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Chapter 6
Sima Xue’s Sword Goads Sha Bu’e
(1)
From the heavens above to the earth below, there were definitely not many who could pull off such an amazing sabre slash given the current circumstances.
From the heavens above to the earth below, there were very few whose sabre could make Dugu Yi’s heart pound like that.
It was Long Chengbi’s Eight Dragons Sabreplay and the sabre given to him by Old Blizzard, the Blizzard Blade.
Ancient bronzecolored hilt grasped in Long Chengbi’s hand.
He seemed to be gripping the hilt tightly, yet at the same time he seemed to pay it no mind at all, just casually holding it in his hand, then casually waving it out in a slash.
But this sabre slash suppressed all the lamplight in Flower Blossom Loft.
Sima Xue was still as before, as if he had no intention of striking at all.
But suddenly, a blade snowwhite as silver hidden in its scabbard became a red awn of light arcing, and in one strike was at Dugu Yi’s throat.
An incredibly ruthless sword sword strike!
Once struck, one move turned at once to five patterns.
Swish!
Swish swish swish swish!
Dugu Yi’s face suddenly became woodenly expressionless. He didn’t parry, and he didn’t counter, he just used his lightness skill and darted to the left and evaded to the right.
For all his only having one leg, his lightness skill was unimaginably fast.
Sima Xue’s five patterned swordplay missed one after the other.
Like a strange bird Dugu Yi suddenly circled around an pounced on Sima Xue from behind.
His lone hand swiftly shot out like an arrow, in his hand an ox-tendon rope. This rope whooshed, whipping around toward Sima Xue’s neck.
Sima Xue brought his sword back and cut.
Sword and rope clashed and the incredibly sharp Righteous Blood was unable to cut the rope in two.
Dugu Yi’s wrist was strong. He pulled back and the rope brought Sima Xue and his sword back with it.
This was a close quarters battle.
Sima Xue’s reaction was not at all shabby.
Dugu Yi’s move was outstanding and strange, but the King of Assassins after all was the King of Assassins, the speed with which he adapted was faster than any ordinary man of the martial world could match.
In that split second, his left hand put to use his consummate “Finger Shadow Sword” technique.
The Finger Shadow Sword was a finger technique, but also a sword technique.
His finger acted as a sword.
At the same time, Dugu Yi’s “Flower Up the Sleeve” hidden weapon skill launched swiftly at Sima Xue’s chest.
This moment for them would decide their life or death.
× × ×
Dugu Yi had been diligently practicing his Flower Up the Sleeve hidden weapon skill for no less than 30 years.
Those thirty years of practice were not spent in vain, especially at such short distance, it was a sure thing.
But Dugu Yi miscalculated one thing.
Sima Xue’s sword had been tied up by his rope, and Righteous Blood could not cut the rope, but Righteous Blood was still in Sima Xue’s hand, and Sima Xue definitely still have the strength to control Righteous Blood.
Thirty-two very fine weapons swarmed out like plum blossoms at Sima Xue’s chest.
But Righteous Blood suddenly quivered like an agile snake, and the 32 unknockdownable weapons were in the blink of an eye knocked down.
And at the same time Dugu Yi’s face went as white as a sheet of paper.
Thirty years of arduous training popping like an air bubble in his opponent’s sword screen.
It was simply impossible.
Still, the impossible had happened.
And Sima Xue’s Finger Shadow Sword went thunk and lodged deep into Dugu Yi’s throat.
Blood spurted out.
At the same time, Tang Zhuquan laughed loudly, “Nice finger technique! Nice sword technique! What a King of Assassins, you fuckin’ killed the shit out of him!”
But Dugu Yi couldn’t hear any of it.
He could only hear the sound of his own punctured throat. He was known as “Incomplete All-over.”
Dugu Yi, who lacked an eye, an ear, and had only one arm and leg, but he could still survive, could still do evil. But with a punctured throat, he could only obediently be on his way.
His way was the road the the Yellow Springs, a direct route to the Office of Hell in the Netherworld…
(2)
Dugu Yi “went on his way”.
Boss Sha’s eyes widened. He looked at his dead body, then looked at Sima Xue’s sword.
