Chapter 210 Further Clues
Accustomed to seeing Star Martial Warriors fight, Wang Lan initially had little interest in the clashes between ordinary people. But, surprisingly, their fights turned out to be unexpectedly exciting.
The development of this world was, after all, different from his previous life. With the progression of human civilization, a strong martial fighting culture had evolved alongside the Star Martial Warriors.
Especially the mafia, which was born from the pugilistic circles of the old society, had many ancient martial arts schools take root and flourish within it. What he thought would be simple brawling was actually a display of skilled martial artists engaging in brilliant combat.
Without Star Power or Star Martial Skills, ordinary martial artists had to rely more on technique. Their moves ranged from close-quarters combat to wide, sweeping attacks.
After three rounds, Danzi surprisingly took the triple crown.
"No wonder Danzi could claim such a large territory in such a short time; his skills are indeed impressive."
"They're impressive, but he's too arrogant. If he becomes the leader, he's more likely to stir up trouble."
"Who else is there?" Danzi knocked a blond-haired man unconscious with a punch, then cracked his knuckles. "Why isn't there anyone else who can fight? Bosses, don't you have any skilled people under you?"
"Danzi, that's going too far," Lord Fo said, seated above, slowly raising his head as he shifted his prayer beads. "Song Ting, come and test Danzi's skills."
As Lord Fo finished speaking, a young man emerged from the crowd. Seeing Song Ting, Wang Lan's lips curled into a casual smile.
This just got interesting.
"You know him?"
"He's my classmate. He used to be part of Duan Ziqi's Commoner Genius Association. The Tianjian Bureau secretly monitored him for half a month and only let him go after clearing him of suspicion. I never expected this..."
"Lord Fo, are you out of people? Why choose this young whelp who hasn't even fully matured?" Danzi mocked upon seeing the young Song Ting.
"Be careful, Danzi."
"Enough talk. Bring it on."
As soon as the words were out, Song Ting's figure flashed, rushing in front of Danzi like lightning and aiming a punch straight at his nose. The speed was faster than Danzi had anticipated; he hurriedly raised both hands in front of his face, trying to block Song Ting's punch.
"BANG—"
Song Ting's fist landed with a thud on Danzi's arm. A crisp crack sounded. Despite Danzi's blocking attempt, Song Ting's relentless punch struck him squarely in the face.
BANG—
Another crisp sound, and Danzi's nose visibly collapsed.
Before he could even scream, the previously indomitable Danzi was knocked straight to the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth and nose, instantly blurring his entire face.
"Brother Danzi!"
"Brother Danzi—"
His subordinates hurriedly rushed over and helped Danzi to his feet. However, his arms were already massively swollen and unnaturally bent, clearly indicating broken bones.
"Fuck you..."
Song Ting swung his leg lightly, and another blond-haired man, who was about to spit out more curses, had half his teeth fly out of his mouth.
"A Star Martial Warrior?"
"A Star Martial Warrior?"
Several bosses immediately stood up nervously, shock written all over their faces.
The first Li used to hold considerable sway in the Ancient City District because he had a Star Martial Warrior named Ghost Face under him. Unexpectedly, Lord Fo, who had always been suppressed by Li, also had a Star Martial Warrior in his ranks.
"Lord Fo, you've hidden your cards well. When did you recruit a Star Martial Warrior?"
"It was thanks to Mr. Qi's blessing. He introduced Brother Song to me back when Mr. Qi wanted me to contain Li. But I, Lord Fo, am not an ungrateful person. As long as Li didn't wrong his brothers, he was always my boss. I've always taken good care of Brother Song.
Now that Li is gone and Qiu has departed, in terms of seniority, I, Lord Fo, have been in the Ancient City District for nearly thirty years. In terms of strength, I'm no weaker than any of you. Am I, Lord Fo, qualified to be the spokesperson?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the few mafia heads who hadn't sent anyone into the ring looked distinctly uncomfortable.
They all wanted to be the spokesperson, but they lacked Star Martial Warrior enforcers. Moreover, with a Star Martial Warrior by his side, Lord Fo could indeed treat them as individuals who could be crushed at will.
Even if they were dissatisfied now, they could always be beaten into submission later.
After some thought, they eventually sat back down in resignation.
"Since Lord Fo has said so... we have nothing more to say. I, Old Jian, am convinced."
"I, Black Skin, am also convinced."
"I, Li, think there's still a fight to be had."
Suddenly, Lord Fo lifted his head and stared sharply at Li, who had been silent until now. I've been careless, Lord Fo thought, his heart suddenly alert. This seemingly harmless guy is actually a smiling tiger.
"So, Li also has a Star Martial Warrior enforcer?"
"Hehehe... Rose, come and entertain this young brother a little."
As Li's words ended, a wave of fragrance instantly swirled through the crowd. A tall woman dressed in glossy black leather and heavy makeup squeezed her way through the throng, stepping toward Song Ting.
In Rose's hand was a Butterfly Sword, its dazzling blade work blooming in her grip like a butterfly fluttering between her fingers.
"Lord Fo, hand me a dagger," Song Ting demanded coldly.
