Realm-Hopping Martial Master

The next day.

The morning sunlight had just begun to shine on Pingling County's inner city.

The Yao Family's main gate was already opening slowly.

Two stately stone lions sat at the entrance.

The vermilion-painted gate still looked brand new.

Two burly Protectors, their blood and qi circulating powerfully through their bodies, stood guard at the door.

Outside, the vendors who delivered vegetables and meat every day all bowed and fawned over the steward. Shooed away impatiently by a wave of the steward's hand, they left with grins, while slaves from inside trickled out, picking out the best washed greens and tender meat to deliver to the kitchen.

The kitchen was always the busiest place in the morning.

Especially today, since a banquet was to be held, chickens, ducks, fish, pork, beef, and lamb had all been slaughtered and bled before dawn.

Up to now, the slaves kept moving in and out, making the place look lively and bustling.

The banquet tower.

Several of the Yao Family juniors had arrived early.

The Yao Family naturally wouldn't have the Family Head show up in person just to host a banquet for a mere Skin Grinding Realm Martial Artist like Jiang Shu.

"Uncle is really something, still insisting on holding a banquet. If he wants to propose a spar at the table, if it were up to me, I'd just nab Jiang Shu on the spot as soon as he walked in the door. Would the Yao Family really be afraid of some Hungry Tiger Martial Hall?"

"Wenxin, you're still young, you just don't get how much trouble Uncle takes. We've always stayed here in the Yao Family, never really fought anyone outside. Having someone like Jiang Shu come here isn't a bad thing. The martial artists we've recruited so far haven't been any good. Not enough blood and qi, Martial Arts aren't enough either, their Realm is all they've got. I want to see for myself what this Jiang Shu is made of! Third Uncle's watching outside anyway, and a little Skin Grinding Realm brat can't stir up any big storm."

"What do we need Third Uncle for? Big Brother's already in the Iron Skin Realm. Think Jiang Shu could measure up to him?"

The juniors bragged to each other.

The "Big Brother" they referred to was Yao Wenyuan, son of Family Head Yao Zhengxing.

Not even twenty, he'd already reached the Iron Skin Realm in strength.

He was even likely to break into Bone Forging this year!

They all took their seats according to their assigned places, as slaves brought out cold dishes one after another.

At that moment, Jiang Shu also strode into the Yao residence, alloy war blade on his back!

"This way, Lord Jiang."

With a gesture from the steward, a slave led Jiang Shu toward the banquet tower.

"So that's Jiang Shu, huh."

"He doesn't look that old."

"Is he Stone Skin or Iron Skin?"

"Studying Martial Arts in some martial hall—what kind of future is that? If he even makes Stone Skin, that'd be the limit."

Jiang Shu had just set foot on the second floor, and already seven or eight Yao Family juniors fixed eager eyes on him, their combative comments not the least bit concealed.

All of them trained Martial Arts within the family, eating medicinal cuisine, bathing in herbal broths, indulging in rich meats.

Ever since becoming Martial Artists, they got to eat rare beast meat as a bonus from time to time.

At seventeen or eighteen, with blood and qi raging, Martial Arts learned at entry-level, if they fought someone at the same Realm from a martial hall, they'd beat them, easy.

*That was just their own overblown sense of strength.*

*In Jiang Shu's eyes, they looked like ants flexing their muscles.*

"Let me ask you, was it you who killed that useless bastard Yao Wenbai?"

Even the Yao Family juniors had their own factions.

The direct line was one, the martial artists another.

Yao Wenbai might've been a pampered young master outside, but to these direct-line, Martial Artist geniuses of the Yao Family, Wenbai really was just trash.

*Jiang Shu hadn't expected the Yao juniors to be so brazen and upfront.*

*He'd been thinking of eating his fill at this banquet feast.*

*Say what you want about the Yao Family, but they were generous.*

This chicken, duck, fish, pork, beef, and lamb, each dish was a heavy hitter.

Besides, some juniors were already reaching for food—no way would they poison their own family.

"Yao Wenbai—who? Jiang Shu's blade does not cut down the nameless."

"Doesn't matter, I'll know as soon as I test you!"

"Take three of my punches if you want to have a seat at this table!"

The one who spoke swung a fist straight at Jiang Shu.

Blood and qi surged, strength exploded.

The Yao Family's Black Panther Brute Force erupted in his arm, his skin and membrane tough and thick—it was obvious he'd already entered Stone Skin Realm.

Some at the table just kept eating meat.

