Urban Martial Saint

Time flew by, and soon it was the fifteenth of the lunar calendar, the day of the battle on Mount Tai. This highly anticipated epic battle that had captured the attention of heroes across the world was finally about to begin.

That night, Fu Qingping, accompanied by Helian Tiehua, Shen Tianjun, Bloody Monk, and others, took Helian Tiehua’s private jet heading towards Mount Tai, preparing to partake in this world-renowned battle.

Ye Qing did not go with them; instead, he stayed behind at the manor of the Seven Steering Committees of Hong Alliance. Because, before Fu Qingping and the others set off, Ye Qing had received a message from the Iga-ryu.

”If you want Huangfu Ziyu, exchange her for that Bone Stick you got from the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master and the six elders!”

The message was straightforward, just one line, but it was the result Ye Qing had been waiting for all these days. Although Wen’er’s mother had previously told him that the people of Iga-ryu would definitely contact him, the lack of communication had caused Ye Qing to worry—after all, Huangfu Ziyu was still in their hands.

Now that he finally received a message from the other party, Ye Qing was naturally very excited. The plan that he had prepared for so long could finally be carried out, and he could finally meet Huangfu Ziyu; his excitement was beyond description.

However, the message from Iga-ryu did not specify how to exchange Heavenly Cluster Clouds and the six elders for Huangfu Ziyu, leaving Ye Qing unsure of what to do. Therefore, although he stayed in Shenchuan City, he didn’t know how to execute his plan and could only wait for a new message from the other side.

Fu Qingping and the others took the plane to Mount Tai at six thirty in the evening. The battle between Fu Qingping and The Immortal Lord attracted the attention of everyone. This battle was inevitable, and Fu Qingping had to honor the agreement. Therefore, at this time, he could not help Ye Qing. Wen’er’s mother had predicted that the Iga-ryu people would approach Ye Qing at this time, and everything indeed went as she had foreseen. Without Fu Qingping’s help, the Iga-ryu people had fewer concerns, and it wouldn’t be easy for Ye Qing to rescue anyone.

Around eight o’clock, Ye Qing was still waiting for the Iga-ryu’s message in the manor but first received news from Mount Tai: Fu Qingping and the others had already arrived!

At eight o’clock in the evening, there were only four hours left until the full moon night would pass. This means the epic battle between Fu Qingping and The Immortal Lord would definitely occur within these four hours. And during these four hours, Fu Qingping couldn’t make it back to Shenchuan City, as time was too short!

This implies that within these four hours, the Iga-ryu people would definitely come to exchange hostages and seize Heavenly Cluster Clouds.

Sitting in the hall of Hong Alliance Seven Helmsman Manor, Ye Qing tightly held a long box containing a long, bone-like stick. This was the half-meter-long Bone Stick Ye Qing had found based on Fu Qingping’s description. Whether it could deceive the Iga-ryu people, he didn’t know. But no matter what, Ye Qing had to try; meeting Huangfu Ziyu first was the most crucial thing.

In fact, Ye Qing had long ago let Handsome Fatty Wang and others leak the news of Heavenly Cluster Clouds. However, according to Handsome Fatty Wang’s description, it said that several elders of the Iga-ryu took out a half-meter-long Bone Stick from the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master. After being captured by Ye Qing, the Bone Stick naturally fell into Ye Qing’s hands.

Although the heroes across the world also received this news, no one cared about it or knew what the Bone Stick symbolized. However, when the Iga-ryu heard this news, it was different. According to Fu Qingping, the Heavenly Cluster Clouds was the Bone Stick and that the Iga-ryu elders took it from the ancient tomb. Therefore, the Iga-ryu would definitely believe that Ye Qing had the Heavenly Cluster Clouds, making them not dare to harm Huangfu Ziyu even slightly.

Although everything was arranged, Ye Qing couldn’t stay calm. After sitting in the hall for a full half an hour, someone finally rushed in from outside and said, ”Mr. Ye, someone is at the gate asking to see you!”

”Let him in!” Ye Qing said crisply, knowing that the person coming at this critical moment must be related to Iga-ryu matters. Ye Qing was waiting for them.

The man ran out of the courtyard and returned shortly, bringing in a man dressed in black. The man seemed to be in his thirties, not very tall, with cold light in his eyes and a chilly aura, clearly an expert at stealth and assassination.

The man walked into the middle of the hall, glanced at Ye Qing casually, and said bluntly: ”Mr. Ye, I assume my intention needs no explanation. The item our Sect Master wants, have you prepared it?”

Ye Qing casually patted the wooden box beside him and said, ”The Bone Stick is here, and the elders are arranged, ready to be sent out. But what about Zi Yu?”

