Your Fists Are Soft Like a Woman's

Zhang He collapsed powerlessly to the ground, staring at He Lian's headless corpse, his eyes bloodshot and red.

"He Lian..."

At this moment, scenes flashed through his mind.

He Lian had been with him when he was poor many years ago, facing hardships together.

Whether it was killing, robbing, or stealing, He Lian was always by his side.

When they were young, they had even made a name for themselves as the Mandarin Duck Thieves.

But he never expected that one of the mandarin ducks would have its head taken off right in front of him today.

Zhang He raised his head, his face trembling, his pupils blood red.

"Imperial Guards! You've gone too far."

"I'll make all of you pay with your lives for He Lian!"

"Hah, a rat causing trouble in my territory dares to spout such nonsense?"

"Your wife's head was just crushed by me. If you have the guts, come at me. If not, just take your own head off."

Shen Qing retorted with a face full of mockery.

In his previous life, he had lived like an ox or a horse, dying at his workstation.

Reborn, he inexplicably found himself as an Imperial Guard.

Killing people wasn't even against the law. Why should he indulge you?

Let alone anything else, even in an argument, Shen Qing couldn't afford to lose.

"Blood Fiend Fist!"

Zhang He gathered his Internal Energy at his fist, and a blood-colored fist shadow surged forward. The surrounding Imperial Guards reacted quickly, throwing several large nets towards Zhang He.

However, this maneuver might be effective against an ordinary Houtian Realm cultivator, but it was clearly insufficient against Zhang He, who was on the verge of breaking through to the Xiantian Realm.

Zhang He weaved and dodged through the forest, swiftly evading the nets and lunging directly at Shen Qing.

Shen Qing snorted.

"Your fist is as soft as a woman's."

With that, he threw a punch at Zhang He. The speed of his punch was no slower than Zhang He's.

Bang.

Zhang He was sent flying backward by Shen Qing's ordinary punch, crashing through two large trees.

As the dust settled, Zhang He quickly stood up, but his uncontrollably trembling right hand indicated that taking Shen Qing's punch head-on had not been easy.

Zhang He stared intently at Shen Qing, his mind full of confusion.

Why was the Imperial Guard Commander in Baiyun County so formidable? And wasn't the Commander supposed to be that useless Sun Yan?

Also, judging by his aura, he should be at the Houtian Realm Sixth Layer, so why did he have such immense strength?

He had traveled far and wide during his younger days as a镖师 (bodyguard escorting goods), so he had some experience.

He had seen geniuses who, at twenty years old, could rival the peak of the Houtian Realm.

But how could such a person be in Baiyun County? And serving as a mere Commander?

The next moment, his gaze swept over He Lian's corpse at Shen Qing's feet, and his eyes turned red once more.

Gritting his teeth, he roared.

"A genius, huh? I don't care about my life anymore! I will cripple you today!!!"

Zhang He's face flushed red as he channeled his Internal Energy through his heart meridians, maximizing his physical capabilities.

This pushed his strength, speed, and reaction time to their peak.

This was his desperate technique.

After their brief clash, Zhang He realized he couldn't match Shen Qing in terms of raw power.

However, Shen Qing was ultimately too young and lacked the time for accumulation, leaving him with weaknesses.

If his strength was high, then his speed and technique would be lacking.

He himself was at the peak of the Houtian Realm, had activated his life-risking secret technique, and had lived long enough for his fist techniques to reach their zenith.

A hint of confidence appeared in Zhang He's eyes. The advantage was mine!

With this thought, he charged forward like a ferocious dog, his fist carrying a surge of blood energy. As the blood energy spread, four more blood-colored fist shadows appeared in the air.

The five fist shadows intertwined, making it difficult to discern the real one.

All the Imperial Guards held their breath. They knew this was an illusion, but with their cultivation, they couldn't see any flaws.

Suddenly, Black Dog seemed to recall something and shouted.

"Sir, this is the Blood Shadow Fist! Four are fake, one is real. The fake fist shadows' blood color will gradually fade."

