Of the six who had come this time, Zhao Zhi was the most skilled fighter after Li Qiang. The training at Great Gorge Mouth had given him a glimpse of the world of cultivation. He knew such an opportunity was hard to come by, so he trained almost as hard as Paben. In just a few dozen days, he had already begun to form his own microcosm.
He found that when he used his old fighting skills again, they were not only faster and better, but much more powerful as well. Zhao Hao had also taught them some introductory skills of the Primordial Beginning Sect. Since the Primordial Beginning Sect entered cultivation through martial arts, even these introductory skills ranked among the best in the martial world.
The saber wielder from Banshou Trading House first activated his shield, then lightly tapped the hilt of his saber against its surface. The saber suddenly lengthened, glittering like a blade of light. Zhao Zhi was slightly startled. What kind of weapon was this? Boboran frowned faintly, wanting to say something, but held back.
Li Qiang quietly asked the merchant in front of him, "Hey, brother, what weapon is that man holding? It looks quite impressive."
The merchant seemed quite eager to show off. "You don't even know that? That weapon is called a Holy Saber, also known as a Light Blade. It uses crystal stones for power and is extremely formidable. Without armor, it's very hard to withstand. Young fellow, those five down there are in for trouble." Li Qiang hurriedly sent a voice transmission to Zhao Zhi, telling him to be extra careful.
The saber wielder swung his Light Blade at Zhao Zhi, who nimbly dodged. After a few exchanges, Zhao Zhi could not help laughing. This man knew no martial techniques at all. He was simply hacking away blindly, relying on the sharpness of his weapon and the protection of his shield.
Watching from a distance, Li Qiang also breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, the saber wielders were hampered by fighting one-on-one. If they joined forces and formed ranks, Zhao Zhi would have no way to deal with them.
Zhao Zhi slammed into the saber wielder's shield, his left hand striking the man's wrist as fast as lightning. Zhao Zhi could already channel a tiny amount of true essence power, and the saber wielder could not withstand this blow imbued with it. He opened his mouth and let out a ghastly shriek. "Aaaagh!"
Fortunately, the Light Blade was fastened tightly to his five fingers and did not fall, but Zhao Zhi had shattered the bones in his wrist, leaving his hand dangling limply. Zhao Zhi turned and wrapped his arms around the saber wielder from behind, grinning. "Nice saber. I wonder if your shield can stop it. Haha..." As he spoke, he gripped one of the man's hands in each of his own and forced his Holy Saber down against the shield on his other arm.
Having his broken hand gripped behind his back caused pain no ordinary person could endure. Snot and tears poured from the saber wielder's face, and his screams shook heaven and earth. The merchants trembled at the sight, but excitement flashed in Paben's eyes. No longer afraid at all, he roared, "Old Zhao, chop harder... kill that little demon!"
"Huh?" Nashan said. "Old Pa, hehe, I've discovered you're pretty fierce too. Impressive! Impressive!" Paben ignored him, staring fixedly and panting with excitement. Hatred had burned his eyes red.
The saber wielders shouted for him to stop. Zhao Zhi smiled wickedly. "Chop... chop... chop! I'm not stopping... huh, this shield isn't very sturdy... hehe, sorry, I've chopped your arm off..." He casually removed the Holy Saber, flung the unconscious saber wielder away, and swaggered back.
"Watch out!" Paben shouted. He had been watching most closely.
Two saber wielders lunged at Zhao Zhi from behind. He suddenly spun on the spot, his Light Blade sweeping up rings of silver radiance. Moving extremely fast, the two saber wielders plunged straight into them. A violent series of impacts rang out, and two figures somersaulted backward, leaving two trails of blood across the floor that ended beneath their bodies. Zhao Zhi had delivered this attack in conjunction with the Primordial Beginning Sect's inner cultivation method. Because his cultivation was still shallow, he had not fully controlled his force and had unleashed it a little too wildly. He too felt a wave of weakness. Those two unlucky saber wielders were not dead, but barely half a breath remained in them.
The saber wielders of Banshou Trading House lit their Holy Sabers in unison and formed a small attack formation. Li Qiang was startled. This attack formation must have been taught and drilled by a cultivation expert. If Paben and the other four fought such a formation, they would certainly suffer badly. Once the saber wielders had finished forming up, someone within their ranks said, "Alliance Leader Bobo, we hope you won't interfere. Please think carefully..." Clearly, these saber wielders were ready to fight for their lives.
Boboran was in a difficult position. If she truly came into conflict with Banshou Trading House, she could hardly bear the responsibility, but that hidden cultivation expert had already warned her. Now she was caught between two fires. Lin Jing'er suddenly said, "We won't help either side. Let them do as they please..." His ears were still ringing, and resentment simmered inside him.
