Urban Martial Saint

Upon seeing this barren land, Chen Yongchang’s expression immediately changed. Even if he were a fool, he’d know this wasn’t right.

”Hmph, petty thief, daring to mess with the ancestor of thieves. Truly unaware of the danger you’re courting!” Chen Yongchang glared coldly at the driver ahead, sneering, ”Robbing without checking your target first—daring to dig dirt on a sacred ground? Ridiculous!”

The two men accompanying Chen Yongchang also chuckled. In truth, situations like this often occurred at airports and train stations. Taxi drivers would take outsiders to deserted areas, where their accomplices lying in ambush would strike and rob their victims clean. Chen Yongchang and his men assumed this driver intended to rob them in such a way. Hence, they didn’t take him seriously at all, their words dripping with mockery.

The driver didn’t respond, and no one appeared nearby to help. This puzzled Chen Yongchang a little.

”Hey, pal, you don’t think you can rob three guys like us all by yourself, do you?” Chen Yongchang teased with a grin. ”You think you alone can take us three on?”

The driver slowly turned his head, removed the hat on his head, and took off the bandages covering his face. ”Why wouldn’t I be able to take care of you three?”

As Chen Yongchang saw the driver’s revealed face, his previously sneering expression immediately turned to shock. He finally saw the driver’s true identity.

”Liu Mubai!?” Chen Yongchang gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, ”It’s you!”

The driver was none other than Liu Mubai in disguise. Chen Yongchang hadn’t anticipated this at all. Liu Mubai had arrived wearing a hat and face bandages, so Chen Yongchang hadn’t recognized him. Now that his face was revealed, Chen Yongchang’s expression drastically transformed.

”Kill him!” Chen Yongchang suddenly roared, raising his hand to grab Liu Mubai’s wrist.

At the same time, the other two men moved as well. The man sitting next to Chen Yongchang lunged at Liu Mubai’s other wrist similarly, while the man in the front passenger seat drew a dagger from his waist and stabbed toward Liu Mubai’s heart.

The three acted in perfect coordination—two grabbing Liu Mubai’s hands while the third aimed directly for the kill. Their skills weren’t poor, either; their strikes were swift and lethal. Against an average person, there would’ve been no chance of escaping this flurry of attacks. But Liu Mubai was anything but average.

With a loud shout, Liu Mubai grabbed the nearby gear stick and yanked it out with force. Just then, two hands reached for his wrists, pressing down firmly.

At the same time, the dagger brushed dangerously close to Liu Mubai’s chest, poised to pierce his heart. Right at this critical moment, Liu Mubai let out another loud shout, and the wrists seemingly pinned down suddenly shot upward.

Chen Yongchang felt immense strength surge from Liu Mubai’s arms, too powerful for him to restrain with both hands. Liu Mubai’s raised arm deflected the dagger instantly, while the gear stick in his hand stabbed directly into the mouth of the man beside him.

The man never anticipated that even with Chen Yongchang and another’s combined efforts to pin him down, they couldn’t overpower Liu Mubai. The gear stick pierced through his throat, killing him instantly.

Witnessing Liu Mubai’s terrifying dominance, Chen Yongchang quickly released his grip and retreated. However, the man beside him didn’t react as swiftly and soon found himself at Liu Mubai’s mercy. Liu Mubai seized the man’s wrist in a reverse grip and dragged him from the back seat to the front.

Startled, the man immediately struck at Liu Mubai to buy himself some time. But before his wrist could fully rise, Liu Mubai’s fist came crashing down, hitting his arm directly. A loud crack echoed as the man’s arm fractured under the blow, unable to hinder Liu Mubai in the slightest. Liu Mubai’s next punch landed squarely on his chest, breaking several ribs and causing him to spit blood furiously before collapsing limply to the ground.

By now, Chen Yongchang had flung open the car door and bolted. He knew too well Liu Mubai’s martial prowess and dared not engage any further.

Liu Mubai stepped out of the car and watched Chen Yongchang flee into the distance, making no attempt to pursue him. After all, Chen Yongchang was Ning Qianshu’s disciple and likely carried hidden poisons. If Liu Mubai chased him recklessly and fell victim to those toxins, it’d spell disaster. Liu Mubai’s main goal here was to stop Chen Yongchang from heading to the Miao Borderlands, buying Ye Qing valuable time. As long as he guarded the airport, ensuring Chen Yongchang couldn’t fly to the Miao Borderlands, his mission was successful.

This encounter indeed left Chen Yongchang deeply shaken. In reality, he didn’t carry much poison due to his short apprenticeship under Ning Qianshu, unlike Wang Tian’an who had mastered the toxic arts. If Chen Yongchang possessed expertise in poison use, he would’ve likely deployed it during the earlier fight. Consequently, his fear of Liu Mubai was palpable. Knowing Liu Mubai was monitoring the airport, Chen Yongchang dared not approach it anymore. He quickly hailed a cab and fled into the city, relieved only upon finding shelter there.

