Chou Gang, among the group of martial arts masters, was second to none in both killing prowess and reputation. After all, not everyone could have sparred with the Broken Swordsman over twenty years ago, even if it was before the latter rose to fa.
So masters, being defeated by them is your lifeti honor.
The Broken Swordsman, ranked sixth on the Martial Rankings, was such a master. Chou Gang garnered respect and trepidation in Jianghu because of his loss to him. People had almost forgotten his old nickna but still rembered the defeat to the Broken Swordsman.
As Chou Gang’s words hung in the air, the crowd grew heavy with tension. Partly due to Chou Gang’s martial prowess, and partly because the Stop Strife Division represented authority, especially here in the Capital Region, where causing trouble was unwise.
Chen Yi studied this colleague he had yet to et, silently contemplating.
If the Stop Strife Division were to take the person away, it wouldn’t be good or bad for him. The upside was that it would facilitate interrogation; the downside was that being under unfamiliar territory in the Division, it would be difficult for him to act freely.
Still, Chen Yi didn’t plan to kill this heir so soon. If possible, he wanted to extract so useful information first and keep the person alive for now.
On the second floor, Tang Kumai seed to mull over Chou Gang’s words, hesitant to respond.
Not long after, a sound ca from the room behind her.
"It seems Peak Master Tang is unwilling to see this young lord off again."
A young man with an elegant deanor stepped out slowly, his face adorned with a smile, cloaked in a fox fur worth a fortune.
"A host of masters gathered under one roof; who would’ve thought that even I, Li Xieling, could command such a spectacle?"
He spoke in a playful tone, as though indifferent to his own life or death.
All eyes turned toward him in unison, most swallowing nervously, not because of his charm but due to his identity as the Joyful Sect’s heir—and, especially, the legendary Bodhisattva Sword Vestnt robe.
Tang Kumai ignored the young heir of Joyful Sect, glanced at Chou Gang, and then swept her gaze across the inn’s occupants before clasping her hands in greeting:
"Since this involves the Stop Strife Division, I naturally can hand this person over to Lord Chou’s care. However, once I do, I will no longer ddle nor follow Lord Chou to the Capital City. Additionally, I have one request: kindly have Lord Chou’s subordinates escort the remaining servants of this inn safely back to the city."
Tang Kumai’s words were reasonable enough. Having agreed to transfer custody, Chou Gang had no grounds for objection. He scanned the room and then asked:
"May I ask if all of you would grant , Chou Gang, this small courtesy and disperse for the day?"
The crowd remained silent for a mont. Even those whose skills rivaled Chou Gang were now weighing their options. Just as Chou Gang was about to sit down, a brash voice suddenly rose.
"I’m not convinced!"
A burly man wielding a staff roared, his muscles knotted and face brutish, stepping close to Chou Gang.
"You, Chou Gang, can take people away just like that? Did all of us travel here rely to bask in your glorious presence?"
Chou Gang wasted no words, instead reaching back to unhook his Horse-slaying Saber.
"The Opening Mountain Saber, Chou Gang."
The staff-wielding man snorted coldly and raised his iron staff, advancing.
"The Nine Lang Staff, Li Ding."
At this sight, the surrounding crowd wisely retreated, leaving space between the combatants.
Once everyone had stepped back, Chou Gang took a deep breath, his Horse-slaying Saber slicing through a re ten-foot span ahead—instantly, the blade’s gleam shot to Li Ding’s neck.
"So fast!"
"And it’s a horizontal force-push slash! Such power and impact!"
"But that Li Ding was said to have reached Sixth Rank just recently. For Chou Gang to defeat him in one move, are those rumors about his regression false?"
The inn’s occupants were stunned by the scene, while the staff-wielding man broke into a sweat, his face flushed yet still defiant. Chou Gang, exerting pressure on his shoulder with the flat side of the saber, forced him to his knees.
Li Ding, his flush fading into paleness, finally understood that the outco had been decided.
"Were it not for the Spring Autumn Nabook, you’d already be dead at the edge of this blade."
Chou Gang slowly retracted his saber, casting a fierce gaze toward the group.
"Who else has objections?"
The room fell silent.
Chen Yi observed an elderly beggar and the Western Region monk nearby; their intense gazes suggested that the balance in their minds was tipping toward avoiding further disruption.
This was a ga of stakes—while masters in the room might contend equally against Chou Gang, swift victory was implausible, and mutual destruction would let opportunists reap the spoils. Not to ntion, angering Chou Gang implicated the Stop Strife Division’s power behind him.
"Who else has objections?"
