I am a full-level celestial master, you let me enter the strange talk of rules?

However, his fist stopped abruptly half a foot away from Zhang Yangqing's face.

Zhang Yangqing simply raised his left hand, his five fingers gripping the muscular man's wrist with pincers, incredibly precise.

The spot where it's held is precisely a very hidden acupoint and a point where the nerves intersect on the inside of the wrist.

The muscular man felt a sharp, tingling sensation instantly spread from his wrist throughout his entire arm, and most of the power he had gathered dissipated like a punctured balloon.

He was horrified and wanted to withdraw his hand and change his move.

But Zhang Yangqing was much faster than him!
With a gentle twist of the five fingers gripping his wrist, a subtle spiral force traveled up the muscular man's joints, while his foot tripped slightly.

"Click!" A slight sound of misalignment rang out.

The muscular man cried out in pain, his body losing control as he fell sideways and forward, crashing heavily to the ground once more!

This time, his right arm was twisted at an odd angle, clearly dislocated, and the intense pain caused his back to be instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He looked up in horror at Zhang Yangqing, who was still standing there as if he had just casually brushed away some dust, his eyes filled with disbelief: "No! Impossible! How...how can you control your strength so exquisitely?!"

Even though he was a cultivator who followed a forceful and powerful path, he instantly understood the terrifying technique contained in that grab, twist, and trip!
That's a technique that can only be executed when one has reached a state of perfection in strength, body structure, and timing!
It is infinitely superior to his simple burst of power!
Zhang Yangqing then lowered his head slightly, looking down at the disheveled muscular man on the ground. His voice was calm and even, but every word was piercing: "Foolish. Even when you were restricted by the chip, you were no match for me. Now that the restrictions are lifted, do you think you can take action with just brute force?"

The muscular man's pupils constricted, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

He instantly understood that the fall in the cell earlier was no accident or coincidence!
Everything was planned by this seemingly ordinary miner!

The opponent's fighting style and use of power under the chip's limitations had reached a level he could not comprehend!
He opened his mouth as if to beg for mercy, threaten, or reveal his powerful backer.
But Zhang Yangqing had lost interest in listening.

He didn't even use any complicated moves. He simply bent down, picked up a piece of dark red ore left over from previous mining, with unusually sharp edges, and stabbed it precisely and steadily at the exposed neck of the muscular man on the ground.

"Pfft!"

The sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh wasn't loud, but it made the hearts of all the miners who were secretly watching clench around their necks!
The sharp tip of the stone easily pierced the muscular man's throat, severing his trachea and major blood vessels.

The muscular man's eyes widened instantly, filled with extreme fear and confusion. He gasped for breath, his body convulsed violently a few times, and then quickly went limp, his pupils dilated, and he died.

Blood gushed out, staining the ground beneath him red.

Zhang Yangqing released his grip, letting the blood-stained stone shard fall beside the corpse.

He straightened up, his gaze calmly sweeping over the miners around him who were hiding in the shadows, terrified and too scared to breathe.

His voice remained calm: "Those who want to go back and complain, hurry up, it's not that I'm not giving you a chance."

These words struck like a thunderclap in the deathly silent mine.

After a brief silence, a miner indeed appeared. Perhaps he was terrified by Zhang Yangqing's ruthlessness, or perhaps he wanted to seize this opportunity to report to the overseer and potentially receive a reward. His face was pale, his eyes darted around, and he shifted his feet slightly, seemingly trying to sneak away towards the cave entrance.

However, just as he took two steps, a figure pounced out from the side like a ghost!
It's that Hawkeye miner!
No one expected that this guy, who had previously been the most obsequious and snobbish towards muscular men, would now display such astonishing decisiveness and ruthlessness!
He was now holding a sharp piece of gravel in his hand, and without hesitation, he smashed it precisely and ruthlessly into the back of the head of the miner who was trying to escape and betray him!
A muffled thud.

The miner didn't even utter a sound before collapsing to the ground, convulsing twice before falling silent.

The eagle-eyed miner, panting heavily, tossed aside the blood-stained stone, wiped the bloodstains from his face, then turned to face the other dumbfounded miners. His eyes were sharp as knives as he scanned them, his voice carrying a deliberately lowered, fierce tone:

"What are you all looking at? We're all just poor, downtrodden people. It's not worth offending a more powerful figure for the sake of a dead good-for-nothing! Anyone who dares to utter a single word about what happened today..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the threat in his eyes was clear enough.

The other miners fell silent, lowering their heads and avoiding his gaze.

They then realized that Hawkeye, who usually only flattered and fawned, was also a ruthless and cunning character who knew how to assess situations.

After doing all this, Hawkeye the miner took a deep breath, his fierce expression instantly vanishing, replaced by an even more fawning, even respectful and ingratiating smile, as he turned to Zhang Yangqing.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Yangqing, and said in a tone that sounded at least sincere, "Brother, I am but a useless fellow, though I believe I am quite good at reading people. Based on my understanding of that old miner over the years..."
There's no way he could have mined such good ore on his own in such a short time to exchange for a Riding Master's spot. He doesn't have that ability. All of this must be thanks to your help, Brother."

Zhang Yangqing looked at him quietly, neither admitting nor denying, and simply said, "Go on."

Encouraged, the eagle-eyed miner spoke faster and lowered his posture: "Brother, your skills and composure just now are something we lowly miners struggling on the brink of life and death could never possess. You don't seem like someone who makes a living here at all."

Although I lack ability, I am not blind. If you need anything or can do anything for me, please just say the word! It's a simple matter, and I will go through fire and water for you!

These words vividly expose hypocrisy, sycophancy, and opportunism.

He is a typical villain, a fickle person who will stop at nothing to survive and fawn over the powerful.

But undeniably, he saw things very clearly and made very accurate judgments.

Even after the muscular man regained his strength, Zhang Yangqing was still able to easily defeat him. This level of strength far exceeded that of ordinary miners or even ordinary core disciples of the Qing Tong family.

Following such a powerful figure, even if it's just being a groveling dog, is far better than being a miner here living a precarious life!

There's no harm in groveling a little; what if you bet right?

Zhang Yangqing looked at his face, which was full of shrewdness and desire, and remained silent for a moment. Suddenly, a very faint and unfathomable smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He nodded, his tone flat: "Okay, you're a smart man. If you trust me, wait here for three hours."

He paused, his gaze drifting to the darker, more mysterious passages deeper into the mine, seemingly concealing countless secrets, and slowly said, "I'll show you some different scenery later." (End of Chapter)