Chapter 35: Formidable Body-Refining Martial Arts

Zhang Dahu held his breath, his face growing tense.

Looking for trouble?

Should I quietly notify the other stations? I have a feeling Lord Shen is about to be slapped to death by this brute.

Chen Ji also felt something was off; could it be that the other party spoke so nicely, but actually came only to save face for the Thin Toad?

"How about it?"

Zhang the Butcher tilted his neck, his rough, calloused fingers plucking a blade of grass from his mouth.

Shen Yi gazed silently; the other's eyes were very simple, bearing no trace of provocation, only surging, scorching battle intent.

He slowly turned sideways, exhaled a breath of turbid air: "Come."

Before the words had fully fallen, Zhang the Butcher suddenly kicked out; a stone lock weighing three or four hundred jin flew like a clay pellet from a slingshot, carrying a piercing whistle, smashing toward that upright figure!

The momentum was so great, the speed so fast, that onlookers had absolutely no time to react.

Shen Yi glanced sideways at the courtyard wall behind him, clenched his right palm into a fist, turned back, and thrust a punch; beneath his knuckles, the stone lock instantly exploded into powder.

"I see now; you truly care deeply about silver."

Lime dust obscured the view for an instant, yet that grotesquely massive body had already appeared behind the youth.

Two thick arms swung down like iron chains; if this strike landed solidly, the shoulder blades on both sides would likely shatter even more thoroughly than the stone lock.

Shen Yi remained calm, slightly bent forward, and while dodging the other's whip-like strike, drove his elbow upward with the force of his entire body, smashing hard into Zhang the Butcher's bearded chin.

With a dull thud.

A strange expression finally appeared on his face.

Zhang the Butcher stumbled two steps, shaking the entire courtyard slightly; he reached up to rub his jaw, then grinned widely as if nothing had happened: "Such fast reactions."

An elbow strike capable of shattering the hard bones of demons could only make him retreat two steps.

Others could not discern the reason, but Chen Ji's pupils contracted slightly.

Just yesterday, Lord Shen had kicked the Tiger Demon to the ground, spitting fresh blood; what kind of monster is this fat man?

"..."

The reason for Shen Yi's slight change of mood was not this.

During that elbow strike just now, he had attached the aura of his acupoints; he did not expect to take down the opponent directly, but... how exactly did this martial artist from Outside Qingzhou withstand that strike without mobilizing his aura?

As he pondered, his figure surged; under the enhancement of the Eight Steps of the Spiritual Snake, his entire body became like a phantom.

Although Zhang the Butcher moved extremely fast, the disadvantage of his massive frame was unavoidable; even lowering his head, he could not see his own toes, giving him a slightly narrow field of vision.

Yet his eyes showed no panic; he let Shen Yi land several punches, his greasy skin as tough as a hundred layers of oxhide stacked together.

Seizing the right moment, his fat hand reached for his waist, and that black pig-slaying knife struck the ground with a speed invisible to the naked eye.

Under the tremendous force, the pig-slaying knife struck empty once again.

Instead, it gave Shen Yi the opportunity; taking advantage of the gap before the other could retract his force, he lifted a foot and kicked the opponent's waist, sending the huge body crashing to the ground with a boom.

Terrified, the Niu brothers darted aside like startled rabbits.

"Boring! Boring!"

"Such crude fist techniques, no matter how well you use them, what good are they? Honestly, they aren't even enough to loosen your muscles."

Zhang the Butcher, covered in dust and dirt, climbed to his feet; his gaze fell upon Shen Yi's waist, and he licked his lips: "Quickly draw your sword; the butcher saw it yesterday, do not think to hide your moves."

Hearing this, Shen Yi rubbed his wrist, then extended his five fingers toward the sword hilt.

He had originally intended only a spar, but given the solidity of the other's physique, relying solely on the Cloud-Splitting Long Fist would indeed be rather uninteresting.

In the next instant, silver light accompanied by red mist swept across the long sky!

"Excellent!" Zhang the Butcher finally grew excited, crossing his arms to meet the strike.

As the long blade descended, a crisp sound of metal striking metal rang out; a white mark appeared on his greasy skin.

"Has a Wang Ba become a spirit?" Chen Ji's eyes widened, his breathing rapid.

However, the smile on Zhang the Butcher's face gradually faded; he stared at his arm: "Excellent swordsmanship..."

Before the words had fully fallen, that long blade, carrying violent killing intent, came down in a relentless barrage.

Zhang the Butcher raised his arms to block three strikes in succession; when the fourth strike descended, he suddenly rolled like a donkey, clumsily dodging aside.

Before the eyes of all, he waved his hands repeatedly: "Stop! Let me catch my breath!"

Shen Yi slowly halted his steps.

Chen Ji had not yet figured it out; how could the fight end just as it began?

His gaze suddenly swept over the butcher's raised arm; he inexplicably felt a chill; he saw that the previous few strikes had all landed on the exact same spot; of course, this could only prove Shen Yi's mastery of sword control.

What truly shocked him was that the place which had originally been just a white mark was now tightly adhered to by several wisp-like red mists; within a few breaths, one could already vaguely see white bone.

Sweat beads the size of beans seeped from Zhang the Butcher's forehead; enduring the pain, he mobilized his aura to slowly drive away the red mist; only after a long while did he raise his head, sigh with relief, and exclaim in wonder:

"This technique does not seem like that of a good person."

"I like it!"

Shen Yi frowned, puzzled as to why the other had not used his aura to resist earlier.

Zhang the Butcher, already excited, stood up and slapped his belly, shouting: "What do you think?"

Shen Yi nodded: "Very powerful hard-body cultivation."

"Do you want to learn?" Zhang the Butcher said this while directing his gaze toward Shen Yi's sword.

"Lord Shen, you must not!" Chen Ji, who usually understood the rules well, could not help but speak out upon hearing these words.

The relationship between the imperial court and the Jianghu sects is far more complex than ordinary people imagine.

Taking their things is not something easily escaped from.

"Tsk, what are you in such a hurry for?"

Interrupted by the constable, Zhang the Butcher was not angry; instead, he smiled with considerable dignity: "I have come with a purpose, which is not entirely honorable, but I would not harm Constable Shen."

He paced over to Shen Yi's side and said softly, "Your blade art — did you comprehend it yourself from the Subduing Demon Blade Art?"

Hearing this, Shen Yi glanced over with a touch of surprise.

"Heh-heh, seen too much of it — took one look and it felt familiar." Zhang the Butcher raised a brow. "The Zhen Mo Si's martial arts, I wouldn't dare reach for even if you handed them to me, but a self-created technique like this — where are there so many rules? Coincidentally I've gained a little insight myself. How about we trade?"

Shen Yi felt his heart stir for no clear reason.

If he could have the other's physique, then when he ran into last night's snake-woman incident, why would he have needed to panic?

After a moment, he turned to look, and still chose to tell the truth: "I have no objection, but this blade art may not be something you can learn."

Zhang the Butcher froze for a beat, then let out a rasping chuckle from his throat: "Of course I know — a vicious trick like this is absolutely not something a man of the imperial court like you could have come across. Most likely you comprehended it from the dregs of some demon's beast essence."

"Anyone who wasn't a man with his back to the wall, or a martial arts maniac gone mad — who'd do such a foolish thing."

"Just go ahead and trade it over. Where's the sense in worrying on someone else's behalf whether they can master it?"

Seeing the two of them get into a discussion of martial arts, Chen Ji pushed the remaining few constables, who were exchanging uncertain glances, out of the courtyard, then walked out himself and gently closed the courtyard gate.

(End of chapter)