Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the hall of the Wu family household.
Zhou Donghuang sat at the chief seat and looked at the five people who walked into the hall with an air of calm. “If I remember correctly… there are five level-six adepts in the Wu family? Why are there only four here? Unless… you think that the four of you are enough to defeat me?” As he spoke, his lips rose into a playful smile.
Among the five who had just walked into the hall, one was Wu Nanxun, but the rest were unfamiliar faces to Zhou Donghuang. Two of them looked similar to Wu Nanxun.
“Sir, I am the governor of Guangling prefecture and head of the Wu family, Wu Wentao.” Wu Wentao introduced himself as he stepped forward and clasped his hands together. He looked at Zhou Donghuang with a heavy gaze.
Before he had met this youngster, he had not thought anything about it. But upon seeing him for himself, he then understood the meaning of “confidence.” It was as if the young man before him would not be bothered even if the sky fell. People with such confidence either had real power or were putting on a front. Wu Wentao had seen countless people in his life and believed that this youngster was more of the latter rather than the former.
“Second Master of the Wu family, Wu Jingtao, level-six adept.” After Wu Wentao had finished his introduction, the second master also stepped forward. His skinny body was as straight as a spear, but his gaze was stone-cold as he stared at Zhou Donghuang.
“The Wu family pays its respects. Liu Yifan, level-six adept.” After the second master, an old man in a green robe stepped forward. The old man had a huge figure, strong like a bull and although his face was aged and his hair white, but his body looked more like that of a young man.
Once Liu Yifan had stepped forward, Wu Nanxun’s eyes flashed with anger as he stared at Zhou Donghuang. He said with a cold smile, “Zhou Donghuang, my grandpa, Liu is the strongest man in Guangling prefecture, and he even trained in the third-grade defensive technique ‘Cold Iron Jacket.’ No one in Guangling prefecture can break through his defense!”
“Third-grade technique?” Hearing Wu Nanxun’s words, Zhou Donghuang looked at the old man with surprise. As far as he knew, in Yunyang country, only two other tycoon families had third-grade techniques apart from the Imperial Court and the king’s households. Those two tycoon families were each gifted a third-grade technique because they had done some great work for the Imperial Court. “As far as I know, the third-grade defensive technique ‘Cold Iron Jacket’ was gifted to the tycoon Liu family by the Imperial Court… are you from the Liu family, governor’s household of the Tianwu prefecture?” asked Zhou Donghuang flatly.
“Not bad,” said the old man as he raised his head as if he were proud of his identity as a member of the tycoon Liu family.
But what Zhou Donghuang said next caused him to freeze. “Not staying in the tycoon Liu family, but in this small grand family… seems like you could no longer stay in the Liu family?”
Zhou Donghuang’s words went straight to the old man’s heart because this was something that had dearly upset him. Tycoon families were higher in status than grand families. For a family to become a tycoon family, they required at least a level-eight adept. For the Liu family, besides being the governor’s household of the superior Tianwu prefecture, they were also a premier tycoon family with many level-nine adepts.
In the Liu family, a level-six adept who could no longer advance had no status, although he was not cast aside to watch the door or run errands. Liu Yifan was one such person.
“This rascal…” Just as Liu Yifan had been dearly offended by Zhou Donghuang and looked ready to kill him, another old man standing at the side stepped forward and introduced himself. “Head elder of the Wu family, Wu Chong, level-six adept.”
“Call the last one over as well,” Zhou Donghuang said calmly.
“Hmph!” Liu Yifan snorted as he said, “What an audacious young man! The four of us are more than enough to defeat you!”
“Sir, if you manage to leave in one piece today, your feud with the Wu family will be nulled!” Wu Wentao stared at Zhou Donghuang as he said. If this young man before him could escape unharmed from all four level-six adepts in the Wu family, he was not one that the Wu family could afford to offend. Even if his only son had been injured by him, he could only swallow this bitter pill.
“Escape unharmed?” Zhou Donghuang responded as he laughed dismissively. “You think too highly of yourselves.” As he spoke, Zhou Donghuang picked up the 600kg heavy iron spear from Fu’s hands. Weighing the spear in his hands, he looked calmly at Wu Wentao and the rest.
“The four of you may come at me together,” Zhou Donghuang said calmly as he crossed his legs on the chief seat.
