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Chapter 5
Immortal Among Ghosts
(1)
The darkest hour past and in the east it was beginning to be suffused with a fishbelly white.
Tang Yu looked at the tealgowned man for a long time before saying, “If this old fellow is not mistaken, Your Excellency must be Wei Kongkong.”
The tealgowned man revealed a faint smile. “I am indeed Wei Kongkong.”
Tang Yu nodded. “Good! A young hero sure enough, terrific.”
Wei Kongkong said, “Senior flatters me.”
Tan Yu said, “This is Evil Valley, and an important place for the Evil Sect. Anyone who thinks about coming here to cause trouble had must have a lot of guts and be willing to brave unpredictable dangers.”
Wei Kongkong said, “I’m not afraid of danger. A newborn calf is usually this way.”
A newborn calf?” Yang Yu laughed. “Don’t be so modest, this old fellow might be meeting you for the first time, but I have heard of your deeds throughout the jianghu.”
Old Tang dry coughed. “To tell the truth, this old fellow used to not have a very good impression of him, but recently I have changed my view considerably.”
Tang Yu said, “Wei Kongkong of course is the chivalrous Great Head Chopping Xia, how could you be prejudiced against him?”
Old Tang coughed again but didn’t answer.
Tang Yu said, “Tang Jian and Sha Bu’e and his bunch of bastards have made a real mess of things in Flower Blossom Loft.”
Old Tang said, “What do you think his chances are?”
Tang Yu said, “Not good.”
Old Tang’s complexion changed slightly. “Since you know his chances aren’t good, what are you standing there for?”
Tang Yu smiled faintly. “Even though Tang Jian’s chances aren’t good, that’s if he’s fighting the battle alone.”
Old Tang said, “You mean he has helpers?”
Tang Yu said, “That’s right.”
“Who?”
“Your son, and the the King of Assassins Sima Xue.”
Old Tang frowned. “Just those three are probably not enough to be sure of victory.”
Tang Yu smile again and said slowly, “Besides them, there’s also that person you really dislike helping them as well.”
Old Tang was taken aback. But he was already pretty sure who it was, he just didn’t say.
His guess was correct. There was one who he always felt was really unreliable, the Snowblade Vagabond Long Chengbi.
× × ×
Biling was still in her room.
Even though the Twelve Uglies of the Central Plains who had been “protecting” her were now the Twelve Corpses, she still hadn’t left this room strewn with dead bodies.
She was waiting for someone.
The one called “Water Cat!”
(2)
The Flower Blossom Loft battle was incredibly violent.
Tang Jian and Miao Jiutian were beset by peril on all sides by Boss Sha’s men.
But just at their most perilous moment, Sima Xue’s Righteous Blood sword first took out two purple-garbed warriors close to Miao Jiutian quick as lightning.
If Sima Xue had gotten there one step later, Miao Jiutian would probably have been turned into mincemeat by their blades.
Righteous Blood shined and Boss Sha’s expression turned ugly.
He’d seen Sima Xue before, and he’d seen Righteous Blood.
And he’d also seen Sima Xue’s swordplay.
Once Sima Xue got into the fray, he immediately ordered Dugu Yi to go take care of the King of Assassins.
× × ×
No matter how you looked at it, Dugu Yi was an old cripple.
He was called “Incomplete All-over” and that looked to be completely true. There was probably not another freakish monster like him in all the jianghu.
But Sima Xue didn’t underestimate this monster.
Dugu Yi still had a left arm and a right leg.
His gait of course was really not a pretty sight.
But even if his gait were ten times uglier, no one would dare slight his ability to kill/
Even though he only had one eye, that eye blazed with a radiant gleam, enough to collapse the nerve of the most strongwilled person.
He’d learned the Spellbound Dharma, and though he had not thoroughly perfected it, he had reached a stage where he could mess with one’s mind.
But his eye wasn’t putting his Spellbound Dharma on Sima Xue today.
