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Chapter 11
The Three Axes of the Thunder Sect
(1)
Although it was dark, Han San and his wife could read the words written on the coffins clearly.
They were Tang San and his wife’s names.
Tang Zhengbang smiled coldly.
His voice was even more ice cold. “You want to lie down in these yourself, or do you want to make this old fellow do it for you!”
Tang San’s face was ashen. He said evenly, “You’ve long held thoughts of rebelling. Your ambition truly is not slight.”
Tang Zhengbang said coldly, “You all know full well who the one with thoughts of rebelling is.”
Han San took a deep breath. “Once the headmaster returns, you’re dead!”
Tang Zhengbang suddenly laughed.
His laugh was like an owl, terrifying enough to make one’s hair stand on end.
Tang Zhengbang’s laughter suddenly quieted and he sternly rebuked them, “Tang San, you have a lot of nerve to secretly cultivate and plot to harm the headmaster!”
Tang San’s face flinched suddenly, as if someone had kicked him in the chest.
Tang Zhengbang again sneered, “If you all think you were hunting down spiders in the utmost secrecy you were sorely mistaken. Even if you could foot the rest of the world, you couldn’t fool my two eyes!”
Blue veins bulged on Tang San’s forehead.
After a good while he sighed over and over. “You really are a clever one. It looks like you know our every movement like that back of your hand.”
Tang Zhengbang chuckled. “If you don’t want people to know you shouldn’t do it in the first place. It’s best you accept your fate.”
Tang San said, “The headmaster doesn’t yet know of this. You mean to tell me you can’t keep this to yourself for us?”
Tang Zhengbang didn’t answer.
But another voice came from around the corner.
This voice spoke only two words:
“Too late!”
× × ×
These two words were not spoken loudly, but they boomed like surging waves in Tang San and his wife’s ears.
Tang Zhi turns out had returned, and he knew all their secrets.
Tang Zhi repeated himself.
“Too late.”
As soon as the words were out, the quiet temple suddenly became as lively as a marketplace.
Tang San and his wife glanced at each other, then scanned the area.
They were surrounded by countless warriors.
Tang San suddenly felt his palms sweating.
The sweat was cold.
His heart was similarly ice cold.
Tang Zhi’s gaze was cold and ruthless. Once again he said to Tang San and his wife, “If you put an end to yourselves you can die a bit more comfortably. Otherwise you will not only die a painful death, you won’t be left with an intact corpse to take back. You ought to think it over carefully.”
“Think it over?” Tang San’s gaze was likewise cruel and ruthless. “Even if I die here today, I will still find someone to pad the bottom of the coffin for me!”
Before he finished speaking, Tang Zhi’s face sank and his hands waved at the same time.
His gesture was understood fully by everyone in the Evil Sect.
What it meant was: “Kill!”
There was an other hidden implication: “Leave no survivors!”
As far as Tang Zhi was concerned, killing was like playing around with a woman, you had to go all the way.
But what he aware that be it killing or playing around with a woman, they were both as dangerous as playing with fire?
He might have known, but in his youth he’d been fond of playing around with women, until he had the heart but no longer the power, then he was fond of killing.
This afternoon in Shady Grove he had completely routed the Han Family Escort Agency, utterly wiped them out.
By the time he got back here, he was once again ready to kill. This time the ones he wanted to kill were Tang San and his wife.
× × ×
Tang Zhi was just about to attack when Tang Zhengbang took it upon himself to strike one step earlier than Tang Zhi.
“Headmaster, your subordinate wishes to teach these two old farts a lesson so they can know this old fellow’s ability!”
He said it with clenched teeth, as if he had an irreconcilable grudge against Tang San and his wife.
Tang Zhi was expressionless. He didn’t stop Tang Zhengbang but let him lead the way.
Actually Tang San and his wife were surrounded. This fight was already not in their favor. But just then, Tang San and his wife one after the other heard an aged voice.
It sounded right against their ears. but it wasn’t loud but rather as soft as a mosquito.
Could a mosquito talk to people?
Tang San didn’t know.
But “mosquito” was the only way Tang San knew to describe this very soft voice.
Though very soft, Tang San could still hear it clearly.
The sound clearly was coming from someone using their internal force to secretly project their voice into his ear.
The aged voice said slowly, “If you sincerely promise to mend your ways, this old fellow will lend you a hand. Otherwise, you’re both doomed!”
Not only did Tang San hear these two sentences, Mo Huizhen heard them as well.
