The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 101 - 98: Taking Action

Chapter 101: Chapter 98: Taking Action

Qing Yu finished instructing the waiter and turned to Luo Yan, "When will Han Wenxin arrive?"

"Shortly, within two hours, or at most four hours. Let’s wait."

"That long?" Qing Yu frowned slightly, "Can’t you be more precise?"

Luo Yan shook his head, "This is the Divine Capital; we don’t have enough people to watch him around the clock. Besides, Han Wenxin is not a simple man. His vigilance is not what you’d expect of an ordinary scholar. Even when dining out, he is unconsciously alert to the people around him."

"That is quite abnormal," Qing Yu nodded.

Such unconscious behavior could only be a result of ingraining a habit of vigilance deep into one’s bones.

"I’ve had people tailing him for three days and couldn’t find a single clue, not even a chance to probe him. He’s watertight. This time, it’s only because the rest days at the Academy are about to end that I—"

Qing Yu raised his hand, stopping Luo Yan’s words with a vertical palm, "He’s here."

"Here? He should still be in the Sixth Prince’s Mansion!"

"Maybe he discovered he was being followed and disguised himself to return to the Mountain River Academy. Very cautious!"

Qing Yu praised softly. Such caution resonated with him, as they were cut from the same cloth. Or rather, both feared death and took care with every possible danger.

"Look, that white-clothed scholar to your rear right," Qing Yu reminded.

Luo Yan glanced discreetly in that direction and said, "Can’t tell at all, how did you spot him?"

"No matter how much one changes their face, the shape of their skull can’t be changed unless you’ve learned the advanced Bone Shrinking Technique. Just like your disguise, if observed closely, it’s not difficult for a professional to see through," Qing Yu pointed at Luo Yan’s face.

Luo Yan subconsciously touched his cheek. For this mission, it was necessary to keep his true identity hidden, so he also disguised himself before leaving.

"Let’s make a move. Since he’s so alert, if we wait any longer, something might happen," Qing Yu said.

Qing Yu knew, if it were himself, he would not linger in this place if he felt watched or tracked.

"Alright." Qing Yu made several covert hand signals.

Immediately, four dark shadows leaped down from the second floor of the tavern, their knives glinting towards the panicked white-clothed scholar.

"Who dares?!"

The white-clothed scholar, who looked flustered just a moment ago, suddenly regained his composure. A deep and powerful True Qi gathered in his palm as he struck with his palm.

The palm force was incredibly concentrated, embodying the spirit of altering landscapes and reshaping the world—it was the Long Sky Divine Palm.

The four black-clothed men, facing such an unstoppable force, responded meticulously. Three knives followed mysterious trajectories toward the approaching palm force. The remaining one turned to strike Han Wenxin from behind.

"These four look familiar..." Qing Yu, pretending to be a flustered patron behind an overturned table, said to Luo Yan.

"Are they the same four from Yang City last time?"

Qing Yu was referring to the four black-clothed men who, months ago in Yang City, had used a combined knife technique against the City Lord Mansion’s old butler. At that time, they were of the Postnatal Ninth Layer, but now they had reached the Innate Realm.

"Mm," nodded Luo Yan, "the four are quadruplets, with shared minds. At the Innate First Layer, they can combine to challenge masters of the Third Layer."

"Innate Third Layer is not enough; they won’t stop Han Wenxin."

Even though it seemed like Qing Yu had fought Han Wenxin to a draw with an Innate First Layer last time, that had been merely a little test, and Qing Yu’s capabilities surpassed those of an ordinary Innate First Layer individual.

Realistically, given the strength Han Wenxin had shown that day, he was comparable to a regular Innate Third Layer. Besides, he had something hidden.

As expected, once Han Wenxin saw there were only these four, and no others, he began to reveal his true power.

"Just you four think you can take my life? Not enough."

Han Wenxin counter-attacked the black-clothed man who had been circling behind him, unleashing a domineering palm force that shattered the gleaming steel knife into several pieces, which then flew into the attacker’s body.

Against the three men in front, it was still one palm strike.

Long Sky Divine Palm – One Palm Leveling Mountains and Rivers.

A profound Vast Righteous Qi enveloped his body, filling the air around him. With a simple yet tyrannical gesture like the Long Sky Divine Palm, it seemed as though even real mountains and rivers would be crushed and brought low.

"I’ll go up; you back me up."

Qing Yu drew a gleaming sword from within his clothes.

Don’t ask how the sword was hidden; isn’t it common for the all-encompassing Lianhua Treasure Book to have a Hidden Sword Skill?

His figure flickered as Qing Yu replaced the injured black-clothed man, continuing the sinister work of backstabbing.

The transformed Exorcism Swordsmanship was unlike before, now faster in striking since practicing the "Heavenly Person Rebirth Technique," without the usual pinpoint moves aimed at eyes or the groin, and devoid of the previous venomous coldness.

This strike was pure and exceedingly swift, not even stirring the air.

As Han Wenxin struck out with his palm, he felt a chill on his neck and rolled away instinctively, retracting the Long Sky Divine Palm and dodging the sword edge that was about to touch his neck.

Qing Yu said nothing further; he preferred silence during combat unless necessary.

The sword momentum was ceaseless, and the tangled Sword Qi crisscrossed in front of him, trapping Han Wenxin within.

Clearly, the dodging roll, a divine escape technique, was insufficient to evade Qing Yu’s swift assault. Before the roll was even finished, Qing Yu could catch up and strike several times.

"Wait!" Luo Yan shouted.

He had not anticipated the fight unfolding so quickly. Qing Yu’s sword was decisive, sharp, and ruthless. If one couldn’t dodge, they would instantly meet a violent death.

Han Wenxin could no longer dodge, but Qing Yu’s ruthless sword form remained unaltered, still targeting vital points—a contradiction to the mission’s objective of uncovering Han Wenxin’s secrets to acquire the disguise of "Vast Righteous Qi."

It was because Qing Yu knew that Han Wenxin was much like himself—cautious and not one to die easily, surely having an ace up his sleeve. If he had no such card, he would meet his fate, as faking the "Vast Righteous Qi" was not Qing Yu’s concern.

Even without that technique, Qing Yu had another source, Feng Jiu, to obtain information and fool those from the Six Gates.

The ruthless, yet not murderous, sword edge targeted Han Wenxin’s vital spots. Neck, heart, spine—the Sword Light divided, as if there were two more swords, two more arms, attacking three crucial points almost simultaneously.

Just as Han Wenxin seemed poised to fall beneath Qing Yu’s sword, a sudden anomaly occurred...