Chapter 246: Chapter 177: Fire Engulfs North Street
WHOOSH~~
The airflow whirled within the Butcher Court, the residual force of that staff strike still echoing, dispelling dust and sand in all directions.
That was close!
Chen Ku leaned his long staff in his hand and stood his ground, staring at Xie Qi, the Fourth Realm Expert from the Firewood Iron Shop whose head he had just smashed with his staff. A lingering sense of shock and fear still gripped him.
In that instant when Xie Qi had swung his hammer to attack, the lightning-fast speed, combined with the Qi Power of a Fourth Realm Great Martial Man, had exerted an indescribable pressure on Chen Ku.
If not for his diverse array of methods and abilities, the slightest mistake at that moment would have meant he, not Xie Qi, would be the one lying dead.
Indeed, in a direct confrontation, a single mistake or flaw can be fatal. It feels completely different from a sneak attack from behind.
Chen Ku once again appreciated the dangers of face-to-face combat. Against opponents of the Same Realm, his overbearing Divine Power allowed him to simply smash his staff down without issue. The three men from Di Jianqing were prime examples. Their Cultivation Realms were on par with his, making them easy opponents. He had no significant disadvantage against them; in fact, in some aspects, he was even slightly superior.
However, a direct confrontation with a Fourth Realm Martial Practitioner was an entirely different matter. The hallmark of a Fourth Realm Martial Practitioner was their frighteningly fast Inner Qi recovery rate.
Although Chen Ku still managed to kill Xie Qi instantly, within just a few breaths, his success was absolutely due to his grasp of combat timing, his use of psychological tactics, and the variety of his techniques.
In short, against a Fourth Realm Expert, Chen Ku currently had only one chance to strike. Success meant a chance to kill the opponent without injury; failure meant his own death. He could fight them, but the risk of instant death from a single mistake meant it wasn’t a sound strategy. It wasn’t reliable enough!
Still, this fear of insufficient strength.
Chen Ku sighed inwardly.
He didn’t know, however, that Elder Shang, hastening towards them from a distance, wore a truly marvelous expression as he witnessed this scene.
"Chen Ku? You... you killed Xie Qi, the Fourth Realm Martial Practitioner of the Firewood Iron Shop? How did you do it?"
Elder Shang approached swiftly, one arm hanging limply where an arrow had pierced it. His expression was a mixture of shock and excitement.
Xie Qi was no ordinary individual. Baojiao County was only so large; every major power knew the names and capabilities of the prominent Fourth Realm experts. After being adopted by the old shopkeeper Xie Wenyuan, Xie Qi had displayed exceptional martial arts talent and qualifications. By the young age of thirty-eight, he had become one of Baojiao County’s rare Four Realms Meridian experts. In terms of qualifications, he was even slightly superior to Elder Shang.
For most Martial Artists in Baojiao County, a Fourth Realm Martial Practitioner was effectively the ’ceiling’ of martial capability. Such experts in Baojiao County numbered no more than twenty, at most. Indeed, a man’s reputation casts a long shadow. Every single one was a known figure.
And now, such an expert had been bludgeoned to death by his own disciple in a few breaths with a single staff strike.
If word of this got out, wouldn’t it mean his disciple, after only a little over six months of training, was now qualified to be considered among the ’ceiling’ of Baojiao County’s martial power?
"Master."
Chen Ku didn’t immediately answer Elder Shang’s question. Instead, his gaze fell with concern on his master’s arrow-wounded arm. The injury was severe; the bone was shattered. He asked urgently, "Your arm, it needs immediate medical attention, or else..."
"I know. It’s too late. The Firewood Iron Shop has already launched their assault; even Brother Nong has been killed. If I go to treat my wound now, Medicine King Hall will be short one fighter. A useless arm is nothing. As long as we can repel the Firewood Iron Shop tonight, even annihilate them... afterward, the Hall will take care of me. Don’t worry about it." Elder Shang was well aware of his arm’s condition. His arm had been hit by a Divine Force Crossbow, a weapon banned by the Imperial Court. Unless a Holy Medicine capable of regrowing flesh on severed bones could be found, the shattered bone meant his arm was irreparably crippled.
He even felt somewhat fortunate. To be shot only in the arm while ambushed in his sleep by Divine Force Crossbows was already incredibly lucky.
