Free Web NovelChapter 666: Chapter 258: Flipping the Table
The onlookers were all chattering; none of them had expected a big shot like Li Moqian to show up here.
"Lord Li, I didn’t expect to really have to trouble you." Hua Qianzhan said with a smile. This was the second card he’d prepared—he wanted to win without directly offending the Church Court and the Cabinet, so he had to borrow outside force, and Hundred Martial Hall was deeply rooted in Dragon Capital, wielding tremendous influence.
Li Moqian’s expression was cold as he looked at Li Xin. "I owe Hundred Martial Hall a favor. I’m here to pay it back today. If you can take one sword from me, I’ll count that as my loss."
The crowds from the Silver Market and Copper Market fell into another wave of excitement. Hundred Martial Hall’s preparations this time were insanely thorough—they’d even invited a Battle Angel to stand in for them, just to deal with a Night Patrol captain, a Canon Law School student?
"Captain Li, this is between our Night Patrol and Hundred Martial Hall. The Knight Order shouldn’t be interfering, and given your status you especially shouldn’t be doing this!" Longji said in a deep voice. Li Moqian was the head of the Knight Order, Angel Level.
Li Moqian looked blandly at Longji. "Captain Long, I told you, I owe Hundred Martial Hall a favor and I must repay it. So I’ll only use one sword. If you block it, the Night Patrol wins. Any one of you can come up."
Longji and the others all frowned tightly. This was also the most painful part for the Night Patrol—the highest rank among their captains was only Four Lives, and no one had managed to break through to Angel. Anyone who had the potential to become an Angel or had already become one would join the Church Court. Without an Angel sitting in town, the Night Patrol never had much say.
Hong Ban and the others wanted to help Yan Tianguang undo the chains, but no matter what they tried, the chains didn’t budge an inch, and everyone’s expression grew increasingly ugly. They still didn’t know what Secret Art this was, that it was such a pain to deal with.
"Li Xin, undo Yan Tianguang first. He already lost." Patir said.
Li Xin waved his hand and retrieved the Spiritual Lock Chain. "Captain Li, please."
Everyone looked toward Patir; none of them had expected her to have that kind of pull. Patir’s lips curved slightly, a proud look on her face.
Li Moqian hadn’t expected Li Xin to be so straightforward either, and he secretly let out a breath of relief. His old face really couldn’t hang onto this, but Hua Qianzhan had dragged out that old favor from back then. The Knightly Path placed great emphasis on sentiment and obligation—though this was awkward, it wasn’t against morality, and it was within his capabilities, so he had no choice but to act.
"Since Captain Li is making a move, we need to be a bit more cautious." Duke said with a smile.
This time Duke also joined in on forging the barrier, along with several other presidents from Secret Organizations. Angel Level power definitely couldn’t be fully blocked, but if they could lessen the damage even a bit, it was something. The onlookers again pulled back farther, looking for safer spots—if they got accidentally hit by a Battle Angel, there’d be nowhere to claim compensation. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Li Xin drew the Night Patrol blade. This wasn’t his first time fighting an Angel. Li Moqian still fell short of a Divine Angel in terms of raw strength, but he was a Battle Angel, stronger when it came to Spiritual Ability Combat Techniques.
Seeing Li Xin so confident left everyone else dumbfounded. In the crowd, Qi Badao craned his neck to look—yeah, he was here too, hiding inside the masses, silently memorizing the faces of those who caused trouble. When Yan Tianguang came out, Qi Badao hadn’t really cared, but when a Battle Angel and the head of the Knight Order stepped in, he was a little worried.
"The last time I saw you I already thought something was off. Your power and your technique are both very unusual. But since I agreed to Hua Qianzhan, I can’t hold back." As he spoke, Li Moqian released the pressure that belonged to an Angel.
If it were a friendly spar they could compare skill alone, but this was a duel.
The terrifying Angel might instantly blanketed the entire Black Market district, spreading in all directions. Thunder rumbled faintly in the sky, lightning coiled around the long sword, and his body floated into the air, the blade aimed at Li Xin.
Li Xin didn’t dare be careless. He used the Immovable Ming King Seal to cancel out the Angel’s pressure, then followed with the Great Vajra Wheel Seal to accumulate Spiritual Ability. At his current Level, Holy Word Techniques didn’t have much effect on a Battle Angel.
Buzz~~~
Everyone’s gaze was drawn to Li Moqian’s lightning‑wreathed body. Explosive radiance burst forth from the Holy Sword, pouring down toward Li Xin. There was no dodging this strike; its aura had locked on tightly.
