Breaking Limits in Martial Arts: Grinding Your Way to Becoming a Martial Saint in a Chaotic Era

Officer Qi coldly swept his gaze over the approaching bandits, showing no fear.

With his strength, if he insisted on leaving, he was 70% confident he could fight his way out. But if he really left, the thirty brothers who came with him would surely be wiped out in an instant.

Whether it was for the sake of his brothers' lives or for his promise to Xu Qing, he couldn't leave.

"Xu Qing." Constable Qi's voice was very low, so low that only Xu Qing could hear it. "Find a chance to break out and go back to the camp for reinforcements. The people in the Commandant's Office are not from the Lin family; they only listen to Lord Lu. As long as you bring the message back, Lin Mu won't dare to stand by and watch someone die in front of Commandant Du."

Xu Qing won first place at the Golden Carp Gathering, and Constable Qi clearly saw his strength. Among these thirty people, if there was one who could break through, it would undoubtedly be Xu Qing.

Xu Qing glanced at Constable Qi, and without hesitation, nodded.

Officer Qi drew his sword and roared, "Kill—!"

He charged out first, his blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for the leader of Jiaolong Village.

The leader snorted coldly, and his nine-ringed broadsword swept across. With a loud clang, sparks flew, and the two instantly engaged in a fierce battle. In this clash of masters of internal energy, the wind from their blades sliced ​​through small trees as thick as bowls in half, sending leaves flying.

Lei Lie grinned maliciously and charged forward, his spear aimed at Qi the Constable's back. Qi the Constable had no choice but to divide his attention, and being outnumbered by two powerful fighters, he was forced to retreat step by step.

The bandits swarmed forward, engaging in a chaotic battle with the yamen runners and soldiers. The sounds of clashing swords, screams, and angry shouts echoed through the dense forest, startling several water birds into cawing in the twilight.

In the chaos, Xu Qing didn't rush out. Not because he didn't want to, but because the time wasn't right. While dealing with the bandits rushing at him, he used his peripheral vision to observe the surrounding situation.

The first and second leaders were held back by Constable Qi, but the third leader did not make a move, simply standing on the outside and watching coldly.

The third leader's gaze kept lingering on Xu Qing.

Xu Qing understood. This person was after him.

He quickly changed his mind and decided to play along. He deliberately exposed an opening in his hand, and was forced back two steps by the bandits in front of him, his body staggering, looking as if he was being overwhelmed by the bandits.

The third leader took the bait as expected. He winked at the bandits beside him, and they immediately surrounded him.

"It's time." Xu Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he swiftly slashed down a bandit with his sword, instantly creating an opening in front of him. He pushed off with his feet and shot out like an arrow, rushing towards the exit of the dense forest.

This run was not an escape, but a lead.

By luring away the third leader's gang, the pressure on Constable Qi and his men would be greatly reduced. Once he brought reinforcements, this group of bandits would naturally have no way out. He didn't intend to reveal his trump card too early, and still wanted to find an opportunity to catch Lin Mu off guard.

"Chase!" The third leader's eyes narrowed, and he led five or six bandits in pursuit.

Xu Qing ran through the dense forest, the dead branches and leaves under his feet making a crackling sound.

After running for about half a cup of tea's time, the trees ahead gradually thinned out, revealing a relatively open flat area.

Just as he was about to rush out of the dense forest, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

There were six people standing in front of them.

The leader was a tall, thin man dressed in a gray robe, with a stern face, and carrying a long sword.

Xu Qing recognized him.

One of the two hidden strength practitioners beside Lin Mu, Lin Cang, is a servant of the Lin family. He has achieved minor mastery of hidden strength and is said to have already reached the threshold of major mastery.

The five men behind him were all strong and muscular, dressed in uniform light blue outfits, with short swords at their waists and fierce eyes. They were all private soldiers of the Lin family, and each of them was a master of Ming Jin (a type of martial arts).

Xu Qing's heart sank.

He knew this was no coincidence.

Lin Mu actually had a backup plan.

