Immortal Martial Emperor

"Xiaohua, wait here with the younger kids. I’ll go take care of the city entry procedures, and then I’ll come get you all."

Hong Yu said, looking at the slightly older girl in front of him.

The girl’s name was Xu Xiaohua. She had just turned twelve but was very sensible.

She nodded dutifully at Hong Yu and said with some concern, "I’ll take good care of the younger kids. You be careful over there, big brother. I heard Grandpa say that the people at the registration office are very greedy..."

"Mhm!"

Hong Yu ruffled Xiaohua’s hair, then turned and walked toward the registration office.

’If it were just me, I could have used my Primordial Core Realm cultivation to take the Powerhouse Channel, no registration needed.’

But Xiaohua and the younger kids couldn’t use the Powerhouse Channel.

They had to go through the normal process and get City Entry Tokens from the registration office.

The registration office wasn’t far from the city gate.

Hong Yu was dressed in a simple black Martial Artist’s outfit, which didn’t draw much attention. Besides, it was impossible to gauge someone’s cultivation by their appearance alone, not unless they had reached the Primordial Spirit Realm and condensed their Primordial Spirit.

As a result, none of the people coming and going paid him much mind.

A fat, pot-bellied man sat in the registration office. Looking at his sharp, weasel-like features, it wasn’t hard to see why Xiaohua had said the people there were greedy.

"I need thirty-five City Entry Tokens, please," Hong Yu said.

’I’m a stranger here, and I just killed Qi Tian from the Blood Demon Palace. It’s best if I keep a low profile.’

Tang Sanpang was the man in charge of this registration office.

Relying on his status as a member of the Tang Family, he looked down on everyone. Even some Celestial Soul Realm Martial Artists didn’t dare to provoke him. Over time, this had nurtured a greedy and unscrupulous personality.

He shot Hong Yu a dismissive glance and waved his hand. "Three Thousand Gold Coins!"

"Three thousand?"

Hong Yu froze, his brow furrowed. "Isn’t it ten Gold Coins per person?"

Tang Sanpang eyed Hong Yu scornfully and sneered, "I said three thousand, so it’s three thousand. If you can’t afford it, then scram. Don’t hold up the line."

"Five hundred Gold Coins is the most I’ll give you."

Hong Yu said flatly.

’If I didn’t want to be so conspicuous, I’d just reveal my Primordial Core Realm strength and use the Powerhouse Channel. I can take three people at a time; I’d just have to make a few more trips.’

Tang Sanpang’s eyes narrowed as he sized up Hong Yu. He slapped the five hundred Gold Coins to the floor and snorted. "Five hundred? Are you giving change to a fucking beggar?"

"The entry fee for thirty-five people is three hundred and fifty Gold Coins, at most. I’m offering you five hundred, which is a profit of one hundred and fifty for you. Don’t be so greedy. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew, or you’ll end up choking on it." Hong Yu’s temper was flaring, and his voice turned cold.

Tang Sanpang froze.

’Doesn’t everyone usually treat me with fear and respect?’

Frozen City was different from other cities. Its territory was extremely limited, as two-thirds of the land was occupied by a single, sky-piercing Ice Tower.

As a result...

Frozen City strictly controlled its population year-round.

’If people don’t go through the registration office, their only other option is the Powerhouse Channel. But there are only a handful of experts at or above the Primordial Core Realm. The vast majority of people have to suck up to me.’

’When has anyone ever dared to treat me like this?’

A cold glint flashed in Tang Sanpang’s eyes as he sneered, "’Biting off more than you can chew’? You’ve just given me an idea..."

The corners of his lips curled into a sinister smile.

He lightly pressed a button behind him. Just as Hong Yu was wondering what was happening, a deep, muffled bell suddenly rang out from atop the city gate. DONG.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

The piercing clang of armor and weapons suddenly erupted.

A troop of armored soldiers holding gleaming weapons rushed out from the city gate. They completely surrounded the registration office, trapping Hong Yu in the center.

