Chapter 437: Because This Is Our Home (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Chu Huaiyuan rushed at Chu Shaoqiang, buying him time.

Wu Xiu Tian Dasong was held back by He Yuxiu.

Wen Xiu Guo Metropolitan Graduate's situation was dire—his throat had been bitten through by Li Banfeng, and his Thousand Gold Per Word technique was now useless.

Seeing Guo Metropolitan Graduate motionless, Tang Dao moved to sever his head, when suddenly an invisible force split Li Banfeng and Guo Metropolitan Graduate apart.

Guo Metropolitan Graduate drifted toward Chu Shaoqiang, forcing Li Banfeng back dozens of meters.

What technique is this?

Did Guo Metropolitan Graduate use One Departure, Ten Thousand Li?

Meanwhile, He Yuxiu and the others also separated from Tian Dasong; the chaotic melee became two distinct sides.

This time, Li Banfeng knew what technique it was.

The technique wasn't used by Guo Metropolitan Graduate—it was used by Chu Shaoqiang.

His wife told him that Gong Xiu had a Cloud-Top technique called Cease War, Divide Two, which could swiftly separate friend from foe in battle, provided the enemy's cultivation base was far lower than his own.

What's the use of this technique?

It's of little use to ordinary cultivators, but for Gong Xiu, it's invaluable.

Gong Xiu fear ambushes; without proper preparation, they easily misapply tactics and can be defeated even by low-level cultivators.

Cease War, Divide Two grants Gong Xiu precious time to prepare.

Some of their magic treasures and spiritual objects may strike indiscriminately on the battlefield; Cease War, Divide Two prevents allies from being caught in the crossfire.

His wife said that if this technique is used, the opponent's cultivation base must be at least Cloud-Top Third Layer—but if it hasn't reached Cloud-Top Above, the technique can only be used once in a short time.

Li Banfeng, his mouth caked in blood, turned to Guo Metropolitan Graduate and saw him lying on the ground, barely alive—he'd likely not recover soon.

He was wrong.

Guo Metropolitan Graduate had written four characters on his body: Withered Wood Meets Spring.

His body began slowly healing, slow but visibly progressing.

Both his eyes had been gouged out; Guo Metropolitan Graduate wrote the character "eye" above his left eye socket—a slit split open from his brow, and a new eyeball emerged from within.

If they delayed further, Guo Metropolitan Graduate would soon regain combat readiness, and all their prior efforts would be wasted.

Li Banfeng tried to charge forward again, but Cease War, Divide Two's power still held—he couldn't break through at his current cultivation level.

Chu Shaoqiang scanned the crowd and said, "Why are you doing this? I came for Qiū Luòyè, the local spirit. What does this have to do with you?"

Li Banfeng replied, "Today you seek Qiū Luòyè, and it has nothing to do with me. Tomorrow you come for me, and it has nothing to do with others. Eventually, you'll come for everyone, and no one will have anything to do with you—yet all of you will die at your hands."

"I heard you came from Neizhou. Did they teach you this vile trick?"

Chu Huaiyuan asked, "Dad, did you go to Neizhou?"

He Yuxiu looked at Chu Huaiyuan, then turned to Chu Shaoqiang: "It's you, Chu Shaoqiang—you're still alive?"

Chu Shaoqiang smiled, adjusting his coat: "Yuxiu, after all these years, you're still as beautiful."

"Don't you dare flatter me—do you think you can call me Yuxiu?" He Yuxiu sneered. "It's strange. I never liked you, but you once had some guts. How did you end up crawling to Neizhou like a dog? And you slipped away without telling anyone."

Chu Shaoqiang sighed: "What's wrong with going to Neizhou? Is that why you look down on me? I even saw He Haiqin there—do you think he went there to be a dog too?"

He Yuxiu followed his lead: "You really saw Haiqin?" She hoped to distract Chu Shaoqiang.

Li Banfeng closely observed Guo Metropolitan Graduate's recovery, determined to kill him the moment Cease War, Divide Two ended.

Chu Shaoqiang saw through Li Banfeng's intent: "You're Li Qi, right? Wipe the blood off your mouth—it's too gruesome to look at."

"You're cunning, not playing by the rules, and you actually startled me."

"But you think wild punches can kill a master? That's pure fantasy. I can lift this technique now and let you try again—I want to see if you'll get another chance to close in."

As he spoke, Guo Metropolitan Graduate stood up, one eye open, swaying as he stared at Li Banfeng.

"Madman! Brutal thug!" Guo Metropolitan Graduate shouted, pointing at Li Banfeng. "Dare you fight me again!"

