Chapter 75: Chapter 74: Tier 3 Demon Swordsman

Long Xiang could already tell that these mercenaries were weaker than him. If he didn’t seize this chance to display his might and win the fair lady’s heart, then when would he?

A hero saving the damsel in distress was always the most romantic story!

Ling Xiao shook his head. He hadn’t thought much of Long Xiang before; the man’s pursuit of Teacher Shangguan was none of his business.

Now, however, he found the man repulsive—not because he was dragging everyone else into this mess, but because the guy was simply courting death.

A group of people was slowly approaching from a short distance away, led by a middle-aged man who was staring at the clamoring Long Xiang with a grim expression.

Ling Xiao could feel the killing intent radiating from the man, even from so far away.

He couldn’t help but pull Yisha back into the crowd, whispering, "Be careful!"

Xiao Lin and Shangguan Yutong saw the distant group at the same time, and their expressions changed. The newcomers were wearing clothes identical to those of the mercenaries!

Seeing this, the faces of the cornered mercenaries lit up with joy. One of them, supporting his companion with the severed arm, said, "Hang in there! The boss is here. He’ll get justice for you!"

Shangguan Yutong snapped at the dazed Su Embroidery, "Su Embroidery, get everyone out of here now!"

Su Embroidery snapped back to reality. ’This is no time to play the hero! If anything happens to any of these young masters and ladies, the consequences will be more than we can bear!’

"Everyone, with me!" Su Embroidery shouted. Looking at the reluctant students, she felt for the first time just how difficult being a teacher was.

These students had never seen a scene like this. Many of the boys were fired up, itching to draw their swords and join the fray, so of course they weren’t willing to leave. The girls were a bit scared, but with over fifty people on their side, including four powerful teachers, they didn’t sense the danger looming over them.

"Leave? Not a single one of you is going anywhere!" a sinister voice drifted into everyone’s ears, sending a chill down their spines.

By now, some of the students had realized something was wrong and began to gather around Su Embroidery, but it was too late.

The leader of the other group, a man dressed in black, gave a grim-faced wave of his hand. In an instant, the hundreds of people behind him surged forward, surrounding the fifty-odd students.

Only then did the students begin to feel a sense of dread. The enemy’s numbers were one thing, but the main reason was that they had never experienced anything like this. Still, the boys acted in silent accord, drawing their swords to form a protective circle around the girls. This was a tradition handed down at the Imperial Academy, a demonstration of noble conduct. Of course, even commoners understood the principle of protecting women and children. It just seemed all the more precious coming from this group of privileged students.

"Night Owl!" Shangguan Yutong’s thin, sensual lips pressed together. She recognized the man in black at a glance. ’This is bad,’ she thought. ’I can’t believe we actually ran into him.’

Night Owl was known for being fiercely protective of his own. How else could he command such loyalty from his subordinates?

A Mercenary Corps of over 1,500 men had only him as its commander, yet his orders were followed without question—an incredible feat in the eyes of many.

The mercenaries who had been surrounding Long Xiang now had backing, and sinister smirks spread across their faces as they stared at him. The one supporting the burly, severed-armed man cried out in grief, "Chief, you have to stand up for Brother Da Hu! He just complimented that woman a few times, and they cut off his arm! They also said..." Here, the mercenary hesitated.

"Said what?" Night Owl knew exactly what his men were like, but right now he was furious. ’So what if they catcalled you? To react so viciously by severing an arm... that’s tantamount to destroying his future in the Martial Dao!’ Only deep-seated hatred would warrant such a cruel blow. Night Owl narrowed his eyes, his expression fluctuating. He could tell at a glance that these people were from the Imperial Academy. ’I’m not foolish enough to offend a behemoth like the Imperial Academy,’ he thought. ’But if I can’t even get an explanation for one of my own brothers being maimed, how will I ever command the respect of my men?’

"He also said... that our Mercenary Corps is nothing but a piece of shit in his eyes..." The mercenary might have been embellishing slightly, but he was telling the truth. Wasn’t that the essence of what Long Xiang had just said?

"Heh." Night Owl let out a cold laugh. "Get Da Hu out of here and treat his wound!" Turning to Long Xiang, he said grimly, "The Imperial Academy certainly carries itself with authority, acting so arrogantly even outside the Imperial Capital!" He pointed a finger at Long Xiang. "You. Sever your own arm, and I will let this matter drop."

Although Long Xiang could sense the immense strength of the man in black, he couldn’t possibly back down now. Steeling himself, he retorted, "If you want a fight, let’s fight! You think I’m afraid of you?"

"Hahaha! Fine, then I’ll be happy to oblige!" As Night Owl spoke, he shot into the air, unleashing the aura of a Tier Three Demon Swordsman. A fiery red Sword Qi, two or three meters long, erupted from his blade and slashed viciously toward Long Xiang’s left arm!

Clearly, Night Owl didn’t want to make an irreconcilable enemy of the Imperial Academy. An arm for an arm.

Long Xiang was dumbfounded. He never imagined that a small Mercenary Corps would have an expert like a Tier Three Demon Swordsman! He was so shocked he even forgot to dodge. The strike was too fast, too domineering! Even if he had tried to move, the gap between their tiers made it impossible to evade.

At the critical moment, Shangguan Yutong cried out. A dazzling, seven-colored radiance flared up in the air to meet the red Sword Qi. The two attacks canceled each other out, but Shangguan Yutong was forced back seven or eight steps, her face turning pale.

"Seven-colored light?" Night Owl landed, his expression unreadable as he sized up Shangguan Yutong. "Are you the little girl who used to follow Wang Chao years ago?" he asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Shangguan Yutong’s chest heaved a few times before she could reply, "Yes, that’s me."

The corner of Night Owl’s mouth twitched. He shot a vicious glare at Da Hu, whose arm was now bandaged. ’All you do is cause trouble for me!’ he cursed inwardly. He then said grimly, "Even if he offended you, a lesson would have sufficed. But I cannot let someone who destroys another’s future go unpunished!"

Xiao Lin, Su Embroidery, and Long Xiang—who had just narrowly escaped disaster—all stared at Shangguan Yutong in shock. They had never seen her fight before. In fact, rumors at the Imperial Academy claimed she was weak, as she didn’t even teach martial skills in the lower-level classes! They never imagined she was hiding such power, enough to clash with a High-tier Demon Swordsman and not be at a disadvantage.

Shangguan Yutong felt she was in the wrong. ’No matter how you look at it, Long Xiang went too far. He treated these mercenaries like common street thugs from the Imperial Capital, who could be beaten to death without anyone batting an eye.’

But this incident had started because of her. And even if it hadn’t, she couldn’t just stand by and watch a colleague come to harm. She could only say apologetically, "We can offer compensation!"