Chương 31: Witnessing Martial Arts for the First Time

Yellow Leaf Town, outside the city gates. Hidden within the crowd, Song Que heard the three men speak and was slightly startled. What a massive set of lungs! It seemed this battle would be worth watching. To be able to project their voices so loudly, they must possess true martial arts skills. As Song Que thought this, Zhong Hong eagerly explained beside him:"That man on the city gate is the Chief of the Military Armory, Lu Ji. It seems these two are dueling over the territorial profits of Stone Street.

Just a few days ago, their people hacked each other to death over it!" Song Que remembered Stone Street. It was the wealthiest and most bustling commercial district in the eastern part of the town. No wonder it alarmed the two Gang Leaders. Perhaps, with the New Year approaching, the authorities didn't want a bloodbath and forced them to resolve it this way. At this moment, the two men in the clearing readied themselves, prepared to clash at any second.

"Gang Leader Feng, after you."

"Brother Liang, after you." BOOM! A sound like an exploding firecracker rang out, and the ground beneath their feet caved in. Most people only saw a green blur and a black blur entangling each other. Deafening explosions erupted continuously, like a string of firecrackers going off. Song Que was one of the few who could see their movements clearly. But precisely because he could see them, he was utterly horrified.

The two were incredibly agile, nimble as apes, capable of effortlessly twisting their bodies and launching attacks even in mid-air. With every punch and kick, the air itself seemed to be battered, producing continuous, thunderous booms. Song Que stared, dumbfounded. Are you kidding me?! This is basically the Hulk fighting Captain America! He watched the clearing in the distance become increasingly mangled. Thunderous booms rang in his ears non-stop.

With every slight movement, massive craters were smashed into the ground, leaving him deeply shaken. Is this martial arts? He had genuinely thought his current physical abilities were renowned throughout the world. He was even planning to 'roam the world with a sword' and build a legendary reputation in the martial world! Who would have expected that before he even stepped out of the Newbie Village, he would be drenched with a bucket of ice water?! His physical strength was over 1, 500 catties.

Grandee Song had thought he barely had any rivals left in the world. But the reality playing out before his eyes slapped him hard in the face. Judging by their destructive power, it wasn't hard to deduce that the two men in the clearing possessed strength no less than his own. And their techniques, experience, and overall combat prowess completely surpassed his! But the main point was: there were at least two other people in this town who were on the same level!

And the most fatal point was: this was the Newbie Village! This was the poorest town in Qinghe County, an impoverished, isolated backwater of the Great Yan Dynasty that no one cared about! If the elite mobs here were already like this, what about the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Bosses? Wouldn't the Final Boss ascend straight to the heavens?! And I still wanted to go out and make a name for myself in the martial world? The outside world is too dangerous, young man. Just go take a bath and go to sleep.

No one paid attention to Song Que's depressed mood. The situation in the clearing had reached its climax. Neither yielded an inch. By now, Liang Jing had drawn his saber and was engaged in a vicious melee with Feng Han. Every strike was fatal. Saber ki crisscrossed the air, kicking up clouds of dust and sand. The continuous explosions and piercing whistles left the onlookers terrified. In the end, Feng Han, relying on his youth, vigor, and slightly superior skills, left a bloody claw mark across Liang Jing's chest.

"Haha, Brother Liang, thank you for letting me win."

"Gang Leader Feng has great skills. From today onward, the Iron Blade Society will completely withdraw from Stone Street." His face dark, Liang Jing cupped his hands toward Lu Ji on the wall and hurriedly left. The crowd erupted like a disturbed hornet's nest, all parting to make way as the members of the Black Tiger Gang swaggered triumphantly into the town. Everyone understood that from today onward, the Black Tiger Gang reigned supreme in Yellow Leaf Town. The gang members cheered and jumped with joy.

Tonight was destined to be incredibly lively. Finally accepting reality, Song Que snapped back to his senses. Seeing the crowd slowly dispersing into the town, and noticing Zhong Hong standing beside him, his soul seemingly having left his body, Song Que patted his shoulder and smiled bitterly: This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"What's wrong, Brother Hong? The Iron Blade Society's loss hit you that hard?" Forcing an ugly smile, Zhong Hong said:"I'm fine. I'm just worried my older brother will be in big trouble. The Black Tiger Gang will definitely suppress him from now on." In the end, Song Que had to console him:"It's nothing. At worst, you'll just have to tighten your belts a bit." And wasn't that the truth? With Lord Lu holding down the fort in town and the Axe Gang keeping them in check, it wouldn't escalate to an all-out slaughter.

Besides, if the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up. His brother was just a minor manager. Thinking of this, Zhong Hong felt much better. He turned to his group and shouted:"Whatever, let's go back! Let's find something to eat and welcome Brother Song Que!" Song Que found the meal tasteless, his mind entirely consumed by thoughts of learning martial arts. He asked Zhong Hong and the others about it, but they had no solid leads, so he had to drop it for now.

When the time came, he stood up, bid everyone farewell, and went to meet up with the caravan. Generally speaking, in Yellow Leaf Town, if you wanted to learn martial arts, your only options were to sell your life to one of the three gangs or join the government office. But neither appealed to Song Que, so he put the thought on hold, waiting until he had more time to consider his options. On the journey back, Song Que remained deeply preoccupied, resting with his eyes closed.

