Urban Martial Saint

Falling into the hands of Northern Martial Zen, Ye Qing felt a chill in his heart. The strength of Northern Martial Zen was similar to Ao Wuchang, which was absolutely oppressive to Ye Qing. Although Ye Qing was not weak now, he had no power to resist before him.

"Northern Martial Zen, you can be considered an elder. Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world for doing such a thing?" Ye Qing said solemnly, "I competed with the Bei Family successor, winning and losing was normal. Your disciple lost to me because his skills were inferior. Instead of finding ways to make him stronger, you, an elder, came to personally deal with me, a junior. Don't you feel ashamed?"

"Ye, you underestimate me, Northern Martial Zen!" Northern Martial Zen sneered coldly and said, "If it were just a mere competition, it wouldn't be worth me personally coming here."

"Then what exactly do you mean?" Ye Qing asked solemnly.

Northern Martial Zen sneered, said nothing, and took Ye Qing directly down the mountain. At the entrance of Thirteen Li Fortress, there were still a few people standing guard, clearly members of the Wan Yan family. Most of the people had gone up the mountain, leaving a few guarding the entrance.

"Boy, take a good look!" Northern Martial Zen pressed Ye Qing's acupoints, causing half of his body to become numb and unable to move. He casually tossed Ye Qing into a nearby snow nest, snatched the Wu Hong Dagger from Ye Qing's hand, and dashed among these men.

These men were casually chatting at the village entrance, never expecting disaster to strike from above at this moment. Northern Martial Zen's speed was extremely fast, and he had overwhelming strength against these men. So these men didn't even have the time to react, and they all fell at Northern Martial Zen's hands.

Ye Qing saw clearly from this side, Northern Martial Zen's strikes were very cruel, leaving no mercy, each knife pierced the vital spots of these men. When these men fell to the ground, they had already lost their lives, none were spared.

After killing these men, Northern Martial Zen casually tossed their bodies into the snow nest behind, then walked leisurely to Ye Qing's side and sneered, "How is it? My methods are quite good, aren't they?"

Ye Qing frowned deeply and said solemnly, "Northern Martial Zen, you used my Wu Hong Dagger to kill them; you simply intend to frame me, you're despicable!"

"Hahaha…" Northern Martial Zen laughed and said, "Ye Qing, you're not too stupid; you actually see my purpose. Yes, I just want to frame you. Not only these few, but also the batch of Wan Yan family members on the mountain just now were all killed by me. This debt is now fully recorded under your name. Ye Qing, even if you can escape from my hands, Wan Yan Zong will definitely not let you go, and he will hunt you down all over the world!"

"Northern Martial Zen, I have no grievance or enmity with you, why do you harm me!" Ye Qing said anxiously.

"No need to be agitated." Northern Martial Zen smiled softly and said, "Of course, if you are willing to cooperate with me, then you need not worry about Wan Yan Zong, I will help you deal with him. As long as you cooperate with me, you can rest assured and not worry about anyone!"

"Cooperate with you?" Ye Qing was slightly surprised and said, "How… how can I cooperate with you?"

"That's easy." Northern Martial Zen laughed and said, "The stepping technique you used when competing with my son last time was very good; if you want to cooperate with me, as a gesture of sincerity, you must first hand over this stepping technique."

Ye Qing's face turned cold; he finally understood Northern Martial Zen's purpose, which was to covet the stepping technique of the Heavenly Gangs and Northern Dipper formation. No wonder Northern Martial Zen would run all the way to the Northern Desert to corner him; he really went all out.

However, this was nothing to Ye Qing. Because, Shen Tianjun had told Ye Qing, the stepping technique of the Heavenly Gangs and Northern Dipper formation was not that easy to master. Unless one thoroughly understood Tai Chi Bagua Qimen Dunjia, otherwise, even if you memorize the technique by heart, you absolutely cannot master it. This is why Shen Tianjun did not learn this stepping technique because he knew he couldn't master it, and at his level, unless mastering the full technique, it would have little effect.

Although Northern Martial Zen's strength was not as great as Shen Tianjun, his mastery in Tai Chi Bagua Qimen Dunjia was also far inferior to Shen Tianjun's. So, even if this stepping technique of the Heavenly Gangs and Northern Dipper was given to him, it would not enhance his fighting power in the slightest. And this was something Northern Martial Zen was completely unaware of; otherwise, he would never have sought Ye Qing for this stepping technique.

Upon hearing Northern Martial Zen's words, Ye Qing had a plan. A few thoughts passed through his mind, and an idea began to take shape in his mind.

"So you want this stepping technique?" Ye Qing chuckled and said, "You should have said so earlier; I thought you wanted to kill me. This is very simple, I can teach you the complete stepping technique at any time!"

"Really?" Northern Martial Zen's expression changed drastically, hugely surprised. To be honest, he didn't expect things to go so smoothly. He had thought Ye Qing would rather die than yield, and he was even contemplating what method to use to force Ye Qing to submit. Unexpectedly, Ye Qing agreed directly, which truly surprised him.

