Chapter 56: Are You Worthy to Be a Martial Artist?
"City Lord！"
"Master of the City?!"
Suddenly, a dramatic change occurred, and everyone was caught off guard.
Just moments ago, Qiao Mu was passionately debating with the crowd, but in the next moment, he swiftly emerged from the crowd and attempted to assassinate Guo Yan, causing a sudden and unexpected shift.
Guo Yan also didn't react in time.
He was still contemplating how to deal with the Immortal Gate when he was unexpectedly attacked by Qiao's family.
In a split second, he barely had time to dodge, only to be struck down by the immense force of the spear that was thrown, bringing both him and his horse down.
"There's an assassin!"
"Protect the lord of the city!"
In the midst of noisy shouts, the servant guards were about to run over.
But right after, they saw Qiao Mu throw off his hat, revealing a familiar face.
This face was noticeably more mature than the one hanging on the nearby wooden shelf labeled "Qiao Lin," and it was also more powerful and majestic.
Qiao Lin？
No! This is another elder from the Qiao family who is even older!
Amidst the piercing sound of horses, Guo Yan crawled up from the ground, his face as dark as water.
His left shoulder had already been pierced by a long spear, and his feet were still underneath the fallen horse, leaving him covered in blood and flesh.
It was just when he saw Qiao Mu's face that his own face couldn't help but tremble.
Another man from Qiao family?
Didn't the Star Xuan Envoy of the Wuji Association say that the Qiao family is not worth worrying about, and may not even exist?
The Star Xuan Envoy deceived me!
Guo Yan felt the urge to vomit blood again. If it weren't for the fact that the Star Xuan Envoy of the Wuji Association informed him of this news, he would never have been so unprepared.
Guo Yan's face turned dark.
This Qiao family, just like the other two he encountered, is fearless.
Although the gates of Yan City are closed at the moment, there are still soldiers guarding the walls. How dare he, Guo Yan, attempt an assassination at this time?
"Why is the Qiao family not afraid of death?" Guo Yan murmured to himself.
No one enjoys fighting against those who are unafraid of death.
Even rich and important people, with bodyguards as many as a hundred, don't want to be bothered by fearless mad dogs when they go out.
"Qiao...."
Guo Yan just uttered his first word, but Qiao Mu's action startled him again.
Qiao Mu took out a bow and arrow from behind and shot it into the sky.
The arrow quickly shot into the sky, making a sharp and loud sound that spread far, far away.
"Cloud-piercing arrow?"
"A cloud-piercing arrow, to meet thousands of troops and horses! Does this Qiao's family have accomplices? Are there other Qiao's families hidden in this Yan City?"
City Lord Guo Yan's pupils shook directly.
How many darn Qiao's families are there, after all?
Before, a small one was killed, and now a big one has come.
After killing a big one, now an old one is not enough, should just come in a group?
Even though Guo Yan was extremely calm, he couldn't help but feel agitated at this moment and his expression changed on the spot.
"Get him, kill him!"
Guo Yan frowned and stepped back behind the guards.
He had already been hit by the sneak attack just now, and coupled with his unhealed injuries, he had no intention of competing with Qiao Mu in the slightest.
He didn't even want to fight the previous "Qiao Lin," let alone the current "Qiao Sen."
In one word, delay!
As long as the defending soldiers on the city wall come down or the soldiers in the camp come over, it will be like catching a turtle in a jar!
Why do I need to face this fearless brute when I have the advantage?
Guo Yan stepped back, while Qiao Mu held a long spear and bravely chased after!
However, just as he took a few steps forward, hundreds of guards and servants by Guo Yan's side caught up and blocked Qiao Mu's way.
"Do you want to die?"
Qiao Mu held a long spear, and the tip of the spear emitted a sharp air, like a dragon.
The spear technique he practiced was a battlefield technique, with almost no defense, only simple and quick stabs! Stab! Stab!
With the combination of being at the peak of the 7th rank and the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, Qiao Mu was invincible among the group of guards. Every strike took away the life of a guard.
"It's too similar!"
Such a scene, such a grandeur, couldn't help but remind Zhou Wen and the other guards of the bloody battle that took place at the Lord's mansion seven or eight days ago!
Qiao's family never feared death, no matter what.
In an instant, Qiao Mu took five or six steps forward, and there were already more than ten corpses under his feet.
The only 7th rank guard, Zhou Wen, could only block Qiao Mu for a few rounds before clutching his wrist and retreating in embarrassment.
"Lord, you know my condition. My injuries from that day haven't fully healed. If I go up now, it's just giving myself away."
