Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Passing the Stick
Feng Guang was a Blade-Handler, and to put it plainly, this profession had nothing to do with benevolence, righteousness, or morality.
Not only did he handle blades for the government, but sometimes he did so for private individuals as well.
He was driven by only one thing.
Money!
Handling blades for the government involved capturing notorious criminals and fugitives wanted by the government and claiming the bounty. But sometimes it wasn’t just the government that issued Bounty Orders; many large, shady households would also secretly offer rewards for certain people’s lives.
For example, not long ago, Huang Gun had a bounty placed on him in the black market. However, before any Blade-Handler or government official could find him, he fell into the hands of Chen Ku.
Overall, the profession of a Blade-Handler wasn’t reputable. Their movements were very covert, and very few people knew their true identities.
They were solely motivated by money.
They also never shared a bounty with another, nor did they have the habit of forming teams for blade-handling.
Feng Guang, shockingly swept back by a staff blow from Chen Ku, looked at his cleaver. The blade now had a gaping nick the size of a baby’s fist.
His arm trembled violently from that strike.
He had assumed this young Blade-Handler possessed little strength, so he harbored malicious intent. He planned to trick Chen Ku and strike suddenly when Chen Ku was about to use his blade to sever Lin Jiu’s head.
That way, the bounty for Lin Jiu would be his alone.
Motivated by greed, he frequently engaged in killing and plundering from fellow Blade-Handlers, picking up easy gains, as it was both simple and effortless.
Typically, with the other party completely unguarded, he would finish them off in an instant.
But he had not expected...
"You thought to kill me?!"
With a murderous glint in his eyes, Chen Ku swept Feng Guang’s weapon away with his staff. He then stepped forward swiftly, swinging the Refined Iron Rod horizontally at Feng Guang!
He had been vigilant and cautious all along. Even without the Transformation Diagram’s reminder, he remained on guard.
On that basis, as soon as the Transformation Diagram alerted him to the opponent’s malice, he didn’t hesitate and swung his staff outright!
"Young man... a misunderstanding..."
Feng Guang was shocked. The moment they engaged, he felt Chen Ku’s true strength—a bodily Force Power of at least tens of thousands of pounds, not counting some strange Qi Power.
Tens of thousands of pounds of Force Power?! At this age... What kind of monster is this?
Never mind Baojiao County, even in the entire Qiu Dragon Mansion, perhaps only Grandmaster Jin Chui in his youth possessed such a Root Bone. To think such a figure could emerge from a small place like Baojiao County, and I just had to run into him.
CLANG!
His Inner Qi surged through the Treasure Blade in his hand as he executed a fierce Bladesmanship technique to block Chen Ku’s staff. However, the impact was so strong that the webbing of his hand split open and bled, his arm nearly fractured, and he was flung backward!
"Young man, it really is a misunderst—"
"Misunderstanding, my ass!!"
Chen Ku pressed his advantage relentlessly. Raising the Refined Iron Rod, he executed a Skyward Strike, smashing it down toward Feng Guang’s head.
Feng Guang was horrified. Already knowing he was no match, he dared not block again. He executed a series of rapid evasive steps, narrowly avoiding the heavily forceful strike.
But after dodging one staff blow, another followed.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The air itself seemed to shriek from the sonic booms created by Chen Ku’s staff.
Feng Guang was terrified.
At that moment, his only thought was to escape. He didn’t even want his Treasure Blade anymore. Immediately stepping back a few paces, he threw his Treasure Blade towards Chen Ku’s face using the Flying Blade Technique.
He had no hope that this attack would harm Chen Ku; he simply wanted to disrupt Chen Ku’s rhythm, to gain a chance to catch his breath and turn to flee.
The moment he threw the blade, he turned and retreated, making a few quick steps, about to leap over the wall.
Chen Ku was indeed distracted by the flying blade and missed a step in his advance.
Monster! If I ever encounter him again, I’ll definitely stay away... Feng Guang felt the force of the staff disappear from behind him and breathed a huge sigh of relief. He was utterly terrified of Chen Ku and resolved never to cross paths with this man again. But just as this thought flashed through his mind...
Although Chen Ku had faltered for a moment, a stream of white Qi shot from between his brows, instantly transforming in midair into a Strange Beast the size of a giant elephant.
It lunged at Feng Guang to swallow him.
Feng Guang only felt a dark shadow looming over him like a black cloud. As he looked up, he saw a huge, gaping maw.
"What kind of... demon..."
CRUNCH!
Half of his body was bitten off by the Flower Fox Mink. With another bite, his entire person was swallowed into its belly.
[Diagram Master killed Feng Guang, gained one streak of Evil Qi.]
With an indifferent expression, Chen Ku recalled the Flower Fox Mink. He walked forward and looked at the puddle of blood.
Blade-Handler...
In the future, when encountering someone from this profession, I’ll always assume the worst from the start.
He bowed his head, turned, cut off Lin Jiu’s head, and carried it back to the small courtyard.
His nostrils flared.
Chen Ku muttered to himself, Truly efficient. Eight death row inmates, and I’ve only taken down two. The other six are already dead.
It seems the number and quality of Blade-Handlers in this city are quite astonishing.
But if Chen Ku had heard what County Lieutenant Ma said, he would have known that the Blade-Handlers had already been positioned near the execution grounds.
Two bounties are still two bounties. Anyway, that’s over a thousand taels in the bag...
Just as Chen Ku was preparing to call it quits, he suddenly smelled a familiar scent.
It’s Master Yang’s scent, and Instructor Chai Bao from Medicine King Hall, along with many masters...
