novelraw Chapter 688 302: Why Should I Pay? (Part 2)
Chapter 688 302: Why Should I Pay? (Part 2)
The saying goes, "A humiliated sword is hard to sheathe," and given the current situation, the Golden Crow Association has already shown its cards, making it impossible to simply settle.
The Zhuang family is the biggest client of the Golden Crow Association, and they never lack annual tributes. If they can't even settle this, then how would the Golden Crow Association continue to survive?
Jiang Ang~
With a leap, the Eight-Character Moustache took a deep breath, and the aura around him dramatically soared, lightning flashing all over his body, as if divine retribution was descending.
"Defeat him for me!"
Golden Thunder Fiend!
The Eight-Character Moustache had unleashed his signature technique; thunderclouds gathered in the sky, and golden lightning became dazzlingly bright in the dim world.
???
"I'm just sparring with you, and you're getting serious?"
Ye Qingzhou immediately drew his sword. The Three-Foot Cyan Blade trembled and hummed endlessly in his hand, like thunder booming.
Thunder Sound Sword Fiend!
Clang~
The Golden Thunder Fiend clashed with the Thunder Sound Sword Fiend, both imbued with the Thunder Attribute, causing a burst of dazzling lightning and crackling explosions in the air.
Within a few miles, many people's hair stood on end, transforming into comedic explosion hairstyles due to the intense static electricity.
"A young grandmaster using a sword, are you Ye Qingzhou?"
The Eight-Character Moustache looked grim, naturally guessing Ye Qingzhou's identity because there were just over four hundred grandmasters publicly known on Blue Star.
And a new grandmaster, unfamiliar in appearance, using a sword — who else could it be but Ye Qingzhou, known as the 'Absolute Sword'?
"My name is Cai Liucheng, I'm an elder of the Golden Crow Association. How about we let this go?"
Cai Liucheng already had the intention to retreat, realizing that he couldn't take down Ye Qingzhou. Continuing to fight might lead to the humiliation of defeat at the hands of a stronger youth.
"Hah, you want to run after pretending to be classy with me? I much preferred your earlier arrogant attitude of presumption; please return to that."
Ye Qingzhou couldn't stand old Martial Artists like Cai Liucheng, who were all skill with a big ego yet liked pulling seniority.
Zheng~
The Flying Frost Sword buzzed as Ye Qingzhou advanced aggressively.
"You've gone too far! Do you really think I can't handle you?"
Seeing Ye Qingzhou giving him no face, Cai Liucheng was consumed with anger, his hands forming eagle claws, fingertips of golden thunder transforming into deadly arcs, reaching left and right towards Ye Qingzhou.
If they hit, even the deck of a warship could be punctured through with holes.
Ye Qingzhou danced among the Nine Palaces, his form elusive, like a Divine Dragon appearing and disappearing, close yet infinitely far, evading Cai Liucheng's grasp no matter how frantically he attempted to catch him.
The combined forces of Wind and Yin, High-Tier Body Technique Martial Technique, Inch and Mile!
This move was invented by Ye Qingzhou, and he had now perfected it, making his aura appear and vanish intermittently, rendering Cai Liucheng's attempts to lock onto his aura entirely futile.
"Damn it!"
Cai Liucheng grew more anxious as the attack dragged on without success: "What body technique is this kid practicing, it's even slipperier than an eel!"
However, the more frantic one becomes, the more mistakes are made.
Cai Liucheng, in a moment of impatience, lost his balance, and Ye Qingzhou seized the chance.
Zheng~
With a thunderous roar, the longsword soared through the air!
With a tearing sound, Cai Liucheng's middle guard opened wide, sliced by Ye Qingzhou's Sword Qi, his clothes shredded, leaving a fierce sword scar across his chest.
Although Cai Liucheng reacted with lightning speed, quickly contracting his muscles to stop the bleeding, he still lost a great deal of face.
As a veteran grandmaster in the Martial Arts World, losing to a junior in direct combat was a significant blow to his reputation.
"You!"
Cai Liucheng forcibly steadied himself, his face a dark shade of iron.
This time, he truly failed, and failed miserably. Given his age, his Martial Dao potential already exhausted, he might never be able to personally reclaim this lost ground from Ye Qingzhou.
