I Grind to Martial Saint

The common folk who had come to watch the beheading today all witnessed an unbelievable scene.

Han Yuan leaped into mid-air, a violent torrent of black qi erupting from his body.

The black qi vaguely formed the shape of a ferocious black bird with outstretched wings. It blasted away the falling rain and transformed into a streak of black light, slashing fiercely toward the stocky man!

The black light was so terrifyingly sharp it seemed capable of shattering the very clouds.

”That saber strike!”

Even Zhao Junshan was stunned by the sight.

The stocky man, however, felt a sense of impending doom.

At that moment.

’He was filled with regret. Why did I have to provoke Han Yuan and shoot that arrow?!’

That streak of black light was too vicious, too fast.

The stocky man knew he couldn’t dodge. He could only brace himself, gripping his greatbow with both hands and holding it defensively in front of him.

His greatbow was also forged from a special metal alloy.

’If I can just block this one strike from Han Yuan, I might still have a chance to live!’

SWOOSH~

The Dragon Sparrow Cloud-Splitting Saber fell viciously!

Its terrifying power hacked down upon the greatbow.

BOOM!!!

The eaves beneath the stocky man’s feet shattered instantly.

Both men plummeted into the brothel below.

”AHHH!!!”

A series of women’s screams rang out.

RUMBLE~~

Floor after floor was smashed through.

They finally landed in the first-floor lobby, creating a large crater.

The stocky man’s arms hung limp, each hand clutching half of a broken bow.

Then, a thin line of blood appeared on his forehead.

PFFT!

His head and torso abruptly split apart!

Hot, metallic-smelling blood gushed out.

The brothel women, who had come out to see what the commotion was, shrieked at the sight.

「A short while later.」

Zhao Junshan rushed in with the Government Officials.

Seeing the stocky man cleaved in two, they all gasped.

”Director Han, are you alright?”

Zhao Junshan asked as he stepped forward.

”Just a petty thief.”

”That guy should be Li Xiao, Heaven-Piercing Arrow, ranked twentieth on the Cangshui Black List.”

”It seems he’s already thrown in his lot with Zhang Bei’s Wuyun Bandits. He came today specifically to cause trouble and incite unrest.”

Han Yuan said gravely.

This was also why he had been so determined to kill Li Xiao.

Anything less wouldn’t have been enough to cow the populace!

”It seems the Wuyun Bandits... are really going to make their move.”

Zhao Junshan’s expression was grim.

This incident certainly revealed a few things.

”We’ll handle them as they come.”

”For now, hang Li Xiao’s corpse on the city gate.”

Han Yuan said in a low voice.

”Alright!”

”Cui Jiushan is still at the execution grounds. Let’s go back and oversee the execution.”

Zhao Junshan said.

Cui Jiushan was still at the execution grounds. After an incident like this, his death was more imperative than ever.

Han Yuan nodded.

Zhao Junshan quickly ordered his men to collect Li Xiao’s body.

He and Han Yuan then returned to the execution grounds.

The wooden platform had been destroyed.

Zhou Yuanhu and his men were holding Cui Jiushan under guard.

Seeing Han Yuan striding toward him, radiating killing intent, Cui Jiushan seemed to realize something and was about to speak.

But without a word, Han Yuan swung his Dragon Sparrow Cloud-Splitting Saber and took Cui Jiushan’s head in a single strike!

Blood sprayed for several meters.

The sight sent a chill through the hearts of the watching crowd.

He lifted Cui Jiushan’s head, its eyes wide with disbelief, and projected his voice, booming, ”Rest assured, everyone! The scoundrel who caused the disturbance just now has been slain by my hand! With me, Han Yuan, here, even if the Wuyun Bandits dare to come, I will cut down Zhang Bei himself!”

Seeing Han Yuan’s ferocious display.

Many in the crowd couldn’t help but burst into cheers.

”Yes!”

”Director Han is mighty!”

”With Director Han here, the Wuyun Bandits will surely flee with their tails between their legs!”

