The Black and White Elders Attacked, the Black and White Elders Knelt!

County Magistrate Fang Ping was the first to step into the room.

Jiang Tian had expected that the moment they walked through the door, swords would be drawn and a fight would break out at the slightest disagreement, but the scene before him defied his expectations.

Thousand-Man Commander Zhang Wei and the heads of the other three great families all wore amicable smiles, as if this were truly nothing more than an ordinary banquet.

"Magistrate!"

Zhang Wei was the first to rise, cupping his hands in greeting with a face full of smiles.

A smile also appeared on Fang Ping's slightly sickly-looking face; he exchanged polite greetings and walked in with a calm, steady gait.

Behind him followed the seven martial hall masters in order, along with Jiang Tian.

"Oh?"

Zhang Wei's gaze landed on Jiang Tian, his eyebrows arching slightly as his pupils dilated, a flicker of shock passing through his heart.

Such a young practitioner of Transformation Energy?

It was truly rare.

Jiang Tian was also sizing up the Thousand-Man Commander who had been the talk of the town these past few days.

The man was not as rugged or fierce as he had imagined; rather, he was young, dressed in black robes, and wore a scholarly smile. He looked less like a military commander and more like a schoolteacher.

What caught Jiang Tian's attention even more was that above Zhang Wei's head, just like with Magistrate Fang Ping, hung three purple tags.

"Extract."

[Extraction successful, obtained 3,000 tag points!]

His gaze swept toward the two men sitting to Zhang Wei's left and right.

Although he had never met them, they looked somewhat familiar. The tags popped up: they were indeed Wang Yun, head of the Wang Family, and Li Yuanhao, head of the Li Family.

Wang Yun, Transformation Energy cultivation, one purple tag and one green tag.

Li Yuanhao, Manifest Energy cultivation, with only a single blue tag above his head.

Jiang Tian extracted them one by one.

Perhaps because the news had already spread, although both men wore smiles, the cold glint in the depths of their eyes could hardly be concealed.

Zhang Wei gestured toward Jiang Tian and asked, "And this is..."

Magistrate Fang Ping stepped aside and introduced him with a chuckle: "This is the prized disciple of Yuan Long from the Five Animals Martial Hall, Jiang Tian."

"A hero indeed, even at such a young age!" Zhang Wei sighed with emotion. "To have reached the level of Transformation Energy at this age is truly rare!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, the cold glint in the eyes of Wang Yun and Li Yuanhao deepened, though they quickly suppressed it.

So it really was this kid.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone took their seats to eat.

Cups were passed and toasts were made; the atmosphere was harmonious, and there was no sign of anything amiss.

After three rounds of drinks, Zhang Wei suddenly raised his glass, offering a toast from across the table. His demeanor was respectful, and his tone carried a hint of negotiation: "Magistrate, I have a small request. I wonder if it is appropriate to speak of it?"

"Please, Commander Zhang, speak your mind!" Fang Ping also raised his glass from across the table, his expression sincere.

"As long as it is within my power, I will certainly do my utmost!"

"Good!"

Zhang Wei tilted his head back and drained his glass in one gulp. He set the cup down, his gaze gradually growing deep.

"Since the Magistrate has said as much, I will not beat around the bush."

He paused, slowing his speech, and said every word clearly: "Magistrate, you are well aware that the Poison Wolf Gang has been entrenched around Blackwater County for many years. They are like a poisonous thorn stuck in my heart, keeping me from sleeping at night and ruining my appetite."

"Indeed." Fang Ping's gaze flickered, and he said in a low voice, "When I took office as the Magistrate of Blackwater County years ago, my only thought was to govern this place well and ensure every citizen had food to eat. But the Poison Wolf Gang has constantly hijacked trade routes, causing tax revenue in Blackwater County to plummet, and they have even slaughtered several surrounding villages..."

He spoke very slowly, as if recalling something.

Once he finished, Zhang Wei stood up, cupped his hands slightly, and spoke with deep sincerity: "Magistrate Fang, the Great Zhou Dynasty is already terminally ill. To cure the root cause, merely wiping out a Poison Wolf Gang is far from enough."

He looked up at Fang Ping, his gaze burning: "I have a good method for this. Would you like to hear it?"

Fang Ping smiled faintly: "Speak."

"Why not hand over all the resources and manpower within Blackwater County to me to manage? Within three days, I will surely suppress and subdue the Poison Wolf Gang!"

