Chapter 31 (1/2)

Xiao Chen turned furious, “Speak clearly! What happened!”

“The princes, Prince Zhao! Ye Shaochong has taken them!” Wang Yue said, worried and agitated.

“What…” Xiao Cheng waved his hand, summoning to him his Unsullied that tore out of his cottage through the window. It flew to his hand, and Xiao Chen sped out of the courtyard.

“Young Master!” Lil Ruo cried from behind. Yet Xiao Chen was no longer in sight.

With his Immortal-override Steps, Xiao Chen increased his pace. A quarter-hour later, he reached the Sky-gazing Gorge, finding that everyone was standing at the center region of the valley. There was a crowd of people watching and murmuring to each other.

There were a few trees at the center which the crowd formed a ring around. There he saw the three princes tied to the trees, hanging from the trees’ branches. There was another rowdy mob standing around them. There was Ye Shaochong, the leader of the mob, who hissed menacingly at the princes, “Very good, eh? How dare you peddle your wares in my territory without asking for my permission?”

“Ptui!” Prince Zhao spat a mouthful of blood at him and snarled, “Ye Shaochong! Kill me today if you dare! I will make sure that your entire family is executed if I were to abandon my studies here one day! None of your kin will be left!”

“Execution of my family?” Ye Shaochong smirked and delivered a blow with his fist to the prince’s abdomen.

“Argh!” Prince Zhao vomited blood once again, no longer being able to speak. Hanging beside him, Princes Qi and Yan were so terrified that their faces were deathly pale, speechless with fear.

“Heh heh! Slice off his hands! Let the message be loud and clear: I, Ye Shaochong is king here!” He motioned to two of his minions, who drew their sword and began swinging their swords at Prince Zhao’s arm.

Just when everyone held their breaths, a white flash zipped through the air. There were two loud clangs; the swords of Ye Shaochong’s two minions broke. Like a lively serpent, the white flash veered and circled around the three large trees, snipping off the ropes that held the three princes.

There was another flash: it was the fleeting shadow of a stranger appearing out of nowhere. He took hold of the falling Prince Zhao and snapped the ropes binding him into shreds with his spiritual powers.

Prince Zhao slowly opened his eyes, his breath still weak and slow, “Senior Brother Xiao…”

“Speak no more!” Xiao Chen channeled some of his True Energy into him. Blood trickled out of his ears, nose, and mouth; this told Xiao Chen that Prince Zhao had suffered some internal injuries.

Xiao Chen took out some of the healing elixirs that Mu Chengxue once left him and slipped one into the prince’s mouth.

“You again, boy?” Ye Shaochong paced imperiously towards them.

Xiao Chen cracked his knuckles and slowly placed Prince Zhao on to the ground. He turned slowly, his gaze so hollow and deadly that everyone nearby could not help shivering.

Ye Shaochong snickered, “Heh heh… I once said, there are surely people who are tired of living. So well then…” He had not finished, but he lunged forward.

“Oh!” Everyone held their breaths. Everything then happened so swiftly in a blink of an eye.

“To Hell you go!” Xiao Chen roared. He leaped into the air and landed a kick into his opponent’s stomach, sending him into a crash meters away. Crashing into the ground, blood oozed incessantly from Ye Shaochong’s mouth.

The newer disciples who have been cowering not far behind swiftly came forward. Some helped remove the ropes that bound Princes Qi and Yan while some other rushed to help Prince Zhao up. Xiao Chen stood there alone. A wisp of black fumes appeared to be whirling over his forehead as his eyes took a dark purplish hue; even the twelve Spiritual Meridians in his body began to exude twelve dark and sinister True Qi auras.

Winds began to blow and howl as if in resonance to the growing presence emanating from him, both terrible and terrifying. Disciples, old and new alike, were shuddered by the change in his demeanor. The Xiao Chen now reminded them of a word most feared by all – Evil!

“Kill him!” Ye Shaochong cried. Dozens of his minions drew their swords and pounced at Xiao Chen.

“Heh…” Xiao Chen let out a sinister hiss. Unsullied shot into the air as a white bolt of light, weaving through the mob and left nothing but blood and carnage in its wake. Screams and shrieks filled the air as the putrid stench of blood filled the nostrils of everyone watching. More than half of the dozen men have their ears severed; some even had their limbs cloven off.

Ye Shaochong could hardly believe what he saw; his eyes wide and his face swept with panic and terror. He had never been so afraid in his life. He felt nothing but regret, knowing that he should not have angered Xiao Chen.

“Rest with peace in Hell!” Xiao Chen snarled. Like a bolt of lightning, he appeared before Ye Shaochong and delivered a blow to his quarry’s face with his fist.

Ye Shaochong frantically raised his arms, hoping to shield himself from the blow. Yet his powers – lV 2 Qi Refining Realm – that derived from the use of Qi-refining Pills rather than scrupulous hard work were no match for Xiao Chen’s. Sounds of cracking bones filled the air; it appears that the bones of his wrist were crushed.

Relentlessly without an ounce of mercy, Xiao Chen landed blow after blow upon the face of his prey that Ye Shaochong’s face was bloodied and battered. Everyone watching the spectacle was stunned into silence with fear and awe.

“Heh… Let me help you become a common man, instead of leaving you here to be a bane to all that walks this lands!” Xiao Chen spat dangerously. He channeled more True Energy into his arms and began to strike at his vital points.