Chou Gang repeated his commanding question.
Just as the crowd anticipated no response, a sharp voice, difficult to identify as male or female, cried out.
"I’m not convinced!"
Chen Yi turned his head to see a man beside Lu Ying standing up.
"May I ask your na?" Chou Gang frowned and asked sternly.
"The surna is Dong Gong," Dong Gong Ruoshu replied.
Upon hearing the surna, Chen Yi’s eyes widened slightly as recognition dawned.
Chou Gang stared coldly at the man who bore the surna Dong Gong and raised his Horse-slaying Saber disdainfully.
"If Mr. Dong Gong has a grievance, feel free to enlighten ."
"Why should I challenge you if I know I can’t beat you?"
Dong Gong Ruoshu countered.
Chou Gang was briefly stunned. "Then why are you dissatisfied?"
"I cannot defeat you, but I’m simply not convinced. Is that your business?"
Dong Gong Ruoshu retorted confidently.
For a mont, the room fell silent, only to erupt into hearty laughter monts later.
On the second floor, even Tang Kumai seed unable to suppress a chuckle, while Li Xieling leaned against the railing, laughing hysterically.
Chen Yi rely pressed his temples, slightly exasperated.
anwhile, Lu Ying, seated beside Dong Gong Ruoshu, was flushed with embarrassnt and hurriedly dragged Dong Gong Ruoshu back into his seat.
The light-hearted disruption brought a touch of rrint to the previously tense inn. Once the crowd settled down again, Tang Kumai, still standing on the second floor, spoke slowly:
"Two incense sticks from now, I shall depart. At that ti, I will leave this person to Lord Chou."
Her words deepened the pervasive killing intent, and the atmosphere turned ominous. From the start, the inn’s relative cordiality had only been sustained by Tang Kumai’s presence.
Pulling out an incense stick, Tang Kumai lit it with a wave of her hand. Gradually, attendees began to leave as the stick burned down to a third, reducing the remaining Jianghu figures in the inn to about a third.
Chou Gang gestured toward the nearby soldiers of the Stop Strife Division, signaling them to escort the commoners away from the inn.
Min Ning glanced back at Chen Yi, hesitating for a mont, but ultimately followed the other soldiers to escort the civilians.
Chen Yi watched Min Ning depart and noticed Lu Ying and Dong Gong Ruoshu approaching Tang Kumai. Clearly, their presence at the inn was no coincidence.
"Hey, how about we have a little chat?"
Suddenly, the elderly beggar spoke up.
Chen Yi turned to face him, and the Western Region monk lowered his gaze slightly.
"The na’s Xu Mang. Squad Leader of the Capital Division of the Beggar’s Sect. Seeing as you two seem to be masters like , I’ll be honest—I’m here for Li Xieling, not for the Joyful Sect."
Picking at a chicken leg with no airs of refinent, the beggar added in a leisurely tone:
"I don’t care about anyone else, but Li Xieling—our sect leader’s illegitimate son—must be taken back by . Sentintally and morally, it’s non-negotiable. Would the two of you mind giving so leeway?"
The Western Region monk pondered briefly before solemnly responding in fluent Central Plains speech:
"I fear I cannot. I’ve traveled long and far to bring the Joyful Sect heir back to our monastery for trial. Years ago, the Joyful Sect stole 300 volus of martial techniques from our Pure Scroll Monastery. If I fail to bring back at least one person, even Buddha would not forgive ."
The aged beggar spun his thoughts for a mont, then turned to Chen Yi and asked:
"What about you?"
The second incense stick burned down halfway, leaving only a handful of people in the inn. anwhile, Li Xieling had already been handed over to Chou Gang, and Tang Kumai had begun to leave with her group.
Facing the beggar’s inquiry, Chen Yi calmly replied:
"I’m investigating sothing that requires the Joyful Sect’s heir. As for the Bodhisattva Sword Vestnt, I’m not interested."
"Well then, we can be friends, can’t we? Friends..."
The aged beggar repeated, then secretly transmitted:
"How about the two of us go after that bald donkey first? We’re both Central Plains locals; we should unite and not let that Western monk succeed, right?"
"An interesting proposal."
"Splendid!"
The aged beggar laughed boisterously, finishing the last bite of his chicken leg before snapping the bone into sharp fragnts.
"It’s been ages since I’ve t soone forthright like you. You’d fit right into my Beggar’s Sect. Friends, we’re friends!"
Even as he continued laughing heartily, the chicken bone in his hand suddenly shot toward Chen Yi’s throat!
At that mont, as the incense finished burning down...
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