Chapter 197: Chapter 124: Rescue
Yin Rong and Steward Wang were also dumbfounded, having no idea what was happening. ’Has another enemy come to our door?’
But in the blink of an eye, several more of the thugs met their end.
Now all five were gone, leaving Ba Hui alone.
And he hadn’t even seen a shadow of his enemy!
Cold sweat beaded on Ba Hui’s forehead as he gripped his saber hilt tightly.
Suddenly, he spun around, his long saber cleaving viciously through the air behind him!
"CLANG—!"
The explosive sound of metal striking metal erupted in the room, sending sparks flying!
He had narrowly parried a sharp glint of a saber that had stabbed out from the shadows.
A dark figure was sent staggering back several steps by the immense force, finally revealing its form.
Moonlight streamed through the broken window, illuminating the newcomer’s profile.
Steward Wang cried out, "Young... Young Master Jiang!"
Yin Rong was also thrilled. "It’s him! He really came to save us!"
But his heart immediately tightened with anxiety. ’This man is a Bone Forging Realm expert, but Jiang Che is only at Force Integration. Can he win?’
Jiang Che shook his slightly numb wrist, his gaze icy as he stared down the fierce bandit before him.
’Mid-stage of the Bone Forging Realm... he’s impressive, alright.’
’Even stronger than the two Early Stage of the Bone Forging Realm spies from the Demon Sect I encountered before!’
’His Bone Forging Force is incredibly dense, far surpassing my own Force Integration Qi Force.’
’My Transformation into the Black Armor Form could finish him in an instant, of course.’
’But with Yin Rong and Steward Wang here, it’s not convenient.’
However, despite his opponent’s strength, he had a faint feeling that with the boost from his many Passive Talents...
...he might just be able to win even without his Transformation!
Just then, Ba Hui roared, "You’re courting death, kid!"
He swung his saber and lunged forward.
The blade howled through the air, heavy and powerful.
Jiang Che’s movements were like lightning. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his long saber a blur of cold light as he met the attack head-on.
Although he had dissipated his Saber Technique...
...what he had actually dissipated was the Qi Blood activated by the technique.
How to wield a saber had already become muscle memory; he hadn’t forgotten it.
It was just that without the corresponding Qi Blood from the technique, its power was greatly diminished.
However, as Jiang Che was now at the Late-stage of Force Integration, his Qi Force was incredibly strong.
Fueled by this Qi Force, his Saber Technique remained ferocious.
Coupled with the Kunji Saber...
...and his full suite of Passive Talents...
...its power was now far greater than before his Dissipating Skill!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of clashing metal rained down as the two became locked in a fierce struggle within the cramped room.
Saber light flashed and Qi Force overflowed, shattering and sending tables, chairs, pots, and pans flying.
In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over a hundred blows.
It could be said that Jiang Che was pushing his Talents to their absolute limit.
[Omen] predicted every exertion of his opponent’s strength, allowing him to dodge fatal blows.
[Insight] pinpointed his adversary’s weaknesses.
[Invisibility] and [Divine Movement] allowed him to dart and weave through the shadows, his figure as elusive as a ghost.
[Fury] and [Stacking Force] relentlessly accumulated power, stacking it layer upon layer.
[Break Extreme] landed one critical hit after another with astonishing power.
[Sword Momentum] caused Ba Hui’s actions to always have a slight lag.
Add to that the fully-unleashed five senses of [Heart Stream] and the foundational strength of [Mountain Collapse]...
...and Jiang Che was like a human-shaped beast, his power utterly savage!
Each of his saber strikes was more ferocious than the last, forcing Ba Hui to retreat step by step!
BOOM!
After another direct clash, Ba Hui was sent stumbling back a step, the webbing of his thumb numb. A look of utter horror finally appeared in his eyes.
’This kid is clearly only at Force Integration, so why is his Strength so bizarre and domineering? Why is he getting stronger the longer we fight?’
Jiang Che seized the opportunity and roared, "Die!"
He unleashed a strike imbued with all his accumulated power, cleaving down like a thunderclap!
CLANG!
Ba Hui managed a desperate block, but a colossal force far beyond his estimation slammed into his saber. He was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Leaning on his saber, he watched the advancing Jiang Che in terror and hurriedly said, "Friend! Wait! Who are you? There’s no grudge between us, why are you trying to kill me? If it’s wealth you’re after, you can take all the gold here!"
Jiang Che approached step by step, blood dripping from his saber’s tip, his voice cold as ice. "No grudge? Didn’t you just say that if I showed up, you’d cut me down with a single strike?"
Ba Hui’s pupils shrank. "You... you’re Jiang Che?!"
"That’s right, and I’m your grandpa," Jiang Che said grimly.
Ba Hui hissed, "I... I’m backed by Steward Zhao of the Taiyuan Sect! If you kill me, the Taiyuan Sect will never let you go! Not even the Cangyun Sect will be able to protect you!"
Jiang Che scoffed. "A pathetic little gang of back-alley bandits like you? You really think the Taiyuan Sect takes you seriously? They accept your ’tributes’ just to let you run wild on their territory. But if real trouble comes, do you think they’ll acknowledge you? If I kill you, they’ll probably have to hold their noses and say the Cangyun Sect did a good deed!"
Jiang Che had naturally investigated this group before coming. He knew they were just bluffing, using a powerful name to scare people.
The Taiyuan Sect’s dealings with such vile bandits were a shady business that couldn’t see the light of day. Of course they wouldn’t step up for them.
Besides, if it came down to official business, the Government Office might even give him a reward for executing a wanted criminal.
Ba Hui’s face went completely white. He knew every word the other man said was true.
They were just disposable pawns, doomed the moment they were exposed. The Taiyuan Sect would never stick their necks out for them! Everything he had told his men was just a bluff!
His survival instinct overwhelmed everything else. He spun around, smashed through the broken window, and tried to flee.
"Trying to run?"
Jiang Che’s figure closed the distance like a phantom. His saber flashed, and [Break Extreme] triggered again!
Ba Hui had only taken two steps when his body froze. He looked down to see the bloody tip of a saber protruding from his chest.
He struggled to force out a single word: "You..."
Then he collapsed to the ground, dead.
The room fell deathly silent.
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