Chapter Eighty-Eight: Vindicated at Last

On the field, Li Tianjun was dazzling beyond measure, standing alone against two formidable experts with the bearing of a god of war. He drove them back step by step, leaving them in a miserable state. Born with prodigious strength, he met their weapons head-on and split both men’s tiger’s mouths open with the force of the impact, nearly knocking their arms loose from their hands. They no longer dared to take him directly and exchanged a glance, intending to wear down his spiritual power through evasive fighting. Yet his footwork was astonishingly swift, his steps easy and unforced; even two against one, they were reduced to passive defense, with the ever-present risk of being cut down at any moment.

What delighted Yang Cheng even more was Yan Shuihan. Though his face was refined and youthful, he had a spirit of uncommon vigor. His Ice Palm technique was exquisite, the chill upon his palms plainly visible. The Qinghuo Gang expert opposing him already had one arm frozen rigid, hanging uselessly at his side, and his combat strength had been cut in half. Yan Shuihan was not only young but gifted as well, and with his steady manner of doing things, he would surely prove useful in the future.

Of the other two guards, one wielded a bronze staff. As he swung it, it stirred the air with roaring force, exceedingly imposing to behold. It was a pity, however, that he was only at the early integration stage and lacked any truly outstanding battle method. His opponent was in the middle stage, and the two were presently deadlocked, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Yet if the struggle dragged on, he would very likely lose; for now, he could only delay his foe. The other was also in the middle stage, armed with a longsword, and was locked in fierce combat with his opponent.

Song Qinghuo’s Windbreaking Saber technique was brutally vicious. Dao Bailiu was already covered in wounds, one of them so deep it nearly reached the bone. He was at the end of his strength. Seeing the battle on all sides mired in stalemate, Song Qinghuo knew his own side would find victory difficult. In his anxiety, he hacked fiercely at Dao Bailiu, hoping to finish him in one stroke.

Who would have thought Dao Bailiu possessed such extraordinary tenacity. Though wounded countless times, he had merely been waiting for Song Qinghuo to reveal a flaw. Seeing him, he immediately retreated several steps, drew flying blades from his waist, and unleashed his family’s secret art. The blades shot out like lightning, straight for Song Qinghuo’s vital points.

Song Qinghuo had grown up in street brawls and was incomparably sensitive to danger. He hurried to evade, but managed only to spare the vital parts; one flying blade plunged in at his waist and burst from his back. A cultivator’s body was not especially tough, and with such grievous injury Song Qinghuo was already in excruciating pain. He cursed loudly, shouting, “You treacherous rat! You had such a hidden weapon skill and kept it secret all this time. You must have been waiting for this day so you could put me to death, huh?”

Dao Bailiu had no mind to argue. He said coldly, “Something you can show off with can’t be called a hidden weapon. I may have always despised your filthy methods, but I merely chose not to cooperate. I never once thought of turning on you.”

Song Qinghuo suppressed the anger on his face and tried to win him over. “Brother, let today’s matter end here.” Then he pointed across the way. “Help me deal with them, and I won’t hold a grudge against you. I’ll even celebrate your merits.”

Dao Bailiu asked in return, “Do you think I could still believe you now that you’re saying this? We all know what kind of man you are. It’s only because the brothers feared your methods that no one dared harbor other intentions.” He then sighed. “Since I have already come this far, there is no turning back. At this point, either you die or I do.”

Enraged, Song Qinghuo said hatefully, “In that case, don’t even think about walking out of here alive today.” The two of them then fought together once more.

While both sides were locked in chaotic combat, no one noticed that nine swift figures had appeared behind the Qinghuo Gang from the rear. Before the gang members in back even turned around, they felt a chill at their backs, and eight or nine of them were already cut down. Before their cries could fully rise, the view before them blurred again, and several more men fell.

By the time the screams truly erupted, more than forty people in the rear had already been hacked to the ground.

" Damn it, there are people behind us!"

" Ambush at the rear!"

" Ah!"

Upon hearing the warning, part of the force turned back to meet the attack. They only saw countless afterimages darting wildly through the crowd, impossible to make out clearly. Instantly, more screams rang out from within the mob. In an instant, a great terror seized the Qinghuo Gang. They were already hard-pressed to win, and now such experts had appeared, so strong their figures could not even be seen. No one knew how many more masters had come to reinforce the enemy.

