Chapter Sixty-One: Ouyang Xin Takes Action (Please Add to Favorites)

Bai Fei turned to glance at Yang Ze, his expression tinged with surprise, then addressed the man in black. “I chased you all the way from East City to North City, and to think your target was just a youngster—how disgraceful. But this works out well. Since I’ve caught up to you, let me see just how powerful a martial artist of the Postnatal Realm truly is!”

A fighting spirit blazed in Bai Fei’s eyes. He practiced martial arts for the thrill of battling strong opponents—the stronger, the better. There were few rivals left for him in Yuyang City. Now, faced with a martial artist at the Postnatal level, fear had no place in him; only the desire to fight burned within.

The man in black said nothing, but his blade was already leveled at Bai Fei.

In the next instant, Bai Fei struck first. Known as Swift Sword Bai Fei, his attack was naturally blindingly fast. Yang Ze saw only a flicker of sword light before sword and blade clashed.

Steel flashed in the dim night. Bai Fei truly deserved his reputation as one of Yuyang City’s top masters. Even against such a formidable foe, he launched an all-out assault, each strike delivered with full strength and blinding speed—so fast that even Yang Ze could barely follow, each thrust aimed at the man in black’s vital points.

Yet the man in black, worthy of his Postnatal cultivation, parried each attack effortlessly, no matter how fierce Bai Fei’s onslaught.

In the brief span of a dozen breaths, the two had already exchanged dozens of blows. Suddenly, the man in black flicked his saber, making Bai Fei’s expression change drastically as he slashed downward with all his might.

Blade and sword collided. A surge of energy enveloped the man in black’s saber, crashing directly into Bai Fei’s sword. The force of the blade’s aura was overwhelming; Bai Fei could no longer withstand it and staggered back several steps, an unnatural flush rising to his cheeks.

Before he could steady himself, the man in black attacked again. Bai Fei’s face tightened; he dodged to the side, but the man in black moved even faster, cutting him off.

Bai Fei couldn’t evade in time and retreated rapidly. The man in black pressed his advantage, but at that moment, another figure somersaulted into the fray—a man appeared, striking at the man in black’s head with his palm.

The man in black halted and countered with a palm strike of his own. Their hands met in a thunderous clash, the man in black standing unmoved while the newcomer staggered back several steps, stopping beside Bai Fei.

Yang Ze recognized the newcomer—it was Yuan Heng.

“Chief Bai, I hope I’m not too late,” Yuan Heng said with a hint of a smile.

“Inspector Yuan, are you here to mock me?” Bai Fei, grateful for the respite, quickly composed himself and suppressed his surging blood.

“I wouldn’t dare. Right now, our priority is to take this man down.” Yuan Heng replied.

“You came alone? This man may have only just reached the Postnatal Realm, but I doubt the two of us together are his match,” Bai Fei said.

“With such a villain on the loose, how could we not come?”

At that moment, Yang Ze heard a familiar voice. Turning, he saw Yang Yuanzhen and a middle-aged man approaching.

Yang Ze’s heart filled with astonishment. With Yang Yuanzhen, Yuan Heng, and Bai Fei here, the man accompanying them could only be Xu Wenwu, the head of the Xu family.

Thus, aside from Ouyang Xin, the four strongest figures in Yuyang City had all gathered at this very moment.

“It seems you’ve planned well, tracking me down like this. But you overestimate yourselves—do four peak Qi Channeling experts think they can take me on?” The man in black spoke for the first time, his voice strangely distorted.

“Enough with the talk! Let’s take him down—now!” Yuan Heng’s blade was his answer.

The four masters attacked as one, forcing the man in black to reveal his full strength. His blade danced, actually suppressing the combined assault of Yang Yuanzhen and the others.

Watching the chaos, Yang Ze had no desire to intervene. Any one of these men surpassed him by far; to step forward now would be suicide. So, he quietly retreated several paces.

As he withdrew, the battle grew fiercer. The four experts were pressed hard, the man in black’s aura growing ever stronger. Realizing the danger, the four unleashed their most powerful techniques.

But when they attacked with their full might, the man in black took the blows head-on, then suddenly dodged away, withdrawing to one side. He drew back his saber with both hands, then slashed forward—a wave of blade energy, even more powerful than before, erupted with the strike.

“Gale-Splitting Saber! Fall back!” Yuan Heng recognized the technique and shouted a warning. The others retreated quickly.

Yang Ze sensed the danger as well, but before they could move far, the saber arc had already swept out. The force struck them all, sending them flying, blood spraying from their mouths.