"Subdue?" Fang Ping let out a scoff, the disdain on his face undisguised. "A group of bandits—shouldn't you be eradicating them completely? Why subdue them?"

"Not everyone in the Poison Wolf Gang is a bad person," Zhang Wei said, his expression unchanged. "Some have simply run out of options and are just trying to carve out a path to survive."

Fang Ping narrowed his eyes and, with a chuckle, uttered those earth-shattering words: "Listening to you, it sounds like you intend to seize power?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhang Wei was momentarily stunned. He had not expected Fang Ping to state it so bluntly.

"You could interpret it that way." Zhang Wei's posture was very low, so low it was almost like a plea.

Fang Ping continued to smile and spoke slowly: "And what if I do not agree?"

The moment the words fell, the atmosphere in the private room suddenly froze.

The air grew heavy, as if an invisible hand had gripped everyone by the throat.

"Boom—"

A bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky, the pale electric light shining through the window lattice and illuminating every face with a stark, snowy brightness.

Immediately following, bean-sized raindrops poured down from the dark clouds, slamming against the roof tiles with a rhythmic, pitter-patter sound like dense drumbeats.

The smile on the face of Zhang Wei faded bit by bit.

The mask of a refined scholar peeled away, revealing the coldness and murderous intent beneath.

"You won't agree?"

His voice was not loud, yet it sounded as if it had been scraped from an ice cellar.

"Then I have no choice but to let you... die."

"Boom—!"

The top floor of the Drunken Wind Pavilion exploded, wood chips flying and shattered tiles scattering in every direction.

The torrential rain poured in through the breach, instantly soaking everyone to the bone.

Several figures became entangled, fists stirring the air and energies colliding, exploding into rings of white air waves amidst the curtain of rain.

Wang Yun was locked in a fierce battle with someone, his eyes bloodshot as he roared hoarsely: "Elder White, Elder Black! You two, capture this brat alive for me! Leave him with one breath! I want to use his blood to pay tribute to my dead son!"

"As you command!"

As the words fell, two figures darted out from the streets on either side.

One wore black, the other white; their faces were withered and gaunt, their eye sockets deeply sunken, like two dried corpses that had crawled out of a coffin.

Seeing these two men attacking Jiang Tian, Yuan Long shifted his stance: "Disciple, I am coming to assist you!"

"Yuan Long, it has been a long time since we sparred—let me test you!"

A figure blocked his path.

The master of the Through-Back Martial Hall, Xia Qiushan.

"Old Xia?!" Yuan Long was stunned for a moment, then filled with shock and rage, "You dare to betray the county magistrate?!"

Xia Qiushan's expression was calm: "There is no such thing as betrayal or not; I am merely securing a path for myself."

With that, he surged forward, attacking Yuan Long.

A total of three martial halls had defected: Through-Back, Thunder, and Coiling Dragon.

Each of these three halls possessed two Transformation Energy martial artists.

The situation flipped in an instant.

No one could spare a thought for Jiang Tian's side.

Yuan Long felt anxious—the Black and White Elders, if taken individually, were not particularly strong.

But when the two joined forces, almost no one in Blackwater County could rival them.

The two were twins, their minds perfectly in sync, and that combined martial art of theirs was extremely troublesome.

At this moment, Jiang Tian was surrounded by the two elderly Transformation Energy masters.

The rain fell like a downpour, streaming down his forehead and blurring his vision, yet his heartbeat remained exceptionally steady.

His expression was solemn, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two.

Judging by their aura alone, neither was particularly formidable, but standing together, they seemed to share a special magnetic field that connected them into a seamless whole. The energy steaming off their bodies was identical, blending together in a way that made one instinctively feel the danger.

"Kid." A hoarse voice came from the black-robed elder, "If you break your own limbs, the two of us might let you die a bit more quickly."

The two old things did not take Jiang Tian seriously at all.

"Haha!" Jiang Tian laughed loudly, his laughter ringing out clearly through the rain.

"Two arrogant old things! I want to see if you two old bastards have the ability to do so!"

Before the words had even faded, his entire body's energy surged upward.

Colorless yet tangible energy radiated from him, condensing behind him into the phantoms of fierce birds, tigers, giant bears, and agile apes... the shadows flickered, appearing vivid and lifelike.

"Arrogant!"

