Chapter 78: Sudden Change! Heaven-shrouding Magic Trick, String Puppet
Half an incense stick later.
On the blade and sword arena stage, a Pounding House second-rate perfection expert had an abnormally ruddy face, twirled a beautiful sword flower, looked at the Water Carriers defeated all around, and laughed loudly,
“Anyone else?”
On the Water Carriers’ side, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.
It was not a matter of poor fighting.
It was just that the Pounding House gang members opposite them seemed to have taken drugs one by one, fiercely terrifying!
They even ignored their wounds; a sword wound to the leg went completely unnoticed as they fought desperately.
Though most Water Carriers were insidious and habitually hid their strength and showed weakness, they were at least still human.
But the Pounding House gang members opposite them were far from human.
How could they fight like this?
Seeing the Water Carriers remain silent for a long time with no response.
The man on stage smiled smugly, about to seek cultivation when a voice exploded like thunder, rolling in.
“There’s still me!”
Before the voice arrived, a terrifying qi had already locked onto the man on stage.
He suddenly felt a chill all around, as if falling from scorching summer into the depths of winter, momentarily stiffening in place.
Whoosh!
Only a sword cry was heard as a figure in a white cloth jacket, dressed like a juggling performer, landed on the arena stage.
He had a proper appearance, sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, holding a long sword.
Sword light flashed.
The white-jacketed performer faced the audience below the stage, cupped his hands and said: “Jin Family Opera Troupe dares to join the interception!”
With a thud, a corpse fell behind him.
One sword sealed the throat.
Both on and off the stage, it instantly became deathly silent.
Water Station and Wanlong Pounding House both were stunned.
And the Guo Lu Society Brothers disguised as Jin Family Troupe, still performing magic tricks, were also stunned.
We only let you take the stage to intercept, first slay the primary evil, didn’t tell you to kill right from the start!
While the commoners blocked outside saw this and slapped their thighs, thinking it was lively.
How come Jin Family Troupe is intercepting today!
But it was strange; Jin Family Troupe was just an opera troupe performing behind Tangyuan Hutong, and the old troupe leader was barely second-rate strength—how did such a sword expert emerge?
Moreover, there was no need to intercept at this time and offend the Capital City’s two overlords!
“You’ve eaten bear heart and leopard gall, daring to intercept our meeting?!”
“Bastard, daring to kill my brother!”
“Aaaah, it hurts me to death!!”
The Pounding House crowd erupted in fury, filled with righteous indignation, but not one stepped onto the stage.
Intercepting was an old tradition, never tabooing participation from various groups; in the early years, many martial world heroes even wanted to gain fame through interception, claiming to be Wuqing’s number one or Jinmen’s number one.
As long as it was the same realm cultivation, one could ascend the stage.
That white-jacketed performer, though his sword technique was extraordinary and his strength profound, the exposed qi indeed belonged to the second-rate martial artist category, just a tiny bit stronger.
The Pounding House crowd all looked toward the gang’s several veteran second-rate warriors with established reputations.
Those few had faces full of cold sweat, somewhat stuck, and remained motionless.
Truly, outsiders watch the excitement, and at this moment, insiders only wanted to watch the excitement too.
They knew going up wouldn’t end well; they were no match for the white-jacketed performer at all.
Going would be sending themselves to death.
Seeing the white-jacketed performer appear, Chen Shun’an said nothing and turned to leave.
He was already certain this white-jacketed performer was a Guo Lu Society hero.
That sword technique was absolutely top-tier martial arts, not something that could casually pop up from the roadside.
“San Dezi, I feel something’s about to happen, let’s go together?”
San Dezi was somewhat bewildered: “Huh? Brother Chen, what could happen today with so many big shots presiding here…”
Chen Shun’an shook his head, quickly warning Scarred Liu, Lin Shou Zhuo, and others.
Scarred Liu was somewhat hesitant, Lin Shou Zhuo seemed to understand but remained unmoved, Sun Xiao showed suspicion in his eyes, and Shopkeeper Li was too busy with affairs to heed Chen Shun’an’s worrying.
Seeing everyone’s reactions, Chen Shun’an advised no more, hurriedly ran and blended into the crowd, heading outward.
Behind him still came the white-jacketed performer’s challenge voice.
A cold snort came as he raised his sword pointing at Zheng Shicheng on the high platform.
His face carried three parts disdain, three parts sarcasm, four parts nonchalance; the expression was perfectly controlled—so much so that not just Zheng Shicheng, even a clay figure would be provoked to fury.
“I’ve heard Landlord Zheng has mastered a《Spiritual Mechanism Sword Technique》, extremely strange and peculiar—may I have the honor of a lesson?”
Hearing this, Zheng Shicheng’s eyes flashed with cold light as he drew his sword and rose.