On Yang Cheng’s side, Liu Feng had seen it from within the formation. Though he did not know who the newcomers were, he could tell at a glance they were allies, not foes. He immediately shouted, "Brothers, experts have come to aid us! Press the attack with everything you have!"

At once, everyone’s morale surged, and each man fought with renewed valor.

Zhong Qiang and the others moved swiftly through the crowd, from time to time shouting, "The Qinghuo Gang is beaten. Run!"

Both sides were shouting now, and the unknown fear spread rapidly through the Qinghuo Gang ranks. Those who did not understand what was happening heard screams from both front and rear and instantly thought they had been completely defeated. Many gang members who had only been trying to make a living no longer wished to keep holding on and scattered in all directions.

This left the Qinghuo Gang’s leading experts in a miserable position. They were already in a bitter fight, and now their subordinates were fleeing in disarray, sending hearts into panic.

Li Tianxing seized the moment when one of his opponents, flustered and careless, showed an opening, and decisively struck the man down. He then turned to the other and, with another effortless sweep of his blade, sent him crashing to the ground as well. Taking a quick look across the battlefield, he saw that their main force was already suppressing the enemy and was not in the least anxious. He lifted his blade and went forward to assist the other experts.

Over here, when Duan Zhiwu saw Li Tianjun moving over, he called out, "Brother Li, no need to come here. I haven’t had a proper fight in a long time; just watch how I defeat him." Li Tianjun had no choice but to turn and help his own brother-in-arms. Hong Yunshan, hearing this, was nearly driven mad with fury, yet there was nothing he could do.

After another dozen exchanges, Duan Zhiwu found an opening, deflected the spear, and thrust his sword into the other man’s waist. Hong Yunshan looked down at the longsword sinking into his body, his expression shifting between shock and disbelief, before collapsing weakly to the ground.

With the help of Li Tianjun and Duan Zhiwu, the other two integration-stage experts also cut down their opponents. Yan Shuihan quickly finished his own battle as well, freezing his opponent rigid to the ground. Li Tianjun had Yan Shuihan and the other two go assist the main force, while he and Duan Zhiwu moved to encircle Song Qinghuo and Dao Bailiu.

Song Qinghuo was already badly wounded, and with the enemy experts closing in on him, he grew frantic, revealing one opening after another. It took only a few moves before Dao Bailiu’s iron palm smashed him to the ground.

Li Tianjun stepped forward and kicked Song Qinghuo several times, drawing agonized cries from him and forcing him to curse wildly. Seeing that he no longer had the strength to retaliate, Li Tianjun raised his voice and shouted, "Song Qinghuo has been captured. We only want the bandit chief; the rest are not our concern."

On the battlefield, where blades and steel had been clashing all around, the cry gradually brought the fighting to a halt. Those who did not hear it saw others stop and dared not continue their recklessness. Little by little, only muffled groans remained in the open field, and the sound of swords and sabers meeting was no more.

Everyone turned to look toward Li Tianjun and Song Qinghuo. Song Qinghuo lay sprawled on the ground, cursing without pause.

Li Tianjun paid him no mind and said respectfully, "Please make the decision, Young Master."

Yang Cheng and Old Zhu, surrounded by the crowd, walked over. Yang Cheng glanced at Dao Bailiu, who was crouched on the ground resting. Dao Bailiu looked back as well, somewhat surprised. The two had been very close earlier, yet Dao Bailiu had nothing to say; after all, he did not really count as one of their group, and who knew how he would be dealt with together with the rest.

Old Zhu had a keen eye. As he passed through the crowd, he spotted the scar-faced brute who had made trouble at the Yang family’s furniture shop last time. At this moment the man was covered in wounds, standing there drooping in the crowd. Where was that former arrogance now?

Old Zhu walked over in high spirits and, without the slightest politeness, slapped the man twice in quick succession. Though the difference in their cultivation was vast, a slap to the face was still enough to make the man see stars.

Seeing the many furious eyes around him, the scar-faced brute did not dare grow angry. He could only lower his head and stand rooted in place. Old Zhu immediately felt vindicated, his spirits soaring.