Chapter Eighty-Eight: The First Strike

After seeing the golden token in Meng Tong’s hand, Tai Sui and the others could not help but pause. Yet none of them yielded; they still stood firmly before Meng Tong and the rest.

“All right, come back.”

A calm voice drifted from Xiao Yu’s lips. At his words, Tai Sui and the others hesitated at first, but in the end they withdrew their oppressive aura and returned to Xiao Yu’s side. Even so, their gazes remained icy as they stared at the people from the Law Enforcement Hall.

Seeing that Xiao Yu, who had remained silent all this time, had finally spoken, Meng Tong also breathed a sigh of relief. He could not help but think that, as expected, after he had displayed the enforcement token, Xiao Yu had indeed become somewhat wary.

But the words Xiao Yu said next caused the smile just rising on Meng Tong’s face to freeze completely.

“An enforcement token, not bad. But do you really think I would go with you just because of this thing, which holds no threat to me at all?”

Hearing Xiao Yu’s words, before Meng Tong could react, Wang Bo at his side stepped forward first, staring at Xiao Yu with arrogant disdain. “Xiao Yu, I admit you’ve got some ability. But do you really think that just you and the people beside you can stand against our Law Enforcement Hall? Our Law Enforcement Hall is invincible. In our eyes, people like you are no more than ants!”

As soon as Wang Bo finished speaking in that contemptuous tone, Tai Sui and the others burst out laughing. Seeing the mocking smiles on their faces, Wang Bo burned with anger. If he had not taken into account the four hall masters’ orders, he would have already rushed over to fight Tai Sui and the others.

“To be honest, your Law Enforcement Hall means almost nothing to me. Besides, people like you are nothing more than dogs wagging a feather as though it were an imperial decree. Do you know what you are in my eyes? Just a dog raised by the Law Enforcement Hall.”

Xiao Yu’s words left no room for mercy. The people of the Law Enforcement Hall present were all masters at the Nascent Soul stage. Even without their identity as enforcers, they would have been respected wherever they went. They had never suffered such humiliation.

“Mr. Xiao, your words go too far! I’ll ask you one more time: will you come with us, or will you continue to be stubborn?” After hearing this, Meng Tong was also seething with anger, and the pretense of friendliness he had worn earlier had been completely discarded.

“The same as before. From where you came, go back there. And tell your hall master this: I, Xiao Yu, am not someone your Law Enforcement Hall can summon just because it wants to.”

After saying that, Xiao Yu slowly stood up, then turned around with his hands behind his back and strode toward the villa.

“How bold! Today Xiao Yu has openly provoked our Law Enforcement Hall. Fellow enforcers, let us join forces to subdue him and reclaim our dignity for the Law Enforcement Hall!”

At the moment Xiao Yu turned to leave, Wang Bo could hardly allow him to have his way. He immediately let out a stern shout, and in the next instant the long sword behind his back was drawn from its sheath, transforming into a streak of light that shot toward Xiao Yu.

In that very instant Wang Bo made his move, Liu He’s figure flickered and appeared behind Xiao Yu. With a shake of his right hand, a long sword appeared in his grasp at once.

Seeing the sword flying toward him, Liu He’s expression changed slightly. With a turn of his wrist, he casually flicked his own sword, instantly knocking Wang Bo’s sword away.

Seeing his sword sent flying, Wang Bo’s face turned cold in an instant. Then with a sweep of his right hand, the sword that had been knocked away flew back toward him and landed securely in his hand.

“You’re asking for death!”

Tai Sui and the others shouted at once. Their true essence surged violently, and the surrounding power began to ripple. A martial aura formed all around them in an instant. As for Xiao Yu, who had already walked some distance away, he stopped, turned around, and looked coldly at the people from the Law Enforcement Hall.

