A forty-meter-long arc of blood-colored saber Qi streaked across the sky.
Boom!
The two blasts of Qi collided violently, unleashing a terrifying explosion.
The stalemate lasted barely a breath.
Crack!
Cracks appeared in the blood-colored axe Qi. Then it shattered inch by inch, dissolving into specks of light that filled the sky.
The saber Qi lost none of its momentum as it cleaved straight toward Cao Hu!
Horror spread across Cao Hu's face. He was utterly terrified, but it was already too late to dodge.
"No!"
Cao Hu let out a desperate howl.
Squelch!
A flash of bloody light flickered and vanished.
Cao Hu froze in place, a line of blood spreading downward from the center of his crown.
The light in his eyes swiftly dimmed. The next instant, his body split into two halves and fell to the ground.
Deathly silence fell over everyone!
Only the rustle of wind through the leaves remained!
Wang Cheng and the youths were all dumbstruck, forgetting to breathe.
Lin Jiu, however, was not particularly surprised. After seeing enough, one naturally grew accustomed to it.
Elsewhere.
The dozen or so remaining bandits stared blankly at the two halves of Cao Hu's corpse.
Clang!
No one knew whose steel saber had fallen to the ground first.
Then the stench of urine spread through the crowd.
"A ghost! Run!"
Scared out of their wits, the bandits scattered, crying for their fathers and mothers.
Lin Yuan sheathed his saber, turned around, and swept his gaze over the youths.
"I'll leave the rest to you."
They all trembled.
The dark-skinned youth reacted first, his face flushing crimson.
"Kill!"
He raised his embroidered spring saber and chased after the fleeing bandits.
"Kill them! Don't let these bastards escape!"
With someone taking the lead, the remaining youths' eyes reddened as well, and they charged out through gritted teeth.
Saber in hand, Wang Cheng followed behind to cover them, also untying the dozen or so villagers at the village entrance.
Those villagers raised their heads numbly for a glance, then walked away just as numbly.
Like so many walking corpses.
Not far away.
The dozen or so bandits cared only about escaping. They had no thought of resisting, and once the youths caught up, they were cut down in a few strokes.
The fifty youths returned, panting heavily.
Their flying-fish robes were spattered with blood. Many still had trembling hands, and a few crouched beside the road, dry-heaving.
More of them, however, gripped their saber hilts tightly, their chests heaving and their eyes shining.
Watching the change in the youths, Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
Good. They finally look a little like Dragon Guards.
At a quarter to two in the afternoon.
The party returned to Ping'an County in a grand procession.
As soon as they entered the city gates, the thick smell of blood spread on the wind.
People on both sides of the street craned their necks to look.
Several handcarts rolled over the rutted street. As they jolted along, the tattered cloth covering them slipped off, revealing countless heads underneath.
"Ah! Murder!"
The nearby townspeople scattered in terror.
Seeing this, Wang Cheng, who was at the head of the procession, stopped and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, don't panic!"
"These carts carry nothing but the heads of the bandits who were wreaking havoc outside the city!"
"Today, Commandant Lin of our Dragon Guard personally led us out and put all three hundred-odd bandits in Little River Village to death!"
His voice carried far down the long street.
The panicked street fell silent for an instant, then erupted in cheers.
"Good! Well killed! Those damned beasts have finally gotten their just deserts!"
The townspeople gathered around, their eyes full of awe and gratitude as they looked at the Dragon Guards.
"Lord Lin is truly a living bodhisattva-no, he's the guardian deity of our Ping'an County!"
"And these lads, daring to fight and kill bandits at such a young age! They've really got guts!"
"I have some meat buns fresh from the steamer here. Go on, take them!"
Several warmhearted older women kept stuffing buns into the youths' hands.
These youths came from poor families. They had once been mere peasants whom everyone looked down on. When had they ever enjoyed being surrounded and admired like the moon amid a host of stars?
The praise left every one of them at a loss, their young faces instantly turning crimson.
They involuntarily puffed out their chests, feeling all the blood in their bodies rush to their heads.
Worth it!
Following Commandant Lin made this whole life worthwhile!
Looking at his high-spirited subordinates, Lin Yuan turned to give Wang Cheng instructions.
"Take them to the county office to collect their rewards, then dismiss them there."
"Assemble at the teahouse on time tomorrow morning. I have something important to announce."
Wang Cheng cupped his fist and accepted the order.
"Yes! Understood!"