The two spoke in unison, roaring as they stomped hard against the ground, their figures shooting toward Jiang Tian like arrows.

Their movements were uncannily identical—even the first foot they stepped forward with was the same.

A stinging gale of energy rushed toward him, feeling like countless tiny iron needles pricking his face. Jiang Tian's expression tightened as three types of Momentum—Tiger in a Cage, Bear in the Cave, and Deer in the Snow—manifested on his body simultaneously.

He did not underestimate his opponents in the slightest.

Since he began practicing martial arts, these were the two opponents who had exerted the most pressure on him.

Elder Black arrived first, throwing a punch that condensed into the phantom of a pitch-black tiger, roaring as it pounced toward Jiang Tian.

Before the fist even arrived, the force of the wind had already sent the rain swirling backward, exploding into a white mist in the air.

Jiang Tian did not dodge or retreat, meeting the strike head-on with his right fist as the three types of Momentum collided and intertwined on his knuckles, emitting a low, rumbling roar.

"Boom!"

As their fists collided, Jiang Tian felt a massive, overwhelming force surge toward him like a torrent. His arm went numb, and his body slid backward several feet uncontrollably, his soles carving two deep furrows into the slick bluestone floor.

Before he could steady himself, Elder White appeared at his side like a ghost, his five fingers curled into claws, striking directly at his throat.

Those five fingers were as withered as dry wood, yet the tips glinted with a chilling, cold light, resembling five poisoned daggers.

Jiang Tian dodged to the side, simultaneously throwing an elbow strike toward Elder White's ribs.

Elder White twisted his body like a slippery loach, barely evading the blow, though his fingers left three shallow bloody scratches on Jiang Tian's shoulder.

"Interesting." Elder White licked the blood from his fingertips, a sinister grin spreading across his face, which looked like withered tree bark.

The two men closed in again, one from the left and one from the right.

This time, their coordination was even more seamless.

Elder Black launched a frontal assault, his fist Momentum as fierce as thunder. Punch after punch, each strike carried astonishing power, causing the very air to explode. Meanwhile, Elder White circled to the side, focusing on the gaps in Jiang Tian's defense, his fingers like hooks, every move aimed at a vital point.

Trapped in the middle, Jiang Tian was stretched thin, his situation becoming increasingly perilous.

Whenever he blocked a punch from Elder Black, Elder White's claws would rake toward his heart; whenever he forced Elder White back, Elder Black's fist would smash toward his face.

Their attacks came in waves like the tide, seamless and airtight, pressing him so hard he could barely breathe.

Jiang Tian fought while retreating, his feet constantly shifting positions as he tried to create some distance.

But the two men were like maggots on a bone; no matter where he retreated, he could not shake them off.

"Bang!"

Caught off guard, Jiang Tian took a palm strike from Elder White to his back.

The force of that palm penetrated his bones, sending his blood and qi into a frenzy. A sweetness rose in his throat, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

He used the momentum to lunge forward, spinning around to throw a punch that forced back Elder White, who was about to pursue. But before he could catch his breath, Elder Black leaped high into the air, his fists clasped together, descending toward his head like a mountain falling from the sky.

Jiang Tian crossed his arms to block.

"Boom!"

The massive impact forced him down onto one knee, his kneecap shattering a piece of bluestone and sending debris flying.

His arms went numb, the webbing between his thumbs and forefingers split, and fresh blood began to drip down his fingers.

"Kid, still not ready to admit defeat?" Elder Black looked down at him, a mocking smile hanging on his lips.

Jiang Tian gritted his teeth and exerted a sudden burst of strength, shoving Elder Black away.

He stood up, shook his numb arms, and took a deep breath.

This won't work; if he kept fighting like this, he would lose without a doubt.

He had to find the flaw in their combined attack.

Jiang Tian closed his eyes, then opened them.

Five types of Momentum cycled within his body, and his perception reached its absolute peak in that moment.

The sound of falling raindrops, the rhythm of their heartbeats, the direction in which their power flowed within their bodies... everything became crystal clear in his mind.

He saw it.

Although their combined attack was flawless, it had one fatal weakness: their attacks followed a fixed rhythm.

Elder Black would lead with three strikes, and Elder White would inevitably cut in from the left; after Elder White engaged for a moment, Elder Black would inevitably launch a frontal assault.

Over and over, a repeating cycle.

The corners of Jiang Tian's mouth curled upward.

