Chapter 351 - 214: Sword and Qin

Chapter 351: Chapter 214: Sword and Qin

"We’re from the Hall of Justice. We’ve come to demand justice from you."

Xie Yuan said coolly, not rising to the man’s taunt.

The middle-aged man was unfazed and sneered.

"You’re young and ignorant. Just wait until you find out who’s backing me. You’ll be sick with regret."

"Then who is it? Why won’t you say? Are you too scared?" Xie Yuan pressed, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "You know full well your dealings can’t see the light of day, and that the one backing you is even more terrified of being exposed."

The middle-aged man fell silent, and Xie Yuan continued in that same cool tone,

"It can only be one of the great clans. Heh, the great clans... When they pull this kind of stunt, I’m exactly the one who’s here to take them down!"

Situ Qin glanced at Xie Yuan, a faint smile gracing her lips.

The middle-aged man’s eyes widened slightly as he stared at Xie Yuan, his expression a mixture of shock and doubt.

’This kid... Is he just bluffing, or is he really this fearless?’

’Young men who run their mouths like this usually don’t live long.’

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin led the middle-aged man away from the county town, eventually arriving outside a large estate on the upper reaches of the Wu River.

"We’re here," the middle-aged man chuckled.

Xie Yuan’s eyes flashed as he looked at the seemingly ordinary farmstead, nestled amidst fertile fields.

Just as he was thinking, ’Should I force my way in with our hostage or sneak in to investigate?’ the estate’s main gates suddenly swung open. Two figures with powerful auras burst out, charging straight for Xie Yuan and Situ Qin with incredible speed!

’We’ve been discovered?’

Of the two men, one was a burly fellow carrying a large saber. The other was a short, thin old man, yet his Blood Qi was incredibly vigorous, his aura clearly surpassing that of his companion!

The expressions of both Xie Yuan and Situ Qin turned grim. The strength of these two was in no way inferior to their captive, and one of them was obviously much stronger.

’Experts at the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm. Hidden Dragon Level masters.’

The eastern sky was already brightening; the golden sun was halfway over the horizon.

A faint mist drifted across the fertile fields, now bathed in golden light. The four Martial Artists were rapidly closing in on each other.

Xie Yuan tossed the captive aside, drew his Long Sword, and with a flourish, conjured a blur of hazy white light. It was as if a cloud of mist had descended upon the ground, and the two attackers suddenly lost sight of him.

The two experts were slightly surprised, but the old man’s expression remained unchanged. The iron staff in his hand shot up and came crashing down with the force of a colossal pillar!

The ground cracked open, sending waves of earth flying and kicking up a violent gale that rushed directly at Xie Yuan.

The light of Xie Yuan’s sword coalesced, revealing his form. He turned slightly to the side, dodging the unstoppable iron staff, but his own sword gave no ground. With a single strike, like an Azure Dragon bursting from a sea of clouds, he swept his blade toward the old man, carrying with it a terrifying pressure.

The old man’s expression changed. He never imagined that this young man’s Swordsmanship could be so sharp, so powerful!

’This Swordsmanship...’

He had no time to think and was about to abandon his staff to retreat.

However, his burly companion’s saber arrived just in time, striking the Long Sword from the side. Then, as if struck by lightning, his own weapon was violently flung away, and his face filled with shock.

But the blow had slowed Xie Yuan’s sword just enough. The old man, seeing his chance, swung his iron staff back and barely managed to parry the Long Sword. The impact sent a tremor through his entire body, forcing him back a step.

Having felt the power of that sword strike, the faces of both experts grew grim.

They had never imagined that this young man, with only a single sword, would require their combined strength just to be held at bay!

The old man’s expression was solemn as he said coolly,

"You deal with the one in the back. Leave him to me."

The burly man nodded. Even after taking a hit from Xie Yuan’s Cloud Dragon Nine Forms, he still had complete confidence in the old man.

He turned to look at the delicate young woman behind them, a savage grin spreading across his face.

"I bet the Master will be pleased if I capture this one!"

Seeing her raise a Guqin and wave a delicate hand over it, the man grew slightly cautious. But as he charged closer, he laughed boisterously,

"Well now, little lady! Are you going to play your Guqin to liven up the mood?"

He raised his great saber, about to reach Situ Qin, when he suddenly saw her press a hand onto the strings of the instrument.