Lin Yuan stayed no longer. Taking Lin Jiu with him, he turned into an alley and returned to his residence in the north of the city.
He crossed the front courtyard and had just stepped through the moon gate into the rear courtyard when he heard a series of contented grunts.
Beneath the old locust tree in the center of the courtyard, Master Wu lounged lazily in a rattan chair, basking in the sun with a purple clay teapot in his hands.
Behind him, Lin Liu was half-crouching on the ground, all smiles as he attentively massaged Master Wu's shoulders.
"Master Wu, how's the pressure? Shall I pound your legs for you too?"
Master Wu grunted comfortably and took a sip of tea.
"Little Liu, you're doing very well. Keep it up."
Hearing this, Lin Liu worked even harder.
Ever since Lin Yuan had sold the Lin Clan Cloth Shop to the Treasure Pavilion, Lin Liu had experienced unemployment for the first time in his life.
But the lad was quick-witted. After making a circuit of the residence, he immediately saw how things stood.
The young master was a figure high up in the heavens, and with Ninth Uncle constantly at his side, there was no place for Lin Liu to lend a hand for now.
But the old gentleman before him was different. He was the young master's teacher, a man of exalted standing.
As long as he kept this master happy, he, Lin Liu, would have firmly put down roots in the household.
At the sight, Lin Jiu's dark face grew even darker, and he grumbled inwardly.
Pah! Shameless bootlicker!
Lin Yuan, however, smiled and gave Lin Liu an approving look.
The lad really was clever and knew how to read the room. Someone like him could find a hot meal wherever he was thrown.
Beside him, Lin Jiu keenly caught his young master's look. His body jolted, and alarm bells immediately rang in his mind.
He hurriedly turned around and went to guard the front gate. He had to keep a firm grip on his actual duty of protecting the residence.
I mustn't let some petty scoundrel slip through a gap!
Lin Yuan shook his head and walked straight into the main hall.
A sumptuous spread of steaming dishes had long since been laid out on the square dining table.
Hearing his footsteps, Yunniang hurried over to greet him.
"Young master, you're back."
It was already well past noon, yet the food looked freshly cooked. Clearly, it had been reheated several times.
Warmth stirred in Lin Yuan's heart, giving him a feeling of home.
He pulled out a chair, sat down, and began to feast.
A little while later.
Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair and let out a breath.
Yunniang hurried forward and bent down to clear the bowls and chopsticks from the table.
Lin Yuan turned his head to look, and his gaze involuntarily paused.
Today, Yunniang had changed out of her coarse cloth clothes and put on a pale red, chest-high ruqun.
She was bending over to pick up the soup bowl. Her neckline was already loose, and from Lin Yuan's angle, the scenery within was fully exposed.
He had to admit that although Yunniang was in her thirties, she had maintained herself extremely well and was indeed generously endowed.
Lin Yuan reckoned that he certainly could not have gone hungry as a child.
Noticing his burning gaze, Yunniang followed his line of sight and looked down.
Boom!
Yunniang's gentle face instantly flushed scarlet, and even her breathing faltered.
She hurriedly finished clearing the table, shot Lin Yuan a somewhat embarrassed and annoyed look, and fled outside.
Lin Yuan shrugged awkwardly.
Let her misunderstand. It doesn't matter.
When have I, Lin Yuan, ever needed to explain my actions to others?
Lin Yuan returned to his bedroom and began cultivating.
With his hundredfold cultivation speed, his illusory internal organs were completed once more.
The sky gradually darkened until it was completely black.
At midnight.
Lin Yuan woke from meditation right on time.
His gaze sharpened, and he drew the parchment scroll from inside his robes.
Activate enlightenment!
Lin Yuan lowered his head and looked again.
Those intricate patterns underwent an astonishing change. They seemed to come alive, writhing madly like earthworms!
Countless lines intertwined, forming an enormous phantom of a Savage Bear over three meters tall in the blink of an eye!
The Savage Bear threw back its head and roared at the sky, exuding a terrifying air of savage dominance.
Then hundreds of dazzling points lit up inside the phantom, tracing profoundly mysterious golden pathways.
Suddenly.
The enormous Savage Bear phantom turned into a streak of golden light and plunged straight into the space between Lin Yuan's brows!
Boom!
Lin Yuan's entire body shook violently as he emerged from enlightenment, his back already soaked with sweat.
He gasped for breath as a dazzling red light flashed before his eyes.
[Martial arts: Savage Bear Tyrant Body Art (uninitiated 0/1000) (Heaven Grade)]