Chen Yang's body was about to meet the sword's tip. In this critical moment, he deployed his supreme agility technique, "Antelope Hanging by Its Horns."
His body moved like a mountain goat sprinting along a cliff edge, suddenly ghosting past the sword's edge and appearing behind Qing Lian.
Qing Lian spun instantly, launching another lightning-fast diagonal slash. Chen Yang had just extended his Eagle Claw strike, and this sword stroke aimed to sever his arm.
Their sudden combat exchange seemed to consist of just a few moves. But the danger was so intense that One-Eye, watching from the side, forgot to breathe.
Facing Qing Lian's sword, Chen Yang didn't dodge. Instead, he forcefully swung his arm to meet it.
Qing Lian was momentarily stunned, never imagining that Chen Yang would dare to meet her blade with his flesh and blood. But she didn't hesitate, immediately delivering a vicious cut. She intended to slice through Chen Yang's arm, confident that no human limb could withstand her blade. Not even the most formidable martial artist could.
This was Qing Lian's unwavering belief!
With a swoosh!
In an instant, Chen Yang's arm was severed.
But Qing Lian immediately sensed something was amiss. She felt her strike pass through emptiness. What she had cut was Chen Yang's sleeve.
In that split second, Chen Yang's arm suddenly emerged from the short sleeve, like a venomous dragon bursting from the sea. With a swift tap, his Heaven Profound Finger technique struck Qing Lian's wrist.
Qing Lian's arm instantly went numb, and her Green Phoenix sword clattered to the ground.
Chen Yang followed through with a palm strike to her chest. With a thud, Qing Lian coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, unable to get up again.
Chen Yang kicked the Green Phoenix sword into the air, caught it, and with a burst of strength, snapped it into three pieces. He tossed the fragments aside without a second glance.
Seeing this, Qing Lian's face turned ashen, and she spat out another mouthful of blood. She had a deep emotional connection to the Green Phoenix sword, sleeping with it by her pillow every night, their spirits intertwined.
Now that Chen Yang had destroyed it, it was the heaviest blow she could have received.
Chen Yang frowned as he looked at Qing Lian, considering how to deal with her. Naturally, he had no intention of actually making her his concubine; he wasn't that absurd. If he were to follow his African way of handling things, Qing Lian would certainly have to die today. But this was China, and he wanted to live a normal life, which meant he couldn't get blood on his hands.
Let Qing Lian go?
But Yang Ling wouldn't just let things end here.
No, he couldn't kill Qing Lian.
If he did, Yang Ling would have an even better excuse to come after him.
After a moment's deliberation, Chen Yang said to Qing Lian, "Go back and tell Yang Ling that this whole thing started because of you people. I have no intention of being your enemy. Let this end here. If he wants to continue, don't blame me for resorting to any means necessary. Even a cornered rabbit will bite, let alone me, Chen Yang."
Qing Lian struggled to her feet, shot Chen Yang a hateful glance, and turned to leave.
Chen Yang felt frustrated. What was wrong with this pretty girl? Damn, she came to kill him, he spared her life, and now she hated him for it? Did she expect him to just let her kill him to make her happy?
After Qing Lian left, One-Eye stood nervously to the side. He approached Chen Yang sheepishly and said, "Brother Chen, I was blind to your true abilities before. If it weren't for you today, I'd be dead. Thank you for not holding a grudge."
Chen Yang had no fondness for One-Eye and replied, "Cut the crap. You know very well that saving you had nothing to do with me being forgiving."
One-Eye looked embarrassed and asked, "What should I do now?"
"Leave Binhai tonight," Chen Yang said. "Go seek refuge at the Shaolin Temple. Yang Ling is a lay disciple of Shaolin, he won't dare cause trouble for you there."
One-Eye's eye lit up; this was indeed a brilliant idea! He couldn't help but admire Chen Yang's wisdom even more.
Chen Yang then returned to his rented apartment.
He felt incredibly frustrated because this whole affair had been initiated by One-Eye seeking him out. It was truly an unavoidable disaster that came out of nowhere. And now, Yang Ling was unlikely to let the matter rest. What was even more troublesome was that Chen Yang could only remain on the defensive for now.
In China, to protect Lin Qingxue, he had to be a law-abiding citizen with a clean record.
Under these circumstances, Chen Yang didn't dare to confront Yang Ling directly. Yang Ling's position was like a dragon's lair or a tiger's den; once he entered, it would be difficult to leave.
Chen Yang thought of another option: having a respected elder from the martial arts world mediate the situation.
But finding an elder capable of mediating this matter was challenging. Yang Ling was only half in the martial arts world; he was more of a businessman. He wouldn't easily accept mediation.
For the moment, Chen Yang couldn't think of a solution. He could only take things one step at a time. Now that One-Eye was out of the picture, he wondered what pretext Yang Ling would find to come after him next.
Back in his room, Chen Yang turned on the lights. He tossed his shirt aside and carefully sniffed the air in the room.
Su Qing's lingering scent seemed to still be present.
Ah, thinking of Su Qing made Chen Yang's blood boil with desire!
