Chapter Ten: The Battle Against the Golden Axe King

Feeling the surge of spiritual power emanating from the body of the Golden Axe King, Xu Miao smiled faintly and said, "I hope the Golden Axe King won’t let his younger brother down."

"Rest assured, I’ll certainly make you satisfied, Brother Xu Miao," the Golden Axe King replied with a hearty laugh.

"Please guide me."

With these words, Xu Miao pushed off the ground, his body shooting toward the Golden Axe King like a cannonball.

At the exact center of Qingxi Town, it was already the third watch of the night. The town had plunged into darkness, but in one courtyard, lights blazed brightly. Around its perimeter, armed men patrolled at intervals. Circumventing these sentries, one arrived at the main gate, where four armored men stood tall, swords strapped to their waists, exuding an imposing aura. Above the gate, a plaque hung with two grand, bold characters: "Capturing Hall."

Inside the main hall, four or five people sat in two groups. At the head sat an elderly man, his hair tinged with white yet his spirit vigorous, his gaze heavy upon a black-clad figure kneeling before him.

"Is everything you said true?" the old man asked the kneeling figure.

"Yes, sir. Everything I’ve reported is absolutely true," the kneeling man replied, cupping his hands.

"What opinions do you all have?" the old man inquired of those seated around him.

No one answered, silence prevailed.

"Mayor Song, what are your thoughts?" Seeing the silence, the old man turned to a middle-aged man on his left.

The man, slightly plump and about forty years old, was dressed in fine brocade, a golden silk belt at his waist studded with various gemstones. He slowly rose, head lowered, pacing back and forth as if pondering deeply. Finally, he sighed, placing his hands behind his back and said, "The Golden Axe Gang has always been a thorn in Qingxi Town’s side. I’ve long wished to eliminate them but lacked the opportunity. Today’s events present a rare chance. I believe we should dispatch troops immediately."

The others nodded lightly, none dissenting.

Seeing no objections, the middle-aged man addressed the old man, "We have no objections. What is your view, Chief Yao?"

Chief Yao rested his right hand on the chair’s arm, supporting his chin, while his left drummed gently on his leg, as if weighing his decision.

"Time waits for no one. Chief Yao, please decide quickly," urged Mayor Song.

"I’ve dealt with the Golden Axe King for over ten years; he’s cunning and ruthless. I fear this might be a trap he’s set," Chief Yao sighed.

His words brought silence again. Mayor Song paced nervously, the atmosphere thick with tension.

In the Golden Axe Gang’s hall, all eyes were fixed on the combat circle at the center, where the fight raged fiercely.

The Golden Axe King now wielded two gleaming golden axes, their brilliance magnified under the lights. As he swung them, they whistled through the air with an imposing force.

Xu Miao, on the other hand, remained unarmed. Each time the axes came down, he dodged deftly and occasionally countered when an opening appeared. The battle was evenly matched.

The two golden axes appeared heavy, yet in the Golden Axe King’s hands, they moved as if weightless—swift and agile, showing no sign of fatigue. This surprised Xu Miao.

"Ha!"

As the Golden Axe King swung his axes toward Xu Miao, Xu Miao seized the opening, enveloped his right fist in spiritual power, and struck at the Golden Axe King’s chest.

"Bang!"

Another brief exchange—Xu Miao’s spirit-enhanced fist landed heavily on the Golden Axe King’s axe.

"Heh!"

---

The Golden Axe King let out a roar, separating his axes, while Xu Miao used the momentum to leap back.

"Ha ha ha, Brother Xu Miao, impressive skills!" the Golden Axe King laughed.

"Thank you, Master Jin," Xu Miao replied with a cold snort.

"In truth, there’s no need for us to keep fighting and risk mutual destruction—it would only sour relations. As the saying goes, every meeting is fate. Why not join my Golden Axe Gang, Brother Xu Miao? I promise you’ll live in luxury. What do you say?" offered the Golden Axe King.

"You flatter me, Golden Axe King. I am but a humble porter at the docks, with no dreams of riches. Just tell me who sent you to assassinate Old Liu, and I’ll leave immediately. I’ll never trouble you again—we’ll each go our own way. What do you say?" Xu Miao replied calmly.

"Ah, Brother, why must you be so stubborn? We’re all on the same side; why harm our camaraderie?" the Golden Axe King shook his head.

"Enough with the useless words. I’ll ask only once: will you tell me or not?" Xu Miao interrupted, his tone icy and forceful.

"I’ve already said, our household has rules, our gang has its code. We have our own principles. Please, Brother Xu Miao, don’t press the matter," the Golden Axe King responded mildly.

"Very well, a true man indeed. Then forgive me," Xu Miao sneered.

Instead of attacking, Xu Miao slowly clasped his hands together, his fingers weaving intricate signs in a deliberate sequence, as if forming a spell. With each change, spiritual power gathered around him.

