Chapter 22: Iron Club

Chen Luo searched the room once more, ensuring nothing was left behind before climbing over the wall and jumping out.

He definitely wouldn’t use the door.

After such turmoil, taking the main entrance is the easiest way to fall victim to ambushes.

Leaving Master Cripple Ma’s home, Chen Luo turned towards West Street. He recalled that Cripple Ma had mentioned Shimei He Min’s house was located there. Unlike Chen Luo, He Min came from a family involved with local gangs, her father being a high-ranking member. It was precisely this connection that allowed He Min to learn martial arts from a young age and become Cripple Ma’s disciple.

Past the alleyway, the streets noticeably widened.

The roads became cleaner, and the dilapidated straw huts and low-roofed houses transformed into spacious mansions with private courtyards. The residents here were clearly among Qingya County’s elite. As a high-ranking member of the Sha Lake Gang, it was natural for He Min’s father to live in affluent surroundings.

In theory, this wealthy district should have been heavily impacted by the raiders’ invasion. Strangely, however, the damage here seemed less severe than in the poorer areas. Although there were signs of fire, most houses remained standing, and no corpses lay scattered near their entrances. Aside from tightly shut doors, everything appeared much as before.

This sight sparked some suspicions in Chen Luo’s mind.

‘We must be getting close.’

Confirming his direction, Chen Luo increased his pace and swiftly reached the corner.

Shimei He Min’s home was just beyond it.

As soon as he turned the corner, however, he abruptly halted, standing at the edge to observe carefully.

At the entrance of the He family residence, two groups were engaged in fierce combat. One group consisted of imperial soldiers tasked with suppressing rebellion, while the other wore clothing typical of dockworkers, clearly indicating members of the Sha Lake Gang. The battle raged intensely, leaving over a dozen bodies strewn along both sides of the road, casualties from both factions.

“Why are these two groups fighting?” Chen Luo pondered, momentarily uncertain whether to proceed. Based on his earlier observations, the people on West Street likely had connections with Qingya County’s military forces.

“Black Tiger Heart-Claw!” Just as Chen Luo prepared to assess the situation further, a furious roar echoed, followed by the explosive sound akin to thunderclap punches. Following the noise, he witnessed Cripple Ma unleashing the deadly move of Black Tiger Fist, striking like a ferocious tiger. The forceful impact of his punch resonated against the nearest soldier.

With a sickening crack, the soldier’s chest caved in, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The force of the punch sent him flying, taking down seven or eight more individuals before finally coming to a stop.

This spectacle instantly drew everyone’s attention.

After delivering the punch, Cripple Ma emitted a cloud of steam from his body. The flow of blood within him sounded like rushing mercury, akin to a flowing stream. If not for his crippled leg, he would have even manifested the extraordinary phenomenon of swirling blood qi.

Now, this was as far as he could push himself.

“How dare you!”

An armored captain from the imperial court, wielding a large blade, swiftly charged towards Cripple Ma.

His timing was impeccable, striking when Cripple Ma had just expended his strength and had yet to recover. As the blade descended upon him, Cripple Ma instinctively tried to dodge, but the energy exerted by his previous attack left him too drained. His body couldn’t keep up with his reflexes, leaving him vulnerable to imminent decapitation.

“Master Ma!”

Witnessing this scene, the faces of skilled Sha Lake Gang members, who were desperately resisting amidst the crowd, turned pale. Other gang members tried to assist Cripple Ma, but the imperial forces relentlessly blocked any opportunity, fully engaging them.

This unfolding event filled everyone present with despair.

If their top fighter, Cripple Ma, perished, none of them would stand a chance to escape.

Clang!!

An iron rod swept across, intercepting the fatal blow with remarkable timing.

The impact from the clash between the blade and iron rod sent a jarring shockwave through the imperial expert’s arms, causing them to tingle numbly and splitting the skin at his palms. Upon inspection, he noticed wrist injuries bleeding profusely.

“Who is it?!” The imperial expert instinctively roared.

Before his voice had fully faded, the iron rod changed direction and swiftly aimed for his face without hesitation.

“Looking for death!?” The imperial expert seethed with anger, too late to identify his assailant. He instantly channeled all his inner qi, drawing upon the power of the second stage’s intermediate level, which surged into his weapon. Amplifying its force, he met the iron rod head-on with brute strength.

The force behind this strike was immense; against any opponent of similar cultivation level, it would undoubtedly secure victory due to its superior weaponry advantage. This was a commonly used blade technique by soldiers on the battlefield.

Brutal and relentless!

Clang!!

Another explosive sound echoed as the saber bent under impact, sending sparks flying everywhere. Contrary to expectations, the anticipated clean cut did not occur; instead, the force from the iron rod surged through, overpowering him.

A dull thud followed by the sickening crack of bones filled the air.

The imperial expert’s head burst like tofu pudding, blood mixed with brain matter splattering all around, while his body flew sideways, crashing into a stone wall and leaving a deep indentation. His legs twitched briefly outside the dent before going still.

He had breathed his last.

Hiss!!

This brutal spectacle left everyone stunned.

The armored expert was no ordinary adversary; several Sha Lake Gang’s hall masters had already fallen at his hands since the conflict began. Even Cripple Ma couldn’t stand up to him in direct combat. Yet, such a fierce warrior had been brutally killed with just one blow from an iron rod.

It happened within mere blinks of an eye, a complete domination akin to a father disciplining a son.

“Master Ma, are you alright?”

Chen Luo emerged from a nearby alley; he had come to rescue them and couldn’t possibly let Cripple Ma die before his eyes.

The iron rod, picked up moments ago from a fallen soldier, became unbreakable once infused with inner qi, far beyond what any Internal Training Realm expert of the imperial court could withstand.

“You’ve reached Bone Tempering?!” Cripple Ma exclaimed as he sat on the ground, watching Chen Luo walk out from the alley.

His initial flood of words condensed into this astonished utterance.

A Bone Tempering powerhouse!

“Just broke through yesterday,” Chen Luo replied with a grin.

As expected from his martial arts master, Master Ma’s discernment was keen.

Hearing his confirmation, everyone around him was stunned, particularly those from the imperial court who began retreating.

A Bone Tempering Realm expert alone could drastically alter the course of battle!

They never anticipated finding such a high-caliber martial artist in Qingya County, a remote place. If one possessed this level of strength, why not seek opportunities in the provincial capital instead?

Contrary to the imperial court’s shock, the Sha Lake Gang members were overjoyed by this turn of events.

Initially, they thought they were trapped with no hope, but unexpectedly, it was like discovering a village amidst adversity.

With this formidable ally’s assistance, today’s calamity for the Sha Lake Gang seemed to have passed.

“Run!”

Someone in the crowd shouted, and instantly, the imperial soldiers scattered like frightened animals, abandoning their weapons as they fled in all directions. Their chaotic retreat resembled nothing more than a band of raiders, only capable of preying on the weak and vulnerable.

“I’ll take care of them.”

Chen Luo gripped his iron rod tightly and swiftly chased after the fleeing soldiers. Having already engaged in battle, he intended to leave none standing.

These soldiers were far from honorable; who knew how many innocent lives in Qingya County they had taken? Each one bore bloodstained hands, possibly including people Chen Luo knew well, just like Aunt Wang. The thought of their tragic fate fueled Chen Luo, causing him to swing his iron rod even faster.