Others watched the fight unfold.

"Hey."

"Couldn't you at least wait for me to finish eating before you made me leave?"

That "fierce, murderous" punch, to someone who'd already faced life and death like Jiang Shu, really was just like a lamb's paw.

All Jiang Shu did was lazily stretch out a hand, grab the fist, twist—cracking bone sounded distinctly through the suite.

"Iron Skin Realm?"

A howl broke out, and the attacker seemed completely locked down, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

He tried to pull back, but it was too late!

Yao Wenyuan couldn't stand it any longer—he got to his feet, narrowed his eyes, and hurled a savage punch right at Jiang Shu!

"Is that it? That's all the Yao Family juniors have got?"

Jiang Shu didn't even raise a hand.

Tiger Form Three Styles,

Slice!

He kicked out—Yao Wenyuan, the Family Head's eldest almost at Bone Forging Realm, was sent flying with one kick, smashing straight into a whole table of sumptuous dishes.

"Jiang Shu, you've got guts. The second I saw you I knew you were trouble!"

Yao Zhengchang, who'd been sitting in the suite next door, heard the commotion and rushed in with his blade!

One stride inside, he saw a sight that almost made his eyeballs burst—

His own nephew kicked across the floor, blood spilling from his lips, both hands bracing himself, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get up.

The other juniors were all petrified with shock.

"Wenbai's death is definitely linked to you! And my Second Brother—where is he? Was it a trap you and old Chou Hai set? Dare to attack a member of the Yao Family—Hungry Tiger Martial Hall people, you must have a death wish!"

Yao Zhengchang gripped a panther-hilted blade. He couldn't believe Jiang Shu's combat power really was this terrifying.

Still, no matter how terrifying, it could only shine in Skin Grinding Realm!

*Not to mention, Chou Hai wasn't even here.*

*Even if Chou Hai was here—*

*With Jiang Shu acting like this, Yao Zhengxing would chop his head off in one swing!*

"That's enough talking!"

Jiang Shu didn't know Yao Zhengchang's name.

But by the power exploding from his blood and qi, the immense strength in all four limbs—

*This guy was clearly stronger than the Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist who'd first hunted him down.*

"Shing!"

Faced with Yao Zhengchang's blade attack,

Jiang Shu released the junior's hand, planted his foot in the Beidou Step, and drew his own blade—

Easily blocked it.

"At last, someone actually worth fighting. Now it's your turn to take a hit."

Still not using Tiger Form Three Styles, Jiang Shu just fought back with the most basic Thirteen Blade Techniques.

By now, those thirteen strikes had broken limits.

Every move sent a jolt through Yao Zhengchang.

He just couldn't believe it—the Jiang Shu they'd expected to handle at will,

was actually this strong.

*Finally, he realized.*

*Wenbai and his own second brother, Yao Zhenglong—both had been killed by this kid!*

But, no matter how strong he was, this was as far as he could go!

*After all that show, all he knew was the Thirteen Blade Techniques.*

*Hungry Tiger Martial Hall was just a small outfit; how could it match the Yao Family's heritage?*

*Maybe they had some entry-level fist or footwork,*

*but real weapon arts were not so easy to come by!*

*The Yao Family alone possessed three sets of entry-level blade techniques!*

*That was real heritage!*

Yao Zhengchang gripped the panther-hilted blade and let out a great shout, muscle power surging as if he was about to unleash his trump card.

He cleaved down with one swing,

The air howled!

Jiang Shu didn't even flinch, still parrying with the Thirteen Blade Techniques.

*Finally confronting someone else skilled in blade arts, he actually felt kind of excited. He wanted to cross blades longer—a chance to raise his own fighting level, and maybe even pick up something from the Yao Family's swordsmanship.*

He was only getting more relaxed.

His physical power and qi were preserved to the greatest degree.

Meanwhile, Yao Zhengchang put everything into every swing, his blood and qi more than half gone now—each exchange made his heart pound with alarm.

Soon, the blade techniques began to repeat.

White Tiger Devouring the Corpse!

When the third round of that move came, Jiang Shu finally struck.

He unleashed a killing move, a furious slash!

In an instant, a head full of disbelief flew right off.

Right in front of all the juniors,

The body collapsed!

Dead with eyes wide open!

Without even wiping the blood from his blade, Jiang Shu just stood there grinning, looking at the Yao Family juniors trembling and nearly pissing themselves, and said,

"What rank is this Bone Forging Realm guy in your Yao Family?"