Roaring Dragon-Chapter 3: Let Go of Lady Linghu!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

A few faint gusts sliced through the air. Then, the alley fell silent.

Three figures had surrounded the narrow passage—front, back, and above.

Chen Yuan, dressed as a wandering Daoist, crouched on the rooftop with a black-sheathed longsword in hand, staring down at the white-robed young man in the alley.

“Who are you, exactly?”

The monk who had smashed through the wall spun a string of prayer beads in his fingers and glanced at the black eagle circling above.

“Looks like some clueless rich kid. What now?”

The three had been hiding here. Now some random noble brat had stumbled right into them—what else could they do?

Xie Jinhuan stood in place, hand on his weapon, wary of the three-way ambush. At first, he was tense, ready for a desperate fight—until he suddenly realized something felt... off.

He was hacked.

More accurately—his martial ability had become downright ridiculous.

Fully focused, he could now hear each of the three’s breathing patterns clearly. He could even sense the minute rustling of their clothes in the breeze and gauge their current states.

The monk before him was calm, with an unfamiliar energy flowing through his body. A real monk who had trained in Buddhist techniques. He even had a money pouch at his waist—could come in handy...

The Daoist above was alert, his right leg bent in a crouch, sword across his body. The pose looked casual but was primed for a backward leap to gain distance—his lungs were full of breath, ready to strike.

The fighter behind him? Trash-tier. His grip on the blade was way too heavy, which meant he couldn’t switch smoothly between attack and defense. He was clearly looking for a chance to sneak attack from behind...

Xie Jinhuan had no idea how he knew all this—but it was as clear as day.

In fact, he was pretty sure he could kill all three in under five seconds. If it took longer, he’d be going easy.

The only thing on him even remotely related to martial arts was a notebook titled The Joyous Heart Sutra. Judging from the handwriting, he’d written it himself.

But he had no recollection of ever studying it. A martial arts journal shouldn’t have made him this damn lethal.

Confused as hell but not looking for unnecessary trouble, he still gave the trio a chance:

“I’ve no desire to kill without cause. Drop your weapons and kneel with your hands behind your heads, and I’ll spare you. Otherwise, deal with the consequences.”

“Heh~”

The monk sneered.

Chen Yuan, still crouched on the rooftop, studied Xie Jinhuan for a long while. He could sense that the young man’s skills were extraordinary, but couldn’t determine his background. After thinking a moment, he said:

“In the jianghu, we either die standing or not at all. If you really have that kind of skill, then I guess we’re just the unlucky ones today.”

As his voice faded, the alley fell into silence again—only the rustling wind remained.

Behind Xie Jinhuan, the fighter gripped his three-foot blade tighter, carefully watching for any movement in his shoulders or feet.

Noticing there was no guard at Xie Jinhuan’s back, the fighter suddenly stomped forward!

Clang—

In that instant, the stone tiles underfoot shattered. A silver streak flashed through the alley!

The blade-wielding thug lunged like a shooting star, blade wind howling as he closed the gap. The other two moved at the same time.

But what they hadn’t expected—was that the white-robed young man’s power was on a completely different level.

Clang!

Just as the fighter launched, Xie Jinhuan’s hand was already on the hilt of his mace. Without even turning around, he stepped back and drew it.

Before the thug could stab, Xie Jinhuan’s back slammed into his chest. The mace’s rounded end smashed into his solar plexus like a cannonball!

Thud—

The muffled boom was layered with the sound of bones and flesh shattering!

The fighter froze mid-movement, robes exploding outward as his back bulged. A geyser of blood shot from his nose and mouth.

Dead. Instantly.

The monk up front was chilled to the bone and immediately tried to stop—but it was already too late!

Xie Jinhuan had never even glanced at the man behind him. As the Tiangang Mace came free, his left hand brushed along its shaft.

Zzzzt—

True energy surged through the weapon with a faint crackling hum!

Sensing a terrifyingly sharp and overwhelming force barreling his way, the monk shouted with a booming voice and planted his feet, chest expanding:

“Zha!”