Few knew that this Wanlong Pounding House’s Landlord Zheng had yet to slay the Six Thieves, only possessing second-rate perfection strength, and also cultivated sword technique.
The later scenes, Chen Shun’an had no time to look back.
He only heard someone seemingly dissuade Zheng Shicheng, followed by intense fighting sounds.
Below the stage instantly erupted in uproar, cheers thundering.
Chen Shun’an had just exited the Kui Xing Tower side when he suddenly discovered…
It was dark.
The sun hidden, sky no more.
In an instant, the entire heaven and earth turned pitch black, eyes unable to see.
Only the panicked or bewildered screams of nearby commoners could be heard.
“What’s going on?”
“Why is the sky covered, so dark!”
“I think I’m blind, why can’t I see?”
Chen Shun’an’s nerves instantly tightened; after a brief stiffening, he sharply reacted.
The sun was still there!
Scorching sunlight shone on his body as usual, hot enough to make sweat pour.
Even the dry hot airflow brushing over his pores felt the same as always, no difference.
It wasn’t dark.
It was an Eye Thief first-rate expert’s acupoint emitting light, interfering with everyone’s vision.
One glance sky-covering!
Behind Chen Shun’an came roars,
“Irrelevant people quickly retreat, don’t bring harm upon yourselves!”
“Wanlong Pounding House smuggles Hibiscus Paste Fire, poisoning the people, endless harm—we act on heaven’s behalf!”
Officials like Liu Sui looked panicked, considering themselves irrelevant, and under martial artists’ protection, groped their way off stage in the dark.
At this time, a clear cold voice containing heavenly might rang out,
“Guo Lu Society rebels? Red Fifth Master? Such audacity!”
……
Kui Xing Tower, atop the tower.
Three figures silently watched the chaos below.
It seemed even the sky had height; here it was not covered.
Among them, a young man wrapped in a black gauze scarf, dressed as a peddler, sat cross-legged at the top, full body strength and qi and blood surging madly to his ten fingers.
His hands lightly plucked like strumming strings, forming strands of invisible strength that ‘whooshed’ and connected to Guo Lu Society Brothers below.
Guiding them, identifying enemies, serving as eyes and ears.
Though only second-rate perfection cultivation, his root bone was extraordinary, with 360 Wonderful Sounds, and he practiced a peculiar technique《Hundred Refinements Strength》, emitting thread-pulling strength through muscles and bones vibrations, affecting others.
Not only could it silently kill, but also transmit orders and guide as now.
The latter effect seemed useless.
But combined with Red Fifth Master’s sky-covering technique and sight-seizing ability, it produced miraculous results.
Yi Zi Hall Master, full-faced with beard, squinted at the chaotic crowd below.
Xiao Qingchou watched the chaos, sighing repeatedly, face showing reluctance.
Guo Lu Society Brothers drew weapons from under the tent, jumped off the stage, leading a group of martial world people charging onto the arena.
These people were like string-pulled puppets, movements slightly stiff, but under the peddler youth’s guidance, still held advantage, quickly breaking the Pounding House and Water Station defenses.
That white-jacketed performer was naturally Bai Manlou; with one sword, he put Zheng Shicheng in dire straits.
Luckily Tian Xuan Saint flew to rescue, whisk waving, white qi steaming and swirling into rolling immortal clouds that wrapped him to her side.
But soon Red Fifth Master arrived with Collapse Fist; though eyes wrapped in black scarf, he seemed still able to see.
Fist intent overbearingly majestic; every move like mountains crushing, actually holding off the rolling immortal clouds, blocking Tian Xuan Saint.
While Zhao Guangxi, Zhou Qing and others were entangled by Guo Lu Society people.
Liu Ru Yue protected her father behind her.
The local gentry elders: some fled, some broke legs falling, some hid under tables like ostriches with heads buried, trembling.
What chaos!
“How did they go around those Water Carriers?”
The peddler youth’s hands kept moving, but something happened, speaking in surprise.
Yi Zi Hall Master said dully: “Red Fifth Master ordered not to lightly offend the Water Carriers here… Heard that Zhao Guangxi’s ancestors had incense ties with some Inner Eight Halls helmsman.”
The youth instantly understood.
Martial World isn’t just fighting and killing, but human relations.
Even the youth suspected that these outsider Guo Lu Society Brothers could hide incognito in the Capital City so long thanks to help from Zhao Guangxi or even some in the Water Station.
I knew it—how dare Red Fifth Master set a point and establish a hall at Weng Mountain!
Though Red Fifth Master ordered to give Zhao Guangxi face.
But fists and feet spare no one; with darkness before eyes and panic, who could hold back.
All suffered injuries.
But overall, Guo Lu Society Brothers showed mercy to the Water Carriers, not killing.
