Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 235

Chapter 235: Capital Crisis [3] (NEW!)
“Hah! You both here for this boy?” the old man asked, eyes narrowing with amusement.

“I am,” Ace replied calmly. “This boy sadly has something I need so I can’t have you killed him yet before I receive it.”

“Interesting… And you?” he turned to Yu Zhong.

Yu Zhong chuckled, stretching his neck. “I came for blood. Not anyone in particular, really. Just felt like painting the ground red.”

Ace leapt down, landing beside Milson with a casual grace.

“I was supposed to be halfway to the next kingdom by now,” he said, glancing at Milson. “So tell me, how’d you end up in this mess?”

Milson scowled. “More or less… because of you.”

Ace smirked. “Nice joke. Now tell me the real reason.”

“Are you two ignoring me?” the old man growled, dashing in from the side.

His sword slammed into the ground, shattering the hidden formation Milson had carefully laid.

“Tch.” Ace stepped aside, grabbing Milson by the collar and yanking him clear just in time. The blade missed them by inches, cracking the earth beneath.

“Well, that’s… interesting.”

The old man’s sword began to hum as it became coated in soul force. Its golden edge pulsed with lethal energy.

Ace narrowed his eyes. “Why is everyone Dark Gold Rank these days?”

With a breath, he cloaked his fist in soul force and raised it to meet the next strike.

Their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the ground.

The old man sneered. “Kid, you’ve never fought a real battle, have you?”

Behind them, Milson leapt forward with a roar, sword raised high as he came crashing down toward the old man.

He brought his sword crashing down, only to slice through air.

The old man had already shifted, effortlessly sidestepping with ghostlike agility.

“Too slow, too green,” he muttered, before driving his elbow straight into Milson’s ribs.

CRACK!

Milson was sent flying like a broken arrow, tumbling through the dirt with a grunt.

Ace moved before the body hit the ground.

He launched forward, his fist colliding with the old man’s sword in a sharp metallic clash. The air cracked from the force.

Left. Right. Left. Right.

The rhythm of violence began as Ace’s fists striking with brutal speed, each one met with a cold, steel deflection.

The old man grinned beneath his gritted teeth. “Kid, you’ve got hands. Where’d you learn to fight like this?”

Ace smiled back, sweat dripping from his chin. “Make a guess.”

He suddenly raised his knee, aiming for the man’s groin.

The old man danced back. “Hey! Not very gentlemanly, are we?”

“Oh please,” Ace scoffed. “I’d rather be a pirate than a marine. At least pirates are free. Gentlemen just follow rules until they die with regret.”

The old man chuckled. “What a funny take…”

Ace then turned toward the scattered group of Lionheart soldiers frozen nearby.

“So? You idiots going to grab your commander and move out already or are you planning to wait for me to die and then get slaughtered by this old fool next?” His words dripped with sarcasm, his eyes sharp and wild.

The old man paused mid-step, raising a brow.

“Hah… I think I’ve finally met someone whose head isn’t screwed on right.” His gaze sharpened. “What if I let you take what you want from the boy, no interference?”

Ace didn’t answer at first. He turned, glancing down at the fallen Milson, bruised, but breathing.

“I’d love to.”

The old man grinned.

But then Ace’s voice dropped, ice sliding into every word.

“…But what I want should stay a secret. So if I did that, I’d still have to kill everyone here first. So it makes no difference regardless, that’s why you should die.”

The old man froze, his smile stiffening.

Then he laughed. Loud. Wild.

“Hoho hoho You’re a lunatic. And I love a good fight!”

He shot forward, kicking up a cyclone of dust.

Ace responded in kind, his feet grinding into the earth before launching him like a bullet.

Their fists and steel met mid-air.

A thunderous boom split the sky.

Every impact cracked the ground beneath them. The soldiers stumbled back, shielding their faces from the storm of wind and grit whipped up by the two monsters trading blows.

Ace twisted, sliding beneath a horizontal slash, his leg sweeping out in a low kick.

The old man leapt, flipped, spun and then brought his blade down like a hammer.

Ace blocked with crossed arms, the force throwing him backward but he landed on his feet, sliding across the dirt like a skater carving through ice.

Their eyes locked and a slow smile curled across Ace’s lips and mirrored itself on the old man’s face.

“I suppose that’s exactly what you two were thinking,” Yu Zhong said calmly, still standing perfectly still, his tone light… amused.

His eyes were razor-sharp as he stared at the two.

In the very next heartbeat—

BOOM.

Ace lunged with a punch that tore through the air like a cannon shot, while the old man’s blade flashed forward in a silver arc aimed to split bone.

Both aiming for Yu Zhong’s head.

But Yu Zhong was already moving.

There was no flash. No blur.

Just… a calm, almost lazy step.

He raised his arms up, crossed in front of him like a living shield.

CRACK!

The impact was monstrous. Ace’s fist slammed into one forearm, the old man’s sword clanged against the other.

Shockwaves exploded outward, ripping up the dirt and throwing a cloud of dust into the sky.

Yu Zhong didn’t budge an inch.

His smile widened as the dust settled around them. “Tsk… You two really are something.

That almost tickled.”

Ace took a step back, his eyes narrowing. The old man did the same, lips tightening with a flicker of respect.

“…He blocked us both?” Ace muttered under his breath.

Yu Zhong exhaled softly, still holding his stance, completely unfazed.

“Now now, boys,” he said with a laugh. “Play nice. I was just watching.”