Chapter 8: Catching the Bandit

On the other side, Chen Beihu was already covered in multiple wounds, with a particularly deep cut on his shoulder that wouldn’t stop bleeding, soaking through his outer clothes.

He moved through an empty alley, trying to evade the pursuit of the patrol guards behind him.

"I must blend into a crowded place and quickly find an opportunity to get out of the city," Chen Beihu thought to himself, knocking out a passerby in the alley with his remaining strength and changing into new clothes to disguise himself.

After wandering around for a while, he arrived on a bustling street, following the crowd towards the city gate.

Suddenly, his eyes under the bamboo hat locked in on a person dressed in a blue official uniform walking towards him.

"Night Patrol..." Chen Beihu relaxed slightly upon recognizing the uniform.

It was a night patrol, not a patrol guard, although he carried a sword; his skills were weak, and being alone, he could not possibly have come to catch him.

He continued forward without panic, confident in his concealment.

At such a time, the last thing he could afford was to panic and reveal a flaw.

If a spy from the Patrol Armor Bureau discovered him, he would truly be in danger.

The Night Patrol person kept approaching, and just as the two were about to pass each other, the young-looking Night Patrol didn’t even glance at him.

One step past, as the two crossed each other’s path, just as Chen Beihu withdrew his focus, he heard a clang by his ear.

It was the sound of a long sword being drawn!

Chen Beihu, accustomed to licking blood from the tip of the knife, suddenly felt his heart tighten, realizing something was wrong, and instinctively performed a forward roll without even looking back, narrowly avoiding a stab from behind.

Only then did he get up and look back, and sure enough, it was the Night Patrol, whom he nearly overlooked, attacking him.

And now, the long blade was once again coming at him.

Without hesitation, Chen Beihu drew a short knife hidden in his clothes, parrying the attack in reverse.

Clang!

The sharp clash of blades echoed on the street, causing onlookers to quickly step back, though they didn’t scream or panic.

In this world where martial arts are prevalent, it is common to see Jianghu people engage in spontaneous street fights with weapons, and it’s not surprising.

Some brave onlookers even found entertainment in the spectacle.

The two quickly exchanged a few blows, and Chen Beihu immediately sensed something was wrong.

This Night Patrol was not as simple as he had imagined. Despite his youthful appearance, Chen Beihu sensed the presence of martial momentum in the opponent’s attacks.

This indicated that the opponent had practiced a sword skill to the Minor Success Realm!

Is this still the same low-level Night Patrol he knew, dedicated to menial tasks for the Patrol Armor Bureau?

Since when did Night Patrols possess such martial prowess?

If he were in perfect condition, he might not be afraid, but currently, due to his severe injuries, his strength had been compromised, and he couldn’t afford to drag the fight on.

The more anxious he became, the harder it was to seize the opponent’s weaknesses and defeat him.

On the other side, the young Night Patrol who had suddenly launched the attack was, of course, Song Changming.

Today marked nearly half a month since he had reached the Minor Success Realm in his sword skill.

During the day, while buying medicine for his father, he happened to witness Chen Beihu leaping from a restaurant and saw the entire confrontation with the patrol team led by Liang Chuan Mountain.

Seeing Chen Beihu escape injured and not caught on the street, Song Changming realized that the opportunity for him to distinguish himself had finally arrived.

Although there were some good opportunities before, none were as fitting as this one.

Having made up his mind to act, he did not hesitate further and started to take action.

With nearly two years of night patrol experience, he was intimately familiar with the streets and alleys of Houli Street. From the direction of Chen Beihu’s panicked escape, he could roughly deduce the escape route and followed all the way, witnessing the opponent changing costumes and merging into the bustling street.

After locking onto his target, Song Changming finally decided to make his move on the street!

This led to the scene that had just unfolded.

Unfortunately, he had anticipated that his Night Patrol uniform would cause the opponent to let his guard down, but he underestimated the opponent’s sharp reflexes, who still managed to dodge his attack in the nick of time.

With a direct and simple ambush failing, Song Changming immediately pressed on step by step, his blade flashing mysteriously, gaining the initial advantage and putting Chen Beihu into a hurried defense.

Strictly speaking, this was his first real duel with a martial artist.

Before, he at most caught petty thieves at night, which never required him to take things seriously.

Chen Beihu was undoubtedly a formidable adversary to him.

After a few exchanges, he realized his opponent’s exceptional skills and immense Qi power, which caused his own hand and wrist holding the knife to ache in pain.

This, despite the opponent’s injuries, suggested that their full strength in perfect condition would be even more formidable.

No wonder Liang Chuan Mountain, the Patrol Captain, took such significant measures; he must have caught a big ’fish.’

Song Changming didn’t engage in a contest of strength with the opponent; instead, his blade speed increased, swirling with more intricate combinations of reality and illusion.

The ghostly wind howled, layered and dense, disturbing the mind.

Under Song Changming’s Yin Ghost Blade Technique, Chen Beihu, whether from excessive blood loss or intimidation by the blade momentum, suddenly experienced a moment of distraction.

Song Changming seized the opportunity, and in a flash, his blade shot out like a serpent, piercing straight through his opponent’s chest.

Blood splattered, leaving marks on half of Song Changming’s face.

Chen Beihu’s short knife fell to the ground as he knelt in disbelief before Song Changming, soon lost to silence.

The duel between the two, from start to finish, didn’t actually last long.

In fact, Chen Beihu’s sword skills had yet to be fully displayed before he died under Song Changming’s Soul-breaking Saber.

To his death, he didn’t realize what kind of skill Song Changming used, one so bizarre and unpredictable, leaving no room for defense.

"Fierce but lacking in defense." Song Changming withdrew his long blade, reflecting on the fight and evaluating Chen Beihu’s sword skill.

If his attack and defense were balanced, it would have been much harder to end the battle so quickly.

"How is this young man in Night Patrol attire so formidable?!"

"Those last few slashes were so fast, I couldn’t react, and the big man fell..."

"Why did he kill that person? Was he a criminal?"

The onlookers muttered various opinions. Seeing this, Song Changming clasped his hands to prevent any misunderstandings and spoke loudly.

"This person is a notorious criminal being pursued by the Patrol Armor Bureau, no need for alarm."

Upon hearing it was a criminal caught, some began applauding, and even clapping hands.

"I thought he was a criminal. Young man, your sword skill is impressive; you have a bright future."

"Well done with the kill!"

After a brief explanation, Song Changming said nothing more, dragging Chen Beihu’s body to wait at the street corner.

He was confident that it wouldn’t take long for this matter to reach the Patrol Captain’s ears, and he need not handle it any further.

He considered searching the body, but then thought better of it, realizing that this fugitive was the target of the Patrol Captain. If any important secrets were hidden on the body, it was best not to touch it to avoid further trouble.