Chapter 176 - 173: Interception

Words : 1339 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 176: Chapter 173: Interception "Are you Ling Chen?" The man moved out from the driver’s cabin and sized him up with a playful look in his eyes, as if he wasn’t seeing a person, but a prey, emanating an intimidating aura from head to toe. "Yes, I am. And who are you?" Seeing the man, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brows but maintained direct eye contact without flinching. The man in front of him seemed to be in his early thirties, dressed casually, with an unremarkable appearance that would go unnoticed in a crowd. However, Ling Chen could tell at a glance that there was something extraordinary in his gaze. And after sensing the man’s strength, he grew even more cautious; this man was definitely a master. "Song Qing." "I don’t know you, and I have no grudges against you. Why are you blocking my way?" Song Qing replied indifferently, "I think you should know the reason. Just let me take the item, and I can spare your life." "Item?" Ling Chen was struck by a realization and immediately understood what the other man meant, "You must be mistaken, what you’re looking for isn’t with me." "What’s in the trunk?" After saying that, Song Qing walked to the trunk and pulled off the tarp covering it. Suddenly, an alloy-made box appeared before Ling Chen’s eyes. "This..." Ling Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the box, his mind unable to process what he saw. Damn it, I’ve been screwed over by Tang Yuan again! He cursed resentfully. He thought Tang Yuan was kindly helping him by calling a cab to take him to the city center, but in the shadows, he had sneakily put that set of exoskeleton armor in his car. At least let me know so I can be prepared. Cursing was one thing, but now that it had happened, he couldn’t just run away and abandon the item; that wasn’t his style. It seemed he was bound for a fight today. With that in mind, he shrugged his shoulders and loosened his arms and legs, then beckoned Song Qing with a hook of his finger, "Let’s cut the chit-chat. If I lose, you can take the item. But if you lose, I’m sorry, but you’ll probably spend the rest of your life in prison." "We’ll see if you’ve got the skills for that." With those words, Song Qing reached behind his waist, flicked his wrist, and a Soft Sword quickly slid out. Seeing the weapon his opponent revealed, Ling Chen’s gaze sharpened and without hesitation, he drew Wolf Kiss. But looking at his dagger compared to the Soft Sword in the other’s hand, he felt irritated; a longer weapon had the advantage, and it seemed like he was at a disadvantage. Before he could voice his complaint, Song Qing’s Soft Sword had already struck, aiming fast at his brow. Shit, the slightest carelessness could reveal a weakness for the opponent to exploit. Seeing the Soft Sword thrusting at him, Ling Chen quickly adjusted his stance, raising Wolf Kiss to meet it. Clang! A crisp sound rang out as Wolf Kiss deftly deflected the Soft Sword. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen closed the distance, preparing for close combat with Song Qing. His dagger was too short; if he allowed Song Qing to fully utilize the Soft Sword, it would be difficult for him to close the distance. Therefore, he had to take the initiative; only by getting close could he limit Song Qing’s performance. Song Qing seemed to understand his intention, quickly stepping back to create distance. But Ling Chen steadily pressed forward, Wolf Kiss relentlessly aiming for his adversary’s vital points. At that moment, Song Qing twisted his waist, found an opening, and thrust the Soft Sword downward from above. Ling Chen immediately raised Wolf Kiss to block the Soft Sword’s attack. However, when Wolf Kiss came into contact with the Soft Sword, the blade suddenly went limp, forming an arc and continuing its trajectory towards his forehead. Not good! His expression shifted slightly, and he hastily retreated two steps, narrowly avoiding the Soft Sword’s lethal thrust. Seeing him retreat, Song Qing sneered coldly, her wrist trembling slightly, the soft sword instantly straightened, becoming rigid and unbending. This is... Inner Strength! Ling Chen frowned secretly; the person before him was actually an Inner martial arts expert. Because the blade of a soft sword is flexible, it is difficult to control, so very few people master it. However, Inner martial arts experts are different; they can change the hardness of the soft sword at will through their Inner Strength. Now, he finally understood why that mysterious organization had only arranged for one person to guard this path. With Song Qing’s strength, one person was enough to match more than a dozen people. "Is that all you’ve got?" Song Qing said with a disdainful tone, "Jiang Yang died at your hands in vain." Hearing this, Ling Chen’s mouth curled slightly, and then he sheathed his Wolf Kiss. "Don’t be hasty, you’ll soon witness what I’m capable of." Seeing him raise his fists, Song Qing humphed lightly, with a hint of a scornful smile, and the soft sword struck again. Watching the soft sword thrusting towards him, Ling Chen still stood in place, motionless, his sharp gaze fixed on the tip of the sword. Suddenly, just as the soft sword was about to reach him, he swiftly shifted his body to the side, his toes rapidly spinning on the ground, his body executing a three hundred sixty-degree turn to end up beside Song Qing, then he swung his fist towards his opponent’s face. Song Qing, seeing this, immediately raised her sword to protect her chest. But at that moment, Ling Chen suddenly smirked. This inexplicable smile immediately made Song Qing feel a sense of foreboding. Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her leg. It turned out Ling Chen feigned an attack on her face, which was actually a ruse, the real attack targeted her lower body. Having taken a kick from Ling Chen, Song Qing’s right leg bent slightly, and she nearly lost her balance and her center of gravity. However, her reaction was not slow. She lightly tapped her soft sword on the ground, leveraging that force to straighten her body again. However, that kick from Ling Chen was still uncomfortable for her, leaving a throbbing pain. "Not bad for taking one of my kicks." Ling Chen nodded, looking at Song Qing’s physical condition with new respect. The strongest part of his body was his legs, and their strength was several times that of his fists. Over the years, he had encountered countless opponents, but none could withstand his leg strikes. Even Jiang Yang last time had been defeated by his legs. Song Qing’s face darkened as she yelled out sharply, her body leaping high, one sword strike following another, the speed of her attacks growing faster and faster, causing Ling Chen to be dazzled. He kept a close watch, constantly moving backward, dodging the soft sword’s assaults while secretly seeking Song Qing’s vulnerabilities. His martial arts emphasized taking out the enemy with one move; just give him a chance, and he could finish off his opponent. But Song Qing’s assault was fast yet orderly, methodical without chaos, attacking while not forgetting to defend herself. More than a dozen strikes passed, and Ling Chen had not found a suitable opportunity, instead being pushed by Song Qing to the edge of the road. On both sides of the road were steep slopes; a fall down there would likely cost one half their life. Thinking this, he glanced sideways, preparing to break through Song Qing’s attack from the side. However, Song Qing seemed to anticipate his intention, the direction of her swordplay suddenly changed, shifting from the front to the side, blocking his retreat. Damn it! With nowhere to retreat, Ling Chen cursed, and his right hand immediately reached for his waist.

Chapter 176 - 173: Interception

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