"Stop!"

Fang Han’s brow furrowed. He took a step forward, blocking the youth in green, his voice tinged with coldness.

"I’ve already heavily wounded this man and left him unable to resist. For you to strike now and steal my mission target is crossing a line."

The youth in green was forced to a halt.

He was half a head taller than Fang Han, his face a mask of arrogance. Hearing Fang Han’s words, he sneered and gestured with the corpse in his hand.

"The credit goes to whoever lands the final blow. Don’t you know the rules? Get out of my way!"

Fang Han’s gaze darkened.

There was indeed such an unwritten rule in the martial world, but it mostly applied when the target could still fight back.

Right now, it was clear he had already beaten his enemy into submission. This other guy was just brazenly stealing the spoils of victory.

"Put the body down." Fang Han’s voice grew colder. "Or don’t blame me for what happens next."

The Lin Family disciple looked as if he had heard a hilarious joke. He burst out laughing, but his smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of contempt.

"What happens next? You? I’m Lin Bao. Remember the name. Now—get lost!"

As he spoke, his free hand suddenly whipped forward in a palm strike aimed straight at Fang Han’s face, trying to force him back and clear a path.

Fang Han was already on guard. He shifted his body slightly to the side, easily dodging the palm. The coldness in his eyes intensified.

’Looks like there’s no room for discussion.’

Seeing that Fang Han refused to budge and had even taken a combat stance, a flash of malice crossed Lin Bao’s face. "I tried to be nice, but you’re asking for it!"

He violently threw Niu Mang’s corpse to the ground and drew his saber with a reverse grip.

The blade flashed like snow, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle as it chopped straight at Fang Han.

KENG—

Fang Han was prepared. His Cyan Blade Sword was unsheathed in an instant.

CLANG—!

The saber and sword clashed, letting out a deafening roar as sparks flew.

Fang Han felt a slight jolt in his arm, and a sense of alarm grew in his heart.

’This Lin Bao is not only at the Bone Refining Realm, but he’s close to the Middle-stage. He’s much stronger than me, someone who just entered the Bone Refining Realm.’

Lin Bao was also slightly taken aback. He had assumed this Fang Family kid, who looked even younger than him, was at the Late Stage of Muscle Refining at best. He never expected him to take a direct hit from his saber without retreating an inch.

"You’ve got some skill, but with your strength, you’re still no match for me!"

A cold glint appeared in Lin Bao’s eyes. He unleashed his Saber Technique, attacking Fang Han like a raging storm.

"Don’t be so sure of yourself!"

Fang Han snorted coldly.

In terms of Realm, he was indeed inferior to Lin Bao. But he wasn’t without his own advantages—his Swordsmanship, which had reached Great Success, was his edge.

Lin Bao’s Saber Technique, on the other hand, was only considered decent among his peers, having reached the level of Mastery.

But it still paled in comparison to Great Success Swordsmanship.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—

One wielding his Saber Technique and the other his Swordsmanship, the two exchanged blows rapidly.

For a moment, the secluded backstreet was filled with the crisscrossing flashes of saber and sword, the clang of metal on metal echoing endlessly.

Lin Bao’s Saber Technique followed a fierce and domineering path. Every slash was powerful and heavy, carrying a viciousness that seemed capable of tearing anything apart.

Coupled with his Cultivation being close to the Middle Stage of Bone Refining, his power was immense, and the wind from his saber kicked up dust from the ground.

Fang Han, however, moved like a willow catkin in the wind, his figure elusive and unpredictable.

His Cyan Blade Sword transformed into streaks of cyan light. He didn’t clash with Lin Bao’s strength head-on, but instead used Skill Overcomes Force, countering slowness with speed.

The tip of his sword always struck precisely at the weakest point of Lin Bao’s Saber Momentum or at the gaps between his moves, forcing Lin Bao’s attacks to be repeatedly thwarted. He had the strength but couldn’t use it, leaving him incredibly frustrated.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged over twenty blows.

The longer Lin Bao fought, the more alarmed he became. He found that even though he was stronger and at a higher Realm, he was completely suppressed by his opponent’s fluid, agile, and perfected Swordsmanship. It was as if every one of his slashes hit empty air, a feeling so frustrating he almost wanted to vomit blood.

