Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 138 Sword Challenge to Bao Butong

Bao Butong kept saying he wanted to avenge his fourth brother, and directly targeted Jiang Mingzhe.

Fearing that the Beggars' Sect would intervene, he specifically emphasized that they should take revenge first, and then deal with Qiao Feng!

This fellow said Qiao Feng was overrated, but he had his own thoughts in mind—

The possibility that the leader of the number one gang in the world is undeserved is not nonexistent, but it is so small as to be negligible.

In comparison, although Jiang Mingzhe has a record of severely injuring Feng Bo'e with one move, he is definitely much easier to deal with than the long-established Qiao Feng.
He had heard Feng Bo'e recount the scene in detail: the Qingcheng Sect unleashed a barrage of hidden weapons, forcing Feng Bo'e to temporarily escape onto the roof beam. But how much space could there be on the roof beam? Jiang Mingzhe jumped up and threw a punch, and Feng Bo'e, unaware of his opponent's strength, took the hit head-on and was thus injured.

Bao Butong believed that if the fight were on the ground, given Feng Bo'e's agility and combat experience, even if Jiang Mingzhe was highly skilled and had powerful punches, he might not be able to secure a victory.

His martial arts skills are superior to Feng Bo'e's. He can't say he's guaranteed to win against Jiang Mingzhe, but he certainly has a chance!
He had already planned out his next move: once he won, he would capture the person immediately!

This kid is willing to speak up for the Beggars' Sect, so the two sides must have a close relationship. By taking him hostage, Qiao Feng and the four elders of the Beggars' Sect can only watch as Bao Sanye leaves.

Jiang Mingzhe could guess about 70-80% of Bao Butong's thoughts just by looking at his shifty eyes.

He chuckled and said, "Bao San, do you often read military strategy books, preparing to lead troops into battle in the future? You're so methodical, not like an ordinary martial arts master!"

Bao Butong looked smug; it turned out he had indeed read a lot of military strategy, and now that someone had pointed it out, he couldn't help but feel proud.

Then Jiang Mingzhe scoffed and shook his head: "But you've probably only read the military strategy books to the point of being useless! Heh, the whole martial arts world is saying that your Murong family killed the Beggar Clan's vice leader..."

Before Bao Butong could refute him, he gestured to the four elders of the Beggars' Sect: "But given the upright and righteous nature of the Beggars' Sect heroes, if they haven't seen the murderer with certainty, they will definitely investigate thoroughly. Their large-scale southward march is precisely for this matter. Before the facts are confirmed, neither Chief Qiao nor these elders will take your life."

He then laughed and said, "So you dare not provoke the Qingcheng Sect, but you dare to provoke the Beggar Clan. Isn't that because you've got this figured out? In that case, you should be challenging Chief Qiao right now. He's the leader of the number one gang in the world. It's not shameful for you to lose, and he won't kill you. Hehe, why do you insist on challenging me? I don't have those kinds of concerns. Aren't you afraid I'll blast you to dust with one punch?"

Upon hearing this, Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e both changed color, and the four elders of the Beggars' Sect couldn't help but look at him frequently, all thinking: This young man's mind is indeed very quick, but we don't know where he comes from. Could he be a rising star of the Qingcheng Sect? But the Qingcheng Sect only accepts people from western Sichuan, yet he doesn't speak with a hint of western Sichuan accent.

Bao Butong, who always prided himself on his bravery, was now enraged when Jiang Mingzhe exposed his thoughts and made his schemes seem worthless. He roared, "Third Master Bao said he'd kill you first, then beat Qiao Feng!"

He drew his single-edged sword from behind Feng Bo'e and slashed at him without warning, the blade moving swiftly and fiercely.

Jiang Mingzhe chuckled, drew his longsword, parried left and right, and with a swift movement, thrust out his sword—the very sword of the Dali Duan family.

Bao Butong wielded his sword with the ferocity of a tiger, his movements bold and sweeping. Qiao Feng nodded in approval, thinking to himself: No wonder this man is so arrogant. His martial arts skills are comparable to those of the Nine-Bag Elder of our sect, and even stronger than those of the leaders of ordinary sects.

