Free Web NovelChapter 17: Chapter 17: Conflict
In the courtyard.
Han Yuan was bare-chested, his bulky muscles bulging. Each one seemed to contain terrifying power.
He regulated his breathing.
’This time... this should be it.’
When he felt everything had reached its optimal state,
Han Yuan abruptly drew his long saber. The muscles in his arms swelled as he swung with extreme speed.
SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH~~~
The swift, chilling glint of the saber was almost too fast to see, seeming to envelop the entire courtyard.
The faint cry of a vicious bird could be heard.
Compared to the clumsy awkwardness of when he first started practicing with the saber,
the Han Yuan of today had truly reached a high level of skill. He could execute all the moves and combinations of the Thousand Falcons Blade Technique with ease, striking at the fastest possible speed.
This was because the Mystical Technique of the Thousand Falcon Saber itself was a single word: speed!
SHINK!
Suddenly,
the dense, cold glint of the saber vanished.
Then, the next moment,
a terrifying saber light let out a sharp whistle as it instantly crossed several meters and pierced the empty air.
"HUFF HUFF HUFF~~"
After executing that strike, Han Yuan was drenched in sweat. His whole body began to twitch, his muscles quivering strangely, and the veins on their surface writhed like pythons.
After a while,
Han Yuan finally exhaled a breath of hot, stale air.
When he moved, it felt as if all the bones in his body were grinding against each other.
His muscles seemed leaner and stronger, not as bulky as before. Their lines were smoother, better suited for explosive power.
Host: Han Yuan
Thousand Falcons Blade Technique: Great Success (0/1500)
Mountain-Breaking Fist: Mastery (621/800)
’Finally... Great Success....’
’With another month, I should be able to cultivate the Thousand Falcons Blade Technique to Perfection and condense Sword Force.’
Han Yuan muttered to himself.
This so-called Condensed Force was when one’s own gathered strength grew so vast that it was enough to condense into a terrifying Power.
Furthermore, depending on the Martial Arts one practiced, this Power would have different characteristics.
Some specialized in raw strength, some in explosive force, and some could even enhance defensive capabilities.
The next step after that was Body Tempering.
Once one broke through to become a Body Tempering Martial Artist, they would possess Infinite Strength, able to tear apart tigers and leopards with their bare hands. They were essentially a Hundred-man Enemy.
In a small place like Qingshui County, Body Tempering Martial Artists were few and far between.
Han Yuan only knew of a few: Chief Constable Gao Yuan of the County Yamen, Zhao He of the Cyan Sand Gang, Qian Yuanlang of the Fire Wolf Gang, and a Veteran Boxer from a martial arts school.
However, Gao Yuan was said to have reached Body Tempering Great Success, making him somewhat stronger than the others.
This was also the reason why the County Yamen was still able to suppress the local gangs.
After resting for a while longer, Han Yuan went to the kitchen to drink a bowl of Blood-Replenishing Soup, then continued his Cultivation.
He didn’t go back to sleep until late at night.
His Essence, Qi, and Spirit were now abundant, so he only needed to sleep for three hours a day to recover his energy.
The next morning.
Han Yuan arrived at the Qingshui County Yamen.
A large number of Government Officials were escorting many gang thugs, constantly moving in and out. It was as bustling as a vegetable market.
"Han Head."
Gu Zhengyang ran over.
"Where did you go to arrest more people?"
Han Yuan asked curiously.
"These are men from the Fire Wolf Gang... Last night, Constable Yang led a raid on their gambling den and arrested quite a few."
Gu Zhengyang explained.
There were two major gangs in the city.
The Cyan Sand Gang controlled the docks in Qingshui County.
And the Fire Wolf Gang controlled the brothels and gambling dens in the city.
’The conflicts between the County Yamen and the gangs... seem to be getting more frequent recently.’
Han Yuan’s expression flickered.
"Yeah... it seems like the gangs want to divide up the profits..."
"But that’s just what I’ve heard."
Gu Zhengyang said with a smile.
Before long,
Wang Changbai, Wang Dahua, and the others also arrived at the County Yamen one after another, gathering around Han Yuan.
Just as he was about to lead his men to patrol Changfeng Street,
a Government Official came out.
"Constable Han, Chief Constable Gao wants you to stand guard at the great prison today."
