Chapter Eleven: Pinespring Town, The Sun Family

Feeling the surge of spiritual power pouring out from King Golden Axe’s body, Xu Miao smiled faintly and said, “I hope King Golden Axe won’t disappoint me.”

“Rest assured, I’ll certainly satisfy you, Brother Xu Miao!” King Golden Axe replied with a hearty laugh.

“Please enlighten me.”

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

At the very heart of Qingxi Town, it was already the third watch of the night. The town was plunged in darkness, yet one courtyard was brightly lit. Men armed with weapons patrolled the perimeter at intervals. Circumventing these guards, at the main gate, four armored men stood tall, swords at their waists, emanating an air of authority. Above them hung a plaque with four bold characters: Punishment Alliance Branch!

Inside the hall, about four or five people were gathered, seated in two rows. At the head sat an old man, his hair tinged with white but his spirit vibrant, eyes fixed solemnly on a black-clad man kneeling below.

“Are you certain of everything you said?” the elder asked the kneeling man.

“Yes, sir. Everything I reported is absolutely true,” the black-clad man replied, hands clasped in respect.

“I wonder what opinions the rest of you have?” the elder addressed those seated.

No one spoke; silence reigned.

“Mayor Song, what are your thoughts?” When no answer came, the elder turned to a middle-aged man seated on his left.

The man, around forty, slightly plump, wore robes of silk and brocade, a gold-threaded belt adorned with multicolored gems at his waist.

He slowly rose, head bowed, pacing back and forth as if deep in thought. At last, 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 wanted to rid us of them, but lacked the opportunity. What happened today is a rare chance. I believe we should immediately send troops.”

Everyone nodded slightly, none objecting.

Seeing no disagreement, the middle-aged man turned to the elder. “We have no objections. What does Head Constable Yao think?”

The elder, Head Constable Yao, rested his right hand against his cheek on the chair’s armrest, his left hand tapping gently on his leg as if weighing his options.

“Time waits for no one. Please decide quickly, Head Constable Yao,” Mayor Song urged.

“I’ve dealt with King Golden Axe for over ten years. He’s cunning and ruthless. I fear this is a trap he has set,” Yao sighed.

His words brought silence; no one spoke. Mayor Song paced anxiously, the tension in the room palpable.

Meanwhile, at the Golden Axe Gang, all eyes were fixed on the center of the hall where the battle raged.

King Golden Axe now wielded two massive golden axes, their brilliance dazzling under the lights, each swing accompanied by a rush of wind, exuding an imposing presence.

Xu Miao, on the other hand, remained bare-handed, deftly dodging every strike, occasionally counterattacking in the brief openings. The fight was deadlocked.

The axes appeared extremely heavy, yet in King Golden Axe’s hands they seemed weightless, wielded with agility and no sign of fatigue—a detail that surprised Xu Miao.

“Ha!”

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

“Bang!”

Another brief clash—Xu Miao’s spirit-enhanced fist struck hard against the golden axes.

---

“Heh!”

King Golden Axe shouted, splitting his axes apart, while Xu Miao used the force to leap backward.

“Hahaha! Brother Xu Miao, your skills are impressive!” King Golden Axe laughed.

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

“There’s really no need for us to fight like this, risking mutual destruction. It would harm the harmony between us. As the saying goes, every meeting is fate. Our encounter is such a fate. How about this: if you join the Golden Axe Gang, I guarantee you’ll live in luxury. What do you say?” King Golden Axe suggested.

“You flatter me, King Golden Axe. I’m just a dock laborer; I don’t aspire to luxury. Tell me who sent you to assassinate Old Oil Liu, and I’ll leave at once, never troubling you again. You’ll go your way, I’ll go mine. We’ll keep to our own paths. How about that?” Xu Miao replied coolly.

“Ah, brother, why are you so stubborn? We’re all on the same side—why spoil the harmony?” King Golden Axe shook his head.

“Enough of that. I’m asking you: will you tell me or not?” Xu Miao interrupted, his tone cold and forceful.

“I’ve said it already—we have rules and codes. This matter is off limits. Please, Brother Xu Miao, don’t press further,” King Golden Axe replied calmly.

“Fine. You’re a man, then I’ll have to offend you,” Xu Miao sneered.

He did not charge at King Golden Axe, but instead slowly clasped his hands together, his fingers forming a series of intricate signs, clearly preparing some kind of spell. As his seals changed, spiritual energy began to gather around him.

