Overnight Riches

The silent streets lay swept by a freezing wind.

Clang!

A thunderous blast erupted without warning, and the two Stall Owners could barely keep hold of their swords.

The Black Robe wielding the saber suddenly exuded a fierce aura, as though he had become another person.

Then, streams of Magnificent Qi surged forth from his body, instantly becoming the night's sole dazzling splendor—sharp and piercingly cold.

This sudden turn of events sent shivers through the three men who had been preparing to surround and kill him.

"Saber Qi!"

The two Stall Owners were greatly shocked, their voices trembling.

"We're done for. We've run into a master—we're in for terrible luck." The Still Autumn Technique stall owner began backing away.

At that moment, the second in command, who had charged in with overwhelming force, abruptly halted and instinctively retreated at high speed.

As the saying went, he came quickly and left just as quickly. Seeing the situation take a sharp turn for the worse, this Eighth-Rank expert showed no reluctance in fleeing the battlefield and returning to his lair.

But when Saber Qi emerged, it shattered stone and shook heaven; in an instant, it crossed a hundred meters. No matter how swiftly the Blood Gang's second in command fled, how could he outrun Saber Qi?

Clang!

The icy chill closed in, and the second in command immediately defended himself with all his strength.

In Jiang Ping's eyes, a crystalline outer layer enveloped the man's body, seemingly airtight and indestructible.

"Eighth Grade Skin, impervious to blades and swords!" His brows rose.

The man was displaying the power of an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist.

However.

Under the sweeping Saber Qi, that steel-like skin, beautiful as fine jade, instantly cracked apart.

The Blood Gang's second in command no longer retained his previous calm. Panic filled his face as he said, "I am the Blood Gang's second in command. Spare my life, and I will repay you with generous rewards."

Four or five streams of Saber Qi answered him, closing in from every side with an even fiercer assault.

No matter how this Eighth-Rank Martial Artist dodged, he could not match the Saber Qi's nimbleness and speed.

In the blink of an eye, this person was covered in wounds, clearly on the verge of death.

Not far away, Jiang Ping coldly watched the scene as he controlled the Saber Qi.

Since they had chosen to make him their target for robbery and murder, they should have been prepared to die. Wasn't it a little too late to beg now?

As for declaring his identity, they were all people of the martial world. There was no need for such pointless struggling.

"Ah—!"

His scream carried traces of regret. The second in command's eyes revealed fear of death, as well as a measure of pleading.

Yet Jiang Ping remained unmoved. Watching the Eighth-Rank expert being ravaged, a satisfied smile could not help appearing on his face.

This Saber Qi truly was incomparably formidable. Head Escort Liang had not lied—once Saber Qi emerged, even an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist could be killed!

Once most of the second in command's life force had drained away, Jiang Ping turned to look at the two Stall Owners, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery.

Cold sweat poured down the two Stall Owners' faces, yet they did not take advantage of Jiang Ping's battle with the second in command to flee.

It was not that they did not want to run. They simply could not outrun that Saber Qi!

The two of them sighed inwardly. Who could have imagined that the target they had casually picked tonight would turn out to be a fierce tiger who wielded Saber Qi?

With strength like this and Blade Art like this, he would have been renowned throughout Yang City. Why wear a Black Robe and a mask?

Wasn't that deliberately misleading people?

"Senior, you're fishing for lawbreakers," the Still Autumn Technique stall owner said mournfully, believing Jiang Ping had done this on purpose.

"Senior, spare my life. I am willing to offer you everything I have gained in my life." The other stall owner revealed his desperate desire to live.

Boom!

Jiang Ping said nothing. He only wanted to end the battle quickly.

The Saber Qi instantly pierced through the two men's bodies, bringing the battle to an end.

"Someone is coming."

At that moment, Jiang Ping heard movement in the distance, and his expression changed slightly.

However, he did not leave in a hurry. Instead, he searched the three corpses for a moment before oiling his feet and vanishing into the night.

Jiang Ping did not linger for long, much less pretend to be a passerby and return to the scene.

He twisted and turned through the silent alleyways, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming that no one was following him.

