Rescue

Aside from the Green Wolf Gang members and the Little Knife Society men in the rear, whose eyes were practically popping out, Jia Kui—clutching his feet and rolling across the ground in agony—had never expected this either. His features twisted together as he ground his teeth and said, "You despicable, shameless bastard! You actually hid an iron plate on yourself. You truly deserve to be called no man's son."

Just now, Jia Kui had unleashed a killing move from Tiger Subduing Fist, kicking Xiang Yang's crotch several times in succession. Though the front of Xiang Yang's crotch was protected by iron-plated underpants, and he had sucked in and tightened his little brother to keep it from getting crushed, both inner thighs had suffered badly. Xiang Yang had rubbed them for quite a while before recovering.

Hearing Jia Kui's words, Xiang Yang was furious too. "You've got the nerve to talk about me? Kicking a man in the family jewels—when it comes to being despicable and shameless, you're my senior. If this young master hadn't seen far ahead and calculated like a god, I really would've fallen for your trick."

Ever since cultivating the Iron Crotch Technique had greatly boosted his strength, Xiang Yang had specifically hired someone to make these peculiar underpants. Their purpose was obvious: to protect his vital parts. Since his externally trained Iron Crotch Technique was not yet complete, making an iron crotch to brace himself with was still possible, though it did look somewhat perverted.

And the facts proved that while Xiang Yang's idea was ahead of its time, it was absolutely valuable. If not for his "iron crotch protection" today, he truly might have been defeated by Jia Kui.

At the same time, this incident reminded Xiang Yang that martial arts were important, but experience in fighting enemies was equally important. This world was not an online game, much less a stage play. Losing once might mean losing his life.

After easing the pain from the pressure on his inner thighs, Xiang Yang pulled up his pants and picked up the Wild Goose Feather Saber again. No longer paying attention to Jia Kui, he turned toward the Green Wolf Gang members and gave them a look while the Little Knife Society men were still staring stupidly at the scene. "Attack!"

There was no need to describe the battle that followed in detail. Without Jia Kui, the remaining Little Knife Society men merely had some brute strength, nowhere near the monstrous strength and Divine Power of someone like Xiang Yang. In no time, they were all sprawled on the ground. Those who resisted fiercely met disaster and died on the spot, while more than a dozen others were pinned down by the Green Wolf Gang and ruthlessly ground into the dirt, howling to heaven and earth.

With the overall situation settled, Xiang Yang was full of satisfaction. Seeing Huang Peng and the others busy subduing the Little Knife Society men, he secretly picked up his underpants from the ground, found a corner to carefully wipe them clean, then put and tied them back on. Only then did he return to everyone's sight looking respectable again.

"Constable Xiang, we got it out of them. They really are being held in the cellar of Anjia Manor's rear courtyard. There are roughly a dozen women and children inside, and one child looks very much like Young Master Lan."

When he saw Xiang Yang, Huang Peng jogged over with an excited expression to report. This time, they had truly rendered great merit. Never mind Xiang Yang's side; their Green Wolf Gang leader certainly would not be stingy with the rewards.

"Then what are we waiting for? Have a few brothers come with me. Right—tie Jia Kui up first. I want to interrogate him alone later."

Xiang Yang was delighted, but he had not forgotten that Jia Kui might possess the internal cultivation method he needed, so he gave Huang Peng his orders.

Although Xiang Yang's appearance and bearing were still the same as before, after defeating Jia Kui, an outer cloak of authority seemed to have settled over him in Huang Peng's eyes. Huang Peng hurriedly nodded and carried out the order.

With Xiang Yang in the lead, Huang Peng and two burly men in blue followed him. The four entered through the doorway and eventually arrived at the empty rear courtyard.

The rear courtyard was a third larger than the front courtyard, piled with firewood, grain, and other supplies. Xiang Yang and the others ignored all of it and headed straight for a large, conspicuous bluestone slab outside the woodshed.

Xiang Yang tipped his chin at Huang Peng. Huang Peng narrowed his eyes, understood at once, and stepped forward. Grasping the two metal rings embedded in the slab, he pulled outward, revealing a square cellar entrance from which a wave of stench drifted out.

