Chapter 18

Boom!

In the midst of the chaotic punches, a piece of ironwood board heavily struck Yang Ji's chest and missed again.

"How is this possible!"

The thug who attempted the sneak attack opened his eyes wide, his face showing a look of disbelief.

At such close range, no one could dodge the storm of attacks from four or five people, especially when he was launching a sneak attack amidst the chaos.

No one could pay attention to a sneak attack while dodging the attacks of four or five people. No one, not even the famous disciples of the major clans, could do this at Yang Ji's level!

"Damn it!"

One of the thugs shouted in anger.

"Zhao Liang, Wen Meng, what are you two doing?"

Zhou Kuang also roared in fury.

Zhao Liang and Wen Meng were both experts at the sixth stage of breathing, the strongest among the people he had invited. Moreover, they had learned some martial techniques.

It was understandable that the others, who were not strong enough, couldn't hit Yang Ji, but what were these two idiots doing? If they had just tied him up, everyone could have rushed in, and Yang Ji wouldn't be standing there now.

Zhao Liang and Wen Meng were also frustrated.

Yang Ji's reactions were too quick. His body would spin, turn, or sway, constantly changing position. At any given time, no more than three people could hit him.

Zhou Kuang's people were not strong, but they charged with the greatest force. As a result, they only managed to attack twice, and Yang Ji dodged both times.

"Wild Horse Parting the Mane!"

"Angry Horse Raising the Hoof!"

The two roared and leaped over Zhou Kuang, launching a joint attack on Yang Ji.

This time, Yang Ji did not dodge. His expression turned serious, and he sidestepped, then kicked a third-stage breathing thug out of the way, charging towards Zhao Liang and Wen Meng.

Among the people Zhou Kuang brought, these two were the strongest.

In the blink of an eye, Yang Ji had already felled four thugs with his bare hands. If he could take down the strongest, Zhao Liang and Wen Meng, the battle would be over.

Bang! Bang!

Yang Ji darted forward, delivering two punches without any flourish.

Over the past eight or nine days, he had been practicing archery, his fingers forming thick calluses, and even breaking over ten bows. Now was the time to test his results.

Boom!

In a flash, Yang Ji exchanged punches with Zhao Liang and Wen Meng one after another. When their fists met, Zhao Liang and Wen Meng felt as if they had hit an iron mountain. The immense force sent Zhao Liang flying back over a dozen feet, his arm hanging limply.

Wen Meng's condition was much better, but he was still pushed back by Yang Ji's force.

Wen Meng roared and tried to attack again, but Yang Ji instantly turned and delivered a heavy elbow to his abdomen, sending him flying with a scream.

Swish!

A cold glint flashed, and Zhou Kuang saw an opportunity, following behind Wen Meng and Zhao Liang, swinging his blade down at Yang Ji's head. However, he heard a creak, his face turned pale, and cold sweat poured down as his raised blade couldn't come down.

"Do you want to try again?"

Yang Ji said coldly.

In his hand, the bow was drawn, and his right hand held the last long arrow left from the battle. In the intense fight, Yang Ji had lost most of his arrows, and even the quiver was half broken, leaving only this last arrow.

But this single arrow made Zhou Kuang freeze, not daring to move.

The surroundings were deathly silent. The dozen or so thugs, standing, sitting, or lying down, all had pale faces. Having witnessed Yang Ji's terrifying archery, no one doubted the power of this arrow.

"You don't dare to act!"

Zhou Kuang shouted, sweat dripping from his nose.

"You can try."

Yang Ji said coldly.

"You don't dare to act!!"

Zhou Kuang stared at Yang Ji, shouting again. He couldn't believe that someone from a major clan would really dare to act against him.

Killing was something that people like him, who had to struggle in the dark, did.

He couldn't believe that Yang Ji had the courage.

"You can try."

Yang Ji said coldly, the arrow pointing at Zhou Kuang's forehead, repeating the same words.

Three times, the same answer, but each time with a different meaning.

The scene was deathly silent, even more terrifying than the battle. Even Zhao Liang and Wen Meng's faces turned pale.

No one dared to speak, and no one dared to act.

Time seemed to freeze. Yang Ji's arrow didn't shoot, and Zhou Kuang's blade didn't fall!

The silence was terrifying!

No one knew who would move first, the blade or the arrow!

Zhou Kuang glared at Yang Ji, grinding his teeth. He was still somewhat unwilling. So many people working together against Yang Ji, and they still failed.