Qiao Lin, who fought to the death that day, left a deep impression on these guards.
Most of the guards who dared to fight to the death died in the battle that day.
The surviving guards were either protective of their own lives or had a cautious fear and respect for Qiao Mu.
And the remaining ones were newly recruited into the Lord's mansion, so they naturally lacked loyalty.
This group of over a hundred guards, when Qiao Mu charged at them with just a spear on his horse, they seemed to struggle to stop him.
The number of battles that Qiao Mu has experienced is actually not that many.
After all, not long ago, he was just a 15-year-old boy.
The number of battles he has experienced is not very high, but the quality is astounding.
From charging alone into a valley facing thousands of bandits, to single-handedly fighting against a 7th rank gray-clothed old man, and battling to the death in the city lord's mansion...
Every battle is a fight to the death, risking his life, dancing on the edge of the blade.
At this moment, he, alone, gripping the spear, his aura even making the faces of many guards turn pale.
"How much money did Guo Yan give you, enough to buy your lives?!"
Qiao Mu held his spear and charged forward, shouting loudly like thunder, with a powerful momentum.
A matter of life and death?
Yes, how much money is enough to buy a life?
Why do the guards who protect the house fight so hard?
The defenders of Yan City, who are also the official soldiers protecting Yan City, are not just Guo Yan's private army!
It's okay for the Bureau of Favorable Wind to fight, after all, Guo Yan is still the lord of this city, and they still rely on him to eat.
But to provoke enemies like Qiao Mu's fearless Qiao's family?
I'm sorry, I have to leave.
So, Qiao Mu, holding a long spear, quickly dashed into the crowd, entering an empty area.
And the soldiers on the city gate behind Guo Yan seemed to move a bit slower.
In the blink of an eye.
Qiao Mu has arrived in front of Guo Yan.
The obstacles that "Qiao Lin" couldn't overcome until death are no longer considered difficult in front of "Qiao Sen" who has died again.
This is not only the gap in strength between "Qiao Lin" and "Qiao Sen," but also because Qiao's family, who fought to death several times in a row, have left an indelible impression on the hearts of the guards in these city mansions!
"Guo Yan！"
Qiao Mu's shout made Guo Yan's face change dramatically.
Unconsciously, as the lord of the city, with countless people responding to his call, there was no one in front of him at this moment?
At this moment, thick smoke unexpectedly rose in the direction of the inner city in the distance.
Guo Yan was extremely familiar with that direction, it was his home, the mansion of the city lord!
"Is it really not just a bluff? Are there really other Qiao's family members sneaking in?"
Guo Yan's heart was shaken.
The so-called Qiao family, it was even more prosperous than he had imagined...
In a moment of distraction, Qiao Mu's long spear in his hand flashed like a cold star, directly aiming at his throat.
Ding!
Guo Yan's sword at his waist instantly unsheathed, blocking the spear aimed at his throat.
"Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Guo Yan's voice was icy cold.
But after speaking, he coughed lightly, a surge of blood and Qi rising in him.
He was already injured and shouldn't engage in a fight, so this was the first time Qiao Mu had actually seen Guo Yan take action.
Swish, swish, swish!
His sword moves were exquisite and swift, much more refined than Qiao Mu's straightforward Military Spear Skill.
Guo Yan was skilled in swordplay, swiftly swinging his sword like lightning. After a few rounds, he had already stabbed two small holes in Qiao Mu's body.
It must be said, Guo Yan's own strength was quite extraordinary.
After all, Wuji Association was a martial arts organization. As a member of the Wuji Association, he was much stronger in his techniques compared to martial artists of the same level.
Even with injuries and being successfully ambushed by Qiao Mu, with a shoulder pierced by a long spear, only able to fight with one hand, he could still suppress Qiao Mu in his Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method state.
However, after a few rounds of fighting, Guo Yan felt a surge of energy and blood rushing up. Unable to hold it in, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
He could only take two steps back to catch his breath, but in the next second, Qiao Mu with two bloody holes in his body charged towards him again. Guo Yan immediately shouted:
"Hold on!"
"Brother Qiao, our strengths are similar. I am the Lord of a city, and as the elder of the Qiao family, I believe you are not an ordinary person either."
"Since everyone here is decent and respectable, why do we have to fight like a rude martial artist on the street?"
"Why can't we sit down and talk about it?"
Guo Yan put down his sword and stood, quietly watching Qiao Mu.
In his opinion, he had already shown his strength. Even if he was alone without any guards, he was not someone to be taken advantage of. So, what comes next...
"Do you want to talk with me?"
