Jailbreak! Confronting the Late-Stage Skin-Refining Realm Head-On!

Qingshan Town, the government office, the dungeon.

Embroiderer's hands and feet were shackled, and she was suspended from a wooden frame.

"Talk! Where exactly is that brat Qin Ming hiding?!"

Wang Shi dipped her long whip in chili water and lashed Embroiderer viciously.

"Smack... smack..."

Several bloody welts appeared on Embroiderer's body.

"If you won't talk, I'll keep whipping you until you do!"

Wang Shi laughed maniacally.

Not far away, several jailers frowned at the sight.

"I wonder how that pretty young woman offended this madwoman. What a pity."

"You can say that again. I heard that the pretty young woman's husband, that pig butcher, killed the madwoman's husband, the owner of a butcher shop."

"Tsk, tsk. A pig butcher actually managed to marry such a beautiful young woman. What a fresh flower stuck in a pile of cow dung."

"Don't even think I'll tell you!"

Embroiderer spoke each word distinctly. Though her face was deathly pale, her expression was resolute.

She hadn't told anyone that Qin Ming had gone up the mountain.

"Let's see how long you can keep that mouth of yours shut!"

Humiliated and furious, Wang Shi lashed Embroiderer viciously.

Meanwhile, Li Shengnan and Lu Liu had sought out Wang Bo, hoping to rescue Embroiderer.

"Qin Ming fled to escape punishment. Embroiderer deliberately withheld what she knew, making her an accomplice. Our office has the right to bring her in for questioning. You two may leave!"

Though both of them were martial artists, Wang Bo showed them no courtesy whatsoever.

Leaving aside the fact that the authorities stood behind him, Embroiderer, whom he had arrested this time, had no backing. What did he have to worry about?

The two exchanged a glance and left helplessly.

Outside the government office, Wu Shi was pacing back and forth, her face anxious. When she saw them emerge, she hurried over.

"Well? Can Embroiderer be released?"

"No."

Lu Liu shook his head. "If the authorities won't release her, there's nothing we can do, unless Master is willing to step in."

When all was said and done, Master still didn't consider Junior Brother Qin one of his own.

It was hardly surprising.

People came and went in the outer court. Only by entering the inner court and becoming Master's disciple could one truly be considered one of his own.

They thought highly of Qin Ming and were willing to forge a good connection with him, which was why they had come. But Master didn't know Qin Ming—or rather, there were so many people in the outer court that he couldn't be bothered to get to know them—so he wasn't willing to intervene.

"Alas, if Junior Brother Qin had a little more time to break through and become a martial artist, this would be easy to settle."

Lu Liu let out a long sigh.

Once Qin Ming became a martial artist, the authorities wouldn't dare arrest Embroiderer without concrete evidence.

"You have that much confidence in that boy?"

Li Shengnan raised an eyebrow.

Lu Liu thought for a moment, then nodded. "Junior Brother Qin held a stake stance for four hours on his first try. He has an excellent foundation, and he's the hardest-working person I've ever met. It's only a matter of time before he becomes a martial artist."

Li Shengnan recalled how Qin Ming stayed in his stake stance until he was exhausted every time before stopping. She nodded. "That's true."

"You two martial masters, please think of something and save Embroiderer. She's frail, and she won't last long in prison."

Wu Shi pleaded desperately and fell to her knees before them.

The two were about to help her up when a tremendous boom suddenly came from the government office, followed by furious, alarmed roars.

"Someone's breaking a prisoner out!"

"A jailbreak?"

Li Shengnan and Lu Liu exchanged a glance.

"Could it be Junior Brother Qin?"

The two rushed inside, and Wu Shi hurried after them.

The dungeon.

Jailers and government constables lay sprawled across the floor, wailing.

Qin Ming lowered the severely injured, unconscious Embroiderer. Seeing the whip marks on her body, he fixed his gaze on Wang Shi, killing intent surging in his eyes.

But he didn't strike immediately.

Because this was the government office!

