Changze County.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and some stalls on either side of the street had already opened for business. Many small traders had set up their stands as well, offering a variety of breakfast snacks, wild game, eggs, and frozen river delicacies...

There were fabric sellers, shoe sellers, and barter traders, creating a bustling scene.

This kind of early morning market was a unique feature of northern Qian Country.

In these cold, harsh lands, it got dark early, so people went to bed early and woke up early to earn some hard-earned money.

At this time, the goods in the market were mostly affordable and good quality.

By late morning, when the government officials woke up, the stalls had to quickly pack up. If they left too late, they would inevitably be extorted for money.

Feng's Wonton Stall.

Although it was called a wonton stall, they also sold buns.

A burly man sat there, with a tiger skin draped over his shoulders, looking quite similar to people from the Black Water Country. Beside him was a gigantic wooden box.

This man had his black hair tied up, dressed in the typical attire of a Qian Country person with the right lapel overlapping the left.

He was holding a bowl of hot wontons in one hand and a plain bun in the other, eating heartily and slurping the hot soup.

There were three other people sitting at the same table with the burly man, carrying bows and arrows, looking like local hunters.

Although it was called wontons, there wasn't much meat in them, more like noodle soup.

Yet the four of them ate with sweat streaming down their foreheads, savoring every bite.

"Brother Hu, we eat meat all day on the mountain; the brothers are almost sick of it."

One of them whispered, "Coming down to eat a plain bun and drink some noodle soup is really refreshing."

"Heh heh."

The burly man chuckled and said, "Since we're down here, eat more. We can take some back for the brothers to try."

"Boss, another bowl of wontons."

The burly man called out.

The stall owner glanced at the stack of bowls on the table, looking worried.

These people looked unfamiliar, armed with bows and swords, not people he wanted to cross, and they had eaten so much; he feared they might be running off without paying.

Seeing the stall owner's hesitation and reluctance, the burly man laughed, took out two pieces of broken silver from his chest and placed them on the table, saying, "Boss, this should cover it."

"Enough, enough!"

The stall owner beamed with joy, relieved, and quickly went to cook more wontons.

Just then, a disheveled man in white, looking haggard and out of breath, ran through the market. He glanced back occasionally, seemingly afraid of something.

Passing by the burly man's table, the man in white, perhaps famished, grabbed two meat buns to stuff in his mouth as he ran forward.

"Hey, you haven't paid yet..."

The wonton stall owner shouted anxiously, wanting to stop the man in white.

A diner, recognizing the man in white, quickly pulled the stall owner back and whispered, "Are you trying to get yourself killed!"

"What?"

The stall owner asked, "Old Sun, do you know him?"

The diner was Old Sun, the blacksmith from Changze County.

Old Sun said, "That's the Young Leader of the Black Water Gang. Previously, in Changze County, he forcibly took a local girl. When someone tried to intervene, he hacked him thirty-two times, and the government didn't dare to deal with him! Are you ready to die, asking him for money?"

"Is it him?"

The stall owner, having heard of the incident, turned pale with fear.

Looking at the long knife at the man in white's waist, he shivered with regret.

If the stall owner had really tried to stop him, he might've been slashed by this Young Leader of the Black Water Gang!

The burly man, with keen ears, heard the two discussing, and his face darkened as he attempted to stand up.

"Brother Hu!"

One of the men promptly grabbed the burly man's arm, whispering, "We can't expose our whereabouts, just leave it be for now. We'll give the stall owner more silver later."

The burly man nodded silently at this suggestion.

The wonton stall owner watched as the man in white walked through the market and into the Black Water Gang's territory, frowning, asking, "What happened to the Young Leader? He seems rather disheveled."

"Who knows."

Old Sun smirked.

The stall owner asked, "The one he cut more than thirty times was Young Hero Tiger Subduing, right?"

"Yes."

Old Sun said, "As the saying goes, 'Great disasters bring blessings.' Chen Tang is really something; I hear he's doing well in Wu'an County and has become a high official."

Upon hearing the name 'Chen Tang', the burly man's ears twitched.

The stall owner smiled and asked, "How high could he be? Can he control the Black Water Gang?"

Old Sun replied, "Hey, let me tell you, he was here last month. It's said he caused a big stir in the Black Water Gang and left unharmed. Too bad I couldn't see it myself."

While the two were chatting, the man in white reappeared from the Black Water Gang's premises, riding a tall horse, heading north.

Woo!

Suddenly!

The sound of a blade piercing the air was sharp and piercing!

"Huh?"

The burly man sensed something.

In the next moment, a dark flash plunged into the steed beneath the man in white, blood spurting out.

The white horse whinnied in pain and collapsed.

The man in white almost toppled over, and as he regained his footing, a second arrow shot forth!

Crack!

The man in white drew his sword and slashed, his blade sharp, instantly cutting the feathered arrow in two!

"Xiao Xun, you can't escape!"

At the other end of the long street, a man in black with a long knife on his back and a large bow in hand gazed intently, full of murderous intent, charging toward the man in white.

"It's him, Chen Tang!"

"Young Hero Tiger Subduing!"

The stall owners on both sides of the street, most of whom recognized Chen Tang, exclaimed in shock.

