Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 386: Fight?

When Chu Liang asked Xu Zhiyin about what was going on, the young lady's face was filled with fear.

"Before dawn, news broke from the south of the city that the Sun and Moon Pavilion had gathered their forces and were marching here. The vice-chief was prepared as she swiftly rallied her troops to confront them. Now, a significant standoff is happening on the front street... it seems to be a Deathmatch Arena instead of a full-scale war. If it were an actual battle, many in Python Belly City would perish," she murmured.

The term "Deathmatch Arena" piqued Chu Liang's interest and he only understood after Xu Zhiyin had explained to him.

In Python Belly City, medical supplies were scarce, and every skirmish resulted in heavy casualties. Cultivators, martial artists, and even demons often met their end. The balance of power in the city was maintained by these three forces. If two factions were gravely wounded, the third would surely seize the opportunity.

Over time, the city came up with the Deathmatch Arena rule.

Minor skirmishes were ignored, but for major disputes, each faction would send three champions to fight in the Deathmatch Arena, with the best of three rounds determining the winner. Each member was only allowed to participate in one match per year.

The victorious side would be declared the winner and could claim the contested item, preventing widespread bloodshed.

After hearing this, Chu Liang said, "I'll go check out the commotion."

"Young Hero Chu, it's very dangerous over there. You had a conflict with the Sun and Moon Pavilion people yesterday..." Xu Zhiyin's voice was laced with worry as she tried to dissuade Chu Liang.

Chu Liang gave a reassuring smile. "It's alright, I know my limits."

He wanted to check out the scene because this large-scale confrontation meant that most of the members from both parties would be present. Lin Bei had arrived with him yesterday, and as a cultivator, it was likely he had been recruited by the Sun and Moon Pavilion. By heading to the scene, Chu Liang might be able to find him.

Hearing this, Xu Zhiyin relented and urged, "Stay safe then."

The battlefield of cultivators and martial artists was not one that ordinary people dared to approach. There was a risk of getting caught in the deadly aftermath even if one was watching from a distance.

As Chu Liang stepped out of the medicinal hall, he extended his divine sense, scanning the surroundings. Soon, he located this street in which the sky was dark, as if covered by gloomy clouds, with flames of qi rising into the air.

The residents near the long street had already evacuated. Those on the periphery were calmly moving their belongings. The people of Python Belly City were clearly accustomed to such events and well-versed in the course of actions.

Chu Liang quietly slipped into a house through a window and peeked out from another window at the long street.

The scene was indeed quite spectacular!

On the Blazing Fire Gang's side, there were five to six hundred people. A large number of robust martial artists filled half the street, their figures even visible on the rooftops.

These martial artists couldn't all be outsiders. Given the scale of Python Belly City's population, it was likely that every individual with the potential to master martial arts had joined one of these factions.

It was a natural outcome. Those born with talent in such a place couldn't afford to let it go to waste. There was no need for the faction to convince them to join as they would proactively seek to learn for the sake of keeping oneself safe.

Among the few hundred martial artists gathered, many were true experts. At this moment, their vigorous qi and vitality combined, sending a powerful surge of yang energy skyward!

On the opposite side, about a hundred cultivators stood, either balanced on their swords or hovering in mid-air. Their sharp auras matched the martial artists' intensity, neither side yielding an inch.

The leader on the Blazing Fire Gang's side was naturally the vice-chief from yesterday. Despite being a woman, she commanded this group of strong men with effortless authority.

She rode a saber-toothed liger beast that was ten zhang tall. With a crimson crescent blade strapped to her back, she exuded an air of unparalleled might!

On the opposite side, the Sun and Moon Pavilion made a grand entrance. Four giant elephants, engulfed in flames, marched forward, carrying a luxurious carriage that resembled a pavilion.

Constructing such a lavish carriage in Python Belly City was a testament to their top-tier prestige.

Four cultivators, their divine light subdued, stood around the carriage. At first glance, they exuded an aura of formidable power.

From Chu Liang's perspective, they seemed to be on par with him, if not stronger, at least in terms of cultivation level.

Yesterday, Chu Liang learned from Xu Zhiyin about Elder Yin, the master of the Sun and Moon Pavilion. Elder Yin, having arrived here a hundred years ago, was the person in Python Belly City who had lived the longest.

