Chapter 85: Chapter 85

In the morning, Yan Liqiang was still the rising star of Pingxi Martial Arts Academy, admired by countless people.

During the afternoon, Yan Liqiang still held the Huangfu Qianqi’s bodyguard token and he could still access the Military Governor’s Office of Pingxi City.

Yet tonight, in just a short one hour, Yan Liqiang was driven into a corner in Pingxi City within an instant…

In just the blink of an eye, the savior had turned into a murderous fiend who kidnapped young girls and couldn’t leave Pingxi City alive without a hostage. Yet the hostage he held was the true devil and murderer.

It wasn’t like he took the wrong script for the play. This was nothing but a common scene in this world.

This was the way of this world. More often than not, the so-called ‘righteousness’ was nothing before authority. The life of a peasant like Yan Liqiang without any background was less than that of an ant before the power of authority.

In the face of authority, it actually only took one word or gesture to distort any fact into fabricated stories, concealing the truth from masses.

Yan Liqiang leaned against the lion statue at the entrance of the splendid manor. This spot was safe from any projectiles from shooting weapons. He scanned the roofs in the surroundings and let out a sigh of relief when he confirmed that there were no archers there while Ye Xiao was shielding him. Young Master Ye, dressed in only a layer of clothes, was shivering in the snow. The guards who had surrounded Yan Liqiang and the Prefectural Governor of Pingxi City were staring icily at Yan Liqiang from more than thirty meters away.

The other ordinary guards and soldiers were all a hundred meters away, sealing off the road and they didn’t come anywhere near them. This situation made it impossible for Yan Liqiang to create any sort of distraction by crying out his grievances loudly.

Yan Liqiang could only smile bitterly. The other party had already planned everything, leaving him without any opportunities. The other thing which baffled Yan Liqiang was the reaction of the Prefectural Governor of Pingxi Prefecture. He only frowned at the sight of the half-crippled Ye Xiao who was riddled with scars since the beginning. Even when he verbally ordered Yan Liqiang to release Ye Xiao, his whole demeanor remained very calm, so unusually calm.

The torches in the surroundings crackled. The atmosphere was silent and stifling. Yan Liqiang didn’t have to wait too long before Yan Dechang was brought over.

Yan Dechang who came off from the tightly sealed prisoner carriage was shackled and handcuffed. He also had some bruises and scars on his face. When he just left the carriage, Yan Dechang reflexively squinted and raised his hands up to shield his eyes from the piercing firelight and the shadows of the crowd across from him.

“Reporting to my lord, Yan Dechang has been brought here!”

Upon hearing the voice of someone reporting beside him, Yan Dechang instantly widened his eyes to take a clearer look around him. He was so astonished by the sight of everything around him here.

“Father…!” Yan Liqiang called out.

There was a rattling noise when Yan Dechang tried to go towards Yan Liqiang, but he was unable to take a step further because the two law enforcers beside him pulled him back the handcuffs.

“Liqiang, what’s going on? What happened to you?” Yan Dechang asked loudly in shock.

“Father, I discovered that the Prefectural Governor’s son abducted and killed ladies from respectable families in Pingxi City by coincidence. In my attempt to rescue the victims, I fell into their death trap. The hostage I have in my hands is the son of the Prefectural Governor…”

Perhaps others wouldn’t believe Yan Liqiang’s claims, but that was not the case for Yan Dechang. He believed him without a doubt.

He struggled and the metal chain on him rattled. “Don’t bother about me, think of a way to escape yourself!” He shouted at Yan Liqiang.

“We’re leaving together!” Yan Liqiang shook his head and looked straight into the Prefectural Governor’s eyes. “Release my father from the chains that bind him!”

“Your father was only captured by the members of the Law Enforcement Office today due to his suspicious activities for an interrogation. There isn’t much of a problem at the moment and we have yet to determine if your father violated any laws. Hence I will release him right now!” The Prefectural Governor calmly watched the scene before him. “However, you have already violated the law today by committing murder and causing such a huge commotion. Should you feel that you have been wronged, feel free to appeal to the Law Enforcement Office. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and do you justice. Release the hostage and we shall talk more.”

After hearing the Prefectural Governor’s words, people who didn’t know better would probably be tricked into thinking that he was handling this matter fairly and lawfully, and also that he was an upright and plainspoken individual. For Yan Liqiang who had lived two lives, he wasn’t going to fall for this kind of bullsh*t. On top of that, he already had suspected that Pingxi’s Prefectural Governor was colluding with the Shatu people. Based on everything he had seen and heard today, the extent of their collaboration might perhaps be beyond his imagination.

“Fine. I will bear the consequences of my actions alone. Let’s set aside my affairs for now. This incident has no relevance to my father. Since there’s no issue with my father, you will release him first and let him leave Pingxi City!” Yan Liqiang remained calm as he spoke.

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“Release the hostage first and allow yourself to be arrested without any resistance. That will prove that today’s incident had nothing do to with your father — naturally, I will release him too. I cannot help but feel suspicious on how insistent you are over having your father leave first. Perhaps your father entered the city today because he made a prior agreement with you to commit a crime together. If this is the case then I naturally cannot release him because we still have to get to the bottom of this first!”

