Mountain Splitting

He Chong was filled with shock. He was a genuine Skin Refining Realm martial artist, with tough skin and strength far beyond ordinary men. Among the Sea Shark Gang's rank-and-file in Hepu County, he was a force to be reckoned with.

But this Pearl Diver before him, that terrifying strength, those fierce and swift saber strikes... how was this possible?!

He Chong had no time to think it through. Chen Yue's attacks came in an unbroken stream, each strike faster and heavier than the last!

The ordinary steel saber in Chen Yue's hands seemed to have transformed into a giant mountain-cleaving axe, carrying an unshakable resolve to cut through everything in its path.

At last, during yet another all-out clash, the slightest lag appeared in He Chong's defense.

A cold glint flashed in Chen Yue's eyes. Seizing that fleeting opening, he abruptly checked his step, then surged forward. His hips twisted, and the strength of his entire body, like a drawn bowstring, released all at once and poured into his right arm.

Iron Mountain Saber, Mountain Splitting Style!

"Open!"

With Chen Yue's low shout, the steel saber became a dazzling arc, almost too bright to follow with the naked eye. It came crashing down with the force of splitting Mount Hua!

"CLANG!!!"

A metallic explosion, far more piercing than any before it, rang out, nearly bursting their eardrums!

He Chong felt an irresistible force, like a flash flood, thunder through his saber and slam into his body. He could no longer hold on to it. His thick-backed cleaver flew from his grasp with a clatter and struck him.

His whole body was thrown backward, his feet leaving the ground, as if a galloping warhorse had rammed straight into him.

"Thud, thud, thud!"

He staggered back seven or eight steps before his back slammed into the courtyard wall, finally bringing his retreat to a halt. His throat turned sweet; a mouthful of blood surged up, but he forced it back down.

He Chong looked down at his chest.

Even though he had barely managed to block the blow with his saber at the last moment, that peerlessly sharp blade had still ripped through his clothes, leaving a savage wound that slashed diagonally from his right shoulder to his lower left abdomen.

His flesh gaped open, the wound deep enough to expose bone. Blood instantly soaked a large patch of his robe and dripped to the ground. Had the wound been half an inch deeper, it would have split open his breastbone and his organs!

Violent pain and utter exhaustion hit him at once. His face was as pale as paper as he leaned against the door, gasping for breath, and stared at Chen Yue with disbelief, terror, and lingering dread.

Aside from the pained groans, the courtyard fell silent.

The two gang members who had been knocked down and only lightly injured, and had just struggled back to their feet, now stood frozen as if under a spell. Their faces had lost all color, leaving only boundless terror.

They looked at their fallen comrades, Zhou Qi, unconscious with his right shoulder shattered, and He Chong, leaning against the courtyard wall with his chest a mangled mess of blood and flesh...

Six Sea Shark Gang members, all armed with sharp blades—and among them a capable fighter like He Chong, who had reached the Skin Refining Realm—had been routed by this unremarkable-looking youth in less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea!

How could this be called an ambush? They had simply walked in to be chopped down like vegetables!

Just as the air seemed about to freeze, a flurry of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard. Then a slightly low male voice called out:

"He Chong! Get your men to stop! This is all a mis—"

Before he could finish, the courtyard gate swung fully open, and two figures hurried in, one after the other.

The man in front was Yu Kan, who had been sent by his master to the Sea Shark Gang to mediate. Following him was a fair-faced man who looked to be around thirty-five or thirty-six.

This man was He Linxi, one of the Sea Shark Gang's incense masters in Hepu County. Responsible for coordinating relations with the various factions in town, he was known by the name He Linxi.

A faint smile had been on his face. With Yu Kan's introduction, he had been prepared to do a favor and smoothly put this misunderstanding behind them.

But at the sight of injured men sprawled all over the courtyard—especially He Chong, whose chest was a bloody mess—He Linxi's smile faded like receding water, and his expression darkened before their eyes.

He Linxi's gaze was sharp as a blade. He swept it across the courtyard, finally settling on Chen Yue, who stood with his saber in hand, then coldly glanced at Yu Kan beside him, whose expression was one of shock.

Yu Kan was too stunned for words. He knew He Chong, the Sea Shark Gang's leader in the Pearl Village area. He was fierce, skilled, and had the strength of a Skin Refining Realm martial artist.

Though He Chong was no match for Yu Kan, it would still take some effort to bring him down securely. Yet from the state of the courtyard, He Chong had clearly been gravely wounded in a very short time, and all five of his men had been killed or injured!

Yu Kan reckoned that if he had been in Chen Yue's place, facing He Chong and five armed gang members, he would have been lucky just to protect himself. There was no way he could have struck back to such an extent!

But how long had Chen Yue been practicing martial arts?

His progress, his ability to fight for real... it was simply unheard of!

After a brief silence, He Linxi's icy voice rang out. He looked at Yu Kan, no longer making any effort to be courteous. His words brimmed with displeasure and accusation:

"Brother Yu, is this the scene you meant when you came rushing to my door, asking me to do Hall Master Zhou a favor and come mediate? Six of my Sea Shark Gang brothers are injured or crippled, and He Chong was nearly disemboweled! How can you call this a peaceful resolution?"

"Incense Master He, please calm down. There must... surely be some kind of misunderstanding here..." Yu Kan began to explain almost instinctively.

"Misunderstanding?"

He Linxi cut Yu Kan off without a trace of courtesy. His face was so dark it seemed water might drip from it. He glanced at He Chong, who was badly injured, then at Chen Yue, who stood warily with his saber in hand, and sneered. "Whether this was a misunderstanding is no longer for your Iron Mountain Hall to decide! My Sea Shark Gang brothers won't be hurt for nothing. This debt will be settled sooner or later!"

He stopped looking at Yu Kan and turned to the two gang members who had escaped serious injury. He barked, "What are you standing around for? Get the injured brothers up. We're leaving!"

"Yes, yes, Incense Master!" The two men, as if pardoned, hurriedly helped up the unconscious Zhou Qi and the wounded men who could still move, then carefully went to support He Chong, whose chest was streaming with blood.

He Linxi gave Chen Yue one last cold glance, his gaze as sinister as a venomous snake's, as if he meant to carve the young man's appearance into his memory. Then, without another word, he swept his sleeve and strode away from the blood-soaked courtyard.

The Sea Shark Gang members supported one another as they staggered after him. They soon disappeared at the end of the alley, leaving behind pools of dark red blood that had yet to dry and the lingering smell of blood in the air.

Only after the Sea Shark Gang's footsteps had completely faded did Chen Yue's taut nerves relax a little. The blood and qi surging within him gradually settled, too.

He took a deep breath, tossed the bloodstained steel saber to the ground, walked up to Yu Kan, and cupped his hands in a solemn salute. "Master Yu, thank you for arriving in time."

Yu Kan looked at Chen Yue, his gaze filled with complicated emotions. He shook his head and gave a bitter smile. "Chen Yue, I hardly deserve your thanks. If I'd arrived any later... it would be those Sea Shark Gang men who ought to be thanking me."