Hong Yu’s brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the soldiers, who were bristling with killing intent.

He was furious now.

’All I wanted to do was handle the city entry registration. How did it cause all this trouble?’

"So, kid, still think three thousand is too expensive? Heh heh, if you want to enter the city now, you can forget about getting a City Entry Token for less than ten thousand!" Tang Sanpang cackled smugly. "I run into a few broke-ass punks with shitty attitudes like you every day. They all act tough at first, just like you, but they all go soft soon enough."

"So? What’ll it be? Still want to enter the city? If you want in, fork over ten thousand!" Tang Sanpang said, completely assured of himself.

Hong Yu gave Tang Sanpang a long, hard look. Without a word, he turned to leave.

He had already decided. He would just take three people at a time through the Powerhouse Channel.

But unfortunately...

The tree wishes for calm, but the wind will not subside.

Seeing Hong Yu about to leave, Tang Sanpang waved his hand. The fifty soldiers immediately drew their weapons, their killing intent aimed squarely at Hong Yu.

Hong Yu stopped in his tracks, his eyes glinting.

That Tang Sanpang clasped his hands behind his back, his potbelly swaying as he waddled forward. He stared at Hong Yu with a mocking gaze. "Too late to leave now, kid! But your Grandpa Sanpang here isn’t an unreasonable man. How about this? I’ll meet you halfway. Give me five thousand Gold Coins, and I’ll let you walk away right now. How about it?"

"Five thousand Gold Coins?"

Hong Yu raised an eyebrow.

Tang Sanpang nodded, speaking in a slow, deliberate drawl. "Of course, five thousand Gold Coins is just the price for you to leave here. It’s not the fee to enter the city. If you want to get in, you’ll still have to cough up ten thousand Gold Coins!"

Looking at Tang Sanpang, who wore the smug expression of a man who had him trapped, Hong Yu laughed in fury. "Hahaha, you really are something else! So unbelievably greedy!"

"Greedy? You could say that. In this day and age, all the honest people are beggars," Tang Sanpang said.

Hong Yu took a deep breath. "If you let me pass now, I can pretend this never happened. But if you keep pushing me, I guarantee you’ll regret it."

Hong Yu despised nothing more than these insatiably greedy types who abused their authority for personal gain and used their power to bully others.

If he weren’t worried about drawing the Blood Demon Palace’s attention by being too conspicuous, he would have already sent this greedy bastard flying with a single slap.

Tang Sanpang’s expression stiffened. He clearly hadn’t expected Hong Yu to still be so defiant while surrounded by the City Guard Army.

He immediately let out a cold laugh. "Fine, fine, fine! We’ll see who’s going to be the one to regret this!"

Tang Sanpang stepped aside and waved his hand, and the fifty soldiers prepared to attack.

Just then, a cry of alarm suddenly rang out from the distance.

"Y-You! Let go of me! What are you doing? Big brother, help me...!"

Hong Yu, who had been about to act, froze. His expression changed drastically. "Damn it, that’s Xiaohua’s voice!"

Hong Yu whipped his head toward the sound.

Peering past several soldiers, Hong Yu saw four or five lavishly dressed young men surrounding Xiaohua and the other children. The youths all wore leering, sinister smiles as they pawed and grabbed at them.

One of them, a young man in a flowing purple robe, grabbed a handful of Xiaohua’s hair. He stared at her delicate, fair face and clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, what a prime little catch. Hahaha, brothers, hurry up and pick a few you like to take back. We’re going to have some fun tonight! Sigh, there are too few little girls in Frozen City. This young master hasn’t had a taste of fresh meat in half a month!"

At his words, the other four youths’ eyes gleamed with even more avarice. "Heh heh, Young Master Cheng Gong, you’re only picking one? Why not a few more?"

"Heh heh, this young master has his eye on this one. She’s so fresh and delicate!"

The purple-robed youth, Cheng Gong, grinned.

Watching the five of them, the surrounding pedestrians all shook their heads and sighed.

