Chapter 25: Innate Martial Art!

"Woof! Woof!"

"Woof woof woof~!"

The black giant hound's bark shifted from a warning to an urgent cry.

Finally, it lunged forward violently, smashing open the tightly shut courtyard gate.

"The criminal is trying to escape!"

The leader of the Zhenwu Division guards, a dark-faced man, swept his gaze across and just happened to spot a figure in the courtyard vaulting over the wall to flee.

He immediately waved a large hand and barked, "After him!"

As his words fell, he tapped his toe, leapt into the air, ran along the wall, reached the rooftop, and flew off in pursuit.

Whoosh~

The other Zhenwu Division guards—some got onto the rooftops, some came out from the courtyard and ran through the alleys.

The hundred-plus martial artists following behind copied the example—some on the rooftops, some through the alleys.

The group scattered at once, moving fast, chasing the fleeing Luo Zhaoyu!

Swish swish~

Chen Mu employed his lightness skill, got onto a rooftop, and followed behind.

When he went out in the morning, he had already put on a human-skin mask, transforming into an ordinary middle-aged man.

At this moment, a dozen-odd loose-cultivation martial artists were running across the rooftops—one more or less made no difference.

"Woof! Woof!"

On the ground, the black giant hound raced at tremendous speed, chasing Luo Zhaoyu—who occasionally touched down—threading through alleys, corners, and narrow paths.

No matter where Luo Zhaoyu hid, the hound could find him.

With the black giant hound leading the way, the others followed with ease.

"Woof woof woof~!"

The sound of barking rang out unceasingly for a time.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it ahhhh!"

Luo Zhaoyu's face was savage, his eyes filled with hatred.

As he ran, he suddenly turned around and charged at the black giant hound.

Hm?

The dark-faced man on the rooftop in pursuit, Chen Kang, changed expression and was just about to speak…

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Diamond-shaped flying darts, one after another, suddenly pierced the air and shot forth.

It was Luo Zhaoyu!

Charging head-on at the black giant hound, he flung out a dozen-odd darts that fell in a net-like spread; amid strange "puff puff puff" sounds, several bloody holes were pierced through the hound's body.

The black giant hound let out a whimper, its massive body toppled forward, kicking up dust; fresh blood flowed from its body, and the color of the blood that poured out was shockingly pitch-black.

It was poisoned!

"Luo Zhaoyu! You're asking for death!!" Chen Kang on the rooftop instantly turned red in the eyes.

Swish~

Whoomph!

A muffled boom.

Qi force exploded around Chen Kang's body; the man shot forth like an arrow leaving the bowstring, bursting through the air, arriving above Luo Zhaoyu's head.

A snow-white blade-light flashed from his waist, tracing a half-circle through the air as it slashed toward Luo Zhaoyu.

"Clang clang clang~!"

The longsword in Luo Zhaoyu's hand buzzed without pause, blocking the attack.

The two men fought into a tangled melee within the narrow alley.

The other Zhenwu Division guards arrived from behind and spread out around the area, surrounding Luo Zhaoyu!

"Luo Zhaoyu is done for."

"He had it coming—killing the Zhenwu Division's tracking hound."

"Nothing for it. If he didn't kill it, he couldn't get away, couldn't hide."

"Look over there—isn't that the Guo family's Guo Jinnian? What brings him here?"

"Obviously—Guo Jinnian is Guo Jinlun's full-blooded elder brother. How could he not come?"

"……"

On the walls and rooftops, a crowd of jianghu loose cultivators discussed in low voices.

Chen Mu stood on the rooftop, listening to the talk, and followed the sound to look at Guo Jinnian. The latter stood atop a tree, dressed in white close-fitting attire; on his handsome face, his gaze was gloomy. Between his brows, he indeed bore a three-part resemblance to Guo Jinlun.

Guo Jinnian, the Guo family's direct-line Second Young Master, Postnatal Eight-fold realm, just over twenty years of age.

Luo Zhaoyu was also young, twenty-five or twenty-six, with Postnatal Seven-fold cultivation.

In Nanyun Prefecture, both of them counted as promising young geniuses.

Yet Chen Kang, who was engaging Luo Zhaoyu, was under thirty, a Bronze-rank Guard of the Zhenwu Division, Postnatal Eight-fold realm.

