As the sun set behind the western hills, a slightly cool night breeze blew up a few withered leaves on the old street.
A string of lanterns outside the inn emitted a dim, yellowish light, illuminating an area about a zhang in radius in front of the door.
Ye Jingtang was dressed in a black official uniform. His long hair was tied up with a black hairband, and a saber hung at his waist. He stared at the second floor of the restaurant not far away.
Xuanyuan Hongzhi stood at the window with a black scarf covering his face. Since both his arms were injured and he wasn't at his full combat strength, he didn't leap down directly. Instead, he looked down at Ye Jingtang, who was surrounded, from his elevated position.
The other four people in the encirclement were also dressed to cover their heads and faces. Besides Yao Wenzhong, Lord Fan the Eighth, and Han Shaoping, there was also a swordsman from Zezhou who had just arrived.
Although the time was hasty and the remaining two people hadn't had time to reach Wanshui Town, with two top-notch martial artists like Yao Wenzhong and three experienced martial artists from the rivers and lakes, anyone could be easily killed as long as they didn't encounter a Martial Chief.
Seeing that Ye Jingtang had come alone to face them and was already in a life-or-death situation, a sneer flashed in Xuanyuan Hongzhi's eyes, and he even taunted, "Ye Jingtang, today I want to see where else you can run to!"
Ye Jingtang looked around the old street with an indifferent expression and replied, "If I remember correctly, it was you two cowards who ran away first yesterday. I didn't even have my fill of the fight. What do you mean by asking where I can run to?"
Yao Wenzhong had been able to discard his saber yesterday only because his foolish teammate had given the opponent a weapon. Hearing this, he replied, "If we fight one-on-one, you will definitely lose. Sometimes, having more people doesn't necessarily mean having the upper hand."
Although Ye Jingtang could tell that Yao Wenzhong was subtly implying that Xuanyuan Hongzhi was holding them back, he still thought that Yao Wenzhong understood the situation quite well and said, "How about I give you a chance to have a fair fight with me and lose with clarity?"
"Hmph."
Yao Wenzhong clearly thought that Ye Jingtang was trying to use his petty cleverness to avoid being surrounded and didn't appreciate the offer. There was even a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Han Shaoping and Lord Fan the Eighth stood back to back. Seeing two women in the distance take out their weapons from the sides of their horses and look ready to move, Han Shaoping said, "These two followers don't seem to be ordinary people. Let's finish this quickly."
After all, there were some common people in the town. If they were identified as people from the martial arts world after a long delay, even if Lord Fan the Eighth and others took the blame, it would be difficult to explain. Yao Wenzhong saw this and gave Lord Fan the Eighth a meaningful look.
Lord Fan the Eighth held his long spear horizontally, keeping an eye on Ye Jingtang's back. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the horses that were quite far away. There were a Junshan saber and a long spear wrapped in black cloth hanging on the sides of the horses. The heavy weapons weren't carried on Ye Jingtang's body.
Ye Jingtang only had a single saber with him. Facing the encirclement of five people, he wouldn't even have a chance to fight back. If a fight broke out, he would surely try to get the long spear first.
Thinking of this, Lord Fan the Eighth shifted his steps sideways and stood between Ye Jingtang and the horses. Then he pointed the tip of his spear forward and slowly stepped forward.
Tap, tap...
At the window on the second floor, the masked swordsman also slowly drew out his three-foot green blade, ready to strike.
Screech~~
The actions of these two people were intended to attract Ye Jingtang's attention and force him to change his position, making him have to pay attention to his back and above, thus creating an opportunity for Yao Wenzhong to deliver a fatal blow.
However, to the surprise of no one present, Ye Jingtang had his back to the inn door and his side facing Yao Wenzhong and Lord Fan the Eighth. He was as still as a statue. Not only did his body not move, but there was also no change in his breath. He didn't seem to be in a state of combat readiness at all.
Lord Fan the Eighth gradually moved to a distance of more than three zhang away. For top-notch martial artists, this was almost a face-to-face distance. Seeing that Ye Jingtang still hadn't assumed a fighting stance, his eyes turned slightly cold, and he suddenly shook his hands vigorously.
Slap——
A loud explosion sounded out of thin air on the silent old street.
The fiery red tassel of the spear whirled in the air, and the more than one-zhang-long white waxwood shaft vibrated violently. In an instant, the shining spear tip had reached Ye Jingtang's side from more than three zhang away.