If he killed someone here, even as a martial artist, he would have hell to pay. Once he was on the wanted list, bounty hunters would never let him go.

If he died, Embroiderer's fate would only be worse!

"Qin Ming, you're finished! You dared break a prisoner out! The imperial court will sentence you to death!"

Wang Shi burst out laughing.

"Junior Brother Qin!"

Li Shengnan and Lu Liu arrived.

"Junior Brother Qin, it really is you!"

Lu Liu's face lit up with surprise.

"Did you beat all these people?"

Li Shengnan stared in astonishment at the dozen or so people lying on the ground. One of them was even a minor leader among the constables, an Early Skin-Refining Realm martial artist, yet he was lying there just the same.

"Junior Brother Qin... did... did you break through?"

Lu Liu finally realized what had happened, his face full of disbelief.

"Yes."

When Qin Ming nodded, Lu Liu's head roared. He could scarcely believe his ears.

How long had it been since Qin Ming joined the academy?

Only a dozen or so days!

He had become a martial artist in less than half a month!

What terrifying talent was that?

Even Li Shengnan was given a tremendous shock.

If she hadn't met Qin Ming when he first joined, nothing anyone said could have convinced her that a monstrous talent like him could come out of Qingshan Town!

"How dare you, Qin Ming! You dared run riot in the government office and injure jailers! What punishment do you deserve?!"

Wang Bo arrived with his men, and a dozen or so constables swiftly surrounded Qin Ming.

Realizing things were going badly, Lu Liu hurriedly asked Li Shengnan to go back for reinforcements.

Now that Qin Ming had broken through, Master would never stand by and do nothing, given the talent he had displayed.

Li Shengnan was stronger and faster than Lu Liu. Without hesitation, she quickly withdrew and returned to the Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy.

When Pei Heng learned that Qin Ming had broken through and become a martial artist, his instinctive reaction was that Li Shengnan was lying to him.

"Master, do you think your disciple would dare?"

Li Shengnan smiled bitterly. "If we arrive too late, Junior Brother Qin might be arrested by the authorities. It's even possible he'll be crippled."

"Quick, get the carriage ready at once!"

Pei Heng immediately set off by carriage.

After Pei Heng left, Yan Yangtian emerged from a shadowed corner. His gaze fell on the departing carriage, and a chill glinted in his eyes.

The dungeon.

Two middle-aged constables stepped forward, one from each side of Wang Bo.

The joints of their hands were thick and knotted, and they gave off a sharp, oppressive presence that took one's breath away.

They were actually two Late Skin-Refining Realm martial artists!

The Skin Refining Realm was divided into four stages: early, mid, late, and perfection.

Qin Ming had only just become a martial artist and was still at the early stage, with 240 jin of strength.

The Mid-Stage Skin-Refining Realm had 310 jin of strength, while late-stage martial artists had 380 jin.

In strength alone, each of the two surpassed Qin Ming by 140 jin!

At the late stage of the Skin Refining Realm, one's skin and flesh were like thick leather. If a blade or sword strike lacked sufficient force, it couldn't even break the skin.

"You little bastard, did you really think our office was full of pushovers, that you could come and go as you pleased? Seize him!"

At Wang Bo's command, the two struck at once.

"Junior Brother, I'll help you!"

Lu Liu gritted his teeth and attacked.

But he was only at the Mid-Stage Skin-Refining Realm, and his strength was inferior to his opponent's. After a few exchanges, he fell into a disadvantage. If he hadn't built a solid foundation in the Eight Trigrams Stake Skill and been able to divert some of the force, he would probably have lost already.

Lu Liu found a moment to glance at Qin Ming and was immediately given a huge shock. He had thought Qin Ming, having only just broken through to the Skin Refining Realm, would hold out for one or two moves at most. To his surprise, Qin Ming was exchanging blows with his opponent, pig-slaying knife in hand.