"Great Success Swordsmanship?!"

Lin Bao couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

The previous ease and arrogance on his face were gone, replaced by shock and a subtle trace of panic.

Fang Han remained silent, fully immersed in the battle. The flaws in Lin Bao’s Saber Technique were crystal clear in his eyes.

After thirty moves, Lin Bao’s breathing had become ragged, and his Saber Technique had lost its initial sharpness.

Fang Han, in contrast, found his Sword Momentum growing smoother, like a gentle breeze that finds its way into every crack.

On the forty-first move, Fang Han seized a tiny opening as Lin Bao was retracting his saber. The Cyan Blade Sword shot out like a viper striking from its den, instantly flashing across Lin Bao’s saber-wielding wrist.

"Ah!" Lin Bao screamed in pain. Blood gushed from his wrist, and he could no longer hold his saber. It fell to the ground with a CLATTER.

He clutched his wound and staggered backward, his face deathly pale. His gaze, fixed on Fang Han, was a mixture of disbelief and furious anger.

’I lost?!’

The intense pain and overwhelming sense of humiliation nearly made Lin Bao lose his mind.

"They’re fighting!"

"Is that... disciples from the Fang and Lin Families?"

"Hiss... that Fang Family disciple is so strong! He actually beat the guy from the Lin Family!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Looks like the Fang Family’s disciples are a cut above..."

The commotion from the fight had long since attracted the attention of people nearby.

A few bold passersby and residents from the alley watched from a distance, murmuring amongst themselves as their eyes darted between the attire of Fang Han and Lin Bao.

Disciples from two of Liangshui City’s five great families, the Fang and the Lin, fighting in the streets—this was a rare spectacle.

These whispers reached Lin Bao’s ears, making him burn with such shame and anger that he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

He stared daggers at Fang Han, his eyes filled with a venomous hatred, as if he wanted to swallow him whole.

"It seems your strength isn’t enough to justify your arrogance!"

Fang Han stood with his sword, his breathing steady. He gave Lin Bao a cold glance, then swept his eyes over the growing crowd of onlookers.

Under so many watchful eyes, he couldn’t possibly kill Lin Bao—not unless he wanted to start a war between the Fang Family and the Lin Family.

He paid the venomous-eyed Lin Bao no more mind. Sheathing his sword, he stepped forward, bent down, and picked up Niu Mang’s corpse from the ground.

Parting the crowd, he strode away.

Behind him, he left only a livid Lin Bao, clutching his bleeding wrist, surrounded by ambiguous gazes and soft whispers.

Carrying the corpse, Fang Han headed straight for the Liangshui City Government Office.

He had already searched the body and found only a few pieces of silver. It was better than nothing. He clearly hadn’t been lucky enough to stumble upon a huge sum of money or a secret martial arts manual.

The constable at the entrance to the Government Office was startled at the sight of Fang Han approaching with a bloody, burly man, but his attitude immediately became respectful once he recognized Fang Han’s Fang Family attire and the face of the corpse.

"Young Master Fang, what is this...?"

"Blood Saber Niu Mang. I killed him and have come to report it."

Fang Han was concise.

Soon, the Chief Constable in charge of the case came to identify the body. After confirming it was indeed him, he became even more polite toward Fang Han.

"Young Master Fang, your skills are truly remarkable! This Niu Mang has been a menace for a long time—cunning and cruel. The Government Office has had a bounty of eighty pieces of silver out for his capture for ages. Today, he has finally been brought to justice! This is the reward money, please accept it."

The Chief Constable personally presented him with a heavy money pouch.

Fang Han took the pouch and weighed it in his hand. It was heavy, containing the eighty pieces of silver.

"Thank you for your trouble." He nodded, put the money pouch away, and left the Government Office without another word.

The sun had completely set. As dusk fell, the lanterns of Liangshui City began to light up.

With the newly acquired eighty pieces of silver from the reward tucked away, Fang Han headed back to the Fang Family estate.

’The mission is complete, but I ended up in a conflict with a Lin Family disciple and injured him.’

’I wonder if there will be trouble later. I’ll have to mention this to Elder Fang Yuan when I report to him.’