36 (Xie San Geng Shou Meng Zhu)

Huaxin County was far quieter at night than during the day.

The streets lay silent. Wind swept fallen leaves endlessly across them, and only a few special establishments—wine houses, distilleries, Goulan, and the like—still had lights on.

Most homes had already extinguished their lamps.

The watchman carrying a copper gong ambled along the road, striking it now and then and calling out a few words.

Zhang Rongfang swiftly entered a small alley. Before long, he had changed into a gray robe and put on a gray fur cap.

Following the route from daytime, he headed straight toward Sister-in-law Yang Hongyan's home.

He kept his head lowered along the way, his face smeared with charcoal ash, making him look filthy and indistinct.

Soon, when he was nearly there, he pulled out a prepared piece of black cloth from his pocket, covered his face with it, and tied it behind his head.

The street was empty, with only the occasional carriage passing by.

Zhang Rongfang returned to the spot where he had encountered Chen He and his group during the day.

Sister-in-law Yang Hongyan's family was considered well-off in Huaxin County. Her father was a small shopkeeper dealing in calligraphy and painting, while her mother sewed small items such as leather bags at home to sell.

Yang Hongyan was their only daughter.

When Zhang Rongfang arrived before the Yang Family's door, he could vaguely hear voices coming from inside.

The Yang Family's home consisted of three connected rectangular single-story rooms. One room stood right against the street and served as the kitchen.

Smoke continuously drifted from the kitchen's chimney opening, clearly showing that firewood was being burned inside.

Zhang Rongfang circled the area and quickly discovered something suspicious.

Several sheds stood behind the Yang Family's home, and inside sat several men warming themselves over burning firewood.

The moment Zhang Rongfang showed himself, those men spotted him.

Before he could make a move, they abruptly rose to their feet and strode toward him.

"What are you doing, sneaking around nearby!?" one man suddenly barked.

Instead of leaving, Zhang Rongfang retreated into the narrow passage between the houses behind him.

He happened to need someone to ask about the situation here.

Once those men came closer, cursing under their breaths,

he suddenly stepped forward and drove a fist into one man's abdomen.

A dull thud rang out.

The man in front doubled over, never expecting to be hit by a sneak attack first.

The punch carried more weight than he had imagined. He was about five foot seven, with a solidly muscled body, yet after falling to the ground, he struggled and still could not get back up.

There were three men in total. Seeing this, the other two roared and charged into the alley one after the other.

One in front and one behind, both raised their right palms to strike, and their stances actually possessed a certain method.

Strength traveled from their waists and backs through their arms, their blows whipping up howling gusts of wind with no small force behind them.

Under the dim moonlight, Zhang Rongfang took one step back and repeatedly jabbed out with both hands, precisely slapping the elbow joints of both men's arms.

He was now Second Grade. His speed, strength, and eyesight all surpassed these men by a great deal.

The instant they made contact, he sensed that all three were merely ordinary people who had not Entered the Ranks.

Only one of them was somewhat stronger, perhaps in Tendon Forging.

After knocking aside their attacks, Zhang Rongfang lunged forward and rammed his shoulder directly into one man's chest.

The man toppled backward on the spot, unable to breathe and temporarily incapable of getting up.

The last man shouted and grabbed for Zhang Rongfang's shoulders with both hands.

Zhang Rongfang took a step back, then struck upward with his palm, hitting the man's chin and knocking him unconscious at once.

Having defeated the three men in succession, Zhang Rongfang was about to grab one and question him.

Suddenly, two more people rushed headlong into the alley from behind.

"Bold!"

The gait and aura of these two were clearly entirely different. Before they even came close, they already exuded the unstoppable momentum of Galloping Horses.

Zhang Rongfang's pupils narrowed as he noticed that their palms were faintly black beneath the moonlight.

He had just broken through and was eager to test his current strength. Without dodging or evading, he raised a fist and stepped forward.

Flat Mountain Gazing at Moon from the Yue Type Talisman was perfectly suited to this kind of head-on clash.

In an instant, the man in front raised his arm and slightly rotated it, sending a palm strike straight at him.