And near Kui Xing Tower, sky-covered commoners screamed, shoving, crawling and scrambling.
While commoners outside Kui Xing Tower, clueless, seeing kin inside, desperately squeezed in.
Already a stampede forming.
Screams, wails, mothers calling lost children.
Xiao Qingchou’s face showed bitterness.
“To kill one, implicating dozens—is it worth it?”
Yi Zi Hall Master glanced at the innocent commoners, silent for a moment, shook his head and said,
“Those who achieve great things don’t quibble over trifles; killing one saves ten thousand, no regret for these dozens of lives. Everything is worth it.”
……
“Quickly go to Kui Xing Tower top to slay the thieves!”
Among those present were also Eye Thief first-rate experts, just not as profound as Red Fifth Master.
At this moment, enduring that terrifying will like black cloth covering sky and Mount Tai pressing, forcibly opening eyes revealed faint figures atop Kui Xing Tower.
In the air came extremely concealed strength fluctuations!
“Miao Territory’s sinister Hundred Refinements Strength martial arts? Truly dead ashes reignited—His Majesty the Emperor quelled it multiple times yet failed to eradicate!”
“Wu Saiyu, Ren Yong, you go quickly, kill the Guo Lu Society people for me!! Go now!!”
Zheng Shicheng clutched his ears, hiding behind Primordial Great Umbrella Yue Ting, blood dripping from finger gaps, face full of hysteria.
“Lin Shou Zhuo, He Qiang, Zhou Qing, you go too!”
Zhao Guangxi saw someone had spotted the few on the tower and immediately spoke.
After all, his private ties with Guo Lu Society couldn’t be openly discussed; now he could only put on a show.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Figures immediately darted toward Kui Xing Tower.
And in the crowd.
Chen Shun’an’s ears twitched; his occiput like having eyes, he backhanded and chopped down a sneaking martial world greenwood man.
Even with pitch black before eyes, those bursts of strength and qi and blood were like dim lamps in a dark room, barely allowing position discernment.
Chen Shun’an noticed many clueless martial world people unaware sky-covering was just a magic trick.
Instead borrowing this ‘abnormal celestial phenomenon’ to fish in troubled waters, stealing gold and silver, even some harboring lewd thoughts for misconduct.
“Ouch!”
In the shoving crowd, someone stepped on Chen Shun’an’s foot.
Chen Shun’an originally planned to follow the flow out of the crowd.
After all, now wasn’t time to step on heads; outside commoners likely not sky-covered, all watching.
But crowds on both sides too jammed; Chen Shun’an walked while being stepped on.
After several steps on him, Chen Shun’an got angry.
An old man’s life isn’t a life?!
You Guo Lu Society act too overbearingly!
Swish!
In the crowd, a martial world person shook his hand, firing several iron Bodhi seeds.
Chen Shun’an’s ears caught the shrill wind; spiritual mechanism captured faint crisis in the air.
Several bewildered panicked residents were in the iron Bodhi range.
Displeasure flashed in Chen Shun’an’s eyes; fingers pinched a gold coin dart and flicked it…
Boom!!
A savage wild figure charged like a wild boar through woods, darting everywhere, blocking the iron Bodhi.
Only a shrill scream heard as that martial world person was sent flying, bones cracking pop pop, dead on landing, turned to a puddle of meat mud.
“Hm? Chen Shun’an?”
He Qiang sensed a familiar qi; he slightly paused, grabbed Chen Shun’an’s shoulder blade, and grinned ferociously,
“Old Man Chen, stand steady, find a spot to hide—don’t let this old guy get hurt! Leave this to your Grandpa He!”
With that, He Qiang’s five fingers clamped, lifted sharply, tossing Chen Shun’an over ten zhang away.
Though he had to compete with Lin Shou Zhuo, he wanted fair competition, plots and tricks out in open!
Ambush Chen Shun’an now?
He Qiang unwilling, disdained it!
Chen Shun’an didn’t resist, letting He Qiang act.
He Qiang’s strength seemed fierce, but on landing a gentle hidden strength protected Chen Shun’an, letting him merely retreat steps to dispel inertia.
“Kui Xing Tower slaying thieves, Hundred Refinements Strength?”
Chen Shun’an crouched low, hand covering face as he rubbed toward outside.
Slightly turning head, looked toward pitch-black Kui Xing Tower direction.
Chen Shun’an had vaguely heard of Hundred Refinements Strength peculiar method.
Emitting thread-pulling strength through muscles and bones vibrations.
Actually, besides slaying the user, there was another way to break this technique.
That was intense explosion or higher pitch Bone Thunder Sound, completely overpowering the opponent.
Break without attack.
And Chen Shun’an already had 360 Wonderful Sounds.
