Chapter 47: The Palm and the Sword

“Miss!” After exchanging blows with Wang Yuyan for over ten rounds without a decisive victor, Qiao Feng could no longer hold back and said, “Please, miss, stop now. If this continues, I won’t be able to restrain myself!”

The “Dream Master” had once told him that once the Flame Heart Technique was perfected, no one could defeat him amidst the rhythm of his heartbeat.

As long as my heart beats, I remain!

Though his fighting spirit was ablaze, he could still control his strength for the moment. He feared that if he continued, he might lose control!

What happened in Suzhou was originally his fault. If he mistakenly killed the young lady before him, wouldn’t the Beggar Clan bear too much blame?

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuyan shouted, “Your Beggar Clan disciples abduct children, and I’ve uncovered the truth. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Qiao Feng leapt back, stepping out of the fray, and said, “Indeed, some of my clan’s disciples are at fault, and I am currently investigating this matter.”

The Beggar Clan’s disciples were scattered throughout the martial world, mostly street beggars. This was no empty phrase. Within the Beggar Clan, disciples were ranked from one to nine pouches, much like the pockets they carried.

Some were clan leaders or deputy leaders. The clan leader was a renowned hero in the martial world, handling major clan affairs and managing conflicts with other sects.

Deputy leaders had homes and wealth, even beautiful wives; begging was merely their profession, not their entire existence.

Others were elders of the clan, living comfortably with houses and families, no longer needing to struggle for survival, as lower-ranked disciples offered them alms.

Then there were those begging on the streets, sometimes starving for a day or two.

Since no living person should starve to death, some engaged in unscrupulous trades.

The clever ones dealt in information brokering; the less so did whatever they could just to survive.

What began as mere survival evolved into profit-driven schemes.

Child trafficking, fraud, theft—these were merely methods.

Expecting a beggar to be a moral saint was an unreasonable demand.

In Suzhou, beggars abducted children to sell to brothels or wealthy households, or maimed them to keep as sources of income.

Wang Yuyan, driven by a sense of justice, traced the missing children in Suzhou, gradually uncovering the beggars’ hidden den.

With the culprits caught red-handed, she killed two beggars on the spot but knew these were merely low-level disciples; others lurked behind.

Bold and meticulous, she tracked down more beggars around Suzhou and eventually found two mid-ranked disciples.

Beggar Clan disciples ranged from one to nine pouches, the ninth being the highest.

Within the clan, those at five pouches were considered the backbone.

Using various means, she forced the five-pouch beggars to contact the Beggar Clan leader, Qiao Feng.

Everyone said Qiao Feng was a world-renowned hero, yet his subordinates hid filth and deceit. She intended to publicly shame him.

When Qiao Feng arrived, she immediately killed two five-pouch disciples.

“But miss, you should not have killed Beggar Clan disciples!” Qiao Feng said again. “Though some disciples are at fault, the clan has its own laws for punishment!”

Naturally, the clan must discipline its disciples; if anyone could punish them at will, who would respect the Beggar Clan?

“Heh… who knows if you’d cover for them?” Wang Yuyan retorted, unyielding. “Better that I kill them myself, that’s the safest bet!”

Nearby, Murong Xing whispered to Duan Yu, “Did you hear that? So domineering—that’s my cousin.”

“Fairy sister… you’re right!” Duan Yu stared at Wang Yuyan in awe, feeling that the ethereal Wang Yuyan in the immortal cave was otherworldly, like a goddess. But this Wang Yuyan, bold and spirited, was vividly real.

Either way, the fairy sister was stunning!

Murong Xing rolled his eyes at Duan Yu’s praise and said, “You really know how to please the ladies!”

Such shameless words were beyond his ability.

Meanwhile, Qiao Feng was explaining to Wang Yuyan, “To be honest, I am investigating these people too. They are the black sheep of the Beggar Clan.”

“There are elders above them involved as well!”

“This is not the place to fight!” He looked at the ruined courtyard and the crowd gathering nearby, then said, “Seven days from now, outside Wuxi City, in the apricot grove, I will give you an explanation!”

With that, he stood and was about to leave.

But Wang Yuyan, who had been battling fiercely, would not let Qiao Feng go.

“Are you afraid today?” Seeing Qiao Feng rise to leave, she summoned all her strength and divine power, flicking her right hand outward!

A sword aura, white and mist-like, surged forth, flying toward Qiao Feng.

This was the “Hero Sword,” mastered after perfecting the “Hero Palm” technique!

A fist is a sword; a palm is a sword. As long as the heart desires to kill, anything in hand can become a sword!

Only in such a state of divine power could she unleash this move!

Qiao Feng turned and saw the white, misty sword aura approaching, silently thinking, this is trouble!

But who was he?

He was Qiao Feng, peerless with the sword palm.

His palm was the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms; then what was his sword?

His sword was the sword palm!

Qiao Feng closed his five fingers and thrust his right hand at the white misty sword aura.

An invisible sword aura shot forth from his tightly joined fingers with a “whoosh”!

The two sword auras collided and extinguished each other in midair.

“Didn’t expect you had this trick up your sleeve?” Wang Yuyan’s eyes brightened at Qiao Feng’s invisible sword aura.

This person was like her—both wielded fierce palm techniques and invisible sword auras!

Truly a worthy opponent!

Defeating such an adversary was the path to martial supremacy!

From a distance, Qiao Feng cupped his fist and said to Wang Yuyan, “Miss, seven days hence, Qiao Feng awaits your arrival!”

“Fine! Let’s see what tricks you’ll play then!” Wang Yuyan called out loudly.

Duan Yu stared blankly at the fairy sister’s dazzling sword aura and Qiao Feng’s casual use of “sword palm.”

When Duan Yu was in Dali, Jiumozhi had told him that only the Six Meridian Divine Sword could convert true energy into invisible sword qi.

Sure enough, Jiumozhi was just a rustic from Tibet!

Thinking about it, the martial world was ever-changing; how could a Tibetan understand it better than those who lived it?

Having learned the Six Meridian Divine Sword himself, Duan Yu knew it transformed finger force into sword qi—substantial yet invisible, aptly called invisible sword qi.

The sword qi shot fiercely through the air, capable of direct lethal piercing, immensely powerful.

To master the Six Meridian Divine Sword, one must first learn the One Yang Finger.

Yet...

The invisible sword qi wielded by the fairy sister and Qiao Feng was no weaker than that of the Six Meridian Divine Sword!

How strange—when did such invisible sword qi techniques become so commonplace?

Even stranger was that Qiao Feng’s sword qi vaguely resembled the One Yang Finger.

Could Qiao Feng also know the One Yang Finger?

Duan Yu’s mind brimmed with questions.

He realized the martial world was far more complex than he had imagined!