Stand Behind Me and Just Watch!
Sudden ambush sent Yeop Hyeon's form staggering backward. With every step he retreated, the ground cratered deeply beneath his feet.
His fist was dyed red, a trickle of blood running down it.
When he raised his head, a man stood before him. Appearing around twenty years old, he had a build similar to Bai Ze's. On his right hand gleamed an iron gauntlet.
Spirit weapon!
Yeop Hyeon eyed the iron gauntlet with an intrigued expression.
The man grinned at him, his already vicious face twisting into something even more grotesque.
Yeop Hyeon glanced back on instinct. Sure enough.
Two more men blocked his retreat. The one on the left wore plain robes, gripping a spear about three feet long. Its tip shimmered with razor sharpness, honed to perfection.
The other had short hair and wielded a crescent blade. The sword's body was black and thick, its edge as keen as paper. Three black rings were embedded along the flat of the blade.
Judging by their auras, all three were Soaring Realm experts—no doubt about it. In fact, they were all nearing the Penetrating Nether Realm.
The spear-wielder spoke first.
"I watched you fight not long ago. I was shocked to learn Jiang Kingdom has someone like you besides National Scholar An."
He approached Yeop Hyeon slowly, continuing.
"One-on-one, we might not match you. So..."
In that instant, Yeop Hyeon charged ferociously at him. When he was just a few steps away, he suddenly twisted and retreated.
A black arrow had embedded itself in his shoulder.
Yeop Hyeon looked up to see a woman in black robes drawing her bowstring from a distant rooftop.
Damn it—four of them, not three!
He reached back, snapping off the arrow's fletching. At that moment, a sound tore through the air by his ear. A burly man had appeared out of nowhere, swinging a fist straight at Yeop Hyeon's head.
His punch carried the overwhelming might of a ferocious beast.
A savage smile curled Yeop Hyeon's lips as he met it with his own fist.
One Fist Explodes Your Head!
As his punch shot out, cracks spiderwebbed across the ground beneath him and the walls on either side.
Fist met fist in collision.
Boom!
The man's iron gauntlet shattered into fragments and flew apart. He too carved a crater underfoot, skidding back several zhang.
The burly man stared at his trembling fist in disbelief.
He had trained in external arts and almost never lost a direct clash of flesh and bone.
And yet this guy in front of him was a sword cultivator!
As Yeop Hyeon moved to finish him, a sharp spear thrust toward him.
He twisted slightly to deflect it. But then the spear changed trajectory, sweeping horizontally.
Unable to dodge, Yeop Hyeon crossed both arms to block.
Thud!
He slammed into the wall. At that moment, another figure dropped from the sky, slashing down with his crescent blade.
The blade's momentum and power were utterly domineering.
The spear strike into blade attack was so seamless that Yeop Hyeon couldn't evade.
He crossed his arms overhead to block.
Thud!
He blocked the blade, but his legs sank into the ground.
Before he could react, the spear stabbed at his abdomen.
Yeop Hyeon ducked his head and rolled forward.
Thud thud!
The spear pierced where he'd stood, gouging a massive hole.
Before he could rise, immense power surged from behind.
Turning, he saw the burly man's fist hurtling toward his head, wrapped in gleaming black fist radiance.
A ferocious grin spread across Yeop Hyeon's face. Just like before, he met the punch head-on with his own.
One Fist Explodes Your Head!
This time, his fist brimmed with even greater domineering might!
Boom!
The burly man flew back several zhang and crashed to the ground.
Yeop Hyeon staggered back a few steps himself.
Right then, a faint whoosh grazed his ear.
Startled, he twisted away—but too late.
Another arrow pierced his right shoulder blade.
He whipped his head toward the rooftop. The woman had already nocked another arrow.
As she released, a flash of light streaked above her head.
She kicked off with her toes, leaping to another roof in an instant.
Where she'd stood, another woman appeared.
Ji An Zhi!
Two shadows joined Yeop Hyeon at his side.
Mu Yun Qi and Bai Ze had arrived. Now the numbers evened out.
As Yeop Hyeon prepared to charge, Mu Yun Qi raised a hand to stop him.
"Hold on..."
Yeop Hyeon and Bai Ze looked puzzled, but Mu Yun Qi muttered low.
"You've always been the one charging ahead, hogging all the attention from every woman in the Imperial City... So this time, stand behind me and just watch!"
His form shot toward the two distant fighters.
In that instant!
Thud!
Mu Yun Qi's form returned to Yeop Hyeon's side. Blood trickled from his mouth.
Bai Ze stared at him in disbelief.
