Su Ye had not expected the constables of Kaoshan Town to be so vicious. Those beasts all deserved to die. Unless he killed them to the last man, he would never rest easy. A cold gleam suddenly flashed.
Though the constables laughed uproariously, their eyes remained fixed on Su Ye's movements. They saw what was happening and reacted as well.
But the gap in strength between the two sides was simply too vast. They were still a step too slow. A long, icy blade of light came slashing down with ferocious force.
"Pfft!"
The sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh rang out. The head of a young constable nearest to Su Ye flew high into the air.
Blood gushed from his neck and splashed across the stunned constables' faces. In an instant, the stench of blood filled the surroundings.
Meng Daniu rubbed his eyes hard and said in disbelief, "Lord Su has come to blows with those beasts."
A woman quietly stepped out of her home and asked, "Da Niu, you know that young constable?"
Her voice was not loud, but it carried to everyone nearby. When she saw all the people turn their gazes toward them, Meng Daniu hurriedly explained what had happened.
"Da Niu, don't take this the wrong way, but you should have discussed this with us before making a decision."
"Look, look!"
Su Ye's saber never stopped moving. Sometimes it hacked upward, sometimes it swept horizontally. In his hands, Mountain Splitting Saber Technique seemed to have been elevated to an entirely new level.
Constable after constable was separated from his head. Su Ye knew he had to clear out these small fry, lest anything go wrong when he fought Huang Qianqing.
Screams rang out one after another. The two remaining constables seemed to have only just come to their senses. One charged forward with savage courage, while the other, seeing how ferocious Su Ye was, turned and fled into the distance.
Seeing this, Huang Qianqing stamped both feet against the ground with all his might. Of the six constables in the town office, four had vanished in the blink of an eye. He was enraged beyond measure.
How dare this brat strike to kill? Once I capture him alive, I'll flay him alive!
Su Ye twisted aside to evade Huang Qianqing's attack. He took several steps in succession, and his speed suddenly surged, sending him straight after the constable who had fled.
"Help me!"
The fleeing constable glanced back and let out a terrified shriek. With a sharp turn, he ran toward Huang Qianqing.
Suddenly, a snow-bright blade gleam appeared above his head. As the saber cleaved downward, bright-red liquid sprayed into the air, splashing onto Su Ye's clothes as well.
The fleeing constable's body swayed in the breeze before crashing heavily to the ground with a thump.
The two halves had been cut cleanly apart, and the organs within were clearly visible.
As the final constable fell, Su Ye wiped the blood from his face. Before Huang Qianqing could attack, he struck first, flying forward and luring him away from Wu Lao Er and his wife.
The saber in his hand rose high, as if it possessed the power to split mountains. All his strength gathered into the blade, which descended at incredible speed. Huang Qianqing had no chance to evade this strike. It was too fast—so fast that only an afterimage remained.
"Clang!"
A thunderous clash of metal rang out. Su Ye and Huang Qianqing each retreated, but Huang Qianqing was sent flying dozens of meters by the tremendous force. He did not stop until he smashed through the wooden door behind him.
"Pfft!"
Blood spurted from Huang Qianqing's mouth. His expression turned solemn. The person before him was extremely strong. If he did not use his true ability, he feared he would not be able to bring matters to a good end today.
The veins on his right hand suddenly bulged. His saber scraped across the bluestone ground of the courtyard, sending sparks flying in all directions. His saber momentum flowed endlessly like water as he slashed toward the approaching Su Ye.
"Brat, today will be the day you die!"
"Raging Waves Art, Raging Wave Slash!"
"Oh no, Lord Su is in danger!" The watching farmers were horrified.
"I remember. Three months ago, a fierce tiger came out to hunt for food. Huang Qianqing used this very move then and chopped the tiger's head off with a single slash," a burly man said worriedly.
"What are we going to do? If Lord Su loses, we truly won't have any hope left."
