Chapter 352: Extortion

Qin Wu looked at her Senior Uncle engaging in combat with the one-armed man, her eyes filled with worry.

"Don’t get too smug, Ling," Qin Wu’s companion, Qin Yang, called out defiantly, "it’s not certain who will win or lose yet. Let’s all attack together; with so many of us, we shouldn’t be afraid of them." Encouraged by Qin Yang, the several brothers-in-arms following Qin Wu didn’t hesitate, eyeing Ling Chen like tigers before pouncing towards him.

Ling Chen just smiled. Liu Yunsong was a master from the Tiger List, whom he did not consider himself a match for, but these people... he truly didn’t take them seriously.

As the group launched their attack, Ling Chen immediately met them head-on, fists and kicks flying as he tangled with everyone.

Meanwhile, the battle between the one-armed man and Liu Yunsong intensified. Undeniably, Liu Yunsong, a Dragon List master, was powerful, but the one-armed man wasn’t the slightest bit inferior, wielding a steel knife that was impenetrably swift and deadly in its attacks.

After a long exchange, Liu Yunsong could barely find an opportunity to close the distance, repeatedly forced to retreat without a chance for advantage.

Just then, a sudden ’whoosh’ broke the silence as the sound of something tearing through the air was heard.

Liu Yunsong’s expression turned grave as if realizing something, but before he could react, a deep wound appeared on his right shoulder. Behind him, not far on the wall, was a piercing arrow with a remnant trace of fresh blood still undried.

Feeling the pain in his shoulder, Liu Yunsong’s gaze flickered, only catching a glimpse of a man standing behind Qiu Yong, bow drawn, arrow nocked, intensely focused and with a piercing gaze as sharp and cold as the arrow.

Even as a Dragon List master, facing that simple bow and arrow, Liu Yunsong felt an involuntary dread.

The Eccentric Eight were notoriously elusive, and he had never encountered them before, but Liu Yunsong was well aware of their prowess.

The Archer God, Zhang Zhongfeng.

Across the land, there was no archer more formidable than him. Nearly half of the Eccentric Eight’s fame was held up by Zhang Zhongfeng alone.

At this moment, locked in the aim of Zhang Zhongfeng’s bow, Liu Yunsong was thrown into panic. For masters in contest, a moment of distraction can reveal a fatal flaw. Seizing the chance, the one-armed man surged with power, his attacks growing fiercer, unleashing five rapid slashes aimed at Liu Yunsong’s head.

Liu Yunsong, with his concentration wavering, managed to parry four slashes but was caught off guard by the last, allowing the one-armed man to breach his defense and leave a gash on his left shoulder, blood spurting out and staining his clothes red.

Simultaneously, the battle on Ling Chen’s side also came to a conclusion, and the underlings accompanying Qin Wu were all laid out on the ground. Qin Wu held her right arm, panting heavily, her delicate face showing a hint of paleness from excessive exertion.

Casting a glance at Qin Wu, who was unable to continue the fight, Ling Chen casually dusted off his hands and returned to Qiu Yong’s side, then turned his attention to Liu Yunsong. Seeing his opponent’s drooping arms and the blood stains on both shoulders, Ling Chen couldn’t help but reveal a teasing smile, mockingly saying, "Master Liu, how could you be so careless?"

Hearing the mocking tone in Ling Chen’s voice, Liu Yunsong’s face turned ashen with anger, and through gritted teeth, he said, "This victory of yours is dishonorable."

"Dishonorable?" Ling Chen’s mouth curved slightly as he stepped in front of Liu Yunsong with a mocking smile. "You know all about dishonorable, do you? So, it’s acceptable for you to bully with numbers, but it’s not allowed when I do it?" Finishing his words, Ling Chen showed no courtesy as he stretched out his leg and brutally kicked Liu Yunsong, cursing unrestrainedly, "Think being a Dragon List master makes you exceptional? Act less arrogant in the future. There’s always someone stronger; there are heavens beyond our own. If you dare to provoke me again, I’ll strip you and throw you onto the streets."

Liu Yunsong, unreconciled, wanted to retort, but noticing the menacing stance of the Eccentric Eight nearby, he lost his nerve and could only swallow his anger.

"Ling Chen, should we let them go now?" Qiu Yong asked.

"Go..." Ling Chen’s eyes shifted as he looked towards Qin Wu not far away, a smile immediately surfacing in his eyes as he continued, "Let’s not rush. Eh, I say, Master Liu, not only did you bully me just now, but you also injured me. Don’t you think you ought to give me some compensation for my emotional distress?"

"Compensation for emotional distress?"

This statement not only stunned Liu Yunsong, but even Qiu Yong and the others were caught off guard, never expecting Ling Chen to make such a demand.

Liu Yunsong furrowed his brows and asked reluctantly, "What do you want?"

Ling Chen snapped his fingers and grinned: "Simple. At the auction at Yulong Mansion before, Miss Qin obtained something I’m quite fond of. She’s your nephew’s apprentice... so why not have her give me that item as compensation?" "Impossible!" Liu Yunsong refused immediately without even thinking, then added, "I can give you money as compensation."

Ling Chen waved his hand, "You clearly haven’t inquired about who my girlfriend is. Do you think I’m the kind of person who is short of money? Master Liu, I’ve made my terms clear. Whether you accept them or not is up to you. But don’t blame me for not warning you – my friends here have bad tempers, and if you can’t meet my demands and piss them off, not one of you will leave here alive."

Hearing this, Xia Yue couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Ling Chen. This bastard was so despicable, actually using the reputation of the eight eccentrics to swindle and cheat.

However, Ling Chen’s threat was not without effect. Liu Yunsong looked at Qiu Yong and others behind him, hesitation flickering in his eyes. When his gaze swept over Zhang Zhongfeng, he gritted his teeth, turned his head towards Qin Wu, and said in a deep voice, "Give him the item."

Qin Wu’s expression changed slightly, and she quickly said, "Senior Uncle, that item..."

"Enough, stop talking, give it to him quickly," Liu Yunsong interrupted Qin Wu and urged.

"Yes." Qin Wu’s brows slightly furrowed, reluctantly going back to the commercial vehicle to retrieve the weapon wrapped in silk brocade, handing it over to Ling Chen with a face full of resentment.

Ling Chen pretended not to see the anger in Qin Wu’s eyes and smiled as he reached out to take it. After checking to make sure it was the right one, Ling Chen nodded with a smile and said, "Everyone, take care, I won’t see you out."

"Go!" Liu Yunsong spat out the word through clenched teeth, not wanting to stay a moment longer, and went straight into the car.

Once Liu Yunsong and his group had driven away, Ling Chen put away the weapon, turned around to look at Qiu Yong and the others, and said with a salute, "Elder Qiu, thank you for earlier."

"No need for courtesy. Come on, let’s head back to the room and talk."

Arriving at the hotel room where Qiu Yong and others were staying, before they could even sit down, Xia Yue couldn’t help but ask, "What’s the use of the weapon you extorted from Qin Wu?"

Ling Chen touched his nose and said with a lifted corner of his mouth, "I don’t know yet; I haven’t studied it." Saying this, Ling Chen took out the weapon and explained, "Apparently, this thing was crafted by someone in the Martial Arts community hundreds of years ago."

"Oh?" The one-armed man said with interest, "Let me take a look."