C17 The Powerful Youth

"What a foolish woman. After so many guards have perished, how could she not think to flee?"

But now was not the time for such considerations. The woman was dangerously exposed before the huge snake, its gaping maw wide open.

Lee Zhen became a blur as he dashed forward, muttering to himself, "I'm doing this for two hundred gold coins."

Indeed, for the sake of two hundred gold coins, Xu Ming had decided to take the risk.

With two hundred gold coins, he could head to the market and purchase numerous damaged Spirit Beast Inner Cores. Who knows how many he could afford! And if luck was on his side and he found a Rank Four or Rank Five Spirit Beast Inner Core, he'd make a fortune.

Despite the huge snake being a Martial Artist Grade Three and Xu Ming only a Martial Artist Grade One, without any cultivation techniques, the apparent disparity in strength wasn't as significant as it seemed. In combat between humans and Spirit Beasts, the beasts, despite their tough hide, lacked the agility of humans.

And Xu Ming was up against a huge snake. Relative to other Spirit Beasts, snakes were notably easier to handle.

"Just hold on! If you die, all my effort will have been for nothing."

At that moment, whether she was a stunning beauty or a celestial maiden, she held no more value to Xu Ming than two hundred gold coins. To put it bluntly, Xu Ming was devoid of any heroic aspirations to save a damsel in distress; his eyes were solely on the prize of gold coins.

Xu Ming was lightning-fast, leaving a trail of afterimages as he covered the distance, yet he still wasn't faster than the huge snake.

As Xu Ming made his move, the snake had already opened its jaws wide, its slender, razor-sharp fangs poised to engulf what Xu Ming saw as his sack of gold.

"Ah!"

He was just a dozen meters away from reaching the sack of gold to shield it from the snake's assault and whisk it away with his swift speed. But those few meters made all the difference as the snake's gaping mouth almost enclosed the sack of gold's head.

A piercing scream did nothing to hinder the snake's relentless attack.

Whether it was out of fear or instinct, the golden bag raised the sword in its hand and thrust it into the huge snake's mouth, the blade sinking in without resistance.

The huge snake froze in shock, as did the golden bag, who had been screaming moments before.

The two girls and the five or six strong men were also petrified, their cries of despair halting abruptly. By the shape of their mouths, they had been about to yell, "Miss, be careful!"

But those words were choked back, unspoken.

Blood trickled down the sword's hilt, staining the golden bag's once pristine white dress a vivid crimson.

By some stroke of luck, the sword had pierced the huge snake's tongue, nearly severing it!

While they stood there dumbfounded, Xu Ming did not miss a beat; his movements became even swifter.

It was common knowledge that snakes relied heavily on their tongues for sensing their environment. Now that the huge snake's tongue was nearly cut through, its connection to the outside world was severely impaired.

Deprived of its senses, the snake was as good as blind, a sitting duck.

"This is an excellent opportunity," Xu Ming thought, a glint of determination in his eyes. With the knowledge from his past life and the modern world, he knew exactly where a snake's vulnerability lay—their seven-inch point, a lethal weakness.

"Three meters!"

The huge snake seemed oblivious to Xu Ming's sudden approach, as if it were pondering why it could no longer detect the world around it.

Meanwhile, Xu Ming's right arm swelled as if inflated, growing thicker in an instant, his skin gleaming like polished jade. His palm shone with the luster of white jade.

His Dantian Qi burst forth, channeling all its power into his right arm.

Strike while the enemy is weak—that was the plan. Xu Ming wasn't about to let this prime opportunity slip away; he was determined to land a killing blow.

The Eight Extremes Fist, a revered martial art of China, focused on the principles of 'Collapse' and 'Quake'—the former like the force of a mountain crumbling, the latter like the tremor that shakes the very mountains themselves.

Combining the Dantian Qi with the Dark Strength of the Eight Extremes Fist, Xu Ming exerted every ounce of his power.

In the blink of an eye, he closed the three-meter gap. His fist, large as a bowl, struck the seven-inch point of the huge snake with pinpoint accuracy, right upon the peculiar scales.

The huge snake, though blind to the threat, seemed to sense the impending danger. It attempted to slither its massive body away, but it was too late.

"Ding, ding~~"

The sound was akin to a fist striking a steel column, with sparks flying as the fist collided with the huge snake's scales.

"Boom~~"

The punch landed squarely on the snake's critical seven-inch point without missing the mark!

A thunderous noise erupted as a surge of Dark Strength burst forth from the fist. Bolstered by the mighty Spiritual Energy from his Dantian and the terrifying speed enhancement, the snake's life force was obliterated in an instant!

The huge snake was sent flying like a rope from the force of Xu Ming's punch.

"Crack, crack~~"

The serpent's massive body crashed into a tree as thick as a barrel before tumbling to the ground, where it lay twitching faintly.

A Martial Artist Grade Three Spirit Beast vanquished with a single punch! The display of formidable power left the onlookers, both men and women, utterly dumbfounded once again.

Only the bag that had provided Xu Ming with the perfect opening seemed unable to shake off the panic, clutching his head and screaming incessantly.

"Hey~~"

Xu Ming called out. The huge snake had been dealt with; it was time to settle the payment. Why the continued screaming?

