Book 15: Chapter 75

Neither of them acquiesced, giving the onlookers and urge to back off. Despite the muscular man’s firm stare, it wasn’t just overwhelming might, which was why he was able to hold it for so long. However, the elder held his affable gaze against the muscular man’s firm gaze without averting his gaze once. It was as if the elder was able to deflect the domineering aura away from himself. As they were both quite advanced in their internal disciplines, people who were too far from their levels had to back off to escape the oppressive vibe that made them uncomfortable. It was only a matter of time before it was just Ling Jialan and Ming Feizhen who were still standing in their original spots.

Ling Jialan was too fixated on the contest to notice that she had started drawing attention herself. Ming Feizhen had grabbed two jars of wine at some point to start hydrating; he, too, didn’t realise the crowd had backed off for a while. Without a crowd to distract the owners, wouldn’t he have had to pay? Nevertheless, since he even paid his lodging fee with someone else’s money, he figured it wouldn’t be an issue if he pinched a third jar.

“They might fight here,” remarked Ling Jialan. “We need to evacuate the crowd.”

“Evacuate?”

“Yes, he” – Ling Jialan pointed to the muscular man – “is incredibly strong. It’ll only take mere seconds before everything in his vicinity starts being smashed apart if he fights. Given how many pillars and rails are here, there’ll be a lot of casualties when the roof collapses. We need to evacuate the crowd now.”

Ming Feizhen looked over his shoulder. “The two of us are supposed to evacuate that many people? What are we going to shout? Fire?”

“No. Fear is the best tool.” Ling Jialan drew her sword and shouted, “Get lost if you don’t want to die!”

Unfortunately, Ling Jialan’s shout didn’t serve her intended purpose. Instead, she received all their cold glares. Fights in the capital where shady people gathered couldn’t have been more common, let alone it being a pretty girl who drew a sword on them. As it failed, she clicked her tongue and then inhaled to let out an internal-energy enhanced belt, but Ming Feizhen’s hand suddenly touching her shoulder stopped her.

“What?”

“There are things that are better than fear.” Ming Feizhen told the crowd, “If you gentlemen leave now, you probably won’t have to pay the bill.”

Before the owner could yell out, the crowd had already bolted as if there was a mountain of money to be found outside. There was no greater motivation for vagrants than freebies. As if that wasn’t bad enough, more than half of the pub’s alcohol was taken, too. Ling Jialan was rendered speechless.

A wind billowed the furniture. The muscular man and elder had released the energy they had been building up, snapping a pillar. Had the crowd not dispersed, the flying furniture and energy blast really would’ve caused casualties.

Having finished his alcohol, Ming Feizhen said, “Miss Ling, are we watching them out of curiosity? I am going to find a seat if we are.”

“Of course not. Didn’t you hear their conversation? The man with the dragon tattoo said he caught a thief with a treasure on him yesterday, but the elder is trying to get a cut since he spotted them.”

Ming Feizhen wrinkled his face. “They mentioned that in the presence of a huge crowd?”

“I deduced it from their conversation. Don’t you think the person they mentioned is the person we’re looking for?”

Ming Feizhen rubbed his face. “How are you so sure they were talking about Bu Xusan?”

“We don’t have any better clues at the moment. Why not check out who they caught? Wouldn’t that be better than nothing?”

“Oh…” Ming Feizhen found himself a seat as he said he would. “We’re pretty lucky, then.”

As she was eager to complete the commission and have her duel with Feng Qizhi, Ling Jialan ordered, “Follow my instructions.”

The muscular man and elder had almost reached their internal energy peaks. When they heard a loud shout, their beards blew into their faces, prompting them to back off more than ten metres each and crack the floor beneath them in the process. The two charged at each other again in spite of the thick veil of dust they kicked up. While they were roaring, stomping and breaking things, Ming Feizhen, seated in the middle, kept yawning, making it impossible to tell if one was meant to feel on the edge of their seat or not.

Both men uncorked a palm strike each once they were done feeling each other out, determined to settle the fight in the next exchange. The energy they could feel radiating from the other told them that it’d be extremely difficult to cancel their attacks once they clashed, meaning that injury – or even death – was highly possible. It was too late to regret, though; pulling their punches at that juncture was committing suicide.