Zhang He's gaze flickered. He hadn't expected someone in this remote region to recognize the Blood Shadow Fist, let alone see through his deception.

"So what if I know your weakness? It's too late!"

Zhang He let out a sinister laugh, his speed increasing by another third.

Shen Qing didn't move, his eyes cold.

What he said was true; there really wasn't enough time to discern anything.

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But what difference does it make if I can see through it?

Shen Qing's gaze locked onto the five fist shadows. He slightly crouched and gripped the hilt of his saber.

"Rouse Wind."

The Qing He saber erupted, illuminating the forest with streaks of azure light.

Three consecutive slashes, as if intending to tear the fierce wind to shreds.

Bang bang bang bang!

Four blood-colored fist shadows were shattered by the saber.

Zhang He stood frozen on the spot, his right hand severed cleanly at the wrist, blood gushing out continuously.

"How is this possible?"

How could someone his age, with cultivation no less than his own, also possess such exquisite saber techniques?

Resentment flickered in Zhang He's eyes.

He was only a step away from the Xiantian Realm.

If he could just make it through tonight, he'd be free as a bird.

But why did he have to encounter a monster like Shen Qing on this night before dawn?

In that instant, figures flashed before his eyes.

All the people he had killed.

Could it be that karma truly exists?

Meanwhile, in the forest not far away, Zhang Zhi, who had been secretly hiding and observing, had already widened his eyes.

His face was filled with disbelief.

He simply couldn't accept this outcome.

His father, a peak Houtian Realm expert, was being killed like a dog.

His gaze shifted slightly to Shen Qing, who stood proudly. His heart began to race, pounding like a drum, he could even hear his own heartbeat.

Zhang Zhi immediately understood that the source of his fear tonight was this young man, not even twenty years old.

"I need to get out of here quickly..."

Shen Qing's power left him with no thought of resistance. Zhang Zhi instinctively took two steps back, about to flee.

But the next moment, Zhang Zhi froze. He stepped on a dry branch.

The crisp snap was so loud in the silent forest.

It drew everyone's attention.

The dark clouds dispersed, and moonlight shone down on the forest.

Zhang Zhi's figure was perfectly clear.

Shen Qing narrowed his eyes and sneered, "There's still a fish that slipped through the net."

Zhang He roared, "Zhi'er, run quickly!"

Then, he lunged at Shen Qing like a madman, his movements completely lacking the discipline and aura of a peak Houtian Realm martial artist.

Shen Qing's saber strikes had already shattered his spirit. All he wanted now was to hold Shen Qing back, to buy Zhang Zhi time to escape.

Shen Qing let out a cold snort and plunged his saber into Zhang He's back, piercing straight through his chest and pinning him to the ground.

On the other side, Black Dog and the others moved with extreme speed. Shen Qing's power had greatly boosted their morale.

Of course, Zhang Zhi's utter terror also played a part.

Lin Zikai's punch landed squarely on his face, but he didn't react.

With a bang, Zhang Zhi was sent flying.

On the other side, Black Dog leaped high and landed an elbow directly on his face.

Then, several Imperial Guards threw out a large net, ensnaring him. Following that, a dozen or so Imperial Guards swarmed him, their fists and feet raining down on Zhang He.

Shen Qing looked down at Zhang He and sneered.

"Truly useless. What were you protecting? You couldn't protect anything."

Zhang He's eyes were bloodshot, his pupils about to burst. He struggled to lift his head, his eyes filled with hatred, and he roared.

"Imperial Guards! I'll *you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Qing stomped on his face. His cheekbone deformed slightly from the pressure, and the man immediately passed out.

Shen Qing sheathed his blade.

"That's enough. Interrogate him thoroughly."

"Interrogate him without holding back."

This meant it wouldn't matter if the man died during the interrogation, as long as they got the information they needed.

With that, Shen Qing grabbed Zhang He by the hair and walked towards the depths of the valley.

He was genuinely curious about what lay in the valley's depths.

As for Zhang He, even though he was severely injured and unconscious, Shen Qing couldn't just leave him here.

A severely injured peak Houtian Realm expert was still a peak Houtian Realm expert.