Suddenly, the shrieking ceased, and Xu Ming felt two soft, boneless arms wrap tightly around him.

The warm, delicate embrace and the wafting fragrance stirred something within Xu Ming, eliciting an instinctive response from his body.

"Hey~~"

This young woman, nearly his own height, was now inappropriately hugging him, resting her head on his shoulder!

With the beauty in his arms, Xu Ming wasn't inclined to concern himself with the situation, despite the public setting. As a modern soul, he felt no aversion, but the girl's companions stood there, stunned, gazing at him as if a toad had been graced by a swan's affection.

"Hey~~"

Xu Ming, though a modern soul, knew the importance of gradual progression. It was their first meeting, and such close embraces were pleasant but inappropriate.

"Could this woman be doing this intentionally, trying to weasel out of paying me my gold coins?"

Xu Ming's thoughts seemed to solidify as the girl clung to him even more tightly.

"This is outrageous!"

Xu Ming was far less concerned about the girl's demeanor than the two hundred gold coins at stake.

He extended his arms, seized the girl's hands from behind, and forcefully pried them apart.

A few meters away, a group of young men and women stood agape. "The Miss took the initiative to embrace a man, and he actually rejects her, forcibly breaking free from her arms?"

"Does this young man not realize how many men in Distance Calming City dream of our Miss as their beloved?"

"If word of this gets out, countless would be green with envy, ready to challenge this young man to a duel!"

"Yet, this young man is incredibly strong!"

These were the thoughts of the girl's companions, unbeknownst to Xu Ming. As he pushed the girl's arms away, she seemed reluctant to leave his embrace and tried to snuggle back into his arms, murmuring, "Grandfather~~"

Xu Ming was momentarily taken aback before realizing the girl was petrified and completely bewildered.

He gently pushed her away with a hand on her shoulder.

"Ouch~~" The girl tumbled to the ground like a young child.

Xu Ming was taken aback once more, and so were the onlookers, their jaws dropping even wider. "This young man just forcefully and crudely knocked down the Miss who sought comfort in his embrace!?"

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The fall snapped the girl back to reality, her cheeks flushed a deep red, whether from the snake's blood or sheer embarrassment.

Quickly regaining her composure, she understood the situation. Her friends did too and rushed to assist her, "Miss, are you alright?"

"Hey, hey~~"

As the maids fussed over the girl, who now hung her head, Xu Ming grew impatient, "Where's my gold coin?"

"Gold coin?" The girl looked up, startled, then realization dawned on her, "Did you save me?"

"Of course, it's not like I'd risk my neck for anything less than two hundred gold coins."

Xu Ming extended his hand, "Two hundred gold coins; I'm pressed for time."

The girl was smeared with blood, her true features obscured, her body drenched in crimson. Xu Ming glanced back at the lifeless huge snake nearby and urged, "Come on, hurry!"

"You're quite the brute, aren't you? You've held and touched my mistress, and now you're acting as if you don't know us? You want gold coins?"

A maid looked at him with disdain. "Do you realize who my mistress is? Others consider it a privilege just to speak with her, and yet you've had quite the windfall."

Had he taken advantage of her?

Xu Ming's earlier suspicion was now becoming a reality; they were setting the stage to renege on the deal.

"Let's get the facts straight," Xu Ming said, spreading his hands and feigning a menacing tone. "It was your mistress who embraced me, and I was the one who pushed her away. Now, bring me the gold coins, and let's be quick about it."

Rude? Well, he was a simple farmer at heart; subtlety wasn't his strong suit.

"Abi, give it to him."

The young lady had finally pieced together the events, perhaps feeling a bit ashamed, she turned and walked away, unable to meet Xu Ming's gaze.

The other maid, observing her mistress's reaction, furrowed her brow and shot Xu Ming a fierce look. "That's all we have—183 gold coins."

Xu Ming accepted the coins without a word. Aware of the maid's deceit, he chose not to quibble and turned back toward the huge snake.

"Azhu," the young lady called out with a hint of reproach before continuing with an apologetic tone, "My apologies, young master. We owe you seventeen gold coins. Should you find yourself in Distance Calming City, please visit the Jiang family, and we will settle the debt."

"Abi, Azhu... Could this lady be Yuyan?"

Xu Ming shook his head. This was the Martial God Continent, far removed from any associations with the 'eight groups.' Without looking back, he simply gestured dismissively, "No need. The sword from the Jade Cloud Snake's mouth will suffice."

"Young master recognizes me?"

Jiang Yuyan asked, taken aback.

Recognize her? Xu Ming could only offer a wry smile. It was indeed a curious twist of fate; he had merely made an educated guess.

Ignoring the mixed group of men and women, Xu Ming, the pampered young lady from a prestigious family, placed the Jade Cloud Snake into her Space Ring and promptly walked away. After all, their meeting was a fleeting encounter, and there was no need to get too close.

"Hey, hey! You took the gold coins and my lady's treasured sword, and now you're just going to leave like that?"

"You really have a heart of stone. Out here in these wilds, how can you be so cold as to abandon us? Miss, hurry and catch up to him. With him around, we'll be safer."

Footsteps sounded from behind. Clearly, Jiang Yuyan had heeded her maid Azhu's advice and was now following closely behind.