real muscle-bound freak, it should be impossible."

"Qin is one point six meters tall and weighs only forty kilograms. She couldn't possibly possess that kind of strength. Unless... unless she's a Star Martial Warrior. But if she were a Star Martial Warrior, how could she have been killed by a few ordinary thugs? From the moment I stepped onto that scene, do you know what I felt?"

"What?"

"Unsettling. Terrifying. It was like watching a supernatural horror film."