Lord Fo nodded back, and a subordinate quickly presented a dagger. Clutching the dagger, Song Ting took a deep breath. In an instant, his figure flashed as he charged toward the woman opposite him.
CLANG—
A crisp sound rang out the moment the two met. In a flash, the rapid sound of metal clashing erupted. Both Song Ting and the woman were as swift as lightning, their every move a blur to onlookers. The collision between the dagger and the Butterfly Sword was like the constant crackling of firecrackers.
But as the two engaged, both Wang Lan and Hu Qing couldn't help but furrow their brows.
Song Ting's performance was relatively normal, but there was something odd about the woman. She was fast, yet there was no Star Energy Fluctuation. The human body has limits to its speed; for example, in a hundred-meter sprint, the limit is breaking the ten-second mark—it's impossible to go faster.
If you can run it in under nine seconds, you are certainly surpassing the human running limit, something only a Star Martial Warrior can achieve. Star Martial Warriors can do this because of the enhancement Star Power provides to their bodies.
But with that woman, not even Hu Qing could sense any Star Energy Fluctuation. Either her strength is so profound that she doesn't even need to use Star Power against Song Ting, or this woman isn't normal.
As the fight intensified, Song Ting gradually found himself in grave danger. The ferocity of the woman before him increasingly shattered his understanding.
Although Song Ting was a Star Martial Warrior, he was, after all, just a high school student. He had never experienced a life-and-death battle, nor did he possess the fearless drive to risk everything in a mutual destruction. When the woman traded injury for injury, slashing Song Ting's arm, his momentum clearly dissipated.
Eventually, it was almost as if the woman was chasing Song Ting around, beating him. Even though Song Ting deployed multiple fighting techniques and severely wounded the woman several times, his own wounds were bleeding profusely. In contrast, only scant traces of blood were present on the woman's injuries.
"Could she be a Star Martial Warrior with a body-enhancement type talent?" Hu Qing asked gravely.
"'That's not it. Look at her eyes,' Wang Lan said. He had already locked onto the woman with Farsight Vision and noticed her eyes were vacant, utterly devoid of spirit."
"I'm done fighting! I'm done! I concede—" Song Ting broke down, suddenly shouting as he scrambled backward.
But the woman relentlessly pressed on, her Butterfly Sword targeting Song Ting's vital points with every move.
"Act!" Wang Lan's voice thundered as his figure flashed next to Song Ting, kicking him aside. He precisely grabbed the woman's wrist that wielded the Butterfly Sword.
The scene abruptly froze. This sudden turn of events left everyone speechless.
Wang Lan had instantly stepped into their fight, subduing both Star Martial Warriors with a single move. Was there even a need to state his strength? He was clearly a master who far surpassed the other two.
But... we're just a bunch of mafia guys, aren't we? Since when did our circle have so many hidden dragons and crouching tigers? When did so many extraordinary masters start popping up?
Shocked, Lord Fo looked at Wang Lan and then turned to face Zheng Ji. "Ji... so you're the real dark horse."
Zheng Ji remained calm, smiled, and said, "I, Old Zheng, am not participating in the spokesperson election, and that still stands. The reason I let my subordinate intervene was merely to prevent any hard feelings among everyone. Since Lord Fo's side has conceded, Li, wasn't your fighter a bit too excessive?"
Wang Lan, still holding the woman's wrist, suddenly changed his expression. He quietly pressed his fingers to her pulse. No pulse. This is a dead person!
"Hu, take down Li! He killed Qiu."
As Wang Lan's words fell, Li's face turned ashen in a flash. He turned to leave, but at that moment, Hu Qing had already transformed into a streak of light and appeared in front of him, capturing Li in one swift move.
Li's underlings didn't even attempt to save their boss, merely watching as Hu Qing subdued Li.
"Ji, what are you doing?" one of the bosses asked.
"Zheng Ji, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Li, captured by Hu Qing, suddenly roared.
"Bosses, let me explain," Wang Lan said nonchalantly as he let go of the woman's hand. She fell limply to the ground, dead. "Everyone knows Ji and Qiu were like sworn brothers.
Since Qiu died, it's natural Ji would seek revenge for him. Ji learned from the police department that the one who killed Qiu wasn't some Miss Qin. Miss Qin had already died the day before she supposedly killed Qiu.
There's a Star Martial Warrior who can control corpses; this ability was used to control Miss Qin to kill Qiu. Just now, I became suspicious because this woman seemed unafraid of death. Seeing so few wounds on her solidified that suspicion.
This woman isn't alive; she's just a corpse being controlled by someone. Since you brought her here, Li, it means you're the one who killed Qiu."
"FUCK!" Lord Fo slammed the table and shot to his feet. "I can't believe it was you—"
"Bai Li, to think you were so ambitious, so ruthless! We truly didn't see it coming!" the other bosses, having caught on, exclaimed in outrage. Meanwhile, the incriminated Li's face went as pale as death. "Mr. Jin, save me—"
Instantly, Wang Lan and Hu Qing sensed danger. Almost by reflex, Hu Qing rolled away, gripping Li. Behind where Li had stood, one of the henchmen's heads exploded.
This sudden, horrifying turn of events drained the color from everyone's faces.
Wang Lan sharply turned towards the direction of the attack. "Farsight Vision, activate—"