“A pack of ants. With your meager strength, how could you comprehend the might of a Postnatal martial artist? Tonight, I’ll send you all to the afterlife!” The man in black’s voice was icy. Under the force of that strike, the others were gravely injured, unable to continue fighting.

“And you, barely a new Postnatal, dare act so arrogantly? Did you think Yuyang City has no one left?” No sooner had the words been spoken than a figure flickered into view—Ouyang Xin had arrived.

“Just after breaking through, you dare use such a true energy-consuming move as the Gale-Splitting Saber? Bold indeed. But now, I doubt you have much strength left.” As soon as Ouyang Xin appeared, the man in black recoiled several steps in fear—this newcomer was a Postnatal martial artist, and one even stronger than himself.

“Let’s see who you really are!” Ouyang Xin darted forward in a flash, seizing the man in black by the throat.

Before this overwhelming force, the once-mighty foe couldn’t resist even a single move—Ouyang Xin had him firmly in his grasp.

The man in black struggled desperately, but no matter how he fought, he couldn’t break free from Ouyang Xin’s grip.

Yang Yuanzhen and the others stared in shock. The enemy that had bested the four of them together was utterly helpless in Ouyang Xin’s hands.

“Speak—who sent you? Tell the truth, and I may let you live. Refuse, and I’ll show you the true meaning of torture!” Ouyang Xin hoisted the man in black like a chicken.

Just as the man in black began to stammer a reply, several thundercrackers flew out of nowhere, exploding and filling the air with thick smoke.

Suddenly, another man in black appeared. Ouyang Xin struck out with his palm; the newcomer responded in kind. Their blows collided with a force that crackled through the night, the sound echoing for all to hear.

The new assailant lashed out with his free hand, forcing Ouyang Xin to release his previous captive and engage this fresh opponent.

The two exchanged fist and palm strikes in a furious barrage, trading dozens of blows without a clear victor. As the fight dragged on, they grew only fiercer. Each surge of energy that erupted from them left shallow marks on the bluestone street.

Even the stray force from their battle could grievously injure an ordinary person. Even a low-level Qi Channeling martial artist would be unable to withstand such power. Weapons themselves would likely shatter under these impacts.

Yang Ze watched, increasingly awed. This was the true power of Postnatal martial artists—the force of their true energy felt deadly with every movement. The gap between the Postnatal and Qi Channeling Realms was vast beyond measure.

The duel reached a stalemate until Ouyang Xin abruptly changed his technique, slicing with a horizontal palm. The unleashed force sent the man in black staggering back several steps.

Then, with a sweeping kick, Ouyang Xin forced another clash of energies. The shockwave sent both men reeling away from each other.

But the man in black let out a muffled grunt, grabbed the other injured man, and, instead of continuing the fight, dashed away to escape.

Ouyang Xin glanced after them and immediately gave chase. In no time, all three had vanished from sight.

Only after the trio had gone did Yang Ze venture out from his hiding place. He looked around at the others and saw mixed expressions, especially on Xu Wenwu’s face, which was dark and despondent—clearly, Ouyang Xin’s display of strength had dealt him quite a blow.

No one spoke. Less than a quarter of an hour later, Ouyang Xin returned.

Yet his expression was grim as he addressed the group. “You all saw what happened tonight. The incident at Jin Family Manor was not the work of the authorities—someone else is behind it. Cooperate with Yuan Heng to stabilize the situation immediately. No further trouble can be allowed at this critical juncture.”

Xu Wenwu and the others said nothing but nodded in acknowledgment. They had come expecting only one Postnatal martial artist—never imagining there would be two. It was enough to leave them all shaken.

Tonight’s operation had been orchestrated by Yuan Heng. The authorities could not be blamed for the destruction of Jin Family Manor; they could not allow themselves to be scapegoated by the martial world. So, the peak Qi Channeling experts had roamed the city in search of suspicious figures.

“Yuan Heng, issue a warrant for their arrest. Search the entire city for those two men—focus especially on East City. If my hunch is correct, they’re hiding there.

I’ll seek out the city lord and have the gates sealed. This must be resolved before the martial academy from Wuyang arrives—no delays!” Ouyang Xin continued his orders.

After witnessing Ouyang Xin’s overwhelming strength, no one dared object—only hurriedly voiced their assent.

Soon, the crowd dispersed. No one had gained any benefit tonight, only dust and bruises. In no time, only Yang Ze and Yang Yuanzhen remained.

Yang Yuanzhen looked at Yang Ze, but before he could speak, Yang Ze hurried over to help Old Xie, who was lying nearby.