SHLICK!
With a flash of his saber, Chen Ping’an cut down another member of the Tiger Head Gang.
The strength he revealed wasn’t excessive; he maintained it at the level of Perfect Muscle Training of the Qi Blood Second Layer. However, the considerable power of his Public Door Thirteen Sabers at the Great Success level made his overall combat prowess comparable to some constables who had just entered the Bone Strengthening Realm.
By now, Chen Ping’an had fought his way deep into the Tiger Head Gang’s stronghold.
"The Tiger Head Gang is about to be wiped out! Surrender now!"
Constable Li roared.
"Go to hell!"
The speaker was Master Hu of the Tiger Head Gang. His life’s work was being destroyed in a single night. Even now, he had no idea what was going on. His mood was absolutely foul.
He swung a massive weapon, a Big Gate Saber, parrying the relentless, vicious attacks of Constables Huang and Liu.
He was old and his strength was waning, yet he wielded such a massive weapon. It was manageable for a short time, but in a protracted fight, his stamina was beginning to fail him.
Hearing the sounds of slaughter and screaming from outside, and seeing the two aggressive constables before him, a ruthless resolve hardened in Master Hu’s heart.
"You’re destroying the foundation of my Tiger Head Gang! I’ll fight you to the death!"
Spurred on, Master Hu’s Qi and Blood surged throughout his body. The strength that had been gradually failing him seemed to reignite in that instant.
’He’s gone wild!’
After blocking a few of Master Hu’s strikes, Constables Huang and Liu were startled by the immense power behind his blows.
’Is he on something, or what?!’
To be honest, when the fight started, the two of them together were no match for Master Hu. But as the battle wore on, the gap in their strength had slowly narrowed.
By now, they were on roughly equal footing. If they could just hold on a little longer, the advantage would be theirs.
But they never expected Master Hu to suddenly become so ferocious, as if he were on some kind of drug.
After taking several more blows head-on, the slightly weaker Constable Huang felt his arm go numb. If he hadn’t already entered the Muscle Strengthening Realm—where his muscles and sinews were tightly connected, integrating the strength of his entire body—his saber would have been knocked from his grasp after those few exchanges.
"You want to kill me? Then you’ll all die!"
Master Hu bellowed.
At this point, he was no longer thinking of breaking through their encirclement; he only wanted to cut down the two constables before him.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The Big Gate Saber, nearly half the size of a door panel, chopped down again and again, putting Constables Huang and Liu in constant peril.
’Damn it, he’s too ferocious!’
Faced with Master Hu’s reckless, all-or-nothing assault, Constable Liu was managing slightly better, but Constable Huang was in dire straits.
’If this keeps up, I’ll be in real danger within a few more moves.’
’What the hell got into this old bastard? He’s even more ferocious than when we started!’
Constable Huang could only hope that Constable Li would finish his own fight soon and come to their aid. But elsewhere, Constable Li and the Tiger Head Gang’s Master Qing were locked in an equally intense, evenly matched battle.
’Damn it!’
Constable Huang cursed inwardly.
’If it weren’t for the Tiger Head Gang’s Protectors keeping our veteran constables tied up outside, this would be over. With just a few more men to provide support, we would have this situation under control.’
Just as Constable Huang’s heart sank, a familiar figure appeared nearby.
Chen Ping’an!
Constable Huang’s eyes lit up!
’Reinforcements!’
’According to our intel, Chen Ping’an should be at the Qi Blood Second Layer. Even if his combat skills are a bit lacking, his help should be enough to take some of the pressure off me.’
Constable Liu also noticed Chen Ping’an’s arrival and felt a wave of relief.
’It’s Master Hu of the Tiger Head Gang!’
Watching the intense battle, Chen Ping’an immediately recognized the Gang Leader of the Tiger Head Gang. Back in Pear Blossom Lane, this was a man whose name alone was enough to make crying children fall silent.
