Chapter 42: Mountain-Moving Ape

Perhaps... perhaps this is the very characteristic of the Martial God's demeanor...

At this moment, Ruan Qiong could be described as both gratified and melancholy. He was gratified that the disciple he had taken in lived up to expectations, yet melancholy because this disciple seemed somewhat disobedient...

On his way down the mountain, Su Ling's steps were exceptionally steady. Not long after, just as Su Ling stepped onto a covered bridge built entirely of special timber, he keenly perceived a terrifying, beast-like aura rapidly approaching from a distance.

Accompanied by a distinct vibration from the ground beneath his feet, Su Ling knew clearly that whoever was coming meant no good, and possessed formidable strength.

Before long, a towering and terrifying figure came into Su Ling's field of vision. Taking a closer look, he realized this person was unlike ordinary experts.

The newcomer possessed a tall physique, with his skin covered in lush, black, metal-like hair, as if draped in a dark armor.

That man-beast-like bulky old man had bulging muscles all over, radiating a terrifying, tangible aura of ferocity that would make ordinary people turn pale and flee from him as if avoiding venomous snakes and scorpions.

With every single movement of this terrifying figure, the ground beneath his feet would tremble by three notches, showing how immense his weight was, and likewise, how formidable his strength.

Right now, he was striding rapidly in this direction, as if he had some important business to attend to. His ape-like face, covered in dense fur, was extremely stern and devoid of any smile.

"Who are you, and where is Liu Xianyang?"

The Mountain-Moving Ape stopped abruptly in front of the covered bridge, kicking up a flurry of dust along the way. His ape-like face was gloomy, his eyes like lightning, exuding a chilling and ferocious aura that was utterly terrifying.

A deep and discourteous voice rang out. Su Ling, who was standing in the middle of the covered bridge at that moment, frowned upon seeing the ape-faced old man blocking his path, feeling a trace of displeasure.

Right at this moment, by the stream bank not far below the covered bridge, two figures were standing.

This pair, one tall and one short, resembling a mother and son, wore somewhat unsightly expressions, seemingly displeased that their deliberate scheme had failed to lure out Liu Xianyang.

"He actually didn't come. It seems that Liu Xianyang only cares about that Chen Ping'an on the surface..."

The boy, dressed in a pale red celebratory robe, frowned as he looked at the two figures confronting each other on the covered bridge, curling his lip in utter disdain for the superficial affection Liu Xianyang had displayed.

"Hehe, that might not be the case."

Standing beside the boy, a somewhat youthful woman covered a slight smile with a fan painted with landscape ink-wash, appearing utterly unsurprised by Su Ling's appearance.

"Mother, what do you mean?" The young boy's eyes revealed incomprehension.

"I didn't expect that a casual move would actually hook a big fish. Interesting."

The woman named Zou Zi was in no hurry to leave; instead, she looked on with the gaze of a spectator as the atmosphere between the two figures on the covered bridge grew increasingly tense.

***

Hearing this, Su Ling did not rush to make a move. Although he desperately wanted to hammer this insidious and crafty person to death with a single hand, he could not strike directly—after all, that person hadn't provoked him yet...

As the saying goes, one must act with justifiable cause. Striking without reason was simply not his style, so Su Ling was about to put on a performance.

"I am Liu Xianyang's senior martial brother. What business do you have with him?"

Su Ling's tone was relatively cold, seeming somewhat dissatisfied with the discourtesy of the person blocking his way. Although it was merely pretense, he played the part to perfection.

"Liu Xianyang's senior martial brother?" The Mountain-Moving Ape, whose real name was Yuan Zhenye, frowned his thick, black brows, casting a gloomy gaze toward Su Ling.

"Where is Liu Xianyang? Tell him to come out!"

Yuan Zhenye had entered the soon-to-collapse Jewel Pearl Grotto-heaven bearing important orders from的正阳山 (Zhengyang Mountain); he could not afford to delay any further and was feeling anxious and vexed at the moment.