They both suddenly nodded.
Tang Zhi and Tang Zhengbang didn’t know why they were nodding. They thought they were signaling to each other, getting ready to put their martial arts to use.
Tang Zhengbang was already charging at Tang San, shooting out two blasts of red-hot palm forcewind.
It was a very powerful forcewind.
Tang San wasn’t about to show weakness, and the two of them were at once in the midst of ferocious battle.
× × ×
Mo Huizhen knew very well how good Tang San’s martial arts was.
If he had not suffered an internal injury in the past, leaving him unable to cultivate for a long period of time, then right now he would definitely be able to defeat Tang Zhengbang easily.
But whether or not Tang San could defeat Tang Zhengbang now was a unknown.
If Mo Huizhen and Tang San teamed up, they could definitely defeat Tang Zhengbang.
But Mo Huizhen was currently in an even worse position. She was caught in a fierce, relentless sabre formation by a number of Evil Sect bladesmen who had her pinned down.
Though Mo Huizhen’s martial arts was better than theirs, she was outnumbered, plus she was concerned for her husband’s safety, so she was momentarily in the inferior position.
Tang Zhi quietly watched from the side, a smug smile on his face.
He wanted to prove one thing.
Anyone who defied the organization or conspired against it would meet a miserable end.
× × ×
The night breeze suddenly intensified.
Tang Zhengbang’s palm technique was also starting to speed up.
An urgent but not disorderly palm technique made Tang San very threatening.
Tang San had already ingested the spider wine, but he had yet to perfect the Devil-Immortal Spider Dharma, so the spider wine was for the moment not any help at all.
Tang Zhengbang of course knew this, otherwise how would he ever dare to volunteer to deal with Tang San?
Palms whizzed.
Tang San suddenly unleashed eight palm strikes all at once.
These eight palm strikes were not hard and fierce but carried a strong undercurrent. Looked ordinary but was actually continuously dangerous.
Tang Zhengbang’s complexion changed slightly.
Tang San really was worthy of being called an outstanding masterhand of the Tang Sect of Shu. These eight palm strikes prevented tang Zhengbang from rashly advancing.
But Tang San’s situation was still perilous.
Though Tang Zhengbang couldn’t hurt him for the time being, he still had Tang Zhi and the Evil Sect’s contingent of masterhands watching off to the side.
Tang San’s only hope now was the person who had used that internal force messaging skill to indicate that he’d lend a hand.
Tang San couldn’t tell who it was from the voice, he must be a super internal arts master, there was no doubt about that. A person had to have great internal arts perfected qi in order to be able to use that internal force messaging skill.
But what else did he have going for him aside from that internal arts master?
That was what Tang San was worried about.
He knew that Evil Sect’s power couldn’t be scoffed at. Even if this internal arts master who said he’d lend a hand was a martial world masterhand, just one person did not make the outlook very optimistic.
(2)
Though it wasn’t filled with the “roar of battle”, the battle was getting more and more intense.
Who was this person who’d used his internal force messaging skill on Tang San?
Turns out it was the Old Patriarch of Hangzhou, Old Tang.
× × ×
Old Tang had come to the temple alone.
But once he got to the coffin home beside the temple, he suddenly noticed someone on the roof of the coffin home who whispered to him, “Old Patriarch!”
Old Tang flipped up at once onto the coffin home’s roof and saw two people standing on the eavetiles.
It was Tang Yu and Tang Jian.
Tang Yu and Tang Jian had left Evil Valley earlier than Old Tang. Unexpectedly, just like Old Tang they had come here to catch ghosts.
Old Tang asked Tang Yu, “What about Sima Xue?”
Tang Yu said, “He’s on the west side of the temple.”
Tang Jian was injured, but Tang Yu was an expert in rendering first aid to poison wounds, so his injury was already eight-tenths cured.
As for his own wound, Tang Jian never worried about it.
What he was focused on was how to settle things with Tang Zhi’s Evil Sect.
× × ×
Once Old Tang, Tang Yu, and Tang Jian saw the situation outside the temple they knew that there was infighting in the Evil Sect.
It was all chaos for them, which was good for Tang Yu and the others. If Tang San and his wife died at Tang Zhi’s hands, the Evil Sect would just have lost two masterhands, that’s all.
Old Tang’s goal in using his internal force messaging skill to urge Tang San and his wife, was to make their internal strife more intense, more ferocious.
