Stranger Danger

“The Growth Wither Palm? You’re Growth and Wither?” Ye Qing staggered a little as he asked.

“It is I. Allow me to send you to the king of hell,” Growth and Wither answered. As it turned out, his voice was half youthful and half ancient as well. It was odd to say the least.

“Don’t forget me! Kekeke…”

A boy wearing a red burial shirt and a white burial hat appeared on top of Ye Qing and struck him with a mourning stick. He was Crying Boy.

Bang!

Ye Qing struggled to regain his balance as his mind wobbled, and his consciousness grew dim. At the same time, Growth and Wither seized the opportunity to launch another palm strike at Ye Qing’s head.

It was at this moment Ye Qing’s eyes suddenly erupted with brilliant light. He caught Growth and Wither’s arm before the attack could land and pulled him toward him. While the old man was stumbling toward him, Ye Qing slammed his elbow into his chest and ripped his arm right off the socket. While Growth and Wither was screaming in pain, Ye Qing swung the arm at Crying Boy’s head—the Astral Refiner was attempting to ambush him from behind—and burst it like a watermelon. His body flew back and hit the ground with a dull thud.

“Pooh!”

Ye Qing spat out a blood spittle and grinned. “Clearly, your head isn’t as tough as mine.”

After Crying Boy was dead, Ye Qing looked at Ghastly Willow slowly backing away from him with a look of utter shock on his face. “Would you like to test the hardness of my head as well?”

Ghastly Willow was a pale-looking young man in the first place, but now he looked as pale as a ghost. After giving Ye Qing a smile that looked uglier than a cry, he abruptly turned around and took off like a rabbit.

“Hahaha! Cough! Cough…” Ye Qing laughed maniacally even as he coughed up blood. He looked as fearless as he was unrestrained.

“Is there anyone else? Cough! Cough! Bunch of trash. I already look like this, and still you didn’t dare to attack me. I truly feel ashamed for y’all.”

Ye Qing laughed wantonly and arrogantly. “Chickenshits like you should go back home and feed the pigs instead of staining the jianghu with your presence!”

“What the hell is he doing? Is he actually suicidal?” Chu Nianjiu exclaimed in shock and worry.

“He’s obviously on his last legs. Let’s get him together, people!” Someone shouted all of a sudden, and Ye Qing purposely stumbled to add fuel to fire. It was enough to spur even more jianghu warriors to act. An even bigger group from before leaped over to the arena and filled it with no time. Ye Qing looked like a grain of sand that was about to be washed away by the tidal wave of people at any moment.

“KILL!”

It was at this moment an explosive roar and a flood of bloodthirst erupted from the middle of the crowd. A flash later, every single warrior in the arena abruptly split into two. It was like the winter engulfing a plain and killing every flora and fauna in it.

BOOM

The light slammed into the river and kicked up a tidal wave that was over fifty meters tall. When it settled, Ye Qing was the only one still standing on the platform. Everyone else was as dead as a dodo, and some of the weaker ones were annihilated so thoroughly that they didn’t even leave a body behind.

“What the…?”

For a time, no one could say anything. They could only stared at the man wearing a bronze mask in stunned silence. It was an understandable sentiment. How could anyone form the words to express their shock right now? If anything, speechlessness was probably the truest expression of their feelings.

“Cough cough…” Ye Qing took off the Bronze Tiger Head and asked with bloodshot eyes, “Dogs and chickens, all of them. Can’t even take a hit from me.”

“Is there anyone else who would like to face me?” “ANYONE?”

Ye Qing slowly swept his gaze across the crowd. Everyone who met his eyes shivered and subconsciously backed away from him.

“Is there no one? Hehehe…”

Every time Ye Qing’s blood dripped onto the Bronze Tiger Head in his head, it would evaporate and turn into an invisible yet unstoppable ripple of bloodthirst. Combined with the countless bodies in the arena, it made Ye Qing looked like a god or demon incarnate.

“I’m grievously injured, my vigor is stuttering, and true qi is mostly depleted right now. All in all, I am already at my limit. Are you sure you guys don’t want to give it another go?”

“Who knows? Maybe the next jianghu warrior will be able to kill me?”

“Think about it. If you kill me, the Spirit Purification stage martial art, pill and Hatred-class Strange Artifact will all go to you. Oh, I have a lot of good stuff on my person as well. I have many Astral Refinement stage martial arts, Hatred-class strange Artifacts and more. If you kill me, then it will all become all yours.”

Ye Qing kept enticing the shitless jianghu warriors like a bonafide demon. “Are you tempted? Come get me then. You won’t get a better opportunity than this. What are you waiting for? Come get me!”

“Wow, you guys are bores. If you guys aren’t going to attack me, then I’m just going to leave.”

“I’m taking a step! I’m taking another step! Oh no, the edge is getting closer and closer!”

Fucking leave already! Do you really think we’re stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice? Just quit trying to trick us and leave already!

Everyone rolled their eyes at Ye Qing’s antics, but some people were tempted to test their luck. What if he really was on his last legs, right?

Buzz…

Suddenly, every sword in the vicinity—the ones lying on the ground, the river, the scabbard and even those that were being held—started shaking unnaturally.

“What’s going on?”

“Why is my sword reacting on its own?”

Everyone exchanged confused glances with each other. The next moment, the swords abruptly soared into the sky and formed a metallic bridge that connected the shore to the arena.

