"You bastard..."
Shen Lin steeled his heart. With a thought, he directly reinforced his club with the Qingqiu Body Tempering Art, twisted his waist, and swung it over.
Clang!
The flying thief's slender sword was knocked aside. For a moment, she even forgot to continue her attack, staring blankly at this absurd scene.
What kind of body-tempering technique could do that?
Just then, Shen Lin seized the opportunity and charged straight over.
He was still some distance from his own sword. If he chose to retrieve it, his opponent would inevitably force him back again.
The best option now was close-quarters combat!
But the flying thief quickly recovered. She seemed to understand Shen Lin's intentions, and with a tremble of her slender sword, she stabbed straight at his face, trying to force him back.
Shen Lin simply extended his right hand and reached for the slender sword.
"Overestimating yourself!"
It was the first time the flying thief had spoken. Her voice was gentle, like a murmuring stream.
She flicked her wrist, and the blade of the slender sword twisted. It actually bypassed Shen Lin's large hand and stabbed toward his face from a strange angle.
Through their exchanges just now, she had discovered that although Shen Lin could reinforce a part of his body, apparently only one place could block her slender sword at a time.
Otherwise, with the earlier strikes, Shen Lin would not have needed to dodge. He could have simply endured them with his flesh.
And now, Shen Lin's actions confirmed her guess. That fellow had reinforced his arm and intended to grab her sword directly, thereby restricting her.
But she had already considered this possibility. She changed her move on the spot, altering the slender sword's trajectory.
This strike seemed impossible to evade.
Yet a smug smile appeared on Shen Lin's face. He opened his mouth wide and bit down.
Clang!
His teeth had become as hard as steel, and he bit down on the slender sword.
"You!!!"
The flying thief's eyes widened in disbelief.
Could she have guessed wrong? Could this fellow make his entire body as hard as iron?
The next moment, Shen Lin threw a punch. She had no time to think and could only release the slender sword and raise both arms to block it.
With a bang, the heavy punch sent her staggering back several steps.
Only then did she realize from the feel of that punch that she had been tricked.
That fellow had not reinforced his palm just now, but his face.
He saw through my sword move and knew I would change it???
Shen Lin removed the slender sword from his mouth, flourished it, and slowly raised his head.
With the system's help, he had spent fifty-two years deducing the Gale Sword Technique.
In the way of swordsmanship, how many people could spend fifty-two years cultivating?
With Shen Lin's current attainments in the sword, the female flying thief's swordsmanship was exquisite, but ultimately still far too young.
After several exchanges, Shen Lin had seen straight through all the changes in her sword moves.
"Now, who is the one without a weapon..."
Shen Lin raised the slender sword in his hand and said with a smile.
Clang!
The next moment, the female flying thief drew a flexible sword from her waist. It swayed unsteadily like a venomous snake.
Fine, pretend I never said that!
The two pointed their sword tips at each other as a murderous aura began to spread between them.
But just then, a commotion suddenly came from outside.
After a loud crash, the rustling sound of footsteps gradually approached.
"Captain Li! Isn't it inappropriate for us to barge straight in like this? This residence is so luxurious. Whoever lives here must be no ordinary person..."
"What are you afraid of? This is my Seventh Uncle's residence. Though it has already been put up for sale, it definitely hasn't been sold in such a short time."
Captain Li wore a black-collared uniform and a flat-topped cap. Leading a group of constables, he swaggered into the courtyard and said arrogantly, "Besides, so what if someone has bought it? When the County Yamen is handling a case, the other party naturally has to cooperate. More importantly, is what you just said certain?"
The constable beside him hurriedly replied, "Absolutely certain. I spread the word and told all the vagrants and beggars in the county town to keep watch. Just now, a beggar happened to see a figure dressed in night clothes enter the courtyard in front of us."
"Good!" Captain Li clenched his fist, his face full of excitement.
The flying thief had grown more and more brazen lately. The cases she had committed had even alarmed County Lieutenant Hu.
If I can pull this off...
He was lost in a flight of fancy when the constable beside him said timidly, "Captain, I've heard that this thief is fierce and may very well be a martial artist in the Meridian Opening Realm. Can all of us... really handle her?"
"What are you afraid of?"
Captain Li said unhappily, "I never do anything I'm not confident in. On the way here, I already sent someone to invite Captain Sun. County Lieutenant Hu may arrive a little later, but as long as we can buy some time, this achievement definitely won't escape us!"
"Wasn't Captain Sun injured?"
"The mysteries of the Meridian Opening Realm are beyond your understanding. Captain Sun has already finished recuperating today and left the County Yamen for home."
The voices drew closer and closer, and the looks in Shen Lin and the flying thief's eyes both became strange.
"One Meridian-Opening Pill. Cover for me!"
"Two!"
"Deal!"
"Give me one as a deposit right now!"
"You!!!"
The female flying thief glared viciously at Shen Lin, deeply displeased by his attempt to profit from her misfortune.
But as the footsteps drew closer, she could only grit her teeth, take a small box from her robes, and throw it to Shen Lin.
"Both pills are inside!"
Shen Lin caught it and opened it. After checking the contents, he nodded.
In truth, the flying thief was not the only one who did not want those people to enter. Shen Lin did not want them to come in either.
He could certainly shout out and join forces with the people outside to subdue the flying thief.
But that would raise a problem.
How could a constable who had only just broken through into the martial artist realm preserve his life before a flying thief in the Meridian Opening Realm, and even capture her instead?
Wouldn't that expose the cultivation he had hidden for so long?
He still wanted to lie low and develop for a while longer.
The female flying thief breathed a sigh of relief and immediately prepared to leap onto the roof beam to hide.
But Shen Lin shook his head. "You won't get past them by hiding there!"
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Take off your clothes!"
"Huh?"
The female flying thief widened her eyes. Embarrassed and furious, she was just about to draw her sword and fight him to the death when Shen Lin pointed at the bathing pool and said, "Take off your clothes and get into the pool. Remember to step on your night clothes and keep them under the water!"
Only then did she understand what Shen Lin meant.
Her expression shifted several times. Just as she was hesitating, she heard voices outside.
"Captain! There's movement inside. It sounds like someone is in there!!!"
The situation was urgent, and she could no longer hesitate. Seeing that Shen Lin had already turned around, she immediately jumped into the bathing pool.
"Flying thief inside, listen up! You are already..."
Captain Li reached the doorway, drew his saber, and approached the door while shouting.
He nodded, signaling to the others, and the remaining constables began to move as well, surrounding the room so completely that not even water could pass through.
Seeing that everyone else was ready, Captain Li took a deep breath and was just about to kick the door open when an angry shout rang out from inside:
"What bunch of little bastards do you think you are, barging into your Master Shen's residence?"
Before you continue