53

Several days later.

On the stone table in the cave dwelling protected by the island's protective array, the rough porcelain bowl that Su Zixuan had given him the day before still sat.

Qing Chen sat in a rattan chair, his fingertips tapping the stone table, producing a soft "tap-tap" sound, his eyes icy.

The old town mayor stood opposite him, his back bent so low it almost touched the ground, his expression extremely tense.

"I've given you so many days to think, and this is the method you've come up with?" Qing Chen's tone was somewhat unfriendly.

The old town mayor's face was plastered with a fawning smile: "The Immortal's power is boundless; mere mortals are nothing to him. This old man only needs to lure them to one place.

The Immortal will lightly wave his sleeve and unleash a few immortal spells, and they will vanish like ants. This matter is easily handled by this old man alone."

Qing Chen's lips curled into a mocking smile: "You're challenging five brothers to a group by yourself? If you invite them alone, their first reaction will be that it's a trap; they'll be too busy running to come."

These words made the old town mayor blush, and his voice trembled: "Then...then, according to the Immortal's instructions, what should we do?"

"To put it bluntly."

Qing Chen shook his head: "Spread this news throughout the entire island. Anyone who wants to be mayor should prove their strength. Gather all your men and have them fight them head-on.

That way they'll believe you; after all, a public contest of strength is exactly what they want."

Upon hearing this, a flash of understanding crossed the old town mayor's eyes.

He nodded. “That’s right! How could I not have thought of that! If the whole island knew, and we fought them openly and fairly, they wouldn’t suspect a thing!

If they dared not come, word would get out, and they’d lose face vying for town mayor, and their men would be resentful! Then it would be much easier for us to make our move!”

He became increasingly excited as he spoke, “The Immortal Master is truly a master strategist; I am utterly far inferior!”

Qing Chen didn’t respond to his flattery. He simply instructed, “Alright, alright, hurry up and make preparations. The duel will be at the beach in three days. That way, they’ll have nowhere to escape; their only options are surrender or death.”

He didn’t want to miss a single person.

Whether it was the five brothers’ men or this old man’s men, Qing Chen didn’t want to let any of them go.

They were all excellent bait.

The old mayor nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, yes! The seaside is wonderful! I'll take care of it right away, I guarantee none of them will escape!"

After flattering Qingchen a few more times, Qingchen impatiently waved him away.

The old mayor quickly agreed, backing away towards the door, not forgetting to bow as he approached:

"Rest assured, Immortal, I will handle everything perfectly!"

Leaving the cave, the old mayor didn't dare delay. That very day, he took a few trusted men and spread the news in the island's taverns and teahouses.

First, he told his men, "The five brothers are vying for the mayor's position; we have to fight them."

Then he deliberately had his men shout in the five brothers' territory, "The old mayor is setting up a duel; whoever wins becomes mayor."

Within half a day, the entire Huangzhu Island knew about this "life-or-death struggle."

Qingchen didn't stop the old town chief from spreading the news; besides martial arts practitioners, many ordinary people would surely come to watch the spectacle.

He ignored them and, following Su Zixuan's directions, found the old town chief's apprentice's residence...

...

Three days later, the sea breeze on Huangzhu Island was exceptionally strong, making the pebbles on the beach rustle loudly.

A crowd had already gathered on the designated beach.

Most were idle men with nothing better to do, but a few bolder fishermen hid in the distant bushes, clutching blades of grass, barely daring to breathe.

The old mayor's men stood on the left, about fifty in total, all dressed in coarse cloth and short jackets, carrying knives and axes.

The five brothers' men stood on the right; the eldest carried a wide-handled axe with a small chipped blade.

The other four also carried weapons, glaring fiercely at their opponents.

The two sides together numbered well over a hundred.

The sun slowly climbed overhead; the appointed time was approaching, but Qingchen hadn't arrived.

"Should we delay a few more hours?"

The old mayor was burning with anxiety, his palms sweating profusely, but he dared not show it. He could only feign composure, staring at the five brothers, cursing Qingchen a thousand times in his heart!

Just then, Xue Pingzhi, behind the old mayor, suddenly moved.

He was the old town chief's last disciple, a well-known second-rate fighter on the island, wielding a steel sword.

With a flick of his toes, he leaped forward, the sword tip skimming the ground, kicking up a trail of pebbles, heading straight for one of the five brothers, a man carrying a broadsword.

Before the man could react, a crisp "clang" rang out!

Xue Pingzhi's sword precisely struck the nick on the axe blade, twisting his wrist, sending the axe flying from his hand, crashing onto the sand with a loud thud, sending sand flying.

Immediately afterward, the steel sword thrust forward, the tip piercing the man's chest.

With a "splat," blood spurted onto the sand, a glaringly red glare.

The man's eyes widened, a hoarse sound escaping his throat, as he slowly collapsed to the ground, his hands still unconsciously clutching at the sand.

Seeing this, the eldest of the five brothers' eyes instantly turned red, and he roared, "You're asking for death!"

He swung his large axe like a windmill, aiming straight for Xue Pingzhi.

The other brothers disregarded all rules and grabbed their weapons, charging forward!

What was originally a one-on-one duel instantly turned into a brawl.

The old town mayor, though anxious, could only shout and charge in.

In an instant, the beach was filled with the clanging of weapons, screams, and roars.

The stench of blood wafted into the distant grass, and some timid onlookers were so frightened their legs went weak, wanting to run but unable to bear it;

—This was a battle rarely seen in decades.

As the battle raged, Xue Pingzhi displayed astonishing strength.