Some people thought the Spellbound Dharma relied only on the eyes, but those people were entirely mistaken.
Dugu Yi didn’t use his Spellbound Dharma on Sima Xue because he knew that it wouldn’t likely have much effect.
If the Spellbound Dharma was enough to subdue Sima Xue, then he would have died a long time ago.
Dugu Yi didn’t underestimate Sima Xue, just like Sima Xue didn’t underestimate him.
× × ×
Dugu Yi’s gait might not look good, but his speed surprised even Sima Xue.
Sima Xue quickly backtracked three spans.
Dugu Yi cackled, “King of Assassins, don’t tell me you’re afraid of this old cripple?”
Sima Xue shook his head.
“I’m not afraid of you, I’m afraid of Righteous Blood in my hand.”
Dugu Yi sneered, “You’re afraid Righteous Blood will cut off this old fellow’s head?”
Sima Xue said, “I’m not Wei Kongkong, my sword rarely cuts people’s heads off, but if it should divest you of your one remaining leg, that wouldn’t be too good.”
Dugu Yi said coldly, “I hear your Venomous Snake Swordplay is pretty good?”
Sima Xue said, “The Venomous Snake Swordplay is indeed pretty good, but I use many different styles of swordplay to kill people. I don’t necessarily use only the Venomous Snake Swordplay.”
Dugu Yi said, “Hmph! Whether you use the Venomous Snake Swordplay or not, Your Excellency’s venomous character is not hard to imagine.”
Sima Xue said, “Oh! What’s venomous about me?”
Dugu Yi said, “This old fellow heard that you and Sixth Lordson Tang are good friends.”
Sima Xue said, “So what if we are?”
Dugu Yi sneered, “The saying is true, like attracts like. Sixth Lordson Tang is a venomous person who is good at using rare poisons, so a friend of someone like that must be like a snake and a rat living in the same den.”
Tang Jian and Sima Xue looked at each other.
Sima Xue said plainly, “People who spit blood on others have red collars themselves. Mr. Dugu Yi must have attained the highest realm of the Dao.”
Dugu Yi said coldly, “It’s not spitting blood, it’s a fact.”
Sima Xue was silent.
Tang Jian also said nothing.
Just then there was a pause in the purple-garbed warriors’ offensive, but the atmosphere was tense and pointed.
Everyone could feel the murderous aura pressing in close, enveloping the entire room.
Boss Sha was still seated in the east of the main hall.
To his left, the old man, skinny as a bamboo pole, wearing a long, widesleeved gown, had the same expression as before, that of a block of wood.
He was by no means a block of wood.
A block of wood would never give off such a relentless murderous aura.
But his hands looked like they could kill everyone in the world at any time, including himself.
Even though the atmosphere in the main hall was tense, this widesleeved thin old man seemed not to notice.
Who was he?
Sima Xue didn’t know, and neither did Tang Jian.
Not even Miao Jiutian recognized the thin old man and had never seen him before.
But Long Chengbi, who had come with Sima Xue to Flower Blossom Loft, recognized the thin old man.
× × ×
Long Chengbi and Sima Xue had come to Flower Blossom Loft together.
In addition to Long Chengbi, Tang Zhuquan came strolling in as well, carrying his large wine jug with him.
Actually, saying he strolled in is not right.
Even though he was calm and unhurried, and simply languid, his steps were not a bit slower than Long Chengbi’s or Sima Xue’s.
Tang Zhuquan saw the two people seated in the eastern part of the main hall and he recognized one of them at once, Evil Valley’s Boss Sha.
But who was the other thin old man?
Tang Zhuquan immediately asked Long Chengbi, “Who’s that old guy beside Sha Bu’e?”
Long Chengbi said, “He’s Du Duo.”
“Du Duo?” Tang Zhuquan’s eyes widened to double their original size. “The not like an immortal, not like a ghost, but also like an immortal and like a ghost, the Immortal Among Ghosts Du Duo?”
