Chapter 82: Are You a Martial Sage?

"Ten percent of the total value of the goods?" Xiahou Cheng knew the price of Mr. Qian's merchandise; ten percent of the total value was equivalent to the entire escort fee for this journey. He had an agreement with Mr. Qian that all such costs would be covered by their Mad Wolf Mercenary Corps. If he handed the money to Xin Lang and his companions, then this mission would have been for nothing.

Glaring with his large eyes, Xiahou Cheng said, "How about I give you two options!"

"Oh? And what are they?" Xin Lang asked with keen interest.

"First, let us through unconditionally!" Xiahou Cheng declared.

"And the second?" Xin Lang pressed.

"The second—get lost! From now on, I’ll be the master of Sky Mountain!" Xiahou Cheng boasted arrogantly.

"Damn it, you really don’t know the strength of us Sky Mountain brothers until you see some color from us!" the fat Gu suddenly cursed from the side.

Fat Gu couldn’t stand anyone acting arrogant before him. He gave Lin San, hidden in the woods, a look, and immediately two hundred axemen charged from the forest, surrounding the caravan in the middle of the road.

The people in the caravan trembled in terror at this show of force!

The Mad Wolf Mercenary soldiers, sensing trouble, drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

Swish, swish, swish...

Hundreds of feathered arrows suddenly shot out from the woods, their tips striking the ground just in front of the mercenaries’ feet, pinning them tightly around their wagons!

Fat Gu shouted brazenly, "With my word, your men will be riddled with holes! Get off your horse and kneel to apologize to your grandpa!"

"Pah! You snot-nosed brats dare to challenge me, Xiahou Cheng?" Xiahou Cheng shouted back. "Heroes of Sky Mountain, I, Xiahou Cheng, am a friend of your former leader Huang Tianqi! I’ll capture these three brats right now and avenge your great leader!"

With a roar, Xiahou Cheng seized the moment of hesitation among the crowd, drew his Green Dragon Sabre from the saddle, and urged his horse forward, slashing diagonally at the three.

Including the hilt, Xiahou Cheng’s blade was nearly three meters long; with this single swing, he meant to kill all three at once!

He had once fought Huang Tianqi to a draw and had already broken through to the ninth level of Hidden Force, now training Hidden Force throughout his body—no wonder he was so brazen.

His Hidden Force poured into the Green Dragon Sabre, giving his slash the power to cut stone and sever steel!

Xin Lang, Qian Baidu, and Fat Gu were all martial artists below the fourth level of Hidden Force. If Xiahou Cheng’s blade struck, death was certain.

Yet Qian Baidu and Fat Gu had the utmost faith in Xin Lang. Seeing that Xin Lang stood before Xiahou Cheng without dodging, they too folded their arms and didn't move a step.

Xiahou Cheng noticed their lack of evasion and sneered, "Die together then!"

"Hmph! You dare to flaunt yourself before me? Sacred Martial Art—Vital Energy Blade!"

Xin Lang suddenly slashed upward from lower left with his right hand, sending out a blade of energy a meter long!

"Ah! Externalized vital energy! Sacred Martial Art?"

Everyone who witnessed the blade of energy from Xin Lang was shocked!

"Sacred Martial Art! Externalized vital energy! Only a Martial Saint could do this!"

Xiahou Cheng was utterly stupefied when he saw the "Vital Energy Blade" unleashed by Xin Lang. He never imagined that the masked youth before him would turn out to be a Martial Saint.

A Martial Saint! There were only two such figures in the entire Grand Xia Dynasty, both of them high-ranking and revered!

Xiahou Cheng was paralyzed with shock, unable to respond. Xin Lang’s "Vital Energy Blade" swept through with unstoppable force, first severing Xiahou Cheng’s Green Dragon Sabre in two, then slashing through his warhorse, which collapsed in two halves beneath him.

The threat of death jolted Xiahou Cheng awake. Just as the "Vital Energy Blade" was about to hit him, he exploded with Hidden Force from both feet and leapt high into the air, desperate to evade Xin Lang’s fatal strike.

But Xin Lang’s "Vital Energy Blade" was swung upward from below, and even though Xiahou Cheng jumped skyward, the blade still caught him.

"Ah!"

Xiahou Cheng screamed as the blade of energy cut diagonally across his chest, blood spraying forth.

Bang! He fell from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground.

Xin Lang’s "Vital Energy Blade" had been mostly spent on Xiahou Cheng’s warhorse—otherwise, Xiahou Cheng would have been cleaved in two!

After that slash, not only was all the "vital energy" in the Tianji Gauntlet on Xin Lang’s right hand depleted, but most of his own essence had been drained as well, leaving him extremely weak. Should he attempt another "Vital Energy Blade," he’d surely faint.

However, the 100 experience points awarded from a "random quest" had lifted Xin Lang’s spirits considerably!

He thought, "Defeating a martial artist six levels above me yields 100 experience points. It seems that until my meridians are healed, I should suppress my advancement and not level up too quickly—this way, I’ll have more chances to earn big rewards! Now my experience has already reached over one thousand five hundred!"

Lying on the ground, barely clinging to life, Xiahou Cheng clutched his chest wound, staring at Xin Lang in disbelief. "You... you... you’re a Martial Saint?"

Xin Lang walked up to him and said, "You know better than anyone whether I am. Since you’re the first to pass through here after I set new rules on Sky Mountain, I’ll spare your life. But your toll is now raised to twenty percent of the value of your goods. Any objections?"

"No... no... none!" Xiahou Cheng dared not object; a Martial Saint was more than ten levels above him and could crush him at any moment—surviving was already a stroke of fortune!

Xiahou Cheng did not have enough money on him to cover twenty percent of the caravan’s goods, so he could only look pleadingly at the caravan master, Mr. Qian.

Mr. Qian was half-dead with fright after witnessing Xin Lang’s power!

A Martial Saint! Even if he were asked for all his goods, let alone twenty percent, he wouldn’t dare utter a word of protest!

After Xin Lang collected the money, he had Lin San and others check the goods to ensure the caravan hadn’t underreported.

He said to Mr. Qian, "If you dare underreport, the toll will go up to forty percent!"

"I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare! How could I deceive a Martial Saint, sir!" Mr. Qian stammered, trembling.

Not only did Mr. Qian not underreport, he even exaggerated by ten percent, fearing that a shortfall would incur Xin Lang’s wrath!

Xin Lang said, "It’s best if you’re honest. From now on, Sky Mountain will have clearly marked prices—any passing caravan will pay a ten percent toll on the value of their goods. Mr. Qian, you can help spread the word when you get back!"

C!