Chapter 52: Those Who Know Current Affairs, The Reason for the Annihilation

The Emerald Jade Snake and Sato Yaramasa, two high-level martial arts grandmasters, joined forces from the front and flanks to kill Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen stood in place without dodging, his hands covered in true energy, ready to counterattack and destroy them.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two gunshots suddenly rang out, and two bullets zipped straight toward the Emerald Jade Snake and Sato Yaramasa.

Struck by a profound sense of crisis, the two instantly abandoned their attack on Jiang Chen and shifted sideways in a blur to evade the bullets.

The two bullets whistled past them and embedded themselves deep into the wall of the tea room, leaving jagged craters behind.

"Mr. Jiang, are you unhurt?"

Qin Pochun appeared at the doorway, dual-wielding handguns, and asked Jiang Chen.

He had received urgent intelligence that the ninja warrior Sato Yaramasa from the nation of Xiaokun and the alluring poison master Emerald Jade Snake of the Myriad Poisons Sect were meeting in this teahouse to conspire.

Since quite a few members of the Linzhou Military Command had already been killed or poisoned by them, he had immediately boarded a helicopter and rushed over with his men.

Upon arrival, he discovered that Ye Qingchan in the courtyard downstairs was not only surrounded by a group of ninja warriors wielding samurai swords, but also ambushed by several snake-handling poison masters.

Therefore, he and his master-level martial artists split into two paths—sending the others to support Ye Qingchan while he personally came to take down Sato Yaramasa and the Emerald Jade Snake.

Seeing that Jiang Chen was fighting two opponents alone and fearing he might be injured, Qin Pochun had opened fire without hesitation.

"Two worthless pests, they aren't enough to hurt me."

Meeting Qin Pochun's gaze, Jiang Chen replied indifferently.

"You're courting death!"

"Yaga!"

Hearing Jiang Chen dismiss them as mere worthless pests, the Emerald Jade Snake and Sato Yaramasa cursed in rage, their murderous intent surging.

Yet, curses aside, neither of them rushed to attack Jiang Chen, as Qin Pochun was currently keeping them in his crosshairs, watching like a tiger eyeing its prey.

Even as high-level martial arts grandmasters, their mortal flesh could not withstand bullets, and releasing their internal energy externally could not defend their entire bodies. The moment they engaged Jiang Chen and their inner Qi was depleted in the clash, Qin Pochun would fire, and they would be hit.

"Mr. Jiang, leave this old bastard from Xiaokun to me!"

Qin Pochun prepared to join the fray and fight alongside Jiang Chen, holding his twin pistols, which happened to be the perfect counter to Sato Yaramasa's samurai sword.

"Both of them are high-level martial arts grandmasters. Just guard the door; if anyone tries to escape, shoot them!"

Jiang Chen warned Qin Pochun.

"High-level martial arts grandmasters?!"

Qin Pochun's pupils constricted. When did Sato Yaramasa and the Emerald Jade Snake break through? With his own strength as a mid-level martial arts grandmaster, wouldn't he be unable to handle even one of them?

***

"Focus entirely on killing Jiang Chen. Forget about absorbing his vital energy for now. End this quickly to prevent any unforeseen complications!"

Sato Yaramasa's expression was grim as he conveyed the gravity of the situation to the Emerald Jade Snake.

As long as they engaged Jiang Chen in close combat, Qin Pochun wouldn't dare to fire casually for fear of hitting Jiang Chen.

If they went after Qin Pochun first, they would face bullets from the front and Jiang Chen's pursuit from behind, trapping them between an anvil and a hammer in an even more perilous predicament.

Furthermore, they could not afford to drag this out; otherwise, reinforcements from the Dragon Soul's Hidden Dragon Envoys and the Linzhou Military Command would arrive, and they might very well perish here!

"Fine! We'll do as you say!"

The Emerald Jade Snake gritted her teeth and nodded, agreeing with Sato Yaramasa's combat plan.

"Since you've already made your plans, crawl over here and die!"

Jiang Chen beckoned to the two of them with his finger.

"Arrogant!"

"Bitch, pay with your life!"

Provoked beyond measure, Sato Yaramasa and the Emerald Jade Snake charged at Jiang Chen once more.

"Swish, swish, swish... Boom, boom, boom..."

Terrifying bursts of blade qi slashed from Sato Yaramasa's hands. Amidst the flickering glare of swords and silhouettes, the floor, tea tables, chairs, and walls were all cleaved apart.