Boboran knew that if she insisted on intervening, she would probably please neither side. These were also extraordinary times, and Lin Jing'er had a point. But this would badly damage the Grand Alliance's reputation.
After weighing her options, she gritted her teeth. "All right, we'll withdraw. Little Sister Lanqiu, come over here with me."
Kankanqi also realized things were going badly. As a soldier, he knew how formidable a formation of many men could be. He barked, "Everyone, spears out! Tange on the left, Paben on the right, Old Zhao behind me. Old Na, stand beside me." The five immediately formed a diamond, pointing their Black Prison Spears at the saber wielders. The merchants grew even more panicked. Once Spine-Piercing Spears were fired, they had no protection and would inevitably be caught in the crossfire. A clamor erupted in the hall.
Boboran was in an even greater quandary. If merchants were accidentally injured inside the Grand Alliance, the responsibility would be far too great. She steeled herself and said, "You cannot use Spine-Piercing Spears. You'll hurt innocent people..."
Li Qiang knew he had to step forward now, and anger was simmering inside him too. Without strength, no one respected you, and anyone dared to bully you. This Boboran had spoken nicely enough at first, but at the crucial moment, she still spoke for Banshou Trading House. He quietly moved forward while sending Kankanqi a voice transmission. "If they dare move, shoot them. Don't hold back. I'll be right there."
Seeing that Boboran would no longer interfere, the saber wielders' courage soared. Their specialty was linking their defenses and interweaving their attacks, a method taught to them by an expert. Fighting alone had never been their way of doing battle. Once their formation was complete, someone gave an order, and the saber wielders stepped forward together. Kankanqi and the others suddenly felt an immensely heavy pressure. He too shouted an order. "Fire!"
A series of soft pops sounded. The light projectiles fired by the five men's Black Prison Spears were all different. Kankanqi fired spindle-shaped blue light, while Paben and the others fired white or red projectiles. All struck the defense formed by the saber wielders' linked arm shields. Kankanqi's Black Prison Spear was a finely crafted weapon made by Li Qiang, capable of firing light projectiles containing rare cold power. That shot cost the saber wielders dearly.
Boboran saw that the men paid her no heed at all and fired without hesitation. At the same time, she noticed that Kankanqi and the others had unusual Spine-Piercing Spears. This was her first time seeing Spine-Piercing Spears fire such light projectiles, and their power was truly astonishing. She felt deeply embarrassed and somewhat angry.
Almost all the merchants dropped flat on the floor the moment they saw the first shot fired, frightened out of their wits. Light projectiles had no eyes. If they died, they would die for nothing.
Those who still dared remain standing now stood out.
Li Qiang was already very close to the saber wielders. His outfit would ordinarily have attracted little notice, but now every eye in the hall was on him.
Pretending to be so frightened that he did not know what to do, Li Qiang stumbled forward. Boboran shouted, "Hey, stop! Do you want to die?"
Li Qiang waved both hands frantically. "I... I... ah!" He stepped on the hem of his robe again and pitched forward. Everyone cried out in alarm.
In an instant, everything changed. Skimming the floor like a sharp arrow, Li Qiang drove hard into the saber wielders' formation. Killing them all now would have been as easy as turning his hand, but he was angry and wanted to have a good time brawling.
Li Qiang was like a bomb, blasting the saber wielders' attack formation apart. One after another, saber wielders were hurled out of the ranks. Seeing this rare opportunity, Kankanqi and the others put away their Black Prison Spears, charged forward, and began pummeling them with their fists.
The scene instantly dissolved into chaos. Li Qiang and his five companions unleashed fists and feet in a furious flurry of blows. Paben was especially ferocious. This was his first fight, and he was somewhat awkward at first, but after a few blows, he discovered that his punches were heavy, his kicks vicious, and his opponents could barely touch him. His courage grew, and his attacks became increasingly ruthless.
Nashan was positively delighted, fishing in muddy waters as he threw a punch here and a kick there. Kankanqi and Tange worked in perfect harmony. Whenever they spotted three or more saber wielders trying to gather, they immediately went over and scattered them. In just two or three minutes, saber wielders lay all over the floor. Not one could still stand.
Watching from a distance, Old Man Kabaji was dumbstruck. He could not believe that this young man, who had seemed so foolish at first, could be so formidable. Frightened, he slipped out the door and ran off like a puff of smoke. He was a merchant who only wanted to do business in peace. He would rather stay far away from troublemakers.
Boboran's expression was ugly. She muttered inwardly that this would be hard to explain to Banshou Trading House. Someone had beaten their saber wielders into this state on Grand Alliance territory. No matter how she put it, it could not be justified.
