Urban Martial Saint

Ye Qing didn’t dare run toward Huangfu Ziyu’s direction because he knew that given Huangfu Ziyu’s current state, she was completely incapable of protecting herself. So, he circled around and ran in another direction, intending to first divert the Miao people away and then return to find Huangfu Ziyu.

The mountain path was difficult to traverse, but for Ye Qing, it wasn’t much of a challenge. On the other hand, the Miao people couldn’t match Ye Qing’s speed, and after running for over an hour, Ye Qing completely lost them.

Seeing that the Miao people had been shaken off, Ye Qing discreetly circled back along the original path, heading straight for the spot where he had parked earlier.

As he neared the area, Ye Qing saw from afar that a woman was standing near his car, peering inside.

Seeing this, Ye Qing’s expression changed. He hadn’t expected the Fire Sang girl’s sister to not only find Huangfu Ziyu but also not follow him. After all this time, who knew if Huangfu Ziyu was injured?

”Stop!” Ye Qing shouted loudly, no longer caring about anything else, and charged forward.

The Fire Sang girl’s sister was startled by Ye Qing’s sudden shout. She turned her head and saw Ye Qing rushing over with an aggressive and imposing demeanor. Her expression changed again; she knew Ye Qing carried a powerful weapon and the Holy Detoxifying Medicine. In other words, the Gu insects she controlled were useless against Ye Qing. If she clashed directly with him, she would undoubtedly be the one at a disadvantage!

The Fire Sang girl’s sister didn’t dare linger. She immediately turned and ran. Ye Qing, worried about Huangfu Ziyu, rushed to the car and quickly looked inside.

One glance was enough to leave Ye Qing stunned. His car was completely empty. The Huangfu Ziyu who was supposed to be hiding there was nowhere to be seen.

Ye Qing’s mind temporarily went blank, and a crushing sense of despair overwhelmed him. If Huangfu Ziyu wasn’t in the car, she must have been captured by the Miao people, and her fate was likely grim by now!

After a moment of silence, Ye Qing let out a low growl from his throat. He grabbed the Seven-Star Ancient Sword lying nearby and sprang to his feet, charging in the direction where the Fire Sang girl’s sister had fled.

The Fire Sang girl’s sister, now running through the dense forest, was clearly in a panic, unable to find her way. But she hadn’t run far when Ye Qing’s hurried footsteps sounded behind her, making her even more startled. She didn’t even have time to turn her head, running frantically for her life.

”Stop! I said stop!” Ye Qing roared, his voice brimming with anger. But how could the Fire Sang girl’s sister dare to stop at a moment like this?

The chase continued for about five minutes, and Ye Qing was closing in on her. When only a dozen meters separated them, Ye Qing picked up a rock from the ground and threw it, hitting the woman squarely on her back.

”Ah!” The woman screamed miserably, falling face-down to the ground. Before she could get up, Ye Qing had already reached her.

Previously, Ye Qing had tried to avoid conflict with the Miao people, unwilling to take action against them. But at this critical moment, he couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer. Lifting the Seven-Star Ancient Sword, he pressed it against the woman’s throat, gritting his teeth in anger: ”Where did you take her?”

”I don’t know what you’re talking about…” the Fire Sang girl’s sister forced the words out through gritted teeth despite her pain.

Before she could finish her sentence, Ye Qing’s sword sliced down, taking off one of her fingers. The Fire Sang girl’s sister screamed in agony, clutching her hand and writhing in pain on the ground. Never in her life had she suffered such a severe injury!

”I’ll ask you one more time—where is she?” Ye Qing said coldly, his voice grim. ”If you don’t answer, next time I’ll take your whole hand!”

”I… I really don’t know what you’re talking about…” The woman clutched her bleeding hand and howled in pain. ”If you dare hurt me, my father won’t let you go! You Han Dog, you’ll never escape the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains of the Miao Borderlands—you’ll never make it out alive…”

Ye Qing’s face darkened. He raised his sword again, aiming to cut off the woman’s left hand entirely. His worry for Huangfu Ziyu’s safety outweighed everything else, and he was willing to resort to any means necessary to uncover her whereabouts.

Just as the Seven-Star Ancient Sword was about to sever the woman’s hand, a pebble suddenly flew from an unknown direction, striking Ye Qing’s hand. Though it didn’t knock the sword from his grip, the impact caused Ye Qing to slightly misdirect the blade, striking her left shoulder instead.

The woman let out another scream of pain. Ye Qing, meanwhile, ignored her entirely and turned his attention to the direction from which the pebble had come, his brows furrowed tightly.

The force behind the pebble wasn’t trivial, indicating that the thrower was no ordinary martial artist. But among the Miao people, was there someone with such skill?

”Isn’t it shameful for a grown man to bully a defenseless woman? Aren’t you afraid of ruining your reputation?” A deep voice sounded as a tall man stepped out from the shadows. His features were strikingly handsome, and though he was slightly older, his allure was undeniable.

