C21 Killed the Blackbearded Man!

As a ray of sunlight pierced through the forest and bathed Sunn Cheng's courtyard in light, he emerged from the woods, his clothes damp with dew. Despite having not slept all night, Sunn Cheng was still brimming with vitality.

He had already packed up the ceremonial offerings. With care, Sunn Cheng wrapped the memorial tablet and placed it in the carriage. Xiaonuo, cradling her parents' urn, left ten taels of gold for the Old Bear family, urging them to seek refuge in a familiar village for some time.

The family lingered, looking back repeatedly with heavy hearts. They had made their home there for over a decade, and Sunn Cheng had laid every brick and tile himself.

His reluctance to see the house destroyed was precisely why Sunn Cheng had departed early, steering his carriage towards the town's bustling streets.

Given the influence of the Wang family and Blackbeard's cunning, Sunn Cheng knew that news of his return the previous night had likely reached Azure Sun County by now. He was ready for their arrival.

After all, Azure Sun County was on the way to Ping Mountain City, and Sunn Cheng had no intention of fleeing. He owed it to Old Bear, who had suffered two knife wounds, to demand accountability from Blackbeard.

The mountain road outside Mouth Connecting Town echoed with the clamor of gongs and drums as a procession adorned in red and black approached the town with pomp and pride.

Simultaneously, the sound of copper gongs filled the town's streets as neighbors, who had shared more than a decade of camaraderie, hurried from their fields. The thought of confronting the Wang family was daunting, yet the idea of standing by as Wang Yue mistreated the town's young women was unthinkable to any man of honor.

The residents of Mouth Connecting Town were mostly farmers, but living on the edge of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range had hardened them. Year after year, they faced invasions from Barbarian Beasts, and these battles had instilled in them a fierce resolve not to be oppressed.

Sunn Cheng stepped out from Aunt Li's house and took his place at the center of the street. As the Wang family's wedding procession drew near, he watched the theatrical display, shaking his head with a wry smile.

The narrow streets of the small town could barely accommodate the procession from the Wang family, which was now obstructed by Sunn Cheng and a group of villagers wielding sticks.

Bringing up the rear of the procession were two large horses. One rider was the man known as Blackbeard, and the other, a young man in his late teens dressed in a red robe with a dusting of powder on his face, was likely Wang Yue.

Wang Yue's face was radiant with happiness, his thoughts lingering on the stunning girl he had seen the previous day, which made his heart flutter with anticipation.

He had never expected to find such a captivating gem in the remote village under the Azure Sun. Despite his time spent in Ping Mountain City, he had never encountered such an enchanting woman.

Wang Yue felt fortunate for having heeded Blackbeard's advice to come to Mouth Connecting Town and witness this beauty with his own eyes. Otherwise, he would have missed out on meeting such a lovely girl. He resolved to generously reward Blackbeard upon his return.

Lost in his daydreams of winning the fair maiden's hand, he was jolted back to reality when their way was barred. Wang Yue snorted in annoyance, ready to order the removal of these country bumpkins, when he noticed Sunn Cheng's black beard moving closer to whisper a few words to him.

Wang Yue gave a nonchalant nod and looked down at Sunn Cheng with a condescending air. He casually gestured with a fist and palm salute, "So you're Xiaonuo's brother? I've heard of your name; you've got some skills. Once Xiaonuo joins the Wang family, you could come work for us. How about... I offer you the position of deputy captain of the family guards?"

Wang Yue's expression was one of sheer arrogance. In his view, offering Sunn Cheng a position as a family guard, simply because of Xiaonuo, was an immense act of charity for someone from such a humble background.

Sunn Cheng paused, a wry smile spreading across his face as he looked up at Wang Yue before shifting his gaze to Blackbeard, whose eyes were brimming with a sly, triumphant smirk. There was a flicker of uncertainty in Blackbeard's eyes as they met Sunn Cheng's steady gaze.

