Cheng Zongyang kept his eyes fixed on Lu Yan.

The man had clearly been about to try something.

If Lu Yan had dared to order an attack, Cheng Zongyang would have unleashed the Soul Gathering Stele! The result wouldn’t have been a mere warning—it would have been total annihilation!

Finally, seeing Lu Yan back down, Cheng Zongyang sneered. The other families had no objections, and the Lu Family remained silent. This meant West City now belonged to his Cheng Family and the Celestial Break Gang!

Having achieved his goal so easily, he saw no reason to press his luck. He then turned his gaze to Zhou Zhendong.

At that moment, Zhou Zhendong was being pursued by Qiu Fengxing, whose Body Technique was as light as the wind. He was forced to stand his ground and defend against the man’s sword.

Qiu Fengxing was well aware of how formidable the Long Saber in Zhou Zhendong’s hand was, so he avoided letting his own sword make contact.

However, thanks to his speed and his refined, devious swordsmanship, Qiu Fengxing slowly began to land hits. Zhou Zhendong, still defending on the spot, soon had six or seven cuts on his body, blood dripping from the wounds. Meanwhile, his own saber couldn’t even graze his opponent.

This wasn’t just a matter of a single grade’s difference in Cultivation; it was also a gulf in Martial Arts and combat experience!

But in the next instant, Zhou Zhendong abruptly abandoned his defense. He turned and fled, hoping to seize back the initiative rather than continue being led around by the nose.

In his mind, if his opponent would just stop dodging, he could shatter his sword! Then, even at close range, he would have no fear!

Cheng Zongyang had no intention of intervening. He decided to watch for now.

These life-or-death struggles were the best training a man could get.

Whether he won or lost didn’t matter. The fact that he could last this long against Patriarch Qiu was a testament to his strength.

Zhou Zhendong’s idea was sound, but the difference in their power was undeniable.

Zhou Zhendong took several more sword wounds. As Qiu Fengxing saw an opening and moved in for the kill, Cheng Zongyang finally acted, charging toward him with saber in hand.

His Body Technique was no slower than Qiu Fengxing’s; he closed the distance and reached his side in the space of two breaths!

Seeing Cheng Zongyang’s shockingly fast approach, Qiu Fengxing had no choice but to pull back the sword he had aimed at Zhou Zhendong’s heart. Tapping his right foot on the ground, he launched himself into a series of sideways, mid-air flips, narrowly dodging the descending saber!

DING! The tip of Qiu Fengxing’s sword tapped the ground. He used the momentum to spring back up, landing gracefully on his feet. He stared at Cheng Zongyang, the killing intent in his eyes raw and undisguised.

He had been so close!

’If it weren’t for that Divine Weapon Treasure Saber, how could someone of Zhou Zhendong’s caliber have lasted so long against me?’

"Patriarch Qiu, want to team up?"

Suddenly, Lu Yan, still bitter about his defeat, spoke up. The bleeding from the wound on his chest had stopped.

His body was exceptionally durable; even with a deep wound, he could staunch the bleeding. At the very least, it wouldn’t significantly hamper his movements.

Qiu Fengxing ignored Lu Yan. His eyes were fixed on the saber in Cheng Zongyang’s hand, a mixture of covetousness and apprehension in his gaze.

He knew Lu Yan’s strength. For Cheng Zongyang to suppress him, and with that saber in hand, meant that Qiu Fengxing had no clear path to victory.

"Hmph!" Qiu Fengxing snorted and reluctantly retreated to his family’s side.

’I’ll just have to make a new plan later.’

When Lu Yan saw that even Qiu Fengxing had backed down, he sneered. "Too scared to even join forces!"

Cheng Zongyang feigned reaching into his robes and, a moment later, produced a packet of White Medicine he’d retrieved from his marketplace hut storage. He handed it to Zhou Zhendong.

"Stop the bleeding."

"Okay." Zhou Zhendong wasted no words. He planted his saber in the ground and stripped off his shredded tunic, revealing the eight or nine sword wounds crisscrossing his torso.

As Zhou Zhendong applied the medicine, he kept glancing at Qiu Fengxing, the killing intent in his own eyes flaring.

’Just you wait. Once I reach the Seventh Grade and master my Body Technique, I’ll come settle this score with you, you old dog!’

Back in the mountains, he had fought real battles every day to grow stronger, suffering far worse injuries than these.

But speed and his Body Technique were his weaknesses; otherwise, he never would have let Qiu Fengxing lead him around by the nose! 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"What are you looking at!"

Just then, a young man beside Qiu Fengxing noticed Zhou Zhendong’s stare and spoke in a cold voice.

Zhou Zhendong glanced over. Seeing the family resemblance to Qiu Fengxing, he immediately realized it was his son and retorted mockingly:

"Don’t just run your mouth. Your old man fought me for that long and couldn’t even kill me. Why don’t you, his son, give it a shot?"

The youth’s face flushed with anger. He started to step forward, but was stopped by a plainly, yet elegantly, dressed girl at his side.

She wore a veil, however, and in the dim night, with only the flickering torchlight for illumination, it was impossible to make out her features.

After stopping the young man, she didn’t spare Zhou Zhendong a single glance. She spoke to the youth beside her in a level voice, "Pay him no mind. He’s just trying to provoke you. Our priority is to get settled. We can plan our next move later."

Seeing this, the youth had no choice but to swallow his anger.

This development surprised not only Zhou Zhendong, but also drew Cheng Zongyang’s gaze to the woman in the white veil.

Her voice was crisp and cold, sounding to Cheng Zongyang like that of a powerful, frigid woman.

But Cheng Zongyang turned to the middle-aged man holding the Heavy Sword, clasped his fist in a salute, and asked, "Do you know where the members of the Li Family are?"

Xu Tieshan acknowledged Cheng Zongyang’s salute and question, offered a cold, terse reply, and turned to leave.

"County Magistrate’s Office."

The crowd began to disperse as well.

Cheng Zongyang’s swift defeat of Lu Yan had defused a tense situation, saving everyone a great deal of trouble.

Cheng Zongyang wasn’t bothered by the man’s attitude. He knew these families wouldn’t let the matter rest.

The real trouble would likely begin once they investigated the Cheng Family’s origins and background.

Not that Cheng Zongyang cared. If they pushed him too far, he’d just deal with all of them at once!

He then glanced at Zhou Zhendong beside him. "How are you feeling?"