The constable's strength was indeed far greater than Qin Ming's, but with the pig-slaying knife in hand, Qin Ming's attack speed increased by 20%, and he diverted 10% of incoming force, forcibly narrowing the gap between them considerably.

Moreover, every strike of his Pig-Slaying Saber Technique at minor mastery landed precisely on his opponent's fascia. Its cold edge sent a chill through the man's flesh; the slightest carelessness would leave his skin cut open. Even as a Late Skin-Refining Realm martial artist, he had no choice but to give ground.

This produced a strange sight.

Lu Liu, at the Mid-Stage Skin-Refining Realm, was being beaten into a headlong flight, while Qin Ming, at the Early Skin-Refining Realm, was fighting his opponent to a standstill.

Facing an Early Skin-Refining Realm martial artist, the Late Skin-Refining Realm constable found his hands and feet tied. He was so frustrated he nearly spat blood.

Every time his fist landed on the pig-slaying knife, he felt a tenth of its force vanish into thin air. Qin Ming's saber technique was vicious, precise, and unpredictable, always targeting the gaps in his fascia. Once the blade broke through, his tendons would be severed. Qin Ming aimed especially at the tendons in his hands, making him even more reluctant to attack recklessly. If his hand tendons were severed, he would be crippled!

Bang!

With a boom, Lu Liu was ultimately no match for his opponent and was sent flying by a punch.

Now Qin Ming was about to face a joint assault from two Late Skin-Refining Realm martial artists!

"I'll stake it all!"

Qin Ming's gaze sharpened.

Facing the two of them together, he had to cripple one as quickly as possible. Otherwise, a single punch from either of them could gravely injure him!

Qin Ming gripped the pig-slaying knife tightly, his expression grave as he rapidly analyzed the situation.

The next moment, his opponents moved.

Both were veterans of the county government office who had been transferred to serve in Qingshan Town. They had tempered their external skills for years, and their punches and kicks were fierce.

The constable to Qin Ming's left curled his ten fingers like hooks, a cold glint flashing at their tips.

This was the Eagle Claw Skill, which he had cultivated to the beginner level. His fingers were as hard as iron.

The constable on the right had cultivated the Tiger Fist. It emphasized broad, sweeping movements and a force like rolling thunder. Its punches were fierce, which was why Qin Ming's Pig-Slaying Saber Technique had countered him earlier.

Now the two joined forces: Eagle Claw blocked moves and locked wrists, while Tiger Fist delivered heavy blows at close range. One seized, the other killed. Their coordination was seamless; they had clearly worked together for years.

"Boy, you're dead! Surrender at once!"

The constable on the left shouted, his body swooping low over the ground like a goshawk. His claws spread, he reached for Qin Ming's wrist bone. If he landed his grip, the bone would surely break, and the pig-slaying knife would be taken from him.

At the same time, the constable on the right unleashed a cannon punch. Like a tiger pouncing on its prey, he was upon Qin Ming in an instant.

The punch was sharp and domineering, its fierce wind like a blade. If it landed, the defenses of Qin Ming's Early Skin-Refining Realm body would be torn to shreds like paper!

Had it been anyone else, even another Late Skin-Refining Realm martial artist, they surely wouldn't have been able to break out of this deadly trap!

But the one they faced now was Qin Ming!

Qin Ming's expression was grave. Alarmed but not panicked, he sank into his stance, lowered his shoulders and elbows, and unleashed the Eight Trigrams Stake Skill in an instant.

The Eight Trigrams Stake Skill was more than a simple internal skill. Its greatest feature was diverting force, followed by stability.

He appeared to be standing still, but force was circulating throughout his body.

Not only that, once the Pig-Slaying Saber Technique was operating at full power and Qin Ming's attention was completely focused, the muscles and fascia on the two men before him rapidly came into sharp focus.

As the eagle claw was about to clamp down, Qin Ming flicked his wrist. The pig-slaying knife spun rapidly in his hand, tracing a beautiful flourish.

Pfft! The tip slipped into a gap, and with a light flick, followed the gap in the fascia of his opponent's wrist.

