Your Fists Are as Soft as a Woman's

Zhang He dropped to his knees helplessly, staring at He Lian's headless corpse, his eyes bloodshot and crimson.

"He Lian..."

At that moment, scene after scene flashed through his mind.

Back when he had been poor, He Lian had been by his side. The two of them had weathered wind and rain together.

Whether it was murder, robbery, or theft, He Lian had always been with him.

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

Yet today, one half of that pair had had her head plucked off right before his eyes.

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

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

"I'll make every last one of you accompany He Lian in death!"

"What a joke. A rat causing trouble on my turf, and you still dare to talk big?"

"I just crushed your wife's head. If you have the ability, come avenge her. If you don't, tear off your own head."

Shen Qing shot back with a mocking expression.

In his previous life, he had been a workhorse all his life, dying at his desk.

Reborn into another life, he had somehow still become an Imperial Guard.

Killing people wasn't even against the law now—why should he put up with anyone?

Forget everything else; even in a verbal sparring match, Shen Qing could not afford to lose ground.

Blood Fiend Fist!

Zhang He gathered his inner force at his fist, and a blood-colored fist shadow came crashing toward him. The surrounding Imperial Guards reacted quickly, casting several large nets at Zhang He.

That tactic might have worked against an ordinary Houtian Realm martial artist, but it was far from enough against Zhang He, who was on the verge of breaking through to the Xiantian Realm.

Zhang He darted and weaved through the woods, swiftly evading the nets as he lunged straight at Shen Qing.

Shen Qing snorted.

"Your fists are as soft as a woman's."

With that, he threw a punch at Zhang He, his fist moving no slower than Zhang He's—only faster.

Bang!

Zhang He was blasted backward by Shen Qing's seemingly ordinary punch, smashing through two large trees in a row.

When the dust settled, Zhang He quickly rose to his feet. Yet his uncontrollably trembling right hand showed that receiving Shen Qing's punch head-on had been anything but easy.

Zhang He glared fixedly at Shen Qing, his heart filled with confusion.

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

And judging by his aura, wasn't he only at the Houtian Realm Sixth Layer? Why was his strength so terrifying?

Back in his youth, when he had worked as an escort, Zhang He had traveled south and ventured north. He had seen much of the world.

It was not as if he had never seen geniuses who could rival the peak of the Houtian Realm at twenty.

But why would one be in Baiyun County? And serving as nothing more than a lowly Banner Commander?

The next moment, his gaze swept over He Lian's corpse by Shen Qing's feet, and his eyes turned crimson again.

Clenching his teeth, he let out a roar.

"You're a genius, are you? I'll throw away this life of mine! Today, I'll cripple you no matter what!!!"

Zhang He's face flushed red as he used his inner force to pierce through the pulse gate of his heart, stimulating his body to its utmost limit.

His strength, speed, and reflexes all reached their peak.

This was his life-risking technique.

After that exchange just now, Zhang He understood that he could never overpower Shen Qing in terms of strength.

But Shen Qing was still too young. He lacked years of accumulated experience, so there had to be shortcomings somewhere.

If his strength was great, then his speed and technique had to be lacking.

Zhang He was at the peak of the Houtian Realm, had activated a life-risking secret art, had lived long enough, and had long since brought his fist technique to perfection.

A flash of confidence appeared in Zhang He's eyes. The advantage is mine!

With that thought, he charged out like a rabid dog. His fist came roaring in, wrapped in blood qi, and as the blood qi spread, four more blood-colored fist shadows emerged in the air.

Five fist shadows intertwined, making it impossible to distinguish the real from the false.

All the Imperial Guards broke into a cold sweat. They knew it had to be a feint, but with their cultivation, they could not spot the slightest flaw.

Suddenly, Black Dog seemed to remember something and shouted.

"My lord, it's the Blood Shadow Fist! Four false shadows and one real fist—the blood color of the false fist shadows will gradually fade."