“Liqiang, don’t worry about me, you go first!” Yan Dechang yelled.

Yan Liqiang didn’t say a word — he only pressed a little harder on the kukri knife in his hand, creating a new wound on Ye Xiao’s shoulder. Fresh blood started seeping out and Ye Xiao wailed loudly again. “FATHER, SAVE ME… SAVE ME…!”

“Ye Xiao. Although you are my son, I cannot afford to violate the rules of our empire for your sake by bending the laws for selfish reasons instead of making a clear distinction between public and private interests and letting a criminal get away under my nose. I have always taught you to be loyal to the country. Now, this is the time to prove your loyalty!” The Prefectural Governor of Pingxi Prefecture looked around at his surroundings with dignity and his voice resonated like the great bell. It was as if he was the embodiment of Bao Qingtian [1]. “Everyone, listen to my orders. Take that person down immediately. If he puts up any resistance, execute him!”

The law enforcers and guards in the surroundings exchanged looks when they heard the Prefectural Governor’s order. They took out their weapons and inched towards Yan Liqiang together.

At this exact moment, Yan Dechang suddenly let out a loud roar. Like a mad bull, he slammed into the law enforcer beside him with his strong body and sent him flying before he pounced on the Prefectural Governor of Pingxi Prefecture with all his might. “RUN, LIQIANG! IF YOU CAN LEAVE THIS PLACE ALIVE TODAY, DON’T FORGET TO EXTERMINATE THE SHATU SEVEN TRIBES TO AVENGE YOUR MOTHER…!”

A sword gleam flashed by. Part of the shiny longsword protruded out Yan Dechang’s back, abruptly ending his shout.

In Yan Liqiang’s eyes, everything seemed to freeze at this very moment.

Yan Dechang turned his head around with great difficulty to glance at Yan Liqiang. Blood spilled out of his mouth endlessly. “H-Hurry… G-Go…” were the two words he could manage.

At the end of Yan Dechang’s last word, his head flew. His sturdy body slightly swayed, then collapsed in a heap.

The man in black, or Ye Xiao’s master, stood before Yan Dechang while he sneered disdainfully and coldly at Yan Liqiang.

“FATHER!!” Yan Liqiang screamed in anguish as his eyes widened like saucers and were instantly bloodshot. He exerted force on the shortsword which was pressed against Ye Xiao’s back, instantly driving the tip of the blade through his heart to the hilt. The blade protruded from Ye Xiao’s chest. Ye Xiao coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood; he fell to the floor and instantly died.

Yan Liqiang didn’t leave. He held the kukri knife in his hand and lunged toward the man in black. He was going to put up a desperate fight!

A guard from the Ye Clan rushed over and brandished his longsword at Yan Liqiang. His longsword clashed against Yan Liqiang’s kukri knife but it was knocked out of his hands due to the powerful force from Yan Liqiang. Yan Liqiang then hacked the guard’s head with his kukri knife. The guard’s head immediately split open like a watermelon. His brain matter splattered all over Yan Liqiang.

Another law enforcer charged towards him, but Yan Liqiang evaded his baton with a smooth footwork, then slashed down his knife. The law enforcer fell to the floor along with one of his severed arms, and he howled in pain.

Yan Liqiang was like a frenzied tiger. He had murdered two people and injured a person in just a split second. For a moment, the other law enforcers and guards in the surroundings were overwhelmed by Yan Liqiang’s aura.

In just the blink of an eye, Yan Liqiang had dashed to the front of the man in black.

The disdainful sneer never left the man in black. He was waiting for Yan Liqiang to come for him. With a flick of his longsword, the kukri knife Yan Liqiang brandished at him was knocked out of his hands.

Yan Liqiang let out another violent howl. The Dharmic projection of a vicious tiger from the Tiger Roaring Consecutive Fist technique manifested behind him. As he flung his fist toward his opponent, the roar of a tiger erupted in the air.

When his fist was half way out, Yan Liqiang felt a cool sensation in his chest instead before there was a sharp pain in his heart. He lowered his head and saw that the longsword in that person’s hand had already pierced through his breastplate and his heart, freezing his movement. In this exact moment, every ounce of strength in his body was rapidly discharged from his body as though a floodgate had been opened.

He didn’t manage to complete even two techniques in the face of this person…

Am I dying…?

A thought suddenly emerged in Yan Liqiang’s mind.

“Perhaps you might manage to land a few more techniques on me in another ten years. However, at this point in time, you’re not even a Martial Warrior so you’re nothing but an ant in my eyes. Are you here to throw your life away?” The man in black looked at Yan Liqiang with his usual cold gaze.

“GAHHHH!!” Yan Liqiang suddenly snarled and pushed a step forward, letting the blade of the longsword completely pierce his heart. The moment the man in black was startled, Yan Liqiang’s hands had caught his wrists. He then suddenly lowered his head and bit the man’s right hand that was holding the sword with all his might. He almost bit off the man’s right thumb. The web between the man’s thumb and forefinger was ripped into two.

The man in black let out a blood-curdling scream and kicked Yan Liqiang’s chest. The terrifying snap of shattered bones rang out and Yan Liqiang was sent flying.