Die!

Three graceful, alluring women emerged arm in arm, united against a common foe. Their eyes were fixed on Zhao Changhe, who stood not far away with a grenade clutched in his hand, their expressions tinged with disgust.

"The street vendors on Guanglin Street support countless families. Countless Ping City residents make their living by setting up stalls.

"Ping City lies in the Li River basin, where water transport thrives and merchants and travelers come and go without end... Nearly every merchant ship stopping at Long Wind Pier passes through here to buy supplies..."

"The Su Family provides these vendors with protection and assistance, so in a time like this, we have a duty to stand up and speak a fair word!"

Su Yu's pretty face was stern. She enunciated every word clearly as she called out to the crowds gathering from every direction.

Not far away, some vendors who hadn't had time to pack up had tears welling in their eyes. Their hearts clenched painfully... They were different from the rickshaw pullers, who could earn a living anywhere with their rickshaws.

There were only two places in Ping City where vendors like them could make a living. One was the snack street outside Qunyu Garden, but most of the spots had long since been snapped up by sharp-eyed people. The other was Guanglin Street, beloved by merchants, tourists, and foreigners for its distinctly eastern, bustling street life.

A stall might not be big, but the crowds here were enough to keep their families fed.

Without their stalls, they would face the unknown monsters beyond the city, the petty warlords who claimed territory and killed for fun, and the unscrupulous landlords and powerful families...

They would be pushed right to the brink of death, their families doomed to perish amid hesitation and despair.

"I know that woman! She's Miss Su Yu from the Su Family!"

"I never thought the Su Family would still be willing to speak up for us at a time like this. But Miss Su is from the Su Family's Third Branch, after all. She doesn't have much say, so she can't really speak for the whole family..."

Once the three women had drawn everyone's attention, someone immediately recognized Chen Manqing and Sun Shuhua as well.

"Look, look! I know that one. She's Chen Manqing, the eldest daughter of the Chen Family. The other is Sun Shuhua, the Sun Family Eldest Miss... They're both from Ping City's great families."

"Are they speaking up for us too?"

The scene, which Zhao Changhe's imposing presence had suppressed, gradually grew rowdy again.

Zhao Changhe swept his gaze across the clamoring crowd, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes. He quietly pulled the pin from a grenade and tossed it into the crowd. Chaos erupted as the vendors and townspeople huddled together scrambled to flee.

Chen Manqing and the other two weren't hit by the grenade, but they still retreated in alarm.

Suddenly, the whinnying of horses rang out. Three black horses, saddled and bridled, came galloping from the far end of Guanglin Street. Their leader was a young man wearing a brown jacket over a gray vest.

Watching from the back of the crowd, Luo Bin immediately sensed that the man was a practitioner.

There was also a restrained, barely concealed force about him, faint but heavy. He was an expert.

The man rode straight toward Zhao Changhe, then pulled on the reins and brought his horse to a halt in the middle of the street.

"Zhao Changhe, what's going on? Why are you making such a commotion over clearing a street? I could hear you all the way from the nearby racecourse."

At the sight of the newcomer, Zhao Changhe was taken aback. But then delight surged through him. He'd been worrying about how to handle the situation, and now a big shot had shown up.

He was the Shuo Gang's youngest Attendant and a Martial Master at the Jade Bone Pass. Zhao Changhe might have been a dullard, but he'd never neglected the knack of keeping his eyes and ears open. He was always thorough in gathering information, especially about powerful Martial Masters, whom he treated with the utmost respect.

After all, in the Demon Martial Chaos Era of the Great Xin Republic, Martial Masters and heavy firearms were practically synonymous with violence and force!

The young man on horseback was Shao Yancheng. He had spent several years making a name for himself in Jinmen before returning to his hometown of Ping City, where he had earned the Jiang Family head Jiang Lin's favor.

Heaven was truly on my side!

"Master Shao, I had no choice. These vendors, with the Su Family backing them, flat-out refused to pack up. You know Young Master Cao is arriving soon. If he sees Ping City looking so disorderly, the family head and city government will both be in a difficult position..."