Sunn Cheng addressed Wang Yue with a smile, "I appreciate the offer, Young Master Wang, but I'm afraid your wedding plans won't be coming to fruition today!"

Wang Yue's brows knitted together in a frown as he surveyed the townsfolk standing behind Sunn Cheng. With a scoff, he retorted, "Are you saying you refuse to give Sunn Xiaonuo's hand in marriage to me?"

Sunn Cheng nodded assertively and said, "That's one reason. There's another – today... I fear there will be bloodshed! That's an ominous sign. If Young Master Wang still wishes to marry my sister, it seems we'll need to pick another day to discuss the matter!"

Having said that, Sunn Cheng turned to Blackbeard with a frosty look and demanded, "I'm not sure if this was Linxi's doing or if you took it upon yourself to play these games, but since Linxi has given me his word, and you, as the captain of the guard, led the charge to demolish my home and injure my friend, you owe me an explanation!"

Sunn Cheng's accusation turned all eyes toward Blackbeard. Wang Yue glanced between the two men and taunted Blackbeard with a cold laugh, "You've heard the man. As the captain of the guard, surely you can't let this slide without any response, can you?"

A moment of hesitation flickered across Blackbeard's dark complexion before he clenched his teeth and dismounted his horse. He had been laid up for days after receiving an unprovoked blow from Guishou at the guardhouse.

Bitter resentment filled Blackbeard as he blamed Sunn Cheng. Why should that young upstart receive favor from the nobles of Ping Mountain City, while he, the captain of the guard, was relegated to mere gatekeeping duties?

Yet Wang Yue, the wastrel, wasn't foolish. Sunn Cheng had clearly targeted Blackbeard first, prompting Wang Yue to goad Blackbeard into a confrontation. If Blackbeard showed any sign of weakness, his reputation in Azure Sun would be utterly destroyed.

Blackbeard was well aware of the stakes, but with all eyes on him, he had no choice but to step up, even if he lacked confidence. He believed he could still best Sunn Cheng if he gave it his all.

"Sunn Cheng! Enough with your arrogance! Last time, I let my guard down, and you exploited that! Today, we'll settle this with a proper duel!" Blackbeard drew his long saber and pointed it at Sunn Cheng, his voice fierce but betraying a hint of nervousness.

The Wang family's wedding procession and the villagers from Mouth Connecting Town stepped back, clearing the space between them.

"Draw your sword! You wanted an explanation, didn't you? Or are you scared now? There's still time to kneel and beg for mercy!" Blackbeard, seeing Sunn Cheng remain motionless, burst into mocking laughter and bellowed defiantly.

Sunn Cheng's eyelids lifted slightly as he pursed his lips, remaining silent. He took a step forward and began to approach Blackbeard with deliberate steps.

Blackbeard's hands gripped the knife handle tightly, his burly frame betraying a barely perceptible tremor. He could sense a thick, almost tangible killing intent emanating from Sunn Cheng – a stark contrast to the nonchalance he had experienced in their previous encounters. This time, Sunn Cheng was truly out for blood.

The thought of Blackbeard's scheming to manipulate Wang Yue against Xiaonuo, coupled with the memory of Old Bear's deep, bone-exposing knife wounds, caused Sunn Cheng's eyes to narrow with resolve. This man truly deserved to die.

As Blackbeard watched Sunn Cheng, who stood a full head shorter than him, advance with calm, measured steps, the pressure mounted within him.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Blackbeard let out a bellow and lunged forward, his blade descending with the weight of a thousand pounds towards Sunn Cheng.

The townsfolk of Mouth Connecting Town jumped at the sudden action, recognizing Blackbeard's skillful movements. Despite his dark demeanor, his martial prowess was undeniable, having allowed him to reign over the mountains of Azure Sun for years.

