The moonlight shone throughout the alley.
Zhang Rongfang fell completely silent. It was as if his swift movements just moments before had all been a charade.
He grabbed the swordsman by the neck with one hand, his eyes beneath the mask meeting the Snake King's gaze.
"I am but a mere White Eagle; I am afraid I have made a fool of myself in front of Senior Snake King."
Click.
He casually twisted the neck of the swordsman in his hand, released him, and let him fall to the ground.
"You!!" The Snake King's eyes widened, not expecting the other party to dare to be so disrespectful.
"What? I'm just a little White Eagle. If I can't kill you, Snake King, I can only eat the scraps." Zhang Rongfang narrowed his eyes, showing no sign of backing down.
That's just the kind of person he is.
Before something happens, you might consider many things.
But when it really comes down to it, they will let go of everything, go all out, and fight with their backs against the wall.
Now that he has reached the Ninth Grade, his strength has greatly increased, and he mainly relies on movement techniques.
What is there to be afraid of?
"How dare you!" The Snake King gripped his short sword tightly. "It seems I must discipline your minions for the sake of the Golden Wing Nine Spirits!"
He took a step forward.
With a soft sound, his figure vanished, and he bent down, transforming into Shadow as he rushed towards Zhang Rongfang.
The Shadow sped along the wall, shooting and twisting until it reached Zhang Rongfang.
The distance of several meters was covered in less than a second.
So much so that no one else reacted.
While the others didn't react, Zhang Rongfang was already completely focused.
He raised his hands and clasped his arms together.
When!!
The dagger was held between his palms.
The powerful Eagle Claw Skill forcefully jammed the curved blade from the side.
The two of them paused at the same time and lifted their legs.
The two knees collided with a dull thud.
But before Zhang Rongfang could catch his breath, the Snake King suddenly grabbed his temple from the side with its other hand.
He quickly dodged.
Thud! The claw pierced the wall, like a sharp thorn piercing tofu.
The two exchanged blows, and Zhang Rongfang was clearly inferior in speed and strength from the start, retreating repeatedly.
However, his occasional bursts of Breaking Limit Skill, such as the Shrink Step, allowed him to barely withstand the Snake King's speed and power by utilizing his short bursts of speed.
The group of the Black Ten Sect subordinates around him didn't dare to step forward and interfere.
The two fought so fast that they had no idea how to help each other.
At this level of interaction, a slight misstep could turn a helpful move into a counterproductive one.
Inside the alley, the Snake King's claws, like venomous fangs, kept missing their mark, piercing the wall and tearing out pieces of broken wall.
Zhang Rongfang occasionally countered with Eagle Claw Skill, but his attacks became increasingly slower, and he fell into a disadvantageous position.
He struggled to hold on, unaware that the other party was even more surprised.
The Snake King had seen the Golden Wing Tower Eagle Rank leaders in other cities. He knew that these Eagle Rank were at most at the fourth or fifth rank.
But what's wrong with this guy in front of him? He originally thought he could take him down with just a little effort.
But now, he's put in almost all his effort, and he still can't take down this person? That's a bit ridiculous.
This guy can't possibly only have the skills and speed of a fourth or fifth rank; he's probably even at the Ninth Grade!
Good heavens. Even an Eagle Rank being is at the Ninth Grade! Is this some kind of Spirit Grade imposter? Immediately, he stopped hesitating and increased his strength.
With a single move, the Black Python Entwining Body his body, bending it like a contortionist.
In the blink of an eye, the other person had already dodged from the side and viciously grabbed Zhang Rongfang's back with his claws.
Poof! Unexpectedly, Zhang Rongfang also unleashed Shrinking Step Heavy Mountain, using immense strength to boost his speed. He turned around and used all his strength in both hands.
Two hands against a single claw.
Eagle Claw against snake fangs! Three hands crossed in an instant.
Zhang Rongfang paused slightly, his hands trembling, and then leaped away.
Several Black Beard tried to stop him, but he easily dodged them and flew over their heads.
Before long, his figure disappeared into the night.
The Snake King slowly straightened up and turned to look in the direction Zhang Rongfang had left.