“You… You plan to sit there and fight against us?” Hearing his words and seeing as Zhou Donghuang had no intention of leaving his seat, Wu Jingtao’s face darkened. This young man who looked just sixteen or seventeen was too cocky. Was he really looking down on them like that?
“The few of you don’t deserve for me to stand up.” Zhou Donghuang glanced at Wu Jingtao as he spoke. The disdain in his eyes made Wu Jingtao furious. In a flash, he flew out as he withdrew the three-foot narrow knife from the sheath at his waist.
Whoosh! The narrow knife that looked like a sword flew out, shining brightly. It seemed to come alive in Wu Jingtao’s hands, heading straight for Zhou Donghuang as it flew out like a snake. Wu Jingtao had not only displayed the Wu family’s lesser-grade swiftness technique, but also the lesser-grade knife technique.
Swoosh! Zhou Donghuang’s spear-holding hand shook, and the heavy black iron spear flew like a black bolt of lightning as it struck the knife just four feet away from Zhou Donghuang’s eyes.
Clang!
“Ah—!”
As the sound of the weapons striking each other rang out in the air, Wu Jingtao shrieked. As he let go of the narrow knife, the purlicue of his hand was ripped and bleeding profusely.
Smash! The narrow knife that had flown out was stuck in a pillar in the corner of the hall. The blade of the knife was fully stuck within, and the power in which it had flown out was clear. This was the result of just a casual flick of Zhou Donghuang’s spear.
“Come together.” Zhou Donghuang glanced at Wu Wentao, Liu Yifan and Wu Chong, his voice as calm as before. His expression was also calm and unflinching.
As the three of them watched Zhou Donghuang injure Wu Jingtao with just a stroke of his hand, even making Wu Jingtao’s knife fly away, their expressions immediately darkened. Now, hearing Zhou Donghuang’s words, they looked at each other and all moved together.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Their three figures flew out together towards Zhou Donghuang.
At the same time, Wu Jingtao rushed to the pillar and used his uninjured left hand to pull the knife out of the pillar, as he prepared to join the attacking army.
Ping! Ping! Ping! However, just as Wu Jingtao pulled his knife out and prepared to join Wu Wentao and the rest, he heard three loud sounds ring beside his ear, accompanied by two painful cries and a loud thud.
As he turned around, the sight before him caused his legs to turn into lead, making him unable to move an inch.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Wu Wentao and Wu Chong flew backward towards a wall in the hall like arrows leaving a bow after being hit by Zhou Donghuang’s spear. With a loud crashing sound, the wall which their bodies hit began to crack, lines appearing like a spider’s web. Now, even the proclaimed strongest man in Guangling prefecture, Liu Yifan, was also pushed backward many steps by Zhou Donghuang’s spear. His eyes widened, and his face was red as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
“Truly a third-grade defense technique ‘Cold Iron Jacket.’ You were only slightly injured by my spear.” Zhou Donghuang stood up and walked towards Liu Yifan. He reminded, “Just now, I don’t think you were fully defending yourself, but now, let me give you the chance to put on your complete defense… let’s see if your ‘Cold Iron Jacket’ can take another one of my blows!” As he spoke, Zhou Donghuang smiled, revealing a shining set of teeth.
Seeing Zhou Donghuang raise his hand and come towards him with his spear, Liu Yifan knew a clash was unavoidable. His face darkened as he released all the inner qi in his body, displaying the third-grade defense technique ‘Cold Iron Jacket’ of the Liu family. After he had displayed the Cold Iron Jacket, Liu Yifan looked again at Zhou Donghuang with renewed confidence.
“Qi-stacking!” Zhou Donghuang’s eyes flashed, and the qi in his body stacked one upon the other. Grasping the spear, he flew like a meteor and landing heavily on the strong chest of Liu Yifan.
The strongest point of defense of the ‘Cold Iron Jacket’ was on the chest.
Ping! The heavy black iron spear landed heavily as Liu Yifan stepped backward in shock. Seeing this, Wu Wentao and the rest lit up as they believed that Liu Yifan had managed to withstand this blow.
Then in the next moment, they froze.
Whoosh! Liu Yifan’s body flew backward in the same moment as he stepped back as if gravity did not exist. The speed at which he flew backward was many times faster than that of Wu Wentao and Wu Chong just now.
Hong! Liu Yifan’s body flew through the wall and out of the hall as if it was a bullet, not stopping along the way. It was as if the thick wall was not enough to slow him down at all.