Li Qiang then did something else that shocked everyone: he ordered every weapon and possession stripped from the saber wielders.
Boboran could no longer remain silent. "Wait!"
Li Qiang chuckled inwardly. So even you can't hold back anymore.
With a cheeky grin, Li Qiang said, "Hehe, Alliance Leader Bobo, you haven't been a competent referee, so we have no reason to listen to you. Hey... Nashan, leave them their trousers! Who told you to strip them naked..." Nashan had picked up this old habit in Black Prison. Whenever he robbed someone, he always stripped them clean.
He said nonchalantly, "Boss, haven't I left them something? Fine, forget the trousers."
The merchants climbed off the floor, their eyes filled with fear and unease. A mere six men had beaten more than thirty barehanded, then openly robbed them in front of the Grand Alliance's fourth alliance leader and everyone else. These men were far too brazen.
Boboran was truly being driven mad by Li Qiang and his companions. She had never encountered such unrestrained cultivators. Indignantly, she demanded, "Which cultivation sect do you belong to? How can you do this?"
Li Qiang straightened and slowly walked toward her. As he moved, an immense pressure bore down on her. Boboran struggled desperately to steady herself, even leaning slightly forward. She felt as though the air had solidified. Lin Jing'er could not resist such terrifying pressure at all and retreated along with Princess Lanqiu, who stood beside him.
Boboran raised her power to its peak, and the green braids atop her head came undone. With every step Li Qiang took, she trembled faintly. She could barely withstand him now, and fine beads of sweat covered her face. She desperately wanted to launch the Essence Crystal Blade in her hand, but his terrifying might left her unable to act. Their cultivation levels were far too different.
Princess Lanqiu cried, "Don't... stop!"
Li Qiang had only wanted to frighten Boboran a little so she would not interfere again later. Hearing this, he smiled faintly and seized the chance to play the good fellow. "Since Princess Lanqiu is pleading for you, very well..." He turned gracefully and went back to plundering the saber wielders.
Boboran's hands shook with anger. She wanted to challenge him, but after seeing the power he had just displayed, she knew she was far inferior. She could only stand aside and seethe.
Paben searched the saber wielders for valuables, never forgetting to add a kick or a punch after robbing each one to vent his pent-up frustration. Soon, the six had stripped this entire group of saber wielders clean. Li Qiang clapped his hands. "Throw this bunch of things out." Then he turned and approached Boboran again.
Boboran stepped back. "Are you finished yet? Please leave. The Grand Alliance does not welcome you!" Humiliation had turned to anger.
Still smiling pleasantly, Li Qiang said, "Alliance Leader Bobo, whether the Grand Alliance welcomes us or not, we're your guests now that we're here. This is the first time I've ever seen a trading association drive its guests out." He pressed another step closer and continued, "We'll leave once our business is finished. Hehe, driving us away won't be easy. You'd better not try using force to get what you want... you'll find the losses outweigh the gains."
Nashan came over. "Boss, why didn't we hold on to a few of Banshou Trading House's people?"
Li Qiang asked in return, "Why do you think?"
Nashan grabbed Paben and dragged him over, shouting, "Here I am worrying myself sick, and you're as calm as if nothing happened!"
Paben said mildly, "Old Na, you don't even understand that? Beat the little ones, and won't the old ones come out?"
Nashan slapped his bald head and laughed. "Ah, I'm so stupid..."
Boboran knew that the longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for her. After all, she was the Grand Alliance's fourth alliance leader and had weathered many storms. Seeing that force would not work, she immediately switched to gentleness and forced a smile. "Would the six of you brave heroes please come into the inner hall to talk?"
Li Qiang turned, saw Boboran's smiling face, and jumped aside in fright. "Whoa! Putting on a face-changing show? Isn't that smile a little exaggerated?"
Princess Lanqiu burst out laughing at Li Qiang's exaggerated reaction. Taking Boboran's arm, she said, "Sister Bobo, let's go into the inner hall. Hey... you come in too..."
She leaned toward Boboran's ear and whispered a few more words. Boboran's face turned green with embarrassment, and she scolded with a laugh, "How are you just as crazy as that girl An Shi?"
Li Qiang beckoned. "Brothers, let's go."
Only after entering did they discover an entirely different world within. Princess Lanqiu's accompanying warriors were led elsewhere to rest. She brought only her green-clad guards and Chief Steward Aji, while Boboran also brought two subordinates. Lin Jing'er left as soon as they entered the inner hall.
Li Qiang and his five companions walked in, looking all around, and reached a spacious room, where hosts and guests took their respective seats.
