Stranger Danger

Chapter 396: Warrioress

Chapter 396: Warrioress

At Anyang, you exposed the Nether Lords ploy and saved it from annihilation. At Sky Gate Abyss, you foiled the Way of Taipings conspiracy and saved the people from disaster. At the Luo Shui Arena, you issued the jianghu warriors a challenge and defeated everyone who set foot on the arena, and at Sunset Hill, you saw through the Mara Buddhas scheme and trounced him soundly.

Chu Renhe said with a smile that didnt reach the eye. Your fame is such that even I have heard about it, Qing Emperor Junior. Now that I have witnessed you firsthand, I can tell that you definitely deserve your title.

You flatter me. As an official, it is my natural duty that I safeguard the people, Ye Qing responded with a salute. Qing Emperor Junior is definitely me. But when did I get such a nickname?

Dont be humble, Lord Ye. You hail from August Hill Village, a place that might as well be a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things, but you were able to ascend from the Vessel Augmentation stage to the Spirit Purification stage, and a civilian official to the Patrolman of Luo Shui in a little over a year. We are all quite impressed with your achievements, Chu Renhe declared.

Really, I was just lucky, Ye Qing replied humbly again. He looked calm on the outside, but he was really shocked on the inside. How did the Intelligence Department know so much about him? Considering the amount of information Chu Renhe just revealed, he wouldnt be surprised if he told him that they had investigated his entire lineage as well. Why on earth would the Intelligence Department pay so much attention to a small fry like him? Were they really that bored, or were they scheming something.

Luck too is a part of strength. Chu Renhe said slowly, But back to our earlier dialogue, I really need you to come with us, Lord Ye. The Intelligence Departments secrets are involved, and it is my duty to investigate this incident to the best of my abilities. Since youre an imperial official yourself, you should know the importance of abiding by the law better than anyone.

You still dont believe me, Lord Chu? Ye Qings lips pursed into a stiff line.

Its not that I dont believe you, my personal beliefs have nothing to do with my duty. But dont worry. We, the Intelligence Department, are the impartial arbiters of the law. Once our investigation is complete, and we confirm that this incident really has nothing to do with you, we will release you immediately, Chu Renhe said.

In that case, how about you capture me after you finish your investigation?

Ye Qing was seriously angry. I already told you who I am, and you still wont budge? Do you think Im a pushover or something?

He disliked trouble, but he wasnt afraid of trouble.

Are you going to break the law, Lord Ye? Chu Renhes tone grew icy.

Break the law? When? Youre going to arrest me just because I happened to share a table with Killer Monk, speak with him, and accept a jade thumb ring from him? Ye Qing replied just as icily. You dont have any real proof, and youre going to assume that Im affiliated with these fools and throw me in prison? Just how sloppy can you get?

Im not throwing you into prison, Im taking you to our headquarters to assist with our investigation. The law of Chu dictates that everyone is obligated to assist the Intelligence Department in an investigation. If you dont cooperate, then you will be punished, Chu Renhe declared.

Trying to coerce me using the law? Okay! Lets talk about the law. It is true that the law of Chu dictates that everyone is obligated to assist the Intelligence Department in an investigation, but it didnt say that I must follow you back to the headquarters, did it? In fact, there isnt a single law that states that I must follow you back to the headquarters!

Ye Qing continued with a smirk, Also, Im a member of the Pacification Bureau. The law dictates that any case involving the Pacification Bureau must be reviewed jointly by the Three Judicial Offices and judged by the emperor himself. Are you the emperor? No? Then you dont get to judge a member of the Pacification Bureau!

What audacity! As expected of the Pacification Bureau! Chu Renhe sneered.

We may be audacious, but were certainly not lawbreakers like the Intelligence Department! Ye Qing didnt give an inch.

You definitely have a silver tongue, Lord Ye. Chu Renhes tone was frigid at this point.

Oh, its nothing compared to yours, Lord Chu. I wouldnt be able to invert black and white and distort the truth the way you did. Ye Qing shrugged arrogantly. Anyway, feel free to speak with my bureau and have them arrest me when you have actual evidence. Otherwise, please get out of my sight and leave me to my lunch. I havent finished yet.

Good, very good. Its been a long time since someone dared to speak to me like this. The last person who tried it was fed to the fishes.

Chu Renhe was smiling, but his eyes were as cold as the ice of the coldest winter. He suddenly lowered his voice and whispered, Most people are afraid of the Pacification Bureau, but not us. Do you really think I cant lay a hand on you just because youre a member of the Pacification Bureau, and youre a little famous now?

The next moment, Chu Renhe crushed the Pacification Badge Ye Qing had given him like it was made of dough. Of course, the truth couldnt be any more different. A Pacification Badge was forged from cemented carbide and was incredibly tough. It was highly resistant to conventional weapons and elements. However, Chu Renhe had turned it into fine powder with his bare hands. It showed that he was incredibly strong.

Ye Qing tensed up when he saw this. As expected, Chu Renhe abruptly declared loudly and angrily, You dare pretend to be an official of the imperial court? You deserve death! Kill him!

As soon as he finished, he condensed his bloodthirst and killing intent into a sword and launched it at Ye Qing. Even being close to the attack shriveled ones mind and weakened ones energies.