Tang Zhuquan’s voice wasn’t loud, but the thin old man seemed to hear him clearly.
He suddenly cast a cold eye on Long Chengbi and Tang Zhuquan. “I am indeed the Immortal Among Ghosts Du Duo.”
Tang Zhuquan chuckled. “Your old man heard that you died 15 years ago in the Qilian Mountains.”
Du Duo laughed coldly. “The Six Greats of Qilian did master the Six Harmonies Golden Sabre Formation, but catching this old fellow in it is just some wishful thinking.”
Tang Zhuquan said, “In that case, the legend that you and the Six Greats of Qilian went down together is just a rumor?”
Du Duo said, “The Six Greats of Qilian are completely finished, but this old fellow is not.”
Long Chengbi sighed faintly. “Not like an immortal, not like a ghost, but like an immortal and like a ghost, Mr. Du, you must have mastered your Thirteen Sprite Sword?”
Du Duo sneered, “You all will know soon enough if this old fellow has mastered his Thirteen Sprite Sword or not.”
As soon as the word “not” was out of his mouth, Du Duo had already fluttered out of his chair, looking like a strange colored cloud drifting along.
Whoosh.
Before he arrived his sword arrived.
Du Duo’s sword was surprisingly gray.
× × ×
Within Flower Blossom Loft, the paused battle once again resumed.
Miao Jiutian was extremely skilled in setting fires, but when it came to genuine martial arts, he was not as good as Tang Jian or anyone else.
But there was nothing he could do right now outside of openly betraying Boss Sha.
Basically, his “betrayal” was forced.
Under the circumstances, he was in a really bad position.
But he had already handed over the Lifesaving Soul Returning pills to the fake Chou Tiejun, and the fake Chou Tiejun had guaranteed him then that he would keep him safe.
The fake Chou Tiejun was Water Cat, and Water Cat was Sixth Lordson Tang Jian.
Tang Jian hadn’t forgotten his promise.
With powerful foes waiting for an opportunity to strike all around them, he was doing his best to protect Miao Jiutian’s life.
If not for Tang Jian’s valiant effort, Miao Jiutian would have died long ago at the blades of the purple-garbed warriors. These purple-garbed warriors’ sabreplay was exceedingly ferocious. Even though their martial arts wasn’t the best, their courage couldn’t be beat, and they attacked continuously, like an overwhelming tidal wave.
But if he only relied on Tang Jian, then it would be difficult for Miao Jiutian to escape disaster because there were just too many adversaries. It would not be easy at all to kill their way out of there. Especially since there was not only the purple-garbed warriors, but also the masters Sha Bu’e, Dugu Yi, and Du Duo watching hungrily from the side.
But Tang Jian had confidence.
Because Long Chengbi and Sima Xue were here in Evil Valley, and were in fact at Zhou Xian’s place.
He was convinced that Sima Xue and Long Chengbi would be here soon.
Now, they finally had arrived just in time, and the eldest young master of the Hangzhou Tang family, Tang Zhuquan, had come with them.
Even though the Tang Sect of Shu and the Tang family of Hangzhou rarely had contact with each other, Tang Jian had worked together once with Tang Zhuquan back when he was tearing it up in the South Sea, killing a group of pirates till their bodies littered the ground, not sparing a single one.
If there was one person in the Tang family of Hangzhou worth Tang Jian’s concern, it was definitely Tang Zhuquan.
Likewise, the only one in the Tang Sect of Shu who Tang Zhuquan was concerned with, was probably only Sixth Lordson Tang—Tang Jian.
× × ×
The Tang Sect of Shu’s great storm had begun and the Tang family of Hangzhou, which had rarely ever had contact with the Tang Sect of Shu, had been drawn into the midst of this terrible storm.
Between these two Tang houses there was after all some relation. No matter what, Old Tang was not the kind to just watch them in danger and not step in to help.
Tang Zhuquan wasn’t either.
