Vol. 2 - Chapter 16 - Stepping into the Water!

As Murong Longyuan stepped onto the boat, the atmosphere changed instantly.

The air grew heavy.

A seasoned master who had reached the first rank twenty years ago.

His strength was terrifying—comparable to the head of a major sect.

"Pah… pah… pah…"

Like an old farmer in the fields, Murong Longyuan held a tobacco pipe in his right hand, taking slow drags of dry tobacco.

After two puffs, his gaze swept over Sun Sheng, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"White Strip in the Waves, I acknowledge that you rob the rich to help the poor, an act of chivalry."

"I won’t arrest you this time. Leave."

The man in the sea-blue robe glanced at Sun Sheng before withdrawing his gaze.

Sun Sheng’s eyes flickered with surprise.

He had assumed this "Iron Spear" constable would come for him.

He hadn’t expected such words instead.

Murong Longyuan then turned his tired gaze to the man in the sea-blue robe.

"Qiong Aohai, you killed the Prefect of Yangzhou, slaughtered Mo Fangping and his family of five from the Jiuhua Sword Sect."

"Using martial arts to break the law—under Dawu’s legal code, you should have your collar bone pierced with an iron spike and be executed at the public market."

"You’ve caused too much trouble. Come back with me."

There was a trace of regret in Murong Longyuan’s hoarse voice.

Qiong Aohai!

At the mention of this name, the three people on the boat shuddered simultaneously.

The cross-dressing woman took another look at Qiong Aohai, her eyes flickering with realization.

Wang Jie’s eyes widened in shock.

So this young man before him was none other than the infamous Qiong Aohai, who had recently shaken the martial world!

At just twenty years old, with his pair of iron palms, he had swept through over ten sect inheritors, earning the title "Peerless Divine Palms".

Wang Jie gave Qiong Aohai a long, meaningful look, his gaze shifting to one of pity and lament.

A prefect was a fourth-rank official.

No matter how powerful a martial artist was, without an official title from the court, they were still mere commoners.

For a commoner to use martial arts to defy the law and kill a government official—that was a grave crime.

No matter what, the Six Gates would never let it go.

What a waste.

With Qiong Aohai’s talent, in less than two years, he could have reached the first rank.

But now...

Wang Jie couldn’t help but shake his head.

Sun Sheng also glanced at Qiong Aohai, his lips curling into a mysterious smile.

Qiong Aohai stood tall, his rugged and resolute face calm.

He spoke flatly: "The Prefect of Yangzhou did indeed die by my hand, but there are hidden truths behind the matter."

"And I did not kill Mo Fangping’s family."

Murong Longyuan took a slow drag from his pipe, exhaling hoarsely: "Whether or not there’s more to it, come back with me."

"If there’s a hidden truth, I’ll get to the bottom of it."

"Fleeing any further is meaningless."

Qiong Aohai’s expression turned serious, and he shook his head. "Senior Murong, I still have urgent matters to attend to."

"Once I’ve dealt with them, I will come to Six Gates myself."

A stream of white smoke, three feet long, escaped from Murong Longyuan’s nose and mouth.

From this alone, it was clear how deep his internal cultivation was.

"Killing a fourth-rank official—there is no matter in this world more urgent than that."

Murong Longyuan lightly twirled the tobacco pipe in his right hand, tapping it twice against the back of his left hand.

A few burnt gray flakes of tobacco fell from the bowl.

He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly sharp.

The one-foot-long pipe was now gripped in his right hand, its brass bowl tilted slightly toward the deck.

A murderous tension filled the air.

"I haven’t used a spear in years—it’s too inconvenient for chasing criminals."

"Since you’re a junior, make your move first," Murong Longyuan said flatly.

Though he still looked like an old farmer, he now exuded overwhelming pressure.

Not far away, the Six Gates' boat was swiftly approaching.

Qiong Aohai sighed lightly, cupping his fists in a gesture of respect.

"Senior, please!"

As soon as the words left his lips—

Qiong Aohai lunged forward, his sea-blue robe billowing.

His iron palms shot toward Murong Longyuan’s chest, the movements broad and powerful, his aura dominating.

The gusts from his strikes carried the faint sound of crashing waves.

Murong Longyuan gave the slightest nod.