"Stop it, all of you!"
Arriving late, the Xiangjiang Martial Arts Association's professional-level law enforcement team members considered apprehending people, but after recognizing Cai Liucheng, they were instantly petrified.
"Cai... Grandmaster Cai?"
"Hmph!"
Cai Liucheng, having lost face in a play of moves, wouldn't stick around to further embarrass himself.
Without hesitation, he turned and stormed off, the Martial Arts Association Law Enforcement Team that had sealed off the scene dared not impede him.
Yet some newcomer to the team, not knowing better, pointed at Ye Qingzhou: "Captain, there's still someone there, should we bring him in for questioning?"
"Question, my head! Do you want me dead?"
The captain shot a glare at the fool before putting on a pleasant face to approach Ye Qingzhou: "Grandmaster Ye."
"You recognize me?"
Ye Qingzhou sheathed his sword, feeling good after venting his anger on Cai Liucheng.
"Grandmaster Ye, with your prodigious talent and achievements at such a young age, of course, I recognize you."
The captain, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, still carefully inquired: "Um... can I ask what exactly happened?"
"Oh, nothing major, the conflict began with a broke guy at the auction trying to cheat without enough money and harboring ill intent towards me, so I cut him down with my Heart Sword."
Ye Qingzhou casually explained the cause.
Upon hearing no one was killed, the Law Enforcement Team's captain breathed a sigh of relief, promptly fawning: "I see, for someone to dare offend Grandmaster Ye, they must have a death wish; they brought it upon themselves. By the way, can I ask who he is?"
At this point, an ambulance arrived on the scene, and several burly medical staff came down with a stretcher: "Who called the ambulance?"
"Over here! Hurry up, President Zhuang is in critical condition!"
The captain watched, dumbfounded, as Zhuang Zekuan was taken onto the ambulance, his expression turning wooden as he averted his gaze: "That person, could it be the Zhuang family's second young master?"
"Yes, that broke idiot. No money yet loves to show off, he's practically brain-dead."
"..."
If the son of Xiangjiang's richest man, Zhuang Ban City, is a broke idiot, then what am I?
So broke I'd see ghosts?
The captain felt exhausted and already began worrying about how to write the investigation report.
......
Hours later, Zhuang Zekuan awoke in a hospital ward, the first sight he saw being the person he least wanted to see.
Beside the hospital bed, Zhuang Zeqian leisurely peeled an apple, then began eating it himself.
Zhuang Zekuan openly showed his disgust: "What are you here for?"
"How could you say that? I'm your big brother, of course I came to check on you when I heard something happened."
Zhuang Zeqian spoke with a fraternal, respectful tone to reassure him.
Zhuang Zekuan, however, was completely unoptimistic: "You're here to laugh at me, aren't you?"
"You have indeed become a joke."
Zhuang Zeqian said, tossing a freshly printed bill into Zhuang Zekuan's lap: "Just printed, still warm."
A quick look at its contents left Zhuang Zekuan fuming: "Damn, I just glanced at it and I'm already boiling with anger: Take action on only your own guys first, and quickly settle the bill with money. Don't let this small amount of money tarnish our Zhuang family's reputation in Xiangjiang."
Zhuang Zeqian continued, finishing his apple, wiping his hands with a tissue while saying expressionlessly: "You, your actions are always so reckless. When will you grow up? You always need father and me to clean up your mess."
"Why the hell are you offending a menace like Ye Qingzhou?"
"I just wanted to think, I didn't even have the chance to act!"
With an expression of anger but feeling a lingering fear for the first time, Zhuang Zekuan resignedly admitted: "I had no clue about any of this. How was I supposed to know how many lives he had taken with his sword?"
Zhuang Zeqian reprimanded him with a voice full of disappointed anger: "Are you dumb? Do you know how many lives he's taken with that sword?"
Only then did Zhuang Zekuan, overcome by fear, finally admit his defeat with a sense of grievance: "I had no idea about any of that. I just wanted to try something, but didn't even have the chance to make a move."
About his rebellious brother who he considered intelligent yet unsatisfactory, Zhuang Zeqian felt disgruntled, replying: "You moron. Are you aware of how many lives he has on his sword? The martial artists who died by his hand are more than you've seen on TV."