C32 – The Ringer
Min Zhenkang consistently employed the Swordless Stance, rendering the assailants in black incapable of finding a breach in his defense.
Armed with the Shadow Sword Style—a martial skill of mid-grade Profound Rank—and bolstered by his combat strength, which was five levels above the norm, not to mention his extensive battle experience, defeating Min Zhenkang at the Martial Spirit Stage was virtually an impossibility.
Yet, to draw out the hidden masterminds, Min Zhenkang deliberately exposed a slight vulnerability. Only by doing so could he tempt those lurking in the shadows to reveal themselves.
Bang!
A masked man wielding a hammer sent Min Zhenkang flying through the air.
“Puff~”
Upon landing, he forced a mouthful of blood out, feigning a state of grave injury.
“Brothers, this kid’s hurt. Finish him off quick, and we can claim our bounty.”
“Oh, oh~ Once we off this punk and get that reward, I’m heading straight to the Spring Wind Inn for a few days of living it up. Those girls will see just how formidable I am.”
“I’m hitting the casino with my winnings. I’ll gamble day and night until I’ve recouped every last dime I’ve lost.”
Witnessing Min Zhenkang coughing up blood, the masked men swarmed like sharks to chum, each one more eager than the last to pursue and take him down.
Their minds raced with thoughts of how they’d spend their forthcoming riches.
Meanwhile, the onlookers concealed in the shadows grew restless. If these masked men claimed Min Zhenkang’s head, their entire venture would be wasted.
“Boss, should we make our move?” one of the underlings asked, itching to burst into action, yet he hesitated without the go-ahead from his leader.
“Hold on, let’s wait it out,” the boss replied, his voice measured. “Given Min Zhenkang’s prowess, he shouldn’t be this vulnerable. He’s surely holding back.”
“Leader, are we going in or not? If we don’t step in now, Min Zhenkang’s going to be taken out by these goons, and all our efforts will have been for nothing!”
On the other side, people were prodding their leader into action.
“Damn it, we’re all in. Fortune favors the bold, brothers, charge!” The boss on this side, after a moment’s consideration, could no longer contain himself.
“Brothers, charge! A hefty reward for whoever takes down Min Zhenkang!”
As this leader led his men into the fray, he simultaneously bolstered their spirits.
The masked man, noticing another group charging in, immediately ceased his actions and stood guard, warily watching the newcomers.
Neither party spoke, effectively trapping Min Zhenkang between them.
“May I know which faction you represent?” the masked man eventually inquired, unable to contain his curiosity.
“Which faction we’re from is irrelevant. Our objective is the same—that’s what counts!” replied the opposing leader.
“Oh? So you’re also here for Min Zhenkang’s head?”
“Exactly.”
“But Min Zhenkang’s head is as good as ours, and here you are, barging in at this moment. Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive?” challenged the masked man.
“Surely you’re familiar with the saying ‘the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.’ Besides, our employer made it clear: it doesn’t matter who kills Min Zhenkang, only the one who presents his head will claim the bounty!”
“You—”
“It’s your own fault for being too complacent, rushing out without properly assessing the surroundings.”
“Fine, if that’s how it is, then let’s see who’s the best,” declared the masked man.
He realized his oversight; he hadn’t been vigilant enough about his surroundings before engaging Min Zhenkang.
“Second Brother, take some men and hold off the other side. I’ll go hunt down Min Zhenkang,” the masked man directed his sibling.
“Consider it done, Big Brother!” A few from the masked man’s group advanced towards their adversaries.
“You lot, keep the other side busy,” commanded the leader from the other faction.
As the two forces bickered among themselves, Min Zhenkang had become nothing more than a bystander in their conflict.
As Min Zhenkang sustained injuries, the shadow lurking in the darkness couldn’t hold back any longer and stealthily advanced.
“What...”
The scene left the onlookers frozen in shock.