Zhang He's gaze flickered. He had not expected anyone in this remote place to recognize the Blood Shadow Fist, much less see through its flaw.

"So what if you know the flaw? It's too late!"

Zhang He gave a savage grin, his speed increasing by another degree.

Shen Qing did not move, his eyes cold.

That was true enough. There really was no time to tell them apart.

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But what did it matter whether he could see through them or not?

Shen Qing locked his gaze onto the five fist shadows, bent slightly, and gripped the hilt of his saber.

"Knead the Wind."

Qing He suddenly left its sheath, lighting up the forest with azure saber light.

Three saber strikes in succession, as if they would knead the raging wind into pieces.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The four blood-colored fist shadows were shattered by the saber.

Zhang He stood frozen in place. His right hand had been cleanly severed at the wrist, blood spraying without cease.

"How is this possible?"

How could someone at such an age possess cultivation no weaker than his while also mastering such exquisite saber techniques?

Unwillingness rose in Zhang He's eyes.

He was only one step away from the Xiantian Realm.

So long as he made it past tonight, the sky would be high enough for birds to fly and the sea wide enough for fish to leap.

But why had he encountered a monster like Shen Qing in the night before dawn?

In that instant, several figures flashed before his eyes.

They were all people he had harmed to death.

Could it really be that heaven's law turned in endless cycles?

At the same time, Zhang Zhi, who had been secretly hiding and watching from the woods some distance away, had already widened his eyes.

His face was filled with disbelief.

He simply could not accept this outcome.

His father, a peak Houtian Realm martial artist, was being slaughtered like a dog.

His gaze shifted slightly toward Shen Qing, who stood proudly, and his heart immediately began pounding like a drum. He could even hear his own heartbeat.

Zhang Zhi instantly understood that the source of his terror tonight was this young man not yet twenty years old.

I have to get out of here...

Shen Qing's strength left him utterly unable to muster any thought of resistance. Zhang Zhi instinctively backed up two steps, about to flee.

But in the next instant, Zhang Zhi froze. He had stepped on and snapped a branch.

The crisp crack was so loud in the silent forest.

It drew everyone's gaze over.

The dark clouds dispersed, and moonlight spilled over the mountain forest.

Zhang Zhi's figure was plainly exposed.

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

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

Then he charged at Shen Qing like a madman, his movements utterly devoid of the form and bearing a peak Houtian Realm martial artist should possess.

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

Shen Qing snorted coldly and drove 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 swiftly. Shen Qing's strength had greatly boosted their morale.

Of course, Zhang Zhi being scared out of his wits was also part of the reason.

Even when Lin Zikai's punch struck him squarely in the face, he did not react.

Bang! Zhang Zhi was sent flying.

Black Dog leaped high into the air from the side and drove his elbow straight into Zhang Zhi's face.

Then several Imperial Guards threw out a large net and trapped him within it. Immediately afterward, more than a dozen Imperial Guards swarmed forward, their fists and feet raining down on Zhang He like raindrops.

Shen Qing looked down at Zhang He and sneered.

"You really are useless. What did you protect? You couldn't protect anything."

Zhang He's eyes were blood-red, the corners of his eyes splitting as he struggled to lift his head. His gaze was full of hatred as he opened his mouth and roared.

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

Before he could finish, Shen Qing stomped on his face. Even his cheekbone was crushed slightly out of shape, and he was knocked unconscious on the spot.

Shen Qing sheathed his saber.

"That's enough. Interrogate him properly for me."

"Don't hold back during the interrogation."

That meant it did not matter if they interrogated him to death, so long as they got useful information out of him.

With that, Shen Qing grabbed Zhang He by the hair and dragged him toward the depths of the valley.

He truly wanted to see what lay in the depths of that valley.

As for Zhang He, though he was heavily wounded and unconscious, Shen Qing had no intention of leaving him here.

A severely wounded peak Houtian Realm martial artist was still a peak Houtian Realm martial artist.