A young man wearing a blood red robe and carrying a blood red sword stepped out of the crowd. When he stepped on the bridge, the swords immediately vibrated like they were welcoming his arrival.

“What the hell is he doing?” Chu Nianjiu abruptly shot to his feet. “He can’t possibly be…?”

“The Sword Gentleman!”

“It’s the Sword Gentleman!”

“Why is Chen Cang here?”

“He… wants to kill Ye Qing? But why? Is he aiming for the bounty as well? Or does he have some other objective?”

A cacophony of chatter filled the restaurant then. Chen Cang, the Sword Gentleman, was a legendary figure in Luo Shui as a matter of course. Despite his humble beginnings, he was an Innate Immaculate Swordsmaster who was born to wield the sword in both mind and body. The head of the Blood Shadow Palace himself had discovered him and taken him as an inner disciple.

Obsessed with the sword, he lived his whole life with only the sword as his companion. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he lived and died for the sword. He was also praised as a once-in-a-century genius in the Way of the Sword.

Chen Cang was incredibly difficult to find not just because he was reclusive, but also because he spent most of his time training in the mountains. Naturally, he rarely mingled with the masses, much less took part in a noisy event like this, which added to the mysticism surrounding his person. No one except maybe Fang Xuanlang expected him to show up for this showdown.

“Excuse me. I’m going to ask him what the hell he’s plotting.”

Chu Nianjiu slapped the table and tried to leap off the building. However, Xue Shiwu blocked his way as soon as he made a move. “I can’t let you do that, Lord Chu.”

“What is the meaning of this, Xue Shiwu?” Chu Nianjiu frowned deeply.

Xue Shiwu replied calmly, “I’m doing this for your own good, Lord Chu. Chief Gu himself had given his word that the Pacification Bureau won’t interfere with this showdown in any way. You’re not going to break his word and besmirch the reputation of the Pacification Bureau, are you?”

Chu Nianjiu wanted to say something, but Lin Yuhuai pulled him back and said, “Calm down, Nianjiu. Let’s wait and see what happens.”

The Wine Gentleman grunted but returned to his seat. Xue Shiwu let out a boisterous, arrogant laugh.

“Sword Gentleman Chen Cang?” Ye Qing was a bit surprised to see him here. There was no reason for the man to be here unless… Is he here for his brother, Chen Zheng?

Chen Zheng was the one and only intersection point between him and Chen Cang. Otherwise, they had never even met each other until now. Considering Chen Cang’s temperament, he probably wasn’t the type of person to let others do his dirty work, meaning that he was most likely here for Chen Zheng.

But how did Chen Cang figure out that he was behind Chen Zheng’s death? It was the perfect crime!

Chen Cang asked with a cool, icy expression, “I am Chen Cang. Are you Ye Qing?”

Ye Qing: “...” You’re stepping on this platform when you don’t even recognize me?

“Are you from August Hill Village?” Chen Cang continued before Ye Qing could answer.

Ye Qing’s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly denied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Chen Cang replied slowly, “There’s no point denying it. I know that you’re Ye Qing of August Hill Village.”

“I investigated August Hill Village’s household register before, and there is a Ye Qing in it. You appeared in Anyang not long after a disaster befell August Hill Village. It’s quite the coincidence, isn’t it?”

Ye Qing chuckled. “Ye Qing is a great name, but it’s hardly an uncommon name. Luo Shui alone probably has a couple hundred Ye Qings. What on earth makes you think that I am Ye Qing of August Hill Village? Don’t you think that your deduction is a little too flimsy, Brother Chen?”

Chen Cang remained expressionless. “That is why I made a point to visit Little August Village. The village was destroyed, but Little August Hill is still around. That is why I went there and interrogated a few intelligent Strangers. And guess what? Some of them have seen you before. They even drew me a portrait so I can identify you.”

“You are a perfect match with the man in the portrait, so you must be Ye Qing of August Hill Village.”

Ah shit, I can’t believe I forgot about that! Ye Qing rubbed his nose before asking, “So what if I hail from August Hill Village? Is that a crime?”

Chen Cang nodded. “Your admission is all I need. I have a younger brother named Chen Zheng. He’s dead.”

“So? What does it have to do with me?” Ye Qing shrugged.

Chen Cang said coldly, “According to Windcatcher Chu Nianjiu, you were with my brother when he passed away. But somehow, you’re still alive. Do you think that’s fair?”

Ye Qing couldn’t be bothered to defend himself at this point, so he taunted, “What do you mean ‘that’s fair’? I lived because I was lucky, while Chen Zheng died because he was unlucky enough to run into a powerful Stranger. It’s that simple.”

Chen Cang shook his head. “I don’t know if Chen Zheng was killed by a Stranger. All I know is that he’s dead, and you are still alive.”

“Whether or not you’re telling the truth, you were there when he died. Therefore, you should’ve died with him.”

“The reason I’m here is to rectify that mistake!”

“Heh… they shouldn’t have named you the Sword Gentleman. Crazy Bastard fits you much better!” Ye Qing sneered. “Come get me then. From the moment you set foot in this arena, there is only life or death!”

Chen Cang didn’t get angry despite Ye Qing’s taunt. He replied indifferently, “This is how my Way and sword is, and I don’t think I am wrong. So, die.”