Blade - Unbound

In any conflict, exchanging words was an important part of the contest. Jianghu duels revolved around the rules of the jianghu. Ritual duels revolved around the principles of the Dao.

Even wars between nations began with proclamations denouncing one another. It had always been this way throughout history, no matter the culture.

Young people newly entered into the jianghu often could not understand why all the old-timers were so long-winded.

Why not just fight? Draw the white blade, spill the red blood. Wouldn't that be far more satisfying?

The reason was simple. There were advantages to doing things this way. Take Tie Shigu's words, for example. They sounded like ridicule, but in reality, he was trying to force the Fire Bear Gang into conceding.

First, he wasn't certain whether the Fire Bear Gang still had hidden trump cards. Since a member of the Shang mountain Daoist lineage had already appeared, it would naturally be best if they could reduce risk by forcing the other side to back down.

Second, conceding and being defeated were two completely different things. If one lost in battle, you could always find a chance to reclaim your honor later. But if one admitted defeat, they would forever stand a head shorter whenever both sides met again.

Those who failed to understand the principle would inevitably suffer losses in the future.

Xiong Baodong was famous for his cunning, so naturally he would not fall for Tie Shigu’s tricks. He sneered, "Old mud-legged fool, I think you're the one who's gotten old. All you've got left is that sharp tongue! If you want to talk so tough, how about you and I step up there and have a go?"

Chang'an was a city teeming with all kinds of people. Xiong Baodong had relied on far more than clever schemes to establish himself. He had entered the Jin Transformation Realm many years ago. Not only had he mastered formidable external martial arts, he had also inherited his family's Open Gate Baji Fist, an exceptionally fierce style.

Countless jianghu figures had died at his hands. Had his reputation not been so poor, he might even have had a chance to compete for the position of President of the Divine Fist Association.

Tie Shigu was likewise a master of the Poking Kick, and he too had reached the Jin Transformation Realm. However, he was already advanced in years, and his strength was no longer what it had once been.

If the two truly fought to the death, Tie Shigu would certainly lose.

Of course, Xiong Baodong's words were only spoken in anger. Although Tie Shigu's mouth was foul, he was still the President of the Porter Guild. If he really forced the old man into a fight and killed him, that would become a major incident. After all, many members of the Five Guilds had yet to become involved in this matter.

There were several merchant associations, not to mention the Canal Gang, whom Xiong Baodong feared the most. If Tie Shigu died, the guilds would unite against him. More importantly, there were also powerful figures standing behind them. Xiong Baodong had no desire to provoke that kind of trouble.

Thus, before Tie Shigu could respond, Xiong Baodong immediately changed the subject. "I already said this was going to be a ritual duel. I'm not waiting around forever. You people can wait if you want but I don't have that kind of time.

"Either send someone up immediately, or I'll turn around and leave. Tonight's duel is off, and we'll arrange another date."

He was simply twisting the situation to his advantage. He knew that the night's affair had already gone badly. He had never expected Li Yan to recruit two such formidable experts to assist them.

Conceding was impossible, nor could he afford to lose face. According to his subordinates, there was supposedly an even more terrifying expert still on the way. For some unknown reason, that person had yet to arrive.

This was his opportunity! Either he would win one round to salvage some of his dignity, or withdraw immediately and fight another day.

One disciple of the Shang mountain Daoist lineage had already been injured. If he exaggerated the story upon returning, perhaps Yue Fachong himself would intervene next time.

If that happened, the tables might even be turned.

Tie Shigu laughed in exasperation. "Your little scheme is so obvious that anyone can smell the stench. Do you really think everyone here is an idiot?"

Feigning impatience, Xiong Baodong waved his hand. "Enough nonsense. Are you sending someone or not? If not, I'm leaving right now!"

Red Yaksha looked directly at Liu Wenchen. "There's something I also want to make perfectly clear. Some things are valuable. If you take them, then you've taken them. I don't care whether you stole them, but this concerns the inheritance of our lineage. I don't care whether you picked it up, stole it, or bought it...

"As long as someone from my lineage still lives, this matter will never end! Let's not trouble anyone else with our grudge. Step onto the arena now!"