Of course Old Tang knew that it was unlikely for Tang San and his wife to turn a new leaf and give up their evil ways, but under the circumstances, Old Tang still planned to lend a hand.
This couple weren’t good people, but they were much better than Tang Zhi and Tang Zhengbang.
Old Tang wasn’t trying to hoodwink Tang San and his wife.
Once Tang San and his wife were at their most perilous point, the Old Patriarch of Hangzhou’s pinewood red-tasseled spear finally arrived.
Old Tang descended on them like a valiant general falling out of the sky.
Everyone in the jianghu knew that his spearplay was superb, but few had actually seen the Tang family’s spearplay in action.
Once Old Tang unleashed his spearplay, the Evil Sect masterhands’ eyes lit up.
His soaring deadly spearplay slaughtered a number of people like a violent storm.
Once Old Tang attacked, the number of people surrounding Mo Huizhen was reduced by more than half at once.
Mo Huizhen breathed a sigh of relief.
If Old Tang had not arrived just then, she would already be lying in a pool of blood.
Tang San’s situation was equally bad because Tang Zhengbang was no longer full of himself, but had teamed up with three halfmasked spearmen to launch an attack.
After Old Tang entered the fray, another martial arts master came to the aid of Tang San.
It was “Cat Shell” Tang Yu!
× × ×
Cat Shell meant it was also the Tiger Striped Heavenly King.
But whether an old cat or an old tiger, his Tiger Stripe Sabre’s power could not be taken lightly by anyone.
Tang Zhengbang saw Tiger Stripe’s sabrelight twinkle and he knew he was in trouble. Good thing he dodged it quickly, otherwise Tang Yu’s first slash might very well have taken his life.
Inside the temple was even more chaotic.
Just as things were becoming pandemonium, the dark sky suddenly lit up with a blast of dazzling, multicolored sparks.
Was it fireworks?
No.
It wasn’t fireworks, but the King of Assassins Sima Xue’s signal.
This signal was obviously meant for the Tang family of Hangzhou.
Tang Zhi’s complexion changed slightly.
He didn’t know who the signal was for, but he knew that it was his enemy’s call for reinforcements.
Tang Yu smiled coldly and said to Tang Zhi, “Today we finally meet again.”
Tang Zhi’s face radiated wrath. “This sect’s Evil Valley killers were killed by you?”
Tang Yu shook his head. “Why need have I to raise my hand against sacks of pus like them?”
Tang Zhi hmphed, “How did they die?”
“Suicide.”
“Suicide?”
“Yep, who else could use their weapons and their signature martial arts to kill them?”
Tang Zhi sneered, “This chairperson finds it hard to believe that what you’re saying is true.”
Tang Yu smiled faintly but said nothing.
Tang Zhi said, “They always cherished their lives. How could they all commit suicide at the same time?”
Tang Yu said plainly, “They wanted to kill this old fellow, but they didn’t succeed. Rather, this old fellow sealed their acupoints, rendering them unable to move anything except their right arm. Then this old fellow was about to use the tendon-parting, bone-separating method to deal with them…”
“Tendon-parting, Bone-separating Method?”
“Yep. Don’t tell me you thought I didn’t know that trick?”
Tang Zhi had no words, and the look on his face became hideous.
“Tendon-parting, Bone-separating Method”, aka “Tendon-parting, Bone-separating Dharma” wasn’t a trick but a frightening martial art and an even more frightening torture.
Tang Yu continued leisurely, “Unexpectedly, they’d rather commit suicide than have a taste of that trick.”
Tang Zhi was trembling slightly.
His trembling wasn’t fear but rage.
“Tang Yu, what a venomous method!”
Tang Yu’s expression was unchanged. He said slowly, “Weren’t the methods those killers used to kill people also venomous? They got what they deserved.”
Tang Zhi’s face was suddenly suffused with murderous intent.
He said coldly, “Tang Yu, your retribution is near as well!”
He stepped back as he spoke.
As he was stepping back, three burly men with bushy eyebrows and big eyes and holding enormous axes came forward.
Tang Yu remained calm.
He just sighed faintly. “The Three Axes of the Thunder Sect, if your father were still alive he would vehemently oppose you joining the Evil Sect. Your three’s venerable old man, Great Xia Lei Changxing, was an old acquaintance of this old fellow’s…”1
Before he finished, one of the Three Axes of the Thunder Sect took his big iron axe and nearly chopped Tang Yu’s head off.