Even though the Tang Sect of Shu’s power and authority always remained in their own people’s hands, Old Tang and his son hoped that the one to fall would not be Tang Yu, Tang Baixiao, and Tang Jian.
Because they represented the side of righteousness in within the Tang Sect of Shu. If they fell, the Tang Sect would become even darker and more unimaginable than before.
(3)
Dugu Yi may have only had one leg and one arm, but his martial arts was made people feel it was unbelievable.
Sima Xue honestly didn’t want to fight him.
Fighting with that kind of person was not a happy matter, because if you didn’t kill him he would kill you.
But facing an “Incomplete All-over” person as his name suggested like this old cripple, Sima Xue found it a bit hard to attack.
Who says killer have no feelings?
Even the King of Assassins Sima Xue had his softhearted moments.
Good thing that Sima Xue had a profound understanding of people like Dugu Yi.
Dugu Yi seemed pitiful on the surface, but he was by no means in need of others’ sympathy. If you sympathized with him, he might very well send you to your death with a strike of his palm for no reason at all.
And the evil deeds he’d committed among the jianghu outnumbered that done by those with all four limbs by a wide margin.
Therefore, Dugu Yi would never let Sima Xue off lightly, and Sima Xue need not take pity on this treacherous, savage old cripple.
Dugu Yi was never polite.
When he struck it was five claw strikes through the heart.
Five clawed fingers striking five times in succession, every grasp enough to gouge Sima Xue’s still-beating heart out.
Sima Xue dodged to the side.
Dugu Yi cackled and suddenly bent his left elbow and drove it toward Sima Xue’s midsection.
It looked as if he had completely forgotten that his opponent was the King of Assassins Sima Xue, and had forgotten that Sima Xue’s Righteous Blood sword was already drawn.
A person with a clearer mind would never advance in attack like this given the circumstances.
Was he so bold to be so sure that Sima Xue’s Righteous Blood wouldn’t be able to cut his left hand off?
× × ×
Dugu Yi was not stupid.
His mind was clearer than anyone’s.
Of course he hadn’t forgotten who Sima Xue was, and he understood full well what kind of sword Righteous Blood was.
Given the circumstances, if Sima Xue slashed, it would be very dangerous.
But Dugu Yi’s real strike was not his elbow, but his left leg.
Left leg?
Wasn’t he missing his left leg?
Yes, his left left had been cut off at the knee, but under his left knee stump was hidden a weapon that was impossible to defend against. It was a section of knife blade half a span long that could suddenly explode out from his knee stump.
Whoosh.
The blade nearly sliced Sima Xue’s belly open.
It was an extremely insidious slash.
At the same time, it was an exceedingly venomous slash, as the blade had been dipped in 18 different poisons. Anyone who was cut by this blade would certainly be off to see King Yama at once.
Therefore, the left elbow thrust at Sima Xue was a feint.
But the poisoned knee stump blade nearly took Sima Xue’s life.
× × ×
Dugu Yi really was a difficult to handle monster.
But Sima Xue was very calm.
He knew that facing an “Incomplete All-over” person was much more difficult than dealing with any completely intact person.
The two of them came together in an instant and as quickly separated, Dugu Yi laughing coldly all the while.
They moved as nimble as fleeing rabbits, but when they were still they were like two mountains.
Two completely unmoving mountains, three equally cold, unfeeling eyes facing each other.
They had only exchanged a few moves but beads of sweat were already forming on their foreheads.
From very swift movements in the blink of any eye became complete stillness, as if even their breathing has ceased.
Normally only when masters traded blows did this rare phenomenon occur.
Neither of them had won, and neither had lost.
Their stillness was actually movement.
What they moved was not their hands, but their eyes, even to the point of every fingerwidth of muscle on their bodies.
Besides using their eyes to search for the other’s weak points, they seemed to be using an invisible sense of touch to probe out which weak point was the weakest.
Know oneself and know the enemy and you will win 100 battles out of 100.
