The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning in the dimly lit shed.

The two soldiers at the forefront felt a blur before their eyes, followed by a chill in their chests.

They looked down and saw that the leather armor on their chests had been neatly torn open, and blood was seeping out from the tear.

Before they could even let out a scream, they collapsed to the ground.

[Basic Knife Techniques] After mastering the basics, Ye Sheng's knife skills have become so fast that they are difficult for ordinary people to perceive with the naked eye.

"Internal strength!"

The silver-masked man behind Zhao Hu let out a low, hoarse gasp, "You're actually a martial artist?"

Zhao Hu's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

He knew Ye Sheng was a fighter, but he never expected that this kid would break through to become a true martial artist in such a short time!

"What are you standing there for? Get him! Take him down, dead or alive!" Zhao Hu roared fiercely.

The remaining soldiers looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear, but military orders were absolute, so they had no choice but to grit their teeth and surround Ye Sheng with their spears.

"Brother!" Ye Kai exclaimed in fright.

"Don't be afraid!" Ye Sheng said without turning his head, his woodcutter's knife flashing, a faint golden light emanating from the blade.

His footwork shifted, and he deliberately charged into the soldiers' encirclement.

The flashing of blades was accompanied by screams of agony.

These soldiers from the garrison were nothing more than strong men who had practiced rudimentary martial arts for a few days; they were no match for Ye Sheng.

Ye Sheng's internal energy flowed throughout his body, making him several times more agile than before. The woodcutter's knife in his hand had become a weapon for reaping lives.

Chop, hack, flick, stab!

The four most basic sword techniques, however, displayed astonishing power in his hands.

Each strike was swift, precise, and ruthless, aimed straight for vital organs. In the blink of an eye, three more soldiers fell into pools of blood.

The remaining men were utterly terrified. They screamed, threw down their spears, and scrambled out of the shed.

Zhao Hu was trembling with rage. He never expected that the dozen or so soldiers he brought would be routed by a mere teenager in a single encounter.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" he cursed, but subconsciously took a step back.

Just then, the silver-masked man who hadn't moved moved.

He moved with lightning speed, appearing before Ye Sheng like a ghost, his five fingers forming a claw, carrying a chilling gust of wind, aiming straight for Ye Sheng's throat.

So fast!

Ye Sheng's pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately parried with his sword.

"when!"

A piercing clang of metal clashing.

Ye Sheng felt a tremendous force coming from the blade, which made his hands go numb and caused him to stagger back three steps uncontrollably, his back slamming heavily against the wall.

The silver-masked man merely swayed slightly.

Bone Forging Realm!

Ye Sheng was deeply shocked. This guy's strength was definitely at the Bone Forging Realm, or even higher!

"Kid, you're interesting."

The silver-masked man chuckled hoarsely and lunged forward again.

His moves were extremely strange, unlike orthodox martial arts. His five fingers were like hooks, targeting Ye Sheng's joints and vital points. Every move was ruthless.

Ye Sheng pushed his [Internal Breathing Technique] to its limit, relying on the stable lower body brought by his [Standing Posture] beginner level and the trace of sword intent condensed from his [Basic Sword Technique], barely managing to contend with his opponent.

But the gap is too big.

His opponent's internal strength was much greater than his, and his moves were also more refined.

Ye Sheng could only defend passively and was forced to retreat step by step.

After several rounds, he had several claw marks on his body, and his clothes were soaked with blood.

"elder brother!"

Ye Kai watched anxiously from the side. He struggled to pick up a fire poker next to him, wanting to rush over to help, but was stopped by Ye Sheng's low shout.

"Don't come any closer!"

Ye Sheng knew very well that in a battle of this level, Ye Kai would be committing suicide if he came in.

"Kid, you're pretty good."

As the silver-masked man attacked, he said in a hoarse voice, "To have such cultivation at such a young age, it's a pity you've offended someone you shouldn't have."

His attack suddenly changed. He brought his five fingers together into a palm, and a strange black aura rose from his palm as he struck Ye Sheng's chest.

This palm strike carried an extremely cold and chilling force. Even before it reached him, Ye Sheng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and even his blood felt like it was about to freeze.

There's no escaping it!

A resolute glint flashed in Ye Sheng's eyes. He didn't retreat; instead, he channeled all his inner strength into his woodcutter's knife and slashed down fiercely at the black palm!

He was willing to trade his life for another!

However, just as the blade and palm were about to collide, a powerful, angry shout, like a thunderclap, rang out from outside the house.

"stop!"

Immediately afterwards, a burly figure rushed in like a tiger descending a mountain, throwing a punch at the silver-masked man.

It's Zhang Hu!

The silver-masked man's expression changed, and he had no choice but to abandon his attack on Ye Sheng and turn around to meet the attack with a palm strike.

"Bang!"

The two palms clashed together, producing a dull, loud thud.

A violent shockwave emanated from the two individuals and spread outwards. The tables, chairs, and pottery jars inside the shed were instantly shattered.

The silver-masked man grunted and staggered back five or six steps before regaining his balance.

Zhang Hu also took three steps back, his face turning slightly pale.

"Zhang Hu!" Zhao Hu exclaimed, both shocked and furious. "How dare you openly protect a wanted criminal?"

"A wanted criminal?"

Zhang Hu sneered, not even glancing at him, his tiger-like eyes fixed on the silver-masked man. "All I know is that someone is harassing my guild's protectors on my turf!"