Coincidentally, although the Duan family swordsmanship was a swordsmanship, it originated from warfare and followed a grand and majestic path. The sword was used for horizontal slashes and vertical cuts, swift thrusts and steady parries, all head-on attacks. The clanging sounds of swords clashing were incessant, and sparks flew from time to time. Bao Butong fought for more than ten rounds, only to feel the force of his opponent's sword growing stronger and stronger, and his own arm gradually aching. He was secretly alarmed: "My saber technique is a treasure among the saber techniques stored in Huanshi Water Pavilion. Even in the martial arts world, it can be considered a first-class skill. But in terms of moves, it is no match for his swordsmanship. That's fine, but his internal strength is far superior to mine. If we continue to fight like this, I'm afraid I won't even be able to hold my saber steady."

He gritted his teeth, threw the knife out of his hand, and used the ultimate technique of the Five Tigers of Qin Family Village, called "Roaring Down the Mountain".

In the original story, when Yao Bodang was about to be defeated by Sima Lin, the people of Qin Family Village used this move, throwing more than ten broadswords at once. Just when Sima Lin was on the verge of death, Bao Butong appeared in a flash, caught all ten broadswords, and gave him a big prize.

Bao Butong was able to display his great power not only because of his outstanding martial arts skills, but also because he had studied the Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Saber and knew exactly how to exert force and how to counter the Roaring Down the Mountain move.

Jiang Mingzhe thrust his longsword forward, the tip piercing the guard of the single-edged sword. With a flick of his wrist, he released a gentle force, dissipating the sword's power. The longsword trembled violently, the sword spinning rapidly around its blade. Then, with a shake of the sword, the single-edged sword flew back with a whoosh. Jiang Mingzhe laughed, "A return favor!"

Bao Butong dodged the attack and angrily said, "The force and technique of your knife this time are completely different from mine. What do you mean by 'returning the favor'? Master Bao's knife skills are rough and clumsy. Do you dare to compete with me in fist and foot?"

After saying that, he leaped over and used his grappling skills, grabbing Jiang Mingzhe's throat with his left hand and pinching Jiang Mingzhe's genitals with his right.

Jiang Mingzhe laughed and said, "If we're not going to fight with fists and feet, let's fight with swords!"

With a whoosh, a sword swept upwards. Bao Butong hurriedly leaped back, angrily shouting, "I'm empty-handed while you're using a weapon! Don't you have any shame?"

Jiang Mingzhe chuckled, "You want me to use my hands? If you like using your hands, then use your hands. I prefer using a sword!"

As he spoke, he unleashed seven or eight swift sword strikes in quick succession, leaving Bao Butong dodge left and right, looking utterly disheveled.

Qiao Feng found it amusing and laughed heartily, thinking to himself: No wonder Brother Jiang said to use their own methods against them. This Bao fellow is really shameless. If we treat him properly, neither of us will suffer. Brother Jiang's methods are more suitable for dealing with him.

How could Bao Butong, unarmed, possibly withstand Jiang Mingzhe's three-foot-long sword? He tried to go back to retrieve his knife, but Jiang Mingzhe easily forced him to jump away with a few sword strikes. Bao Butong was filled with rage and frustration, his face flushed red, and he shouted, "If you keep hitting me like this, I'll curse!"

Jiang Mingzhe said arrogantly, "You dare to argue with me with your so-called 'neither here nor there'? Come on, I won't be a true Zu'an person if I don't curse you until you vomit blood!"

Bao Butong had countless foul words ready to be hurled, but seeing Jiang Mingzhe's confident expression, he suddenly realized that he might not be able to out-argue him.

After exchanging two more blows, Jiang Mingzhe launched a "divide and conquer" attack, wielding two swords that forced Bao Butong into a flurry of movements. He then unleashed a "stealth cavalry surprise attack," swinging his sword in one motion. Bao Butong was slightly slow to dodge and was struck on the thigh. Although the blow was not deep, it greatly affected his movement.

Enraged, he suddenly shouted, "A true man keeps his word! Your words are worthless! Didn't you say you'd blast me to dust with one punch? Why are you trying to kill me with a sword?"

(End of this chapter)