’Kill him first! We’ll deal with the other one later!’
With a glint in his eye, Chen Ping’an raised his saber and charged.
"You have a death wish!"
Master Hu roared, having clearly noticed Chen Ping’an.
However, by the time he spotted him, Chen Ping’an was already far too close.
SWOOSH!
Chen Ping’an’s saber flashed as he brought it down on Master Hu.
Master Hu wanted to block the strike with his Big Gate Saber, but Constables Huang and Liu had him completely tied down. Forcing a defense would only expose a fatal opening.
In that critical moment, Master Hu made his choice. His body flickered as he tried to dodge Chen Ping’an’s blade.
But...
The speed of the attack was beyond Master Hu’s wildest imagination.
He had assumed it was just another constable from the Garrison Commandant’s Office. With his Martial Arts Realm, he was certain he could dodge it. He never imagined the strike would be so ruthless.
SHLICK!
Chen Ping’an’s saber viciously bit into Master Hu’s back.
Master Hu cried out in pain as a bone-deep gash opened on his back. If he hadn’t reached the Bone Forging Realm, that single blow would have been enough to cripple him.
"Get back!"
Master Hu roared, swinging his Big Gate Saber to force them all back.
"Nice one!"
As Chen Ping’an’s strike found its mark, Constable Huang cried out in delight.
He had never expected such a pleasant surprise from Chen Ping’an. Judging from that attack, Chen Ping’an’s combat strength was likely on par with their own.
"Well done!" Constable Liu couldn’t help but add his praise.
HUFF... HUFF... HUFF...
Master Hu gasped for breath.
His earlier burst of power had already pushed his stamina to its limit, and this new injury only made things worse.
"He’s wounded! Finish him!"
Chen Ping’an roared, raising his saber and charging at Master Hu. His sheer nerve impressed both Huang and Liu.
"Kill him!"
The two shouted in unison, joining the charge to surround and kill Master Hu.
At this point, Master Hu was a spent force. With the wound on his back, he was no match for the three of them. After barely parrying a few more blows, Chen Ping’an’s saber struck him in the chest.
Immediately after, Constables Huang and Liu followed up with their own blades, cutting him down for good.
The Gang Leader of the Tiger Head Gang, Master Hu, who had commanded respect for half his life, breathed his last.
With Master Hu dead, Chen Ping’an and the other two went to support Constable Li. Although the Tiger Head Gang’s Vice Gang Leader, Master Qing, was not yet old and his Qi and Blood had not begun to wane, he could only withstand a few rounds against their combined assault before being cut down in a flurry of blades.
And with that, both the Gang Leader and Vice Gang Leader of the Tiger Head Gang were dead.
"That wasn’t easy. They’re finally dead."
Constable Huang leaned against a wall, panting heavily.
Even for a martial artist who had entered the Qi Blood Three Rejuvenation Realm, with impressive stamina and endurance, a battle like this was still exhausting.
"That old tiger was in the Bone Forging Realm, after all. Did you think killing him would be easy? If he weren’t old, with his Qi and Blood in decline, the idea of us ganging up on him would have been a joke!"
Constable Liu gave a wry smile, drenched in sweat himself.
"Indeed. The Bone Forging Realm involves the tempering of the very bones. In his prime, he could have easily chosen any one of us as a weak point and broken through our encirclement."
Constable Li nodded from the side. He was in no better shape than the other two.
"Yeah... Constable Zheng didn’t show up!"
Chen Ping’an chimed in abruptly.
The others froze at his words.
"Then again, it’s a good thing he didn’t come!" Chen Ping’an added.
"Hahaha, that’s right! Constable Chen, you’ve rendered a great service today!"
Constable Li boomed with laughter.
"No." Chen Ping’an glanced at the others. "The credit belongs to all of us."
"Right, right, right! It belongs to all of us! Hahaha..."
The men exchanged glances and then burst into laughter.