Stranger Danger

Chapter 73: Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve

“Phew… Captain, Lin, Granny Xia, everyone in August Hill Village, I’ve taken revenge for you. May you rest in peace!”

Ye Qing swept away the cloud of blood with a flick of the arm before staring at the rising moon at the distance. His voice was cool and indifferent, and yet there was also a hint of loneliness.

The moon never changes, but the people who once were were no longer.

In the end, revenge was just something people did when it was already too late.

“Are you… okay, boss?” Tao Xian asked softly when he came over and found Ye Qing’s back looking a little forlorn for some reason.

“I’m fine.” Ye Qing snapped out of his reverie. The dead were dead, and the living must continue living. If nothing else, he felt much better after finishing his revenge and fulfilling his promise. He asked, “How did it go?”

“It went well. Zheng Feng’s two guest warriors and his ten guards are all dead!” Tao Xian reported before looking at the tattered ruins around him. “And how is Zheng Feng? Is he…”

“He’s dead.” Ye Qing replied indifferently. “You might still find a piece of him if you search around the area.”

“...”

Tao Xian turned a little white. He immediately recalled how Ye Qing had exploded Shi Jiang and Yao Xingjun. It seemed that his new boss loved killing his enemies by turning them into fireworks.

I must never piss him off!

Tao Xian took two steps away from Ye Qing and coughed, “Ahem. Since Zheng Feng is dead, should we begin our takeover now, boss?”

“Sure.” Ye Qing massaged his forehead a bit before continuing in a tired voice, “I leave this matter to you, Tao Xian. I’m not going to get involved with what happens next. It’s up to you and the others to eat as much as you can without debilitating the gang!”

“Also, I don’t want the public to know about my identity. If someone asks you about me, just tell them that I do not enjoy the limelight and would prefer to keep a low profile. Understand?”

“I understand, boss!”

“Now go. You may find me at Endless Horizons if you need me!” Ye Qing gave him a wave before leaping into the air. It wasn’t long before he disappeared into the night.

……

Jingrui 3 [1], March 3rd would be remembered in the history of Anyang as a tumultuous day. It was the day where one of the three major clans of Anyang, the Zheng Clan, had crumbled in a single night.

Not long after their one and only Vessel Augmentation stage warrior, Zheng Feng, had fallen in battle, an army of warriors had suddenly launched an all-out assault against the Zheng Clan. Most of their elders and guest warriors were ambushed and killed, and only a handful managed to surrender or escape with varying degrees of injuries.

In just one night, the Zheng residence had been reduced to rubble, their warriors had been annihilated, and the Zheng Clan was no more. In fact, the dust had settled by the time the officials finally realized what had happened and took action.

There was something strange about the incident, however. It was unclear how Zheng Feng had died and who was behind the destruction of the Zheng Clan. Some people claimed that Zheng Feng was killed because he had offended a powerful warrior of the Dark Ways, some people claimed it was the joint effort of several Anyang masters after Zheng Feng was discovered to be a Stranger sympathizer, and some people claimed it was the chivalrous act of a hero who decided to do right by the people by ending his sinful life…

Countless people came up with countless theories, but no one seemed to notice that the Iron Shirt Gang had gotten a new boss.

……

Pacification Bureau headquarters, the Demonslaying Hall.

Ling Jianqiu was holding a long sword and examining the blade when he asked in a cold voice, “Did you find out who killed Zheng Feng, Yan’er?”

His adopted daughter replied, “It was the new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang. From what I heard, they are the ones who killed Yan Tieyi as well!”

“A warrior who can kill both Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng is no joke. They must be a middle-stage or a late-stage Vessel Augmentor at least,” Ling Jianqiu said calmly. “Since you haven’t given me a name, I’m assuming you don’t know who this new boss is?”

Yun Yan said in an apologetic tone, “Unfortunately, no. The only ones who seem to know the truth are the Hallmasters, but they’re surprisingly tight-lipped about their own boss’ identity. Not even our spies in the Iron Shirt Gang had seen this mysterious boss before.”

