Chapter 384 - 186: Breaking the Move

"Let’s call this Tea and Zither Appreciation Gathering to an end. What do you think, Young Hero Jiang?"

Jiang Ran closed his eyes to listen. The person spoke without pause, yet their voice was elusive and difficult to pinpoint.

At times it came from the left, then from the right. One moment it was high in the sky, the next it was low and muffled, as if coming from beneath the ground.

It was utterly bizarre.

Besides, Cheng Tianyang had said there would be men hidden in the mist.

But even now, Jiang Ran hadn’t heard the slightest sound of movement.

The only sound was the occasional ringing of a bell, which made his mind feel groggy. However, under the influence of the Creation Heart Sutra, his clarity returned.

Upon hearing the person finish, he simply smiled.

"This is the first time I’ve heard someone describe a robbery in such grandiose terms. It’s a real eye-opener."

"You might as well just say, ’I built this road, I planted these trees. To pass this way, leave the Jiaowei.’"

"So you’re unwilling, Young Hero Jiang?"

The ethereal voice sighed.

"Never mind. In any case, Young Master Jiang, you’ve already entered the Soul Shattering Array."

"The Young Manor Lord has said that we owe you a great debt for your kindness in Benma County, Young Master Jiang. We hope you won’t be offended by how we’ve chosen to repay you..."

The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Ran felt the ground begin to RUMBLE.

It was as if some enormous creature was charging through the mist, its approach heralded by the ringing of a bell.

A massive figure burst forth, charging ferociously at Jiang Ran like a savage bull.

Jiang Ran shifted his position, guided by the sound. With the Creation Heart Sutra active, he wasn’t fooled by appearances. He instantly braced himself, his spine flexing as he spread his arms, then charged forward like a Barbaric Dragon erupting from the abyss!

The savage bull and the Barbaric Dragon collided with a tremendous BOOM.

Gang Qi exploded outward from the point of impact, but for some reason, it couldn’t disperse the mist.

One of the figures was immediately thrown back, sent flying through the air.

It was the savage bull!

But Jiang Ran knew that even though the man had been thrown back, he wasn’t seriously injured.

The man had skin of bronze and bones of iron; he had been sent flying simply because he was outmatched in raw strength.

After all, with his vast Inner Strength bolstered by Barbaric Dragon Strength, Jiang Ran’s physical power was nearly peerless. While he wouldn’t claim it was the absolute peak, finding his equal in the world would be difficult.

However, his opponent was also an expert in this area. His stance hadn’t been broken by Jiang Ran’s Barbaric Dragon Strength, and though he was injured, it wasn’t severe.

Just as he was about to give chase, he heard Cheng Tianyang cry out in pain.

Jiang Ran stopped in his tracks and rushed toward the sound of Cheng Tianyang’s voice.

"Don’t worry, Chief Cheng! I’m coming to help you!"

He burst through the mist, shot out a hand to grab Cheng Tianyang’s wrist, and with a flick, pulled him behind him before thrusting out a palm.

A palm emerged from the mist to meet his.

The two palms met, and the force of the Heaven-Covering Divine Palm exploded outward.

A figure in the mist staggered back, forcing out the words:

"Such powerful palm strength..."

"Wait here, Chief Cheng. I’ll kill him, then get you out of this array."

But instead of moving forward after he spoke,

Jiang Ran used the Creation Heart Sutra to channel the Great Brahman Vajra Skill.

With a WHOOSH, a dharma image manifested and rose from his body.

It was one of the three aspects of the Great Brahman Vajra Skill: the Indestructible Vajra!

At that very moment, two fingers stabbed toward him, only to be blocked by the dharma image.

For an instant, it seemed as if the very air fell silent.

The man who had jabbed with his fingers looked from his fingertips to Jiang Ran, his voice filled with surprise.

"Why?"

Jiang Ran glanced back at Cheng Tianyang, and his fingers.

"You’re not Chief Cheng, are you? You’re Qu Zhi of the Snake Sect? This finger strike... is this the Seven-Inch Qi-Settling Finger you mentioned to me before?"

"You truly are clever, Young Hero Jiang. We knew you were sharp, so we tried to minimize your contact with me to prevent you from spotting any flaws. But... how were you still on your guard from the start?"

"Were you guarding against me specifically, or against everyone in the martial world?"

"Don’t tell me you don’t trust anyone at all?"

Qu Zhi of the Snake Sect, wearing Cheng Tianyang’s face, wore a cunning expression that the real Cheng Tianyang would have been incapable of making.

Jiang Ran smiled.

"You exaggerate. The saying goes, ’At home, you rely on your parents; away from home, you rely on your friends.’ As long as they are true friends, I am willing to trust them."

"The reason I was wary of you is because your act was full of holes."

"Holes? Do tell."

Qu Zhi’s tone was surprisingly earnest. He was genuinely asking for feedback, so as not to make the same mistake the next time he tried to set someone up.

Jiang Ran didn’t hold back.

The Indestructible Vajra was purely defensive and rendered him immobile. Qu Zhi hadn’t retracted his Seven-Inch Qi-Settling Finger, so the two of them were locked in a peculiar stalemate. They might as well talk.

"The first hole in your story was that question I asked you at Qifeng Manor."

"When Chief Cheng and I parted ways at the city gate, I hadn’t yet decided where I would be staying."

"So how did Chief Cheng know to find me so precisely at Qifeng Manor?"

"You might have inferred that I was at Qifeng Manor because of Ning Jiuyuan..."

"...but finding my exact location so conveniently? That’s a bit of a stretch."

"Although the word ’coincidence’ can explain most situations—and real-life coincidences are often stranger and more unbelievable than anything in a storybook..."

"...when too many of them pile up, it forces one to think a little deeper."

"However, just as you said... to avoid complications from any delay, you acted very quickly."

"The idea was to prevent me from growing suspicious, so that even if I did figure things out, it would be too late."