The first attempt had already failed. If they failed again, how could he stand in Pingchuan County? How could he command his subordinates? Who would listen to him? Who would give him face?

...

Bang!

Zhou Kuang's blade finally came down, but just before it did, a small finger-sized blood hole appeared on his forehead. Yang Ji's arrow pierced through from the front to the back.

"He actually... really dared to act!"

Zhou Kuang's head tilted back, his long hair flying, his face full of disbelief as he fell heavily to the ground.

He was just a fifteen-year-old boy, a lowly disciple of the Yang clan, a commoner who had never killed anyone. How... could he dare!

Zhou Kuang died, unable to believe that Yang Ji had really shot the arrow without hesitation.

"Turns out... this is what it feels like to kill."

Yang Ji thought to himself as he watched Zhou Kuang fall.

Although he had killed rabbits, foxes, and wolves, this was the first time he had killed a person. The feeling was indescribable, but Yang Ji did not regret it.

"Those who kill others will be killed by others." If he had hesitated even a little, he would be the one lying on the ground now.

The blade and the arrow, in the end, the arrow was faster!

...

"Boss! ——"

A mournful roar echoed.

When Zhou Kuang fell, three or four thugs, their eyes bloodshot, immediately rushed over.

"Hum!"

Yang Ji's expression turned cold, and he suddenly turned, kicking several scattered arrows from the ground into his hand.

"Creak!"

The sound of the bowstring being drawn.

The surroundings fell silent again.

Yang Ji's expression was cold, and he held three arrows, drawing the bow to its full extent. Four or five steps away, three thugs, who had been charging, now stood pale, cold sweat pouring down their foreheads.

Within a hundred steps, it was deathly silent, only the mountain wind whistling.

Yang Ji's reaction was too fast, leaving them no chance to act.

"Do you also want to die?"

Yang Ji said coldly.

The three thugs sweated even more, wanting to say something but their lips trembled, and they were too afraid to speak. The others were no better.

Before this action, their understanding of Yang Ji was limited to "a guy who doesn't know when to quit," but when Zhou Kuang fell, everyone felt a strong sense of death.

If Yang Ji wanted to, he could kill everyone present.

"So, you really want to die?"

Yang Ji said calmly.

"No... no..."

The three stammered, almost crying.

Although they were impulsive, they were not stupid. This action was a grudge between Zhou Kuang and Yang Ji, and at most, they were just accomplices.

There was no need to get themselves involved in someone else's grudge.

Yang Ji didn't speak, his eyes showing a thoughtful expression.

After a long time, Yang Ji said, "I only have one question for you. How did you find me?"

Although he was asking the three in front of him, everyone felt that Yang Ji was speaking to them.

"Yang Yong! It was Yang Yong. He told Zhou Kuang... Zhou Kuang that you were here and gave us ten taels of silver."

Under a large tree by the road, a third-stage breathing thug stammered, his throat dry, his face pale like a dead fish.

"Yang Yong? It's him!..."

Yang Ji's eyes turned cold.

The dispute with Yang Yong had been a long time ago, almost forgotten by Yang Ji. He didn't expect that Yang Yong was plotting this.

Although surprising, it wasn't strange considering his character.

"It seems the last lesson was too light."

Yang Ji thought coldly.

He suddenly turned back and searched Zhou Kuang's body, finding a money bag with about ten taels of silver and some copper coins, totaling exactly ten taels.

"Ten taels of silver, he really bled a lot."

Yang Ji thought with a cold laugh.

In major clans, everything was done according to rules. Although Yang Yong's position in the clan was higher and his treatment better, his monthly allowance would not exceed two taels.

Moreover, he spent a lot each month, leaving almost nothing.

Ten taels of silver, it must have taken him a long time to save. To deal with him, he had spent a lot. After all, Yang Ji and the old steward's expenses for two months in winter were only a little over two taels.

Yang Ji's life had always been tight, and now with the ten taels of silver from Yang Yong, it was like receiving a large sum of unexpected money.

"Yang Yong would probably die of anger if he knew I got his silver."

Yang Ji thought with a cold laugh:

"With this money, I won't have to worry about food and clothing for a long time. Even if the clan cuts my allowance, it won't matter."

Yang Ji thought for a moment. Adding the money he had given to the old steward, he now had enough to support them for a year.

This way, he could focus on martial arts for a year.

"But, I still need to find a way to get training resources."

Yang Ji thought and looked at the thugs.

"I want you to tell Yang Yong everything that happened today, including Zhou Kuang's death, word for word!"

Yang Ji suddenly said.

Ah?!