This straightforward thrust in the middle, which emphasized simplicity rather than ingenuity, was just a feint for exploration. Although it had no special techniques, it also had no flaws. Its target was directly Ye Jingtang's side face.
Facing this spear thrust that he had to parry, Ye Jingtang's possible reactions were either to draw his saber to block the spear tip or to dodge and move aside.
Everyone present could deduce the ways to break the move and counter it, and naturally, they could also make corresponding reactions.
Rumble——
The moment Lord Fan the Eighth's spear tip was about to reach Ye Jingtang, Yao Wenzhong, with the speed of thunder, raised his hand to grasp the saber handle. He bent his back and flicked the saber, letting out a fierce shout. The black cloth wrapping the Junshan saber on his back instantly shattered into pieces, and he slashed forward with a powerful downward strike like splitting Mount Hua.
On the old street, the wind suddenly picked up. The saber and the spear almost simultaneously pressed towards Ye Jingtang, who was in the middle. The swordsman in black on the second floor also leaped out at the same time, blocking the only way for Ye Jingtang to jump into the air to avoid the attack.
This coordination was perfect. As long as the opponent's martial arts skills followed common sense, there was no possibility of resolving this attack. Even if the opponent were to survive this wave of attacks by chance, they would surely be severely injured.
Xuanyuan Hongzhi, who was behind the swordsman in black, had secretly exerted his strength, ready to deliver a finishing blow when Ye Jingtang desperately tried to break through the encirclement while severely injured to completely eliminate this serious threat.
However, as soon as Xuanyuan Hongzhi raised his hand, his pupils suddenly shrank, and the coldness in his eyes instantly turned into shock!
The saber and the spear were about to reach Ye Jingtang in the blink of an eye, but Ye Jingtang still showed no reaction, looking as slow as an ordinary person without any martial arts foundation.
But just as a look of contempt flashed in Lord Fan the Eighth's eyes, thinking "that's all he's got", a white frost suddenly flashed on the old street.
Clang——
The five people in the encirclement didn't even clearly see the movement. Lord Fan the Eighth's spear tip, which he had thrust with all his strength, stopped abruptly right in front of Ye Jingtang's side face!
Lord Fan the Eighth didn't even see how Ye Jingtang had made his move. When the spear in his hand suddenly stopped, he realized something was wrong. Then he was stunned to find that the black-clothed official in front of him, so close at hand, had somehow raised his right hand at some point and casually grasped the spear shaft. The entire spear was like it had been nailed into iron and stone in an instant. No matter how hard he exerted himself, he couldn't make the spearhead move even half an inch.
And when Yao Wenzhong stood up and slashed down with all his strength, just as the saber was about to land on Ye Jingtang's left face, the Chi Dragon Ring-Hilt Saber at Ye Jingtang's waist unsheathed at an astonishing speed and blocked the heavy saber.
This saber strike was so incredibly fast that even Yao Wenzhong, who had learned from the Saber Chief, had a look of confusion in his eyes.
After all, Yao Wenzhong had never seen Kuangyazi. And except for Kuangyazi, since the founding of the Great Wei Dynasty, there had been no second person who could draw a saber this fast.
The clear sound of the saber was like the dragon's roar in the nine heavens. The three-foot blade became a flash of light. By the time he noticed that Ye Jingtang's left hand was moving, the Chi Dragon Saber was already across his side and even waited for a moment.
Screech——
An ear-piercing scraping sound rang out, and sparks flew in mid-air.
Even though Yao Wenzhong sensed something was wrong, once the heavy saber was out, there was no room for withdrawal. He still slashed at the Chi Dragon Saber with all his strength, trying to shake Ye Jingtang's lower body.
But Ye Jingtang's skillful saber was held in reverse and pointed diagonally behind him, creating a large angle.
When the hundred-jin heavy saber landed on it, although Ye Jingtang's body tilted to the side due to the huge inertia, he wasn't injured at all. The heavy saber almost instantly slid to the back of Ye Jingtang.
Yao Wenzhong had already witnessed how Xuanyuan Hongzhi's move was broken yesterday, and he was terrified. Before the heavy saber had completely slid away, he took big steps backward to avoid Ye Jingtang slashing at his neck along the way.
Facing the combined attack of the five people, Ye Jingtang didn't force a pursuit of Yao Wenzhong. While using the saber in his left hand to block the starting move of the Dragon-Slaying Order, he suddenly pulled the long spear with his right hand.