The burly man's eyes lit up, focusing on Chen Tang, sizing him up.

```

"Someone, stop him for me!"

Xiao Xun shouted loudly, and then said, "Bring me another horse."

The members of the Black Water Gang had already swarmed out, drawing their long knives, charging at Chen Tang.

Seeing this, Chen Tang furrowed his brows, sighing inwardly.

They had been relentlessly pursued the night before. Even though the Li Family's warhorses were meticulously chosen and trained, after running two hundred li overnight, both people and horses were exhausted.

Worried that Xiao Xun might escape, Chen Tang dismounted and pursued ahead.

Seeing the dense crowd of Black Water Gang members opposite him, a wave of helplessness surged in Chen Tang's heart.

Once he was held up by this group, it would be difficult for him to kill Xiao Xun.

"Haha!"

At this moment, a long laugh suddenly echoed from the side of the street.

A burly man suddenly stood up and shouted, "Black Water Gang dogs, what kind of skill is it to bully with numbers? Let me take you on!"

Chen Tang glanced sideways.

This burly man had a face he didn't recognize.

If it was just the burly man alone, he still couldn't stop the crowd of the Black Water Gang.

But just after the burly man stood up, from the stalls on both sides of the street, a hundred or so patrons stood up one after another!

This group of people drew the long knives from their waists and, under the burly man's lead, charged towards the Black Water Gang members!

The burly man flashed a grin at Chen Tang, saying, "You go deal with that Young Leader, we'll handle the rest!"

"Hero, thank you!"

Chen Tang did not hesitate, uttering a word of thanks. His figure flickered as he slipped into a nearby alley, bypassing the Black Water Gang and making his way towards Xiao Xun.

No one knew the roads of Changze County better than him.

"Meddling in other people's business, don't know what's good for you!"

The Squad Leaders of the Black Water Gang, along with several stewards, stepped forward one after the other.

"Bring it on!"

The burly man turned his hand and smashed a wooden box beside him, grabbing the thick-backed saber inside!

This saber looked extremely heavy but matched perfectly with the burly man's build.

The burly man chopped down at the forefront steward without hesitation!

Whoosh!

As this thick-backed saber cut down, it even brought with it a gust of wind!

The Black Water Gang steward instinctively raised his knife to block!

Their weapons were all fused with cold iron. Both in sharpness and hardness, they far surpassed the ordinary weapons of Qian Country.

Clang!

At the moment the two blades collided, a notch was chipped off the blade of the burly man's thick-backed saber!

But the burly man's strength was overwhelming!

Even though the thick-backed saber was damaged, it still slashed down with unstoppable force, cleaving the Black Water Gang steward in two!

In an instant, blood splattered across the long street.

...

"Hyah!"

Xiao Xun had already led a new horse, mounted it, and was galloping towards the north.

He hadn't gone far when a shadow descended from the rooftop on the side!

Xiao Xun looked up.

He saw Chen Tang leaping high into the air, both hands gripping a saber, eyes fierce, with an overwhelming momentum, chopping down at him!

"Xiao Xun, surrender your life!"

Chen Tang shouted loudly.

"Ah!"

Xiao Xun had no choice but to raise his saber to block!

Clang!

The collision of the two blades erupted into a chilling sound!

Xiao Xun's entire body shook, and he fell from the horse, rolling on the ground, quickly standing up, staring intently at Chen Tang, breathing heavily.

Chen Tang also crashed heavily to the ground but quickly stood up.

The two had just exchanged a powerful blow, and it seemed neither had gained the upper hand!

In reality, Xiao Xun was at the top of the Seventh Grade, with strength enough to draw an Eight-Stone Bow.

While Chen Tang was only at the top of the Eighth Grade, even though he had once cultivated to the Ninth Grade Extreme Realm, he could now only draw a Seven-Stone Bow.

In terms of strength, Chen Tang was weaker than Xiao Xun.

But in that moment, Chen Tang leapt into the air, both hands gripping the saber, chopping vertically with the force of splitting mountains and felling trees.

While Xiao Xun was on horseback, unable to leverage his strength, blocking in a rush, thus resulting in an evenly matched situation.

"Chen Tang, you force me to kill you again!"

Xiao Xun's face was icy.

He knew that if he couldn't get past Chen Tang today, he wouldn't be able to return to Black Water Country!

Fortunately, with that one strike just now, he had already tested Chen Tang's depths.

Chen Tang's strength couldn't possibly exceed his!

In reality, Chen Tang was also uncertain inside.

Last night, at Wu'an County, he had been attacked by the Black Water Gang multiple times, often finding himself in dangerous situations, already exhausting the time of his One Breath Divine Illumination.

He had not rested a single night.

He could no longer enter the Divine Illumination State.

Moreover, after several fierce battles and an all-night pursuit, his physical strength was greatly depleted.

If not for drinking Tiger Milk, eating Mountain Ginseng, and drinking Monkey Wine over the past few months, cultivating to the Ninth Grade Extreme Realm, he would've never held out until now.

But in such a pitched battle, the difference in realm is only one aspect.

Especially below Fifth Grade, where they hadn't cultivated Inner Qi, the gap between realms wasn't as large as imagined.

The outcome also depended on the state, mentality, spirit, environment, and momentum of both parties at the time, as well as on-the-spot adaptability, the surrounding environment, and other unpredictable variables...

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