Unfortunately, in this place, it was almost impossible to advance in cultivation. No matter how long he stayed here, he couldn't achieve a breakthrough and could only watch his lifespan slowly diminish.

The Sun and Moon Pavilion he established had a clear hierarchy with four levels.

The first level comprised various cultivators, most of whom were present at the moment. The second level included the minor leaders. The third level was reserved for four individuals—Elder Yin's most trusted subordinates who were also his adopted sons. Elder Yin stood alone at the fourth level.

Now, it seemed that the individuals surrounding the luxurious carriage were the third-level experts of the Sun and Moon Pavilion.

The brocade-robed man from the previous day was among them. He was one of Elder Yin's adopted sons, which explained his arrogance. However, among the four, he stood at the rear of the carriage, signifying that while he held some status, it wasn't particularly high.

Tension filled the air.

With both sides presenting such formidable formations, it was clear that neither would back down easily.

After a while, the vice-chief of the Blazing Fire Gang urged her saber-toothed liger forward and shouted, "Elder Yin, making such a grand entrance into our territory, are you trying to start a war?!"

A man in white stepped forward from the carriage and replied with disdain, "Tell Hua Zhengshan to show up and talk to my father."

"Hmph," the vice-chief retorted, "You worthless lot aren't worthy of our leader's presence."

"Is it that we're unworthy, or that Hua Zhengshan can't come out?" a deep, aged voice suddenly boomed from the carriage.

Whoosh.

A light breeze lifted the curtain, revealing an old, withered face inside.

An old man in loose robes leaned on the carriage, looking lean and weathered, as if he were at death's door. Yet, his eyes blazed with a terrifying brightness, like the final flames of life.

"If it's a fight you want, the Blazing Fire Gang is never afraid!" the vice-chief shouted. "But if you have other nonsense to spout, you may as well leave!"

"Hehe..." Elder Yin chuckled, then spoke clearly, "Hua Zhengshan tried to escape Python Belly City but was caught by the city lord's guardians. He's imprisoned in the northern iron prison. I saw it with my own eyes! No one has ever come out of there..."

"Ah?"

At these words, the Blazing Fire Gang erupted in an uproar.

The vice-chief's gaze darkened sharply.

She knew about this, but it had never been made public. Now, with Elder Yin suddenly revealing it, the Blazing Fire Gang's formation was disrupted before the battle even began.

But as the backbone of the Blazing Fire Gang, she showed no panic. "Even without our leader, we still have over six hundred brothers who can guarantee that you won't return home! You can test it out if you don't believe me!"

It was a very blunt response that avoided any unnecessary chatter. All she did was ask if they had the nerve to fight.

"Hmph." Elder Yin shook his head lightly. "If we start a full-scale war without Hua Zhengshan, the demon race will surely take advantage of this situation. I came today to discuss something important with you."

"Is this how you start a discussion?" the vice-chief retorted, raising her crescent blade and pointing it at the opposing formation.

"If I didn't approach it this way, I fear this discussion would end in failure," Elder Yin replied with a smile. He then added, "A few of my incompetent subordinates went to the medicinal hall to kill some of your Blazing Fire Gang members, but they were stopped by a young swordsman. If you hand over that young man, we can consider this matter resolved, and I promise not to make things difficult for you anymore."

Huh?

A young swordsman in the medicinal hall?

Chu Liang, who was peeking from the side, blinked in surprise. How did he suddenly get mentioned while he was just watching the commotion? This old man seemed to have a sharp eye for picking out people.

"You said he's not a member of the Blazing Fire Gang, so I can't do this for you," the vice-chief immediately refused. "Even if he were one of us, I wouldn't hand him over to you. Forget about it."

"Haaaa..." Elder Yin sighed and said, "Then have your people step aside and let my Sun and Moon Pavilion members enter the eastern area of the city to find him."

"Dream on!" The vice-chief shouted again, "Today, you have only two choices: either go back to where you came from, or fight!"

Chu Liang thought that this vice-chief was a person of much integrity. Despite having a grudge against his esteemed teacher, she did not betray him.