In an unexpected turn, Wang Yue, who had been observing the scene from atop his horse with a detached expression, saw Blackbeard's powerful strike fail to connect. Sunn Cheng, with a single hand, effortlessly held up Blackbeard's arms, which were frozen mid-swing. No matter how much Blackbeard struggled, he couldn't free himself from Sunn Cheng's iron grip.

Sunn Cheng looked up at the sweat-drenched Blackbeard and said softly, "Blackbeard, I forgot to tell you, you've never been worthy of my drawing a blade."

With those words, Sunn Cheng's expression turned icy. He delivered a punishing punch to Blackbeard's stomach with his right hand, while his left hand disarmed him. Leaning in, Sunn Cheng wrapped his right arm around Blackbeard's neck and threw him to the ground with a swift motion.

Clutching his stomach, Blackbeard's eyes protruded in shock. It felt less like a punch from a man and more like the crushing stomp of a colossal elephant.

"I'm crippling one of your arms as vengeance for Old Bear!" Sunn Cheng bellowed fiercely, grabbing Blackbeard's right arm and delivering a punch to his shoulder socket. The crisp sound of breaking bones echoed, and Blackbeard let out a wretched scream.

The villagers of Mouth Connecting Town, having witnessed the once domineering Blackbeard finally getting his comeuppance, cheered silently, barely containing their glee.

Sunn Cheng paid no mind to Blackbeard, who was writhing on the ground with eyes full of malice, and strode towards Wang Yue.

The Wang family's personal guards retreated step by step. If even the formidable captain of the guard was no match, what chance did they stand?

Wang Yue watched Sunn Cheng with a cold gaze and said sternly, "Blackbeard claimed you were merely at the third level of Body Tempering. It's clear now that you've significantly advanced your skills. That fool couldn't even properly assess his opponent. He deserved his fate!"

Sunn Cheng was about to respond when a sudden exclamation from behind made him whirl around. Blackbeard, arm hanging uselessly, had picked up a knife from the ground and was lunging straight for Old Madam Luo, who was encircled by the villagers!

This man was desperate, aiming to strike at those close to Sunn Cheng, showing the true nature of a ruthless bandit.

"Seeking death!" Sunn Cheng roared, his foot pounding the ground as he leaped forward. Mid-air, he drew his meat knife from his waist, raising it almost in sync with Blackbeard.

Blackbeard's long knife aimed at Old Madam Luo, but Sunn Cheng's meat knife was quicker, slicing towards Blackbeard's back.

The long knife halted just above Old Madam Luo's head, causing the onlookers to inhale sharply. Only Old Madam Luo remained composed, her trembling hands lifting her wooden staff to prod at Blackbeard's chest. With a slight push, Blackbeard's burly frame toppled backward, blood pooling beneath him.

Sunn Cheng glanced at Blackbeard's lifeless body, then approached Old Madam Luo, scratching his head and bowing like a child admitting to a mistake. "Grandma, I let my guard down," he admitted.

Old Madam Luo offered a faint smile, her hands resting upon her vine-wood cane, and spoke with a stern expression, "Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses its full strength. Have you remembered that?"

Sunn Cheng nodded earnestly and bowed. "Grandmother, I have remembered!"

The captain of the guard was slain just like that, stunning the Wang family members into silence. The guards under Blackbeard's command discarded their colorful banners and sabers in a panic, clumsily mounting their horses and fleeing.

Wang Yue, quickly regaining his composure after the initial shock, dismounted his horse. He gestured to his personal guards and grasped an ornate, ancient-looking curved knife.

"Do you realize the consequences of killing the captain of the guards? I'll offer you an opportunity: serve the Wang family, and I promise you a position as the head of our personal guards. With your skills, you might even rise to become a revered figure within our ranks," Wang Yue stated icily. He hadn't anticipated the Sunn family of Mouth Connecting Town to be so extraordinary. Not only was his sister captivating, but Sunn Cheng, a mere hunter and butcher, possessed such remarkable abilities. He was indeed worth cultivating for his own purposes.

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