Chapter 186 - 121: Demon
Heavy snow fell like goose feathers, blanketing Nine Waves Island in a vast, pale expanse.
The raging sounds of battle had quieted considerably, leaving only the mournful howl of the wind and snow between heaven and earth.
’My Spear Technique has reached the Realm of Perfection, and my strength has increased substantially. If I were to face Tu Gang now with my full power, I could cut him down in just a few moves.’
Chen Qing sat cross-legged inside the cabin of his new Treasure Ship.
Achieving Perfection in a Superior Martial Art required constant refinement and enlightenment; it wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight.
Even Nie Shanshan of the Gui Water Institute and Yan Yaoyang of the Geng Metal Institute, both members of the Five Heroes and Seven Talents, had only achieved Great Success in their Swordsmanship and Fist Technique, not yet Perfection.
Just then, a short, fierce clash of weapons and agonizing cries pierced through the wind and snow, coming from behind a cluster of jagged reefs not far away.
Chen Qing’s brow furrowed slightly. His figure flickered silently to the bow of the ship, and he gazed in the direction of the sound.
On a relatively flat, snow-covered patch of ground within the reef-strewn area, two groups were locked in a deadly struggle.
One side, about seven or eight people in uniform attire, seemed to be Tributors of some minor family. Their coordination was decent enough.
The other side was a couple who appeared to be in their thirties. The man wielded a heavy Saber, his Saber Technique wide and sweeping, powerful and heavy. The woman used twin swords, her Body Technique as nimble as a snake, her moves Cunning, Ruthless, and Fierce.
Both of their Cultivation levels were at the Early-stage Embrace Pill Power, and their coordination was flawless. It was clear they had fought side-by-side for years.
Although the small family’s Tributors were greater in number, their individual strength was slightly inferior. They were being steadily pushed back by the couple’s combined assault.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, four or five bodies lay on the snow.
Seeing that the situation was dire, the remaining two or three were scared out of their wits and turned to flee.
"Trying to run? Too late!"
The man with the Saber let out a furious roar that boomed like a Thunder Shock.
He violently threw his Saber. The blade spun through the wind and snow, precisely piercing the heart of one of the fleeing men from behind.
At the same time, the woman closed the distance with her Body Technique. Her left Long Sword flashed with a cold light as it slit another man’s throat.
The last man, terrified beyond belief, slipped and fell in the snow. The husband caught up and crushed his skull with a stomp.
The battle ended with shocking speed.
The couple took a few quick breaths, warily scanning their surroundings. After confirming there were no more threats, they immediately began to deftly search the bodies on the ground and the scattered bundles.
They swiftly stuffed valuable gold and silver, small jade artifacts, a few bottles of Elixirs, and some faintly glowing Ore into a large leather sack they had prepared.
Their movements were so practiced it was unsettling; clearly, this wasn’t their first time doing this.
The woman seemed to sense something. She snapped her head up and looked to one side.
"Let’s go, now!"
the man hissed, his voice tinged with anxiety.
Just as the two were about to hoist the sack and flee, several Hidden Weapons shot out from the woods.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
They were Darts laced with deadly poison, their angles cunning, aimed straight for the couple’s backs, waists, and lower bodies.
"Watch out!"
The husband’s eyes burned with rage. With a roar, he violently shoved his wife into a nearby snowbank!
At the same time, he swung his Saber wildly, trying to block the projectiles.
PFFT! A Dart grazed his shoulder blade, drawing a spray of blood.
But as the woman was pushed over, the heavy sack slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. Its contents—gold, silver, Jewelry, jade artifacts, and Ore—tumbled out, glittering with a tempting yet fatal light upon the snow.
"Hahaha! What a fine pair of ’Life-taking Mandarin Ducks,’" a sinister voice sneered.
Several figures emerged from the woods. The leader was a one-eyed man, lean and wiry, with a cold smile on his face.
"’One-Eyed Tiger’ Tian Ban’an!?"
The couple’s hearts sank when they saw who it was.
Tian Ban’an’s figure blurred as he charged toward them, his Long Sword becoming a cold star of light aimed at the husband’s heart and throat.
Seeing this, the wife hesitated for a moment, then scrambled to gather the treasures on the ground before frantically fleeing into the distance.
"After her!" Tian Ban’an shouted, his own assault becoming even more ferocious as he held nothing back.
Hearing his command, the men behind him quickly charged after the woman.
Within a few more moves, the husband was dead by Tian Ban’an’s sword. Tian Ban’an then quickly gave chase as well.
Chen Qing, watching this, narrowed his eyes. Among the exposed treasures, he had spotted a piece of Inner Armor.
It was incredibly valuable!
Just then, another group of people burst out from the side of the reef.
"Quick, go after them! There’s a piece of Inner Armor of the Lower-Grade Treasure Artifacts level in there."
Several figures in black darted off in the direction the woman had fled.
Chen Qing shook his head to himself. ’The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. But how does the oriole know there isn’t a slingshot waiting beneath the tree? Nine Waves Island is filled with countless hidden slingshots, ready at any moment to reap the lives of the orioles who think they’ve won.’
Nine Waves Island had become a human meat grinder, and the scene before him was merely a small microcosm of the chaotic slaughter.
The original goal was to eliminate the Water Bandits and the remnants of the Zheng Family, but when immense wealth was laid bare, greed completely ignited the beast within everyone.
Kill the Water Bandits, kill the Zheng Family, kill their competitors, kill anyone who stood in the way of fortune... Human greed was on full, vivid display here.
Chen Qing watched no longer, quietly returning to the waterway he was assigned to defend.
His main task this time was to defend the waterway, and he had no desire to get involved in these bloody conflicts.
The wind and snow grew even heavier, threatening to freeze the entire waterway solid.
「The next morning.」
The snowstorm had eased slightly, but the world remained blanketed in silver, and the chill was bone-deep.
The creaking sound of a boat breaking through ice came from the entrance to the waterway.
A small, slightly dilapidated fast boat carrying three men approached.
The three had clearly reaped a bountiful harvest; several bulging sacks were piled on the deck, and they were eager to quickly escape this land of conflict.
One of them said in a low voice, "Boss, once we’re through this waterway ahead, we’ll be out of the Nine Waves Island region."