Despicable Villain

Chen Cheng strode down the street with his head held high. The common folk he passed all stepped aside, and even burly jianghu fighters carrying weapons mostly chose to avoid him.

Such was the bearing of a City Guard Office runner, even if he wore only the gray uniform of a probationary runner.

"Power and authority truly are good things. Even a lowly probationary runner like me feels as if I'm floating!"

Chen Cheng shook his head and muttered to himself.

In truth, he was cautious and low-key by nature. Throwing his weight around and acting arrogantly had never been his style, yet he had no choice but to conduct himself so conspicuously. Once he donned the City Guard Office uniform, he represented the Office's authority. While enjoying the many benefits brought by that authority, he also had to uphold it.

It was not only Chen Cheng. The other City Guard Office constables also put on such airs, whether intentionally or not.

Power and martial strength were the foundation for surviving in troubled times.

By joining the City Guard Office, he gained the authority bestowed by the government. Chen Cheng cultivated tirelessly and diligently in order to increase his martial strength. With both authority and strength, he could live well amid these chaotic times.

On this trip to the Jiang Family, recovering the debt from that shameless cur Jiang Rongxuan had required both authority and martial strength.

Back when Chen Cheng had been a mere jailer, he could not even enter the Jiang Family's gates. But after changing into a City Guard Office runner's uniform, even the gray uniform of a probationary runner, Jiang Rongxuan did not dare act rashly and could only obediently return the principal.

And now that Chen Cheng had achieved something in martial cultivation, he was qualified to demand interest as well.

With his current martial strength, Chen Cheng could hold on to this money. He no longer had to be like when he sold the Crimson Sun Great Root Art—like a child carrying gold through a busy market, shrinking back in fear and fretting every step of the way.

After recovering the fifteen taels of silver debt and adding it to the money he had left, he had more than thirty taels of silver in all. It would be enough to cover his expenses for over half a year, allowing him to cultivate in peace once more.

Putting those thoughts aside, Chen Cheng turned and glanced back. The Jiang Family's martial arts guard was still following him at an unhurried pace.

Not long after leaving the Jiang Family, this fellow had begun tailing him, doing so openly without the slightest intention of concealing his tracks.

Even the hatred and killing intent in his eyes were completely undisguised.

Chen Cheng did not know whether this had been ordered by Jiang Rongxuan or was the martial arts guard's own idea.

That was unimportant. What mattered was that Chen Cheng could handle this threat and did not fear it. He had even decided to erase it.

After all, the Jiang Family was not as powerful as the Flying Eagle Gang, and Chen Cheng was no longer the Chen Cheng of the past. If he showed weakness once, trouble would surely come without end in the future.

"During the earlier fight, Jiang Yun and the two martial arts guards were surrounded and could only barely hold out to buy time. But the moment this fellow arrived, he killed several men in black. He should be a Skin-Tempering Realm martial artist, relying on his strength.

"But he did not kill all the men in black, and he was injured himself. A Skin-Tempering Realm martial artist of this level is not worth mentioning before me. If I acted, I could easily slaughter every last one of those men in black without being injured."

After silently comparing their strengths, Chen Cheng turned through two streets in succession and slipped into a secluded alley, quickly vanishing from sight.

Bao Yansong quickened his pace and arrived at the mouth of the alley. The alley was abnormally quiet, without a single figure in sight, and a cold smile rose to his face.

"There is a road to heaven, yet you refuse to take it. Hell has no gate, yet you insist on barging in!"

Bao Yansong sneered and strode into the alley. He saw dark bloodstains smeared across the ground and the walls of the houses, as though jianghu martial artists had fought here before.

"Could that dog of a runner have deliberately lured me here?"

Relying on a martial artist's instincts, Bao Yansong sensed a trace of danger. Uncertainty flickered across his face, but it was quickly replaced by ferocity and brutality.

What could a mere probationary runner do, even if he had helpers? At worst, he would kill them all together. There was no one around; no one would know, and no ghost would notice.

Drawing his saber, Bao Yansong rushed down the alley. He soon arrived before a residence with its gates wide open. The courtyard was empty. A somewhat lean youth in gray stood within, saber in hand, and there was no one else.

"Heh!" Bao Yansong bared his teeth, unable to suppress the secret laughter in his heart!

He strode into the residence, carefully shut the courtyard gates, then turned around with a face full of mockery.

He had seen people courting death before, but never anyone in such a desperate hurry to die. He even suspected that the youth before him was the King of Hell's illegitimate son, rushing to the underworld to acknowledge his father!

"Kid, you're quite something..."

Naturally, Bao Yansong would not let this foolhardy youth have his way. He intended to chop him into eight pieces to soothe the hatred in his heart. Yet the instant the words left his mouth, Chen Cheng moved. He charged forward in great strides, his saber slashing rapidly toward Bao Yansong!

Chen Cheng was not particularly fast, displaying only slightly greater speed than an ordinary martial arts guard.

His saber technique could barely be considered at the mastery level, and it contained quite a few flaws.

Without a second thought, Bao Yansong moved as well, swiftly meeting him head-on. He hacked out with his saber, his technique smooth and flowing. With a single strike, he sought to sever Chen Cheng's saber-wielding arm.

He wanted to torment Chen Cheng viciously to ease the hatred in his heart, so he did not strike to kill.

In the blink of an eye, the two figures rapidly closed in. Yet Chen Cheng suddenly shifted aside, reached into his robes, and flung out a handful of lime powder that showered down over Bao Yansong's head.

Bao Yansong sneered inwardly. He had long grown tired of such lowly, despicable tricks. How could he possibly fall for it?

With a burst of force from his legs, he leaped sharply to the side, landing more than ten feet away.

The lime powder Chen Cheng had thrown naturally missed.

"Dog runner, you know quite a few crooked tricks!"

Bao Yansong's eyes brimmed with contempt. He spat viciously onto the ground, raised his saber, and attacked Chen Cheng once more.

He had seen through it. The young runner before him was as cunning as a fox, a thoroughgoing despicable villain. For all he knew, he might still have hidden weapons on him. If Bao Yansong was not careful, he might truly capsize in a gutter and fall at this youth's hands.

Thus, this time he did not hold back. Instead, he used his full strength. His figure pounced as swiftly as a tiger, crossing more than ten feet in an instant.

The saber in his hand carried incomparable, fierce force, its momentum like a rainbow. It seemed poised to smash through decay and pull down rot, cutting down everything in its path.

When a Skin-Tempering Realm martial artist at great mastery made a move, the sheer force was imposing and tyrannical, creating an intense pressure that made one's heart tremble with fear.

An ordinary martial artist at the level of a martial arts guard, even one whose saber technique had reached mastery, would be mercilessly cut down by this strike.

They would not even have the chance to fling lime powder or hidden weapons.

Bao Yansong was simply too fast. Given the distance between them, he was certain that once this saber descended, Chen Cheng would have nowhere to evade and would surely die!

And just as he expected, Chen Cheng's body reacted a step too slowly. His face was filled with panic, as though he were relying on instinct alone to hastily retreat and dodge.

A cruel, savage gleam surfaced in Bao Yansong's eyes, along with several traces of delight. He could already imagine Chen Cheng's miserable appearance as he was cleaved in two by a single stroke.