Wood and stone chips flew through the air of the tea room, leaving the entire space in utter devastation, while the blade qi rampaging through the midair whipped up howling gales that swept in all directions.

Qin Pochun found it impossible to get a clear bead on them with his gun, and he was awed by the destructive scope of Sato Yaramasa's power. Armed with both blade and gun, he knew he was outmatched; the gap between a mid-level grandmaster and a high-level grandmaster was simply too vast.

Hidden behind the overwhelming wall of blade qi, the Emerald Jade Snake concentrated all her internal Qi into the five fingers of her right hand, tearing through the blade qi to claw viciously at Jiang Chen's chest, intending to rip his heart right out.

"Boom... Bang!"

With another simple yet brutal punch, Jiang Chen unleashed a fist wrapped in true energy that erupted with terrifying might, blasting the overwhelming blade qi and externalized inner Qi to pieces. The explosion was even more deafening than gunshots.

"Crack... Pfft!"

Taking the full brunt of the blow, the Emerald Jade Snake had all five fingers and her entire arm shattered in an instant. She flew backward like a kite with a snapped string, vomiting a massive mouthful of blood while still airborne.

"Clang... Pfft..."

Sato Yaramasa used his samurai sword to block the impact of the true energy fist with all his might, but the web of his hands cracked and bled from the shock. The samurai sword was jolted out of his grip, and he too was sent flying backward, coughing up blood.

Witnessing this breathtaking sight, Qin Pochun was once again dumbfounded by Jiang Chen's sheer strength. It was simply too powerful!

When they had fought at the Zhao residence and Jiang Chen had completely overwhelmed him, Qin Pochun had assumed Jiang Chen had just broken through to the high-level grandmaster rank. But seeing him now, he realized Jiang Chen had already reached the very peak of the high-level martial arts grandmaster realm!

"Pfft... How can your strength possibly be this terrifying?!"

***

Sato Yaramasa slammed into the ground, spat out another mouthful of old blood, and stared at Jiang Chen with eyes wide in absolute horror.

Jiang Chen had only been cultivating for four years, whereas he had practiced martial arts for more than forty years. Why was Jiang Chen's strength so vastly superior to his?

"Didn't you just say it yourself? My martial arts talent is high, and my physical potential is immense. Tell me, should I kill you, this old bastard, or that old hag first?"

Jiang Chen walked toward Sato Yaramasa. Every step he took felt as though he were trampling upon the man's heart, his frigid voice resembling that of a reaper coming to harvest lives.

The Emerald Jade Snake's fate was even more miserable than Sato Yaramasa's. Her cultivation method of absorbing masculine energy had suffered a catastrophic backlash once disrupted, turning her once-alluring face into a blood-streaked old hag covered in dense wrinkles, her arm broken and twisted as if horribly mutated.

As the saying goes, let your fellow Daoist die rather than yourself; Sato Yaramasa naturally hoped Jiang Chen would go kill the Emerald Jade Snake first.

Trembling with fear, he pleaded for his life: "Mr. Jiang, there is an old saying in the Dragon Country: Those who adapt to circumstances are wise men! I have always been very adaptable. I surrender, please spare my life!"

"I can spare your life, on one condition—tell me who the mastermind behind the annihilation of the Jiang family is!"

Jiang Chen stopped in front of Sato Yaramasa, radiating killing intent from every pore as he spoke.

"Th-this... I truly don't know..."

Sato Yaramasa replied with a bitter, contorted expression.

"Then you might as well die!"

Jiang Chen raised his right leg, preparing to stomp him to death.

"Wait! I know the reason behind the extermination of the Jiang family!"

Sato Yaramasa cried out in sheer terror.

"You'd better not be lying to me, or I will make your death extremely painful!"

Jiang Chen lowered his right leg and waited for Sato Yaramasa to reveal the truth.

"I wouldn't dare! I would never dare to deceive Mr. Jiang. It's just that I have one tiny request—once I tell you, can you let me return to the nation of Kun?"

Sato Yaramasa cautiously tried to negotiate with Jiang Chen, as this was his only remaining bargaining chip.

"Crack!"

With a ruthless stomp, Jiang Chen shattered Sato Yaramasa's right leg. His eyes flashing with murderous intent, he said, "My patience is limited. Talk nonsense again, and I'll break all four of your limbs!"

"Ah... Stop crushing it! I'll talk, I'll talk right now!"

Sato Yaramasa shrieked in agony, completely breaking under the pressure.