"Does the Golden Roc Secret Record not contain such a perfect Eagle Claw Skill, Miscellaneous Skills, Ninth Grade?"
"My lord, he killed Ci Mu Cuo, why not forcibly capture him?" a swordsman beside him couldn't help but ask.
"I was careless," the Snake King said calmly, "But I won't be like that next time. I've already figured out this person's background."
"May I ask, Snake King, what is your background?" the swordsman asked urgently.
"This person did not cultivate the Golden Roc Secret Record. Instead, he mainly practiced the Talisman Arts of the Great Dao Sect. The technique he just used was the Great Dao Sect's Breaking Limit Skill, supplemented by Eagle Claw Skill. His movement techniques also incorporated elements of the True One Sect. He is essentially a High Grade practitioner of miscellaneous skills. He has wasted his talent."
If this person were to master only one Superior Martial Arts, I would have a much harder time dealing with him.
The Snake King never expected that there would be someone in this world who would follow Han Shisan's path.
Han Shisan died from a ruptured heart, which led many people to stop practicing multiple martial arts styles.
Nowadays, you can find people who are proficient in two disciplines, one primary and one secondary.
But those who are proficient in all three disciplines are extremely rare.
The man from the Golden Wing Tower just now was proficient in at least three different martial arts.
"This person likely comes from a humble background, and his future achievements will be limited to this. Don't worry about him."
The Snake King turned and glanced at the fallen swordsman on the ground.
"Remember, you will only gain true freedom by assisting me in completing this mission. Otherwise..."
A hint of suppressed emotion flashed in the eyes of the other swordsman.
He paused for a moment, then lowered his head.
"Yes."
"Let's go." The Snake King waved his hand, ordering his men to drag the corpse away.
The loss of a High Grade Expert also put him in a very bad mood.
The guy I thought I could take down anytime actually got away.
It seems that the Golden Wing Tower has also sent people down to compete for that thing.
And that kid from before, he deliberately lured people over, then lured him over too, he was malicious and wanted to start a fight.
Now he's vanished without a trace.
This Tanyang City is getting more and more interesting. The Snake King knew he needed to adjust his mindset; he had initially been somewhat indifferent to this place. But now, having barely reached the ground, someone had already dealt him a heavy blow.
"Fine, let me make a scene from now on."
It's time to put the Black Ten Sect's connections in Tanyang to use. "That person just now had his right hand injured by me, and since he mainly practices the martial arts of the Great Dao Sect, it's impossible for him to recover in less than a month. We can use our manpower to investigate the person with the injured right hand. With a little investigation, we should be able to find something."
"Understood!" the people beside him replied quickly.
*** Mingjing Palace.
Zhang Rongfang gently landed on the wall, took a breath, and grasped his trembling right hand. He quickly went into the house and carefully examined his injuries by the light of the oil lamp.
My wrist is swollen and red, and it's bulging quite high. Under the light, you can vaguely see that the skin is filled with internal bleeding and is bulging outwards.
The Snake King's final blow was indeed powerful.
With one hand, I could strike both of his arms and still injure his right palm, breaking his Eagle Claw Skill.
This person is called Super Grade, and he truly lives up to his reputation.
Later on, he almost entirely relied on using Breaking Limit Skill to barely manage to hold his own against the opponent.
However, this kind of short-term, forced burst of energy cannot be sustained for long; if it lasts any longer, he will inevitably be unable to hold on.
Moreover, even when he unleashed his Breaking Limit Skill, he was still no match for his opponent.
Even if he can keep unleashing his power, in ten more moves, it will be time for me to be beheaded.
"As expected of a master who surpasses the Ninth Grade system, Snake King Xue Jinghao truly lives up to his reputation."
He could even sense that the other party wasn't using their full strength, but was merely testing the waters.
He used that box to fish, but he never expected a great white shark to suddenly appear from the side.
The Snake King of the Black Ten Sect had just arrived in Tanyang when he ran into him.
'But that's fine too. After a real fight, I'll know his true strength level. Next time we meet, I should just turn around and leave.'
