30: Chapter 30 Fierce Battle with Bandits

The burly man was extremely fast, catching up to Ye Jing and Ye Xuan in just a few strides.

As he fled, Ye Jing heard the whistling of an axe near his ear and immediately shouted, "Xuaner! Dodge!"

Ye Xuan hurriedly leaped to the side. The axe grazed his face, crashing heavily into the ground.

In an instant, the burly man had closed in on them, blocking their path.

"You're quite the runners!" The burly man panted, gripping his Broadaxe. "Meeting Master Luo today is your misfortune!"

Ye Jing stared at the man, noticing his pale face and constant panting. It seemed the man had exhausted himself significantly while attacking Duan Peng earlier, but Ye Jing still didn't want to face him head-on.

After all, the words "Third-Stage Martial Artist" that Duan Peng had shouted before dying filled Ye Jing with apprehension.

Although Ye Jing and Ye Xuan had both gained some Blood Qi thanks to the golden spirit rice, it didn't mean they were ready to face a Third-Stage Martial Artist.

The burly man swung his axe at Ye Xuan. In his eyes, if he killed the young one, the old one certainly wouldn't be able to escape.

Seeing the Broadaxe hacking down, Ye Xuan quickly raised his Hunting knife. As the blades collided, Ye Xuan felt a powerful force that threatened to crush him.

With a thud, Ye Xuan dropped heavily onto one knee. The hilt of the Hunting knife almost embedded itself into his palm, and a tearing pain shot through the webbing between his thumb and forefinger.

He could clearly feel the man's brutal strength. If he hadn't been training his body under his father's supervision and consuming golden spirit rice, this strike would have surely split him in half just like Duan Peng.

"A mere villager has this much strength?!" The burly man was shocked. He thought it was just an ordinary villager, but he hadn't expected him to block his axe and hold out for so long.

Seeing this, Ye Jing's pupils constricted, and his heart filled with anxiety. He couldn't hesitate any longer. He drew his Hunting knife and roared, "You dog! Don't you dare hurt my son!"

The powerful shout momentarily startled the burly man. Thinking another powerful opponent had arrived, the strength in his hands faltered slightly.

Ye Jing leaped up, gripping his Hunting knife tightly, and stabbed toward the man's back with all his might.

The burly man clearly hadn't expected that the white-haired old man he had disdained to pursue would jump up and attack him.

The unexpected blade plunged into his chest. The intense pain made the man scream out instantly, and he gnashed his teeth, trying to turn and attack Ye Jing.

Ye Jing wouldn't give the man a chance to breathe. The blade had already sunk an inch into the flesh, and he gave a loud shout, thrusting it even deeper into the man's chest.

The burly man tried to use his strength to shake off the old man in front of him, but behind him, Ye Xuan raised his knife, aiming to kill him as well.

Caught in a pincer attack, the man immediately shouted, "If you kill me, the Tiger Gang won't let you... Argh!"

Before he could finish, Ye Jing gave a ruthless thrust, piercing the man's heart. Seeing his father restraining the villain, Ye Xuan didn't hesitate to hack down fiercely at the back of the villain's neck.

Splat! The crisp sound of the blade hitting bone rang out, and the burly man's scream came to an abrupt halt.

His head was severed cleanly, rolling across the ground with eyes wide open, dying with grievances unredressed.

Ye Jing slowly withdrew his Hunting knife. Blood splattered across half his face, adding a touch of grimness to his appearance.

The bandit was finally dealt with. Only then did Ye Jing dare to relax, his body staggering slightly.

Ye Xuan rushed to support Ye Jing. "Father! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just used too much force just now." Ye Jing waved his hand, his eyes scanning the man's corpse, his brow furrowed.

What should they do now? They had killed this bandit, and the Constables had died here as well. If the government investigated and held them accountable, what would they do?

"Father!" Ye Xuan looked at the corpses littering the ground. Seeing Ye Jing remain silent for so long, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

Hearing this, as the head of the family, Ye Jing knew he had to stay calm. He said, "Xuaner, don't panic. First, see what this villain has on him."

Ye Xuan nodded and searched the burly man's body. He found a cloth bundle tucked against the man's chest. Opening it, he revealed two Secret Manuals and some loose silver.