Sensing the concentration of spiritual energy and watching Xu Miao’s hand signs, King Golden Axe was secretly shocked: “So young, yet already mastering spell arts—he’ll be a talent when grown.”

Spell arts—on the Divine Xia Continent, these are techniques using spiritual power in combat, for attack, defense, and more, classified into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and True, each divided into high, middle, and low grades. The rarer, the stronger; it’s said Heaven-level arts can split the heavens, though they’re extremely rare and usually stored as scrolls.

Just as King Golden Axe was marveling, Xu Miao finished his seals, hands frozen in a strange position. He inhaled slowly, storing his breath in his chest.

“Mystic-grade, low level—Roaring Wind Thousand Blades.”

With that, Xu Miao exhaled forcefully.

A fierce wind erupted, whipping dust across the floor and obscuring vision. The wind felt like knives slicing flesh, and everyone except King Golden Axe was thrown to the ground, their bodies marked with wounds as if cut by blades.

“Good, good, good!” King Golden Axe exclaimed thrice, applauding.

Hearing this, Xu Miao was startled, then waved his hand, clearing the dust, restoring visibility, and revealing King Golden Axe.

King Golden Axe stood unscathed, upright, surrounded by a bowl-shaped golden shield. His safety was clearly due to this shield.

“Hmph, what do you think of my True-grade, high-level ‘Golden Bell Protection’?” King Golden Axe smiled, waving away the shield.

“Hmph, seems you have some skills, Master Jin,” Xu Miao smiled lightly, undisturbed.

“Ah, without a couple of trump cards, I’d have been eliminated already,” King Golden Axe said with a bitter smile.

“Then, Master Jin, can your ‘Golden Bell Protection’ withstand this next move?” Xu Miao asked, beginning another series of hand signs.

This time, Xu Miao’s seals were quick—done in the blink of an eye. As they finished, he puffed up his cheeks.

“Again?” King Golden Axe exclaimed, quickly forming his own seals. Another golden shield appeared around him.

“Mystic-grade, middle level—Flame Dragon Blaze.”

---

With those words, a massive fire dragon erupted from Xu Miao’s mouth, barreling toward King Golden Axe. The hall’s temperature soared, leaving everyone parched.

Seeing the fire dragon, King Golden Axe was shocked, cold sweat soaking his back despite the heat.

“Impossible, this can’t be…” King Golden Axe repeated, watching the fire dragon draw closer.

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

Feeling its heat, King Golden Axe snapped out of his shock. Facing the oncoming dragon, he pushed his hands forward, channeling his spiritual power into the shield.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The fire dragon battered and scorched the shield, its golden glow fading under the assault.

“Crack… crack… crack!”

At last, the shield could not withstand the dragon’s fury. Spiderweb cracks spread swiftly, soon covering the entire shield.

“Boom!”

After sustained burning, the shield finally collapsed.

“Ah!”

With the shield gone, the fire dragon rushed at King Golden Axe, who hunched over, arms crossed above his head, bracing himself.

The fire dragon engulfed him, flames burning fiercely. King Golden Axe endured the scorching torment at the heart of the blaze.

The flames quickly died down, revealing King Golden Axe.

He was now charred black, hands still raised protectively, his trousers riddled with holes, a sorry sight.

“Cough, cough, cough,” King Golden Axe knelt on one leg, clutching his chest as he coughed, expelling a mouthful of black smoke.

When he finished, he struggled to lift his head and look at the gray-clad youth before him. For reasons unknown, this boy, not yet sixteen, filled him with an inexplicable pressure—he even sensed he might fall at Xu Miao’s hands.

“You… who are you really?” King Golden Axe slowly stood, with difficulty—the fire dragon had done him no small harm.

“I told you already. Let’s not repeat ourselves, Master Jin,” Xu Miao stood with hands behind his back, gazing at the giant before him.

“You… you’re not a Grand Spiritual Master, you… you’re… uh—” As he tried to speak further, Xu Miao moved, his right hand clamping King Golden Axe’s throat, holding him fast.

“Master!” The others cried out, some even drawing blades and rushing at Xu Miao.

“Such loyalty,” Xu Miao said coldly, his form flickering as a torrent of spiritual power burst forth, suppressing the attackers instantly.

Turning his gaze back to King Golden Axe, Xu Miao regarded him, despite gripping his throat, the height difference meant King Golden Axe’s knees still touched the ground, making the scene oddly comical.

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