"You meant watch you get beat?"
"..."
"These guys are strong!"
Mu Yun Qi wiped the blood from his mouth.
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
He'd felt their power firsthand—they were no pushovers.
The world was vast, teeming with powerhouses.
And with Chang Mok Academy's massive bounty, even more would come.
A single spirit weapon could buy countless fine swords.
"Pick one each!"
At Yeop Hyeon's words, Bai Ze didn't hesitate, charging the burly man.
The foe met him head-on without flinching.
Boom boom boom!
Yeop Hyeon glanced at Mu Yun Qi, who pondered briefly before streaking toward the crescent blade wielder like a gale.
The man leaped fearlessly, thrusting his blade.
Whoosh!
As the crescent blade sliced air, Mu Yun Qi was already behind him. But the man spun swiftly, swinging wide.
On the rooftop, Ji An Zhi rushed the black-clad woman, who retreated nimbly and drew her bow. Ji An Zhi's face grew serious as arrows whistled toward her in rapid succession.
In the narrow alley, Yeop Hyeon and the plain-robed man glared, neither moving yet.
"Let's call it off. I'll leave the Imperial City."
Yeop Hyeon shook his head.
"If you'd said that before my friends arrived, I might've let you. But now it's too late!"
With those words, he pounced like a tiger on its prey.
The man gripped his spear tight. The spear tip thrummed, cracking the ground beneath him.
In a flash, the spear shot toward Yeop Hyeon like lightning.
As the tip gleamed, vast energy erupted, crumbling the walls on both sides.
Then—a sword gleam flashed. Silence fell instantly.
From behind the man, Yeop Hyeon's Spirit Water Sword dripped a line of blood to the ground.
Having dispatched his foe, Yeop Hyeon turned to watch Bai Ze and the burly man. True to their external arts mastery, they clashed in brutal hand-to-hand. But Bai Ze clearly held the edge.
The burly man retreated nonstop, his body covered in deep gashes. Bai Ze's momentum raged on.
Yeop Hyeon felt a chill inwardly. Even with his hidden realm, Bai Ze's bodily toughness was unmatched—he couldn't claim superiority.
Without the Golden Nerve Scripture, one punch from Bai Ze would've sent him flying!
Thud!
Soon, Bai Ze's opponent couldn't hold, flying back and crashing down. As he tried to rise, Bai Ze stomped his head.
Splat!
His skull buried deep in the earth, he convulsed once and went still.
Bai Ze pried the iron gauntlet from the man's hand, then rummaged his waist for the money pouch. Testing the gauntlet on his own hand, he grinned at Yeop Hyeon.
"Spirit weapon!"
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"At least two million taels!"
"Hahaha! Now I get why you love fighting so much. Take me next time too! Hahaha!"
"..."
Boom!
A loud crash echoed from behind.
Turning, they saw Mu Yun Qi retreating wildly from his opponent's strikes.
Yeop Hyeon shrugged and moved to join with Bai Ze.
"Don't come! I got this alone!"
At Mu Yun Qi's shout, they held back to watch.
They trusted him.
If he couldn't handle it, he'd have bolted first!
Mu Yun Qi crossed his arms, forming hand seals. Suddenly, another Mu Yun Qi appeared behind the enemy—while the original stood in place.
Two Mu Yun Qis?
The blade wielder was stunned too.
Then two gleams shot toward him.
Flying daggers!
Two daggers hurtled at blinding speed—even Yeop Hyeon and Bai Ze from afar couldn't track them.
The man's pupils shrank. Both were real!
No time to think. He swung his crescent blade.
Whoosh!
A half-moon blade radiance bloomed around him, deflecting both daggers. But it wasn't over—a third dagger flew at his face!
Pfft!
The man froze. A dagger protruded from his throat.
Mu Yun Qi looked a bit pale. Yeop Hyeon and Bai Ze hurried to his side.
"You good?"
Mu Yun Qi straightened with bravado.
"Never better!"
Classic Mu Yun Qi.
Yeop Hyeon patted his shoulder lightly.
"Head back and rest up."
He approached the dead man, grabbing the blade and pouch, offering them to Mu Yun Qi.
"Two million taels at least. Want it? If not, I'll take it..."
Mu Yun Qi snatched them, glaring.
"You bandit!"
"..."
Mu Yun Qi admired the short blade in awe. His family had spirit weapons, but none he could use. And two million taels was a fortune.
He sighed softly.
"Brother Yeop the Bandit. Now I finally get why you love fighting. Win a fight, get paid! Next time there's trouble, call me first. That's what friends are for, right?"
"..."