’Why isn’t there any sound?’

For a fleeting moment, the man was baffled. Then he felt a surge of energy, as sharp as a sword, hurtling toward him. He hastily brought his saber up to block.

With a loud THUD, the burly man’s entire frame shuddered. He staggered back three steps, his face a mask of horror.

’Such power from an invisible Guqin technique!’

He was about to speak when his expression changed drastically.

He looked up to see Situ Qin smiling faintly as she placed both hands on the Guqin.

Her fingers flew across the strings with the grace of flowing water, a blur of wild motion.

The burly man felt as if a hurricane was bearing down on him. He was like a lone boat on a stormy sea, struggling to stay afloat amidst the towering, crashing waves.

His great saber rang with a continuous, rapid-fire CLANGING, like beans popping in a hot pan, a testament to the density of the invisible assault. His clothes were instantly shredded, and in a flash, his body was covered in countless cuts, leaving him drenched in his own blood.

The burly man could no longer keep his footing in the gale. As if caught in a tornado, he stumbled backward, retreating more than a dozen steps and drawing closer to the ongoing battle between Xie Yuan and the old man.

Xie Yuan was fully engaged, unleashing his Cloud Dragon Nine Forms as he was locked in a fierce struggle with the old man.

The old man’s iron staff was ferocious; a single blow could snap the bones and tear the tendons of any Martial Artist in his realm. But within the vast, white mist of Xie Yuan’s technique, he could never pin down his opponent’s location.

The Long Sword was like a divine dragon moving through the clouds, its head appearing without a glimpse of its tail. An attack would come from the left, only for the next to appear from behind, leaving the old man exhausted just trying to keep up. He clearly possessed a much higher level of Blood Qi cultivation than Xie Yuan, and his Cultivation Technique and Inner Strength were formidable, but against this mystical Swordsmanship, he was forced entirely on the defensive, unable to bring his full power to bear!

Xie Yuan’s Long Sword kept the old man contained, but he avoided a direct clash of strength. Nor did he try to intercept the burly man, because he knew Situ Qin was no easy target; her delicate frame concealed a terrifying power.

And just as he’d expected, the burly man was routed in a single exchange and had now stumbled right behind him.

With a flick of his wrist, Xie Yuan’s Long Sword shot forward in a direct thrust, seemingly accompanied by the roar of a dragon!

The "cloud dragon" suddenly revealed its head from within the mist, forcing the old man’s expression to turn grave as he focused all his attention on bringing his staff back to defend.

But in the next instant, Xie Yuan twirled his Long Sword in a circular feint, then suddenly spun around and thrust toward the stumbling, defenseless burly man.

The attack had been a feint!

The burly man was already on the verge of collapse and about to cry for help. He never expected that "help" would arrive in the form of a sudden, sharp sword from behind, piercing through his protective defenses and plunging into his back.

The burly man’s body went rigid. He looked down at the tip of the blade protruding from his chest and muttered,

"Who... who in the world are you?"

He received no answer. His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, dead.

The old man was aghast, seeing his companion routed by the woman in the blink of an eye, only to be slain on the spot moments later. His staff struck like a venomous dragon emerging from the sea as he lunged at Xie Yuan.

Xie Yuan swung his sword back to parry. His arm shuddered as if struck by lightning; he was struggling to withstand the old man’s immense strength.

But a flash of golden light emanated from his arm as the Golden Bell Shield automatically absorbed the concussive force, allowing him to instantly regain his balance.

Seeing Xie Yuan easily receive his full-force blow, the old man’s expression changed.

"The Golden Bell Shield? Whose disciple are you? Why are you interfering with our business?" he demanded sharply.

The middle-aged man with the severed arm watched from a distance, the relieved expression on his face slowly vanishing, replaced by stupefaction and shock.

He had assumed that once his companions arrived, he would be safe. The old man, in particular, was the strongest Martial Artist stationed here—a true Hidden Dragon Level expert.

Yet, the burly man—no weaker than himself—hadn’t lasted a single exchange against the woman before being killed by the pair in the blink of an eye. Now, the old man couldn’t even get the upper hand on this seemingly unremarkable young man, let alone if the woman of unfathomable strength were to join the fight, pitting him one-against-two.

The middle-aged man’s face turned deathly pale. He thought he was luring the enemy into a trap, but he had led a pack of wolves right into his own den!