Chapter 35 Showdown

"Hero Lin, you are too modest."

Jiang Chen, however, had a different opinion. He saw Lin Chen's temples slightly bulging, not as prominently as those of an average Martial Artist, which clearly indicated he had reached the Realm of returning to simplicity.

His Internal Energy was pure and full, no longer much weaker than a cultivator at the first or second level of the Qi Induction Stage.

Especially that long spear. As Jiang Chen looked at it, he saw traces of killing intent lingering on it, along with the blood of monsters.

Soon, Jiang Chen and Lin Chen arrived outside the Beiyuan Villa.

Outside was a pavilion area by the water, and in the pavilion, a middle-aged man in brocade clothes was already waiting.

There were also many people standing far away, peeking at the situation.

Seeing Lin Chen's group approach, a strange look flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes.

"What, Lin Chen, are you planning to find helpers to deal with me together? It doesn't matter. You were young back then, and it is normal to have misunderstandings about those matters. I do not blame you."

He looked heroic and forthright, his voice resonant and powerful, not at all like the behavior of a hypocrite.

"Zhao Tianhai, no matter how silver-tongued you are, you cannot wash away your evil deeds of killing your wife and children. Today, only one of us can leave here alive."

Lin Chen took out his long spear and assembled it, the spearhead pointing directly at Zhao Tianhai.

Zhao Tianhai's expression turned slightly gloomy. In his heart, he was actually unwilling to fight Lin Chen. He was now over fifty, his vitality was far from what it used to be, and he no longer had the drive to fight and risk everything as he once did, while Lin Chen was in his prime.

However, if he did not come, he would inevitably be gossiped about by people in the Jianghu. Although he had married the daughter of the Prefect of Yangzhou, his Foundation was still in the Jianghu, in the Golden Blade Sect.

This was also the reason why the Prefect of Yangzhou was willing to marry his daughter to him.

But if he did not handle this matter well today, it might very well create a rift between him and his father-in-law's family.

"Very well, Lin Chen. I see you are a newcomer to the Jianghu, so I have been tolerating you, but you have gone too far, ruining my reputation everywhere. I absolutely cannot stand idly by any longer!" Zhao Tianhai said in a deep voice.

He picked up a gleaming silver saber and stood facing Lin Chen.

Jiang Chen watched from outside, feeling that the aura on both of them was almost evenly matched.

However, one person's heart was filled with Battle Intent and killing intent, while the other had too many distracting thoughts and his mind was not on the fight.

It seemed the outcome was already decided, and Jiang Chen shook his head.

Sure enough, as the two officially clashed, the shadows of sabers and spears flashed through the woods.

At first, the two were evenly matched, each having their wins and losses, but as time passed, Zhao Tianhai gradually fell into a disadvantage.

"The Blue Sea Rises with the Tide!"

Zhao Tianhai shouted loudly, his saber sweeping across horizontally, followed by an inverted strike that attacked Lin Chen like the rising and falling of the tide.

Lin Chen's gaze was icy. Zhao Tianhai was worthy of being a Senior in the Jianghu; even without Battle Intent, his saber technique was superb, forcing him into such a predicament.

However, facing this strike, he did not dodge or avoid it. His spear thrust out like a Dragon, actually intending to withstand this strike to kill Zhao Tianhai.

Zhao Tianhai was greatly alarmed at the sight; he naturally did not want to perish together with Lin Chen.

Lin Chen was just a nobody in the Jianghu, but he himself still had plenty of wealth and glory left to enjoy.

Thus, Zhao Tianhai stepped back to dodge the sharp edge of the spear, then pressed the back of his saber against the spear shaft. His whole body went airborne, then he flipped and swept a kick toward Lin Chen.

Lin Chen shook his great spear, and the powerful vibration force immediately made Zhao Tianhai's saber lose contact.

He pressed the spearhead onto the ground for support, then used the spear shaft to strike at Zhao Tianhai.

The next instant, Lin Chen's spear shaft separated from the middle, and another spear tip flashed out.

Zhao Tianhai was greatly alarmed, his body forced to a halt in mid-air, and he tapped his saber toward the spear tip.