Han Yuan was taken aback. "Aren’t the Prison Guards watching it?"
"These Fire Wolf Gang members are causing a huge ruckus in the cells."
"Old Zhang and the others can’t control them, so Chief Constable Gao wants you to go and put them in their place."
the Government Official whispered.
Han Yuan had built up quite a reputation in Qingshui County by now.
The tale of him cutting down Kong She with a single saber had even appeared in the storytellers’ repertoires.
That was why Gao Yuan thought of sending Han Yuan to resolve the matter.
After all, if he, a Chief Constable, had to step in for such a trivial issue, it would be beneath his station.
"Alright."
"I’ll go."
Han Yuan nodded.
He said to Old Wang, "Old Wang, you take Dahua and the others to Changfeng Street."
"You got it." Wang Changbai didn’t mind.
Changfeng Street was relatively peaceful at the moment; nothing would happen even if Han Yuan wasn’t there.
After Old Wang and the others left, Han Yuan picked up his saber and walked toward the Qingshui County great prison.
The great prison was located behind the County Yamen. It covered a large area and was built entirely of black stone, giving it a grim and sinister air.
Prison Guards armed with long spears stood watch at the entrance.
Han Yuan had to show his constable Token to enter.
The light inside the prison was dim; torches had to be lit even during broad daylight.
The air was thick and acrid, a smell that was hard to describe.
In any case, Han Yuan felt uneasy the moment he stepped inside.
"Let me out!"
"If you don’t let me out, I’ll tear down your Qingshui County Yamen!"
"Hurry up!!!"
Angry curses echoed from the depths of the prison.
They were accompanied by the sound of heavy metal being struck.
Han Yuan frowned slightly. He passed through a dark corridor and came to two rows of cells.
The cells were packed with thugs from the Fire Wolf Gang, who were constantly making strange noises, banging on the bars, and yelling to be let out.
The dozen or so Prison Guards had never seen such a scene and were cowering in the back, not daring to make a sound.
"Constable Han, you’re finally here."
Prison Chief Zhang Fang was drenched in sweat, at a loss for what to do, when he saw Han Yuan walk into the cell block.
He looked as if he’d seen his savior and hurriedly pleaded for help.
"Old Zhang, you can’t even handle these petty thugs?"
Han Yuan said in surprise.
This Zhang Fang was no saint; his Heart Spirit was cruel and his methods ruthless.
Usually, when harsh interrogation and forced confessions were needed, he was the one with the most tricks up his sleeve.
"There’s someone in there I don’t dare to provoke."
Zhang Fang whispered.
"Who?"
Han Yuan asked, puzzled. freёwebnoѵel.com
"The young man in the first cell."
"That guy is a Hall Master of the Fire Wolf Gang named Wan Hong. He’s also Qian Yuanlang’s brother-in-law."
"He was just brought in by Constable Yang today and has been causing trouble ever since."
Zhang Fang pointed.
Han Yuan looked over and saw a young man with a sinister face.
He wasn’t shouting or screaming, just sitting in the back of the cell with a stalk of grass dangling from his mouth, watching the chaos like it was a show.
Wan Hong noticed Han Yuan’s gaze and even smiled at him.
’So arrogant even after being arrested.’
Han Yuan muttered to himself, then made a throat-slitting gesture at Wan Hong.
The smile on Wan Hong’s face vanished instantly. He said in a cold voice, "Keep making trouble for me!"
CLANG CLANG CLANG~~
In an instant,
the Fire Wolf Gang thugs seemed to go crazy, repeatedly ramming the iron bars of their cells.
Seeing this, Zhang Fang was at a complete loss.
"Old Zhang, bring me a key."
Han Yuan said flatly.
"But... Constable Han, the higher-ups gave orders."
"We can’t release anyone without an order."
Zhang Fang whispered.
"Who said anything about releasing them?"
"I’m going to beat them."
Han Yuan said seriously.
Hearing this, Zhang Fang quickly found a key for Han Yuan and said, "This key is for cell number two, the one across from Wan Hong’s cell."
Han Yuan nodded and walked toward cell number two with the key.
Seeing the Constable Uniform on Han Yuan, the Fire Wolf Gang thugs became even louder.
Then, with a CLICK,
Han Yuan directly unlocked the iron lock on cell number two.
