Conflict

"Stop!"

Fang Han frowned tightly and stepped forward, blocking the blue-clad youth's path, his voice edged with coldness.

"This man was already grievously wounded by me and has lost the strength to resist. Striking now to steal my mission target is rather dishonorable."

The blue-clad youth was forced to halt.

He stood half a head taller than Fang Han, his face arrogant. At Fang Han's words, he let out a disdainful laugh and shook the corpse in his hand.

"Whoever finishes him gets the credit. You don't know that rule? Move aside!"

Fang Han's gaze darkened.

There was indeed such an unwritten rule in the martial world, but it generally applied when the target still had the strength to resist.

Yet Fang Han had clearly beaten the enemy until he could no longer fight back. This was nothing but stealing his spoils.

"Put down the corpse." Fang Han's voice grew colder. "Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."

The Lin Family disciple seemed to have heard a joke and burst into loud laughter. Then his smile vanished, replaced by contempt.

"Rude? You? My name is Lin Bao. Remember it, then—get lost!"

As he spoke, his free hand suddenly swept forward, his palm shooting straight for Fang Han's face in an attempt to force him back and clear the way.

Fang Han had been prepared. He shifted slightly and easily dodged the palm strike, the chill in his eyes deepening.

"So there's no talking this out."

Seeing that Fang Han refused to yield and instead assumed a fighting stance, Lin Bao's face flashed with viciousness. "You don't know what's good for you!"

He violently hurled Liu Mang's corpse to the ground and drew his blade with a backhand motion.

The blade gleamed like snow, accompanied by a shrill whistle through the air as it chopped straight at Fang Han.

"Clang—"

Fang Han had been ready. The Azure Edge Sword instantly left its sheath.

"Clang—!"

Blade and sword collided with an ear-splitting crash, sparks scattering in every direction.

Fang Han felt his arm tremble slightly, and his heart tightened.

Not only was Lin Bao in the Bone Refining Realm, he was also nearing the Mid-Stage. In terms of strength, he far surpassed Fang Han, who had only recently entered the Bone Refining Realm.

Lin Bao was also slightly startled. He had assumed this Fang Clan brat, who looked even younger than himself, was at most Tendon Refining Late-Stage. He had not expected Fang Han to receive his slash head-on without yielding an inch.

"You've got some skill, but with your strength, you're still no match for me!"

Cold light filled Lin Bao's eyes as his blade technique unfolded in an instant, attacking Fang Han like a raging storm.

"Don't be so confident!"

Fang Han snorted coldly.

In terms of cultivation, he truly fell short of Lin Bao, but he was not without his own advantage. His Sword Art, which had reached Mastery, was precisely that advantage.

Lin Bao's blade technique, by comparison, was already considered impressive among those his age and had reached Proficiency.

But compared to a Sword Art at Mastery, there was still a gap.

"Clang, clang, clang—"

One wielded a blade technique, the other a sword technique, and the two rapidly exchanged blows.

For a time, blade light and sword shadows crisscrossed the secluded back street, while the clashing of metal rang without end.

Lin Bao's blade technique followed a fierce and domineering path. Every slash was heavy and powerful, carrying a savage ruthlessness that seemed capable of tearing apart everything.

Combined with his cultivation nearing Bone Refining Mid-Stage, his strength surged like a tide, and the wind from his blade sent dust billowing from the ground.

Fang Han, meanwhile, moved like willow catkins in the wind, elusive and ever-shifting.

The Azure Edge Sword in his hand transformed into streaks of azure light. Rather than contesting Lin Bao's strength head-on, he used finesse to overcome force and speed to defeat slowness.

The sword tip always struck precisely at the weakest point of Lin Bao's blade momentum, or in the gaps between his changes of technique, repeatedly stalling Lin Bao's attacks and leaving his strength unable to find release. It was unbearably stifling.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged more than twenty moves.

The longer Lin Bao fought, the more alarmed he became. He discovered that although he possessed greater strength and a higher cultivation, Fang Han's fluid, nimble, exquisitely precise sword technique completely restrained him. It felt as if every slash landed in empty air, making him so miserable he nearly wanted to cough up blood.

"Mastery-level sword technique?!"