Upon seeing this man, the Fire Sang girl’s sister momentarily froze. She could tell that the man was also Han Chinese, but at this moment, she was being rescued by a Han man—one who was unbelievably good-looking. Her previous hostility toward Han Chinese softened slightly, replaced by a faint ripple of unexpected emotion.

”Who are you?” Ye Qing asked in a cold voice.

”Zhou Yuliang,” the man replied boldly.

”Mr. Zhou, I wasn’t bullying her. These Miao people kidnapped my woman, and I need to rescue her!” Ye Qing responded sharply. ”And don’t be fooled into thinking she’s some innocent lady. This woman’s methods are vicious and cruel. If I don’t recover my woman soon, she’ll surely meet a terrible end!”

”Hmph, that’s just your side of the story. Who knows if it’s true?” Zhou Yuliang glanced at Ye Qing dismissively before turning his gaze toward the Fire Sang girl’s sister, a faint smile crossing his face. ”This young lady is so beautiful—it’s hard to imagine her being the type to do such things. On the contrary, you look fierce and ruthless, willing to harm women without hesitation. You’re the kind of person who dishonors the reputation of Han Chinese, keeping Miao-Han relations strained. Now that I, Zhou Yuliang, am here, I won’t let you continue your rampage!”

Hearing this, the Fire Sang girl’s sister’s eyes sparkled. Zhou Yuliang’s words gave her a new perspective on Han Chinese. For the first time, she discovered that there might be good people among them. Her favorable opinion of Zhou Yuliang grew.

After finishing his statement, Zhou Yuliang deftly tossed another pebble at Ye Qing.

Ye Qing narrowed his eyes. With Huangfu Ziyu kidnapped and in mortal danger, his anxiety was at an all-time high. Now Zhou Yuliang had appeared out of nowhere, making unprovoked attacks. Normally, Ye Qing would have explained himself, but he simply didn’t have time for that now.

With a swift motion, Ye Qing deflected the pebble using the Seven-Star Ancient Sword. He glared coldly at Zhou Yuliang and said, ”I’m not lying, and I must save my woman. If you insist on interfering, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

”Oh? And what could you possibly do to stop me?” Zhou Yuliang mockingly replied as he stepped closer. ”Come, show me the skills you’ve got!”

Ye Qing’s face hardened; clearly, this conflict couldn’t be resolved without violence. Without hesitation, he raised the Seven-Star Ancient Sword and slashed at Zhou Yuliang, holding nothing back. At this moment, time was critical, and he needed to find Huangfu Ziyu as soon as possible—so his strikes were merciless.

Zhou Yuliang, however, was quick on his feet. Seeing Ye Qing’s ferocious attack, he sidestepped swiftly and lunged forward, throwing a punch aimed straight at Ye Qing’s face.

With his extensive combat experience, Zhou Yuliang chose to engage Ye Qing in close-quarters combat, neutralizing the advantage of the Seven-Star Ancient Sword. But he hadn’t anticipated one crucial detail: Ye Qing’s mastery of Wing Chun Fist, learned from Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun, was unparalleled in close combat. By fighting Ye Qing up close, Zhou Yuliang had inadvertently placed himself at a disadvantage!

Ye Qing immediately tucked the Seven-Star Ancient Sword back into its scabbard and began grappling with Zhou Yuliang barehanded. In a few swift exchanges, Zhou Yuliang began to realize the situation wasn’t going in his favor. He tried to retreat, but it was too late—Ye Qing pressed his advantage, dominating the fight and leaving Zhou Yuliang flustered.

In terms of ability, Zhou Yuliang was on par with Wang Tian’an. Yet Ye Qing had surpassed Wang Tian’an’s level, and the difference in their power became evident once they clashed. Normally, it might take a while for one to emerge as the victor, but Ye Qing’s desperate urgency pushed him to fight with unmatched fervor—leaving Zhou Yuliang utterly overwhelmed.

Seeing how dire the situation was becoming, Zhou Yuliang grew increasingly anxious. If this continued, it wouldn’t take more than a few minutes for him to lose. Not only would he fail to heroically save the woman, but he’d end up humiliated himself.

In a last-ditch effort, Zhou Yuliang suddenly flicked his right hand, releasing a white smoke that quickly enveloped Ye Qing.

Caught off guard, Ye Qing immediately retreated to avoid a surprise attack amidst the smoke. But Zhou Yuliang didn’t strike further, and the smoke quickly dispersed.

Standing opposite Ye Qing, Zhou Yuliang smirked smugly, a look of confidence spreading across his face as if he had already won.

Ye Qing frowned deeply. His gaze locked on Zhou Yuliang, and he said coldly, ”That’s Bone-Piercing Tendon-Softening Powder. What’s your connection to Wang Tian’an?”

”Not bad, kid,” Zhou Yuliang chuckled. ”Wang Tian’an is my junior. I am his second senior!”