Settling down in a discreet location, Chen Yongchang contacted Wang Tian’an to relay the incident. Upon learning Liu Mubai was stationed at the Capital City Airport, Wang Tian’an was taken aback. He knew that with Liu Mubai stationed there, Chen Yongchang could forget about reaching the Miao Borderlands.

”So be it!” After a brief silence, Wang Tian’an said in a stern tone, ”I will contact my senior brother personally and ask for help from the Miao people. You don’t need to go anymore. Even if the Miao people refuse to assist, Ye Qing likely won’t survive for long. The Twin Life Gu—no one in the Miao Borderlands can cure it either!”

Those words reassured Chen Yongchang somewhat. He replied solemnly, ”Then what should I do now? Should I return?”

”No need!” Wang Tian’an answered firmly. ”I’ve just received news that Old Helian, Helian Tiehua, seems to be heading to the Capital within the next few days. You should stay put there for now. Master needs to learn Helian Tiehua’s true purpose for entering the Capital. Is Old Helian planning to bypass Prince Nalan into the Southern Six Provinces? Or is he challenging Prince Nalan? Master must know if Helian Tiehua intends to confront Prince Nalan or negotiate!”

”Understood!” Chen Yongchang nodded, feeling a mixture of shock and surprise. He hadn’t expected Helian Tiehua’s decision to finally make his move.

Prince Nalan of the Capital had long acted as a barrier preventing Helian Tiehua from heading south. For two decades, Helian Tiehua hadn’t set foot in the Southern Six Provinces due to his inability to bypass Prince Nalan. Now, however, he couldn’t hold back any longer and was on his way to the Capital. It seemed their long-standing feud was finally reaching its conclusion.

Yet, who would have the upper hand between Helian Tiehua, the Meng District General, and Prince Nalan, who had reigned for nearly fifty years? The answer was shrouded in mystery.

This time, in the Capital, would the matter finally be resolved?

Prince Nalan, known as the undisputed Peak Master, had achieved fame decades prior while Helian Tiehua was likely still in his youth. By comparison, Helian Tiehua was just a junior to Prince Nalan, considering his far-later rise to prominence. However, as the adage goes, ’Fists fear the young and vigorous.’ Now in his early fifties, Helian Tiehua was in the prime of his life, with unrivaled physical condition. If he were to truly clash with Prince Nalan, the outcome would remain a mystery.

What was certain, however, was that this showdown would rival the legendary Southern and Northern Fist Kings’ battle from twenty years ago in terms of influence.

After all, since the famed fight between the Southern and Northern Fist Kings, no Peak Masters had dueled for two decades. If this battle truly erupted, it would be talked about for years, if not decades!

Chen Yongchang, of course, was willing to stay in the Capital. To witness a clash of such top-level masters was the dream of every martial artist. Though the Capital harbored countless risks currently, he would gladly brave them for the chance to witness the duel between Prince Nalan and Helian Tiehua firsthand. Such an opportunity made any danger worthwhile!

After the call with Wang Tian’an, Chen Yongchang chose a secluded hotel in the city for shelter. To evade Liu Mubai, he specifically selected a room adjacent to a street so he could jump out the window in an emergency. He relied on food deliveries for meals and resolved to stay indoors throughout the week, awaiting Helian Tiehua’s arrival in the Capital.

Meanwhile, Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu spent an hour on their flight before finally landing at the airport. Technically, the plane wasn’t landing directly in the Miao Borderlands but at the closest county to it. There were no direct flights from the Capital since the area had essentially become a forbidden zone. The hostility of the Miao people toward the Han had rendered visits there scarce.

As Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu left the terminal, many taxi drivers quickly approached, eager to know their destination.

But the moment Ye Qing mentioned heading to the Miao Borderlands, every driver scattered incessantly. It was clear that the Han living near the Miao region had a strong aversion to venturing into their territory.

Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu exchanged glances, never expecting a journey to the Miao Borderlands to be so difficult.

”Why don’t we buy a car and drive ourselves?” Huangfu Ziyu suggested softly, her hand tightly clasping Ye Qing’s without releasing it for a moment.

”Alright,” Ye Qing agreed, seeing this as the best solution currently. He led Huangfu Ziyu to the nearest taxi and asked, ”Master, can you—”

”Not going, not to the Miao Borderlands!” The driver promptly rolled up the window and drove off, not even giving Ye Qing a chance to finish his sentence.

”I... I just wanted to ask for a place to buy a car, not to take me to the Miao region...” Ye Qing felt utterly speechless. Was the Miao Borderlands really that terrifying?

”You should’ve said so earlier!” Another taxi pulled up behind them hurriedly. ”Come, buddy, I’ll take you!”