CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 067: WHOSE SWORD IS FASTER_1

In the training grounds of the martial arts hall, Zhang Bin and Turen Xiong stood about five meters apart, each gripping their treasured swords as they eyed each other with tiger-like ferocity.

A bone-chilling, murderous aura emanated from them, forming two distinct fields of pressure. Even the mosquitoes in the air sensed the icy breath of death and fled as swiftly as they could, as if for their very lives.

Teng Qianzhang, Zuo Haonan, and Teng Xiaofeng watched from the sidelines with sneers on their faces. They seemed to have already pictured the delightful scene of Zhang Bin lying in a pool of his own blood.

The members of the Longyin Martial Arts Hall, including Tian Bingbing, were fraught with anxiety, their faces pale. To make matters worse, an ambulance suddenly arrived at the entrance, its siren sounding like a death knell. Of course, Teng Qianzhang had arranged for it, worried that Zhang Bin might bleed to death. Injuring someone during a dojo challenge wasn’t a major issue, but a death would bring considerable trouble.

"Kill!"

Almost simultaneously, they both roared and charged, their swords thrusting forward at blinding speed.

A flash of cold light was seen, followed by a shrill scream that nearly shattered everyone’s eardrums. "Ahhh!"

Tian Bingbing and the others cried out in their hearts. This is bad, Zhang Bin’s been hit!

Meanwhile, Teng Qianzhang and his cronies cheered internally. Excellent! Zhang Bin is finished!

"Ahhh...!"

The scream grew even more piercing, but it didn’t sound like it was coming from Zhang Bin. It sounded like... Turen Xiong.

Everyone’s eyes widened as they stared intently. A moment later, they froze as if struck dumb, their faces masks of shock and disbelief.

Zhang Bin stood there perfectly fine, without a single wound on him.

Turen Xiong, however, was in a wretched state. A spray of blood erupted from his right wrist and from his Dantian in his lower abdomen. The blood was a shocking, crimson red, and its metallic stench quickly filled the air.

In that single instant, Zhang Bin had delivered two strikes. The first had pierced Turen Xiong’s right wrist, and the second had penetrated his Dantian. His strikes had been so fast that no one saw them clearly—only a flash of white light.

CLANG...

The sword fell from Turen Xiong’s grasp, and his robust body slowly crumpled to the ground. His face deathly pale, he roared in despair, "Zhang Bin, you’re vicious! You pierced my Dantian and destroyed my Cultivation Level?!"

"If you had won, wouldn’t you have destroyed my Cultivation Level and crippled my right leg?" Zhang Bin said with contempt. "I was merciful enough not to take your leg. Besides, I already warned you: ’Men die for wealth as birds die for food.’ Why didn’t you listen?"

Turen Xiong was speechless, his face contorted with venomous resentment as he glared at Zhang Bin like a snake. After a long moment, he ground out through clenched teeth, "So you’ve already opened 11 meridians! You were confident you could defeat me all along! You were just playing the pig to eat the tiger!"

Turen Xiong was a formidable expert who had opened 10 meridians and was on the verge of opening his eleventh before Zhang Bin crippled him. His sharp eyes had allowed him to deduce Zhang Bin’s true capabilities from the speed and power of those two sword strikes.

Everyone was thunderstruck. What? Zhang Bin has opened 11 meridians? And he knows a miraculous sword art powerful enough to defeat and cripple Turen Xiong, an outcast from the Iron Sword Sect? This is unbelievable!

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Half a month ago, you’d only opened 7 meridians!" Teng Qianzhang shouted furiously, leaping to his feet from the back.

Zuo Haonan and Teng Xiaofeng turned ashen, sweat soaking their backs as their bodies trembled. Clearly, they were profoundly shaken.

"Idiot! Did it not occur to you that he might have been concealing his Cultivation Level that day?" Turen Xiong raged. If he hadn’t been crippled, he would have run Teng Qianzhang through with his sword. It was that bastard’s faulty intelligence that had led him down this path of no return.

"Zhang Bin, you’re too deceitful! You’re a wolf that eats people whole and doesn’t even spit out the bones!" Teng Qianzhang was so infuriated he was on the verge of madness.

"You’re the one who’s stupid. How can you blame me for being smart?" Zhang Bin shrugged, his tone mocking. "Frankly, I have a perfectly average intellect."

"Zhang Bin, don’t get too smug! You won’t be gloating for long!" Teng Qianzhang was so furious he nearly coughed up blood, his words laced with venom. He still hadn’t learned his lesson from the last time Zhang Bin crippled his Cultivation Level.

SLAP!

Zhang Bin closed the distance in a single step and sent Teng Qianzhang flying with a vicious slap. He crashed to the ground, nearly passing out.

Zuo Haonan and Teng Xiaofeng were smarter. Without a word, they each picked someone up—Zuo Haonan hoisted Turen Xiong, and Teng Xiaofeng grabbed Teng Qianzhang—and scurried for the exit.

"Leaving so soon?" Zhang Bin suddenly blocked their path, his gaze piercing. The sword in his hand, still stained red with Turen Xiong’s blood, emanated a palpable killing intent.

"What more do you want?" Zuo Haonan blustered, his voice fierce but his heart pounding with fear.

"You smashed the signboard of our martial arts hall. Don’t you expect to pay for it?" Zhang Bin said coldly.

"You...!"

Zuo Haonan and the others were so furious they felt their lungs might explode. Turen Xiong, in particular, was so enraged he coughed up another mouthful of blood. Just moments ago, he had been the one to swaggeringly smash the Longyin Martial Arts Hall’s sign. Now, not only was his Cultivation Level crippled, but he also had to pay compensation for that very sign. If they didn’t pay, they wouldn’t be leaving.

In the end, Zuo Haonan stayed behind to negotiate compensation while Teng Xiaofeng and Teng Qianzhang carried Turen Xiong to the waiting ambulance, which then sped off towards the hospital. The very ambulance they had called for Zhang Bin was now being used for their own. In their minds, Teng Qianzhang and Teng Xiaofeng furiously blamed Turen Xiong. What an idiot, insisting on calling an ambulance! It was just too unlucky!

"The signboard itself isn’t worth much, but the damage to our reputation is significant," Zhang Bin said, his gaze as sharp as a blade on Zuo Haonan. "I think 100,000 should cover it."

Zuo Haonan screamed internally but dared not say a word, terrified that Zhang Bin would cripple him with a single stroke of his sword. Why don’t you just rob someone?!

So, he obediently transferred 100,000 to the martial arts hall’s account. He was a gang boss! When had he ever been extorted like this? One can only imagine the fury burning inside him. However, he was insidious enough to conceal his rage, his face remaining impassive.

"The green mountains remain and the clear waters flow on. We shall meet again," Zuo Haonan snarled before turning to leave.

"Zuo Haonan, let Teng Qianzhang and Turen Xiong be a lesson to you," Zhang Bin called out to his retreating back. "We had no prior grudges, but if you insist on walking the path to your own doom, then don’t blame me for what happens next."

Zuo Haonan’s pace faltered for an instant before he quickened his steps, disappearing into the night.