Shao Yancheng sat upright on his horse. He considered this for a moment, then said, "That's true."

Zhao Changhe was overjoyed and pressed his advantage. "They refused to pack up, so I had to use a little force. But then the three young ladies from the Chen, Sun, and Su Families stood to one side and condemned me and our Jiang Family. I don't even know if I did the right thing or the wrong thing..."

With that, Zhao Changhe lowered his head like a child who'd done something wrong and fell silent.

Shao Yancheng swept his gaze over the scene, then let it settle on Chen Manqing, Sun Shuhua, and Su Yu. He exclaimed in surprise, "The Sun Family Eldest Miss is here too? I thought the Sun Family and our Jiang Family had a pretty good relationship."

"Even if our relationship is good, you shouldn't be trampling on people's lives!" Sun Shuhua couldn't help shouting.

At that moment, the battle-hungry blood in Luo Bin's veins was already boiling. The burly man on horseback had stirred his Pure Yang Qi and Blood...

Shao Yancheng chuckled, his thin lips curling up. "The Sun Family Eldest Miss is a good person, unlike your father."

"Zhao Changhe!"

"Here!"

"Take them all away! I'll send people to clean up this street."

Zhao Changhe finally breathed a sigh of relief. He buried the indifference toward life—and the fear—in his eyes deep in his heart.

It wasn't easy being the "Jade-Faced Grenade King." The gang had sent someone of little standing like him to bring Guanglin Street to heel, a job that was bound to put him at odds with the Su Family and offend some Martial Masters. After all, the families of many old escorts from the Zhenyuan Escort Agency ran businesses here.

When he'd accepted the assignment, he'd been prepared to die. He hadn't expected to make it out alive.

This was an unexpected stroke of luck. From now on, he'd do whatever Shao Yancheng told him, whether it meant dealing with the treasured daughters of the three great families or anyone else. His life was worthless anyway. Even if Shao Yancheng told him to drag the three women back and secretly rape them, he wouldn't hesitate.

"Do it now!" Zhao Changhe was practically bursting with excitement.

He called to his men and led them toward Chen Manqing and the other two.

Watching it all from within the crowd, Luo Bin wore the expression of a man with every piece on the board under his control.

He was desperate to cross swords with this man. His Pure Yang Body-Forging Technique had yet to be tested, and he could feel that he could absolutely take on a Jade Bone Pass Martial Master...

But charging into a fight would put him at a severe disadvantage. Luckily, an opportunity had arrived.

The man had ordered his subordinates to take Chen Manqing and the other two away. That was an open slap in the face to the three great families behind them. As someone on the Chen Family's side, Luo Bin could reasonably step forward to protect Chen Manqing, right?

And protect Sun Shuhua while he was at it, right?

And since he was protecting Chen Manqing, guarding all three women was even more reasonable, right?

Then... he could claim the gratitude of all three families in one stroke!

With that thought, Luo Bin stopped hiding his presence. Pure Yang Qi and Blood surged through his body, gathering into a pale golden mist. Then the meridians in his body grew hot and boiled, and his qi and blood drew back beneath his skin and into his muscles.

In an instant, the heat became so intense that the damp air around him sizzled like mushrooms frying in hot oil. The people from the Zhenyuan Escort Agency standing before Luo Bin felt the air at their backs grow scorching hot, as if a branding iron had touched them. They whipped around to see what was happening.

Duan Qing reacted first, his eyes filling with wariness. "Pale golden qi and blood, and so scorching... Is he only at the Golden Skin Pass?

"Didn't Master say that different attributes of qi and blood only emerge before Evolution of Inner Landscape, when True Origin..."

Everyone turned to look, instinctively making way for Luo Bin to walk toward the center of the street.

Then a voice, soft as a feather yet carrying the force of thunder when heard closely, rang out. "So the Jiang Family really is this overbearing?"

"Die!"