But Lin Chen's killing move was certainly far from just that.

Zhao Tianhai only felt a flash of silver light before his eyes, and then he saw Lin Chen slap and break off the spearhead, which then shot toward Zhao Tianhai's neck.

"Pfft!"

Zhao Tianhai's eyes widened, filled with lingering unwillingness and malice, as the spearhead had already pierced straight through his neck.

Bang!

Zhao Tianhai's corpse collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Lin Chen let out a sigh of relief, but at this moment, a large number of soldiers who had been lying in ambush poured out from all around.

Lin Chen just watched coldly. He had long known that given Zhao Tianhai's character, he would not just come to fight a duel so cleanly.

But he still came, just to put an end to his hatred.

"Lin Chen, you have committed a serious crime of murder. Come with us, or we will leave your corpse right here!"

A middle-aged man who looked like a general, wearing chainmail, shouted.

Lin Chen chuckled: "With just you people, I'm afraid you can't keep me here."

After saying this, he looked at Jiang Chen: "Little Daoist, it seems our business cannot be concluded. We shall meet again someday!"

After speaking, he kicked off with both feet, using a great force to easily leap onto a tree branch.

"Quick, shoot! Shoot!" The general was alarmed to see this and immediately ordered his men to shoot arrows.

But unfortunately, Lin Chen had already used his lightness skill to flash away, avoiding all the arrows.

In just a few leaps, Lin Chen's figure was already fading from view.

The general was furious. This was great; the son-in-law was dead, and the murderer had escaped. How was he going to explain this to the Prefect when he returned?

Just then, he looked coldly at the Jianghu people around him who had not yet reacted.

"These people are also Lin Chen's accomplices. Arrest them all!"

Jiang Chen was somewhat speechless; he just watched a play, how did he get himself involved?

Seeing a few soldiers looking unkind and walking toward him.

Jiang Chen flicked his sleeve slightly, and suddenly, a gust of wind surged throughout the woods, blowing everyone to and fro.

"This Daoist only came here to watch the battle; I am not an accomplice of Hero Lin. Farewell, everyone."

As the words fell, the mountain wind here immediately dissipated without a trace.

When the general looked up in terror, the figure of the Daoist was nowhere to be seen.

Realizing he had encountered a true expert, the general was terrified in his heart. He didn't even care about catching people to take the blame and immediately ordered his troops to withdraw.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen, who had already escaped, was walking on the road.

Suddenly, his gaze tightened. He saw that on the road ahead, he didn't know when, a figure in a white Daoist robe was already standing there.

"Hero Lin, that was quite a good move to divert the disaster, making the Jianghu people who went to watch you and Zhao Tianhai's battle become scapegoats."

Lin Chen gripped the long spear in his hand tightly, his muscles tense, his posture already adjusted to the most suitable state for exerting force.

However, he still smiled slightly on his face, "What is the Daoist talking about? I don't quite understand."

Jiang Chen shook his head, seemingly unaware of his small movements, and said with a hint of self-deprecation:

"At first, this Daoist was also deceived by Hero Lin's so-called 'righteousness.' Developing such a cognitive barrier just shows this Daoist has too little experience."

"I am afraid that the feud between Hero Lin and Zhao Tianhai is not as the world spreads it to be, is it?"

Seeing no one around, Lin Chen relaxed slightly and let out a cold laugh.

"Little Daoist is indeed clever, but unfortunately, often, the more clever people are, the faster they die."

"I took a fancy to a woman, and later, when I got tired of playing with her, I just killed her. Who would have thought that the woman was actually Zhao Tianhai's mistress? When he found out, he sent people to kill my mother."

Speaking to the end, Lin Chen finally revealed a hint of hatred.

However, the slight smile that had originally been on Jiang Chen's face had been smoothed away, and he asked: "Since you liked her, why did you kill her?"

Lin Chen said as a matter of course: "I am a hero of the Jianghu; how can I let my reputation be ruined because of a woman?"

Jiang Chen's expression had completely faded: "You truly do not deserve the title of hero."