Behind him, a dozen or so boatmen wielding long knives rushed in, each exuding a fierce aura, crowding the small shed to the point of being impenetrable.

The silver-masked man glanced around, then looked at Zhang Hu, and chuckled hoarsely, "A ship gang, huh? Zhang Hu, are you sure you want to make an enemy of our Blood Pact Merchant Guild for this kid?"

"So what if it's the Blood Pact Merchant Guild?"

Zhang Hu stepped forward, his imposing aura overwhelming. "In Shuilongdu, if you're a dragon, you have to coil up; if you're a tiger, you have to lie low! If you want to run wild here, ask the knife in my hand if it agrees first!"

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Zhao Hu's expression changed repeatedly; he hadn't expected the ship gang to react so quickly and so forcefully.

The silver-masked man was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a strange laugh: "Good, very good. We'll remember this debt."

He gave Ye Sheng a deep look, then his figure blurred, and he passed right through the wall and disappeared into the night.

The solid ship planks and walls seemed to disappear before him.

Ye Sheng was horrified. Such skill was almost ghostly.

Seeing that the silver-masked man had left, Zhao Hu felt lost and disoriented.

He pointed at Zhang Hu, his voice trembling with fear, and said, "Zhang Hu, you...you just wait! I'll report this to the county magistrate right now, saying you've openly defied the law and harbored a wanted criminal!"

"Get out!" Zhang Hu uttered only one word.

Zhao Hu trembled with fright and scrambled to escape Shuilongdu with the remaining few defeated soldiers.

The storm has temporarily subsided.

"Brother, are you alright?" Zhang Hu walked up to Ye Sheng and patted him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Brother Zhang."

Ye Sheng shook his head, but a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth. He had suffered internal injuries from his fierce fight with the silver-masked man.

Zhang Hu's face darkened, and he took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket and handed it to him: "This is the gang's healing medicine, take it quickly."

Ye Sheng didn't stand on ceremony and poured out a pill to take.

"Brother Zhang, I'm sorry to have caused you trouble this time."

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Zhang Hu glared at him. "You're one of our boatmen's brothers. Anyone who touches you is slapping our boatmen's face!"

He glanced at the mess and corpses scattered on the ground, his brow furrowing. "However, we can't stay here any longer. That bastard Zhao Hu, and the Blood Pact Merchant Guild, will definitely not let this go."

He pondered for a moment, then said to Ye Sheng, "Pack your things immediately, I'll send you away."

"Leave?" Ye Sheng was taken aback. "Where to?"

"Let's leave Shuilongdu first!"

Zhang Hu said in a deep voice, "I'll arrange a fast boat to take you and your brother downstream. Go as far as you can, at least to avoid this storm for now."

Ye Sheng glanced at Ye Kai, whose face was filled with panic and helplessness.

He knew Zhang Hu was right. Shuilongdu had become the eye of the storm; staying any longer would only lead to certain death.

"Okay." Ye Sheng nodded without the slightest hesitation.

He quickly hid the important items close to his body, then carried Ye Kai on his back.

"Brother Zhang, I can't thank you enough. I will remember your kindness today."

"Stop talking nonsense and get going!"

Zhang Hu led them out through the back door of the shed, bypassed the ferry crossing, and arrived at a secluded riverbank.

There, a small boat had been waiting for a long time.

"Get on board!"

Ye Sheng settled Ye Kai in the cabin, then stood at the bow, gripping his wood-chopping knife.

"Ah San!" Zhang Hu shouted, "Get them safely to the Mihun Ferry downstream, then come back yourself!"

"Yes, Brother Zhang!"

The small boat untied its mooring ropes and, like an arrow released from a bow, darted into the dark heart of the river.

Ye Sheng turned around and saw Zhang Hu and the dozen or so boatmen still standing on the riverbank, watching them go.

The boat was moving extremely fast, and the scenery on both banks rushed past. The river wind whipped at Ye Sheng's clothes. He dared not relax for a moment, his eyes scanning the river surface warily.

Sure enough, before they had traveled ten miles, they heard the sound of rapid oars coming from behind.

Seven or eight fast boats bearing the garrison's flags were chasing after us from behind, their bows filled with soldiers holding bows and arrows.

"Damn it, it won't leave you alone!" the Indian man cursed, rowing the boat even harder.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Arrows rained down from behind, landing around the ship and splashing water everywhere.

"Get down!"

Ye Sheng pushed Ye Kai down into the cabin, while he wielded a wood-chopping knife to deflect the arrows aimed at the ship.

"Brother San, there are dangerous rapids ahead!" Ye Sheng shouted.

"Hold on tight!"

Ah San roared, his arm muscles bulged, and the small boat seemed to come alive, skillfully navigating the river surface filled with hidden reefs, narrowly avoiding deadly whirlpools and rocks time and time again.

The pursuers behind them clearly didn't have such good skills; several boats ran aground, and the soldiers on board cried out in pain as they fell into the river.

But Zhao Hu's ship kept in hot pursuit.

"The Bewitching Crossing is just ahead!" Ah San's voice carried a hint of anxiety. "Once we get there, they won't dare to chase us anymore!"

Ye Sheng looked back and saw that a thick, impenetrable white fog had risen from the river ahead, enveloping the entire river surface like the mouth of a giant beast, waiting to devour everything.

The small boat plunged headfirst into the white mist.