"AH!"
Executing the Cloak and Dagger, Zheng Jun instinctively chopped diagonally toward the cudgel swinging from his right. Soon, he felt the broken saber slice into flesh. A miserable scream followed, and he swiftly retracted his blade. Stepping back, he held the weapon horizontally in front of him, his gaze icy.
Zhou Pu also quickly drew his blade. Eyes wide with fury, he whipped out the old saber from his waist without a moment's hesitation and roared, "How dare you attack Arresting Officials! You've got some nerve!"
The blade's friction against the air produced an ear-piercing screech. Zheng Jun remained silent, staring intently at the man he had just wounded.
The attacker was a scrawny man dressed in a sturdy, gray coarse-cloth outfit. With a blade wound to his shoulder, his face had turned deathly pale. The cudgel slipped from his grasp, landing on the ground with a heavy CLACK. Zheng Jun did not recognize the scrawny man.
Immediately after the man was slashed, seven or eight others charged out from the surrounding alleys. Each wielded a long-handled cudgel, closing in with vicious, menacing glares.
A reckless youth, dragging a Qimei Staff taller than himself, scrambled over to the scrawny man in gray and asked with deep concern, "Incense Master, are you alright?"
Following his concern, extreme anger took over. The youth pointed a trembling finger at the three men inside the sweet syrup shop—Zheng Jun, Zhou Pu, and Liu Yaozu—and shouted, "Capture and kill these three black dogs! Avenge the Incense Master!"
The seven or eight men wielding Qimei Staffs pressed forward in unison, bearing down on them like a dark cloud. Zhou Pu felt they were in a tough spot, while Liu Yaozu was so terrified he was rendered entirely speechless.
Zheng Jun, gripping his broken blade, swiftly retreated until his back was against the doorframe. He lowered his voice and said, "Zhou Pu, Liu, guard the windows and the back door! The only way into the shop is through this front entrance. They might have the numbers, but they're disorganized. If they want to force their way in, they'll have to do it one by one!"
With that said, Zheng Jun locked his eyes onto a man swinging his staff down at him. Seizing the perfect opportunity, he stepped forward and delivered a diagonal chop. Although there was a saying that "an inch longer is an inch stronger," the Qimei Staff was actually quite restricted in such a confined space. Zheng Jun's strike pinned the Qimei Staff directly against the doorframe, leaving the attacker unable to pull it back.
"Get lost!" Zheng Jun bellowed. Grabbing the Qimei Staff with his left hand, he shoved it fiercely forward.
The powerful push instantly threw the attacker off balance, causing him to stumble. Without a second thought, Zheng Jun capitalized on the man's unsteady footing and chopped at him with the broken saber.
The blade tore through the air with a whistling rush. The strike was ruthless, merciless, and incredibly vicious! Before the vanguard attacker could even react, a burst of agonizing pain erupted across his chest. A chunk of his flesh was shaved right off! The gash was so deep the bone was visible, and blood gushed out like a torrential river!
Having hacked the man down with a single strike, Zheng Jun quickly backed up again, anchoring himself against the doorframe. He glared fiercely at the surrounding men in gray robes.
The vanguard hadn't lasted a single exchange before being slashed to the ground.
The Cloak and Dagger Technique might have been the most widely circulated Saber Technique among Arresting Officials, but its fundamental mechanics were incredibly solid. Since Zheng Jun had reached Great Success with it, his blade work was exceptionally sturdy, his techniques highly refined. By comparison, even though these charging men looked ferocious, they had only learned superficial martial arts. With their weapons restricted by the environment, they looked no different than stationary wooden targets in Zheng Jun's eyes, their bodies riddled with openings.
Seeing the mob intimidated by how easily he had cut down one of their own, Zheng Jun swept his hostile gaze over them. He steadied his breathing and let out a cold shout, "You won't advance, and you won't retreat! What is the meaning of this?!
"If you don't have the guts to come forward, kneel down, kowtow three times, and call me your granddaddy! Then you can get out of my sight!"
None of the men present were initiated Martial Artists. To Zheng Jun, they were nothing but a rabble of worthless weaklings. However, when enough dogs gathered into a pack, they could still tear off a few bites if one wasn't careful.
"A-Attack! All of you, get him!"
The men holding the Qimei Staffs were all hesitating in fear. Seeing this, the reckless youth gulped and shrieked, "No matter how strong these government lapdogs are, there are only three of them! They're vastly outnumbered! If any brother gets injured, I'll pay for your medical bills!"