"Come again."

He took the initiative, his figure moving like a deer, leaving a trail of afterimages in the rain as he charged straight at Elder Black.

"You're courting death!" Elder Black sneered and threw a punch.

Jiang Tian did not dodge or evade, taking the punch head-on. At the same time, he stomped his left foot hard on the ground, causing a piece of rubble to pop up. He caught it with a backhand flick, launching it like a hidden weapon toward Elder White, who was just about to cut in.

Elder White hadn't expected this move, and his momentum faltered, slowing him by half a beat.

That half-beat was all it took for the seamless coordination between the two to break for a split second.

Jiang Tian seized the opportunity, unleashing three types of Momentum—[Tiger in a Cage], [Bear in the Cave], and [Ape in the Cliff]—simultaneously, slamming a fist into Elder Black's chest.

"Boom!"

Elder Black was sent flying by the punch, turning a somersault in the air before landing and stumbling back two steps, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

But Jiang Tian didn't fare much better.

Although Elder White had been half a beat slow, his attack had not missed.

His five fingers raked viciously across Jiang Tian's left arm, instantly shredding his sleeve and exposing the flesh beneath. Five deep, bloody gashes appeared, the skin torn open as blood streamed down his arm, only to be washed away by the rain and immediately replaced by new blood.

If not for the fact that his body had undergone several trait evolutions, far surpassing that of an ordinary person, the flesh on his left arm would likely have been torn away in a large chunk.

"Good!" Jiang Tian gritted his teeth; far from retreating, the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even brighter.

Elder White landed his strike and, giving him no chance to catch his breath, lunged forward once again. Elder Black also steadied his stance, flanking him from the other side.

The two regrouped, their offensive even more ferocious than before.

Shadows of fists and sharp gusts of claws wove into an airtight net amidst the curtain of rain. Jiang Tian was trapped within, darting left and right, yet he remained unable to break free.

New wounds were constantly added to his body—a chunk of flesh torn from his shoulder, his back bruised purple by the force of a punch, and a gash sliced into his ribs by the wind of a finger strike. Blood mixed with the rain, staining his clothes a dark red.

Yet, his eyes remained bright.

In the midst of the battle, he gained a deeper understanding of the five types of Momentum.

The killing intent of the Tiger in a Cage, the heavy power of the Bear in the Cave, the agile finesse of the Ape in the Cliff, the swift speed of the Deer in the Snow, and the keen perception of the Bird in the Rain...

The five types of Momentum rotated and blended within his body, no longer fighting as individuals but gradually merging into one.

He could feel it; the opportunity to fuse the five Momentums was right before his eyes.

"Bang!"

With a combined punch from the two, Jiang Tian's body was sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the wall behind him.

His entire body seemed embedded into the wall, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading outward. Rubble fell with a rustle, splashing into the mud mixed with rainwater.

He was in an utterly wretched state.

His chest heaved violently, his breathing was chaotic, and he was covered in blood, looking as if he had just crawled out of a slaughterhouse.

But—

Jiang Tian's eyes were exceptionally bright.

The five types of Momentum had finally, at this very moment, completely merged together.

Not far away, Wang Yun, who was locked in a fierce battle with a hall master, glanced over. Seeing Jiang Tian embedded in the wall and unable to move, a triumphant, vengeful, and wild laugh appeared on his face: "Black and White Elders! Break all four of this brat's limbs for me! Leave him with just one breath!"

"Understood!" The two replied in unison.

Elder Black twisted his neck and walked slowly toward Jiang Tian, who was stuck in the wall. A chilling smile emerged on his face, which looked like withered tree bark.

"Those who practice this combined martial art of ours must castrate themselves." He licked his dry, cracked lips, his voice shrill. "Since the Wang Family brat wants me to break your limbs, I'll start by breaking your—"

He paused, his smile becoming even more hideous.

"Third leg!"

"Haha!"

Jiang Tian, hanging on the wall, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"So you're just two old eunuchs!"

"You're courting death!"

Elder Black's expression changed drastically. He curled his fingers into claws and struck directly at Jiang Tian's chest!

"Puchi—"

The scene Elder Black had imagined did not occur.

His body shuddered violently, and it felt as if a cold breeze was pouring into his chest.

He looked down instinctively.

An arm, like a sharp sword, had pierced through his chest.

Blood dripped down that arm, blooming into a glaring red in the rain.

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