From Celestial Capital to Hedan and now to Dragon Capital, Li Xin had been through a lot. Although the Divine Relic had been advancing slowly, the combat experience he’d absorbed had improved tremendously. He didn’t avoid this sword; instead he devoted himself completely to feeling and experiencing the opponent’s strike.
It looked like bullying the small with the big, but in fact opportunities like this were extremely rare. With no distractions, he swung his blade.
Sword aura and blade aura collided head‑on without a hint of flourish. Violent Spiritual Ability exploded in mid‑air, a Spiritual Ability hurricane sweeping outwards. The barrier shattered instantly, a bunch of Barrier Masters scrambling out of the way. The surrounding crowd all put up defenses, and Li Xin was pushed back seven or eight meters before he finally steadied himself.
When the Spiritual Ability dissipated, Li Moqian was nowhere to be seen. From the distance came his voice: "Fellow Li has won. If you have time, you’re welcome to visit the Knight Order."
Hua Qianzhan’s face went dark as iron. Fucking hell, that useless mutt came to clock in but didn’t do the job.
Li Xin was quite satisfied with the power of that sword. Li Moqian had not pulled his punches; there really weren’t many who could withstand that blow. But without revealing his Angel true body, there was no way he could beat Li Xin.
Longji and the other Night Patrol members were all fired up. He’d even managed to block a Battle Angel’s attack. When they looked at Li Xin again, their eyes were burning.
Li Xin brushed off his coat hem and looked at Hua Qianzhan. "Elder Hua, what’s the third trial?" ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Everyone in the Black Market turned to Hua Qianzhan. These last two exchanges had pushed Li Xin’s and the Night Patrol’s prestige to an unprecedented height. As long as Hundred Martial Hall couldn’t stand their ground, there wouldn’t be any more blind fools trying to provoke them in this Black Market.
Hua Qianzhan stroked his beard and smiled. "Lord Li, Captain Li didn’t want to bully the small with the big..."
Li Xin waved his hand and said calmly, "Elder Hua, it’s one thing to be old, but are you throwing away your dignity too? A bet is a bet. I’m not giving you face—I’m giving Hundred Martial Hall face."
Hua Qianzhan had never run into a Night Patrol man so good at verbal sparring, and he’d been eating dirt the whole way. It was obvious the people around them were starting to look down on him. There weren’t any idiots here.
"The third trial is simple. Since the Night Patrol wants unified management, then it has to treat everyone the same. If the Copper Market can pay, and the Silver Market can pay, then the Gold Market has to pay too. Once they pay, we’ll pay!" Hua Qianzhan’s low voice also spread throughout the venue, once again stirring up echoes in the crowd.
This struggle wasn’t about any one person; it was a fight over positions. From the very beginning, Hua Qianzhan’s goal had been to drag everyone else onto his war chariot.
In that moment, all eyes once again fell on this young Night Patrol member. Longji and the others all felt their hearts sink... the Gold Market...
"That’s only natural." Li Xin nodded.
"As expected of the Night Patrol. Good. In that case, please, Captain Li—the Gold Market is just up ahead. Today’s the end of the month. Since you’re collecting, start with the Gold Market." Hua Qianzhan said with a smile.
Li Xin didn’t move; he frowned slightly.
Not just Hua Qianzhan—everyone could see Li Xin’s difficulty. Never mind whether he could even get in. Even if he could, the Five Great Sanctuaries might not have anyone present; even if they did, they wouldn’t necessarily give him the time of day, let alone when he was asking for money. If things went badly, he might just get wiped out on the spot. The Night Patrol had zero presence in front of the Holy Lands. Even the Church Court and the Kingdom had to show these special groups a measure of respect.
Patir knew about the relationship between Li Xin and the Secret Castle, but even then that didn’t mean he could pull this off, not to mention with the other Holy Lands.
"You mean right now?" Li Xin asked.
"What, you can’t? Tsk, looks like Lord Li also picks his targets. You were just bragging about your big ’under the moonlight’ speech, about how the Night Patrol’s rules are rules. How come you’re not so rule‑abiding now?" Hua Qianzhan was grinning from ear to ear.
The Night Patrol didn’t have any roots in the Black Market, much less any loyal supporters. People are selfish, and organizations even more so. No one wanted an extra shackle placed on the Black Market. The intimidation just now was instantly broken apart by Hua Qianzhan, even stirring up a lot of resentment toward Li Xin.
People don’t fear having too little, they fear unfairness—that’s human nature. As long as Li Xin couldn’t do it, Hua Qianzhan could flip the whole table.