Boom—

In the next instant, Xie Jinhuan’s left hand reached the tip of the mace, and his body followed the strike forward!

The Tiangang Mace, infused with monstrous power, whipped up grass and leaves, transforming into a raging tornado!

The whirlwind tore down the narrow alley—walls cracked, roof tiles shattered, dust and gravel churned into the air!

The monk, standing at ground zero, was like a mayfly facing a raging sea dragon!

The gap in strength was so immense, he didn’t even have time to feel fear. He poured every ounce of energy into defense. His exposed skin glowed faintly gold, and he transformed into a fearsome, unshakable “Angry Vajra.”

But when facing a blow that could shatter mountains and crush cities—his mortal body was nothing more than an ant.

BOOM—

The mace caved in his chest, exploding it on impact!

Blood and bone flew in all directions. The monk was split clean in two—shoulders and head flung skyward!

Chen Yuan had just leapt from the rooftop, only to see half of his ally’s body fly past his face!

A blast of pressure like a hurricane tore through the alley below, ripping through half its length and bursting into a spray of blood and sand at the corner!

High above, Chen Yuan felt like he had leapt onto the back of a hundred-foot evil dragon. His soul trembled. In ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) full panic, he kicked off the wall and rolled to the side. Mid-air, he formed a hand seal—blue light flared around his fingers—and he stabbed his sword into the ground as he landed!

Crackle—

A stream of blue lightning coursed through the blade, forming a thumb-thick electric serpent that tore toward Xie Jinhuan’s feet!

But just then, the white-robed young man—who had just obliterated a monk—turned around.

The mace swept out in a wide arc, a strike like a dragon’s tail lash, aiming straight down the alley—

BOOM—

A thunderous blast erupted within the alley.

The already-shattered bricks surged upward, forming a massive wall of debris as wide as the alley itself, crashing down like a tidal wave and splitting the passage in two!

Chen Yuan’s eyes went blank as he saw the entire street rise up before him.

From that single strike, it was obvious—the young man had already reached the level of a fourth-rank martial master, maybe even brushing up against third rank.

Fourth-rank warriors were usually welcomed by noble clans with open arms. This guy was barely in his twenties—how the hell was that possible?!

Against such overwhelming strength, any attempt to fight back was laughable. No counterattack was even possible.

Faced with this chasm-like gap, Chen Yuan reacted like a terrified farm animal—instinctively turning to flee.

Too late.

Swish—

A shrill sword cry cut through the dust-filled alley!

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The tide of bricks hadn’t even hit the ground before something burst through it—a spiraling hole punched through the debris!

At the center was a white blur and a single flash of cold steel!

Chen Yuan heard the sound—but before he could react, the blade pierced through his back and out his chest!

Splurt—

Blood sprayed onto the ground.

He froze mid-stride, lowering his gaze to see the dark blade jutting out from his chest. His eyes filled with disbelief.

“Four and a half seconds. Guess I overestimated you.”

Xie Jinhuan stood behind him, sword still in hand, and casually lifted the Tiangang Mace.

Plop—

The monk’s half-torso dropped onto a rooftop.

The money pouch that had been flung earlier neatly hooked itself onto the end of the mace!

He hadn’t used the mace to finish Chen Yuan—not out of mercy, but because killing him too cleanly would’ve been hard to explain. He needed to leave Yang the Constable a witness as a welcome gift.

Realizing just how absurdly powerful he’d become, Xie Jinhuan frowned in puzzlement and asked:

“Those two moves just now—‘Black Dragon Crashes the Pillar’ and ‘Frenzied Dragon Sweeps Its Tail’—they’re from the Silver Dragon Eight Styles. Ever heard of it?”

Chen Yuan stood frozen, face pale, trembling slightly. His eyes were filled with shock and growing doubt.

Black Dragon Crashes the Pillar? Never heard of it...

Silver Dragon Eight Styles...