Like a bolt of lightning, a silver blade suddenly flitted in between them. Their attacks went off their intended trajectories and opened new holes in the opposite walls.

Ling Jialan determined the two of them to be stronger than she could’ve handled alone in a contest of exchange. Therefore, she jumped in when an opening presented itself, striking a balance between three forces to then divert their attacks. Had she failed to balance the three forces out, their attacks would’ve blasted her into her grave.

Although they were surprised a young girl was able to save them, neither of them let down their guard as they still viewed each other as an enemy.

Standing in between the two and wearing a smile, Ling Jialan offered a propitious salute. “This one was very impressed with your strength. Would you be willing to accept this one as a friend?”

The fact that she neither mentioned their dispute or that she saved their life was a gesture of protecting their reputations, so they had to accept the olive branch no matter how they felt.

Reciprocating the salute, they conveyed, “The pleasure is ours. We appreciate you saving our lives.”

Following a brief courtesy chat, Ling Jialan said, “Would you allow this one to hear your dispute to give a fair opinion?”

The two men smiled and replied in unison, “No need!”

Having expected that response, Ling Jialan immediately responded, “It appears you deem this one unworthy of judging. This one has a friend at Liu Shan Men. Let us go see if they are willing to intervene.”

Although Liu Shan Men still wasn’t worth much elsewhere, they were now heavyweights in the capital. Plus, they served the same body as the Qilin Guards and Emperor’s Entourage. Who could’ve known if the other two offices would also want a piece of them once Liu Shan Men got involved? Hence, the two of them were quick to kindly turn down the offer.

The elder chuckled. “It is us who lacks the astuteness to recognise greatness. If this old one is not wrong, you practice the swordplay of a reputable clan in Jiangnan.”

“You are most discerning, elder. This one does not like to tell falsehoods. She and her friend came here with a goal in mind. It sounds as though the person mentioned in your conversation is the same person we are looking for. Would either of you happen to know someone by the name of Bu Xusan?”

It was a sound strategy to cut to the chase.

The muscular man jumped to his feet. “You want a piece of the loot, too? None of you scare me. You two can’t beat me even if you work together.”

The muscular man wanted to fight the elder fair and square, so he didn’t use his weapon before; however, he wasn’t going to fight both opponents unarmed.

Even though his opponent armed himself, the elder chortled without any tension. “You really are a fiery man. She only asked for an individual, not a spoil. Why are you so petty? At least hear her out first.”

It wasn’t surprising for the elder to not be concerned when it wasn’t him who was being robbed. At most, he’d only walk away with less. Plus, Ling Jialan would’ve been a pivotal helper in the fight considering her skill.

“You sure make it sound simple. There’s already a ten-thousand-taels bounty for a head, and a live person would be worth even more. Miss, pardon me, but I cannot tell you anything.”

The muscular man basically admitted to knowing. Ling Jialan put it together with the dialogue she heard prior to paint herself the full picture.

“This one is most definitely interested in sparring you. Bu Xusan serves her no purpose, so you can have the head if you wish.”

“Why are you compromising so easily, Miss? The two of us can dominate him,” opined the elder.

Ling Jialan was the only one who smiled. “This one does not need Bu Xusan. She only wishes to ask him a question. Why make life hard for someone else? You are also getting on with age, elder. Material wealth is not everlasting.”

“Hahaha, didn’t expect that, did you, old man? She wants to take my side. I would have to submit if you two teamed up, but what about if her and I teamed up? Would you dare to stand your ground?”

While they could’ve subdued the muscular man together, neither of them knew how much manpower he had nor where he hid Bu Xusan. Accordingly, it would’ve been painfully challenging to find Bu Xusan. In contrast, working with him would’ve removed those challenges.

The elder waited for the muscular man to finish laughing before questioning, “You have hidden the loot and him at Nine Heavens in Nancheng and plan to smuggle them out tonight. You think this old one didn’t know that?”

The muscular man turned and fled without another word. The elder, wearing a smirk, gave chase. Given the elder already knew where the loot and Bu Xusan were, the only reason he could’ve been here in the east was to lure the muscular man away. Ling Jialan pursued them once she came to the realisation, but she stopped once she remembered she had a companion.

“Ming Feizhen, are you coming or not?”

Ming Feizhen was already nowhere to be seen.

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