Urban Martial Saint

Surrounded by fifty or sixty people, all of them were shouting as they charged toward Ye Qing, intent on killing Ye Qing first, and then capturing Huangfu Ziyu.

Seeing the savage expressions of the crowd, Ye Qing’s face turned icy cold. He clenched his teeth, gripped the Seven-Star Ancient Sword tightly, let out a long howl, and swung the sword toward the two people rushing at the forefront.

Seeing Ye Qing’s attack, the two immediately raised their knives to block the Seven-Star Ancient Sword. However, they greatly underestimated the sword’s power. Mere knives stood no chance against such a weapon.

At the moment of impact, the two knives were instantly slashed apart, without any suspense. The Ancient Sword continued its arc, slicing off the entire right shoulder of the man in front. The man behind was luckier—it merely severed his hand, but he clutched his wrist, writhing on the ground in agony, unable to crawl away.

This strike terrified the crowd, especially those closest to Ye Qing. Their expressions changed as they stared at him, panic evident in their eyes. They had never seen such an impossibly sharp sword, nor could they fathom that it could make such quick work of two weapons.

While everyone was still shocked, a man suddenly shouted, ”Don’t be scared! It’s the sword that’s formidable, not him. Just avoid his sword and kill him—problem solved! Surround him! Encircle him! Even if he had three heads and six arms, it wouldn’t help!”

These words dispersed some of the fear in the crowd, who immediately spread out and moved in a circular formation to surround Ye Qing.

Ye Qing’s brows furrowed. If he were truly surrounded by these people, things would indeed become troublesome. Though his strength was formidable, being encircled by over fifty men meant that even his Southern Fist skills would struggle to contend with the overwhelming odds.

Seeing the mob closing in, Ye Qing didn’t dare to waste any time. He gripped the Seven-Star Ancient Sword tightly and advanced to strike preemptively, swinging his blade at the attackers in front.

The crowd, now aware of the Ancient Sword’s deadly power, didn’t dare meet it head-on. As Ye Qing swung his sword, they immediately fled in panic. Yet their speed was no match for Ye Qing. While some managed to escape, two were not so fortunate. One was struck down onto the ground, while the other suffered a slash across his back.

Though the latter escaped death, he was so frightened that he rolled across the ground and fled the battlefield in terror, vowing never to come near again.

Ye Qing did not bother to chase him further. Holding the Seven-Star Ancient Sword, he plunged headlong into the crowd, slashing wildly without restraint. Although the mob brandished their knives, they paled in comparison to Ye Qing’s weapon. At that moment, Ye Qing was like a tiger let loose among helpless sheep. Anyone who approached him was either left without an arm, a leg, or, at best, left crying out in pain with flesh wounds.

Indeed, if Ye Qing didn’t have to worry about the unconscious Huangfu Ziyu lying in the nearby car, he could have fought even more recklessly. At present, he stood by the car, ever vigilant against anyone trying to harm her. Still, Ye Qing was no longer the man he once was—he fought without reservation, killing when possible or ensuring his opponents were left crippled. The merciless attacks left no room for restraint.

The chaotic battle lasted less than three minutes, with over twenty men lying injured on the ground. Two had been decapitated by Ye Qing, seven lay dead, and the rest were either missing limbs or heavily wounded. The remaining mob was so thoroughly terrified that they turned tail and fled, unwilling to approach Ye Qing any further.

The man who had led the mob earlier looked at Ye Qing, now drenched in blood, and trembled at the sight. He screamed, ”Madman! Madman! You’re a lunatic!”

Raising the Seven-Star Ancient Sword, Ye Qing pointed it at him from afar and uttered only four words: ”Leave, or die.”

The man opened his mouth, but in the end, turned and fled, tail between his legs. He had brought many people, but it was clear now—they stood no chance against Ye Qing.

Watching them retreat, Ye Qing sheathed his Seven-Star Ancient Sword without even sparing the corpses a glance. He turned back to the car, intending to drive away. Just as he reached for the keys, a piercing dagger suddenly flew through the air, puncturing one of the car’s tires, which instantly deflated.

”Who’s there?” Ye Qing’s brows furrowed as he turned to face the direction the dagger had come from. He saw Chen Yongchang slowly stepping forward, accompanied by four others.

”Mr. Ye, why so rushed? Where were you planning to go?” Chen Yongchang’s lips curled into a cold smirk as he strolled closer. Seeing the carnage around, he sighed, ”People say Mr. Ye is compassionate and kind. From what I see, you don’t quite live up to that reputation. These were mere lackeys, yet you dealt such ruthless blows. Maybe public opinion about you isn’t quite accurate!”