“Look into this discreetly!” Ling Jianqiu ordered, “I want to know who this person is and why they had killed Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng. I also want to know if they’re tied to any dark sects and Strangers!”

“As you command!”

……

Shen residence, the Idle Sanctum.

“Tell me your thoughts, Brother Li,” said the patriarch of the Shen Clan, Shen Xian. Sitting opposite him was the patriarch of the Li Clan, Li Yuankang. The Zheng Clan, the Shen Clan and the Li Clan used to be the three strongest clans in Anyang. Now, only two of them were left.

Li Yuankang took his time to think while stroking his beard. A while later, he said, “It’s hard to say. Zheng Feng could’ve offended someone he couldn’t afford to offend. Or maybe it was Yan Tieyi who did the offending, and Zheng Feng was just the collateral damage.”

Shen Xian asked after a moment of consideration, “What are the chances it might be a conspiracy against our clans?”

Li Yuankang immediately shook his head. “It is very unlikely. Looking at the clues, the attacker was only targeting the Zheng Clan. I don’t think they will set their sights on our clans.”

“Perhaps, but you and I must keep our guards up regardless,” Shen Xian said seriously before a glint flickered in his eyes. “The three of us have always looked out for each other. Like the lip and the teeth, our survival is closely dependent on one another. With that in mind, would you like to join forces with me and make the Iron Shirt Gang explain why they hadn’t helped the Zheng Clan in their time of need?”

That was what he said, but Li Yuankang knew what he really meant. The large majority of the Zheng Clan’s wealth, assets, businesses and more had fallen into the hands of the Iron Shirt Gang. As the news had arrived at their doorsteps a little too late, they had only managed to claim a small portion of that loot so to speak. Naturally, Shen Xian was extremely displeased with this state of affairs.

Li Yuankang himself was a little miffed, but he was a little more level-headed than his fellow patriarch. “That won’t be easy. Qiao Six has gotten a large portion of the cake as well, so it’s safe to say that they were in cahoots with one another. What if we pay them a visit, and Qiao Six chooses to help the Iron Shirt Gang? It would be extremely troublesome. That old coot is not someone to be trifled with!”

“Besides, we still haven’t found out who the new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang is. You don’t want to act on incomplete information, do you?”

“I know, but…” Shen Xian let out a deep sigh. He knew what Li Yuankang was saying all too well, but he just could not bring himself to let it go. “Is there really nothing we can do?”

Li Yuankang chuckled. “For now, that seems to be the case. We cannot move until we know exactly who’s behind the Iron Shirt Gang.”

Shen Xian nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Our first order of priority is to find out everything we can regarding this new gang boss! In fact… Why don’t we pick an auspicious date and pay this mysterious warrior a visit together? Don’t you want to meet the person who took out both Zheng Feng and Yan Tieyi with your own eyes?”

“That’s a good idea. If they refuse to show up, then we’ll force them to show up!”

……

Anyang county hall, the back hall.

“The investigation is finished, my lord. The new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang is the one who killed Zheng Feng!” Yan Feng saluted Yan Yufei and reported.

“The new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang?” The magistrate looked up from his book with a deep frown. “What happened to their old boss, Yan Tieyi?”

“He’s dead. The new boss was the one who killed him!”

“Huh.” Yan Yufei put down his book and asked in a serious tone, “Well, stop keeping me hanging and tell me about this new boss already. Who are they? Where do they come from? Why did they kill Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng?”

Yan Feng dropped his head immediately. “My apologies, but… I haven’t found anything on the new boss just yet!”

“And why’s that?” A hint of dissatisfaction crept into Yan Yufei’s voice.

Yan Feng explained, “This new gang boss is extremely reclusive, my lord. Not only have they not shown themselves in public, most of the members of the Iron Shirt Gang themselves have never seen them. In fact, they didn’t even know they had a new boss until today!”

Yan Yufei’s expression relaxed slightly when he heard this. “Keep looking into this boss, and warn the Iron Shirt Gang and all other forces to keep their conflicts among themselves. If even one civilian’s life is disturbed because of them, I will see to it myself that they are in chains!”

“As you command!” Yan Yufei replied with a respectful salute.

