Chapter 39: Breaking Through the Formation

Ling Chi recounted tales of Willow Town to them, omitting and embellishing as he saw fit, until the younger ones were truly frightened.

After dinner, Ling Chi took Xiao Rui’er out for a walk to help digest their meal. Upon learning that Zhao Qing still hadn’t returned, he decided to head straight for the prefecture.

The third and fifth brothers hadn’t been home recently either, diligently guarding their station.

He chatted with Xiao Zhan for quite some time before finally taking his leave.

By the time he departed Crane County, it was already past two in the afternoon. Ling Chi spurred his horse onto the main road at a gallop.

The prefecture office was located in An County. His big black horse ran tirelessly, and after just over an hour, the city walls became visible in the distance.

An County was much larger than Crane County and its economy seemed far more prosperous. Ling Chi led his horse along and observed his surroundings.

Passersby, noticing his brocade uniform of the Office of Tranquility, all gave him a wide berth. He found this rather baffling—was the Office of Tranquility truly so terrifying? Had he become a street-clearing tiger?

He immediately lost any interest in sightseeing, and stopped a trembling passerby to ask directions to the Office of Tranquility, heading there straight away.

The prefecture's Office of Tranquility was much grander than the one in Crane County, occupying more than a hundred mu. A stately gate tower bore an enormous plaque inscribed with four gilded characters: “Peace Under Heaven.”

In front of the gate, groups of burly soldiers milled about in threes or fives.

As Ling Chi approached the entrance, someone shouted, “Brothers, here’s another straggler—take him down!”

Ling Chi’s eyes narrowed. What in the world? Had someone encircled the Office of Tranquility?

He barely had time to think before the fastest of the soldiers was already barreling toward him, just five yards away. They were all unarmed, but Ling Chi’s blade was broken—he had no choice but to fight back.

Passive defense was never his style. Quickly sizing up the situation, he noted that since none of them drew weapons, they probably didn’t intend to kill him—more likely to capture or defeat him.

Capture me alive? After all these years, when have I ever suffered such humiliation?

Ling Chi removed his bamboo hat and hung it on his horse’s saddle. With a leap, his feet struck the stone-paved road, shattering it into fragments that radiated out from where he landed.

He moved like a caged tiger unleashed, a torrent breaking through a dam.

He bent low, intercepted the foremost soldier at the waist, straightened his back, and hoisted the man high above his head like a drawn bow.

With a crash, he slammed the man into the ground.

Pebbles flew, dust billowed.

Without pause, he plunged into the throng like a ravenous tiger into a sheepfold, his iron fists whistling through the air.

He kept his stance tight, moved with twisting power.

[Eight Extremes, Rising Sun Welcomes the Seal]

His fists howled as they struck, and the two soldiers in his path were sent flying through the gates of the Office of Tranquility.

He rampaged through the crowd, unable to stop, his Eight Extremes boxing wide and forceful—one after another, men were knocked into the courtyard.

[Eight Extremes, Yama’s Triple Strike]

Ling Chi’s fists pounded in a door-knocking motion, both palms arcing with force as he struck a soldier’s face—who immediately slumped to the ground, unconscious.

“Tough one! Brothers, form up!”

A shout rang out from the crowd, and was immediately answered. Three men formed a small squad, ten a larger one. Thirty gathered, their killing intent coalescing like a storm cloud over hundreds of meters.

Ling Chi was undeterred. He shed his brocade uniform, revealing a body of bronze and iron.

[Thunderclap Golden Body]

His entire form transformed into a golden hue; purple-gold lightning crackled across his body. His eyes blazed with thunderous energy, white vapor streaming from his mouth and nose.

He grinned, baring his teeth in battle lust, and shouted, “Are you ready? I’m coming to break your formation!”

No sooner had he spoken than he was upon them.

[Nine Palaces Wandering Dragon]

[Thunderclap Eight Extremes, Opening Cannon]

His right fist, trailing lightning, shot out like a cannonball and crashed into the lead man of the formation.

The man and his two fellows behind him gritted their teeth, faces flushed red, enduring the blow.

Ling Chi pressed the attack, his fists striking faster and faster, the pounding never ceasing.

A crowd had gathered before the Office of Tranquility—colleagues, soldiers, martial artists, all spectators.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out, “Ling Chi! He’s Ling Chi from Crane County!”

It was the voice of the hot-blooded youth, Cao Bianjiao, making sure the Office of Tranquility men knew the brawler was one of their own.

Ling Chi paid no heed; the formation’s core was about to crack.

Lightning shrouded him as his left leg stomped forward, shaking the very ground, dust rising in clouds.

His right arm bent, elbow gleaming like a spear tip.

[Thunderclap Eight Extremes, Heart-Piercing Elbow]

With a thundering crash, the lead man at last buckled, flying backward and spewing blood onto the soldiers behind him.

“Brother Xiong!”

“Captain Zeng!”

The soldiers roared for their fallen comrade. Those pouring out of the courtyard to help were blocked by the men of the Office of Tranquility.

“What do you think you’re doing? Do you take us for mud? We’ve tolerated you long enough!” a colleague from the Office of Tranquility shouted.

“Get them! They’ve gone too far—forty or fifty ganging up on one of our brothers and still calling for reinforcements? Shameless!” Cao Bianjiao echoed.

“We can’t just stand by and watch them bully our brothers—everyone, let’s go!”

“That’s enough! Haven’t you embarrassed yourselves enough already?” a voice called down from above.

The soldiers fell silent. The Office of Tranquility men wanted to speak, but were silenced by a look from Cao Huba.

Ling Chi cared nothing for any of this. He launched himself into the fray with a flying knee, a vicious tiger leaping a ravine—leaving only the maimed or the dead.

Screams and the sickening thud of flesh and bone echoed from the melee, sending chills through the onlookers.

“You little bastard, stop this instant!”

The voice was neither Cao Huba’s nor Master Zhao Qing’s.

Ling Chi set his jaw. I don’t even know you.

He moved even faster, darting through the crowd in a flash of lightning, the sound of bones breaking and tendons snapping filling the air.

[Eight Extremes, Tyrant’s Bow]

Ling Chi’s body twisted, arrow-like, and his knee drove into the last soldier’s chest.

With a crash, the man spat blood, flew far across the yard, and landed at the feet of the speaker.

Suddenly, silence reigned, as if even the air itself had frozen.

The man frowned deeply, fixing Ling Chi with a deadly stare, his face flushing, breath growing rapid, barely restraining his fury.

Ling Chi stood his ground, unworried. He whistled for his big black horse, took his saber—though it was broken—into his hand. No one else knew that.

The man’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of Ling Chi’s blade. Damn, is he really going to fight me? He’s actually drawn his weapon—does he even know who I am?

Ha… cough, cough. “Ling Chi, you—your very first day and you cause such a commotion. Shouldn’t you be apologizing to Deputy Commander Li?” Cao Huba nearly laughed aloud. Sun Weiwei had told him to keep the peace, and he’d suppressed his temper again and again. Now a greenhorn had come and cleaned up the mess for him.

“Reporting to Commandant Cao: I am newly arrived. I had just come to pay my respects when I was surrounded and attacked by these soldiers. Fearing for my life, I fought back with everything I had, and was lucky to survive.”

Apologize? Ling Chi never apologized.

Laughter rippled through the crowd. Cao Bianjiao openly guffawed.

Well now, you certainly know how to “fight for your life” and “barely survive”—not a single one who attacked you is still standing; they’re all lying on the ground, coughing up blood.