After changing back into his usual clothes, Jiang Ping headed toward the Escort Agency.

Before long.

The silent street was dyed red by torchlight. Beside the three corpses, many constables holding torches appeared.

After conducting a brief examination, a constable reported to the Square-Faced Man dressed in ordinary clothes, "Reporting to Lord Zhao, the identities of the three have been confirmed. Two are bandits currently wanted by the authorities, while the other appears to be the Blood Gang's second in command."

"Oh?" Surprise flashed through the Square-Faced Man's eyes, and he immediately stepped over to the second in command's corpse.

After a moment, he nodded. "It truly is the Blood Gang's second in command."

"Who did this?" the Square-Faced Man pondered inwardly.

The second in command was an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist. Whoever had killed him was either a top expert among the Eighth Rank or a Seventh Rank powerhouse. Even in Yang City, this was no minor matter and would surely cause a sensation.

"Hmm?"

At that moment, several constables examining the bodies shuddered the instant they touched the wounds, their expressions changing drastically.

"What is it?" Zhao the Registrar turned sideways.

"My lord, these wounds are freezing to the bone," one constable cried out in alarm.

"Freezing to the bone?"

Zhao the Registrar raised his brows and immediately touched the second in command's wound. He quickly withdrew his hand and murmured,

"Saber Qi, Snowfall, Zhu Yue of the Four Seas Escort Agency!"

As though recalling something, he placed his hand on the wound again. After a moment, the big man's brows furrowed deeply.

"Zhu Yue's Flying Snow Saber has likely reached perfection. He is invincible throughout the Eighth Rank!!"

Elsewhere.

Upon returning to the Single House, Jiang Ping tightly shut the doors and windows, then took out a pile of items from his robes.

Clatter!

Broken silver fell onto the table with a tinkling sound, and Jiang Ping found it exceedingly pleasant to hear.

These were his spoils of war. The Broken silver alone amounted to more than fifty taels, including the money he had spent on buying the cultivation technique—what had been lost had returned to him.

Of course, that was not this journey's greatest gain.

Jiang Ping laid several booklets on the table one by one, along with eight Silver Notes worth one hundred taels each.

Overnight riches!

An excited heart, trembling hands, and a smile he could not suppress.

Jiang Ping had originally been worrying about silver. He had never expected one trip to the Black Market to bring him eight hundred taels outright.

"No wonder these bandits love killing people and stealing their goods. This is the most profitable business of all!"

He was almost tempted to become a Bandit himself.

Of course, temptation was one thing. Jiang Ping remained clear-headed. Bandits were cursed by everyone, and his current life was rather comfortable.

Besides, with this silver, he would not need to worry about money for a long time to come.

"Once, eight taels of silver nearly drove me into a desperate situation. Now, with eight hundred taels in hand, those impoverished days are gone like a river that never returns."

Jiang Ping felt somewhat dazed. The hardship of his former poverty remained vivid in his mind.

After putting the Silver Notes back into his robes, he looked at the booklets on the table.

Two Eighth-Rank cultivation techniques: the Still Autumn Technique and another Eighth-Rank technique from a Martial Arts Hall.

"I'll focus on the Still Autumn Technique and read the other one in my spare time to compare and corroborate them."

Setting the two books aside, Jiang Ping picked up the other three Classics.

"Riding the Wind Sword!" Jiang Ping looked at one of them, his brows lifting slightly. He remembered that this Sword Art belonged to the Four Seas Escort Agency's rival, the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency. Every one of its escorts cultivated Sword Radiance, and their swift swordsmanship had astonished Yang City.

"Not bad." He nodded slightly and thought, This time, I revealed the Flying Snow Saber. They will probably trace it afterward. Although they will not suspect me, it may still draw the Escort Agency's attention. The higher-ups might even investigate themselves.

So I should reveal this Blade Art less often in the future. This Sword Art has come at just the right time—I'll rely on it from now on!

I'll face enemies with the Riding the Wind Sword. No matter how much I expose it in the future, no one will trace it back to the Four Seas Escort Agency. With the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency drawing all the attention... heh heh, I really am a genius!