Lin Cang and his group were clearly not there to rescue him, but to block all his escape routes and bury him, Qi the constable, and the dozen or so constables from the county magistrate's faction on this island.

If you advance, there are dense forests; if you retreat, there are bandits on the water.

There was no choice but to fight World War I.

The footsteps behind them grew closer. The third leader, along with five or six bandits, caught up and emerged from the bushes. Seeing Lin Cang, he grinned and said, "Brother Lin, this kid is too slippery, like an eel."

Lin Cang nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Xu Qing, his eyes filled with malice.

The third leader waved his hand, ordering his bandits to disperse and, together with Lin Cang's men, surround Xu Qing.

He sized Xu Qing up and down, his eyes icy: "As expected of the top member of the Golden Scale Society, you do have some skill. If Brother Lin hadn't been waiting here, you would have really gotten away."

Lin Cang didn't rush to attack. He looked at Xu Qing and spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying a condescending disdain: "You, a lowly fisherman from the bay, a dog-like creature. The young master has shown you favor, yet you refuse to appreciate it and insist on courting death. Who can you blame?"

Xu Qing didn't speak, but gripped the knife in his hand tightly, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men, his face filled with fear and anxiety. At least, that's how it appeared.

The third leader scoffed, continuing Lin Cang's line of thought: "A lowlife is a lowlife, forever destined to be worthless!"

He stared at Xu Qing and said coldly, "Remember this! In your next life, focus on fishing and never entertain the thought of learning martial arts again. Martial arts should never be associated with lowly scum like you."

Lin Cang suddenly sighed, "What a pity, what a pity. If you had been willing to pledge allegiance to the young master, you wouldn't have ended up like this."

He said it was a pity, but his eyes were full of indifference and pleasure.

He has practiced martial arts for more than ten years to achieve his current level, so he can hardly be considered a genius. Therefore, he is jealous of geniuses and hates them.

Right now, a top genius is about to die at his hands, and a morbid sense of pleasure involuntarily wells up inside him.

Xu Qing lowered her head and remained silent, as if she were terrified.

The third leader grew impatient: "Brother Lin, stop wasting time talking to him. The young master said he wants him dead. Let's finish this quickly, we still need to rush back to surround and kill Qi Mao."

Lin Cang nodded, but didn't make a move. Instead, he looked at Xu Qing and slowly uttered his last words: "Don't worry, after you die, people will say you died at the hands of river bandits. The top member of the Zhao Family Martial Arts School's Golden Scale Society, sacrificing for the country, died a worthy death. What a good ending."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Don't worry, I'll take care of your second uncle and aunt, and your little sister."

Xu Qing lowered her head, and her eyes suddenly changed.

It wasn't fear, nor anger, but a chilling, utterly calm coldness that sent shivers down your spine.

The third leader, however, remained completely oblivious. He strode forward smugly, the curved blade in his hand gleaming coldly in the twilight, saying as he went, "Brother Lin, don't make a move, let me handle this. This brat made me chase him for so long. I'm going to kill him myself!"

He felt that through his observation, he had seen through Xu Qing completely. He was certain that Xu Qing would be beheaded the moment he made his move.

He walked up to Xu Qing, looked down at him, raised his curved knife, and aimed the tip at Xu Qing's throat.

"Kid, be more discerning in your next life. Some people are not worth offending."

The moment the knife fell, Xu Qing moved.

He instantly transformed from "prey" into "hunter," the reversal happening in a flash.

The waist knife swung upwards, not to parry, but to attack! It struck first despite being behind, the blade flashing like a silver lightning bolt, slicing across the Third Leader's throat before his curved blade could fall.

"puff--"

A thin line of blood appeared on the third leader's neck. It started as a thin line, then suddenly gushed out.

The third leader's eyes were wide open, his mouth was agape, but he could only make "ho, ho" sounds.

The scimitar clattered to the ground. He covered his neck with both hands, but blood gushed out from between his fingers no matter how hard he tried to stop it.

His body swayed, then he fell straight forward, landing with a thud at Xu Qing's feet, splashing up a patch of withered leaves.

The person had already stopped breathing, but their eyes were still open, unable to close them in death.