Seeing that he had achieved the desired effect, Han Yuan had his men disperse the crowd and led his people back to the Observatory.

”Zhai Mu... assign more men to monitor the Wuyun Bandits’ movements.”

”Zhou Yuanhu, you arrange for the Demon Exterminators to increase their patrols in Cangshui County Town.”

”This impending attack by the Wuyun Bandits will cause some disruption, no matter what.”

Han Yuan said gravely.

”Yes, sir!”

Zhai Mu and Zhou Yuanhu cupped their fists in unison.

Han Yuan, for his part, returned to his personal hall to continue his Cultivation.

Truth be told, learning of the Wuyun Bandits’ impending attack caused him no alarm.

On the contrary, he was filled with anticipation.

’I want to see for myself just how strong the Black Cloud Spear King, Zhang Bei, really is.’

.......

Just as Han Yuan had expected, the news that the Wuyun Bandits would soon attack the city still caused some unrest after it spread.

However, word of Han Yuan’s performance at the execution grounds that day also spread like wildfire.

Among the common people, his nickname was no longer Overseas Dragon, but had become Demon Blade.

This was because too many people had seen the strike he used to kill the stocky man.

That one slash was brimming with killing intent, ferocious and terrifying.

Calling it a Demon Blade was certainly fitting.

In such chaotic times, such a title was, paradoxically, more reassuring to the populace.

”Let me tell you, I saw it with my own two eyes yesterday.”

”Demon Blade Han Yuan soared into the sky, holding a Demon Blade, and struck down at that Heaven-Piercing Arrow, Li Xiao!”

”In that instant, the sun and moon lost their light, and the world grew dim, all of it overshadowed by that single slash!”

”Against a strike like that, the scoundrel obviously couldn’t resist and was cleaved in two by Han Yuan!”

Inside Changlong Restaurant, a drunken patron was recounting the previous day’s events.

But someone nearby sneered, ”I was there yesterday too, and that’s not what happened at all!”

”Then what really happened?” a curious onlooker asked.

”I just saw Director Han transform into a giant black bird, pounce on Heaven-Piercing Arrow Li Xiao, and slice him in half with his black wings.”

This statement naturally drew numerous gasps of amazement.

”A black bird? Could Director Han know a Transformation Technique?”

”If that’s the case, it doesn’t matter how fierce the Wuyun Bandits are; they’re no match for Director Han!”

”I think so too!”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

In any case, the stories about the execution grounds were growing more and more exaggerated with each telling.

In a corner of the room,

a man dressed as a Martial World Swordsman drank his wine in silence.

After listening to their talk, he rose and left the restaurant.

A light rain was still falling outside the restaurant.

The Swordsman paid it no mind, taking the Conical Hat from his back and putting it on before walking into the main street.

He was extremely cautious, only turning into a residential house after confirming no one was following him.

”What’s the situation?”

There was another man inside the room.

He asked quickly as the Swordsman entered.

”The city’s populace now has unshakable faith in that Han Yuan.”

”Even if we secretly spread rumors, I’m afraid it will have no effect.”

The Swordsman sighed.

Hearing this, the other man couldn’t help but snort coldly. ”It’s all Li Xiao’s fault. He was clearly told to say his piece and leave, but he just had to pick a fight with Han Yuan.”

”And because of that fight, he ended up giving Han Yuan a fearsome reputation.”

The Swordsman sighed. ”Who could have expected Han Yuan to be so terrifying! He killed Li Xiao with a single strike.”

”I’m afraid that apart from the Chieftain, no one in our Wuyun Bandits is his match.”

The man said seriously, ”Don’t forget the power backing us. Even if that Han Yuan had three heads and six arms, he couldn’t possibly win against the Wangling Sect.”

”Mm.”

”We should just lie low.”

the Swordsman suggested.

”It’s the only thing we can do.”

”I’ve already sent a report back. We’ll just have to wait for the Chieftain’s response.”

the man said.