Chapter 74: Killing Zhang (Part 1)
Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Killing Zhang (Part 1)
The two brothers of the Zhang family were startled, their eyes darting to the young man outside the door.
Though his face was obscured by the moonlight at his back, his silhouette was unmistakable in Little Stone Village. The two of them naturally recognized who it was.
Zhang the Second’s face changed drastically. He snarled:
"Xie Yuan, what are you doing?! Kicking down our door on New Year’s Eve—are you fucking looking to die?"
"What am I doing? I should be asking what *you* think you’re doing!"
Xie Yuan looked up, revealing his bloodshot eyes. The reek of alcohol was on his breath.
’Damn it! I was just taking a walk and ended up hearing a whole conspiracy!’
’No wonder they were skulking around. They were really planning to make a big move on the quiet!’
’It’s a good thing I came over tonight. Otherwise, I would’ve had no idea what they were plotting!’
After hearing all that, Xie Yuan was filled with shock and rage. A cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.
If he hadn’t gotten wind of it beforehand, their plan had a very high chance of succeeding.
If the two of them really managed to kidnap Brother Shitou and his family, that family of three would be dead for sure, regardless of whether he walked into the trap or not.
And if his concern had clouded his judgment, and he’d impulsively rushed into the woods and run into the Fourth Training Yu Chunsheng, he didn’t know how he could have possibly escaped.
The more Xie Yuan thought about it, the more terrified he became. The more he thought, the more his heart pounded, and the more he felt his blood boil.
He asked again, spitting out each word:
"I’m asking you, what was it you just said you were planning to do?"
Seeing Xie Yuan’s bloodshot eyes and ice-cold expression, Zhang the Second subconsciously took a step back.
Zhang Yufeng frowned, looking at Xie Yuan. His hand moved to the hilt of the saber resting by the heated brick bed as he said slowly:
"Xie Yuan, have you been drinking? You look drunk, a bit confused. Did you mishear something? How about this—it’s New Year’s Eve. On account of you being drunk, I won’t hold this against you. Just go home."
"Asshole! You think I’m a moron like him? Still trying to pull the wool over my eyes?"
Xie Yuan pointed at Zhang the Second and cursed viciously.
The faces of both brothers darkened.
Zhang the Second was furious but didn’t dare speak. The memory of being strung up and beaten was still vivid, leaving an indelible shadow on his mind. Faced with Xie Yuan’s towering rage, he felt a subconscious fear.
Brother Zhang’s expression, however, turned serious:
"Xie Yuan, think this through. Do you really want to start something with me right now?"
"What, should I wait for you to call your godfather tomorrow? Fuck."
Xie Yuan cursed, pointing two fingers at him.
"Fine. Since you’re here, don’t even think about leaving. I’ll just take you down myself. It all ends the same."
SHING! Zhang Yufeng drew his saber and spoke slowly.
Seeing his overly confident demeanor, Xie Yuan had no idea where he got his nerve. He sneered, stepped forward, and brought his axe down from above.
The sheer power of the axe strike made Zhang Yufeng’s face change slightly. He raised his saber with both hands to block, his whole body trembling as he barely managed to parry the blow.
Having blocked the axe, he retracted and then extended his long arm, immediately delivering a thrust that was, to one’s surprise, also incredibly swift.
Xie Yuan also showed a hint of surprise. As the thrust came at him, he blocked it by holding his axe horizontally with both hands. In the next instant, he drew the long saber from his waist with his right hand. A flash of light like a bolt of silk shot out, aimed for Zhang Yufeng’s neck.
Zhang Yufeng reacted swiftly, dropping into a crouch. He followed the motion with a leg sweep aimed at Xie Yuan’s lower body. His saber was a beat slower, circling around to slash at Xie Yuan’s waist.
This combined hand-and-foot attack was ferocious. A reflexive jump to evade the sweep would leave one vulnerable to the saber slash in mid-air. Even a hasty block with a weapon would be at a disadvantage, with no proper leverage.
However, Xie Yuan didn’t move from his spot. He lifted his left leg and kicked at Zhang Yufeng’s sweeping leg, while his left hand swung the axe down to parry the horizontal slash. With a flick of his right wrist, he brought his saber down from above once more!