He extended his right hand—

The brass head of the pipe stabbed directly at Qiong Aohai.

Unlike Qiong Aohai’s grand technique, Murong Longyuan’s move was terrifyingly simple.

A single thrust.

But it was executed at an unfathomable speed.

Leaving no time to react.

Before Qiong Aohai’s palms could reach Murong Longyuan, the brass bowl of the pipe had already pierced his shoulder.

"Pfft…"

A muffled sound.

Qiong Aohai’s body trembled as the pipe head sank into his flesh.

Blood splattered.

Just one strike.

The gap between the second and first rank was like heaven and earth.

At that moment, a rapid voice rang out from the side—

"Carp Flicks Its Tail!"

"White Stripe Crosses the River!"

"Catfish Plays with Shrimp!"

"Stepping into the Water!"

Qiong Aohai’s eyes lit up upon hearing those words.

His twin palms, which had yet to strike Murong Longyuan, abruptly changed course mid-air.

Carrying the force of crashing tides, his powerful strike shifted direction, slicing toward Murong Longyuan’s face.

Murong Longyuan remained calm. Just as he was about to counter, his ears twitched—he heard another gust of palm wind behind him, equally powerful as Qiong Aohai’s.

Faintly, he could hear the roaring of waves.

Without hesitation, Murong Longyuan withdrew the tobacco pipe embedded in Qiong Aohai’s shoulder. Gripping it tightly, he met Qiong Aohai’s attack head-on.

At the same time, his left hand struck backward, countering the assailant behind him.

"Bang!"

The sound of fists and palms clashing rang out.

Murong Longyuan’s gaze flickered—he caught a glimpse of his rear attacker.

It was Zhang Shun, the White Stripe in the Waves.

Sun Sheng wore a faint smile as he retracted his right palm from the strike.

Without pause, his hands shifted, launching another fierce attack toward Murong Longyuan.

His palm force surged like a tidal wave crashing against the sky, overwhelming and unstoppable.

Meanwhile, Qiong Aohai endured the pain in his shoulder, launching another palm strike. His hands, moving in tandem, surged upward toward Murong Longyuan’s chest.

It was the "White Stripe Crossing the River"—a signature technique from the Roaring Wave Palms!

Under the moonlit night—

On the small boat, Murong Longyuan stood clad in a dark brocade robe, one hand gripping his tobacco pipe, the other wielding an open palm.

To his left and right, Qiong Aohai in his sea-blue robes and Sun Sheng, drenched in black, mirrored each other’s movements.

Both of their palm techniques were grand and expansive, imbued with the power of roaring waves.

One attacked from the left, the other from the right, moving with an uncanny synchronization.

Onboard, "Divine Fist" Wang Jie was utterly shocked to see the two daringly attack Murong Longyuan at the same time.

Every first-rank expert was a battle-hardened warrior with overwhelming strength.

Murong Longyuan had already agreed to let Zhang Shun go—yet Zhang Shun still dared to make a move!

What was even more shocking was that Zhang Shun’s palm techniques were identical to Qiong Aohai’s.

Everyone in the martial world knew that Qiong Aohai’s palm techniques came from one of the Five Great Grandmasters of this era—Nan Yiyun, the Strange Hero of the South Sea.

Yet, Zhang Shun also knew the Roaring Wave Palms?!

A terrifying realization struck Wang Jie’s mind.

Cold sweat instantly drenched his back.

Zhang Shun’s identity was not simple!

Meanwhile, the cross-dressing woman watched with bright, amused eyes.

If she had sunflower seeds in hand, she would have already started munching.

At the edge of the boat—

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Within mere breaths, Sun Sheng, Qiong Aohai, and Murong Longyuan exchanged three lightning-fast moves.

Sun Sheng sneered coldly: "Stepping into the Water!"

On the other side, hesitation flickered in Qiong Aohai’s eyes.

Hearing Sun Sheng’s cryptic message, Murong Longyuan instantly heightened his vigilance, channeling his internal energy to form a protective barrier around his body.

Though he was a first-rank master, his subordinates were nearby. If these two juniors managed to land even a single solid hit, it would be humiliating.

The next instant—

"Splash!"

"Splash!"

Sun Sheng and Qiong Aohai leaped off the boat at the same time.