Li Banfeng, face smeared in blood, grinned fiercely: "You birdman—you know I can't reach you, so you're just trying to talk big."

Chu Shaoqiang scanned the crowd and said to Li Banfeng: "These are your friends, your subordinates. I'll tell you plainly—if this fight continues, not one of them will survive."

Li Banfeng replied: "Do you really think your two subordinates here will live?"

Chu Shaoqiang glanced at Guo Metropolitan Graduate and Tian Dasong: "You mean them? They have no official status in Neizhou. To reach Cloud-Top, they need more achievements—they're willing to die here for it."

"Ask the people beside you—do they want to die?"

These two aren't Cloud-Top?

They're the so-called Tenth Layer cultivators?

These two are indeed Tenth Layer cultivators—flesh-and-blood Tenth Layer, the closest to Cloud-Top.

Saying they're willing to die is exaggerated, but this battle is indeed key to their promotion to Cloud-Top.

Li Banfeng took a step forward, only to be pushed back by invisible force.

The technique hadn't faded—he still couldn't break through.

Chu Shaoqiang frowned: "Are you even listening to me?"

"No." Li Banfeng answered honestly.

He hadn't listened. From the moment he decided to fight, nothing anyone said mattered anymore.

Chu Shaoqiang sighed: "Take your people and leave. Many here are my old acquaintances—I don't want to fight them."

"My daughter's here too. She came to fight you for your sake—you're lucky."

"Even if you die here today, you won't save Qiū Luòyè. Only I can save him—if he accepts my terms, he lives. He has no choice."

Li Banfeng still tried to charge, when suddenly someone shouted behind him: "Old Seven, run!"

Qiū Luòyè arrived: "Old Seven, didn't we agree? Let me handle the fighting—you go!"

He shoved Li Banfeng behind him and charged toward Chu Shaoqiang.

Chu Shaoqiang wasn't wrong—if the contract remained in Neizhou's hands, no one could save Qiū Luòyè.

Rather than dragging others into this, Qiū Luòyè preferred to face Chu Shaoqiang alone.

Though severely wounded, Qiū Luòyè still shattered Chu Shaoqiang's technique.

Chu Shaoqiang didn't dare delay—he prepared for battle, when suddenly a thunderous boom echoed from afar.

Boom!

A drum.

Everyone, including Li Banfeng, felt their chests shake.

What drum could make such a sound?

In Puluo Province, only one place produces drumbeats this deafening.

Three people here had heard this drum before: Qiū Luòyè, He Yuxiu, Chu Shaoqiang.

They all knew what the drum meant.

Boom!

Another drumbeat—deep in the forest, towering figures emerged.

They weren't just tall—their bodies were bizarre: broad shoulders, each bearing three human heads.

This was the drum of the Criminal City. He Yuxiu smiled. Qiū Luòyè halted. Chu Shaoqiang tensed.

Juanzi walked forward. Behind her, four three-headed men carried a newly made great drum; one held the mallet, striking once every ten steps.

The drum was crudely made, but its sound was deafening.

In the Criminal City, this drum is struck only in two circumstances.

One: during New Year, symbolizing the city's hope for life.

Two: when survival is impossible, symbolizing the city's defiance for life.

Juanzi said to Li Banfeng: "Seventh Master, we just got our weapons—we're late."

Li Banfeng had prepared a hundred weapons, but he never expected over three thousand three-headed men—all except the children—had come.

Weapons weren't enough—some carried kitchen knives, others hoes, some sharpened tree trunks into spears.

Juanzi turned to Chu Shaoqiang and said nothing more.

When battle comes, it's Mengzi who speaks.

Mengzi asked: "Seventh Master, just these three?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

Chu Shaoqiang clearly feared the three-headed men: "I know you've suffered. I know you still want to live here. I promise—I'll let you stay. We shouldn't fight."

Mengzi stared at Chu Shaoqiang: "You don't need to say more. We came to kill you."

Chu Shaoqiang still tried to persuade: "I'm from Neizhou. Are you going to fight all of Neizhou?"

Mengzi shook his head: "We've never been to Neizhou. We don't know anyone from Neizhou. We only kill you."

Chu Shaoqiang smiled: "Kill me? That won't be easy. You'll lose at least half your people—is it worth it?"

"Half?" Mengzi glanced behind him. "You're underestimating. We came here—none of us plan to return alive."

Chu Shaoqiang was baffled: "Why?"

Mengzi answered simply: "Because this is our home."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The drumbeat grew rapid.

Tian Dasong grew fearful.