But knowing yourself and knowing your enemy is easier said than done!
× × ×
Even though there were several purple-garbed warriors near Sima Xue and Dugu Yi, as well as Sima Xue’s friends, none of them got involved.
They had their own “battle situations”.
Except for one purple-garbed warrior. He craved achievement.
He saw that Sima Xue standing there blankly in the middle of the main hall as if his acupoints had been struck.
He was thinking that if he suddenly slashed at Sima Xue and ended him, then it would be a great, meritorious contribution.
He was a very arrogant bladesman.
Of the 40 purple-garbed warriors, he’d always considered his sabreplay to be the best.
He had always wanted a chance to prove it. Now, this looked like a great chance.
He was a utilitarian, and loved fishing in troubled waters.
Sima Xue was the King of Assassins, so this fish was by no means a small one.
This purple-garbed warrior had decided to take this big fish by surprise.
× × ×
Three eyes continuously searching the other’s body.
This was extreme stillness after extreme activity.
At the same time, it was the harbinger of the next wave of extreme activity.
Even though all around them it was pandemonium, like 900 crabs fighting each other, they seemed detached from it, not the least bit affected by the goings on of the outside world.
The ever-still Dugu Yi suddenly nodded his head slightly, and his only eye showed a gleam of admiration.
This person was as wicked as could be, yet he was a master.
Heroes recognize heroes.
Dugu Yi began to admire Sima Xue a bit.
× × ×
Admiration, for others, was a peaceful thing.
But for Dugu Yi, “admiration” was a bit different.
He felt admiration for them, but actually, in his heart he did not want to admit it.
The more he admired someone, with very few exceptions, the more he usually longed to get rid of this admiration.
Dugu Yi’s thinking was a bit strange.
He believed that rather than admire someone else, why not simply admire himself? So long as he could get rid of this admiration he felt for someone else, he could present that admiration to himself.
This was a very mysterious, strange, and extremely perverse way of thinking. You couldn’t totally call it jealousy, but it did have some jealousy to it.
People in general wouldn’t think this way. It was an intolerable way of thinking.
But Dugu Yi was that kind of person.
His gaze became more and more dark and calculating.
And a look of pride suddenly emerged on Sima Xue’s face.
× × ×
The saying is true that “A cocksure army is doomed to defeat.”
Was Sima Xue really suddenly looking cocksure?”
No!
He was not at all an arrogant person.
Sometimes he was wild, but that wasn’t the same thing as arrogant.
Right now he was using the strategy of luring the enemy into an ambush.
But Dugu Yi was an old fox himself and didn’t fall for it.
He wouldn’t change his battle strategy because of any of his enemy’s poses, just like a master of weiqi would never seek to devour his opponent’s stones and thereby fall into a trap.
× × ×
Sima Xue failed to make Dugu Yi fall for it, but the merit-seeking purple-garbed bladesman thought this was an extremely rare opportunity.
He always thought he was good at seizing opportunities.
A person who was good at seizing opportunities of course shouldn’t let a good opportunity pass him by.
Therefore, he no longer hesitated but stabbed at Sima Xue’s back.
His sabre thrust was ferocious. It looked as if Sima Xue’s back would soon be run through with a big hole in it.
But Sima Xue was still like a block of wood, not even his sleeve rustled.
The purple-garbed warrior was secretly delighted.
His thrust was quick, but just as the point of his sabre was about to pierce Sima Xue’s clothes, the purple-garbed warrior’s blade suddenly went clang and broke.
The broken piece of blade shot like an arrow up into the roofbeam.
The blade lodged into the wooden roof beam with a whung.
And the purple-garbed warrior also shot like an arrow. Not upward, but backward, staggering back eight staves!
Eight staves was not a short distance.
The purple-garbed warrior really did stagger back eight staves, and once he came to a stop he pitched over at once onto his back.
Dugu Yi’s eye gleamed. He saw a sabre, a sabre he would never forget as long as he lived!
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