Hearing Li Chang'an's utterly arrogant words, everyone in the County Magistrate's Office couldn't help but stare wide-eyed.
Had Li Chang'an said this just a few minutes earlier, many would have laughed until their sides ached. After all, what gave a wet-behind-the-ears kid the nerve to run his mouth like that here?
But now, with the two bloody heads at his feet setting the stage, not a single person in the entire Three Yellow County Magistrate's Office dared to utter a word of rebuttal.
Li Chang'an was dressed in a faded, washed-out linen robe, its sleeves spattered with flecks of blood. Though his frame was somewhat slender, it did nothing to conceal the palpable killing intent etched upon his face.
One man, one blade, he stood at the entrance. When a few unseeing government officials charged forward, his longsword shot out like a soaring dragon, a phantom blur in the air.
THUD!
Several heads dropped to the floor.
The charging men stopped dead in their tracks. A moment later, the thud of heavy bodies hitting the floor followed.
Li Chang'an flicked the blood from his dripping longsword and spoke calmly, "Since I intend to restore justice to the world, the first battle will begin with you vermin... Let the blood flow like a river!"
Magistrate Chai was practically going mad, stomping in a thunderous rage.
But when he saw Li Chang'an cut down several Clerks as easily as slicing through melons, he couldn't help but shudder. Both shocked and enraged, he roared, "Men? Where the hell did you all go? Get him! I want this bastard chopped into a million pieces!"
As he spoke, he seemed to recall something. He whirled around to face Historian Liu Wenlai, who was already pale with fright, and barked, "Historian Liu, quickly! Take my Waist Token and call for the City Defense Army! And while you're at it, fetch Lord Cao from the Prison Control Department! Tell them a fiend is murdering an Imperial Court official in broad daylight!"
Hearing this, Liu Wenlai froze. It took him a moment to snap out of it before he nodded emphatically. He scrambled to the storeroom to grab Magistrate Chai's seal, then bolted to get reinforcements without a backward glance.
The City Defense Army, it went without saying, was the strongest force Magistrate Chai could mobilize under normal circumstances.
The Prison Control Department, however, was an even bigger deal. It was the Yaoqing Dynasty's ultimate enforcement agency, responsible for purging Demon Fiends and apprehending rogue Martial Artists. Even its lowest-ranking members were official Martial Artists who had achieved Energy Introduction!
One could only imagine the depths of Magistrate Chai's desperation to have Li Chang'an arrested.
Li Chang'an, however, made no move to stop him. Gripping his blood-stained longsword, he simply walked straight toward the crowd inside the County Magistrate's Office.
Most of the ordinary Clerks in the courtyard were already scared stiff.
No matter how Magistrate Chai threatened or cajoled them, none dared to take a single step closer to Li Chang'an.
In their eyes, Li Chang'an was no longer a boy of about ten; he was the King of the Underworld, straight from the depths of Hell. With every step he took forward, dozens of Clerks would scramble back several more, trembling, terrified of getting too close, lest they lose their lives.
Among everyone in the County Magistrate's Office, perhaps only Master Wang managed to keep his composure.
The reason for his composure was the mountain of a man standing behind him—a giant nearly two meters tall.
The giant wore a short tunic and radiated an intense, dangerous aura. He squinted at Li Chang'an for a long moment before a wary smile touched his lips. "Young man," he said, "my name is Liang You, a Martial Artist from the Liang Martial Arts Hall in Fengzhou. I believe there may have been a misunderstanding here..."
Li Chang'an, of course, had already noticed the big man.
After all, at nearly two meters tall, the man was built like a tower. Just by standing there, he was conspicuous enough; it would have been difficult *not* to notice him.
Instinct told Li Chang'an that this man, Liang You, was not someone to be trifled with. He was, at the very least, a Martial Artist who had cultivated Energy Introduction to a very advanced stage.
Factoring in the physical advantage of his nearly two-meter frame, even a seasoned Martial Artist would likely be no match for him.
But Li Chang'an felt not a shred of fear.
Though he had spent this time on the road healing the sick, he hadn't neglected his training. On the contrary, having to live off the land and frequently fend off attacks from monsters and bandits had honed Li Chang'an's practical combat experience by leaps and bounds.
Even he wasn't entirely sure what realm his combat prowess had reached.
'A Martial Artist? Or something more?'
'Or perhaps even higher?'
Since he'd never gone all out, Li Chang'an himself didn't really know.
Liang You opened his mouth to say more, intending to use the influence of the Liang Martial Arts Hall and his own strength to deter Li Chang'an from rashly attacking his employer.
But Li Chang'an didn't say another word. Without so much as raising an eyebrow, he lifted his longsword and swung it directly at Master Wang, whose face had already drained of all color.
*Ghost Gate Thirteen Blades—First Blade: Ghostly Fear!*
A blade flashed. The giant's expression shifted as he whipped a Three-Section Staff from his waist, blocking Li Chang'an's attack with lightning speed.
CLANG!
The Three-Section Staff and the longsword crashed together, producing a deafening, metallic ring.
The giant's hand, gripping the Three-Section Staff, was trembling, and his expression slowly grew grim. 'I can't believe this kid, not even half my size, can unleash such terrifying force! The impact made my wrist ache!'
Having narrowly escaped death, Master Wang nearly pissed himself in terror. All traces of his calm, victorious demeanor vanished. He collapsed onto the ground, sobbing, "Spare me, hero! Spare my life! I can pay you! Money, land, whatever you want—just name your price!"
Ignoring Master Wang's blubbering, Li Chang'an's longsword flipped through the air like a fluttering butterfly as he unleashed his second strike.
This time, his blade wasn't aimed at Master Wang, but straight at the face of the giant, Liang You.
*Ghost Gate Thirteen Blades—Second Blade: Butterfly Deceit Blade!*
KKLANG!
The resulting crash was even more violent, sending a visible ripple of force emanating from Li Chang'an.
Liang You tried to block Li Chang'an's attack just as he had before.
But Li Chang'an's longsword seemed to have a life of its own. The angle of the attack was bizarre and treacherous. He raised his staff to block again and again, but the butterfly-like glint of the blade deceived him every time.
When he finally managed to parry the blow, the explosive force of the impact nearly ripped the staff from his grasp.
However, before he could even breathe a sigh of relief...
A smile suddenly touched Li Chang'an's lips. His longsword, which should have been spent of all momentum, somehow whipped back around in a sudden reverse arc. There was a flash of light, and a thin red line appeared on Liang You's neck.
Feeling the blood gushing from his neck, Liang You's face was a mask of utter disbelief. His eyes widened as he stammered, "H-how... How is this possible?!"
...