Exhale Like Arrows, Instantly Killing a Superclass Martial Artist

Exhale Like Arrows, Instantly Killing a Superclass Martial Artist

"Thirty thousand taels of silver!"

At those words, Guard Geng was immediately tempted.

He was already past sixty. Though he was a Superclass Martial Artist, at his age, his qi and blood had begun to decline. Being able to keep his cultivation from weakening was already quite good; breaking through any further was basically impossible.

With thirty thousand taels of silver, added to his savings from all these years, he could find a place to enjoy his old age in peace.

The other party was so young—at most, he was a First-class Martial Artist.

Though Guard Geng's qi and blood had declined, he was still a Superclass Martial Artist with over seventy years of cultivation. Taking down the other party would be no difficult task. Once he had the thirty thousand taels of silver, he would flee far away.

Zhou Shan had come to Luyang County over two months ago, but he had kept a low profile the entire time, remaining within the commandant's residence and never going out. None of Luyang County's major factions had seen Zhou Shan's true face.

Naturally, Xu Haoyu, the Xu Family's second young master, and the guards did not recognize Zhou Shan. Guard Geng was a Superclass Martial Artist, which was why Xu Haoyu had ordered them to fight their way out.

Xu Haoyu's plan was simple. As long as he was not captured by the Black Armored Army, he could leave Qingyang Commandery and head for the prefectural city of Yun Province, where his mother's family, the Shangguan Family, resided. No matter how powerful the Guiyuan Sect was, could they really dare to seize people from the Shangguan Family?

"The young master has given the order—kill them!"

Guard Geng shouted, taking the lead as he charged toward Zhou Shan.

"Yaksa Soul Seizing!"

Guard Geng stretched out both hands and clawed at Zhou Shan.

The martial art he cultivated was called Yin Wind Claw. His palms were withered, thin, and long, like ghost claws. His ten fingers tore through the air, accompanied by gusts of sinister wind.

The instant Guard Geng attacked, his entire presence turned cold and eerie. The air rang with sounds like wailing ghosts and howling wolves, utterly chilling.

If this had been a pitch-black night, it would have been enough to frighten the faint-hearted unconscious.

Though Guard Geng's hands looked shriveled, like dry tree bark, his fingers were incomparably sharp. They could easily pierce gold and iron. If they landed on a person, they would tear out their heart and rip open their lungs in an instant.

Facing Guard Geng's deadly attack, Zhou Shan did not move from where he stood. Instead, he opened his mouth, drawing the surrounding air into his chest. It mixed with his Internal Force and formed an arrow of qi, which he expelled like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

Whoosh!

An arrow of qi shot from Zhou Shan's mouth, swift as lightning.

The power of this strike was driven by more than two hundred years of Zhou Shan's Internal Force. Though it was merely an arrow of qi, it could pierce through a one-centimeter-thick iron breastplate from front to back.

Pfft!

The arrow of qi instantly pierced through Guard Geng's brow, blasting a bloody hole clean through his head. Its remaining force did not fade, and it pierced through the body of a martial artist standing behind Guard Geng as well.

Bang!

Guard Geng instantly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

"Th-this is impossible!"

Everyone's faces changed in shock at the sight.

They were no strangers to Guard Geng. Two years ago, the Xu Family patriarch had spent a great sum to recruit this Superclass Martial Artist as the head guard responsible for Xu Haoyu's safety.

Xu Haoyu had run wild through Luyang County, committing countless offenses. Who knew how many people wanted him dead? Yet with Guard Geng protecting him, assassins could not even get close to Xu Haoyu.

But now, this young Black Armored Army soldier had not even moved. He had merely opened his mouth and exhaled, yet he had killed Guard Geng. The shock of such a scene was too great, leaving everyone staring with eyes wide and mouths agape.

With one breath, he had killed Guard Geng, a Superclass Martial Artist.

Such strength was at least that of an Aperture-Opening Martial Artist. Moreover, even ordinary Aperture-Opening Martial Artists could not accomplish such a feat. He was very likely at the peak of the Aperture-Opening Realm.

"Whoever dares resist will meet this end."

Zhou Shan pointed at Guard Geng's corpse and spoke coldly.

"Sir is mighty!"

The surrounding Black Armored Army soldiers erupted in cheers.

"Drop your weapons!"

"Those who resist will be executed on the spot!"

The Black Armored Army soldiers shouted murderously.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

"Spare me, sir! Don't kill me!"

"We surrender! We surrender!"

One after another, the Xu Family guards threw down their weapons.

If Guard Geng had still been alive, they might have had the courage to resist the Black Armored Army.

At worst, after killing the Black Armored Army soldiers, they could take the Xu Family's reward money and leave Qingyang Commandery. Whether they became bandits elsewhere or joined another faction, they would at least have food to eat.

But after seeing even Guard Geng, a Superclass Martial Artist, get killed in an instant, they were nothing more than roadside weeds before Zhou Shan. One stomp of his foot would be enough to crush them all to death.

All the guards threw down their weapons and surrendered.

"Get on your knees, hands on your heads!"

Zhou Shan shouted.

Without the slightest hesitation, the guards obediently dropped to their knees and clasped their hands over their heads.

At the scene, only Xu Haoyu and the group of young masters remained standing.

"Sir, this should have nothing to do with us, right? We were only invited here as guests by Young Master Xu."

"Yes, yes, yes. None of us are from the Xu Family. We only came to Moon Lake Villa for pleasure."

"Sir, I am the young gang leader of the Hundred Herbs Gang. Whatever Young Master Xu has done has nothing to do with me."

"..."

One young master after another spoke up, seeking only to preserve themselves. All of them backed away, drawing a clear line between themselves and Xu Haoyu.

"You..."

Looking at these young masters who usually called him brother, yet were now eagerly distancing themselves from him the moment he was in trouble, Xu Haoyu's face turned livid. He was so furious that he could not speak for the moment.

"Snakes and rats from the same nest. None of you are good birds." Zhou Shan said coldly, "Take them all away and throw them into the dungeon."

Zhou Shan spoke coldly.

The records on his desk did not contain only Xu Haoyu's crimes. The lives on these young dandies' hands numbered more than their ten fingers. Beheading them ten times over would still be enough.

At his command, Black Armored Army soldiers immediately stepped forward and subdued the young masters.

"Sir, we've been wronged!"

"Wronged! I've been wronged!"

"I haven't committed any crimes! You can't arrest people at random!"

The young masters all cried out in protest.

"If you truly have been wronged, you will naturally be released once the investigation is complete." Zhou Shan said calmly, "I will not wrong a good man, but neither will I let a bad man go.

If anyone dares keep shouting, knock them unconscious."

At those words, the young masters immediately became obedient and stopped making noise.

"Fine, fine, fine! I'll remember all of you! Just wait until I get out—I'll make you pay!"

The other young masters obediently shut their mouths, but Xu Haoyu continued shouting. He stared coldly at the two Black Armored Army soldiers restraining him, as though he wanted to carve their appearances into his mind.

All his life, he had only ever bullied others. Never had anyone bullied him like this.

Slap! Zhou Shan stepped forward and gave Xu Haoyu a resounding slap across the face. He said coldly, "You're already a prisoner, yet you still dare act so arrogantly. Who gave you the courage?"