At the same time, the dark red robe he was wearing unleashed a blood red halo of light. A closer looked revealed that they were countless red threads as thin as an oxs hair, but they were packed so tightly that they looked like blood.

The threads wrapped around Ye Qing like a cocoon, but Chu Renhe blanched. It was because the real Ye Qing was standing behind him and throwing out a punch.

A sheen of red energy appeared behind Chu Renhes back. The next second, it caved inward like someone had thrown a massive rock into a pond. A gale of astral qi washed out to the surroundings and threw a good number of Intelligent Guards into the air. Some slammed painfully into their colleagues and screamed in pain.

Chu Renhes bones popped and cracked like they were under great pressure. Bright red blood began pouring out of his orifices.

Bang!

Launched forward like an arrow, he slammed into a pillar so hard that cracks spread all across the stone, causing the entire inn to shake worryingly.

Hmm?

Ye Qing didnt press his advantage, however. Instead, he looked down on his fist. It was covered in countless tiny holes that looked like pinholes, and there were threads of blood lingering around the wounds. They were crawling into his flesh like they were alive.

They all say that Qing Emperor Juniors mastery of the fist is godlike. I can see that they werent exaggerating. Chu Renhe spat out some blood and looked down on his robe. Its color was a tad dimmer than before.

Although Ye Qing had gotten one over him before, he hadnt thought much of it. After all, he hadnt employed his full strength at the time, and they were both middle-stage Spirit Purifiers. In a straight fight, he didnt believe that he would be outmatched by a peer, much less someone from the backwaters.

But now, he could only stare at Ye Qing with astonishment and jealousy. He had gone all out and even used his trump card, the Strange Artifact called the Golden Bloodmaking Silkworm Robe.

The Golden Bloodmaking Silkworm Robe was the very robe he was wearing. It was a Phenomenon-class Strange Artifact weaved by the Golden Bloodmaking Silkworms and possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities. The silk created by the Stranger was incredibly sharp, resilient, and impervious to most weapons and elements.

Besides that, the silk possessed the power to cut through qi, and the wearer could command thousands and thousands of silk threads to attack their enemies. The silk could even invade the victims body through the wounds it inflicted and automatically attack their internal organs. It was powerful to put it mildly.

Despite this, Chu Renhe had failed to block the attack completely. The amount of force contained within that punch had completely surpassed his expectations and overwhelmed even the Golden Bloodmaking Silkworm Robes defense, causing his internal organs to shift out of place, and his energies to fall into disarray.

He had no doubt that the punch would leave him half-dead if he didnt have the Strange Artifact.

How does my Golden Bloodmaking Silk Thread feel?

That said, it wasnt like Ye Qing had come off the attack completely unharmed. A savage smile crossed Chu Renhes lips as he stared at the bloody pinholes covering Ye Qings fist.

Eh, its okay.

Ye Qing raised his fist and clenched strongly and suddenly. There was a soft pop, followed by a thunderclap that left everyones eardrums ringing. Chu Renhe could only watch in shock when the threads that had slithered into the wound were forced out and burned into dust. Not only that, the wound itself healed back to normal in no time.

Is that all you got? I suppose that this is the extent of the Intelligence Departments power! Ye Qing chuckled while shaking his wrists.

Suddenly, a cold, ancient voice entered his ears. You dare look down on my Intelligence Department? Lets see how strong you really are, boy!

Ye Qing immediately raised his arm to block an attack that came from his flank. There was a loud boom, and he skidded a fair distance across the dining hall. The pair of scars his feet cut across the floor were at least several inches deep.

Ye Qings face was serious as he felt the burning pain on his arm. He then looked up at his attacker. It was none other than the woman who occupied a whole table with her son earlier[1].

Youre a member of the Intelligence Department? Ye Qing exclaimed in surprise. At the same time, he realized that he couldnt sense any life force from the woman whatsoever. She was as yin, cold and lifeless as a dead person. This was strange because she had felt perfectly human until this point.

The woman didnt answer him. Instead, she rushed forward like lightning and unleashed a colorful, positively gorgeous punch that looked like a blooming flower.

The problem with beautiful things, however, was that they usually hid thorns.

Sensing some sort of unknown danger from her fist, Ye Qing decided not to take it and sidestepped out of the way. Then, he split into three illusions that looked exactly like him.

The womans fist continued forward and crushed two of the illusions. Ye Qing himself appeared on her right and threw a punch at her temple.

The woman moved very, very quickly. As soon as the punch missed, she spun toward Ye Qing and flung her arm at his head like it was a staff. It looked like she was planning to trade wounds with him.

The womans strength was at least on par with his, and Ye Qing didnt think his head was tougher than her fist. Left with no choice, he changed his plan and struck her on her wrist instead.

The wrist was the weakest point of the arm, so his attack sent her arm flying despite her tremendous strength. While she was open, Ye Qing stepped forward and slammed an elbow into her chest.

Chaos Demon Ape FistThe Demon Ape Rams A Mountain

He didnt hold back. The elbow strike smashed the woman right through the inns wall.

1. Just to clarify for those who already forgot, there were four tables with empty seats when Ye Qing went down for lunch earlier. As it turned out, every single one of them was a death trap. Thats the life a protagonist leads.