Chapter 204 - 130: I’d Like to See Who Dares Touch My Spoils of War

Chapter 204: Chapter 130: I’d Like to See Who Dares Touch My Spoils of War

He wore the navy blue robes of a Military Officer. On his chest, an embroidered leopard bared its fangs and brandished its claws.

The stitching was fine and dense. Though the robes were slightly worn, they had been meticulously starched and laundered.

Lu Jing’an had seen in historical illustrations that the leopard insignia was the mark of a Third Grade Military Officer from the era of the Qing Demons.

The old man’s breathing was controlled and deep, and his temples bulged slightly.

His gait was incredibly steady; he was no ordinary Assistant General.

He was likely a former First-Class Guard who had served in the Forbidden Palace.

A true imperial guardsman, he exuded a complex aura—one of both decay and sharp competence.

The lean old man narrowed his falcon-like eyes, looking Lu Jing’an up and down.

A neat crop of short hair, a well-tailored dark suit.

His posture seemed casual yet was without a single flaw, and he radiated a sense of modernity completely at odds with the old man’s own time.

The old man snorted with unconcealed disdain. "A mismatched monstrosity! A monkey in a suit!"

Hearing this, Lu Jing’an actually smiled, a smile laced with bone-chilling mockery.

Lu Jing’an raised a hand and lightly brushed away a speck of non-existent dust from his suit cuff.

"And I suppose that ’thing’ of yours is so proper?

Look how shiny it is. You must preen it day and night, never daring to undo it, I imagine?"

He paused, then added, "It must be festering under there, starting to stink. And you still worship it like some family heirloom. Aren’t you disgusted by your own filth?"

"Insolence."

A cold glint flashed in the old man’s eyes as a tangible killing intent began to fill the air.

His gaunt right hand twitched inside his sleeve, and two streaks of dark light shot out without warning.

They tore through the air, aimed straight at Lu Jing’an’s knees!

They were two jagged Iron Thorns, their edges gleaming with a faint blue luster.

Clearly coated in a potent venom, they emitted a shrill whistle as they flew, a testament to the vicious and practiced power behind the throw.

But Lu Jing’an didn’t move an inch, his expression remaining as calm as ever.

He simply raised his right hand and casually flicked his index and middle fingers.

"CLINK! CLINK!"

Two sharp, metallic clashes rang out!

Two gleaming silver coins, though thrown later, arrived first, striking the incoming Iron Thorns with unerring precision in mid-air.

Sparks flew at the point of impact, starkly visible in the twilight.

The Iron Thorns were knocked off course, plunging into the murky River with two soft PLUNKS.

The two silver coins, their momentum not fully spent, continued on in an arc.

CLANG! CLANG! They struck the hull of the Ironclad Ship, leaving shallow dents before they, too, fell into the River.

"So, you have a few tricks up your sleeve."

The old man’s shriveled lips twisted into a sneer. His hand, gaunt as a chicken’s claw, slowly settled on the hilt of the blade at his waist, his knuckles letting out a faint CRACK.

"But that’s hardly enough to justify your insolence before me.

Out of consideration for your youth and ignorance, I’ll give you one chance. Kneel and kowtow.

Break your own arms, and I may grant you the mercy of a complete corpse."

"Oh? I have a few more tricks myself, you know. I can do more than just flick silver coins."

Lu Jing’an’s tone was as light as if he were making small talk, but his eyes had turned ice-cold.

"Why don’t you, an official of a fallen dynasty, help me appraise them?"

Before the words had even faded, his left wrist, hanging at his side, gave an infinitesimal twitch.

Two more silver coins shot out, but this time they were faster, their trajectories even more devious and bizarre!

They didn’t fly straight. Instead, they collided in mid-air, redirecting each other’s momentum.

Carving two dazzling arcs, one to the left and one to the right.

They curved around the old man’s reflexive block, aiming straight for the hollows behind his knees!

The old man’s expression flickered. He clearly hadn’t expected such an exquisite and bizarre hidden weapon technique. It was already too late to dodge.

He had just begun to move his feet when the two silver coins were upon him!

"THUD! THUD!"

Two muffled thuds echoed, like a heavy hammer striking tough old leather.

The silver coins struck true, hitting the vital acupoints behind his knees.

The old man felt a sudden numbness shoot through his legs. The flow of True Qi through his joints instantly stagnated.

His qi and blood surged in reverse, and his body pitched forward uncontrollably.

"THUMP!"

His knees slammed heavily onto the hard, cold deck.

The impact made a sickening thud that set one’s teeth on edge, and even kicked up a small puff of dust from the fabric at his knees.

Lu Jing’an watched from a distance. "When it comes to kneeling and kowtowing," he said, "you people are certainly more practiced.

So fast, so smooth. It must be a family tradition, passed down in your very bones."

"You—!!"

The old man forced a hoarse, furious roar through his clenched teeth.

His eyes instantly turned blood-red, and the veins on his temples bulged and throbbed like writhing worms.

What a monumental humiliation!

’When had he ever suffered such a disgrace?’

’And from a junior, no less! A mismatched whelp in a suit and short hair!’

He slammed his palm on the deck, sending splinters flying as he used the rebound to spring back to his feet.

But the aching numbness in his knees caused his movement to falter for a moment.

At the same time, the aura around him changed dramatically.

His previously restrained Qi Force erupted outwards, becoming sinister, cold, and viscous.

It felt as if countless unseen vengeful spirits were swirling and wailing around him, and the air temperature plummeted.

Even the damp earth on the riverbank and the patches of water on the deck began to freeze over, a thin layer of white frost forming at a visible rate.

"You’re courting death!"

The words landed like Ice Cones steeped in venom.

The old man stomped his foot. A Hidden Force pulsed from the soles of his specially-made official boots, and a wave of frigid power seeped into the wet deck.

With a muffled BOOM, the deck beneath his feet actually sank slightly as a web of cracks spread outwards!

Using the force of that very stomp, he launched himself forward like a phantom, lunging straight for Lu Jing’an!

He formed his hand into a claw, his fingertips having turned a sickly blackish-green at some point.

Emitting a faintly cloying, metallic scent, he clawed straight for Lu Jing’an’s heart.

It was none other than the long-lost, venomous claw technique: the Five Ghosts Soul-Devouring Claw.

The very air in the path of the claw attack turned foul, thick with a nauseating stench.

Lu Jing’an’s pupils constricted. He was just about to give a mental command.

’Summon the Snake Demon that’s recuperating at the bottom of the river and have it swallow this guy whole. That would be easier.’

But then he suddenly sensed something, and the corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smile.

The very instant that smile bloomed...