"Sigh, it’s Cheng Gong again. That guy’s always using the Cheng Family’s power to prey on the townspeople, bullying and abusing whomever he pleases."

"I heard that Cheng Gong and his four friends are known as the Five Great Scoundrels of Frozen City. They’re all said to be perverts whose favorite pastime is tormenting underage children."

"It’s worse than that. I heard that after they take a little girl’s virginity, they lock them up in cages and keep them like dogs."

"I have a friend who once did odd jobs for the Cheng Family. He said he personally saw Young Master Cheng and the other four scoundrels choosing tender-skinned little girls as if they were picking livestock, prying open their Skull Caps while they were still alive, and eating their brains!"

"I’ve heard that, too. Apparently, they don’t just eat the little girls. If one of them gets pregnant, they’ll even cut open her belly, take out the baby, and eat it..."

Hearing the whispers of the crowd, Xiaohua grew even more terrified and struggled with frantic desperation. "Let me go! Let me go... Don’t touch my brothers and sisters...!"

"Heh heh heh... Let you go?" Cheng Gong cackled. "This young master finally caught a prize like you. How could I let you go so easily?" He glanced impatiently at the others. "Fuck, what are you all dawdling for? Just take all of them! If you don’t want to play with the boys, just chop them up and make meat buns!"

"Haha, Young Master Cheng sure knows how to live!"

The other scoundrels roared with laughter. Their cultivation levels were not low—they were all at the Celestial Soul Realm Level—and they easily seized the other thirty-some children.

"Bastards! Let them go!"

Seeing that Cheng Gong and his cronies were about to leave with Xiaohua and the others, Hong Yu roared in a fury.

"Hm?"

Cheng Gong paused, looking in Hong Yu’s direction.

Then he turned a quizzical gaze on Tang Sanpang. "Fatty Tang, who’s this kid?"

Tang Sanpang gave a sycophantic laugh. He was merely from a side branch of the Tang Family, whereas Cheng Gong was a young master from the Cheng Family’s direct line. He said fawningly, "Young Master Cheng, this kid is just some country bumpkin. Pay him no mind!"

"Then why the hell haven’t you had your men chop him to pieces? Shit, he dared to call me a bastard..."

Cheng Gong said viciously, "Fatty Tang, chop him up later and send his head to my estate. My backyard is short one chamber pot!"

"Rest assured, Young Master Cheng!"

Tang Sanpang nodded eagerly, then waved his hand and barked at the soldiers, "What are you gawking at? Goddammit, get on with it and chop him to pieces for me!"

"Yes, sir!"

The fifty soldiers, blades ready, charged toward Hong Yu with palpable killing intent.

"Get the hell out of my way."

Hong Yu sent a soldier flying back with a palm strike. Cheng Gong was already about to take Xiaohua and the others into the city, and he couldn’t afford to waste any time on these guards.

But...

These soldiers were from Frozen City’s most elite unit, the City Guard Army. They formed a battle formation to tie Hong Yu down. Although they posed no real threat to him, they entangled him, preventing him from immediately rescuing Xiaohua and the others.

"Get out of my way now, or don’t blame me for what happens next."

Hong Yu said furiously.

Tang Sanpang retorted smugly, "Go on, show no mercy if you’ve got the guts. This is Frozen City. If you dare to resist, you’ll be making an enemy of the entire Ice Kingdom. You won’t even know what hit you."

"You..."

Hong Yu was seething.

Just then, as she was about to be dragged into the city, Xiaohua, her eyes filled with tears, continued to struggle. In her frantic movements, she accidentally ripped the fabric of Young Master Cheng’s robes.

Cheng Gong flew into a rage. "Fuck! This is my favorite robe! You ruined it? You little bitch..."

Cheng Gong flung Xiaohua aside, sending her crashing heavily to the ground. He lunged forward, planted a foot on her back to pin her down, and raised his hand high, preparing to slap her across the face.

In that critical instant, Hong Yu could finally hold back no longer. He stopped suppressing his cultivation, letting it erupt completely as he roared...

"If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I will break one of your fingers!"