Stranger Danger

Chapter 524: To Punch A Mountain

“Not yet, my lord.”

Zuo Ming pushed open the gates and stepped inside.

“Then why are you back?” Xue Hanshan frowned with clear displeasure when he heard this. “Didn’t I say—”

It was at that moment the old man saw the young man behind Zuo Ming. He never heard his footsteps or felt his presence at all. In fact, he still couldn’t perceive the young man in any way except sight despite the fact that he was right in front of him.

For obvious reasons, Xue Hanshan’s hair immediately stood on end. “Who are you?”

Instead of replying, Ye Qing slowly swept his gaze across the group. Just like Zuo Ming, everyone was carrying a child-like Stranger on their shoulders, and they seemed completely clueless about it.

Am I the only one who can see it?

Ye Qing frowned deeply. It was one thing if the others didn’t notice, but Yi Pin was someone who once reached the peak of the martial way. Could he not see the Stranger as well?

The other possibility was that Yi Pin could see the Stranger, but he was keeping calm about it because he was plotting something. He wouldn’t know until he interacted further with the group.

Ye Qing was thinking about the child-like Strangers, but in Xue Hanshan, Tiger and Hawk’s opinion, he was either putting on airs or ignoring them.

“Are you deaf, boy? My master is asking you a question!” Tiger yelled. When Ye Qing still remained quiet, he flew into a rage, “Do you seek death? Very well then!”

Tiger pushed off the ground and pounced toward Ye Qing like a man-eating tiger.

“Tiger! Stop!” Eyes widening, Zuo Ming blurted and tried to stop Tiger. It wasn’t because he wanted to save the man’s life—although they were all on the same side, Tiger was hot-tempered, irritable, and bloodthirsty by nature. As a result, almost no one was on good terms with the warrior, and Zuo Ming was no exception—it was because he was afraid that Tiger would provoke Ye Qing into a rage and land him in trouble as a result.

He was just about to step forward when he felt a hand grabbing his right shoulder. His energies dissipated into nothing in an instant, and he felt like a mountain was holding in place. Forget taking a step, he couldn’t even move a muscle.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Zuo Ming saw a fist flying in Tiger’s direction. It was just a straight punch with no overt flashes of energy or complexity whatsoever, and yet it was Tiger who let out a bloodcurdling scream when their fists met at the center. The clothes around his right arm exploded inch by inch, and his muscles were twisted round and round like a braid. So much of his flesh was blown away that one could peer into the bone within. He was sent flying through the air like a rag doll.

Seeing this, Hawk appeared behind Tiger in an attempt to arrest his momentum. His hands had just made contact with Tiger’s back when a terrific force was transmitted into his body, and Hawk realized that his arm bones were strained to breaking point, and his throat was wet with the taste of iron. It took him seven or eight steps before he finally managed to catch himself.

Hawk stared at Ye Qing in shock and horror. He could tell that the young man hadn’t used his full power. Both he and Tiger were late-stage Spirit Purifiers, and Tiger in particular possessed a strong body even though he wasn’t a body-tempering warrior. However, the young man was able to break his arm in one punch, and it had taken him everything he had just to neutralize the remnants of his force.

What would happen if the young man went all out?

The mere thought of it sent chills up his spine.

“I apologize for my subordinates’ insolence, good sire. I hope you will forgive their transgression.” Xue Hanshan flinched at the display of power and hurriedly wore an apologetic smile on his face. “If I may ask, what is your name?”

“You don’t need to know who I am,” Ye Qing replied indifferently. “You simply need to know that I have business with the old Taoist behind you.”

Ye Qing’s casual dismissal of his question was impolite to say the least, but Xue Hanshan didn’t rise to the provocation. “You’re right. Your business is your own. Are you here for the Longevity Village as well, sire?”

“What does it matter to you?” Ye Qing asked.

“To be honest, I am here for the Longevity Village as well. If it doesn’t bother you too much, would you like to cooperate with us and discover the true secrets of the Longevity Village?” Xue Hanshan suggested.

“No thank you. I’m used to working alone.” Ye Qing turned him down mercilessly. “I only have a few questions for the old Taoist. I will leave as soon as I’m finished with him.”