Lin Bao cried out in shock.

The earlier ease and arrogance had vanished from his face, replaced by astonishment and a faint, barely perceptible panic.

Fang Han said nothing, devoting himself fully to the battle. The flaws in Lin Bao's blade technique were crystal clear in his eyes.

Once thirty moves had passed, Lin Bao's breathing had already become disordered, and his blade technique no longer possessed its initial sharpness.

Fang Han, on the other hand, grew smoother and smoother with his Sword Intent, like a gentle breeze sweeping past—permeating every opening.

"Slash!"

On the forty-first move, Fang Han seized a tiny opening as Lin Bao withdrew his blade. The Azure Edge Sword struck like a venomous snake leaving its hole, instantly sweeping across Lin Bao's sword hand wrist.

"Ah!" Lin Bao screamed. Blood streamed from his wrist, and he could no longer hold his blade. With a "clang," it fell to the ground.

He staggered backward, clutching his wound, his face deathly pale. His gaze toward Fang Han was filled with disbelief, fury, and shock.

Defeated?!

The intense pain and immense humiliation nearly drove Lin Bao out of his mind.

"They're fighting!"

"Those are... disciples of the Fang Clan and the Lin Family?"

"Gasp... that Fang Clan disciple is incredible. He actually defeated that Lin Family man!"

"Looks like the Fang Clan disciple is still the stronger one..."

The commotion from their fight had long since alerted the people nearby.

Some bold passersby and residents from the alleys watched from afar, whispering among themselves as their eyes moved back and forth between Fang Han's and Lin Bao's clothing.

Disciples of the Fang and Lin Families, two of Liangshui City's Five Great Families, had clashed and fought in the street. Such excitement was rarely seen.

These murmurs reached Lin Bao's ears, making him burn with shame and fury. He wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

He glared fixedly at Fang Han, his eyes venomous, as if he wanted to swallow him alive.

"It seems your strength isn't enough to support your arrogance!"

Fang Han stood with his sword in hand, his breathing steady. He coldly glanced at Lin Bao, then swept his gaze over the growing crowd of onlookers.

With so many watching, he could not kill Lin Bao unless he wanted the Fang Clan and Lin Family to go to war.

He no longer paid attention to the venom-eyed Lin Bao. Sheathing his sword, he stepped forward, bent down, and lifted Niu Mang's corpse from the ground.

He pushed through the crowd and strode away.

Behind him, only Lin Bao remained, blood flowing from his wrist and his face ashen, along with the surrounding gazes of uncertain meaning and hushed whispers.

Carrying the corpse, Fang Han headed straight for the Liangshui City Yamen.

He had already searched the corpse. There were only a few taels of silver on it, better than nothing. Great fortunes carried on one's person or martial arts manuals were clearly not the sort of good luck he had encountered.

When the yamen runners at the entrance saw Fang Han carrying over a bloody, burly man, they were startled at first. But once they recognized the Fang Clan clothing on Fang Han and the face of the corpse, their attitudes immediately became respectful.

"Young Master Fang, this is...?"

"Blood Blade Niu Mang. I have killed him and come to report the completion of the task."

Fang Han was concise.

Before long, the constable in charge of the case came to verify the identity. Once there was no doubt, he became even more courteous to Fang Han.

"Young Master Fang possesses exceptional skill! This Niu Mang committed evil for many years. He was cunning and vicious, and the authorities have long offered a reward of eighty taels of silver for his capture. Today, he has finally been brought to justice! Here is the reward silver. Please accept it."

The constable personally presented him with a heavy money pouch.

Fang Han accepted it and weighed it in his hand. It was satisfyingly heavy, containing eighty taels of silver.

"Thank you." He nodded, put away the pouch, said no more, and turned to leave the yamen.

The sun had completely set, and the sky was gradually darkening. The lanterns of Liangshui City had just begun to glow.

With the newly earned eighty taels of reward silver tucked into his clothes, Fang Han made his way back to the Fang Clan.

The mission had been completed perfectly, but he had also come into conflict with a Lin Family disciple and injured one of them.

He did not know whether there would be further trouble. When he reported back to Elder Fang Yuan later, he had to mention it to Elder Fang Yuan.