The thugs were stunned, their minds not processing what Yang Ji said. According to the law, private killings were strictly punished, so they always tried to hide the news and evidence. Who would expose themselves like Yang Ji?

"I told you to do it, so do it!"

Yang Ji said coldly, without explaining, "Also, from now on, if I see any of you within ten miles or hear any news about today from anywhere, —— you know how Zhou Kuang died, right...?"

The thugs were chilled to the bone, now understanding Yang Ji's intentions, and immediately agreed, fearing that Yang Ji would kill them all if he was displeased.

"Now, you can take your people and leave."

Yang Ji said coldly, putting away his bow and arrows.

He was not a bloodthirsty person. With Zhou Kuang, the main culprit, dead, the others were not important, and there was no need to kill more.

The thugs, hearing Yang Ji's words, felt as if they had been granted a reprieve. They didn't dare to say more, lifting Zhou Kuang's body, and supporting each other, they fled, fearing that Yang Ji would change his mind if they moved too slowly.

...

After dealing with the thugs, Yang Ji walked alone on the mountain path, his mind not at ease.

Although he had broken through and understood the principles of martial arts in this battle, fighting against many opponents had almost exhausted his strength.

If he hadn't had his bow and arrows, with Zhou Kuang's preparation and the thirteen skilled thugs, he might have been the one lying on the ground today.

This incident deeply affected Yang Ji.

One cannot always be lucky. This time, he had only escaped because he had learned archery in advance. However, archery is not omnipotent. Against someone like Zhou Kuang, who was well-prepared, he only had two chances to shoot.

Zhou Kuang was just a small-time thug in Pingchuan County. If he faced a more formidable opponent, the outcome would be clear.

"The role of external tools like bows and arrows cannot be ignored, but the key is still one's own strength. To avoid a repeat of today, I must quickly improve my strength!"

Yang Ji thought to himself. He then thought of Zhao Liang and Wen Meng.

"Those two seemed to be using martial techniques..."

Yang Ji mused.

These two were different from the others. They had shouted before attacking, and their stances were precise.

When Yang Ji fought them, he could clearly feel that their strength was much greater than that of normal sixth-stage breathing people.

If their techniques were not clearly half-learned, the outcome today might have been different.

"Perhaps... I should also learn some martial techniques."

Yang Ji thought.

Before reaching the martial realm, learning martial techniques was the best way to solve this dilemma.

...

At the foot of the mountain, the thugs stopped when they could no longer see Yang Ji.

"Damn it! Zhou Kuang is dead, what do we do now? 'Big Head' won't let us off if he finds out!"

A thug said, almost crying.

"You're talking nonsense. Zhou Kuang was killed by Yang Ji, what does it have to do with us? If he wants to find someone, he should go after Yang Ji!"

Another thug said, but his expression was uneasy, not as confident as his words.

"Zhao Liang, Wen Meng, you two are closest to Big Head. What do you say?"

The group looked at Zhao Liang and Wen Meng, the strongest among them.

If Yang Ji were here, he would be extremely surprised, as the group had not mentioned "Big Head" in front of him.

Zhao Liang and Wen Meng did not speak, their expressions very grim.

In Pingchuan County, "Big Head" represented an unshakable position.

"Big Head" was the nickname he used when he first started, but later, with the help of a benefactor, he had risen far above the level of the underworld.

It was said that he had long broken through to the martial realm, and his level was extremely high and terrifying.

In the surrounding areas, all the thugs had to follow his orders.

Zhou Kuang's death, whether or not it mattered, was not their concern. Unfortunately, Zhou Kuang was Big Head's relative, and Zhao Liang and Wen Meng had come to help him because of this, but this incident happened!

"Big Head's recent whereabouts are mysterious, and we can't contact him. Moreover, Zhou Kuang is dead, and now it's too late to say anything." Zhao Liang said.

His words plunged everyone into despair, their faces ashen.

"Do we really have to listen to Yang Ji and leave Pingchuan County?"

A thug muttered.

Silence.

After a long time, Wen Meng sighed, "There's no choice. Neither the Yang clan nor Big Head are people we can offend. Moreover, Yang Ji, who dared to kill Zhou Kuang without hesitation, I suspect if we don't do as he says, he will kill us without hesitation."

The group shivered, subconsciously thinking of Yang Ji's arrows. No one could dodge such archery.

"Find someone to inform Yang Yong, and then leave here quickly. —— We probably can't stay in Pingchuan County anymore!"

Wen Meng sighed, and the group, supporting each other, quickly left the area.