“If that is your wish, then so it shall be.” Xue Hanshan spoke as kindly as your friendly neighborhood grandpa and stepped aside. “Go on.”

Ye Qing didn’t say anything or even nod his head. He simply walked straight toward Yi Pin.

While he was passing by Xue Hanshan, what felt like a volcano of energy abruptly erupted from the old man’s core. Then, he raised both his hands toward the sky.

The wind blew away from Xue Hanshan, and origin qi gathered above his head until it took the form of a mountain. When Xue Hanshan sucked in a deep breath, he abruptly swelled to the size of a giant, grabbed the mountain with both hands, and swung it straight at Ye Qing’s skull.

He wasn’t able to peer through the veil and grasp Ye Qing’s true strength, but that didn’t stop him from pressing the kill button. The reason was simple. He was nearing the end of his lifespan, and he was willing to pay any price to keep the final end at bay. He was currently at the most critical moment of his life, and he wouldn’t allow anything to ruin it.

Besides, he was confident he could kill the young man. He was named Xue Hanshan (Mountainshaker) not just because he could shake mountains, but also because he could lift them into the air and smash his enemies into paste!

As if he knew that Xue Hanshan would do this, Ye Qing channeled his vigor and relaxed his muscles. Then, he responded to the attack with a backhand.

Xue Hanshan’s act couldn’t fool him in the slightest because he had already learned of his personality and history while chatting with Zuo Ming. Xue Hanshan might be the patriarch of the Xue Clan of Mu Yang today, but when he was younger, he was known by a far more notorious title, the Mountain Bearing Raider.

The Mountain Bearing Raider was a raider and a rapist rolled into one. A monster who had raided countless villages and raped even more women, he was one of the most hated villains of the Northern Xinjiang and ranked seventy-four on the Black List. It wasn’t until he accidentally killed a disciple of the Sword King Palace, and he feared that the sect would come for his life that his life as a notorious criminal finally came to an end. He faked his death, traveled to Mu Yang, and transformed himself into a rich man.

There was a saying that went something like this: “It’s easier to move a mountain than it is to change one’s nature.” Xue Hanshan was a heartless man who would sacrifice his own friends and family to extend his own life. Why on earth would he allow a stranger to get the better of him?

That was why Ye Qing was ready when the old man turned on him. In fact, he was plotting to wipe Xue Hanshan off the face of the earth altogether. There was absolutely no need to leave someone like him alive, which was why his backhand also contained his full power.

Rumble!

His nine dragon elephants' worth of strength allowed Ye Qing to cleave through the mountain as easily as a hot knife through butter. Not done yet, his fist continued to travel straight toward Xue Hanshan.

“A late-stage Spirit Master?!”

The blood drained away from Xue Hanshan’s face when he saw Ye Qing shattering his mountain into bits like nothing. Judging from the sheer force pricking against his skin, the young man was one hundred percent a late-stage Spirit Master.

Although Xue Hanshan himself was a late-stage Spirit Master, and his martial art was one of forcefulness and strength, he was at the twilight of his life. He was far weaker than he used to be. Besides that, his instincts warned him that taking the punch head on would most likely kill him, if not cripple him permanently.

Without hesitation, Xue Hanshan stomped the ground and caused it to ripple like the surface of a body of water. Then, he slipped into the earth and disappeared from view.

Ye Qing altered the trajectory of his fist and punched the ground with everything he got.

Boom!

The ground within twenty meters of the young man caved inward before shattering into a million pieces. Naturally, the dilapidated house next to him collapsed into rubble as well.

After the attack, Ye Qing spread his demonic thought in every direction and quickly locked onto Xue Hanshan, who was currently hiding under the ground. As he stepped toward the old man, the ground vibrated like a drum, and the surrounding houses scattered into dust.

Nine steps later, Ye Qing’s arms swelled like a balloon, sharp, iron hard fur grew out of his pores, and his muscles rippled with a kind of violent beauty. When the transformation was done, he raised his apish arms and slammed the ground again.

“Chaos Demon Ape Body”

He was close to entering the adept level of the “Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra”. Naturally, his Chaos Demon Ape Body was also a lot stronger than before. Now, he could control his transformation as easily as breathing. He could perform a full-body transformation, or he could transform just parts of his body into the Chaos Demon Ape’s.