Yuan Zhenye's deafening voice, which seemed laced with a trace of martial arts true qi, rang out. Ordinary people hearing it would, at the very least, have their eardrums shattered, if not drop dead on the spot.

Hearing this, Su Ling showed displeasure, raised a hand to pick his ear, and looked down with a condescending gaze at the Mountain-Moving Ape beneath the covered bridge.

"Old man, watch your manners."

"Hehe, what kind of thing are you?!"

"...Are you provoking me?"

"My patience is limited..."

"You are provoking me. May I take that as you harboring murderous intent in your heart?"

"You want to kill me? Hmm?"

"You want to kill me the moment we lay eyes on each other? Hmm?"

"If you want to kill me, may I then retaliate to protect my own life?"

"..."

Seeing Su Ling's over-interpreting expression, Yuan Zhenye's eyes twitched slightly, leaving him somewhat speechless. He never expected this pretty-boy Su Ling to be so brainless.

Yuan Zhenye had merely spoken rudely, yet this brainless fellow was clinging to it like a snake crawling up a stick, refusing to let go. It was truly beyond his comprehension.

However, Yuan Zhenye's temper was far from good. If not for the town's rules forbidding outsiders from arbitrarily killing residents, Yuan Zhenye would have long since slapped the person before him into paste.

Yet, if pushed too far, Yuan Zhenye cared little for rules set by saints.

"You want to kill me, a stranger we just met, so..."

***

A flash of realization crossed Su Ling's eyes, and the gaze he cast upon the Mountain-Moving Ape carried a trace of murderous intent.

This undisguised murderous intent was instantly detected by Yuan Zhenye.

"I naturally won't just stand by and watch!"

"Little bastard, I'll break a few of your bones to see if you still dare spew nonsense before me!"

Yuan Zhenye let out a cold snort, his grotesque and terrifying ape-face breaking into a sneer, completely disregarding the town's rules.

The muscles in Yuan Zhenye's thick arms bulged, and dagger-like, razor-sharp black claw blades extended from between his fingers.

The very next moment, Yuan Zhenye exerted explosive force with his feet, blasting a shallow pit into the ground beneath him. His bulky physique surged toward Su Ling with the unstoppable momentum of a cannonball leaving its chamber.

A harsh whistling sound tore through the air. Su Ling's expression remained unchanged, entirely unbothered by the impending assault of the Mountain-Moving Ape; he even took the time to tidy his dust-stained sleeves.

"Humph!"

Seeing this, Yuan Zhenye's true anger was ignited. He was resolved to grind this bastard who dared to look down on him into pulp.

As Yuan Zhenye closed in, faster than the blink of an eye, those curved, hawk-claw-like blades bore down upon Su Ling.

Claws capable of tearing through steel surged with a terrifying momentum, slashing five dark residual images through the air, aimed directly at tearing Su Ling's head apart.

Yet, the next second, something happened that left Yuan Zhenye astonished.

He saw Su Ling casually raise his arm—this seemingly ordinary arm.

Acting like an unshakable mountain, Yuan Zhenye's claw blades struck Su Ling's forearm with a sharp *clang*.

The pitch-black sharp claws instantly ripped through the sleeve on the arm, yet failed to tear Su Ling's forearm apart alongside it.

Instead, it sounded as though they had crashed against solid metal, erupting into a crisp chime of metal clashing against jade.

"The little bastard actually has some skills."

Although somewhat surprised, Yuan Zhenye had no intention of stopping. He turned his palm into a fist and instantly grabbed Su Ling's forearm, which looked as slender as a woman's in his eyes.

Veins bulged on Yuan Zhenye's forehead as he channeled his entire strength into the fist gripping Su Ling's arm, intent on crushing Su Ling's limb into a pulp of flesh and blood.

Yet, to his dismay, even after unleashing his utmost power, Yuan Zhenye could still do nothing at all to Su Ling's arm.