「...」
Before long, Chen Ku followed the scent and arrived at a main street in the outer city. There, he saw Medicine King Hall experts, led by Master Yang Luochen, fiercely battling seven Peace Path experts and a middle-aged man in a purple robe.
"Yang Luochen, hasn’t the injury I inflicted on you last time taught you a lesson?" Peace Path Incense Master Yan Hongwen, holding a Peach Wood Sword adorned with yellow Talisman Paper, teamed up with the purple-robed man to fight Yang Luochen.
"Demon People, if it weren’t for you lot last time, I wouldn’t have broken through to Inner Strength!" Yang Luochen retorted. He wielded his twelve-thousand-jin Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff, his body swelling to over two meters tall. Looking like a heavenly god descending to subdue demons, he pressed the two men, forcing them to retreat continuously.
Yan Hongwen spat out a mouthful of blood from the force of a staff strike, his face twitching. Although he was augmented by Talisman Papers, he was no match for the ferocious Yang Luochen.
Not to mention, even before his breakthrough, Yang Luochen was already the second strongest in Baojiao County. Now that he had stepped into the Inner Strength realm, in terms of sheer Qi Power, he could well be considered the number one expert in Baojiao County.
Xu Family Head, this Old Man Yang’s most formidable aspect is his stick technique, Yan Hongwen communicated using Talisman Paper. I have an ultimate Divine Talisman here. In a moment, I’ll use my Talisman Sword to block his staff. You seize the opportunity and unleash the Divine Talisman with your Mountain-Lifting Palm. It would be best if it hits him. Even if it doesn’t, it could still send his weapon flying. Then... he’ll be like a tiger without its claws... no longer a threat to us.
Xu Ao, the Xu Family Head clad in purple robes, did not delay. Though he was only at the Fourth Realm of Meridian-Opening, his inherited techniques were profound, especially the Mountain-Lifting Palm, which had an astonishing origin. Coordinating with Yan Hongwen, he struck out with his palm, unleashing the Divine Talisman.
The Divine Talisman transformed into a mountain-shaped palm force that dominated the ten-meter-wide street, smashing down powerfully toward Yang Luochen!
For the first time, a solemn expression appeared on Yang Luochen’s face. He sensed that the Talisman Paper had amplified Xu Ao’s Mountain-Lifting Palm Force by severalfold. He also felt an extremely dangerous aura, very similar to the day he and Monk Yunfang were injured.
He immediately swung his staff to sweep away that palm force.
Unexpectedly, this played right into their hands.
BOOM!!
On the street, everyone, including Instructor Chai Bao who was fighting other Peace Path Taoists, and Nong Baosen, the head master of the Hundred Herbs Courtyard, turned their heads in shock. They saw...
In the center of the trio’s battle, a palm force manifestation the size of a small house exploded, blasting all three combatants backward. Yang Luochen’s twelve-thousand-jin Famous Weapon, the "Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff," was sent flying tens of meters into the air before crashing heavily to the ground, gouging out a large pit several meters wide.
BOOM!
Dust flew everywhere.
"Master Yang’s Dragon Head Staff! Without his weapon, Master Yang can’t use his Furious Ape Mighty Staff..."
Meanwhile, other masters like Ke Yansheng, and Yang Luochen’s apprentice Yang Shaoqi, were engaged in battles with other Peace Path Demon People in various parts of the street.
Without his staff, Yang Luochen was immediately set upon by the two opponents.
Seeing this, Ke Yansheng quickly disengaged from his own fight and retreated, shouting, "You all hold off these Demon People! I’ll go get Master Yang’s staff!"
He then moved forward, intending to retrieve Master Yang’s staff and find an opportunity to return it to him.
Truthfully, he wasn’t very confident. After all, even he would struggle to lift the twelve-thousand-jin staff.
Yang Luochen was besieged by the two, one with a sword and the other with palm attacks. He managed to counter with his fists and feet, not falling into a significant disadvantage, but without his weapon, he couldn’t even utilize half of his robust Qi Power and Ultimate Skills.
Just then...
Is that... Ke Yansheng suddenly noticed a familiar figure appearing in the large pit at the corner of the street. It was Chen Ku, lifting the Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff with one hand.
Chen Ku picked up the Dragon Head Staff and murmured, I just got here, and Master Yang’s staff has already fallen. Does Heaven not want me to witness his Perfection-level Skyward Strike?
「...」
It’s almost time to retreat, Yan Hongwen thought, seeing that he and the Xu Family Head had a moment to catch their breath. Otherwise, if Shangguan Yun comes personally, we won’t be able to escape. He seized another opportunity and threw out a Talisman Paper.
BANG!!
Yang Luochen, now weaponless, quickly dodged as the Talisman Paper exploded in mid-air, capable of blasting through his Inner Qi and injuring him.
But his retreat also gave his two opponents the chance to swiftly withdraw into the distance.
Yang Luochen was furious. He looked at his empty hands, knowing that if his Dragon Head Staff were still with him, he wouldn’t have allowed the two an opportunity to catch their breath and flee.
Just at that moment, the Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff appeared at his side.
"Master Yang, your staff."
Yang Luochen turned and saw a young man who seemed even more anxious than himself, as if afraid he wouldn’t be able to catch up to those two and would miss the fight.
"Thank you, young man."
He unconsciously reached for it.
Suddenly, he came back to his senses.
He stared as Chen Ku held the twelve-thousand-jin Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff with one hand, casually passing it to him.
His gaze gradually filled with disbelief.