He wasn’t frightened.
He just felt angry.
He suddenly shot to his feet. He looked like he wanted to swallow Sima Xue whole.
But he quickly sat back down again.
Sima Xue smiled coldly. “Boss Sha, no need to be angry, and don’t think about running away. You can’t.”
Boss Sha said coldly, “We’ll see if the one who can’t run away is you or I!”
As he spoke he forcefully waves his hand and the purple-garbed warriors of Flower Blossom Loft immediately swarmed on Sima Xue like ants.
The purple-garbed warriors had already lost over a dozen, but the twenty or so left were seasoned, ferocious bladesmen.
Besides the purple-garbed warriors, the most attention-grabbing was of course the one who was not an immortal, not a ghost, but like an immortal and like a ghost, the Immortal Among Ghosts Du Duo.
Du Duo was standing in the middle of the fight, but all this time he had not made a move.
Even when Long Chengbi cut down that purple-garbed warrior with his blade, he had only stood off to the side and watched, not stepping in to help.
Long Chengbi wasn’t all that surprised.
Du Duo was never one to care about the lives of others.
Not to mention one trivial purple-garbed warrior, even if a thousand purple-garbed warriors died in front of him, he would not care one bit.
What he most cared about was how to kill the Snowblade Vagabond Long Chengbi with his sword.
In his heart he held a secret/.
This secret, not even Boss Sha knew.
The head of the Evil Sect had enjoined Du Duo that if he could kill Long Chengbi, he could take over Sha Bu’e’s position.
The head of the Evil Sect was a great ambitious cutthroat of the martial world.
He was a person with vaulting ambition, and he wanted to deal with many more people besides the Snowblade Vagabond Long Chengbi.
× × ×
Boss Sha didn’t run.
He had no need to run, and he didn’t want to run.
He wanted to see if Du Duo’s Thirteen Sprite Sword could defeat the Snowblade Vagabond Long Chengbi.
Tang Zhuquan also wanted to sit down quietly and enjoy the battle.
But these purple-garbed warriors were recklessly holding him up.
Tang Zhuquan’s temper was not good to begin with, and now it flared up even more.
“Y’all are a bunch of blind fools, not paying attention to who your old man is but just rushing in to your deaths!”
Every time he cursed them another one fell to his finger.
The Tang Family Five Supreme Finger Technique was just the thing to deal with these purple-garbed warriors.
Till the eighth purple-garbed warrior fell to his finger, then the ninth had no courage to charge at him.
But neither did he have the guts to retreat.
In the Evil Sect, retreating was an unforgivable crime.
Since he couldn’t advance and couldn’t retreat, what was he to do? In the end, he chose another opponent.
He brandished his sabre at Sima Xue and attacked.
But Tang Zhuquan was not to be pushed around, so how could the King of Assassins be easy to deal with?
The purple-garbed warrior only now deeply regretted his greedy plan to seek profits and join as a disciple of the Evil Sect.
He had been a lone bandit, normally looting, raping women, doing many such “fine things”.
But for some reason he had thrown in with the Evil Sect and become the deputy squad leader of the purple-garbed warriors.
As deputy squad leader of the purple-garbed warriors, his martial arts of course ought to be pretty good. And it’s true that it was pretty good.
But now it was also true that he was really out of luck. Anyone who encountered Sima Xue’s sword would be really out of luck.
Tchh!
The deputy squad leader choosing Sima Xue as an opponent was not smart at all.
But even if he were a hundred times smarter, what other choice did he have given the circumstances?
The tchh sound was the sound of Sima Xue’s sword piercing his heart.
A crisp, sharp sound.
A crisp, sharp sword thrust.
And so scream the purple-garbed deputy squad leader made when he fell was also crisp and sharp.
Boss Sha’s complexion changed again.
The situation had been very favorable to him, but favorable had gradually changed to fairly unfavorable.
Yet he still sat in his chair, not the least bit ready to leave it.
He suddenly glanced at Tang Jian as if to say, “It’s still too early to say who will win!”
Tang Jian’s heart suddenly jerked.
It seemed that Boss Sha still had more capital to “wager”.