Sensing the surge of spiritual energy and watching Xu Miao’s hand signs, the Golden Axe King was secretly startled: "So young, yet already mastering spell arts—he’s bound to be a talent when grown."

Spell arts: a technique in the Divine Xia Mainland that channels spiritual power in combat, for attack, defense, and more. They are classified by rarity into four ranks—Qian, Kun, Xuan, and Zhen—each divided into high, middle, and low grades. The rarer, the more powerful. It is said Qian grade spells can split heaven and earth, though they are seldom seen, and martial techniques are usually kept as scrolls.

As the Golden Axe King pondered, Xu Miao finished his hand signs, holding his hands in a strange pose. He inhaled slowly, gathering breath in his chest.

"Low-grade Xuan spell: Howling Wind Blade!"

With the words, Xu Miao exhaled forcefully.

Instantly, a wild gale swept the hall, dust swirling so thick one could not see clearly. The wind felt like knives on the skin; apart from the Golden Axe King, all present were thrown to the ground, suffering wounds as if carved by blades.

"Good, good, good!" the Golden Axe King exclaimed three times, applauding.

Hearing his words, Xu Miao was startled. He swung his hand, clearing the dust; visibility returned, and the Golden Axe King appeared before them.

He stood unharmed, upright as ever, encased in a bowl-shaped golden shield. Clearly, his protection was due to this golden barrier.

"Heh heh, what do you think of my high-grade Zhen spell, 'Golden Bell Shield'?" the Golden Axe King smiled, dispersing the golden energy.

"Heh heh, seems Master Jin has some tricks up his sleeve," Xu Miao replied with a faint smile, unperturbed.

"Ah, without a few secret moves, I’d have been eliminated long ago," the Golden Axe King said bitterly.

"I wonder if your 'Golden Bell Shield' can withstand this next move?" Xu Miao asked, forming new hand signs.

This time, Xu Miao’s signs were swift—within a blink, he finished. As his hands settled, his cheeks puffed.

"Again?" The Golden Axe King was alarmed, quickly forming signs himself, summoning the golden energy shield once more.

"Middle-grade Xuan spell: Flaming Dragon!"

He spat forth a massive fire dragon, several yards wide, straight at the Golden Axe King. The hall's temperature soared, the heat making mouths dry.

Seeing the fire dragon burst from Xu Miao’s mouth, the Golden Axe King was shocked, cold sweat soaking his back despite the searing heat.

---

"Impossible, this is impossible..." the Golden Axe King stared at the approaching fire dragon, repeating the words endlessly.

As he muttered, the fire dragon collided fiercely with his golden shield.

Feeling the dragon’s heat, the Golden Axe King snapped out of his shock, pushing his hands forward and channelling his spiritual power into the shield.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The fire dragon battered and burned the golden barrier, its glow slowly fading under the relentless assault.

"Crack... crack... crack!"

At last, the shield couldn’t withstand the fire dragon’s onslaught, spiderweb cracks spreading rapidly across its surface.

"Boom!"

After a brief resistance, the shield shattered.

"Ah!"

With the shield broken, the fire dragon surged at the Golden Axe King. He bowed his head, crossed his arms over his brow, and braced himself.

The fire dragon engulfed him, burning fiercely. Within its heart, the Golden Axe King endured the full force of its flames.

The fire burned swiftly, and soon extinguished, revealing the battered Golden Axe King.

Now, he was charred black, hands still raised defensively, his trousers riddled with holes—a pitiful sight.

"Cough, cough..." The Golden Axe King knelt on one leg, his right hand clutching his chest as he coughed, expelling a mouthful of black smoke.

Afterward, he struggled to lift his head to the gray-clad youth before him. For reasons unknown, this boy, not yet sixteen, gave him an inexplicable sense of immense pressure—he even feared he might fall at the youth’s hands.

"You... who are you really?" The Golden Axe King rose with difficulty, clearly wounded by the fire dragon.

"As I said, there’s no need to repeat it, Master Jin," Xu Miao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the burly man before him.

"You... you’re not a Great Spiritual Master, you... you are... uh—" As he tried to finish, Xu Miao moved. In a flash, his right hand gripped the Golden Axe King’s neck, capturing him firmly.

"Master!" The group nearby cried out in alarm, some even drawing their blades and charging at Xu Miao.

"Quite loyal, aren’t you?" Xu Miao sneered, his body shifting as a surge of powerful spiritual energy burst forth, immediately subduing his attackers.

Turning his gaze back to the Golden Axe King, Xu Miao looked down at him. Though he had seized him, due to their height difference, even with his arm raised, the Golden Axe King’s knees still touched the ground, making for a somewhat comical scene.

"Master Jin, will you speak or not?" Xu Miao asked calmly.

(I meant to update earlier, but was delayed by work. Please recommend and bookmark.)