“By the way, how goes the investigation regarding the General of Punishment?” Yan Yufei asked next.

Yan Feng answered in a helpless tone, “We couldn’t find anything. It’s like that incense acolyte had vanished into thin air. We couldn’t find a trace of him even though we’ve been scouring the county for days!”

“But he’s still our one and only clue. You must find him even if you have to turn Anyang upside down to do it!” Yan Yufei ordered in a tone that would accept no rebuke.

“As you command, my lord!”

It was at this moment a bailiff barged into the back hall while crying, “We have an incident, my lord!”

Yan Yufei asked immediately, “What happened?”

“A body’s been found in the northern reservoir, my lord!”

……

Endless Horizons.

Ye Qing opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi. It was quite early in the morning, but he felt stronger and clear-headed than ever before. Not only had he recovered fully from his injuries last night, he had fully refined Zheng Feng’s blood and improved his cultivation level once more.

“Oh right, I almost forgot to check Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng’s Nature’s Shell!” Ye Qing exclaimed in realization before producing two Nature’s Shell. His eyes were wide and sparkling with anticipation. After all, who doesn’t enjoy opening loot boxes? He started with Yan Tieyi’s Nature’s Shell and broke through its restriction. A pile of items immediately appeared on the floor.

“Silvers, land deeds, letters, talismans, pills… jackpot!” Ye Qing could barely suppress his glee as he went through each and every one of Yan Tieyi’s possessions.

“So, he has around ten thousand silver and ten shop and house deeds, and… they’re all located in the prime locations of Anyang! Just how rich is this guy?”

“As for the pills, there are Tiger Bone Pills, Yellow Sprout Pills, antidotes and… wow, they’re all trash!”

“And these books are… martial arts manuals! The ‘Eight Directions Vessel Augmentation Art’, ‘Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve’, ‘Shadowless Hand’... they’re Yan Tieyi’s martial arts!”

Ye Qing’s eyes had glossed over many valuables to save time, but the manuals? He could not look away as soon as he landed his eyes on it.

“The ‘Eight Directions Vessel Augmentation Art’ is a Vessel Augmentation cultivation art with eight chapters. At the adept level, the practitioner would unlock eight Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, and one hundred and eighty points…”

“It’s nothing special.” Ye Qing put down the cultivation manual and shook his head. The “Eight Directions Vessel Augmentation Art” might be an incredible cultivation art for an ordinary warrior, but he was not an ordinary warrior, and it was practically trash compared to the “Blood Shadow Divine Art”.

At the adept level, the “Blood Shadow Divine Art” unlocked all twelve Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, three hundred and sixty points, fully augmenting the practitioner’s vessels. Not only that, it also taught a powerful magic art that Ye Qing just could not get enough of, the Blood Shadow Magic.

Naturally, he had no use for the “Eight Directions Vessel Augmentation Art”.

“‘Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve’ is a Vessel Augmentation stage martial art. It teaches the practitioner how to concentrate their qi on their sleeves to achieve various effects. If successful, the practitioner can summon clouds, fly through the air, and conjure cloudy illusions with a wave of the sleeve. They can also harden it so that it can crush rocks with ease, soften it so that it can wind like a stream; move as powerfully as lightning, or stand as still as a virgin in peril. At full manifestation, it can be as relentless as a river, and as transient as a cloud. When the practitioner has reached the adept level, they would attain balance in both hardness and softness, activity and inactivity, and the real and the unreal. Its potential would become limitless.”

Ye Qing clicked his tongue in amazement. “Yan Tieyi, that sly fox. Everyone thought his primary martial art is the ‘Iron Sleeve Art’, when it really is ‘Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve’!”

This was a good thing though. As the man who killed Yan Tieyi, he could personally attest to the martial art’s potential. Not only was it equally capable in both offense and defense, it possessed endless variations. If he hadn’t cultivated a top-tier Vessel Augmentation art and possessed far more true qi than Yan Tieyi, he would’ve been hardpressed to punch through his ‘Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve’ with brute force. In short, this martial art was extremely powerful.

I’m definitely going to learn this!

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