Zhang Rongfang sighed inwardly.
Looking at my right hand, I realized it was somewhat sprained.
His opponent was much stronger than him.
It's even highly likely that he surpasses a typical Ninth Grade, capable of striking with one hand against both of his own and even injuring him.
'With such strength, if it were a combination of various martial arts techniques, he would need at least two or three more techniques that Breaking Limits compared to mine to achieve this effect. And that doesn't even take into account whether he used his full strength.'
After quickly tending to his injuries, Zhang Rongfang applied medicine and took some hemostatic medication. Then he lay down to rest.
Early the next morning.
A series of urgent knocks on the door startled Zhang A awake.
"Who!?" He jumped up alertly and asked in a cold voice towards the outside.
"Senior Brother Zhang Ying, someone has come to check for fugitives from last night. The Dao Palace has already let them in. Please forgive any inconvenience caused. Just cooperate." A Daoist from the Mingjing Palace explained.
Through the wall and door, Zhang Rongfang's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.
"I understand, you may leave."
He could guess that the Black Ten Sect had simply used its connections to find his current hiding place.
Zhang Rongfang quickly got up, rummaged through the wardrobe in the room, and took out a set of Daoist robes from the Mingjing Palace, which he put on as an outer garment.
Knock knock knock.
Suddenly, there was a rapid knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" Zhang Rongfang stepped forward and opened the door.
First Squad constables dressed in official robes stood outside the gate.
The leader was a bald, burly man with a small mustache. From his clean-shaven head, which wasn't wearing a hat, you could see a subtle sheen of oil.
"Open the door, we're checking for fugitives!" the bald man shouted impatiently, gripping the hilt of his knife.
"A fugitive with a wounded right arm was on the run last night. He's a dangerous criminal who kills indiscriminately. Have you seen him?!"
"Hmm? Fugitive? Which department are you from?" Zhang Rongfang's voice turned stern.
The bald man was immediately enraged and was about to shout when someone whispered a reminder to him.
He took a closer look at the person in front of him and was immediately taken aback.
His expression changed drastically in an instant as he recognized the person in front of him.
"Oh dear, it's Lord Zhang in person! My apologies! Since it's Lord Zhang here, he can't be a fugitive!"
"It was my oversight! I deserve to die!"
He suddenly slapped himself hard across the cheek.
"It is I who have disturbed your meditation, sir. I shall take my leave now!"
He didn't dare look any longer and turned to leave.
The other team members quickly followed, not daring to say a word.
The group walked quite a distance before slowly stopping.
The bald man breathed a sigh of relief when he heard no one behind him telling them to stop.
"Damn it! Couldn't you guys have warned me?! If I had known this person lived here, would I have dared to knock on the door?!"
Zhang Ying's reputation in Government Office government was mainly due to his past exploits with the Black Ten Sect.
Surrounded by thousands of people, they managed to take the Grand Elder hostage and led an entire team out unharmed.
The fact that no one retaliated or investigated afterward shows how much face that makes you.
Moreover, he's a ruthless person who dares to go against Lin Qixiao of the Lin family.
Before Lin Qixiao's martial arts were crippled, he was extremely ruthless.
She bullied many people around her.
Baldy was one of them.
When he first heard that Lin Qixiao was crippled, he was so happy that he and his wife killed two chickens to celebrate.
Now, unexpectedly, the investigation almost led to him getting into trouble with Zhang Ying, a ruthless person.
"Captain, did you smell the odor of the oral hemostatic medicine just now?" someone suddenly asked softly.
"No! There's no smell of medicine at all, don't talk nonsense!" The bald man was immediately startled and slapped the man hard.
"How dare you spout such nonsense? If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"
The person immediately covered their face in grievance, as if about to say something.
But after another person whispered a few words of explanation to him, his face turned pale and he dared not say another word.
The First Squad acted as if they hadn't smelled anything and continued checking the next location.
In the Mingjing Palace, ordinary Daoist cultivators don't really care about the rank of these people, but Martial Cultivator like Zhang Ying, who also have another layer of connections and relationships, are not people they can afford to offend.