Lord Fan the Eighth felt something was wrong as soon as the tip of his spear was locked, but he didn't immediately abandon the spear and retreat from the battle. Instead, he held the spear tightly to prevent Ye Jingtang from seizing the weapon. After all, his role was to create a first move for Yao Wenzhong. If he abandoned the spear and retreated, he would become a foolish teammate who handed the weapon to the enemy on the battlefield.
Lord Fan the Eighth's thinking was correct, but his overly experienced knowledge of the martial arts world had now become a death sentence.
Lord Fan the Eighth only saw the two blades meet in front of him. Before he could clearly see the details of their fight, an irresistible pulling force came from the long spear in his hand. He stumbled forward, and then a loud explosion sounded in front of him.
Rumble——
Ye Jingtang suddenly pulled the long spear and simultaneously spun around and kicked sideways. His powerful right leg landed right in the chest and abdomen of Lord Fan the Eighth.
Ye Jingtang's martial arts power had greatly increased, but he had no one to practice with, so he didn't even know how strong his explosive power was now. Therefore, he didn't hold back at all in this move. The effect he achieved couldn't be described as "using too much force"; it was like hitting a fly with a heavy cannon.
With a full-strength kick, the trouser leg and shoe of Ye Jingtang's right leg first exploded under the terrifying inner energy, and he directly kicked Lord Fan the Eighth in the chest with his bare foot.
Before Lord Fan the Eighth could react, his chest cavity instantly caved in, and his back bulged. Then his robe exploded, and his shattered spine, flesh, and internal organs created a spray of blood mist on the spot. The blood splattered directly onto the back of Han Shaoping, who was more than ten zhang away.
Because the speed and strength were so exaggerated, a "over-penetration" phenomenon occurred, and Lord Fan the Eighth's body didn't move at all.
This scene not only made the people who were besieging him terrified but also made Ye Jingtang feel very disgusted. He quickly pulled his bloody right foot back and flashed forward again.
Directly above the old street, the swordsman in black who had leaped out of the window had originally intended to block Ye Jingtang's escape route. But as soon as he flew out, he was horrified to find that Lord Fan the Eighth hadn't even lasted one exchange and had been directly kicked in the chest and exploded.
Such terrifying destructive power made the swordsman in black terrified. He was in mid-air with nothing to support him. If he landed, he would surely die. So he could only throw out a throwing knife in a last-ditch effort.
Swish, swish, swish——
Han Shaoping, who had originally been on guard against the two followers, was splattered with blood. When he turned around, he found blood mist flying behind him. At the same time, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the swordsman in black was about to collide with Ye Jingtang.
Han Shaoping had extremely rich combat experience. Seeing that his teammate was in a desperate situation, before he could fully react to the situation, he made the reaction that a top-notch martial artist should have. His figure suddenly burst forward, and he raised his two sabers to slash at Ye Jingtang, trying to relieve the swordsman in black.
But Han Shaoping immediately regretted this decision!
Ye Jingtang had originally intended to intercept the swordsman in black. When he saw Han Shaoping rushing over out of the corner of his eye, his movement of dodging didn't stop at all. He smoothly passed the saber in his left hand to his right hand.
Swish——
A shrill sound of breaking the wind rang out on the street.
Ye Jingtang's figure moved horizontally on the street, emitting a blinding white light. In an instant, he passed by Lord Fan the Eighth and the swordsman in black and flashed directly in front of Han Shaoping from near Yao Wenzhong.
Han Shaoping was terrified when he saw this inhuman scene. Immediately, he crossed his two sabers and slashed at the black shadow that was rushing towards him.
As a result, when the saber blades struck, there was no sense of resistance. He only heard a soft "puff" sound.
Ye Jingtang found that the inner energy in his body was too strong. He was afraid that if he used too much force, he would turn the opponent into pieces of flesh all over the ground and disgust the townspeople. So he restrained his inner energy. The single saber in his hand was like a butterfly fluttering among the flowers. With absolute speed, it passed through the gap between the two sabers accurately and touched Han Shaoping's chest. Then his legs exerted force again.
Bang——
The old street bricks shattered under the heavy stomp, leaving two semi-circular depressions.
And Ye Jingtang's figure also made an acute angle beside Han Shaoping, looking as if he had been slashed away by Han Shaoping's two sabers and shot diagonally upward. In the blink of an eye, he was behind the swordsman in black.
!!
