In the midst of their thoughts, the Black-haired Zombie attacked.
Its stiff body was not slow; on the contrary, it was swift, closing the distance to Yang Ye and his men in the blink of an eye.
"AH!!!"
A blood-curdling scream rang out.
SPLURT!
Fresh blood splattered.
Wang Changye couldn't dodge in time. In that critical moment, he could only try his best to protect his vitals, but the Black-haired Zombie tore his left arm off at the shoulder.
CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
Right in front of them, the Black-haired Zombie devoured Wang Changye's arm.
"Bastard!"
Wang Changye's face went pale.
ROAR!!!
The Black-haired Zombie roared.
SHIING!
The next moment.
Accompanied by a flash of chilling Sword Light, a figure descended from the sky. They moved with incredible speed, weaving through the crowd like a serpent as they charged toward the Black-haired Zombie and the three enhanced Corpse Ghosts.
"Who is that?"
"This…"
Yang Ye and his men were all startled.
CRACK!
With a crisp sound, the Black-haired Zombie shrieked. Its fingernails, which had grown into jet-black claws, were all severed by the Iron Sword during its clash with Xu Qing.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!!
All around.
The Black-haired Zombie and the three enhanced Corpse Ghosts roared furiously at Xu Qing, and an overwhelming wave of Yin Qi and Corpse Qi washed over him.
"Sen… Senior…"
"…"
Yang Ye and his men saw the severed black claws on the ground and were reminded of what had happened the day before. They guessed that this master of Swordsmanship must be the same senior who had decapitated a Corpse Ghost with a single strike.
"Stand back."
Xu Qing said, his voice deliberately low. The upgraded Evil Ghost Mask now concealed his face and hid his aura.
"As… as you command…"
"Yes!"
Upon hearing Xu Qing's command, Yang Ye exchanged a glance with his men. He signaled for the others, and they all slowly retreated behind Xu Qing.
As for Wang Changye, who had lost an arm, the flesh around the wound where the Black-haired Zombie had bitten him was already turning black, emitting wisps of Corpse Qi and Yin Qi.
Clearly, Wang Changye had been afflicted with corpse poison. If it wasn't treated soon, it would attack his heart. At that point, he would be beyond saving. Not only would he die, but he would likely reanimate as one of the undead.
ROAR!
Just then, the three enhanced Corpse Ghosts took the initiative, lunging at Xu Qing from three different directions. Xu Qing's expression remained calm; he was more than a match for them.
He executed the Snake Body Technique with incredible flexibility. As he dodged the three enhanced Corpse Ghosts, his Iron Sword was already descending.
SHIING!
Under the moonlight, a chillingly sharp Sword Light flashed and vanished.
SPLURT!
Blood sprayed into the air.
Xu Qing's Iron Sword lopped off the head of one of the enhanced Corpse Ghosts. He felt no resistance, as if his blade had sliced through tofu.
"!!!"
"So... so strong…"
"My God!"
"This… this…"
"A Corpse Ghost couldn't even withstand a single one of the senior's blows. He took its head off so easily."
"He's incredible."
"…"
Everyone watched in awe.
SPLURT! SPLURT!
Xu Qing struck again, his Sword Light moving even faster. Although he had never formally trained in Swordsmanship, he was an Anjin Martial Artist. His speed, reflexes, and power were immense.
On top of that, the Iron Sword in Xu Qing's hand was a Divine Weapon.
Thus, the remaining two Corpse Ghosts didn't even last two moves against him before he decapitated them. Three headless corpses now lay on the ground.
ROAR!!!
The Black-haired Zombie charged, roaring furiously as its Corpse Qi billowed. Its speed, reflexes, Power, and defense were all a cut above the Corpse Ghosts.
Unfortunately for it, it was no match for Xu Qing. It couldn't withstand the sharpness of the Level 10 Iron Sword, which also possessed a Breaking Evil effect. They clashed for only a few moves.
"Die!"
SPLURT!
Xu Qing took the Black-haired Zombie's head as well. With a THUD, it collapsed. The entire battle, from start to finish, had taken only a few minutes.
'All done.'
Xu Qing was quite satisfied. His current strength was a world away from what it once was. He had improved immensely, and the Level 10 Iron Sword was like adding wings to a tiger.
'If I could master a decent Swordsmanship technique to go with this Iron Sword, my strength would jump another level. I could even hold my own against a Huajin master.'
"It… It's over already?"
"That was too fast."
"Those monsters were terrifyingly strong. We were completely outmatched. But in the senior's hands, they didn't even last a few moves before he finished them all."
"Is this the difference true power makes?"
"…"
The crowd took a deep breath, their gazes filled with reverence as they watched Xu Qing's back. Wang Changye, Yang Ye, and Qin Daniu all wore expressions of awe and admiration.
"Thank you for saving our lives, Senior."
"Thank you…"
Yang Ye, Wang Changye, and Qin Daniu bowed deeply to Xu Qing.
"Just passing by."
Xu Qing glanced at Wang Changye's wound. "You'd better hurry back and find a way to deal with that corpse poison," he said. "Any more delays and you'll be beyond saving."