She had been suppressing her anger for far too long. The killing intent in her eyes was completely undisguised. Liu Wenchen immediately regretted his actions after seeing her raw fury.

As Red Yaksha had said, although the Ziwu Demon-Slaying Sword was indeed a powerful artifact, what truly mattered was the inheritance of her Daoist lineage sealed within it. That inheritance alone possessed tremendous value.

On the surface, he was merely refusing to return the sword. In reality, he was attempting to seize another lineage's inheritance. Just as Red Yaksha had said, no matter how he had acquired it, unless the other side acknowledged his ownership willingly, he would never truly possess it in peace.

That was why he had used the excuse of a ritual duel to force Red Yaksha into accepting defeat and make the matter appear legitimate. Now, he had only succeeded in trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice.

Truthfully, at this point, Liu Wenchen already wanted to return the sword. But he knew the matter was no longer his decision to make. As for stepping onto the field himself, he was even less willing. In the end, he simply turned his head aside, pretending not to hear Red Yaksha's challenge.

"I'll go." Li Yan reached out and stopped Red Yaksha. He smiled. "Why the rush, Sister Hong? Hold the line for now. I'll go test my skills first."

Then he turned to Xiong Baodong. "Chief Xiong, stop playing games. Hurry up and send someone. It's the middle of the night. Let's finish this."

Without waiting for Xiong Baodong's response, Li Yan walked straight toward the ruins.

Xiong Baodong frowned before turning toward Liu Wenchen. "That's the leader of their group?"

Liu Wenchen hurriedly nodded. "That's right. I gathered some information. He was originally just a martial artist. He became famous in Xianyang after defeating a member of Zhou Pan's clan.

"He only built his inner temple on Mount Taibai a few days ago. He's just a rookie who's only recently entered the mystic path. He should be easy to deal with."

"Easy my ass!" Xiong Baodong cursed. "If he didn't have real ability, how could he command the respect of so many people at such a young age? You've really become more useless with every passing year."

Liu Wenchen looked embarrassed and dared not speak again.

"Hmph!" Xiong Baodong snorted before looking around. "Everyone, it seems we've suffered a setback tonight. But even if we lose the battle, we can't lose our dignity. Whoever goes up there and wins one round, I will reward generously!"

Unfortunately, the others weren't fools. Everyone who had stepped up that night had been an expert. Yet one had died and another had been injured. That alone made everyone uneasy.

Furthermore, neither Wang Daoxuan nor Red Yaksha had attempted to stop Li Yan. That meant they had complete confidence in the young man. At a time like this, only an idiot would volunteer. In the end, the remaining experts simply exchanged glances without speaking.

Xiong Baodong laughed angrily, "What a bunch of cowards! You people are unbelievable. Every day you boast louder than thunder, but when it matters, none of you can be relied upon."

He was seething with frustration. Then, noticing the mocking expression on Tie Shigu's face, he decided he could not let outsiders laugh at him any longer.

His eyes rolled slightly before he suddenly spoke. "Yao San, you go."

A cold voice answered, "Mhm."

An utterly unremarkable-looking man stepped out from behind him. He was of average height and dressed in a worn sheepskin coat. He had twin blades at his waist and a bamboo hat upon his head, with an unshaven face weathered by hardship. He looked no different from the countless down-and-out swordsmen wandering the Guanzhong Plains.

However, seeing him, Tie Shigu's expression changed immediately. He barked, "Xiong Baodong, this is supposed to be a ritual duel! Why are you sending him?"

Even Sha Lifei looked shocked. "It's Yao San! He's still alive?"

"Hahaha..." Xiong Baodong stroked his chin and snorted with contempt, "You old fool. Have you forgotten what counts as part of the mystic path? As long as someone can use a spiritual artifact, they're part of it."

With that, he removed the jade disc hanging from his own neck and personally fastened it around Yao San's neck.

He sneered. "There. Now he's got one.

"Go, finish him quickly."

Yao San silently nodded before walking toward the ruins. His pace grew faster and faster until suddenly, he exploded forward.