“What just happened? Weren’t they right beside us a second ago, charging at Min Zhenkang? How did they end up dead in the blink of an eye?”
“I have no idea!”
While everyone was still stunned, Min Zhenkang knocked several more assassins into the air!
“Retreat!” The masked leader finally came to his senses. This kid had been playing them all along.
Moreover, the information provided by their employer was far from accurate. They had been told that Min Zhenkang was merely at the first level of Martial Spirit, but clearly, Min Zhenkang was anything but.
“Brothers, move out!” Another faction quickly realized something was amiss and urgently signaled their underlings to withdraw.
Without hesitation, both groups turned on their heels and dashed off in opposite directions, wishing they had extra legs to carry them faster.
“Thinking of leaving now? You’re a bit too late!” Min Zhenkang watched the two factions retreat into the distance.
He first charged at the masked man! Meanwhile, the other group watched with hidden glee as Min Zhenkang made his move on the man in black.
Illusionary Speed!
The second technique of the Shadow Sword Style — Shattering Sword!
Screams echoed as a series of wails filled the air. Powerless to fight back, everyone was swiftly cut down by Min Zhenkang, including the masked leader.
With ease, Min Zhenkang transferred all their Bags of Heaven and Earth from their waists to his own.
He then turned his attention to the remaining group, now nearly out of sight, and with Illusionary Speed, he pursued them.
The sight of Min Zhenkang on their tail sent a wave of fear through the group, their legs nearly giving out beneath them.
Thud, thud, thud ~
The slower runners were instantly turned into a mist of blood by Min Zhenkang. The assassin leader at the forefront abandoned his men, pushing himself to the limit in a desperate escape, cursing his lack of extra legs.
A quarter of an hour later, only the assassin leader remained; the others had all fallen to Min Zhenkang.
The masked man’s forces were utterly defeated. Now, Min Zhenkang wasn’t in a rush to finish off the last man standing. Instead, he toyed with him, playing a leisurely game of cat and mouse, trailing slowly behind.
The remaining assassin leader, realizing all his men were dead and that Min Zhenkang could easily dispatch him yet chose not to, felt his sanity slipping away.
As Min Zhenkang pursued the final target, those who had hidden in the shadows and refrained from joining the fray were sweating bullets, witnessing the unfolding carnage.
“Boss, you’re truly insightful. Thank goodness we stayed put, or we’d be dead like them!”
“Yeah, Boss, how’d you figure out this kid was so tricky?”
All eyes were on their boss, awaiting his answer.
“Damn, get moving and retreat already! What are you doing, waiting around for Min Zhenkang to finish off that guy and then come for us?”
The leader himself was feeling a chill of fear.
He hadn’t anticipated their employer to be so unreliable, feeding them false intel.
Had it been them instead of the other group out there, they’d be the ones being hunted right now!
“Oh, oh, oh!” Realization dawned on them, and they hastily followed their boss, leaving the area without a moment’s delay.
The last one’s resolve crumbled, and he stopped in his tracks.
Min Zhenkang, noticing the halted assassin, approached at a leisurely pace.
“Wuwuwu ~ Please, no more chasing. I’ll give you anything you want, just spare my life!” The mentally shattered assassin knelt and pleaded for mercy from Min Zhenkang.
“Tell me, who sent you to kill me?”
“It was Jee Gong, the young master of the Jee family. He approached me a few days ago with a job to take you out. Bringing back your head would earn me 100,000 Mysterious Stones and a high-grade yellow-ranked treasure artifact!”
“Is there anyone else who got the word to take me down? Any other assassins dispatched elsewhere?”
“Master, I’m clueless about that. Jee Gong didn’t say anything about others coming after you, and as far as I know, no one was sent to other places.”
“Master, I admit I was blinded by greed. Please show mercy and let me off the hook. Here, this Bag of Heaven and Earth contains everything I own.” He offered the bag to Min Zhenkang with both hands.