What kind of sect names their moves like that?

Could he be... a demonic cultivator?

...

Before Chen Yuan could respond, the quiet alley suddenly erupted with another burst of wind!

Shhh—

Xie Jinhuan’s brows furrowed. This new aura was far stronger than the trio he had just slaughtered.

Without hesitation, he swept the mace backward, striking straight toward the approaching threat!

...

Moments earlier—

Linghu Qingmo had just arrived at the outer edge of the alley when she noticed a disturbance from the warehouse. Half a corpse had flown through the air, trailing blood, while the alley below filled with dust and gore.

Alarmed, she vaulted over the warehouse roof.

As she landed, she spotted a white-robed figure stabbing a Daoist through the back.

Realizing her comrade had been killed, Linghu Qingmo didn’t hesitate—she drew her sword and launched an attack.

But she hadn’t expected this white-robed maniac to be such a monster. The moment he sensed danger, he didn’t even move—just swung his cold-gleaming mace, sending a sandstorm-wrapped yellow dragon roaring her way!

BOOM—

A chill ran through her bones. She tried to retreat, but the distance was too short. The edge of the mace still caught her square in the chest.

CRACK—

The high-grade armor issued by the Prince of Dan’s residence was indeed impressive—but it wasn’t invincible.

The tip of the mace struck her chest plate, and the scaled plates fractured instantly!

Residual force surged into her lungs. Linghu Qingmo felt her chest quake violently as she flew backward, flipping through the air before slamming into the ground several yards away, rolling to a stop.

Thud, thud—

Clatter...

As her body slid to a halt, the alley returned to silence.

Xie Jinhuan, done with his last strike, drew the Zhenglun Sword, preparing to finish her off.

But then he looked down—and realized the one lying there was a fully armored black-clad warrior.

Possession of private armor was a capital offense. Anyone walking around Danyang in full gear was either a royal guard of Jingzhao Prefecture—or one of Prince Dan’s personal guards.

Killing such a person was the same as assassinating royalty. Instant execution!

“...Shit?!”

Xie Jinhuan, who had stayed calm through the entire fight, finally lost his cool.

“Hey! Bro! Sorry, sorry! Don’t die on me!”

He rushed over to help. The armor was extremely high-quality—cracked, but not shattered.

Still, the Tiangang Mace was a notorious armor-breaker. Even if the exterior held, the internal damage could be lethal. The fact that she wasn’t moving meant she’d likely passed out cold.

Unable to gauge her condition through the armor, he reached down to remove her faceplate to check her vitals—but a thunderous voice suddenly roared from afar:

“Bold criminal! Let go of Lady Linghu!”

Sching, sching, sching...

Swords were drawn in unison.

Looking up, he saw five officers at the alley’s entrance, blades at the ready, treating him like an enemy. Two more in the back fumbled with their “Qi-Breaking Crossbows,” hastily trying to load them.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

These guys? Trash-tier. Five seconds tops.

But Xie Jinhuan wasn’t some mad killer. If he killed government officers, even his old man couldn’t save him.

He immediately dropped his weapons and raised his hands.

“Misunderstanding! I’m one of you!”

“Gujii!”

Meiqiu, now perched nearby, even raised her little wings in surrender.

Yang Dabiao saw Linghu Qingmo lying unmoving and nearly had a heart attack. He was ready to charge in, die a hero, and at least spare himself execution by the Princess or Zihui Mountain later.

Seeing the suspect surrender without resistance, he froze for a second, then shouted with suspicion:

“Hands on your head, squat with your back turned! Resist arrest and you’ll be executed on the spot!”

That command was something Xie Jinhuan himself had once taught his dad—who’d then passed it down to the constables.

Knowing he’d caused trouble, Xie Jinhuan complied instantly, squatting with his hands on his head:

“Big Bro Yang, it’s me, Xie Jinhuan—my father—”

“Tie him up! Call a doctor—now!”

“Hey hey hey! Come on, we’re family here—no need to go that far...”

...