Chapter 66: Gathering Momentum!

So fast—almost impossibly so!

Yu Shan, having practiced the art of Concealed Breath, gave off no discernible aura. He had lain in wait, ready to strike, and with a sudden change of stance, he felled one man outright and wounded another. He had intended to press the advantage and not give Hu Da the slightest chance to catch his breath, but remembering that he still had to protect the two people in the carriage, he abandoned his pursuit. Instead, he stood by the carriage, gripping his bloodied blade tightly.

“Villain!” came the furious shout.

Hu Da, watching his brother die before his eyes and feeling the wound on his own face, was beside himself with rage. Drawing his saber, he sprang at Yu Shan with a murderous swing.

Yu Shan, facing this powerful onslaught, did not flinch or dodge. He twisted his foot, raised his blade, and met the attack head-on.

In the rain-soaked night, their weapons clashed.

With the sharp, ringing sound of metal striking metal, it was as though a vacuum formed around them; the water on the ground splashed away and the curtain of rain seemed to roll back upon itself.

For a heartbeat, the rain seemed to freeze in midair.

The two men locked eyes—one pair blazing with wrath, as if seeking blood; the other dull and lifeless, like still water, unmoved by anything in the world.

Hu Da was shaken. While he hadn’t been able to gauge the depth of this coachman’s skill earlier during the surprise attack, now, after clashing openly, he could tell: this man was his equal in strength.

They exchanged several probing blows.

Meanwhile, some men from the main hall, hearing the commotion, rushed out. But since it was raining and late at night, there were few on duty. Seeing their leader fighting an unknown assailant and Hu Er’s corpse lying nearby, they exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain what to do.

It was clear to them that the stranger was at least as skilled as their leader. If they rushed in recklessly, they feared they might end up just like Hu Er.

They were nothing but a rabble, none willing to rush forward and be the first to die. So they circled with weapons drawn, but not one dared to step up.

Hu Da, cursing inwardly, feigned weakness, pretending to be overpowered so as to draw Yu Shan away from the carriage, and shouted, “Why are you just standing there? Grab the woman in the carriage!”

On the other side...

The low-level members of the Chiba Gang had recovered from their shock and rushed toward the carriage.

Hu San and a few others pushed through the crowd and leapt onto the carriage. As he reached for the curtain, his face twisted into a sneer, he spat out a curse: “You filthy wh—”

He had barely pulled the curtain halfway when a sudden whooshing sound split the air. Before he could finish his words, a foot shot out from behind the curtain and kicked him square in the face.

Hu San, enraged by his second brother’s death, had hoped to seize the young madam of the Song family and earn merit. But this unexpected blow caught him off guard. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth as he was sent flying.

He had not yet recovered from the lashings he’d received earlier, and now, with another heavy blow to his face, his eyes turned crimson with blood. He spat out a mouthful and collapsed, unconscious.

Liu Shen stepped out of the carriage, letting the curtain fall behind him. He stood above the gathered members of the Chiba Gang, looking down at them, his saber in hand.

He was silent, but the force he radiated grew with every moment.

A martial artist who has just broken through to the second level finds the energy in their body surging through every vein and bone. The power can leak out, but after a moment it would settle.

The Chiba Gang members, seeing the aura swirling around Liu Shen, couldn’t make sense of his strength or intentions. With Hu San lying unconscious, they were too intimidated to move forward.

Yu Shan’s eyes flickered. Sensing Liu Shen’s aura burning like a furnace, he relaxed inwardly. He had discussed martial cultivation with Liu Shen before and recognized his energy. He knew Liu Shen had been on the brink of reaching the second level; he hadn’t expected him to break through here and now.

Good—very good!

Seeing that Liu Shen’s imposing presence had cowed the Chiba Gang, Yu Shan focused solely on going after Hu Da with relentless force.

In the world of martial gangs, those with strict codes like the Qingsha Gang held together well enough. But in groups like the Chishui Gang, which ignored all codes of honor, most members were selfish and unreliable—hardly worth the name.

Kill Hu Da, the hall master, and the rest would lose their backbone and scatter.

Hu Da, seeing both his brothers dead and his men cowed by a mere youth who had just broken through to the second level, was consumed with rage, wishing he could crush his cowardly followers himself.

But his opponent’s attacks grew ever fiercer, and he realized what Yu Shan intended. He roared, “That brat’s aura is only leaking because he just broke through—you’re not only gutless, are you all brainless too?!”

Among the Chiba Gang, a few were also at the second level and recognized the signs of a recent breakthrough. Exchanging glances, one greedy for merit stepped forward, face twisted with malice.

Liu Shen only grinned.

He could have broken through two days earlier, but had deliberately held back until now. Even when Hu San had lifted the curtain, he’d had the chance to kill him with a single stroke, but chose instead to kick him away—deliberately building up his momentum.

He walked calmly from the carriage, his aura blazing, while Hu San lay bleeding and unconscious among the crowd.

These two shocks confused the Chiba Gang, making them uncertain of Liu Shen’s abilities. Unknowingly, a seed of fear had been planted in their hearts.

Their fearful faces, hesitant eyes, and shuffling feet only deepened Liu Shen’s growing momentum with every passing second.

He had planned from the start to use every resource and trick at his disposal.

Seeing one man break from the crowd and charge at him with murderous intent, Liu Shen twisted his foot, leaped from the carriage, and raised his blade.

His spirit, energy, and will all focused on his weapon, enhanced by the momentum he had built—it was like a tiger leaping across a stream.

“Heaven and Earth as One!” he bellowed, bringing his saber down upon the charging underboss.

He had never understood why some would shout the name of their technique in battle. Wasn’t it giving away your move? Now, he understood.

That unrestrained shout added a weight to the attack, making it all the more imposing.

The blade fell with a shriek that tore the air, its unstoppable momentum like a tiger’s leap, joined by a thunderous cry that seemed to shake the very earth. Together, they created the illusion that even the endless night rain might be split apart by this blow.

The underboss, moments ago brimming with malice, now stared in terror at the descending blade—his soul seemed to flee his body, his face turned waxen with fear.

He barely managed any defense before the cold flash of the blade swept past him, and his body crumpled into two pieces.

To show fear before this move was death.

Liu Shen stood gripping his blade, rain mingling with blood as it dripped from the edge.

It was as if he had thrown open a door he had never touched before—a door named “Overwhelm with Momentum, Combine with Heaven and Earth as One.”

His whole body trembled with excitement.

Though he was surrounded by dozens, though he was only a newly minted second-level martial artist—

Looking on at his foes, all pallid with terror, he felt a strange, exultant sense: “All I see before me are gutless mice—there is not one among them who can stand against me!”