Hearing the youth's promise, the surrounding men in gray felt tempted, yet they remained deeply troubled. It was exactly as Zheng Jun had said. The doorframe was too narrow. They couldn't rush in all at once; they had to go one by one. And in a one-on-one fight, they were simply no match for him!
The Incense Master who had been slashed by Zheng Jun had managed to stop the bleeding with the help of his subordinates. Wincing and in excruciating pain, he looked at Zheng Jun holding the chokepoint like a one-man army and felt an immense headache coming on. A flicker of sheer terror flashed through his eyes. He never could have imagined that a lowly Arresting Official clad in black, who hadn't even achieved Blood Refining, could display such ruthless Saber Techniques. Even if he hadn't underestimated his opponent, he absolutely wouldn't have been a match for him.
Now, being stalled here made the Incense Master incredibly frustrated. However, after the reckless youth had spoken up, Zheng Jun instantly identified the enemy's leader. He locked his eyes dead onto the boy, as fierce and predatory as a falcon!
Zheng Jun's vicious glare terrified the youth, causing him to take a frightened step back and gulp heavily. Seeing the boy flinch, Zheng Jun stomped forward and lunged out once more.
No one had anticipated Zheng Jun taking the offensive. Stunned, they instinctively raised their staffs to block him. After all, Zheng Jun's clean and decisive brutality just moments ago had genuinely frightened these thugs, who usually only bullied ordinary civilians. But Zheng Jun's focus remained locked entirely on a single target—the reckless youth!
Seeing this, the Incense Master cried out internally, "Oh no!" Ignoring the agony in his shoulder, he threw himself forward in a desperate leap.
Realizing what the Incense Master was doing, several nearby men snapped out of their daze and swung their staffs down at Zheng Jun. Seeing the danger, Zhou Pu abandoned guarding the window. Gripping his blade, he vaulted out through the frame and slashed directly at the thugs trying to brain Zheng Jun.
Startled out of their wits, the men scrambled to pull back and defend themselves. After all, how could anyone else's life be more important than their own?
The Incense Master's desperate leap was an act of pure panic, sending him barreling straight into Zheng Jun's path. Zheng Jun stood tall. With one hand holding his saber and the other clenched into a fist, he threw a devastating punch, driving it right into the Incense Master's wounded chest!
The injury ruptured instantly! Blood sprayed wildly into the air as his sternum caved in with a sickening crunch! The Incense Master let out another agonizing "AH!" before tumbling away across the ground.
As for Zheng Jun, he had already closed the distance. Arriving in front of the paralyzed, terrified youth, he leveled his broken saber and pressed it against the boy's neck. "Everyone, stop!
"If anyone makes another move, I'll kill him!"
Zheng Jun's booming voice echoed in all directions.
Although the Incense Master's chest was wracked with blinding pain and extreme dizziness, he ignored his severe injuries upon hearing this. Scrambling to his feet, he hastily yelled, "Stop! Stop right now!"
In an instant, all the men wielding Qimei Staffs froze in place, too afraid to make another reckless move. Seeing this, Zheng Jun finally let out a sigh of relief.
Zhou Pu stood defensively by Zheng Jun with his blade drawn. Though he looked slightly disheveled, he hadn't sustained a single scratch. Facing the coordinated staff strikes of four or five men, Zhou Pu had only been left a little worse for wear. It seemed he really did have some skills.
Liu Yaozu, on the other hand, was in a miserable state. He had taken a direct hit to the head, which was now oozing blood with a soft HISS. Tremendously dizzy, he could barely keep himself upright by leaning heavily against the sweet syrup shop's tables and chairs.
The reckless youth's face had turned ashen with terror. Facing Zheng Jun, who was mere inches away, all of his previous arrogance had completely vanished. His lips trembled as he pleaded in a low voice, "D-Don't... please don't kill me.
"My brother-in-law... my brother-in-law is Zhang Qingyu! My family is wealthy! We can compensate you with money!" the reckless youth cried out softly.
"Zhang Qingyu?" Hearing this name, Zheng Jun couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Zhou Pu immediately stepped up behind Zheng Jun and muttered, "The Gang Leader of the Qingshui Gang. These guys belong to the Qingshui Gang." Having said that, his tone instantly lightened. "Now, we just have to wait for the people from the Government Office to arrive."
Listening to Zhou Pu, Zheng Jun pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Where is the Qingshui Gang's headquarters?"
Hearing Zheng Jun's question, Zhou Pu was taken aback.
"The Qingshui Gang ordered these gang members to attack us in broad daylight. Are they trying to murder officials and incite a rebellion? Once our colleagues from the Government Office arrive, we must head straight to the Qingshui Gang's headquarters and demand an explanation from him!"