Bang!!

In the alley, fist and palm collided. Zhang Rongfang swayed slightly but did not move his feet.

His opponent, however, staggered back two steps, losing out in strength.

Yet aside from strength, Zhang Rongfang's expression changed slightly. He felt a faint stabbing pain in his fist surface; he had actually suffered a small loss in that exchange.

Black palms, skin like iron—this is the Rice Gang's Profound Sand Palm!

He recalled the basic traits of several major powers that Senior Brother Zhang Xintai had pointed out to him before he descended the mountain.

Immediately, he stopped meeting force with force. Instead, Dragon Snake Movement unfolded beneath his feet, and his body became like a great python, suddenly sliding past beneath the two men's angled arms before striking at the first man's back.

Unfortunately, the second man behind him moved to block this attack.

The two men's expressions shifted slightly. They were both renowned elites within the Rice Gang, experts who had cultivated the Profound Sand Palm to First Grade.

Yet while leading a patrol tonight, they had unexpectedly encountered someone with such ferocious skill.

At once, the two focused their minds and responded. Their four iron palms continuously crossed and clashed with Zhang Rongfang's in fierce combat.

For a time, the three exchanged blow after blow in the alley. In only four or five seconds, danger lurked at every turn.

None of the three possessed any Hard Skill capable of withstanding blows. Once hit, they would certainly be injured.

Thus, none dared to be wounded lightly.

Before long, Zhang Rongfang abruptly withdrew.

He had roughly figured out the strength of the two men opposite him. Their speed and power both fell far short of his, but they coordinated well.

Moreover, the man in back kept trying to reach for the small pouch at his rear waist with his left hand. He was very likely preparing some underhanded trick.

In such a confined alley, once they used an underhanded trick, he would have a hard time avoiding it as well.

"That should be enough."

At once, Zhang Rongfang held his breath. Dragon Snake Movement suddenly surged beneath his feet as he charged out at full speed.

This was completely different from his previous speed. This time, he used his movement technique to its fullest, coordinating both arms as he attacked.

Two muffled pops sounded.

One of the two First Grade experts was struck into the wall and slowly slid down it.

The other took a palm strike to the forehead and collapsed to the ground, neither living nor dead.

Huff. Huff. Zhang Rongfang continued panting heavily. After fighting so many people in one breath, even he felt somewhat exhausted.

Clap clap clap. Suddenly, beside the people lying on the ground, a tall, thin shadow had appeared at the mouth of the alley at some unknown time.

He was dressed entirely in black, his face hidden by the backlight and impossible to see clearly.

Only his hands could be seen, lightly clapping as though he greatly appreciated the fight just now.

"Not bad, friend. But aren't you taking the Rice Gang far too lightly by daring to lay hands on us in Huaxin County?"

The moment he finished speaking, he shot forward, his movement speed far exceeding that of the people before.

The five-meter distance vanished in the blink of an eye.

The newcomer raised a hand and struck with his palm. His right palm was like a black fang, tearing through the air with a sharp shriek as it slammed toward Zhang Rongfang's chest.

The strike came too fast and too suddenly. Zhang Rongfang hurriedly raised his hand to block, trying to deflect it.

Bang! The two exchanged a blow. Zhang Rongfang retreated one step, his face flushed, while the palms of both hands congested violently and turned bright red.

What incredible strength!

In the darkness, he studied the other man carefully. As moonlight spilled down, he could barely make out his face.

It was actually Chen He, whom he had met during the day.

This guy was still here? Zhang Rongfang's thoughts raced as he prepared to retreat. Yet Chen He pressed his advantage and advanced again.

In the alley, the two exchanged seven or eight moves in only a few short seconds.

Zhang Rongfang had to block every move with all his strength to keep his stance from being scattered.

Chen He's strength and attack speed were far faster than his. Nearly every strike carried power comparable to when he used Heavy Mountain.

If not for the Dragon Snake Movement Technique beneath his feet helping him dodge, he would likely have already been injured by Chen He.

After more than ten consecutive moves, Zhang Rongfang gradually began to consider retreating.

