Chapter 16: Xu Hongyu
Chapter 16: Xu Hongyu
But that wasn't the end of it.
Following the white ash, a blade's glint emerged from the darkness, just as the dark clouds parted slightly, revealing a crescent moon. The moonlight illuminated the blade, making it seem like a demon's sharp claw.
Tang Quan couldn't open his eyes, but his ears picked up the fierce sound of the blade cutting through the air. Instantly, he knew this wasn't an ordinary troublemaker but a skilled martial artist. He hastily swung his blade to block the attack.
Ding, dong, dong!
In just a brief moment, the two blades clashed more than a dozen times.
These clashes chilled Tang Quan's heart. Although the opponent's blade didn't seem to possess overwhelming strength, as if they hadn't trained in body tempering techniques, their combat techniques were incredibly exquisite. They had a lingering aura that entangled his blade, making it hard for him to break free. This was undoubtedly a master of blade technique, a skill achievable only by those who had mastered the blade aura.
Not many could achieve the aura in their skills, and in reality, many who had reached the 'Muscle Tempering' stage in body tempering still hadn't mastered the aura in their techniques. After all, body tempering could be forced through various supplements and medicinal powders, a time-consuming process unrelated to one's understanding. However, skill mastery required innate understanding.
A 'Muscle Tempering' master with an aura could rival ten others at the same stage. This was a vast difference from the ordinary realm.
His blade aura was the result of countless near-death experiences, finally understanding it in a flash of insight.
How did this person in front of him achieve such skill?
Strangest of all, this person had mastered the blade aura but seemed to have no training in body tempering. It was almost bizarre. For someone capable of mastering the blade aura, reaching the second stage of 'Muscle Tempering' should be effortless.
After just a brief exchange of a dozen moves, Tang Quan inwardly groaned.
If this were any other time, he wouldn't fear even ten opponents with such skill, having mastered the blade aura. But now, severely injured, he dared not exert himself. With seven-tenths of his strength gone, he was at a disadvantage, and on top of that, he had been ambushed, his eyes stinging and unable to open, rendering him completely blind. This put him in an even worse position.
He had only wanted to find a place to hide and heal his wounds, but he had stumbled upon such a formidable opponent.
"Brother, stop!" Tang Quan struggled to block a few more attacks, his voice hoarse as he pleaded.
"What do you want?" Chen Mu's patrol saber slowed slightly.
Tang Quan sensed Chen Mu's easing attack and heard his response. He relaxed, knowing this wasn't his pursuer. He inwardly cursed his bad luck but yielded, "I'm injured and just want to find a place to heal. I have no ill intentions. We have no grudges; can we call it quits?"
His words trailed off.
Tang Quan felt the opposing moves slow even more, as if the other was pondering something.
After a few breaths, a voice came from the other side.
"Alright."
Tang Quan's heart relaxed.
But the next moment, the originally slowed saber attacks suddenly erupted with greater ferocity, becoming even more fierce and vicious than before!
"You!"
Caught off guard, Tang Quan barely blocked a move with his blade, and his left shoulder was immediately slashed.
Chen Mu's eyes were cold, and his blade technique was brutal, pushing the Gale Swordsmanship to its limits. Swish, swish, swish—several more slashes followed.
Tang Quan, already injured in his left shoulder, could only hold the blade with his left hand. His strength weakened further, and he couldn't withstand Chen Mu's patrol saber. After a few more moves, he was completely shaken off, and his neck stung with pain.
"..."
Tang Quan stumbled back several steps, covering his neck with his hand. He forced his stinging eyes open, desperate to see who was in front of him. But even with his eyes pried open, he only saw a blurry shadow.
Finally, he revealed a look of reluctance, and his body fell backward, landing in a pool of blood. He twitched a few times before becoming still.
"Huff..."
Chen Mu breathed lightly.
The second time was easier than the first, and he had no hesitation. Nonsense like 'no grudges' was just that—nonsense. There were no grudges before, but now, after breaking into his home, eating a mouthful of lime, and being repeatedly forced back, there was no room for talk of 'no grudges.'
Moreover, this person's ferocity was like nothing he'd ever seen. Clearly wounded, with scars all over, and a horrifying piercing wound on his chest and abdomen. His eyes were blinded, yet he withstood Chen Mu's attacks.
A faint moonbeam pierced through the dark mist.
Chen Mu stared intently at Tang Quan's corpse, barely making out his features in the dim light. But the distinct black scar on the right side of his face immediately reminded him of the wanted notice he had seen earlier that day.
"This man... is the evil bandit, Tang Quan?"
