Highvale gang

"Is this some type of joke?" Nura asked while smiling in embarrassment, as some part of him refused to believe that an agent of law could ask for their swords as a payment.

As Nura spoke, the bald man stepped forward, grabbing Nura by the collar and pulling him closer, with his face constricting to show anger.

"Do we look like comedians? Pass that sword to me." The bald man said.

"Calm down, Steve. He is just scared." Lia said, placing her hand on Steve's shoulder to calm him down. In sequence, she turned to Nura and spoke to him, "Are you going to cooperate with us, right?" Lia asked, seeking confirmation.

However, neither Ryu nor Nura was a fool, and they quickly understood that Steve and Lia were performing an enactment. While the man played the role of bully, the woman played the role of a mediator.

"You don't want a problem, here take my sword." Ryu said at the side, extracting his sword from the ring.

"Put that sword down." Lia yelled when she saw Ryu holding the sword by the hilt.

According to Lia's command, Ryu stepped back, feigning scared, placing the sword on the ground when he walked back a couple of steps, and to add to his show, he said, " Please don't hurt us."

When Ryu placed his sword down, Lia and steve started to laugh in satisfaction as they were really enjoying dominating the pair of young people. So Lia walked to Ryu's sword and grabbed it on the ground, examining it with a pleased face.

"This is a good sword, but you made the right choice. Tt's not worth dying for something like that." Lia said, keeping her eyes focused on the sword.

At first, Nura was confused by Ryu's action. But when Lia stored her own sword and kept inspecting the newly acquired sword on her hand, Nura exchanged a glance with Ryu, immediately understanding his plan.

"I will give you mine too, spare us, please." Nura said, pulling his sword from his ring. But when the sword materialized, Nura went to grab it, but he feigned that his hand was shaking, and the sword fell to the ground. When the sword went to the ground, Nura crouched to pick the sword, and still, on the floor, he offered his sword to the bald man.

Nura's pathetic display of cowardice brought great satisfaction to Steve, while Lie looking at some distance were no different. Those two were excited to the extreme with the profits and especially to bring Ryu and Nura's to a state of complete submission.

"Why are you doing this? Agents of law shouldn't exist to protect people?" Nura asked, shaking his voice, almost crying.

"You got it wrong. We are not agents of the law but from the Highvale group. We rule this city, and everyone shall pay tribute to live here. For now, you can consider your debt paid." Steve said.

"Highvale group? I've never heard this name before. Are you a new group in this city?" Ryu asked, keeping his voice low.

"New? Are you looking us down? We've run this town for a long time. The only reason you've never heard of us is that you're a spoiled brat." Lia said, staring at Ryu to show her angry side.

Thus, Ryu's plan started to flow smoothly. By delivering their weapon and showing submission, Lia and Steve lowered their guards and began to answer questions without realizing it. Made these two experienced criminals was only possible because they underestimated the two guys so proud of their superiority, they boasted about their feats.

"Why did the enforcement law don't fight you?" Nura asked.

"Those weaklings? They can do nothing against us." Steve said.

"Can we join your group either? I am tired of being looked down on by others." Ryu asked.

As the information Ryu and Nura had so far was superficial, they didn't know what kind of questions to ask in order to get the answers they sought. The lack of information, allied to the inexperience in interrogating people, was enough to raise the suspicion of the two bandits.

At first glance, their decision to surrender their swords might seem foolish, but considering that the two bandits had swords in hand from the very beginning and that neither Ryu nor Nura planned to fight with their own sword, the plan to give away their swords wasn't so bad as it looks.

Of course, there was the problem that the thugs now had better weapons in their hands, but that also worked in Ryu and Nura's favor. As they were not used to this new weapon, they would not be able to use these swords to their full potential and would also have problems using some of their techniques, as each sword requires a different way to use.

"Like we would accept someone as coward like you." Lia said

"At least give us a chance. Why don't you ask your leader?" Nura made an attempt to make them speak about their leader.

"Do you think that we would bother our leader for trash like you?" Steve said and continued after looking down at Nura that was still on the floor, "He is a busy man. He manages a whole"

"Enough, Steve." Lia said, looking at her back to scold Steve and complemented while turning to face Ryu again, "These two are making too many questions. Who are."

But before Lia finished her question, Ryu got his staff out of his ring, grabbing it tightly with both hands. His right foot went forward, preparing a solid stance to attack, then Ryu injected his qi inside the staff and pushed it with all his force, thrusting it against the woman's face.

As soon as the staff had absorbed the qi, the inscriptions on its body lit up with a white color that lasted only a fraction of a second, then the light went out, and black smoke erupted from all over the staff, then the black cloud began moving towards the woman's face.

In Ryu's hands, the staff made of wood was not visible, as a solid black smoke, flickering like a flame, covered all its dimensions, which gave the appearance that Ryu was holding an ominous black stick of fire.

When the staff moved forward, the heavenly pillar martial art style didn't let Ryu down, as the thrusting staff technique carried the power of flames cunningly hidden behind the black flickering smoke.

Despite the difference in levels, Lia was caught off guard and didn't have time to defend herself from the blow, but like an experienced fighter, she tried to lessen the damage to her face by bending back and keeping her distance from the attack.

Still, the blow landed fully on his forehead, causing the power of the flames carried by the staff to burst into flames in his face. It was then that the stick made by Feng Po could reveal its full potential as the flames erupted from the tip of the stick, the black smoke erupted with it, disguising the real flames among the black smoke.

Thus a loud sound echoed far on the empty road, drawing the attention of Steve, consequently leaving him open for a strike from Nura.