Black Wind Stronghold

The man in black was of average height, powerfully built, and exuded a rough bandit-like air from head to toe. His gaze was cold, and he did not regard Yang Heng as a threat at all.

His sixth sense had not sounded any warning, which meant this man was not a Blood Strengthening Realm martial artist. At most, he was in the same realm as Yang Heng, so Yang Heng was not afraid.

Against anyone in the same realm, he feared no battle.

The advantage was mine.

Yang Heng gave the man in black a chilly smile. "Who are you? If you're standing up for Wang Gui, you'd better think it through. Don't wait until you're about to lose your life before kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy."

"Geh geh."

"Kid, you don't even know who I am, yet you dare spout such arrogant nonsense. A toad yawning—what a huge mouth!"

"See the wolf-head mark on my chest? That's the symbol of Black Wind Stronghold. I'm from Black Wind Stronghold. You dare come to the home of someone under our protection and rob them of their money? You've eaten a bear's heart and leopard's gall—you've got the nerve to defy the heavens!"

The man in black barked harshly.

Black Wind Stronghold?

When he had eaten at the tavern, some diners had mentioned Black Wind Stronghold. Yang Heng had inadvertently heard some news about them.

Black Wind Stronghold operated around Qinghe City, making their living through burglary and highway robbery. Their forces were vast, with many martial artists behind them. Their strength was no weaker than the Medicine King Gang's, making them an exceptionally troublesome force.

It was said that the authorities had sent troops to encircle and suppress them several times, yet they had not even found Black Wind Stronghold's gates. Instead, they had been ambushed halfway there, suffering heavy casualties before fleeing back to Qinghe City in disgrace.

Afterward, the matter of suppressing them was simply dropped.

Who would have thought that traces of them would appear even in a remote place like Qingyang Town?

Even if Black Wind Stronghold's reputation spread far and wide, they were still far beyond the horizon. Yang Heng did not fear them. Once he took the silver, he would run. Who would know he had done it?

His public identity was merely that of an ordinary apprentice at Hundred Herbs Pharmacy. He did not know martial arts; no one would suspect him.

"Black Wind Stronghold? What the hell is that? I've never heard of it."

Yang Heng sneered. He deliberately belittled Black Wind Stronghold, hoping to provoke the man in black into attacking so that he could spot an opening and win in a single move.

The man in black was a minor leader of Black Wind Stronghold. He had fought and clawed his way up from the bottom, deeply versed in schemes and tricks. He saw through Yang Heng's little ploy at once. Why would he fall for it?

"Heh heh."

"Kid, you're pretty arrogant. Later, I'll knock your teeth out one by one and see whether your mouth is still so hard!" The man in black forcefully suppressed his rage and let out a cold laugh, killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Seeing that the man in black had not taken the bait, Yang Heng hesitated no longer and attacked directly.

With a single stride, Yang Heng arrived before the man in black. His sandbag-sized fist whistled through the air, its force sharp and fierce as it smashed toward the man's chest.

The chest presented a large target and was easy to hit.

This move was mainly a probe, and Yang Heng did not use his full strength.

The man in black was startled when Yang Heng suddenly closed in, but he did not panic.

His body seemed weightless. With a light tap of his toes, he drifted backward like a kite, easily evading Yang Heng's ferocious attack.

Yang Heng was not discouraged. He strode forward like a magnet, clinging tightly to the man in black like a shadow. Wherever the man went, Yang Heng immediately appeared in front of him and launched fierce attacks.

He did not give the man in black a moment's rest.

He had never feared anyone in a contest of endurance.

Before learning martial arts, he had relied on his formidable stamina to drag two Blood Brave Disciples to death.

Now that he was a quasi-martial artist, his endurance was even greater. Against someone in the same realm, Yang Heng did not fear a contest of stamina in the slightest.

This was his field of expertise.

As the two chased and fled, traces of their battle covered the courtyard, leaving it in complete disarray.