Chen Mu took a few steps closer to the body, examining it carefully. A strange glint appeared in his eyes.
Earlier, he had been practicing his swordsmanship until exhaustion and was about to sleep when he heard noises outside. He quickly grabbed the lime and other items he had prepared long ago as a precaution against thieves. When the intruder opened the door, Chen Mu launched a surprise attack, thinking it was a petty thief. But as they fought, he realized the intruder was a formidable opponent. It was only now that he finally recognized the man as Tang Quan, the evil bandit from the wanted notice!
Clearly, Tang Quan hadn't come to steal; judging by his injuries, he was likely being pursued by someone and, in his panic, sought refuge in Chen Mu's home. Unfortunately, he stumbled upon Chen Mu, who was still practicing his swordsmanship, and fell victim to his surprise attack, dying under Chen Mu's blade without a clear reason.
For a moment, Chen Mu's mind raced with thoughts.
Tang Quan was different from the gang leader of the Black Serpent Gang he had encountered before. That had been an opportunity he could take advantage of, but this Tang Quan was clearly involved in something much bigger and wasn't someone he could easily brush off. The aftermath of this incident would likely be thoroughly investigated.
Just as Chen Mu was quickly pondering how to handle the body, a crisp, cool voice suddenly spoke up.
"Which station are you from? I don't recall seeing you before."
Chen Mu followed the voice and saw a figure in a white fish robe standing at the corner of the roof, illuminated by the faint moonlight. He couldn't make out the person's features due to the dim moonlight, but the white fish robe was eye-catching, causing Chen Mu to pause before immediately recognizing the person's identity. Only one person in the entire Southern City District was authorized to wear such a robe.
The Southern City District Guard Headquarters' Chief Inspector—Xu Hongyu.
Although Chen Mu wasn't wearing his inspector's uniform at the moment, the standard-issue sword in his hand clearly identified him as a city guard. It wasn't surprising that Xu Hongyu recognized him as one of her own.
"Chen Mu, a patrol officer from the Nine Streets Ward, greets the Chief Inspector." Chen Mu promptly bowed respectfully, his mind racing with surprise. It seemed the person pursuing Tang Quan was none other than the Chief Inspector herself. What trouble had Tang Quan caused to warrant such attention?
Xu Hongyu's figure flickered, and she appeared before Chen Mu, having leaped from the roof corner. She gave Chen Mu an unexpected once-over and asked, "Patrol officer from the Nine Streets Ward? No wonder I haven't seen you before. You practice the Gentle Wind Blade Technique?"
With her keen eye, she couldn't be mistaken. Chen Mu's sword technique was undoubtedly from the Gentle Wind lineage, and he had mastered it to perfection, his blade aura dominating the fight. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Tang Quan, even though Tang Quan was already severely injured.
As Xu Hongyu moved closer to inspect the body, she was even more surprised by Chen Mu's youthful appearance. He looked to be in his early twenties, not much older than herself. It was rare to see someone so young achieve such mastery and display such a powerful blade aura.
"Yes, your insight is truly remarkable, Chief Inspector," Chen Mu replied cautiously.
Xu Hongyu now stood less than two meters away from Chen Mu, and in the dim moonlight, he could make out her features. The rumors of her beauty rivaling the moon palace fairies seemed to be true.
Xu Hongyu looked at Chen Mu thoughtfully and asked, "How old are you this year?"
"Twenty-two," Chen Mu replied.
Xu Hongyu nodded slightly.
Although she had started practicing the sword at a young age and mastered the sword technique at twenty, much earlier than Chen Mu, he had never trained in body tempering techniques. Clearly, he was a low-ranking inspector who had honed his skills through hard work and relied solely on his natural talent to reach this level, which was no easy feat. He was indeed a talent.
"Chen Mu..." Xu Hongyu paused for a moment, then walked over to Tang Quan's body. She lifted Tang Quan's body with one hand and said, "I'll remember to give you the reward for Tang Quan's capture. Come to the headquarters tomorrow afternoon to see me."
"Yes, Chief Inspector," Chen Mu replied promptly, a sigh of relief escaping his heart.
Tang Quan's case was clearly a significant issue, and it was best for Chen Mu to stay uninvolved. With Xu Hongyu, the Chief Inspector, handling the matter, it was a favorable outcome for him. Moreover, the fact that he had caught her attention could be beneficial if he ever sought a promotion to senior patrol officer, as it would require her approval.
Xu Hongyu, carrying Tang Quan's body, leaped into the night, disappearing after a few jumps. Chen Mu shook his head and turned back towards his home.
(End of Chapter)
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