The surrounding crowd was deeply worried, their hearts filled with unease.
This martial technique was Huang Qianqing's ultimate trump card. It had also been left behind by his uncle, Huang Ren. Although Huang Qianqing had learned only the barest surface of it, its power was not to be underestimated.
However, Huang Qianqing's aptitude was ordinary, and he indulged in drinking and revelry every day. His physical foundation had long since been ruined beyond repair. Su Ye had sensed it during their initial exchange.
This move certainly possessed great momentum and dazzling splendor, but Su Ye knew that Huang Qianqing could not maintain it for long.
Holding the saber hilt in reverse with both hands, Su Ye raised his blade and blocked blow after blow.
The gleaming saber nearly shielded Su Ye's entire body.
"Clang, clang!" The ringing of metal continued without end. As the battle dragged on, Huang Qianqing's saber momentum gradually slowed.
Seeing this, Su Ye abruptly changed his technique. Several cracks split the bluestone ground beneath his feet. As his waist twisted, it drove most of the strength in his body, erupting like a mountain flood.
"Mountain Splitting Saber Technique, Mountain Breaker!"
The saber tore through the air with a series of mournful whistles. With a resounding clang, Huang Qianqing was sent flying together with his saber.
Blood spilled from him in torrents as he flew. He smashed a huge hole through the wooden wall of the town office, leaving the inside shrouded in darkness and impossible to see clearly.
Seeing this, Su Ye gave chase. He entered the county office and saw nothing but bloodstains on the ground—Huang Qianqing was nowhere to be found. Puzzled, he searched through corridors and alleys for a long while, but still found no trace of him.
The townspeople, who had been watching this place for some time, gathered one after another and peered inside through the open doors. Yet not a sound came from within. Growing restless, they shouted.
"My lord, how did it go?"
"What happened to Huang Qianqing?"
Hearing them, Su Ye quickly returned outside and looked at the expectant crowd. "Huang Qianqing is gone. There's something strange about the town office."
The crowd was filled with disbelief and cried out in unison.
"What?"
"Come in. Search the town office carefully."
After he spoke, the noisy crowd hurried into the town office and began a thorough search in groups of two and three.
"How could a perfectly living man just disappear like that?"
An hour later, a thin young man came hurrying to Su Ye's side, shouting, "My lord, we found it! There's a tunnel beneath the bedroom."
While everyone gathered around the tunnel, Huang Qianqing dragged his heavily wounded body out of Kaoshan Town, staggering with every step. His face was livid, his teeth clenched tightly.
"That damned bastard! Once I find Second Uncle after I return, I'll tear that brat limb from limb!"
Not long after Su Ye entered the tunnel, he discovered that the way ahead had been sealed by mud and sand. It seemed to have been prepared long ago to prevent pursuers from advancing.
There was no time to clear the obstruction. For now, he could only retreat. When he emerged from the tunnel, countless gazes in the bedroom immediately turned toward him, and an old man hurried forward.
"My lord, did you catch that thief?"
Su Ye exhaled a breath of stale air and silently shook his head.
"What are we going to do? If that beast doesn't die, how will we ever have peaceful days again?" The old man sighed repeatedly, his face filled with worry.
Everyone wore sorrowful expressions. At some point, Wu Lao Er and his wife began wailing as they shoved their way through the crowd.
"Thump!"
They knelt before Su Ye and pleaded.
"We beg you, my lord, uphold justice and capture that criminal!"
At their words, the people in the room seemed to seize a lifeline. They all fell to their knees and refused to rise as they begged.
"My lord, you don't know the half of it. That beast is utterly lawless."
"How many families have been ruined because of him? People have had to sell their sons and daughters to pay those so-called miscellaneous taxes."
"We beg you, my lord, have mercy on us and capture Villain Huang."
"Give us justice!"
"You are the benefactor of Kaoshan Town. We will surely build a shrine in your honor and worship you there every day."
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