The carefully tended flowers were trampled into pieces. Anyone who saw the scene would feel heartache.

Their figures flashed across the steps, stone pillars, doorframes, and tree trunks.

Seeing that the courtyard was cluttered with too many obstacles and hindered his movements, the man in black leaped several zhang and stepped out of the courtyard, arriving outside.

Yang Heng pursued relentlessly. With a single bound, he cleared the wall and landed outside, standing face-to-face with the man in black.

Their eyes met, and each could see the killing intent in the other's gaze.

After their chase just now, Yang Heng had roughly figured out the man in black's strength. His movement technique was nimble, and he seemed to have practiced Lightness Skill, but his strength was lacking—even inferior to Zhang Meng's.

His strength was probably around three hundred sixty or seventy jin.

If Yang Heng took one of his punches, he might not feel a thing. But if he took one of Yang Heng's punches, he would at least spit out half a mouthful of blood.

After analyzing the situation, Yang Heng grew even more confident. He unleashed a fierce barrage of attacks without any thought of defending.

The man in black was furious at Yang Heng's arrogance, but there was nothing he could do.

He truly was not skilled at attacking. He had only gained his position as a minor leader through years of grinding it out.

In battle, he relied on nimble footwork to evade most attacks. By the end, everyone else in his squad had died, and he alone remained alive. Naturally, the position of minor leader fell to him.

Black Wind Stronghold had also taken a liking to his nimble movement technique and strong ability to preserve his life, which was why they had assigned him the task of collecting protection fees.

Who would have thought that Wang Gui's home would be only the second house he had visited, yet he would encounter a powerful man coming to demand money? As a member of Black Wind Stronghold, they had always been the ones robbing others.

Yet now someone had turned heaven and earth upside down and robbed Black Wind Stronghold itself. Of course he could not endure it.

He was determined to uphold Black Wind Stronghold's prestige.

After a fierce exchange, who would have expected the intruder to possess such formidable martial prowess and such savage fists? He was not the ordinary petty thief the man in black had assumed him to be.

The man in black immediately regretted it beyond measure.

If he had known this would happen, he would have been better off staying hidden in the house and taking the chance to escape.

If he failed to collect protection money from one household, he could simply make it up elsewhere.

But he only had one life. Once it was gone, it was gone.

The man in black no longer had the arrogant bearing he had displayed upon appearing. His eyes darted everywhere as he searched for an opportunity to flee.

Yang Heng saw through his thoughts at a glance. He stuck to him tightly and gave him no chance at all.

After fighting fiercely for a while longer, the anxiety in the man in black's eyes grew thicker and thicker. He even began to lose focus. Fortunately, his movement technique was practiced, and he narrowly evaded Yang Heng's heavy punch.

He thought to himself, This can't go on.

That kid kept attacking relentlessly. His stamina should have been greatly depleted, yet after careful observation, there was not the slightest sign that he was running out of strength.

The man in black groaned inwardly.

Could it be that I really have to beg him for mercy?

Or should I burn my blood and qi and flee at once?

He could not swallow his pride with the former, while the latter's cost was too great.

He had come down the mountain to collect protection fees, only to end up draining his blood and qi. What a colossal loss!

Seeing Yang Heng fight with increasing ease, his offensive growing ever fiercer, the man in black finally made up his mind and opened his mouth to beg for mercy.

He feared that if this continued a little longer, he might not be able to escape even if he burned his blood and qi.

By then, he would not even have the chance to beg for mercy.

The man in black swiftly retreated. Before Yang Heng could catch up, he shouted, "Brother, you and I bear no grudge against each other. Why fight to the death? How about this: I'll no longer involve myself in Wang Gui's affairs. Deal with him however you wish."

"Furthermore, I'll pay twenty taels of silver out of my own pocket to apologize to you. What do you say?"

The man in black wore a broad smile, with none of the haughty coldness he had shown when he first appeared.