At once, the muscles in both his arms writhed as he launched Heavy Mountain forward.

Under the moonlight, his arms were like a pair of wings, swinging down in a chopping descent.

This strike came abruptly, with far greater speed and power than before. With two bangs, it actually caught Chen He off guard.

Left with no choice, Chen He stepped back two paces, casually brushed aside Heavy Mountain, and raised his pair of black hands like metal and iron, about to seize him again.

But before he expected it, Zhang Rongfang's feet slipped, and in the blink of an eye he darted deep into the rear alley.

Chen He wanted to pursue, but after only a few steps, something black flew straight at him.

Smack.

Fearing it was some hidden weapon, Chen He knocked it aside with his hard black hand, only to find it light as a feather.

Looking closely, the black thing was merely a piece of black cloth.

When he raised his head again, the attacker's figure had already vanished.

"That last move... interesting." The final move used by the attacker had given him a vague sense of familiarity.

"Qinghe Temple's Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic, and the True One Sect's Dragon Snake Movement Technique. This person..."

Chen He vaguely sensed that this person's background likely concealed no small trouble.

Qinghe Temple belonged to the Great Dao Sect faction, which was nothing much. Talisman Art Martial Skills were not especially difficult; the crucial matter was the True One Sect.

That was a colossal force.

To cultivate the True One Sect's Dragon Snake Movement Technique to such proficiency, one could forget about doing so without three or four years of effort.

If that person truly came from the True One Sect... Chen He immediately found the matter thorny.

This was also why he had not continued pursuing him just now.

***Huff. Huff. On the street on the other side.

Zhang Rongfang hurried forward through the alleyways.

His clash with Chen He just now had been far more dangerous than he had imagined.

The faint satisfaction and self-satisfaction he had felt from breaking through moments earlier had instantly been smashed to pieces.

That man was definitely not merely Second Grade. He might be Third Grade, or even higher. Zhang Rongfang estimated inwardly.

From the very beginning, he had been completely at a disadvantage. If not for the darkness of the night and Chen He's wariness, which kept him from attacking at full strength,

he would probably have been utterly crushed within ten seconds.

Both his arms and palms now throbbed with searing pain. The edges of his palms were even faintly dark red and somewhat swollen.

Even the calluses on his hands, hard enough to strike stone surfaces barehanded, had been swollen from the blows. This showed the power of Chen He's palms.

If I had held on for a few more seconds, both my hands might have been crippled within five moves. Huaxin County truly is far more dangerous than Qinghe Temple. I had only just come out and already encountered such an expert.

As he jogged back, Zhang Rongfang recalled the fight just now.

Even his full-force Heavy Mountain had been calmly brushed aside by his opponent.

It was clear that the gap between their strength and speed was somewhat too great.

Second Grade... still isn't enough. The key question is, why was Chen He staking out the area near Sister-in-law Yang Hongyan's home?

Zhang Rongfang faintly sensed that there was likely a deeper, special reason behind it.

Logically speaking, Sister-in-law is about to become engaged to Senior Brother, and Qinghe Temple stands behind her. No one should dare offend her. Could these people have been there to protect Sister-in-law?

But if they were protecting her, it did not feel right either.

Senior Brother had not offended anyone, so why would he need such experts to protect her? And that man had called himself part of the Rice Gang... After thinking it over, Zhang Rongfang quickly circled around several times, wiped the charcoal ash from his face with a prepared wet cloth, and returned to the Daoist temple.

Tonight's encounter made him realize that his strength was still too weak. Compared to masters who had trained in martial arts for more than a decade or even decades, he could encounter danger at any moment.

Therefore, he still had a little under half of the medicinal herbs left to drink. He had to raise his Attribute Points as quickly as possible.

Besides, the engagement would soon be arranged. Senior Brother Master would both come then, making it the perfect chance to mention tonight's matter and see what exactly was going on.

The title was too long, so at everyone's suggestion, I'll wait until after thanking the alliance leader before coming up with one~

Mm... actually, coming up with chapter titles is just too tiring...