Of course, he knew that the vice-chief was not just protecting him but also upholding the authority of the Blazing Fire Gang. With their leader absent, the gang's morale depended entirely on her. If she showed any weakness in front of the enemy, their morale would immediately plummet.

At that time, the Sun and Moon Pavilion could easily break and dismantle the Blazing Fire Gang.

This old man seemed to be discussing things amicably, but in reality, he harbored malicious intentions. Nevertheless, the vice-chief didn't fall for it.

"Since that's the case, I suppose we have no choice...but to fight?" Elder Yin muttered with a helpless expression.

As soon as these words were uttered, all the cultivators behind him drew their flying swords! In an instant, the air was filled with the deafening clang of steel against steel.

Sword qi erupted in every direction!

The vice-chief also shouted loudly, "Fight!"

On the Blazing Fire Gang's side, weapons were unsheathed, and flames of qi burst into the sky, painting the horizon with fire.

A great battle would happen at any moment!

At this critical moment, Chu Liang could no longer stay hidden. He sprang into the center of the chaos, his voice cutting through the noise, "Wait!"

In the blink of an eye, he appeared between the two factions. As he faced the cultivators from the Sun and Moon Pavilion, he called out, "I heard you're looking for me?"

Elder Yin glanced at the brocade-robed man beside him, the same one who had been taught a lesson by Chu Liang yesterday.

The brocade-robed man immediately nodded fervently. "Elder Yin, it's him..."

He pointed at Chu Liang, only to find Chu Liang's gaze fixed on him. As their eyes met, he quickly looked away in fear.

"Impressive," Elder Yin said, smiling at Chu Liang instead of ordering an attack. "For a young man to have such cultivation, it's truly remarkable. I hear you possess a top-grade flying sword. May I take a look?"

Hmm? So his target was the Dustless Sword? Chu Liang pondered for a moment.

He had revealed himself to prevent both sides from starting a war over him. After all, he hadn't formed any deep grudge with them; he had merely killed a giant elephant yesterday. Surely, there was nothing that couldn't be resolved through discussion.

And with his current cultivation, even if negotiations failed and he truly wanted to escape, those cultivators might not be able to stop him.

But upon hearing this, he realized that the old man was interested in his flying sword,

This was something he couldn’t give away...

In actuality, when the group of cultivators returned yesterday, they were too embarrassed to admit that their own cultivation levels were too weak, having had their flying swords broken by just one person. Instead, they told Elder Yin that Chu Liang's sword was extraordinarily powerful, exaggerating its strength to the point of claiming it was one of the top ten treasures in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures.

Elder Yin then examined the broken swords' blades and sensed a trace of familiar qi...

This struck a chord with him, aligning perfectly with something that had been weighing on his mind.

This was why he made such a grand entrance today, hoping to enter the eastern area of the city to locate someone.

In fact, he was searching for a particular sword.

Chu Liang had no idea of what had happened behind the scenes. All he knew was that Elder Yin seemed to be scheming in Python Belly City and coveting his Dustless Sword.

If my teacher were here, she would never allow you to act so presumptuously for such a long time. She would have already broken your cane! How dare you covet my treasure? No way, not a chance! Chu Liang thought. Even though these were his thoughts, he said, "Esteemed Senior, it's not that I'm stingy. The fact is, I am poor, and this flying sword is my only means of survival after all these years of cultivation. It's really not something I can easily lend to others."

Elder Yin frowned slightly and asked, "No room for negotiation?"

The threat in his tone was obvious. Hearing this, Chu Liang smiled and said, "How about this? Let's follow the rules of Python Belly City and have a Deathmatch Arena."

"Hmm?" Elder Yin stared at Chu Liang's face.

"I will fight on my own. You can send three people to challenge me one-on-one in three matches. If I lose just one match, I'll hand over the flying sword. If you lose, then please return the way you came and the Sun and Moon Pavilion people shall not set foot in the eastern area of the city for a year!"

Even as Chu Liang faced the numerous members of the Sun and Moon Pavilion alone, he remained fearless, issuing his challenge with a smile.

Elder Yin stared at him for a moment. Then, he nodded gently and said, "Nice one! As expected of the youngsters! Such vigor and energy! Very well. We shall do as you say!"