Whoosh!

Snow burst into the air as he vanished.

Sha Lifei shouted furiously. "That's cheating! Little Yan, don't fight him!"

Yet in the distance, Li Yan merely waved his hand, signaling everyone not to worry.

Wang Daoxuan frowned. "What's going on?"

Sha Lifei growled angrily, "That man is a famous swordsman from the Green Forest! He reached the peak of the Dark Jin Realm years ago and killed countless people.

"How did he become the Fire Bear Gang's lapdog? And more importantly... The stronghold he used to lead was destroyed by Li Yan's father!"

Tie Shigu spoke quietly, "Xiong Baodong saved him. He was imprisoned on death row, and was supposed to be executed after autumn. But Xiong Baodong spent a fortune bribing people to get him released. Since then, he's become a death soldier, doing all the dirty work that can't see daylight.

"The real problem is that jade disc. It's Xiong Baodong's personal treasure. Ordinary rituals simply can't affect its bearer. This match can't continue! We should concede immediately."

"The peak of the Dark Jin Realm?" Wang Daoxuan thought for a moment before shaking his head. "It's fine. Little Brother Yan's martial skill is equally impressive.

"Even if he can't win, he'll have no trouble saving his own life."

Sha Lifei froze and asked quietly, "He took it with him again?"

Seeing Wang Daoxuan nod, Sha Lifei finally relaxed. The two of them were naturally referring to the Summoning Writ. They had accompanied Li Yan throughout his search for the inheritance, and had even helped capture the first underworld sinner on Mount Taibai.

Naturally, they knew how Li Yan would wield the Summoning Writ. That spiritual artifact of the enemy's was certainly powerful, but it still wasn't enough to withstand the Five Yin Ghost Battalions.

Moreover, the two of them understood perfectly well. By the next night, news of tonight's battle would likely spread throughout Chang'an's mystic path. Li Yan's decision to fight personally was probably also intended to establish his name.

Tie Shigu had intended to persuade them further, but seeing their expressions, he merely frowned and said nothing more.

Beside him, Steward Lu also watched the distant battlefield with growing interest. By then, he had finally realized something. Although Red Yaksha was the central figure in this affair, and although two powerful experts had already appeared, the true core of their entire group was that young man standing in the ruins!

Wasn't he supposed to be nothing more than a novice practitioner who had only recently built his inner temple?

Just what is he truly capable of?

Li Yan stood quietly amid the ruins.

Truthfully, he didn't particularly care who his opponent would be. The battle that night wasn't a life-or-death struggle with no escape. If he encountered someone he truly couldn't handle, he could simply concede and withdraw.

That was one of the advantages of youth. If a young man lost to a true expert, everyone considered it perfectly normal.

Of course, testing his own combat strength was equally important. His mastery of hidden force had already reached a respectable level. He also cultivated the arts of the Great Emperor of the Northern Fengdu Underworld. Lastly, he carried the Summoning Writ and could summon the Five Yin Ghost Battalions.

According to Wang Daoxuan, he had already become an anomaly of the mystic path. To be honest, Li Yan truly hoped a genuine expert would appear. At the very least, he wanted to weigh his own worth.

The snowstorm swept across the battlefield as the swordsman leaped from the broken walls. When he saw the jade talisman hanging before his opponent's chest, Li Yan felt a slight sense of disappointment.

"Is the Fire Bear Gang out of people?"

In truth, the moment he saw that protective jade disc, Li Yan had already formed a guess. The treasure was probably the method martial artists used to deal with cultivators. With such protection, combined with Xiong Baodong's martial skill, ordinary ritualists likely had no means of resisting him.

"Of course we're out of people." The swordsman answered honestly. "Practitioners of the mystic path are proud by nature while the Fire Bear Gang's reputation is terrible. Those who come merely for profit naturally aren't particularly capable.

"They got so scared that not one of them dared step forward."

He asked, "Are you Li Hu's son?"

Li Yan immediately became interested. "What? You knew my father?"

Yao San nodded slightly as his eyes filled with distant memories. "Yes. Your father was a man overflowing with heroic spirit.