Guo Metropolitan Graduate muttered: "I… I'm not healed yet…"

When the drumbeats became too dense to count, the three-headed men charged.

Over three thousand three-headed men surged toward the three of them.

Grand Secretary Guo moved as close as possible to Tian Dasong.

Tian Dasong waited for Chu Shaoqiang's tactic.

Chu Shaoqiang roared: "Retreat!"

Then he ran off first.

Tian Dasong followed suit and ran, while He Yuxiu chased after him.

"Thirty-Six Strategies, Escape Is Best!" Grand Secretary Guo also wanted to flee, but he had a trick—he used a technique to run.

Though severely wounded and unable to use high-level techniques, he could still smoothly activate the Technique of Words That Come True.

Grand Secretary Guo moved a hundred meters at incredible speed, then activated the technique again.

"A single leaf can blind the eye!" He vanished into the forest, temporarily escaping everyone's sight.

Just as he sighed in relief, a clear song reached his ear.

"Huuu-yaa-yaa-yaa~"

That sound was Grand Secretary Guo's nightmare.

Li Banfeng appeared beside Grand Secretary Guo, his mouth full of blood and a smile on his face.

Grand Secretary Guo had recovered about two-tenths of his combat power; he still had one life-saving magic treasure—the folding fan in his hand. With this fan, he could still hold his own against Li Banfeng for a while.

Snap!

Grand Secretary Guo crossed his fingers, ready to open the fan—but found the fan was gone.

Where was the fan?

Grand Secretary Guo wanted to shout.

Li Banfeng clamped his mouth shut and dragged him into his Personal Dwelling.

…

Tian Dasong sprinted after Chu Shaoqiang, but didn't expect Chu Shaoqiang had prepared a Traveling Cultivator's magic treasure and ran far faster than Tian Dasong.

Tian Dasong was kicked from behind by He Yuxiu and stumbled.

Mengzi raised his axe and brought it down on Tian Dasong's skull.

Seeing that one blow, Tian Dasong was no longer afraid.

These three-headed men knew no martial arts—this strike was amateurish.

Tian Dasong snatched the axe back and easily slashed through Mengzi's chest.

Three-headed men had thick skin and tough flesh, but Wu Xiu had this method—he could cut through their hide and muscle; this axe, in Tian Dasong's hands, became a top-tier weapon.

But Tian Dasong didn't expect Mengzi to ignore his chest wound entirely—he grabbed Tian Dasong's right arm.

Tian Dasong tried to pull free, but the three-headed man's strength was terrifying; his arm felt welded in place, impossible to withdraw.

Another three-headed man grabbed Tian Dasong's left arm.

They pulled from both sides, trying to tear Tian Dasong apart.

That was how the three-headed men fought—simple and brutal.

Could this work? Could a tenth-level Wu Xiu really be torn apart like this?

Two of them couldn't do it—Tian Dasong could break free with just his footwork.

But if a whole group of three-headed men pulled together, it would be hard to escape.

Tian Dasong spun rapidly in place, flinging the group of three-headed men away.

One group thrown off, another came—no matter how hard Tian Dasong fought, the three-headed men relied on their physique and strength to cling to him, holding on tightly.

Tian Dasong still struggled desperately, when He Yuxiu stepped forward with a smile and kicked him hard in the chest.

That kick caused Tian Dasong to choke on his breath.

It was his last breath.

After choking, his strength slackened—he was torn into dozens of pieces, scattered across the ground.

"Where's Chu Shaoqiang?" Li Banfeng arrived beside He Yuxiu.

He Yuxiu glanced toward the distance: "That kid's underground escape technique is unmatched—he probably dug a hole and ran."

Xiao'er guessed right.

Chu Shaoqiang, covered in wounds, dug a tunnel and escaped to the foot of the mountain.

He quickly left Qiūluò City and had no intention of ever returning, unless absolutely necessary.

His next move was to report to Neizhou as soon as possible, letting Neizhou handle Qiūluòyè.

If Qiūluòyè refuses to submit to Neizhou, he will most likely be executed.

But how to explain this outcome…

Both Grand Secretary Guo and Tian Dasong were lost; he himself was wounded and fled—Chu Shaoqiang had no good explanation.

Let's delay it for a few days.

…

Li Banfeng found Qiūluòyè: "Big brother, don't chase anymore—go home and rest."

"You brat, still won't listen to me!" Qiūluòyè laughed, blood seeping through his clothes.

PS: The battle was won, but Qiūluòyè's life still hung in Neizhou's grip.

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(End of Chapter)