Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

Following that, he thrust his hands forward. Wisps of black qi drifted out, seemingly mixed with phantom skulls.

Fang Yinuo’s expression changed drastically:

"Netherworld God Palm!

"That’s impossible!!"

As he spoke, he tried to pull back his attack and retreat, but how could there possibly be enough time?

He had just used his full strength trying to snatch the Fire Meteor. Setting aside whether he could even disengage, even if he could... the resulting backlash alone, without Zuo Mingqiu even needing to lift a finger, would probably leave him half-dead.

The only remaining elder of the Three Rivers Gang saw this and was about to leap forward to lend his aid.

But before his feet could even leave the ground, a hand shot out from behind Fang Yinuo and yanked him back.

The next instant, a brilliant golden light streaked through the air, illuminating the sky.

As the blade was drawn, the entire area suddenly lit up.

Its edge formed a single line; the blade moved without a sound.

The spreading black Gang Qi was instantly split in two.

Unhindered, it shot straight for Zuo Mingqiu.

Zuo Mingqiu’s pupils instantly shrank to the size of pinpricks. He immediately changed his palm strike, condensing a faint wisp of Gang Qi within his palms.

HUMMM!!!

The moment the formless blade of qi made contact with this Gang Qi, a fierce wind billowed Zuo Mingqiu’s robes.

His hair flew up, and for an instant, even the skin on his face seemed to ripple like a wave.

And the people standing near him had yet to realize what was happening.

A red mark had already appeared between their brows, slain on the spot by the overflowing blade qi.

Finally, with a furious shout, Zuo Mingqiu unleashed his Inner Strength without reservation, finally managing to completely dissipate the blade qi.

His body stumbled back two steps. He was just about to look up to see his attacker when, in the time it took to raise his head, a figure flashed before his eyes.

Following that, a hand shot out with a smack, grabbing him directly by the neck.

Before he could see who it was, he felt a coldness at the base of his ear. The sensation of tearing registered in his mind a moment later, and when he looked again, the man was holding an ear in his hand.

The man casually tossed the ear to the ground, then reached out his five fingers, clenched, and tore. The other ear, along with a patch of scalp, was now in his hand.

Only then did Zuo Mingqiu finally feel the pain!

"AHHH!!!"

The belated, agonizing scream instantly filled the entire hall.

But before he could let out a proper howl, a crisp smack echoed through the room.

A heavy slap had already landed across his face:

"You’re a grown man. It’s just two ears. What are you screaming about?"

The slap left Zuo Mingqiu’s head ringing. When he came to his senses, he stared intently at the man before him, Jiang Ran:

"You... It’s you!?"

Though Jiang Ran had earned a second look by casually catching his box earlier,

he had never imagined this person’s martial skill would be so much greater than he had thought!

’Who on earth is this person?’

Jiang Ran had only arrived at the Three Rivers Gang this afternoon.

Zuo Mingqiu, on the other hand, had been plotting this for days. He had come sharpening his blades, believing that taking down Fang Yinuo would be the end of it.

He never expected a master with an unfamiliar face to suddenly appear here.

Jiang Ran, however, had no desire to waste words on him. He reached out and pressed a hand directly over one of Zuo Mingqiu’s eyes:

"Take me to find Fang Li. If you don’t, forget waiting around—every time you refuse, I’ll take another piece off your body."

Although Jiang Ran had torn off both of Zuo Mingqiu’s ears, his outer ears were gone but his middle and inner ears remained.

His hearing may have been greatly diminished, but he could still hear what Jiang Ran was saying.

Upon hearing this, he subconsciously opened his mouth to speak:

"Don’t you even think ab—AHH!"

Before he could finish, a sharp pain shot through his eyelid. When he opened his eye again, he couldn’t see anything out of it:

"You... you destroyed my eye!

"I’m going to..."

As he spoke those words, he felt a slight pressure descend on his other eye:

"You’re going to do what?"

"..."

Zuo Mingqiu didn’t dare say another word.

Everything had happened too quickly. In the blink of an eye, the situation had changed completely. Only now did Fang Yinuo react, hurriedly saying:

"Young Hero Jiang, bring me the Fire Meteor."

But Jiang Ran shook his head:

"If this Fire Meteor is ever fired, I’m afraid you’ll only be able to collect Fang Li’s corpse."

Fang Yinuo froze. He wasn’t a fool, he’d just been drinking and his mind wasn’t clear.

Plus, his judgment was clouded by worry, causing him to overlook other crucial details.

’Thinking about it now,’ he mused, ’these people came here to destroy me and the Three Rivers Gang.’

’If I were to cripple my own martial arts, that would mean they had already achieved their goal.’

’The Three Rivers Gang would no longer be a threat, and Fang Li would lose all his value. He would be dead for sure!’

A cold dread prickled at Fang Yinuo’s scalp at the thought.

Then he heard Jiang Ran speak:

"Gang Leader Fang, do you know where the Black Water Stronghold is?"

"I... I know."

Fang Yinuo hurriedly replied:

"Head north from here, thirty-six li by water, and you’ll find the Black Water Stronghold... Young Master Jiang, I will go!"

With that, his figure blurred as he began to rush out.

Two men in black leaped out, attacking simultaneously from his left and right.

Fang Yinuo roared furiously:

"Courting death!!"

He struck out with both palms. With two loud thuds, he met the two men in black’s attacks.

All three landed simultaneously. Fang Yinuo’s stance was steady, but the two men stumbled back repeatedly, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.

They were clearly seriously injured from the single blow.

Yet Fang Yinuo felt no pride at this sight, only shock.

’Even Zuo Mingqiu’s subordinates are this skilled?’

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a blade flashed, and with a soft rolling sound, two heads tumbled to the ground.