"Ten years ago, a wealthy family from Chang'an, the Zhao Family, was returning to their hometown when they were slaughtered by mountain bandits. After hearing the news, your father immediately led several skilled men into the mountains that very night.

"Before dawn even arrived, he had already wiped out the bandits' stronghold."

Li Yan frowned. "Were you following my father back then?"

Yao San shook his head. "No. I was the chief of the very bandit stronghold your father destroyed."

Li Yan was briefly stunned before understanding dawned on him. "So... You're here for revenge?"

Yao San's face remained calm as he sighed. "No. I was rescued from prison by the Fire Bear Gang years ago. If I wanted revenge, I would've gone to Li Clan's Fort long ago and slaughtered your entire family.

"In truth, I envied your father. Back then, I too had entered Chang'an alone with a single blade. I too dreamed of making a name for myself and becoming a hero admired by everyone."

Li Yan laughed softly. "It's not too late even now."

Yao San calmly shook his head. "You don't understand. Once you've taken the wrong path, you can only keep walking it. Otherwise, I'm nothing."

As he spoke, he gripped the twin blades at his waist and slowly drew them.

Shing!

The long cry of steel echoed through the snowy night as his gaze grew cold and bloodthirsty.

Li Yan's expression also became solemn as he whispered to himself. "Infamy... is still fame. The Yao Family's Dual Slash of Heaven and Earth."

His Guanshan blade slowly slid from its sheath and he called out, "Come!"

Yao San let out a cold snort before lunging forward in a Ziwu Bow Stance. Hidden force exploded beneath his feet as his entire body shot diagonally across the battlefield. Both blades thrust straight ahead like the twin pincers of a scorpion, their tips aimed straight for Li Yan.

The two men had begun roughly ten zhang apart.

The instant Yao San landed, hidden force erupted once more. Accelerating twice in succession, he became faster and faster until, in the blink of an eye, he had already reached Li Yan. The blade in his left hand thrust directly toward him.

So fast!

A startled Li Yan immediately retreated.

Since the technique was called the Dual Slash of Heaven and Earth, it undoubtedly relied upon combining reality with illusion. That first strike was clearly bait, intended to make him block. The second strike would be the true killing blow.

Sure enough, as Li Yan retreated, Yao San's blade in his right hand descended with even greater speed before flowing naturally into an upward slash.

Both attacks had actually been feints! Not only that, Yao San's final strike also employed hidden force, as his sword accelerated even more. The blade itself emitted a piercing shriek through the air.

This time, Li Yan had no choice but to block. Of course, he also unleashed hidden force. Otherwise, his Guanshan blade would probably have been knocked from his hand in a single exchange.

The blades collided with a thunderous clang. Li Yan's expression changed as his blade nearly flew from his grasp. With no time to think, hidden force erupted again.

The swordsman flowed into an upward slash, a horizontal cut, and finished with a sweeping strike.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks exploded as Li Yan blocked three consecutive attacks.

That was already his limit.

Although he had some accomplishment in the Dark Jin Realm, his strength was already failing to recover in time under such relentless offense.

Yao San had long since reached the peak of the Dark Jin Realm. Each strike was faster than the last, and each strike heavier than the one before. They were so overwhelming that his blades hummed with each movement.

Finally, another crisp metallic crack rang out as Li Yan staggered backward several steps. At the same time, the Guanshan blade spun through the air as it flew from his grasp.

Clang!

The long blade struck the ground, its blade had already twisted out of shape.

Looking at the pair of completely undamaged blades in Yao San's hands, Li Yan laughed in disbelief. "So that's how it is. I thought we were competing with blade techniques. I never expected you'd simply rely on superior cultivation and better weapons to overwhelm me.

"You almost fooled me."

Yao San twirled his twin blades before calmly replying, "Your father once told me... In jianghu battles, only those who survive have the right to speak.

"Today, I'll return those words to you. When you meet your father on the road to the Yellow Springs, remember to pass them on."

Li Yan interrupted, "No need."

Assuming his martial stance, killing intent rose within his eyes.

"I'll teach you the same lesson he taught you years ago!"