"But you, what movement technique did you use just now? It didn’t seem like the Piercing Sound Step?" Elder Shang asked thoughtfully.
"Well..." Chen Ku couldn’t explain much. "Consider it a minor insight I gained, Master. Just a way to confuse the enemy. The real reason I could kill Xie Qi was thanks to ’Spirit Witness,’ which momentarily clouded his mind."
Elder Shang had noticed some clues as to how his disciple had managed to kill Xie Qi in that critical moment. What he hadn’t expected was that the Spirit Witness, which they had tested when Chen Ku broke through the Third Layer of the Mystic Barrier, had increased in power so much in such a short time.
Could it be... this child has broken through to another Cultivation Realm again?
Before Elder Shang could say more, a roar came from Cao Shouxiong in the rear courtyard: "The Firewood Iron Shop’s main force has broken through! Everyone, prepare to engage the enemy! Quickly eliminate all hidden Divine Crossbowmen!"
BOOM! BOOM!...
Almost simultaneously with Cao Shouxiong’s shout, the dozen or so remaining Divine Force Crossbowmen, having already reloaded, unleashed a second volley of bolts targeting several key courtyards within Medicine King Hall!
"Master, look out!"
Chen Ku immediately sensed the danger. He lunged forward, tackling Elder Shang into the shadows of a courtyard wall.
THUD! THUD! THUD!!!
The spot they had just vacated was instantly pierced by twenty fearsome, javelin-like arrows. They gouged large pits in the ground, sending earth and dust flying!
"Ox sector, two of them!"
After tackling Elder Shang to safety, Chen Ku had no time for words. He retrieved the Purple-Gold Heavenly Wolf Bow from his back, leaped onto a rooftop, and scanned his surroundings, using scent to lock onto the other Divine Force Crossbowmen.
He drew his bow and nocked an arrow, instantly loosing a shot. SWISH! Another crossbowman fell.
Simultaneously, he continued to relay positions to Chai Bao. "Instructor Chai, two at the Tiger sector, three miles away..."
「In the distance」
On the sloped roof of the Guardian Hall, Chai Bao had already taken down five crossbowmen thanks to Chen Ku’s earlier calls. He had lost their positions when the others went into hiding. Hearing Chen Ku’s renewed warning, he unhesitatingly drew his bow, nocked arrows, and fired two in quick succession!
Two crossbowmen three miles away were instantly shot through the chest and killed!
"Three of them, five miles away in the Pig position!"
Hearing Chen Ku’s continuous callouts, SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Chai Bao drew his bow to its full extent and, as he let the arrows fly, roared towards the Firewood Iron Shop members, his voice carrying clearly: "Half of the Divine Force Crossbowmen have been eliminated! Chen Ku and I will handle these crossbowmen. The rest of you—our allies—go forth and fight those Firewood Iron Shop bastards to your heart’s content!"
Cao Shouxiong had been waiting for Chai Bao’s words. He leaped into action. As one of Medicine King Hall’s six experts at or above the Fourth Realm, and also a Shopkeeper who had risen from the bottom, he immediately assessed the battle situation.
The Firewood Iron Shop originally had only four Fourth Realm experts. Their confidence in waging this turf war stemmed solely from their Divine Force Crossbows. However, now that Chen Ku and Chai Bao were neutralizing this threat, only ordinary martial practitioners from the Firewood Iron Shop remained. The odds were beginning to tip in favor of Medicine King Hall.
And indeed, it proved so.
As Cao Shouxiong led a group of disciples out of Medicine King Hall, they encountered Kou Ming and Shang Yunfang. Each was leading a contingent from other courtyard gates, and they converged. Once united, the three groups wordlessly turned their attention to the Firewood Iron Shop forces charging up North Street.
They numbered two to three hundred in total, led by Hong Tingshan, one of the Firewood Iron Shop’s Fourth Realm experts in charge of their guards.
"Kill them! Annihilate them!"
Cao Shouxiong was the first to charge Hong Tingshan, letting out a long cry as he laid out his plan and boosted the morale of Medicine King Hall’s apprentices and assistants: "Elder Shang and I will take on Hong Tingshan; victory is already in our hands! Kou Ming, lead the remaining masters and apprentices and slaughter the rest of the Firewood Iron Shop’s men! After tonight, Medicine King Hall will be the unrivaled overlord of Baojiao County! Kill!"