After sitting down, Boboran talked incessantly with Princess Lanqiu, ignoring Li Qiang and the others altogether. Li Qiang found this secretly amusing. He too had spent years navigating the business world, and reading expressions was one of his strengths. He knew Boboran was deliberately ignoring them out of anger, hoping to make him speak first so she could sting him with a few unpleasant remarks.
He smiled faintly and asked Kankanqi, "How did you run into Banshou Trading House's people?"
Kankanqi glanced at Boboran and said, "Boss, after you left, we entered the city without any trouble. We never expected to see Fan Kingdom warriors surrounding Princess Lanqiu on Bend Street. Tange said they'd helped us at the eating place last time, so we couldn't stand aside now that they were in trouble. The five of us went up, brought out our Black Prison Spears, and prepared to fight..." He sounded rather distracted.
"And then what happened? Hey... what are you thinking about..."
"Then we saw... boss... um... then... where was I?" Kankanqi looked completely absentminded. Following his gaze, Li Qiang suddenly understood. Hah, this fellow kept stealing glances at Boboran. It seemed he was quite taken with her.
Li Qiang could not help chuckling. "Forget it, you don't have to tell me... carry on looking... Tange, you tell me."
Kankanqi suddenly came to his senses, his whole face turning bright green with embarrassment. Tange and the others could not help laughing. Unable to answer his boss's teasing, Kankanqi said awkwardly, "Boss! I didn't mean that... I..."
Nashan had finally caught an opportunity. "Old Kan, what didn't you mean?" He deliberately glanced at Boboran. "Mm, so Old Kan isn't interested. Haha!"
Kankanqi grabbed Nashan by the throat and cried in a frenzy, "I... I... what I mean is... I'll strangle you!"
"Haha... hahaha..." Li Qiang and the others roared with laughter.
Nashan's voice changed under his grip. "Cough, cough... hey... brother... not... interested..." After finally struggling free, Nashan said something else that drove Kankanqi wild. "You... you want to murder me to silence me! It's no use, everyone knows! Ow... you're really ruthless! You nearly strangled Old Na! Boss... save me!"
Boboran and Princess Lanqiu stared at this bunch of lunatics in astonishment. They had never seen people fool around like this.
Li Qiang suddenly stood. "Stop!" He tilted his head slightly and listened closely. Nashan and the others immediately sat properly, looking at him, unsure what their boss had discovered.
Boboran could not help seeing Li Qiang in a new light. For all their laughing and joking, the moment he grew serious, everything changed.
Li Qiang's expression grew increasingly solemn, and his imposing presence slowly began to build. His white robe suddenly shattered. With a sweep of his hand, the Billowing Essence Battle Armor was already on him, flashing purple-gold light. Though his hands remained empty, he gave the impression of an unsheathed edge.
Boboran and Princess Lanqiu hurriedly ordered their attendants to retreat. Boboran covered her mouth in shock. Only now did she realize that Li Qiang had truly shown mercy earlier. Such strength was absolutely beyond the Grand Alliance's ability to handle. Perhaps they could resist him only by calling upon the Grand Alliance's cultivation elders.
Working in silent accord, Kankanqi and the others rose and retreated to a corner, drawing their Black Prison Spears to stand guard.
Two people appeared in the doorway.
"Elder Kubo!" Boboran cried involuntarily.
Princess Lanqiu asked softly in curiosity, "Who is Elder Kubo?"
The moment the two entered, Li Qiang's force bore down on them. One, a middle-aged man, gave a low shout. "Chi!" A surge of force shot outward, and the other, a young man, took the opportunity to don his battle armor.
Li Qiang shifted slightly and gave a deep shout of his own. "Break!" The Billowing Essence Battle Armor blazed with extraordinary brilliance. Unable even to keep their footing, the two men retreated outside the doorway.
When they appeared again, both were fully clad in battle armor. Obvious shock showed on their faces. As they entered, they simultaneously circulated their true essence power and pressed it toward Li Qiang. At once, the air throughout the room seemed to burn. Crackling sounds gradually arose, and the light from the three men's battle armor was too dazzling to look at.
Everyone in the room was pinned by the force the three released, barely able to breathe. Boboran shouted, "Stop testing each other! Stop... stop!"
Slowly, the three drew back their true essence power, and the light of their battle armor softened. The middle-aged man said, "Good heavens, I almost couldn't hold you off. Who are you? I've met practically every cultivation expert on the Tanbang Continent. Which sect are you from?" His tone was very modest. He knew his opponent had not used his full strength.
The young man said, "Master, his force gives me a peculiar feeling."
Li Qiang suddenly remembered the Soul-Releasing Dragon Ring Fu Shan had given him. "I'm from this sect," he said, extending his finger as the Soul-Releasing Dragon Ring appeared.