Just earlier, damn, he had been so close to having Su Qing. That bastard One-Eye had shown up at the worst possible moment.
He wondered if he could go find Su Qing now and finish what they had started?
In this sweltering summer heat, Chen Yang's heart was restless and filled with desire.
Though he entertained these thoughts, Chen Yang knew he wouldn't actually do something so outrageous. He might be a bit of a lecher and really want Su Qing's body, but he absolutely didn't want to hurt her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been honest with her in the first place.
In other words, Chen Yang didn't want to hurt any woman.
In the past, when he picked up women at bars, it was always consensual. The next day, he would give them a generous payment.
So, no woman hated Chen Yang. Some even missed him and would return to the bars he frequented, hoping to see him again.
Su Qing was different from those bar girls. So naturally, Chen Yang couldn't just enjoy her body without a care.
Left with no choice, Chen Yang could only imagine Su Qing's beautiful body in his mind as he slipped his hand into his pants to take care of business. Only after this was he able to cool down. He then went to bed and fell asleep.
The next morning, the weather was as clear as ever.
The morning sun shone over Binhai City, with the salty smell of the sea in the air. This coastal city was prosperous and beautiful, truly an ideal place to live.
Chen Yang got up as usual, still unable to resist the urge to drive Su Qing to work. Although he wanted to distance himself and felt it was rather shameless to keep pursuing her after he had made things clear, he just couldn't help himself!
When Chen Yang ran into Su Qing while washing up, he couldn't help but grin and call out, "Sister Qing."
Su Qing gave Chen Yang a complicated look but didn't say anything.
After washing up, Chen Yang opened the car door for Su Qing.
However, Su Qing didn't get in. Chen Yang quickly blocked her path. "Sister Qing, the bus is crowded, and there are too many creeps. I'm worried about you. Besides, I don't have anything else to do."
A flash of anger suddenly appeared in Su Qing's eyes as she looked at Chen Yang and said, "What exactly are you trying to do?"
Chen Yang was taken aback, then smiled bitterly. He said, "Sister Qing, can you give me some time? My feelings for you are absolutely sincere, it's just that I can't change my mindset overnight."
Su Qing bit her lower lip, a glimmer of joy flashing in her heart. She did like Chen Yang after all, so she eventually got into the car obediently.
Chen Yang breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly went to start the car.
Today, Su Qing wore a beige suit that accentuated her curves enticingly. Through the rearview mirror, Chen Yang could see the alluring cleavage on her chest, which was enough to excite him.
After dropping Su Qing off at Mu Jing's tea house, Chen Yang chatted with Mu Jing in the tea room for a while.
Chen Yang told her about last night's events.
Mu Jing was also shocked after hearing the story. She said, "Yang Ling won't let this go so easily. What are your plans for the future?"
Chen Yang felt dejected and said, "What plans can I have?"
Mu Jing suggested, "You could find an elder to mediate."
Chen Yang replied, "I've thought about what you said, but who should I ask?"
Mu Jing said, "This matter is no small issue. It's a pity that neither of us keeps in regular contact with those martial arts elders. So now, when we need help, they might not be willing. Moreover, everyone knows this is a difficult situation to resolve, and no one wants to get involved in such a thankless task."
Chen Yang nodded, "That's true. Besides, I'm not willing to humble myself and beg for help."
Mu Jing advised, "Then you must be extra careful."
Chen Yang nodded.
Mu Jing then asked, "When is Su Qing moving out?"
Chen Yang was taken aback. He still wanted to see more of Su Qing's beautiful body. Not wanting her to move out so soon, he said, "In the next few days." He didn't specify a exact time.
Mu Jing didn't press further and simply said, "Alright."
"What will Yang Ling's next move be?" Chen Yang pondered, troubled once again.
Mu Jing also fell into deep thought.
After thinking for a while without coming up with any ideas, they finally had to let the matter rest.
Chen Yang then bid farewell to Mu Jing and headed to Yadi Company.
Upon arriving at Yadi Company, Old Xia immediately told Chen Yang, "Ms. Lin asked you to go to her office as soon as you arrived."
Chen Yang rubbed his nose, thinking, "Damn, she's calling for me again?"
He nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go right away."
Everything at Yadi Company was running smoothly. On his way, Chen Yang ran into Zhao Xiaolei, the marketing manager. This beautiful woman's attitude towards Chen Yang was exceptionally good. This was partly because she knew Chen Yang was currently in favor, but more importantly, Zhao Xiaolei now found Chen Yang very manly and particularly powerful.
The two engaged in some playful banter in the hallway, and in the end, Chen Yang mustered the courage to give Zhao Xiaolei's bottom a squeeze. He had to admit, it felt pretty good.
Not only did Zhao Xiaolei not get angry, but she also called him a "naughty boy." This made Chen Yang feel quite pleased with himself.
When he arrived at the CEO's office, Chen Yang was surprised to see Tang Qingqing.
This girl was back too.
Tang Qingqing wore a red dress and looked as beautiful as an elf. When she saw Chen Yang, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she seemed a bit shy.