In an instant, the eyes of all Medicine King Hall apprentices and assistants turned bloodshot. With a seemingly guaranteed victory before them... why wouldn’t they fight with all their might, contribute to the Hall’s success, and await the rewards of triumph?
Across North Street, Hong Tingshan and all the Firewood Iron Shop assistants and apprentices also heard Cao Shouxiong’s demoralizing words, and their hearts began to waver.
Hong Tingshan’s face paled. He knew full well Cao Shouxiong’s shout was meant to bolster his own side’s morale while simultaneously crushing theirs.
However, as he charged towards the opposition, BOOM!
Suddenly, from two or three miles behind them, a deafening roar and the clash of Sword Qi erupted.
That sound... Yang Luochen! Young Master!
Hong Tingshan almost instinctively looked back. He saw that Sect Leader Xie Qingfeng, who had been overseeing the battle from the rear, had been ambushed at some unknown moment by Yang Luochen. A single strike from Yang Luochen seemed to blast open the sky.
He only caught a fleeting glimpse of the Young Master’s silhouette being sent flying by Yang Luochen’s staff.
"Kill them! Wipe out the Firewood Iron Shop!"
Several hundred meters ahead, Cao Shouxiong was already charging, roaring as he came.
At this moment, Hong Tingshan’s heart plummeted. Their Divine Force Crossbows were neutralized, they were outnumbered and outmatched in terms of experts in direct combat, and their Young Master was under attack in the rear.
Three critical disadvantages piled up...
"Haha!" At this critical juncture, Hong Tingshan cast aside all emotion and let out a long, hearty laugh. "For the Firewood Iron Shop’s glory! Kill!"
Brandishing a Hexagonal Flower Steel Hammer, he leaped towards Cao Shouxiong, raising the Big Hammer high and smashing it down directly at him!
CLANG!
Unexpectedly, the strike missed. Cao Shouxiong executed the Shopkeeper lineage’s Ultimate Skill, the Five Elements Qi Needle. Its myriad illusory movements allowed him to brush past the wind of the hammer, a silver needle already twisted between his fingers...
Agile as a crane.
The needle pointed towards Hong Tingshan’s throat!
Hong Tingshan tried to retreat but was assailed by a thunderous roar that seemed to split his eardrums. It was Shang Yunfang. Despite having lost an arm, he still wielded a knife single-handedly, executing the Great Achievement Sonic Step. He covered seventy yards in an instant, appearing behind Hong Tingshan.
The sharp knife in his palm, its cold gleam flashing, swiftly descended upon Hong Tingshan, unleashing a flurry of dismembering cuts that bloomed like countless blade flowers!
SPURT! SPURT! SPURT!!
Attacked by two Fourth Realm Experts simultaneously, Hong Tingshan was instantly bloodied, crimson spraying wildly.
BOOM!
Behind the three fighting experts, the main forces of the two factions collided in the center of North Street like two opposing tidal waves.
"Kill!" "Kill!" "AAAAHHH..."
Suddenly, a storm of clashing weapons and agonized screams, no less intense than a scene from an Asura’s hell on a battlefield, unfolded on the street.
From their windows, the merchants and commoners on either side of the street could only see spatters of blood, flashes of Sword Light, and clusters of figures fighting and falling...
The stench of blood gradually stained the stone slabs of the street and wafted into the homes lining both sides, assaulting the nostrils of their inhabitants.
Some women, tears in their eyes, nervously covered their children’s mouths to keep them from making a sound.
One couple was trying to barricade their door with tables and benches when, without warning, a body was hurled through their window, landing directly on their bed, blood pooling around it.
Immediately, Kou Ming’s figure, clad in a blue robe, flashed past the broken window. He flicked a needle through the opening, piercing the intruder’s brow and killing him instantly. Then, his eyes met those of the terrified couple.
The scholarly-looking youth in the blue robe grinned, offering a gentle smile. "Don’t be afraid," he said. "Come to Medicine King Hall tomorrow for compensation."
As his words faded, his figure disappeared from the broken window.
What reached the ears of every household was the sound of an even more intense and bloody battle raging outside.