"Of course, it's true." Ye Qing paused for a moment, then said, "However, you have to help me resolve this matter. I will teach you this stepping technique; you must help me deal with Prince Wan Yan!"

"No problem!" Northern Martial Zen readily agreed, but secretly laughed in his heart: Once I learn this stepping technique, I'll immediately find a way to absorb all your Inner Strength; who's in the mood to help you deal with Prince Wan Yan!

"Alright, it's settled then!" Ye Qing waved his hand and said, "But, to show your sincerity, shouldn't you first do something to show me?"

"What do you want me to do?" Northern Martial Zen asked curiously.

"First, help me steal something." Ye Qing said.

"What?" Northern Martial Zen frowned slightly, feeling something was amiss about this.

Ye Qing replied calmly, "Dragon Blood Wood!"

"Dragon Blood Wood?" Northern Martial Zen was astonished, "Are you kidding? This is the most precious national treasure, nobody knows where it's hidden, how do you expect me to help you steal it?"

"I'm not talking about that Dragon Blood Wood, but the piece with the Wanyan Family!" Ye Qing said.

"The Wanyan Family has a piece of Dragon Blood Wood?" Northern Martial Zen was even more surprised. He certainly knew the value of Dragon Blood Wood. However, no matter how valuable it was, it meant nothing to him. He wasn't lacking in money, only in strength. If he could become a force surpassing the Five Uniques, Dragon Blood Wood or any other treasure could be within his grasp. So, he wasn't particularly interested in Dragon Blood Wood.

"I guess you didn't know." Ye Qing said, "The Wanyan Family indeed has a piece of Dragon Blood Wood, right there in their possession. My journey to the Northern Desert this time was firstly to look for Zi Yu, and secondly to obtain this Dragon Blood Wood from the Wanyan Family. Now that the news about Zi Yu is bogus, only the second matter remains. You help me get the Dragon Blood Wood, and I will teach you this stepping technique."

Northern Martial Zen looked at Ye Qing and, after a slight pause, said, "Ye Qing, you are not someone greedy for wealth, why would you think of stealing this Dragon Blood Wood from the Wanyan Family? Such a valuable item is surely heavily guarded by them. Trying to steal it would definitely alarm the Prince Wan Yan in the south. If he returns prematurely, you might be in trouble."

"Hmph, Northern Martial Zen, you underestimate me, Mr. Ye!" Ye Qing said coldly, "If it was really just for money, there would be no need for me to come all the way to this Northern Desert. Do you know what the Dragon Blood Wood is related to?"

"Related to what?" Northern Martial Zen asked curiously.

Ye Qing looked at Northern Martial Zen, and said word by word in a deep voice, "Related to the legendary Xuanyuan Sword and Minghong Knife!"

"What!?" Northern Martial Zen's eyes widened; he clearly understood how critical these Famed Instruments were. It could be said that the allure of these two treasures was even greater than that of Heaven, Earth, and Man Three Gates combined. After all, these two instruments had been missing for thousands of years, their mystery only growing with time, and everyone desired to witness such legendary artifacts.

"Dragon Blood Wood is innately hard, nothing can break it." Ye Qing said solemnly, "However, the Dragon Blood Wood of the Wanyan Family has been sculpted into form. Think about it, apart from the Xuanyuan Sword and the Minghong Knife, what else could possibly carve Dragon Blood Wood?"

Northern Martial Zen furrowed his brows deeply; Ye Qing's words were very impactful. Indeed, in this world, only the Xuanyuan Sword and the Minghong Knife could carve Dragon Blood Wood. Could it be true that the Dragon Blood Wood of the Wanyan Family is indeed connected to these two treasure instruments?? But knowing Ye Qing's character, why would he even tell him about such a thing?

Northern Martial Zen pondered over this in his heart while watching Ye Qing's expression, trying to see if Ye Qing was deceiving him. However, Ye Qing remained impassive, leaving Northern Martial Zen even more puzzled—could Ye Qing's words indeed be true?

Ye Qing was indeed telling the truth in this matter, without deceiving Northern Martial Zen, though he did omit some details. Like the Gold Silk Armor, and its relation to Heaven, Earth, and Man Three Gates. As for the relation between Dragon Blood Wood and the Xuanyuan Sword and Minghong Knife, he spoke the truth.

Ye Qing knew Northern Martial Zen was also cunning; if he spoke entirely falsehoods, Northern Martial Zen would see through him quickly. That's why he told Northern Martial Zen some truths, though he concealed the matter of Heaven, Earth, and Man Three Gates, something Northern Martial Zen could not fathom. As for the Xuanyuan Sword and Minghong Knife, Ye Qing didn't mind too much, for they had been lost for thousands of years and couldn't be traced just by one Dragon Blood Wood alone.

"With such a good deal, why don't you go and steal it yourself; why tell me?" Northern Martial Zen looked at Ye Qing and said in a deep voice, "Ye, don't think I can't see through your mind; you actually want to lure me into dealing with Prince Wan Yan!"