In his fury, Luo Zhaoyu was simply no match and was beaten back step by step.

If one Chen Kang was already like this, there was still Guo Jinnian on the side!

"Luo Zhaoyu is done for, dead for certain."

"Aiya, what a pity~"

"……"

Discussion rose up in response.

Chen Mu listened, gazing into the distance in silence.

The Guo family and the Zhenwu Division were not the kind of loose cultivators from the jianghu gathered around watching that one could deal with.

No matter how much sympathy they felt for Luo Zhaoyu, at this moment, no one would jump out to help.

That would be seeking death!

Living well, who wants to die?

"Boom—"

A muffled, tremendous crash.

On the ground, Luo Zhaoyu was kicked flying by Chen Kang's single stomp, crashing through a wall and tumbling into the rubble.

"Puh!"

Dust-covered and pale-faced, Luo Zhaoyu opened his mouth and spat out a large clump of dark blood, struggled to his feet, half-squatted on the ground, and gasped for breath in great gulps.

"Originally, you didn't have to die."

As killing intent radiated outward from Chen Kang and the Fierce Tiger Blade reflected the light, he stepped forward step by step and said coldly, "But you actually dared to kill the Tracking Hound, so don't blame us, because this is what you brought upon yourself…"

"Pah—!"

Luo Zhaoyu raised his head, spat a bloody glob of saliva at Chen Kang, and mocked, "Are all the guards of your Zhenwu Division this hypocritical and disgusting?"

"Also, since when does the Zhenwu Division take orders from a great clan? You represent the imperial court! You are the personal guards of Zhou Huang! And yet you've been led around by the nose by a local family—if your superiors found out, would they come over personally and strangle the lot of you?"

"You—"

"Luo Zhaoyu!"

Just as Chen Kang was about to speak, Guo Jinnian let out a great shout, drifted down from the treetop, and said in a heavy voice, "No matter how you twist your words, the fact that you killed a disciple of my Guo family cannot be disputed! A life for a life—today…"

"Pah—!"

Luo Zhaoyu turned his head, spat another bloody glob of saliva at Guo Jinnian as he slowly approached, and jeered, "What a fine 'a life for a life'—when your Guo family wiped out my Falling Cloud Martial Hall, why didn't you drink the poison yourselves and accompany my father and the others to the grave!"

Before Guo Jinnian could speak, Luo Zhaoyu suddenly rose to his feet, circulated his internal force to empower his voice, and shouted loudly, "All you heroes of the jianghu, the reason my Guo family wiped out my Falling Cloud Martial Hall was to seize a Heaven-Grade martial art!"

"I, Luo Zhaoyu, hereby declare!"

"Today, whoever helps me break free and escape the city, I will give them this Heaven-Grade martial art!!"

Heaven-Grade martial art…

Martial art…

Art…

Luo Zhaoyu's roar echoed through the air, its lingering notes drifting on.

Everyone scattered around, standing on rooftops and atop walls, listened with eyes wide open, their gazes revealing shock, sudden understanding, excitement, and wild joy!

Heaven-Grade martial art!

The Falling Cloud Martial Hall actually had a Heaven-Grade martial art?

"No wonder…"

Chen Mu's mind was stirred as well; amid astonishment, he understood the whole cause and effect.

It explained why the Falling Cloud Martial Hall had been wiped out for no apparent reason.

It was all because of the Heaven-Grade martial art!

Without Heaven-Grade strength, yet possessing a Heaven-Grade martial art—once word leaked, wouldn't people covet it? Driven by greed, they struck to seize it!?

Ordinary gold, silver, and jewels, the Guo family wouldn't even look at.

But Heaven-Grade martial arts—the Guo family didn't have many either!

……

"Everyone, don't listen to his nonsense!"

After a brief silence, Guo Jinnian, his face dark, shouted, "My Guo family itself possesses Heaven-Grade martial arts—how could we possibly seize someone else's? Luo Zhaoyu is slandering my Guo family at random in order to escape; his heart deserves death! May he die a terrible—"

Whoosh—!

Before he could finish, an arrow suddenly pierced the air, shooting toward Guo Jinnian!