The man said, ”The Sect Master said, as long as you hand over the Bone Stick and the elders to me and I take them back, you’ll immediately see Miss Huangfu!”

”Then you go back and tell your Sect Master, as long as he returns Zi Yu to me, he will immediately see the Bone Stick and those elders!” Ye Qing replied.

The man’s face turned cold, glaring at Ye Qing, and he said in a deep voice: ”Mr. Ye, you are in no position to bargain with us now. Your beloved woman is in our hands. If you want to delay, that’s fine, I can make one phone call, and you’ll immediately see a part of your woman. It just depends on whether you want to see her hand or leg first?”

This was a threat to Ye Qing, whose face instantly turned icy. Standing up, he said coldly, ”I’ve already despaired about getting her back whether I give the items to you or not. If you want to play, I’m all in. Don’t think I don’t know what the Bone Stick is; it’s just Heavenly Cluster Clouds. Hmph, does Iga-ryu still have the strength to bargain with me now? I’m telling you if Zi Yu loses a single hair, I’ll kill those elders and destroy Heavenly Cluster Clouds. Then, hmph, without me doing anything, how long do you think Iga-ryu can last?”

The man did not expect Ye Qing to be so forceful, and even using Huangfu Ziyu didn’t scare Ye Qing, leaving him a bit stunned. After a moment, he regained his composure, took a deep breath, and suddenly smiled: ”Mr. Ye, no need to get upset. I was just joking earlier. The fault was mine for taking the joke too far. Let’s not waste time, Mr. Ye, and get down to business. While Heavenly Cluster Clouds are of no use to you, it’s crucial for our development at Iga-ryu. Moreover, we have a common enemy, the Church. I think we’re allies in this matter, so why harm our relationship over trivial matters?”

Upon hearing the man’s tone soften, Ye Qing seemed to calm down as well, slowly sitting down, saying: ”You should’ve spoken like this earlier. The Heavenly Cluster Clouds are of no use to me; my biggest enemy now is the Church, and all the elders know this. Iga-ryu is also an enemy of the Church, so they are indeed my friends. If Iga-ryu is willing to cooperate with us, of course, that’s the best. However, as I said, if Zi Yu even loses a single hair, I will drag Iga-ryu down with me to the end!”

Hearing Ye Qing say this, the man felt both excited and worried. Excited because Ye Qing’s concern for Huangfu Ziyu showed that the plan to exchange her for the Heavenly Cluster Clouds and the elders seemed feasible. The worry, of course, was about Ye Qing’s overly tough attitude. It seemed that without handing over Huangfu Ziyu, taking the Heavenly Cluster Clouds and those elders would be impossible.

Seeing the man’s expression, Ye Qing knew he had played his part well, and everything was going according to plan. As Wen’er’s mother had predicted, the Iga-ryu would send someone to test Ye Qing’s attitude. The stronger Ye Qing’s stance, the more Iga-ryu had to ensure Huangfu Ziyu’s safety, thus allowing Ye Qing to gain some leverage.

The man said, ”Mr. Ye, rest assured, Miss Huangfu is well. In our Iga-ryu, she is our most honored guest. How could we dare to treat Miss Huangfu with the slightest neglect?”

Ye Qing glanced up and down at him, contemplating how credible his words were. After a while, Ye Qing slowly nodded and said, ”Hearing is nothing compared to seeing. I need to see Zi Yu myself to believe what you’re saying!”

The man quickly said, ”Mr. Ye, don’t worry. Miss Huangfu is already in Shenchuan City, and the Sect Master is ready to bring her to see you anytime. However, before bringing Miss Huangfu here, our Sect Master hopes Mr. Ye can show some sincerity first.”

”Sincerity?” Ye Qing glanced at the man and said, ”What, do you want me to personally welcome your Sect Master?”

”There’s no need for that; the Sect Master does not like noise,” the man smiled as he looked at Ye Qing and said, ”The Sect Master’s idea is, why not have Mr. Ye hand over Heavenly Cluster Clouds to me. I can take it back to report to the Sect Master, while the elders can stay in Shenchuan City as hostages. Once the Sect Master has Heavenly Cluster Clouds, I will bring Miss Huangfu over. At that time, Mr. Ye can check, and if Miss Huangfu is unharmed, then we haven’t gone back on our word, and Mr. Ye can release the elders!”

Hearing this, Ye Qing couldn’t help but smile in his heart. Indeed, the way Iga-ryu handled this matter was just as Wen’er’s mother predicted. The Sect Master of Iga-ryu clearly valued Heavenly Cluster Clouds more than these elders. To suggest using the elders as hostages and first taking Heavenly Cluster Clouds—if Ye Qing hadn’t heard Wen’er’s mother’s analysis about Heavenly Cluster Clouds, he might have followed this person’s suggestion.