Everyone in the caravan kept casting furtive glances at him, either intentionally or accidentally, whispering among themselves. He heard everything clearly but couldn't say a word. They actually think I'm a martial arts master! Song Que smiled bitterly inward. Compared to those two today, he was far behind. In a life-or-death battle, he would likely be the one killed in the end.

It felt exactly like studying your heart out and scoring a 10 on a test, feeling incredibly proud and thinking there was nothing left to learn—only to be told the test was out of 100 points! One could imagine the sheer depression. However, the world is always full of good people who wholeheartedly think of others, even sacrificing their own interests to do so. Knowing you are depressed and delivering themselves to you as punching bags to vent your frustration—can they be considered good people?

Song Que certainly thought so. Therefore, he decided he must sincerely and intimately "thank" them!... On the road back to Giant Willow Village. The same old spot, the same old people. It retained its original flavor, even though a year had passed. The only difference was that this group of amateur bandits was larger this time, numbering over thirty people. Their equipment was also much finer than a year ago. It seemed they had lived quite comfortably over the past year.

The bandits clearly thought they had the Giant Willow Village caravan in the bag. Not even bothering to hide, they swaggered out to block the road, their demeanor incredibly arrogant. The leader, accompanied by four others, held a bow in his hand. Aiming it toward the caravan, he shouted loudly:"You grandsons from Giant Willow Village! Your granddaddies have been waiting for you here for a long time! Hand over half your goods, and we'll guarantee your safe passage. Otherwise, hehe..."

The words were left unfinished, but the threat was crystal clear. Seeing the enemy's numbers and fine equipment, the people of Giant Willow Village were terrified. Everyone looked expectantly at Song Que. In this moment of crisis, their instincts told them to rely on him. Having been overly stimulated today, Song Que desperately needed an outlet to vent. These amateur bandits arrived at the perfect time.

Without wasting any words, he glanced around the crowd, nodded reassuringly, jumped off the cart, and stepped forward alone. Seeing this, Zhong Kui called out anxiously: "Song Que!"

"It's fine, Uncle Zhong. Everyone, hold the line behind me. Let me go test the weight of these grass bandits." Song Que waved his hand without looking back. Seeing Song Que approach alone, the bandit leader assumed he was a negotiator. He shouted:"Kid! Are you the leader over there? Listen closely to your granddaddy: leave half the goods! Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless today!" Song Que glanced indifferently at the bandits. Today, he came here purely to beat people up.

Not bothering to waste breath on them, he accelerated and charged forward. The opposing group went from momentary confusion to outright fury. What?! You want to solo the Bandit Instance?! Seeing his arrogance, the bandits were enraged. The leader jumped furiously and roared:"What are you standing there for?! Kill him!" Saying that, he drew his bow and fired at Song Que. The lackeys behind him didn't stay idle either, gripping their bows and raining arrows down upon him.

Already sprinting, Song Que's speed was inhuman. He swung his saber, deflecting the arrows coming at him, his feet constantly shifting to dodge hidden projectiles and flying spears. In no time, he crashed into the bandit formation. Like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, he punched and kicked, sending people flying in all directions. A short while later, all thirty-plus bandits gloriously hit the dirt, groaning in agony.

Watching from afar, the Giant Willow Village caravan stared blankly before erupting into earth-shattering cheers. Zhong Kui shouted a command, and the crowd surged forward, pinning the bandits down and tying them up, accompanied by an inevitable flurry of punches and kicks. After venting his frustration, Song Que felt much better. Feeling entirely refreshed, he sat on a rock, drinking water and resting.

A moment later, Old Zhong walked over, dragging a tightly bound man covered in bruises, looking absolutely miserable. It was the bandit leader. Song Que didn't really care, asking casually:"Uncle Zhong, did you find out their background?"

"I did. Just a bunch of local thugs from town and the surrounding villages who banded together to do this. For the past year, they've caused quite a bit of trouble for the neighboring hamlets." At this moment, Village Chief Zhao also walked over and asked:"Song Que, how should we deal with these people? If you ask me, the best way is to... save ourselves future trouble." Saying that, he made a throat-slitting gesture with a vicious expression. This gesture terrified the bandit leader so much he soiled his pants.

He hurriedly kowtowed and cried, begging:"Granddaddies! Good heroes! Please be magnanimous and spare our lives! We have elderly mothers above and young children below! We were forced into this life out of desperation!" He sounded pitiful, but no one present believed a single word. Having been a doctor in his past life, Song Que felt a deep aversion to killing. Moreover, escorting them back to town would waste too much time.

After pondering for a moment, he said:"Confiscate all their weapons, break one of their arms, and chase them away." The bandits, who had been despairing while awaiting their sentence, heard Song Que's words like an angelic choir, shouting their gratitude repeatedly. Old Zhao wanted to say something, but intimidated by Song Que's presence, he held his tongue and walked away.

Following orders without hesitation, the villagers raised their clubs and delivered a solid strike to each bandit's arm, accompanied by a chorus of tragic screams and moans. Song Que didn't take this matter to heart. After letting everyone pack up, the caravan marched grandly back to the village. The harvest from this trip was quite bountiful: five bows and over a dozen sabers and daggers. Song Que only took the best bow for Li Xin and handed one to Li Hui on the spot.

Not caring about the rest, he tossed them to Old Zhong to distribute among the villagers, sparking another wave of cheers and jumping. The Zhao father and son took all this in, their faces dark, not saying a word.