But was his capital all placed on Du Duo and these purple-garbed warriors?
(3)
The purple-garbed warriors’ martial arts was pretty good, but this time they had run into masters among masters.
Add in Dugu Yi’s death and their momentum had taken a big hit.
The purple-garbed warriors fell one by one.
Only a few of the 40 remained, and they could no longer function at all.
Boss Sha’s only hope rested on Du Duo’s sword. But Du Duo could only deal with Long Chengbi, and even if he won, there was still Tang Zhuquan, Sima Xue, Tang Jian, and Miao Jiutian. Who was going to get rid of them?
Just then, Tang Jian was approaching step by step toward Boss Sha.
His pace was not quick, but he quickly was standing before Boss Sha.
Boss Sha stared at him and suddenly sighed. “Sixth Lordson’s martial arts is pretty good, but compared to this sect’s headmaster, it’s far inferior.”
Tang Jian smiled faintly. “This lordson right now is not facing your headmaster, but you—Mr. Sha Bu’e!”
Boss Sha gave a dry cough.
He still sat comfortably in his chair with no intention whatsoever of standing up and fighting.
He just said coldly, “If you think I’m an easy person to deal with, you are sorely mistaken.”
Tang Jian said, “But how much do you know about this lordson?”
Boss Sha asked, “Your Excellency is good at poisoning.”
“That’s right, perhaps you’ve already fallen prey to my poison.”
Boss Sha shook his head. “You need not threaten me. Sixth Lordson’s poisoning ability is superb, but if you want to kill this chairperson, it won’t be so easy.”
Tang Jian frowned.
“Rare for you to be so confident.”
Boss Sha said indifferently, “If this chairperson wasn’t even this much confident, how could I be worthy of occupying this chair…”
Before he’d finished, Boss Sha’s chair suddenly dropped.
Tang Jian’s poisoned sleeve arrows shot out at the same time.
Zip!
Zip!
Zip!
Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip!
Seven poisoned sleeve arrows zipped like streaming stars toward Boss Sha.
But all seven missed.
Boss Sha, who had been sitting in the main hall, dropped down along with his chair into the floor.
Of course there was a trap door in the floor.
Tang Jian didn’t give chase.
He didn’t give chase, but an iron plate suddenly came up from below.
Boss Sha’s counterattack launched from underground.
Tang Jian’s seven arrows hadn’t hit Boss Sha, but after he dropped below the floor, an iron plate sprang up and shot 70 arrows at Tang Jian!
This was Boss Sha’s counterattack.
You give me seven arrows, I’ll give you back ten times as many.
—You didn’t need to hit with all seventy arrows, just one was enough.
—Enough to take your “cat life”!
× × ×
Cat life!
Tang Jian was Water Cat, and was also South Sea Apsara Tiger.
But be he cat or tiger, those 70 arrows would not be easy to dodge.
Tang Jian was skilled at using arrows, but he wasn’t an arrow god.
Even if he were, it’d still be hard to avoid getting hit by one of them.
Arrows were unfeeling.
Should just one of those arrows hit the mark, Sixth Lordson Tang would immediately become Dead Lordson Tang.
Tang Jian didn’t want to die.
As long as the Evil Sect still existed, he did not want to die.
So he used a short sword to knock down all 70 arrows.
To be able to knock down all 70 arrows given under these circumstances would really raise some eyebrows.
But Boss Sha, who had just dropped below ground, not suddenly dashed back up.
He didn’t dash back up emptyhanded, but had taken an eight-span golden spear from down below with him.
This golden spear was eight spans long and astonishingly powerful.
But this eight-span golden spear could suddenly extend three more spans and become a strangely-shaped eleven-span spear.
Zip!
Such a fast spear.
Tang Jian knocking 70 arrows down one after the other would get blocked up, but Boss Sha’s offensive followed close behind, leaving him no time at all to catch his breath.
Seventy arrows couldn’t defeat Tang Jian, but the spear thrust was right on the mark.
The spear tip passed through Tang Jian’s right shoulder and a rain of blood sprayed out.
Tang Jian took a breath and not only didn’t retreat, he rather reached out with one hand and grabbed hold of Boss Sha’s golden spear.