Qiao Mu held a long spear and looked at Guo Yan with confusion. For a moment, he was also perplexed.
"We've reached this point, and you still think we can talk?"
"Why not?" Guo Yan's demeanor was surprisingly pleasant at this moment.
"By invading Yan City, are you trying to take Qiao Lin's corpse with you?"
"If you can represent your Qiao family behind you, then we can have a good talk, seeking peace instead of war, after all--"
Guo Yan couldn't finish his sentence before Qiao Mu burst into a long laughter.
"Hahaha, I get it now..."
"What do you understand?" Guo Yan frowned, wondering if this Qiao family really didn't want to negotiate with him?
"I think I understand." Qiao Mu laughed loudly.
"Why could you restrain yourself from killing my son Qiao Lin when he stabbed that reckless fellow in front of you?"
"So it's because..."
"You're afraid of death!"
Qiao Mu's eyes widened in anger as he grasped the long spear and struck like lightning!
"How ridiculous!"
"You, as a brave martial artist, have lost your courage. You fear for your life and spend your days plotting and negotiating...." Qiao Mu shouted loudly.
"We martial artists should be fearless!"
"Do you even deserve to be a martial artist?"
Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method! Boom!
Having already achieved some skill in the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, he was able to unlock more of his physical potential. In an instant, his whole body was filled with energy, unleashing an additional 15% of strength!
This strike was faster and stronger than any previous strikes!
Guo Yan hurriedly drew his sword, but he was still too slow.
Just as his sword touched Qiao Mu's abdomen, Qiao Mu's spear had already pierced through his throat!
A burst of strength pierced through Guo Yan's throat in an instant!
He suddenly lost all his strength, his hand gripping the sword weakly, his mouth open and muttering something.
Then he collapsed to the ground with a loud crash.
In his final moments, his eyes remained wide open, as if he couldn't comprehend why, as the ruler of a city, he had ended up in such a tragic fate, fighting and dying in the streets against a rough martial artist!
Oh, how the Star Xuan Envoy of Heyang City has deceived me!
With his last thought fading away, he lost all signs of life.
*sigh*.......
Qiao Mu was gasping harshly, his whole body covered in oozing blood.
If earlier his body was just leaking droplets of blood from every pore, now he was practically spraying blood out, looking extremely gruesome, like a person made of blood.
He was already exhausted, barely able to stand with the long spear in his hand, and the lifeless City Lord Guo Yan lay at his feet.
He turned around.
The servants and guards from the Lord's Mansion behind him quickly stepped back, avoiding his gaze.
Qiao Mu turned his head again.
The soldiers from Yan City who had just come down from the city wall instinctively averted their eyes.
The Qiao family's men... they were too fierce!
It made them completely unable to consider the idea of opposing them.
If Guo Yan was still alive, they could have fought against Qiao Mu.
But with Guo Yan dead, who were they loyal to?
Qiao Mu's gaze passed over the guards and soldiers, looking into the distance.
Most of the onlookers on both sides of the street had dispersed.
Only a small number of fearless individuals were still peering from a distance.
Qiao Mu glanced around and spotted the Confucian scholar who had been engaging in a heated argument with him just moments ago.
A subtle smile appeared on the corner of Qiao Mu's mouth as he softly said:
"I can do it, therefore I will go."
"So, what about you?"
This scholar locked eyes with Qiao Mu and immediately turned pale, running away in fear.
At this moment.
In the distance, several figures are displaying light skills, quickly running towards this direction, approaching the city gate tower at a fast pace.
It was Wang Songhe and several of his bandit subordinates. They sneaked into the lord's mansion and caused chaos by setting fires, diverting the attention of the army camp. Then, they hurried to the Yan City gate tower.
Wang Songhe didn't bring many people, but they were all skilled experts with their own methods. They were exceptional in light skills and quick in their movements.
In order to quickly assist Qiao Mu, he selected several skilled bandits who were proficient in light skills.
However, when they arrived, what they saw was an unexpected scene.
The long street is stained with blood.
Every few steps, there lies a dead body of a guard on the street, and Qiao Mu's path is marked with blood and corpses.
The soldiers at the city gate tower look in one direction with fear and awe in their eyes.
About twenty steps away.
A man covered in blood is barely standing, with the lifeless body of City Lord Guo Yan at his feet.
Holding a spear in his hand, he stands there and uses the blood of City Lord Guo Yan as ink, writing a few words on the wall at Yan City's gate with his long spear, depicting a dance of dragons and snakes:
"The killer is Qiao Sen from the Qiao family!"
