Battle in the Street, a Treasure Weapon's Edge

A few breaths later.

Zhou Changqing had retreated to the end of the flagstone alley and was about to enter the main street.

But since he was moving backward, and Steward Liu was no slouch when it came to speed,

he was soon caught.

The instant he closed in, Steward Liu drew the saber at his waist and slashed at Zhou Changqing!

Wrapped in a layer of earthen-yellow Dou Qi, the saber reached a point barely a dozen centimeters above Zhou Changqing's head in a flash!

At the same time, the instant that saber came down, Zhou Changqing whipped the Horizontal Saber in his hand upward!

Shh!

The two blades met, and the Horizontal Saber sliced smoothly through the other saber, cutting it in two!

Its offensive momentum undiminished, the Horizontal Saber paused for an instant in midair after severing the other blade, then slashed diagonally downward, aimed straight at Steward Liu's throat!

An Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon!

At the sight, Steward Liu's pupils contracted slightly, and the name sprang into his mind!

Earlier, when the three of them had ambushed Zhou Changqing, his brother-in-law and the other young man had been killed by this very blade!

He had no idea how this little bastard had reacted to their ambush in so little time and at such close range.

And as though he could foresee the future, he had hidden an Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon against his chest, delivering lethal strikes at the crucial moment!

But Steward Liu knew that if he had not reached Five-Star Dou Master, with reflexes and speed far beyond those of a Dou Zhe, that sweeping slash would probably have sent him down the same road as his brother-in-law and the other young man.

Now, watching the Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon sever his saber, which had been made from hundred-forged fine steel, Steward Liu felt intense wariness, along with a trace of greed!

Not daring to meet a treasure weapon capable of easily cutting through a Dou Qi Veil, Steward Liu pushed off with his toes and instantly retreated half a body length, evading the incoming straight saber!

Zhou Changqing had not expected that slash to accomplish anything. After forcing the middle-aged man back, he resumed his retreat!

Judging by the middle-aged man's reaction speed when Zhou Changqing had ambushed the three of them earlier, and the density of the Dou Qi coating his saber just now,

this man was probably a Dou Shi, and definitely no weaker than a Three-Star Dou Shi!

Even with an Iron-Cleaving Mortal Weapon in hand, giving him the ability to breach his opponent's defenses, he still had to land a hit!

With my current strength and this sharp weapon in hand, even if I can't kill this old bastard, I can at least hold my own against him for a while. In that time, I have to reach the Mittel Auction House as quickly as possible. Only then will I be out of danger today.

As he retreated, Zhou Changqing's thoughts raced as he considered how to escape.

He had not forgotten that, aside from the three who had attacked him, an unknown number of other groups were watching from the shadows!

After evading the Horizontal Saber, Steward Liu circulated his Dou Qi and gave chase again!

No matter what happened today, he was going to capture this little bastard and drag him back.

Unless he forced the technique for forging Treasure Weapons out of him, then tortured him thoroughly, Steward Liu would never quell the hatred in his heart!

In next to no time, one fleeing and the other pursuing, the two entered the crowded main street.

"What's going on? Who are those two?"

"Damn it, who cares about that right now? Get back! One look at them tells you they're about to fight! If you get caught up in it, you won't even know what killed you!"

"Back, back, back!"

By then, many pedestrians on the main street had spotted Zhou Changqing and Steward Liu running out of the alley, one behind the other.

Seeing the chase and Steward Liu's murderous expression as he pursued from behind, many ordinary civilians hurriedly backed away and scattered, terrified of becoming fish caught in someone else's calamity.

Most of those who remained were Dou Zhe, along with a handful of Dou Shi.

Although they also backed away a little at the sight, they did not leave. Instead, they watched the spectacle with relish.

Wutan City was not a place of chaos, but neither was it an utterly peaceful haven.

Fights to the death in the streets happened several times almost every year, providing a rare diversion from boredom.

"Little bastard! You can't escape!"

"Stone-Splitting Palm!"

Steward Liu bellowed and caught up once more. Raising his hand, he channeled his Dou Qi, and an earthen-yellow glow spread over his right hand as he struck at Zhou Changqing!

The gusts stirred up by the surging Dou Qi made Zhou Changqing's robes snap and flutter!

That alone showed the terrifying power contained in this blow!

His expression grave, Zhou Changqing tightened his grip on his Horizontal Saber. Instead of retreating, he moved forward to meet the attack!

He could not dodge this blow. Given his opponent's strength, his chances of evading it without using a Dou Technique were slim. If his evasive movement exposed an opening for this man to exploit, his fate would certainly be grim.

He could only face it head-on!

Whoosh!

As he swung the Horizontal Saber, its blade flashed coldly in the sunlight, cutting toward his opponent with a whistle through the air!

Wariness flashed in Steward Liu's eyes. His attack faltered, and he retreated another body length to evade it, not daring to meet the Horizontal Saber head-on.

Although this attack was a Yellow Tier Low Grade Dou Technique, it was still a technique for close-quarters combat using the body.

Even reinforced with Dou Qi, how could a palm of flesh contend with a Treasure Weapon?

Why were Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapons so sought after? Wasn't this precisely the reason?

His opponent was clearly weaker than him, yet the Treasure Weapon gave him the ability to breach his defenses. The slightest carelessness would mean taking a hit!

Because of that retreat, Steward Liu's Stone-Splitting Palm naturally lost its momentum and could not be unleashed.

The Horizontal Saber cut through empty air. Zhou Changqing drew it back before his chest in a defensive stance, then continued retreating.

How could Steward Liu let him go? He kept chasing!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Every time Steward Liu caught up and attacked, Zhou Changqing answered without a word, slashing at him with his Horizontal Saber.

Steward Liu had no choice but to avoid its edge for the moment. He could do nothing about this troublesome hedgehog.

And so, a strange scene unfolded on the main street.

The two moved in fits and starts, as though playing red light, green light.

The spectators watched with indescribably peculiar looks in their eyes. They wanted to laugh, but felt that laughter would clash with the grim, murderous atmosphere.

"Those two... are they a pair of clowns sent down from heaven?"

"I can't take it. I'm about to burst!"

"That middle-aged man behind him is clearly a Dou Shi, and no weaker than us. As for that kid, I can't sense even a hint of Dou Qi from him. He probably hasn't even become a Dou Zhe. How could they end up in a stalemate like this? He's an embarrassment to all us Dou Shi!"

"When did your eyes stop working? Can't you see the saber in that kid's hand?"

"What about the saber?"

"Didn't you see that the middle-aged man doesn't dare so much as touch that kid's saber? Isn't it obvious? That saber is an Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon."

"What?! An Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon?"

"What else? Aside from an Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon, what weapon could make a Dou Shi so wary that he shrinks back instead of advancing?"

"No wonder!"

"Damn! Are Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapons that powerful? One can actually let a kid who isn't even a Dou Zhe hold out against a Dou Shi for this long?"

“Of course. I dream of owning one. Once you have a Treasure Weapon, its sharp edge means even a Peak Dou Master has to tread carefully.”

Among the crowd, the few Dou Shi clearly had sharper eyes, and soon noticed what was going on.

The moment the words “Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon” were spoken, many people were startled. As they looked at the Horizontal Saber in Zhou Changqing’s hand, their gazes involuntarily grew heated!

(End of chapter)