Twang!

The tendons snapped!

The constable's savage expression suddenly froze, and cold sweat poured down like rain.

He looked down and saw that a nearly invisible white line had appeared on his wrist at some point. The wound could scarcely be seen.

The next moment, his strength drained away, and his entire arm drooped limply like a noodle, without the slightest strength left in its grip.

"You... you severed my hand tendons?!"

His face filled with horror, and he stumbled backward.

With his hand tendons severed, he would never be able to use the Eagle Claw Skill again. In an instant, more than half his strength had been crippled!

As he spoke, the tiger fist came crashing toward Qin Ming's chest.

Qin Ming used the Eight Trigrams Step, moving in an arc and turning sideways to divert the force. The punch brushed past him.

A cold light flashed in Qin Ming's eyes, and the pig-slaying knife in his hand moved as fast as lightning.

With a pfft, the once-domineering force of the punch abruptly dissipated, and the man's entire forearm suddenly sagged.

His hand tendons had been severed too!

The fight was over in two breaths!

The two constables clutched their injured hands and staggered back, terror in their eyes and their bodies trembling like sieves.

Qin Ming, meanwhile, stood in the middle of the room, his expression unchanged, as though the outcome came as no surprise to him.

Lu Liu stared blankly at the scene, his mouth hanging open for a long time.

"Th-this is really young Qin?"

Wu Shi, crouching outside and peeking in, was so startled she nearly cried out.

"Impossible! How did this little beast become so formidable?!"

Wang Shi was scared half to death. Had she known this would happen, how would she have dared provoke Qin Ming?

"Qin Ming, you've got some damned nerve!"

Wang Bo cursed him out. Though wary, there was no fear in his eyes.

"Captain Liao, please step in and see justice done!"

Wang Bo turned toward the rear and bowed slightly, a hint of respect appearing on his face.

"Captain Liao, could it be..."

Lu Liu's face turned deathly pale, and disbelief flashed through his eyes.

The next moment, a figure burst through the door!

Boom—

With a thunderous crash, the dungeon's sturdy wooden door turned to powder on the spot, as though swept up by a tornado.

The next moment, a burly bald man strode out of the storm.

Muscles bulged all over the man's body, and his veins coiled like horned dragons. A huge black scorpion was tattooed on his scalp, a silver earring hung from his left ear, and black cloth covered his right eye. His remaining left eye was fixed on Qin Ming.

"Liao Jun, it really is him! We're finished!"

Lu Liu's vision went dark, and his face was full of bitterness.

Liao Jun!

The head of all the yamen runners in Qingshan Town, he had once been a squad captain at the Qingyang County yamen. He was also the strongest cultivator in the Qingshan Town yamen, at the Early Flesh-Refining Realm!

In the entire Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy, only the academy master could deal with him.

"Captain Liao, you're finally here!"

Wang Bo hurried up to greet him, a fawning smile on his face.

In terms of status, he ranked half a head above Liao Jun, but Liao Jun could casually slap him to death, so Wang Bo had never dared to act presumptuously in front of him.

"What happened?"

"Someone broke into the jail and injured people."

Liao Jun's gaze swept over the wrists of the two injured men, gradually turning icy.

"You little bastard, you dared to cripple my men? Who gave you the damned nerve?"

Liao Jun flew into a rage and struck at Qin Ming with his palm.

At the Early Flesh-Refining Realm, physical strength alone exceeded five hundred jin. Even a casual palm strike was no less than being hit by a wild boar: at best, bones would break; at worst, it would kill on the spot.

That was to say nothing of this palm strike, which Liao Jun had unleashed in anger. Before it even landed, Qin Ming sensed a deadly danger!

Qin Ming tried to dodge, but Liao Jun was far stronger than him. In the blink of an eye, the palm was already upon him, leaving him no way to evade it!

At that critical moment, fortunately, Pei Heng arrived in time and reached out to block the killing blow.

"Pei Heng! You dare stop me?"

Liao Jun roared.