Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Snatch

Jiang Ran and the Jade Mountain People weren’t the only ones who could feel the faint tremors running through the ground. Nearly everyone else at the scene was sprawled on the floor, so they naturally felt the vibrations as well.

For a moment, some exchanged glances, others looked terrified, and still others were completely bewildered.

Rong Lie’s gaze had been fixed on Qingyi. When he sensed the change, his brow furrowed involuntarily.

"Jade Mountain People... you said... who’s coming?"

"Who else could it be?"

The Jade Mountain People laughed heartily.

"Our people, of course!!"

"Your people?"

A thought flickered through Jiang Ran’s mind, and he sneered.

"You mean the men you have lying in ambush inside the city?"

"You know?"

The Jade Mountain People froze.

Jiang Ran sighed.

"Just how badly does Feiyun Stronghold underestimate Cangzhou Prefecture?"

"Did you really think... this was the extent of our plans?"

"Any of your men ambushing Cangzhou Prefecture who dared to make a move are likely already dead."

"See for yourself... Look at the sky over Cangzhou Prefecture. It’s still blue, isn’t it?"

"And listen. Do you hear any screams or cries of alarm from within the city?"

Gu Mosheng had previously explained their plan.

They would use the Heroic Assembly as a trigger to sow chaos. Then, the bandits of Feiyun Stronghold would cause trouble throughout the city, assassinate the Prefect amidst the confusion, and coordinate with their forces outside to let them into the city.

With that, the city was sure to fall.

But that night Jiang Ran had a chat with the Prefect, and he had asked a question:

"My Lord, can you finish all this meat?"

Others might have thought he was just talking about the mutton, but this Prefect was more than just a glutton.

He appeared boorish, but in truth, he was exceptionally shrewd.

In their conversation that day, the two of them had covered all the potential changes in Cangzhou.

Jiang Ran’s final question wasn’t about the mutton; it was about Feiyun Stronghold and the hidden powers that might be backing them.

The Prefect’s reply at the time had been decisive, just three words: "I can handle it."

He even added:

"As long as it’s meat that falls into my pot, there’s nothing I can’t stomach."

For him to make such a statement, even knowing that Feiyun Stronghold might have hidden backers, made Jiang Ran believe he truly had the capability.

That’s why today, he focused only on killing the wanted criminals within the Heroic Assembly, paying no mind to the events outside.

In truth, the current situation was just as Jiang Ran had predicted. Here, people were in complete disarray, a crowd of them poisoned on the ground, yet Cangzhou Prefecture itself was completely peaceful.

Clearly, the Prefect hadn’t been idly stuffing his face at home; he had already gotten to work on official business.

The Jade Mountain People seemed stunned for a moment after hearing Jiang Ran’s words, but then he burst out laughing again.

"So that’s how it is... so that’s how it is."

"So that’s why you could so brazenly poison everyone’s food."

"You had this as your backup... A pity, what a pity!!"

"A pity for what?"

Jiang Ran looked at the Jade Mountain People.

"A pity... that you have no idea who is backing us!"

"Even with all the unexpected turns today, even if you’ve killed all our men lying in ambush in the city."

"The outcome today will not change in the slightest."

"The fireworks were the signal. They’ve really come!!"

As his voice fell, the heavy sound of footsteps could be heard approaching from a distance.

A group of people came around the screen wall, some running along the eaves of the roofs, others vaulting over the walls.

In the blink of an eye, the area outside the assembly hall was teeming with people.

Jiang Ran looked around, his expression a little strange.

"Are you talking about them?"

The Jade Mountain People, however, was dumbfounded.

Were these the people he was expecting?

It was just a group of armored government soldiers.

"This... This is impossible! If they made their move... mere Cangzhou Prefecture, just a mere Cangzhou Prefecture..."

The Jade Mountain People shook his head again and again, as if in disbelief.

Just then, a thunderous voice echoed out.

"Feiyun Stronghold villains! Kneel and surrender! Await my judgment!"

Jiang Ran followed the voice and saw the burly Prefect, now dressed in a suit of battle armor.

He casually held a massive broadax while sitting atop a tall horse. His eyes swept over the surroundings, and his brow furrowed tightly.

"Why is everyone lying on the ground?"

But Jiang Ran didn’t have time to answer. Before the Prefect’s voice had even faded, his saber vibrated with a BUZZ, and its blade shot straight toward the Jade Mountain People.

The confidence and composure of the Jade Mountain People had completely shattered the moment he saw the Prefect arrive with the soldiers.

Facing Jiang Ran’s strike, he didn’t even have the thought to resist.

He tapped his feet on the ground and shot off, trying to escape.

However, a flash of blade light passed. His body flew through the air, but one of his legs was left behind.

Agonizing pain shot through him, and his body involuntarily fell to the ground.

Jiang Ran timed his fall, his blade flashing again, and both of the man’s arms flew off.

Watching this scene, the corner of the Prefect’s eye twitched.

’Does he have an addiction to chopping off people’s limbs?’

But Jiang Ran grabbed the Jade Mountain People by the neck, and with a flick of his wrist, threw him straight toward Li Tianxin.

Li Tianxin and Qingyi were fighting Zuo Kuangge together.

At this moment, they were using every trick they had.

Zuo Kuangge’s Inner Strength from the Great Barbarian Skill was incredibly profound. With the Cold Iron Double-bladed Spear, the might of Li Tianxin’s saber techniques was no longer as effective as before.

If Zuo Kuangge hadn’t been struck by Qingyi’s fist and wounded by Li Tianxin’s saber earlier, the two of them together might not have been his match even now.

In the heat of their fierce battle, Li Tianxin suddenly sensed a figure flash and something whistle through the air toward him.

He quickly turned to see a man with only one leg flying toward him.

His heart jumped in alarm. He immediately retracted the saber strike he was about to deliver and shifted his position with several quick steps to get out of the way.

With a THUD, the Jade Mountain People, now with only one leg, had fallen to the ground.

"This is..."

As Li Tianxin stared in a daze, a figure flashed past him, and a voice shouted at the same time:

"Qingyi, fall back."

Hearing this, Qingyi didn’t hesitate for a moment and immediately withdrew.

After a moment of confusion, it dawned on Li Tianxin.

"Jiang Ran... you, you’re trying to steal my kill!?"

Jiang Ran laughed loudly, his saber rolling forth and transforming into a sky full of blade lights that chopped down mercilessly toward Zuo Kuangge.

"Didn’t we already agree? After I take care of those two, I’ll come kill him myself!"

In reality, Jiang Ran hadn’t been in a hurry at first.

But the Prefect had arrived far too quickly, completely exceeding Jiang Ran’s expectations.

’Now that he’s appeared and secured the victory, who will get credit for the bounty?’

To prevent any mishaps, he naturally had to kill Zuo Kuangge as quickly as possible!

Zuo Kuangge flew into a rage. His Great Barbarian Skill was tied to his temperament; the angrier he became, the more powerful it grew.

However, he was severely injured, and Jiang Ran was desperate to take his life. The nine saber forms flowed one after another, powered by a ceaseless stream from his Sutra of Creation and Upright Mind.

With every blow Zuo Kuangge blocked, his entire body shook violently, and a torrent of blood gushed from the bone-deep wound on his chest.

After just three to five exchanges, his hands went weak, and with a CLANG, the Cold Iron Double-bladed Spear fell to the ground.

Jiang Ran’s blade spun, and with two slicing sounds, both of Zuo Kuangge’s arms were severed.

With that, Jiang Ran reached out, grabbed Zuo Kuangge’s head, and shouted to the Prefect:

"My Lord... how much is this head worth!?"