Sensing the powerful aura radiating from Tai Sui and the others, Meng Tong and the rest were all startled. The auras coming from Tai Sui and the three others were in no way weaker than those of Nascent Soul cultivators like themselves. They immediately mobilized the spiritual energy within their bodies, preparing for the battle to come.

“Brother Meng, let the two of us capture Xiao Yu first! Leave these four to Elder Wu and the others!” With that, Wang Bo leaped into the air and headed straight for Xiao Yu.

At this point, Meng Tong had no choice but to follow Wang Bo’s suggestion. After all, their side had ten Nascent Soul cultivators; even if they split up, they could still each face two opponents. Thus, he flashed forward and followed after Wang Bo.

The moment Wang Bo and Meng Tong rose into the air, the other eight enforcers from the Law Enforcement Hall also moved in beside Tai Sui and the others, surrounding them within.

Seeing the enforcers encircling them, Tai Sui and the others all revealed cold smiles. They paid no heed to Meng Tong and Wang Bo, who were attacking Xiao Yu, and instead each chose two opponents to fight.

Carrying a surge of overwhelming spiritual power, Meng Tong and Wang Bo had already reached Xiao Yu’s front. Without a word, they struck at the same time, each sending a palm toward him.

Xiao Yu glanced at the two of them, then smiled faintly and slowly extended both palms. It was an attack that seemed to hold no power at all, yet it carried a wild and tyrannical force of true essence as it moved toward Meng Tong and Wang Bo.

With a muffled impact, the three palms collided. Meng Tong and Wang Bo both took several steps back before they could steady themselves, whereas Xiao Yu stood motionless in place, still gazing at them with a smile.

“I didn’t expect your strength to be this great. But so what? I am no longer what I used to be. Add Brother Meng, and you are certainly no match for us. Xiao Yu, surrender and come with us to the Law Enforcement Hall, so you won’t have to suffer unnecessary pain!”

After steadying himself, Wang Bo did not sense any threat from Xiao Yu’s earlier palm strike. He had already assumed that Xiao Yu was also at the Nascent Soul stage and immediately shouted in arrogance.

Hearing this, Xiao Yu smiled lightly and said slowly, “If I were to say that today none of you will be able to leave here, would you believe me?”

At Xiao Yu’s words, Meng Tong and Wang Bo’s expressions both changed. They no longer wasted words and actually took the initiative to attack Xiao Yu. Wang Bo did not believe that, with the two of them at the Nascent Soul stage, they still could not defeat a single Xiao Yu.

Wang Bo leaped up, raising his right fist high as he smashed fiercely toward Xiao Yu’s face, while Meng Tong flashed behind Xiao Yu in an instant and struck out with a palm toward his back.

Xiao Yu stood unmoving. In a flash, he extended his right elbow to block Wang Bo’s fist, then with a burst of force sent Wang Bo reeling backward. Immediately afterward, Xiao Yu spun in place with a sweeping three-hundred-and-sixty-degree kick, once again diverting Meng Tong’s incoming palm, and then sent a palm strike of his own out.

Sensing the ferocity of Xiao Yu’s palm wind, Meng Tong could only switch from offense to defense, crossing both arms before his chest. Xiao Yu’s palm came down as expected, striking Meng Tong’s forearms. Under that tremendous force, Meng Tong’s body was driven back continuously; only after retreating more than a dozen steps did he finally manage to steady himself.

But once Meng Tong had steadied himself, he looked up toward Xiao Yu—and in that very moment Xiao Yu’s figure vanished from where he stood. Meng Tong only felt a blur before his eyes, and the next instant a burst of searing pain shot through his lower abdomen. His body was sent flying backward, crashing into a large tree behind him.

Naturally, Xiao Yu would not stop there. His figure flashed once more toward the direction Meng Tong had been sent flying. Just as Xiao Yu was about to reach Meng Tong, a sword light radiating icy coldness suddenly split down in front of him, blocking his path.

Xiao Yu looked closely, and there it was: Wang Bo, the same man he had just sent flying.