Boss Sha shivered.
He’d wounded Tang Jian with the spear, but he never expected that after being injured, Tang Jian would still be so bold and powerful.
Boss Sha shouted and tried to pull the golden spear from Tang Jian’s hand.
But Tang Jian’s wrist was stronger than Boss Sha anticipated.
Boss Sha’s forehead was beginning to bead with sweat.
The shaft of the golden spear had been warped by Tang Jian’s wrist strength.
The one straight-as-a-brush golden spear had surprisingly been warped into a bow.
Boss Sha might as well just abandon the golden spear and get ready to use the strength of his palms to deal with Tang Jian. But Tang Jian’s fist came faster than his palm.
Boss Sha flitted left and right but could not avoid the punch.
Wham!
A muffled sound as Boss Sha was punched.
The punch hit him square in the face and his legs started to wobble.
Tang Jian shouted in rage and his short sword exploded forward.
Boss Sha’s expression immediately turned to astonishment.
He cried out in alarm.
Not even he could believe that he could let out such a terrified holler.
Tang Jian was wounded, but he followed close and countered, making Boss Sha unable to parry.
A heartless sword thrust ended Sha Bu’e’s repulsive life.
Du Duo’s expression didn’t change, as if he didn’t care one bit if Boss Sha died.
Indeed he did not care.
Boss Sha’s death in action to him was not only not bad news, it was a good thing.
Now all he had to do was get rid of the Snowblade Vagabond Long Chengbi!
(4)
Du Duo’s face was normally ice cold and overcast, but when Boss Sha went down, he suddenly smiled.
Long Chengbi was stunned.
He never thought that Du Duo could look so relaxed.
He said slowly, “Sha Bu’e is dead! Don’t tell me you’re not the least bit sad about his death?”
Du Duo laughed. “How do you know if this old fellow is sad or not. You want this old fellow to cry out loud?”
Long Chengbi had nothing to say to that.
Du Duo’s sword was drawn.
The tip pointed not at Long Chengbi, but at the tip of Du Duo’s own toe.
But the sword’s swordlight could at any time penetrate Long Chengbi’s skin, or his throat.
No one could slight the sword’s power, not even Long Chengbi. A sword didn’t intrinsically possess the word “power”, but “power” came from the sword wielder’s hand.
So long as the sword wielder had power, the sword had its own life, its own power. This was not some profound mystery but something everyone ought to understand.
Du Duo stood there unflappable, but standing anywhere within five staves of him put one’s entire life under the blade of his sword’s control.
But what Du Duo lacked was a noble spirit.
He was not a righteous person and he had no righteousness, only wickedness. An out-and-out wicked person’s sword in hand of course became out-and-out wicked.
But Long Chengbi was the exact opposite.
Though he was a vagabond, standing before Du Duo he was like a god before a demon!
You mean this was a supernatural war?”
× × ×
Long Chengbi had no purpose for coming to Evil Valley.
He wasn’t after anything, had no schemes.
He only knew one thing.
The Tang Sect of Shu was divided.
Despite the Tang Sect of Shu’s bad reputation among the jianghu, Long Chengbi didn’t want such a huge clan to split up over internecine strife.
Because he knew that there was no lack of wicked, sinister people in the Tang Sect, there were also some Tang people who stood on the side of righteousness.
Long Chengbi and the Tang Sect of Shu had never had any dealings with each other, but the Hangzhou Tang House’s Tang Zhuquan was his old buddy.
And the Hangzhou House of Tang’s Second Miss Tang Zhujun was his sweetheart he yearned for day and night.
The Tang Sect of Shu’s affairs now involved the Hangzhou House of Tang. Given the circumstances, how could Long Chengbi stay out of it?
But even if there weren’t such complicated matters present, Long Chengbi would still take action against the Evil Sect.
He was a vagabond.
A specializing in dealing with jianghu scum, a defying the powerful and influential, a fearless to all dangers or hardships, an even more fearless in the face of death Snowblade Vagabond.
The “fine deeds” committed by the Evil Sect over the past two years had gotten to be a bit too much.
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