Chapter Nineteen: Drawing the Qilin Tendon with One Hand

“Hmph, kid, don’t talk nonsense here!” Master Zhang wore a proud expression, having finally emerged onto the ground. The discovery of the Swallowing Dragon Qilin was an extraordinary find—undoubtedly a stroke of fortune. From today onward, within their circles, Master Zhang would surely stand head and shoulders above the rest. Even a Swallowing Dragon Qilin had been subdued—what great rituals could possibly elude him now?

Elder Guo felt the same. It was thanks to his persuasion of Deputy Mayor Chen that they were able to move the Qilin; otherwise, this artifact would have been left to the archaeological teams.

“What could possibly be inside this Swallowing Dragon Qilin, to make it so heavy?” Elder Guo’s eyes gleamed. The five disciples he brought, along with Master Zhang’s disciples, were all martial artists who had opened more than thirty-four meridians, yet even their combined efforts struggled with the weight.

Could it be filled with gold? In the past, wealthy families often secretly cast statues, hiding gold within them. If that were the case, their worries would be over.

Su Ye strode forward, his voice stern: “You call yourselves masters, but can’t you see this Qilin is unusual? By moving it, even this bridge is at risk.”

“You brat! More nonsense! Do you think the Jiang family is so formidable? Without us, you’d still be trapped inside. What right do you have to act up in front of me?” Elder Guo shouted.

The secretary with glasses pointed at Su Ye, scolding, “You’re truly insolent! Do you realize where you are? What gives you the right to speak in Deputy Mayor Chen’s presence? The Jiang family must bear full responsibility for this incident!”

Jiang Liuying, unable to contain her anger, snatched up a brick from the ground and smashed it at the secretary’s feet. The brick shattered, sending the secretary jumping back in fright. She shouted, “Who do you think you are? The Jiang family isn’t afraid of you! Call out again and I’ll smash your face! And the rest of you—didn’t you notice the sword embedded in the Qilin’s head? If the Jiang family hadn’t subdued it first, would you have been able to move it?”

The secretary hadn’t expected Jiang Liuying to be so fierce—this could have turned deadly. He was stunned, glaring viciously at Su Ye and Jiang Liuying, but dared not speak further.

Master Zhang, Elder Guo, and Deputy Mayor Chen all turned their gaze to the Qilin’s forehead, where they indeed saw a sword hilt. Judging by its appearance, it was the Ghost Fang Sword Uncle Zhong had carried inside earlier.

It was now clear that the Ghost Fang Sword was thoroughly embedded in the Qilin statue’s head.

Master Zhang was delighted, quickly instructing his disciples to set the Qilin statue down. He laughed heartily, reaching for the sword, “Why is there a sword in the Qilin? The Qilin statue is meant to suppress the spirits of coffins—someone malicious must have sealed the Qilin, which is why we’ve heard those cries.”

“Stop! You must not touch it!” Su Ye shouted again.

“Hmph, the Jiang family dares speak? If it’s your people who thrust the sword in, you’ve damaged an antique. Can you afford the compensation? Besides, I, Guo, have wandered the world for many years—I can distinguish evil from auspicious. I don’t need you pointing fingers, kid. Ridiculous!” Elder Guo, seeing Master Zhang hesitate, strode forward and grasped the sword hilt, pulling it out.

Clang!

A cold gleam flashed as the Ghost Fang Sword was wrenched free.

At that moment, the colors around the massive Swallowing Dragon Qilin statue abruptly changed—what had looked like flames now turned blood-red.

Roar—

A furious roar erupted from within the statue.

The Qilin’s stone mouth bit down on a stone ring, producing a clanging sound. Witnessing it firsthand, one might have believed it was about to come alive.

“Aah… ah!” Elder Guo suddenly cried out in agony, stumbling backward. The Ghost Fang Sword fell from his hand with a clang. His head throbbed with piercing pain, forcing him to clutch it and collapse to the ground.

Master Zhang, seeing this, shouted angrily, grabbing the wooden sword from a disciple’s back. He leapt into the air, affixed two talismans to the sword, and declared, “Evil creature, let this master subdue you!”

Alas, it was all bluster. Before he could approach within five meters of the Qilin statue, the wooden sword snapped with a crack.

Master Zhang let out a cry and fell to the ground.

The sudden turn of events left everyone unable to react.

Who could have imagined the statue they brought out would harbor such terror?

“My God, its eyes—ah!” Deputy Mayor Chen’s legs went weak; he saw blood continually streaming into the Qilin’s eyes.

Master Zhang rolled on the ground, still shouting, “Seal it, now!”

The disciples, faces pale, dared not approach. Each was terrified—could the Qilin truly come to life?

Heavens—wasn’t the Qilin supposed to be a creature of legend?

“Wretched beast—dare to harm mortals in broad daylight! If Heaven will not punish you, I shall!”

Suddenly, Su Ye roared, charging forward. His voice thundered, overpowering even the Qilin statue’s cries.

Jiang Liuying cried out, “Su Ye, what are you doing? Come back!”

From afar, the secretary with glasses screamed, “You idiot, are you trying to implicate us? Run, hurry!”

Master Zhang and Elder Guo, still on the ground, watched with furious faces. In such a dire moment, how could this rich young master rush forward?

“Get back! Are you courting death?”

“This evil Qilin is not yours to subdue—leave now!”

Su Ye had already reached the statue.

His eyes never wavered, locked onto the Qilin. He could not fathom why a fierce hatred for evil welled within him, as if all demonic forces daring to appear before him must be slain.

“I do not seek to subdue it!”

The Thunder Vein within Su Ye’s body surged; his right hand clenched and struck at the Qilin’s mouth.

Boom!

His hand pierced directly through the stone jaws—half his arm went inside!

To the eye, it looked as though the Qilin statue was biting down on his arm.

Boom!

Everyone paused, stunned, staring at Su Ye. Yet immediately, the entire statue began to tremble violently, as if something within was about to burst forth.

This terrified Master Zhang and Elder Guo, who had just climbed up, and they cried, “Kid, we told you—it can’t be subdued! You’ll doom us all!”

“Hmph, I said—I’m not here to subdue it, but to—slay it!”

Su Ye roared, yanking his arm from the Qilin statue. With a thunderous pull, he drew out a massive iron chain.

The chain was thicker than Su Ye’s arm, and as he pulled, it seemed endless.

Clang-clang-clang!

Su Ye staggered back, his arm glowing, pulling the chain out further—over three meters, yet it did not stop.

His expression was cold and resolute; his foot struck the earth, stabilizing him as he retreated, drawing out the chain—ten meters, then more.

Roar!

Clang—

At last, the iron chain was taut, one end fixed in the Qilin’s stone mouth, the other gripped tightly in Su Ye’s hand.

It stretched over thirty meters!

“Shatter—”

A crisp crack rang out. The statue of the Qilin split with fissures, which continued to spread.

Boom!

Su Ye’s single-handed force shattered the statue, stones breaking apart and scattering across the ground, raising clouds of dust.

The terrifying visage of the Qilin was completely destroyed, gone without a trace.

Almost simultaneously, the unfinished old bridge’s two colossal piers lost their strength and collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Boom-boom-boom—

The enormous piers toppled, the deafening sound echoing.

Everyone, shocked, cried out and fled from the dust-filled area.

Only Su Ye remained standing, as if he had anticipated the collapse of the distant piers. His arm still gripped the iron chain, as though he held the sinew and bones of a long, fierce beast…