Zhang Yufeng felt an immense, unshakeable force from both his hand and leg. He was shocked. ’I can’t believe Xie Yuan can still wield such power while using both an axe and a saber!’
Seeing the saber coming for his head, Zhang Yufeng could only roll sideways, diving under the table. He then violently flipped the table up, sending it crashing toward Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan cleaved the square table in two with a single strike. As expected, he saw Zhang Yufeng swinging his saber from behind it. He parried the blow, and the two began to trade blows with a furious CLANG CLANG CLANG.
Zhang Yufeng found Xie Yuan’s saber techniques to be both fast and fierce, and his strength was so great that he couldn’t block it head-on. Sweat slowly beaded on his forehead.
Xie Yuan stood his ground, his left hand holding the axe steady. With his right, he brought his saber down again and again, venting all the fury in his heart.
Suddenly, with a flourish of his saber, he thrust diagonally to the side.
It turned out Zhang the Second, holding a kitchen cleaver, had been trying to sneak up on him, only to be discovered.
Not even a First Training Martial Artist, he could only stand frozen in place, his face pale, as he watched the blade flash toward him.
Zhang Yufeng was alarmed and threw himself forward, slashing at Xie Yuan’s right hand. However, Xie Yuan had only feinted. He quickly pulled his saber back and flicked it upward. Zhang Yufeng hastily tried to bring his own blade back to block, but he couldn’t hold on. His saber was sent flying.
Now, Xie Yuan held a saber in one hand and an axe in the other, while Zhang Yufeng was bare-handed. Zhang the Second’s combat ability was negligible. The two of them together were completely outmatched by Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan sneered:
"What a good big brother you are."
Just now, his left-hand axe had been ready in case Zhang Yufeng charged him directly, while his right hand could have finished off Zhang the Second.
But Zhang Yufeng had given up the choice that might have turned the tables. Though he lost his saber and was now at a disadvantage, he hadn’t fallen for Xie Yuan’s ploy.
Zhang Yufeng shielded Zhang the Second, his expression grim.
"You’re already at the peak of the Second Training! You’re a Second Training Martial Artist..."
How long has it been?
’How could he have gone from a weak boy, too feeble to even truss a chicken, to a Second Training Martial Artist so quickly!’
’How much did I have to sacrifice to get where I am today, yet he just becomes a Second Training Martial Artist just like that!’
Zhang Yufeng ground his teeth, staring daggers at Xie Yuan.
"The real surprise is that you’re a Second Training Martial Artist too. They say you learn a new trick every time you get fucked. How many times did it take for you to reach the Second Training?"
Xie Yuan sneered.
Hearing Xie Yuan mock the one thing he could never bear to have mentioned, Zhang Yufeng’s face turned completely black, so dark it looked like ink could drip from it.
He had been training for many years, stuck at the bottleneck of the First Training for a long time. It was only recently, by letting Yu Chunsheng get a look at Xie Yuan, that he had regained favor and received the benefits that allowed him to finally break through to the Second Training.
’He could sense that Xie Yuan, just like him, had Blood Qi that was barely past the threshold of the Second Training. So why was the force behind his saber strikes almost too much for me to handle? Was his talent really that good?’
’How much I’ve sacrificed, how hard I’ve struggled to climb, step by step... these geniuses, on what grounds... on what grounds are they so lucky? And they still have the gall to mock my efforts?!’
Zhang Yufeng let out a breath. Suddenly, his lips curled into a grin as he said slowly:
"I wouldn’t call myself a good older brother, but the Second and I grew up relying on each other. Our bond is no worse than yours and your brother’s. Hmm, your brother really was a model big brother. He was thinking of you even as he was dying."
Xie Yuan froze.
He suddenly remembered that they had mentioned his big brother during their secret plotting.
But he had been so consumed by rage at the time that he hadn’t fully understood and hadn’t given it much thought.
’For him to say that now... what does he mean?’
Xie Yuan’s grip suddenly tightened on his saber and axe. In a low voice, he asked:
"What are you talking about?"
"I killed your brother."
Zhang Yufeng said with a faint smile.