The swordsman in black had rushed out of the window and still hadn't landed at this time. With the naked eye, he could only see a black shadow scurrying on the ground. By the time his sight caught up, Ye Jingtang was already in front of him.
The swordsman in black was filled with despair, but his martial artist's instincts were still there. As he was falling, he slammed his right sword on his left forearm. The three-foot green blade bent in the air, drawing a semi-circle around his body, and the tip of the sword accurately pointed at Ye Jingtang's vital point.
The swordsman in black was from Zezhou, and his swordsmanship came from the Shuiyun Sword Pool. This skill of the returning blade with a tricky angle was not much less proficient than Zhou Huaili's. The only drawback was that his inner energy was too weak.
Swish——
Ye Jingtang's figure flashed past from behind, and the sword tip didn't stab anything.
The swordsman in black wanted to make a second move, but he found that the world began to spin rapidly. On the way down, he could see a headless body holding a sword falling from the air, and Ye Jingtang didn't even look back as he charged towards Yao Wenzhong at the entrance of the gambling house alley.
Yao Wenzhong had missed his saber strike, took big steps backward, and spun around. When he turned back, he saw that Ye Jingtang had kicked Lord Fan the Eighth to death with one kick, and then, with a single charge and counter-charge, he had instantly eliminated the three cannon fodder he had recruited.
Yao Wenzhong had just fought with Ye Jingtang yesterday. Seeing this incredible scene, even though he was facing great danger, a look of confusion first flashed in his eyes. His first reaction was whether this black-clothed constable was actually a Martial Chief in disguise.
"You..."
Yao Wenzhong wanted to open his mouth to ask, but his opponent obviously wouldn't give him a chance.
Ye Jingtang was as fast as a violent thunderbolt. In an instant, he rushed back in front of Yao Wenzhong again. He held the saber with both hands and stabbed forward, aiming at Yao Wenzhong's throat.
Ding——
Yao Wenzhong was much stronger than the three cannon fodder. The momentum of the saber in his hand had accumulated to the extreme. Even though Ye Jingtang's speed was incredibly fast, he still accurately blocked the stabbing Chi Dragon Saber.
If it were an ordinary opponent, this saber strike would have been enough to knock the opponent's weapon away. If the opponent held on tightly, it could also knock the opponent's lower body off balance.
But Ye Jingtang took a big step forward. What had increased wasn't just the speed of his saber strike but also the speed of retracting the saber.
When Yao Wenzhong's heavy saber struck the Chi Dragon Saber, before he could fully exert the force, Ye Jingtang had already withdrawn the saber with lightning speed and then stabbed again.
Swish——
The Dragon-Slaying Order used a hundred-jin heavy saber. Its strength was relying on the unparalleled inertia to make the power of the moves so strong that ordinary people couldn't possibly block them.
However, the drawback is that "inertia" is a double-edged sword. If the opponent can't parry the attack, the saber user himself can't be as flexible and skillful as when using a light saber. After making a sweeping slash, he has to swing the saber in a full circle to bring it back into position.
If the two opponents are evenly matched and the speed of the Dragon-Slaying Order technique can keep up, the other side simply wouldn't dare to take the risk of exploiting a loophole by trying to withstand the saber strike.
But originally, there wasn't a significant gap between Yao Wenzhong and Ye Jingtang. Now, Ye Jingtang was far more powerful than before. His foundation was obviously deeper than Yao Wenzhong's, and he was using the "Eight Steps Frenzied Saber" technique, which follows the principle that "only speed is invincible". In the face of absolute brute force, any technique is insignificant.
As soon as Yao Wenzhong's saber strike missed its mark, he secretly knew that things were not going well. He immediately gave up continuing the momentum of his saber move, forcefully stopped the saber by pulling it back, and placed it horizontally in front of him to block.
But Ye Jingtang stabbed forward with all his might, holding the saber with both hands, and the force was much greater than Yao Wenzhong had anticipated.
Clang——
The Chi Dragon Saber made contact with the blade of the Junshan Saber, and a vast surge of inner energy burst out instantaneously.
The Junshan Saber that Yao Wenzhong had procured temporarily wasn't as sturdy as his own treasured saber. Although it managed to block the stabbing Chi Dragon Saber, Ye Jingtang's saber blade didn't hesitate for a moment. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the blade that was as thick as a palm.
Dazzling sparks and metal shavings, along with the gleaming long saber, pierced into Yao Wenzhong's broad chest. A section of the bloody blade tip immediately protruded from the black cape on his back...