They were the Body Forging Method and the Black Whirlwind Axe Technique.

Ye Jing took them and looked. The Body Forging Method focused on tempering the body through physical training to increase Blood Qi; it was the most basic Stake Technique for a Martial Artist's Cultivation.

As for the Black Whirlwind Axe Technique, it stated that practitioners could wield twin axes. When executed, the axe shadows were like a rotating black wind, unstoppable, hence the name.

The burly man must have practiced this axe technique. That move earlier had easily defeated the enemy, preventing Duan Peng and the other officers from getting close.

This technique was also simple to pick up; it only required the ability to wield twin axes and possess great strength.

Both Secret Manuals were good things. Seeing this, Ye Jing immediately wanted to keep them for himself.

Ye Jing and Ye Xuan checked the Bailiffs. None of them were breathing. The villain's Broadaxe was incredibly powerful and he had shown no mercy, killing them all.

Looking at the ground covered in the corpses of officials, Ye Jing began to get a headache.

The Constables who came to catch the villain were all dead, yet they, two ordinary villagers, were unscathed. No matter how you looked at it, they wouldn't be able to escape suspicion.

If questioned forcefully, the fact that Ye Jing's family was practicing martial arts, along with the golden spirit rice, would be exposed.

Without power or influence, suddenly possessing so many treasures...

Given the way the magistrate's office operated these days, the first thing they'd do is raid the house and torture them, then frame the family for conspiring with the bandit. The whole family would end up in prison.

Thinking of this, Ye Jing became anxious. How could he break this deadlock!

Ye Jing looked at the officials lying scattered nearby. He wrapped the two Secret Manuals and tucked them into his robe, then said to Ye Xuan, "Go to the village right now and shout that the officials were no match for the villain. Say Duan Peng sent you to get help. Let everyone in the village know how powerful this villain is, and go report to the government for reinforcements!"

"Father, what about you?" Ye Xuan asked urgently.

Ye Jing said in a low voice, "I'll stay in the mountains to deal with these officials' bodies. I'll make it look like they've vanished without a trace. Doesn't our Qinling Mountains have Essence Spirits? We'll blame the villain's death on those Essence Spirits!"

"Father, won't it be too dangerous for you to stay in the mountains alone?!" Ye Xuan asked anxiously.

Ye Jing wiped the blood off his knife and said, "We can't go down the mountain together, otherwise the suspicion will be too great. Just say I was also attacked and my fate is unknown!"

Finally, Ye Jing's voice held a hint of helplessness. "The act must be convincing. Don't let the family know about my plan either."

Ye Xuan was stunned, then said solemnly, "Father! I understand! You must be careful in the mountains!"

With that, Ye Xuan ran quickly down the mountain.

Watching his son leave, Ye Jing clutched his aching arm. Looking at the dark mountain pass ahead, he patted Hei Feng.

Hei Feng understood. He picked up the Bailiffs' corpses in his mouth, dragged them to the edge of the cliff, and threw them down.

The roar of wild beasts immediately echoed from the valley. Ye Jing sneered. If a person died in the valley, they would be picked clean by the wild beasts within three days.

Now he only hoped the people from the magistrate's office would arrive late, giving the beasts more time to feed. That way, they would be convinced that Duan Peng and the others had met a violent end in the wilderness.

On the other side, Ye Xuan sprinted all the way down the mountain, the mountain wind rushing into his throat with a bone-chilling coldness.

The night was deep, and the village was originally silent.

When Ye Xuan reached the village, he deliberately slowed his pace and ran toward his home, shouting, "It's terrible! Someone's been killed! A villain is killing people in the mountains!"

This roar exploded like a clap of thunder, and every household opened their doors.

When they saw Ye Xuan covered in blood, they were nearly scared out of their wits.

The Ye family also heard Ye Xuan's shouts. When Ye Yi came out and saw his elder brother covered in blood and his clothes in tatters, his eyes instantly turned red.

He struggled and yelled, "Where's Father?! Did he come back with you?!"

Ye Xuan immediately wailed, "Father and those gentlemen were attacked by a villain! I saw it with my own eyes. That villain was incredibly fierce, wielding a Broadaxe. Lord Duan and the others were no match for him and told me to go down the mountain for help."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the Ye family felt as if they had been struck by lightning.