× × ×
Tang Yu’s head wasn’t chopped off.
But if he had reacted just a split second slower, it’s hard to say if it wouldn’t have been.
He had spoken sincerely, but the Three Axes of the Thunder Sect seemed not to listen.
Ole Lei had the worst temper of the Three Axes of the Thunder Sect, and he had killed the most and was the most vicious.
His big iron axe hacked someone to death every year, as if it would be itching all over until it did.
Tang Yu frowned.
Lei Changxing was a famous xia of the jianghu. He never imagined his son would end up like this.
Tang Yu didn’t want to kill them.
But the Three Axes of the Thunder Sect were not the least bit grateful but rather pressed closer, step by step.
Tang Yu retreated, step by step.
A discerning person would certainly be able to see that though the axeplay of the Three Axes of the Thunder Sect was incredible, it was still no match for Tang Yu.
Tang Yu frowned harder and harder till his eyebrows were about to pinch off.
He really felt bad for Lei Changxing.
Luckily Lei Changxing had many children. Besides these three good-for-nothings, he still had several sons and daughters that were not like the Three Axes.
Tang Yu still couldn’t bear to kill them.
But when Tang Yu didn’t kill them, the Three Axes thought it was because this “Cat Shell” was just no better than this.
Tang Yu suddenly shouted coldly, “If you all don’t back off, don’t blame this old fellow for not showing mercy!”
But how were the Three Axes of the Thunder Sect going to listen to that?
Tang Yu was really starting to get fired up.
But he still didn’t use his true martial arts ability, because someone else did it for him.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three beams of cold light shot to the Three Axes’ throats like lightning.
The Axes of the Thunder Sect brandished their axes at the same time.
Their axeplay was pretty good, but could they beat back these three beams of cold light?
× × ×
In the garden outside the main hall of the Hangzhou Tang family, Tang Zhuquan wasn’t drinking but laying like an enormous bear on the stone steps.
He was facing upwards, his eyes half closed.
He seemed to be sleeping, and also like he was “feeding the mosquitoes”.
The Tang residence was very clean, but the garden had grass, and where there was grass there were mosquitoes.
Everyone hated getting bitten by mosquitoes.
Tang Zhuquan was a person, so he too didn’t like getting bitten by mosquitoes.
But right now he wouldn’t care at all if dozens of mosquitoes bit him all at once.
Why not?”
Funnily enough, Shi Jiugong had made up a very strange medicinal powder in Healer Valley that once ingested, one would not care about mosquito bites for three days.
Even the most vicious mosquito’s bite would not harm your skin at all.
Shi Jiugong had quarreled with Tang Zhuquan as soon as he walked through the door, but they were both the same kind of person: their tampers flared up quickly, but settled quickly as well.
There wasn’t actually any grievance between them.
After Shi Jiugong revealed his medicine powder, Tang Zhuquan immediately took an interest in it and wanted to try it.
So now he really was “feeding the mosquitoes”.
× × ×
Shi Jiugong was not just a miracle doctor, he was also the most eccentric of doctors.
This strange powder really worked.
Tang Zhuquan watched a big vicious mosquito viciously bite his nose.
But strangely, Tang Zhuquan didn’t feel a bit itchy.
Was it an anesthetic?
Nope.
Because Tang Zhuquan then pinched his nose and it hurt like hell.
Shi Jiugong’s strange medicine was certainly an enigma.
When the second mosquito bit his nose, Tang Zhuquan suddenly shot to his feet.
Was he afraid of being bitten?
No.
He jumped up because he suddenly saw a burst of dazzling, multicolored sparks in the sky toe the northeast.
× × ×
This was the King of Assassins Sima Xue’s signal. Not only Tang Zhuquan saw the signal, Long Chengbi and Wei Kongkong saw it too.
Long Chengbi immediately asked Tang Zhuquan, “Where is that?”
Tang Zhuquan responded, “It’s an old temple and a coffin home!”
“Coffin home?”
“Yep, coffin home.”
Just then, Shi Jiugong came out.
He looked up to the northeast.
The fireworks were gone, so Shi Jiugong saw nothing.
“What are you all looking at?” he asked, rubbing his beard.
Long Chengbi smiled faintly. “Senior Shi, you stay here for a while and guard Valleylord Xu. We’re gonna go see dead people.”
“See dead people?”
“Yep, if I’m not mistaken, there will definitely be several just-deceased dead people there!”
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