Chapter 335 - 181: Compromise

Chapter 335: Chapter 181: Compromise

Yang Kun’s expression finally darkened.

How could he not know the stakes? If he signed this document, forget about protecting Yang Haishan—he himself could be dragged down with him.

His gaze swept over the scene below. He saw that while Yang Haishan hadn’t been defeated in his struggle with Yang Wenqing, he was already showing signs of fatigue. He was completely tied down, unable to break free, let alone create enough chaos for Yang Kun to intervene by force.

"It seems the two of you are determined to make things difficult for me, then?" Yang Kun’s voice turned cold. A faint golden halo began to shimmer around his body—a sign that he was about to activate a Divine Art.

Qi Yue and Zhao Shouzheng took a half step forward almost simultaneously. Mysterious auras rose from them as well. A vibrant green energy enveloped Qi Yue, while Zhao Shouzheng’s aura was as sharp as an unsheathed sword.

"Yang Wenqing!" Qi Yue’s gaze shifted to the battlefield below, his voice carrying clearly. "Take down Yang Haishan! If you encounter resistance, you are authorized to use any means necessary!"

This was a clear order and a signal to break the stalemate.

Below, a sharp light flashed in the eyes of Yang Wenqing, who had been maintaining the struggle.

"Yes, sir!"

With a sharp cry, the Golden Core World inside him began to spin violently. The Spirit Gathering Array Plate activated at full power, and the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi frantically surged into him, replenishing his Qi Sea, which had barely been depleted.

At the same time, the Cyan Peak Short Sword by his side began to hum loudly. The crimson-gold light on its blade condensed to its absolute limit, yet it radiated a heart-palpitating, destructive aura.

The next moment, the Cyan Peak Short Sword accelerated along an esoteric trajectory, as if breaking the constraints of space itself. It instantly appeared at the most vulnerable gap in Yang Haishan’s defense—his exposed flank.

Yang Haishan was already shaken by the standoff above. Now, startled by Yang Wenqing’s sudden surge of power and this bizarrely fast strike, he could only hastily pull back his flame longsword to block.

CLANG!!

This time, the sound of the collision was much heavier. The immense Spiritual Power concentrated in the Cyan Peak Short Sword actually caused the flame longsword to tremble, its light flickering violently. ℯℯ𝑙.

Yang Haishan’s arm went numb. He stumbled back several steps, his internal energy and blood in turmoil.

Yang Wenqing pressed his advantage, giving his opponent no chance to breathe. His Body Technique was like the wind as he moved rapidly around Yang Haishan. The Cyan Peak Short Sword transformed into countless deadly, crimson-gold threads, striking at Yang Haishan’s vital points from all directions. Each strike was infused with immense Spiritual Power. Though not aiming for a one-hit kill, the relentless assault forced Yang Haishan to desperately use his flame longsword and protective Spiritual Qi to defend, causing his energy consumption to skyrocket.

The longer Yang Haishan fought, the more terrified and desperate he became. He discovered that Yang Wenqing’s Spiritual Qi seemed endless; his attacks were relentless, their intensity never wavering from its peak.

Meanwhile, he himself was already injured from fleeing and taking that previous deadly blow. Now, under such a high-intensity defense, the Spiritual Qi in his Qi Sea was draining at an alarming rate.

’Impossible! He just entered the Marrow Cleansing Realm! How can his Spiritual Qi be so dense and long-lasting?’ Yang Haishan roared internally, but he couldn’t reverse his decline.

He tried to counterattack, but Yang Wenqing always neutralized his attempts with exquisite Body Technique and Swordsmanship, forcing him to expose even more openings.

With one side waxing and the other waning, it took only a dozen breaths before Yang Haishan was drenched in sweat. The flames around him had dimmed, and his bladework had become erratic.

Finally, as he blocked another diagonal thrust from Yang Wenqing, his Qi Sea faltered. His supply of Spiritual Qi was cut short, and the light on his flame longsword abruptly died down by more than half.

"Now!"

Yang Wenqing’s Cyan Peak Short Sword feinted, baiting Yang Haishan into overcommitting to his block. In his left hand, a high-tier ’Imprisonment Talisman’ he had been holding was instantly activated. It transformed into an incredibly swift, pale-blue cord of light. Seizing the moment when Yang Haishan’s momentum was spent, it precisely wrapped around his neck, then snaked down to tightly bind his hands, feet, and torso!

"Urgh!"

Yang Haishan let out a muffled grunt. He felt a powerful sealing force invade his body, completely locking down his remaining Spiritual Power and his ability to move. With a THUD, his entire body slammed heavily onto the ground.

Yang Wenqing’s figure flashed. He appeared beside Yang Haishan and planted a foot on his back, completely subduing him. He gently pressed the tip of his Cyan Peak Short Sword against the vital point on Yang Haishan’s back and said coldly, "Don’t move!"

The dust settled.

High above, Yang Kun, who was in a standoff with Qi Yue and Zhao Shouzheng, saw how quickly Yang Haishan had been captured. The last trace of composure vanished from his face, replaced by an unconcealable disappointment and anger. He glared at Yang Haishan, who lay on the ground like a dead dog, and squeezed out a low curse through gritted teeth:

"Trash!"

A cultivator at the Second Transformation of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, taken down so cleanly in a head-on fight by a young director who had just entered the Marrow Cleansing Realm!

The whole point of the three-way standoff was to let the two below decide the outcome themselves. He had thought his side had a high chance of winning, but he never expected Yang Haishan to be so utterly useless.

Yang Kun’s low curse dissipated in the night wind. He knew that with things having come to this, forcibly taking the prisoner was no longer possible. It might even bring disaster upon himself.

Qi Yue’s smile never faltered, as if he hadn’t heard the word "Trash." His tone remained placid as he spoke to Yang Kun, "Director Yang, the suspect has now been apprehended. Do you still insist on taking him back to the Civil Affairs Bureau? If so, I can have someone draw up the transfer documents right now. All it requires is your signature."

He was tossing the ball back into Yang Kun’s court, and the meaning behind his words couldn’t have been clearer.

Yang Kun’s expression was calm as he replied, "This case is of great importance, involving both the Cabinet and local authorities. As the department in charge of local affairs, the Civil Affairs Bureau has the right and the duty to participate in the subsequent interrogation. The suspect can be temporarily held by the City Defense Bureau, but the Civil Affairs Bureau must have personnel present during the interrogation to prevent anyone from fabricating charges."