Ye Qing’s face grew tense. The gang members earlier had been manageable since they lacked martial arts skills. But with Chen Yongchang now appearing, the situation seemed grim. Being Wang Tian’an’s junior brother and Ning Qianshu’s disciple, Chen Yongchang’s strength wouldn’t be trivial.

”Chen Yongchang, you dare step foot into Xi Hang—you don’t fear Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun or Senior Shen?” Ye Qing asked, his voice heavy, attempting to intimidate Chen Yongchang with Shen Tianjun’s name.

”Shen Tianjun?” Chen Yongchang laughed aloud and said, ”Ye Qing, this isn’t Xi Hang anymore. Shen Tianjun’s jurisdiction ends here. I’ve been trailing you for a while, though I stayed my hand until you left Xi Hang. Now that we’re outside Xi Hang, Shen Tianjun must keep to his promise—he won’t interfere. Otherwise, he’d be breaking his word, and once my Master moves into the Southern Six Provinces, chaos will erupt. Let’s see him protect the Shen Family then!”

Ye Qing’s expression shifted slightly. He hadn’t expected Chen Yongchang’s calculation to be this precise. It was true—they were now outside Xi Hang’s domain. Shen Tianjun had publicly declared that the Shen Family wouldn’t meddle in affairs beyond Xi Hang, provided no one entered Xi Hang to provoke them. Shen Tianjun clearly hoped to seal the Shen Family off from impending upheaval.

Now that they were outside Xi Hang territory, even Shen Tianjun’s name couldn’t deter Chen Yongchang. It was clear they had been planning to settle things once and for all.

Ye Qing replied coldly, ”And what of it? Even if Senior Shen doesn’t intervene, do you honestly think the five of you can stop me, Mr. Ye?”

”Ye Qing, your strength has grown impressively, and I admire that,” Chen Yongchang smirked. ”Plus, you wield the Seven-Star Ancient Sword. It’s true—we five may struggle to contain you. But don’t forget—there’s an unconscious Huangfu Ziyu in the car. You might escape, but can she?”

Ye Qing’s face darkened. Huangfu Ziyu was his greatest vulnerability at the moment. Against the combined might of these five, protecting her would prove exceedingly difficult.

”Touch even a hair on her head, and I will slaughter you all!” Ye Qing growled through clenched teeth.

”That’s not for you to decide!” Chen Yongchang laughed harshly. ”Ye Qing, we’ve been generous to you. The Twin Life Gu could kill you in mere seconds. Yet, we gave you a day’s time to consider working with us. I didn’t expect, in that time, you’d run to Xi Hang to try undoing the Twin Life Gu. Did you think finding someone like Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun could free you from it? Let me tell you—the Gu insects within you were planted by my Master. No one can remove them, except the one who set them. Not even the Miao Borderlands can help you!”

Chen Yongchang glanced at Huangfu Ziyu within the car and sneered. ”And look at this—you failed to undo the Twin Life Gu and instead brought the Huangfu family’s daughter into this mess. Isn’t that amusing? The girl treated you well, yet she might die because of you—don’t you feel the least bit guilty?”

Ye Qing gritted his teeth. ”I will protect her—I won’t let her die!”

”You think just saying it will make it true?” Chen Yongchang scoffed. ”The Twin Life Gu is incurable. I know you’re hoping to go to Miao Borderlands for help. Let me give you a dose of reality—my senior brother’s Twin Life Gu would terrify even the Miao Borderlands shamans. Who could cure it? Ye Qing, if you truly want to spare her life, there’s a simple path: agree to cooperate with us. If you do, not only will she be safe, but I’ll personally ensure that the Twin Life Gu is eventually removed. I’m offering you another chance—if you fail to seize it, you won’t get another. When the Twin Life Gu awakens, it will be your death!”

”You want me to work with you? Dream on!” Ye Qing snarled. ”I would rather die than collaborate with the likes of you!”

”Since you’ve made your decision, there’s nothing more to say.” Chen Yongchang gestured dismissively. ”Ye Qing, our third senior brother wants to personally witness your death. So, I’m afraid you’ll need to come with us.”

As he spoke, Chen Yongchang cast a sidelong glance at the unconscious Huangfu Ziyu, a clear warning: if Ye Qing resisted, she would be the first to die.

(Apologies to my readers; due to some matters tonight, this chapter is a bit late.)