“Still not talking something? Didn’t expect a pampered son of the capital to have such a backbone!”

  Cao Mingzhi, battered and bruised, tears and snot streaming down his face, wails, “Why don’t you ask? You don’t even ask anything! You just want me to spill it all? What exactly do you want me to say? At least give me a hint!”

  In the room, a man holding torture instruments sneers, “Now you’re pretending to be clueless! I’ve been with the Ministry of Justice for years. Though I’m not a jailer, I’m quite interested in interrogation techniques. “

  ”I’ve learned a lot from the old interrogators but never had a chance to try it out. Young Master Cao, I advise you, you won’t st long. Instead of suffering, better just confess. Don’t worry, we’ve got all night.”

  Cao Mingzhi snaps back, “What do you want to know? Ask quickly. I know I won’t survive in your hands. Just get it over with! If you drag this out any longer, maybe my guard will come to rescue me!”

  A man sitting quietly in the corner speaks up, “The guard you mean, is the tall barbarian from the frontier? I admit he’s got some skill. No idea what he left on you, but he managed to track you here. Still, he’s not as loyal or brave as you think. “

  ”But he does have one good quality: self-awareness. He’s been outside for nearly half an hour now and hasn’t dared to rush in. He’s hesitating, whether to come save you or turn back to get help.”

  Behind him, a burly man chuckles coldly, “Heh heh... Whatever he decides, the outcome’s the same. I’m going to drag him in here and snap his neck right before your eyes, to break your st hope. “

  Cao Mingzhi gres at them fiercely. “What exactly do you want? Are you threatening my father? Is it about some project? The dike and river works? Or the capital’s supervision? What are you trying to cover up?”

  The man sitting sighs, “You do know something. Looks like your father won’t survive either.”

  Cao Mingzhi struggles and roars, “You will all meet a terrible end! You traitors and rebels, trying to stir chaos while the court is distracted! Forget it, you won’t succeed! You want to harm His Majesty? Impossible! With a Fifth Rank Martial Warrior protecting the emperor, you won’t even get close!”

  The burly man behind ughs heartily. “Ha ha ha... Exactly! Because we can’t get close, we have to find other ways! Fifth Rank Martial Warriors are powerful, but not invincible. When faced with overwhelming force beyond their limits, even they can’t hold up!”

  ”You know the meteor hammer? The force when it swings down is tremendous. As long as the meteor hammer is big enough and swung hard enough...”

  “Enough! Tie Du! Go grab that barbarian outside. If he keeps lurking around the walls, he’ll attract the Imperial Guards and the Forbidden Army, that would be trouble!”

  Tie Du, the big man, just as he’s about to step out, hears a loud crash.

  Henwell smashes through the wall and bursts into the courtyard, grabbing a brick and knocking a guard to the ground.

  Before anyone else can react, Henwell draws the Dusk Greatsword and with a whirlwind ssh, cleaves several men in half.

  Most swords in the capital are light swords, shorter and slimmer compared to Henwell’s greatsword.

  They have never faced a fighting style like Henwell’s before.

  His steps are heavy, favoring powerful, sweeping strikes delivered with speed and force.

  In an instant, Henwell cuts down the majority of the guards in the courtyard.

  As Henwell presses the attack, suddenly he flips to dodge as a heavy-backed battle knife sshes down where he just stood.

  The weight of the bde tears a ten-foot-long scar into the ground.

  Tie Du raises his battle knife, sizing up Henwell. “You barbarians do react fast!”

  Henwell grips the Dusk Greatsword with both hands, resting the bde on his shoulder, ready for both offense and defense.

  Tie Du sighs. “I’ve never killed a barbarian master before. Though I want to spar with you, the time and pce aren’t right. So I’ll just kill you quickly! Now, let me show you the finesse of our Eastern martial arts!”

  Henwell replies calmly, “Every culture has its own essence. If the Tudor Dynasty were as arrogant as you, they’d suffer big losses in the future.”

  “Big talk!” Tie Du snaps back.

  With that, Tie Du unleashes two sshes of bde energy.

  As Henwell dodges, Tie Du uses lightness skill to close the distance, his long knife fshing wildly, bde energy scattering everywhere.

  Henwell is forced to retreat repeatedly, using his greatsword mainly to block.

  But he also strikes unexpectedly, sshing and stabbing Tie Du, forcing him to hold back his follow-up attacks.

  Tie Du struggles to adapt to Henwell’s hit-to-live fighting style.

  Now is a crucial moment, he can’t afford to get hurt.

  So the two remain locked in this deadly dance.

  Before long, Henwell is knocked flying by a bde strike.

  While airborne, Tie Du delivers a kick to Henwell.

  Henwell crashes through a fake rock formation, rolls to his feet, then whips out a golden chain from his waist, wrapping it around a nearby stone table and swinging it at the pursuing Tie Du.

  Forced back again, Tie Du sheathes his bde and looks toward Henwell leaning against the wall.

  “You’re really tough. Among Second Rank Martial Warriors, you’re one of the best. If I’d found you earlier, maybe I could have offered you a chance at wealth and status. But unfortunately, you meddled in things you shouldn’t have.”

  Henwell wipes blood from the corner of his mouth. “Your skills are exceptional. A Third Rank Martial Warrior, you’re no unknown. May I ask your name?”

  Tie Du sneers, “Heh... What? Pnning to compin to the underworld?”

  Henwell shakes his head. “Of course not. Once I know your name, according to Eastern customs, I’ll burn paper offerings for you in the future.”

  Tie Du ughs, “Heh heh heh! You barbarian, you’re amusing! Telling jokes while dying, and ciming you can kill me?”

  Henwell smiles. “I can’t, but someone else can.”

  Tie Du snorts coldly. “The person who can kill me isn’t even born yet!”

  “Is that so?!”

  Suddenly Tie Du looks up sharply. Under the moonlight, a figure floats down from above.

  That figure calmly says, “Lie Yu, Chief Constable of the Tudor Dynasty, is here! Thieves and vilins, surrender now!”

  It’s over!

  The world’s Fifth Rank Martial Warrior, Lie Yu, has arrived!