"Thank you for the warning, Senior."
Wang Changye bowed again.
After that, Xu Qing said nothing more and turned to leave. He had only intervened to test the limits of his own strength. Besides, he now lived on Red Leaf Street and didn't want any trouble there that might affect him.
However, Xu Qing was a little surprised. 'The Iron Sword is so sharp, and with its Breaking Evil effect, I didn't even have to use my true strength to kill the Black-haired Zombie and the three Corpse Ghosts.'
'It's a bit of a shame, really.'
THUMP THUMP THUMP…
The sound of many approaching footsteps echoed.
Just as Xu Qing was about to leave, Xu Weiran arrived with three skilled men in tow. The moment they got to the scene, they saw the corpses on the ground and their eyes fell on Xu Qing's retreating figure.
Zhao Jingyuan was among the three men Xu Weiran had brought. His gaze also fell on Xu Qing, and he couldn't help but feel that the man's back looked slightly familiar.
"What happened here?"
Xu Weiran asked.
"Chief Constable, this is what happened…"
Yang Ye quickly recounted the entire incident to Xu Weiran.
"A master of the Sword Dao."
Xu Weiran looked stunned. He glanced again in the direction Xu Qing had gone, but his figure was long gone, leaving only a dark, empty street.
"So, you were saved by a master of the Sword Dao whose identity and origins are a complete mystery?"
Xu Weiran asked.
"Yes."
Yang Ye nodded.
'Red Leaf Street is anything but ordinary,' Xu Weiran mused. 'A few days ago, a master of a Fist Technique appeared and crushed a Corpse Ghost's head with his bare hands. Now, a master of the Sword Dao shows up and decapitates a Black-haired Zombie with a single slash.'
The Government Office in Qingbei Town had two law enforcement branches: the Governmental Agency and the Demon Suppression Agency.
Xu Weiran, Zhao Jingyuan, and Yang Ye were all constables belonging to the Governmental Agency, which typically handled public order issues within Qingbei Town.
The Demon Suppression Agency was different; its primary purpose was to deal with Demon Fiends and other evil entities in Qingbei Town. This recent incident was already pushing the limits of what the Governmental Agency could handle.
Furthermore, the Demon Suppression Agency's overall strength was significantly greater than that of the Governmental Agency.
"Yang Ye."
Zhao Jingyuan went over to Yang Ye and whispered, "Is Xu Qing alright?"
"What could happen to him?" Yang Ye replied. "He didn't even come in today."
"That's good."
Zhao Jingyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
「Meanwhile.」
In the northern district of Qingbei Town's Outer City stood the grand mansion of the Ye Family, one of the wealthiest merchant families in the area.
Deep within the Ye Family's basement.
At this moment, two Black Shadows stood together. One of them possessed an exquisite figure; though her face was obscured, her entire being radiated a captivating allure.
"You've caused quite a stir this time," the other Black Shadow said. "If you keep this up, it won't be long before the Government Office's Demon Suppression Agency mobilizes. When that happens, I won't be able to cover for you."
"Hehe, my dear brother, don't you worry," the slender Black Shadow giggled. "Just three more days. Once I've collected enough Essence of Life and combined it with all this soaring resentment, Corpse Qi, and Yin Qi, the item I seek will be Refined. As soon as it's Refined, I'll give you what you desire. It's only a few more days."
"Good."
As soon as he spoke, the other Black Shadow vanished.
"Heehee…"
The slender Black Shadow gazed into the darkness, her voice rising in ecstatic excitement as if reaching a climax. "Ahhh~ I can feel its presence growing stronger and stronger~"
「The next morning.」
'Today's the day.'
Xu Qing woke up. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and neatened his appearance. With all preparations complete, he slung the Iron Sword over his back and headed out.
Today was the day he would go to the Cangying Martial Arts Hall and become an Official Disciple.
「Half an hour later.」
Cangying Martial Arts Hall.
Outer Courtyard.
"Instructor Zhang He."
After a week's absence, Xu Qing saw Instructor Zhang He again. He offered a smile and a greeting, but the instructor seemed indifferent.
"Mm."
Instructor Zhang He merely gave a slow, deliberate nod.
Clearly, Xu Qing hadn't come to the Cangying Martial Arts Hall to practice for a whole week. In Zhang He's eyes, Xu Qing simply lacked the will to train. Even with some Talent, he would never achieve anything in martial arts.
In other words, Zhang He had completely given up on Xu Qing.
"Tsk tsk."
"Look who finally decided to show up."
"Haha…"
"It's been a whole week. He hasn't come to the Cangying Martial Arts Hall to train once. What's he doing here today? Here to make a fool of himself?!"
"…"
The other students jeered.
"Instructor Zhang He."
Just then, Ye Langtian walked over. He cupped his fist in salute to Instructor Zhang He and said, "Student Ye Langtian requests to take the assessment to become an Official Disciple of the Cangying Martial Arts Hall."
"Hmm?"
Zhang He asked, surprised, "You've mastered the Cyan Eagle Force?"
"Yes."
Ye Langtian's face was a mask of arrogance.