Xiang Yang frowned, feeling somewhat nauseated. So many people had been imprisoned in this cellar, and they must have relieved themselves down below every day. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

But this was not the time to dwell on such things. Rescuing the captives was the proper course. If Young Master Lan was not down there, then all his efforts today would have been for nothing.

The cellar lay underground, damp, hot, and stifling. In a space of barely a dozen square meters, more than a dozen people were tied together with their mouths stuffed shut. The stench came from them.

They had all been bound, yet compared to them, Miss Zhou—though she had been abducted by the far more vicious and ruthless Black Wind Mountain Stronghold—had been treated like an honored guest. Her circumstances had been far more comfortable.

By the sunlight spilling in from above, Xiang Yang swept his gaze across the room. At last, his eyes landed on a chubby little boy of seven or eight, dressed in brocade and silk, fair and tender-skinned. At a glance, he was clearly the child of a wealthy household.

Xiang Yang hurried over and sliced through the ropes binding everyone with a single stroke. "I'm Constable Xiang Yang from the Anyuan County Yamen. I'm here to rescue you all. Don't worry. You'll be free soon."

Upon hearing Xiang Yang's words, nearly everyone began to sob. The little fatty's eyes lit up as well. Once the rope around his hands was undone, he tore the rag from his mouth, spat twice, and said to Xiang Yang, "My father is Lan Jie, Mr. Lan of Qingjiang Prefecture. Hurry up and take me back to the County Yamen. I'll definitely reward you handsomely."

Though the little fatty was young, he was mature-minded. With just a few words, he made his identity clear and dangled profit as bait. He was no simple child. Who knew how Mr. Lan had raised him? A clever child like this could never be lured away and trafficked with little gifts like candy.

Upon hearing the little fatty's words, Xiang Yang received the Wordless Book's notification in his mind that the mission had been completed, and joy welled up in his heart.

Divine Steps Shifting Form—this was the movement technique he had coveted for a long time. At his current stage, it was even more useful than the Hu Family Saber Technique. After all, if he could not win, he could run. If he did not even know how to run, then he would be useless even if he did not die.

"So it's Young Master Lan. Please rest assured. This place is already under my control. Once I finish dealing with matters here, I'll immediately take you back to the County Yamen."

Little Fatty Lan curled his lips, somewhat dissatisfied. But when he felt the greasy dampness in his pants, his face reddened, and he was no longer in such a hurry to return to the County Yamen. "All right, then. But you have to find me a clean set of clothes first. Oh, and I want to take a bath."

Xiang Yang nodded and agreed to everything. After bringing everyone up to the surface, he tossed all these troublesome matters to Huang Peng, telling him to register their identities one by one, then find them food and drink, clean clothes, and let them rest for a while before returning them to the County Yamen.

Once he had finished giving his instructions, Xiang Yang left the rear courtyard amid the gratitude of the disheveled women and children and entered the empty room where Jia Kui was being held.

Jia Kui had used too much force when unleashing his killing move earlier, shattering the bones in the big toes of both feet. He could no longer walk. His upper body was bound with ropes as thick as two fingers, and he sat slumped in the corner of the room, unable to move and posing no threat whatsoever. His face was twisted with despair.

"Jia Kui, what's with that face when you see this young master? Can't stand the loss?"

Xiang Yang had the Green Wolf Gang men stand guard outside. He himself sat beside the round table, poured a cup of water, and looked at Jia Kui as he spoke calmly.

"Of course I can't accept it. If you hadn't used such filthy methods, you would've lost to my Tiger Subduing Fist long ago."

Xiang Yang did not deny that. His martial arts were a notch above Jia Kui's, but his experience was far inferior.

But the victor became king and the loser a bandit. No matter how much they said, he was not about to stretch out his neck and let Jia Kui snap it.

"Is there any use saying that? I respect the fact that your Tiger Subduing Fist has reached a certain level, and I don't want to torture you. But I hope you'll answer what I ask honestly. Don't make things difficult for me."