Chapter 266: Battle at the Steel Mill 5

Hua Yueqing pressed her lips together, not wanting to speak. She now clearly understood that she was probably no match for Chen Sheng.

But…

But!

In a life-and-death struggle, victory and defeat were never decided by strength on paper!

Courage, experience, performance under pressure, the resolve to fight without fear of death, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances…

All these factors were the true keys to success or failure!

'I, Hua Yueqing, am the top expert of the Safety Bureau's younger generation. How could I not be a match for a cultist like you! I will kill you! I must!'

Her pair of icy eyes grew brighter, a furious roar echoing in the depths of her soul. She brandished her two military daggers in a continuous flurry, sometimes stabbing, sometimes sliding, giving Chen Sheng no chance to breathe.

Chen Sheng saw the look in Hua Yueqing's eyes. He felt a slight stir in his heart and sneered, his voice low. "Give you another ten years, and you might be able to fight me. But right now, you're not good enough!"

His Dagger moved like a phantom to block another of Hua Yueqing's attacks. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the Dagger slashed toward her wrist tendon from an unnervingly strange angle.

'Is this it? Is the winner about to be decided?!'

Hua Yueqing had yet to recover her breath and could only watch helplessly as the Dagger, like a viper striking, closed in on her wrist.

In that instant, their movements seemed to slow down in her eyes. She could even clearly see the hint of mockery and triumph in Chen Sheng's gaze.

'The top expert of the Safety Bureau's younger generation, defeated and killed by a fanatical cultist from the grasslands... How humiliating would that be...'

Hua Yueqing thought to herself.

But she…

Her internal energy howled wildly through her meridians. A flash of grim determination appeared in her eyes.

She was going to retract her energy, even if it meant damaging her meridians!

Every sect had its own way of circulating energy, but they all followed a similar principle: in a life-and-death battle, when trading blows, one would always hold back thirty percent of their strength.

This was to avoid a situation where an opponent made a surprise move, leaving one unable to parry.

But every one of Hua Yueqing's recent attacks had been at full power.

She had completely abandoned defense, each move aimed straight for her opponent's vitals. Do or die!

Chen Sheng's strength was greater than hers.

She had realized this objective fact from their first exchange.

So, there was only one path left for her!

To find life in a dead-end situation!

'Hold back thirty percent of my strength?'

That would only get her killed faster!

She had planned to attack with all her might, hoping to force an opening from Chen Sheng before revealing one of her own, but she never expected…

Never expected!

That's just how things are.

There's no medicine for regret!

An unexpected turn in life can still be remedied, but in a life-and-death struggle, no one gives you a second chance!

Hua Yueqing felt a tearing pain in the meridians of her arm, but she still couldn't pull her energy back. Meanwhile, Chen Sheng's Dagger was about to land on her wrist.

'It's over!'

A trace of regret surfaced in Hua Yueqing's heart.

The Celestial God Sect had come prepared. They had long anticipated the Safety Bureau's involvement and even dispatched a super expert like Chen Sheng specifically to handle any unexpected situations!

The cold tip of the blade touched her smooth skin, sending a chill through her.

Hua Yueqing could already imagine the scene that would follow.

Wrist tendon severed, weapons knocked away, throat sliced open…

A series of images flashed through her mind like a slideshow. All she felt was indignation…

'I shouldn't die here...'

In despair, she closed her eyes.

What seemed like an eternity was, in reality, less than half a breath. A flicker of excitement appeared in Chen Sheng's eyes.

SWISH!

Just as Chen Sheng was thinking about how he would deal with these three young women, a sudden chill shot through his heart, and goosebumps erupted all over his skin.

His scalp went numb and his pupils shrank. He felt the whisper of death.

'There's an ambush! I have to dodge!'

It was his only thought!

Even if he could run Hua Yueqing's wrist through with his Dagger, his own head would definitely be sent flying!

In that split second, he forcibly retracted his attacking Dagger. As he ducked and lowered his head, he spun on the spot and thrust the Dagger behind him.

BANG!

Chen Erbao's sword strike missed. Seeing that Chen Sheng was trying to counterattack, he shot out a kick.

Although the kick was hasty, it was still powerful. And since Chen Sheng intentionally used its force to create distance, the effect was that he was sent flying by Chen Erbao's kick.

In a flash, the tables had completely turned. The one who was about to die lived, and the one who was about to win nearly died!

Chen Erbao didn't rush forward to finish him off. Instead, he looked at Hua Yueqing. "Are you okay?"

It was a cliché question, but Hua Yueqing simply stared blankly at Chen Erbao's profile. Even in the dim light, his jawline was still remarkably distinct.

His handsome face seemed as if carved by a blade, perfectly proportioned, with a beauty reminiscent of an ancient Greek sculpture.

His eyes were as bright as a clear spring, reflecting an ocean of stars, fantastical and dreamlike.

In that moment, Hua Yueqing even thought she had arrived in heaven; it all felt fantastically unreal.

She had never, ever expected that in her final moments, she would see this wild and untamable Independent Cultivator of Ancient Martial Arts!

Seeing her staring at him in a daze, Chen Erbao waved a hand in front of her eyes and muttered to himself:

"Hey? Did you get your brains scrambled?"

"..."

Hua Yueqing snapped back to reality, a barely perceptible blush flashing across her face. "You… What are you doing here?"

Seeing that she was responsive, Chen Erbao breathed a sigh of relief and shrugged.

"I know those other two—friends, you could say. I saw someone following them on the way here and got worried, so I came to check things out... By the way, are you guys... on a mission?"

"Yes... This group is an extremist Cult from the grasslands. They often create chaos and commit murder in the mainland. We've been tracking them for a long time."

Hearing this, Chen Erbao nodded and rubbed his head. "Looks like I really helped you guys out, huh!"

"Mhm... When I get back, I'll report your contribution."

"Forget it. I don't plan on joining you guys, so what do I need credit for?"

"What if in the future... Besides, with official credit, you can ask us for help if you ever need it. Whether it's business or politics, we have some pull."

"It's that good?! Then you'd better make sure you report my contribution!"

Chen Erbao's eyes lit up when he heard that.

"..."

Hua Yueqing was rendered speechless.

The Ancient Martial Artists she'd met before were basically all hermits who focused on their Cultivation deep in the mountains. Who would ever run around working their tail off for worldly things like money!

Only an oddball like Chen Erbao would start a company in his free time...

'Is money even useful to an Ancient Martial Artist?'

Of course, she didn't understand Chen Erbao's way of thinking. She had no idea that he wasn't an Ancient Martial Artist at all, but a genuine, bona fide Cultivator!

While the two exchanged a few words, Chen Sheng, in the distance, had already caught his breath. He stood up and glared coldly at Chen Erbao, his face full of resentment.

"Kid, state your name!"

Chen Erbao chuckled and flourished his longsword in a graceful arc. "Who do you think you are? A sewer rat like you thinks you're worthy of knowing my name? Die!"

As the words left his lips, he charged forward, longsword in hand.