When the strange man was filled with anger, Yao and Zhou, who were chasing him from behind, were actually overjoyed.
After being tricked by a small maneuver of the strange man, both Yao and Zhou were furious. In fact, they had been too rushed to realize that the warehouse door had already been closed, until they chased up to the door and looked up, suddenly remembering that today, coincidentally, the warehouse door had already been shut tight. Now this fellow had no way to escape—nowhere to run—trapped like a dog caught in a room with the doors shut, naturally making them extremely happy.
Despite this, both knew the man ahead possessed formidable skills. If they wanted to save face in front of their superiors, they had no choice but to summon their energy and display some real abilities.
The two exchanged glances, simultaneously slowing their pace. Yao Dingguo moved to the left while Zhou Chang took the right, both stepping forward in unison, closing in on the strange man with synchronized strides.
As they neared the door, the strange man’s forward speed actually increased rather than decreased. Like a bird diving into a forest, he created a gray blur, rushing straight toward the iron door.
Behind him, Yao and Zhou were puzzled. Why would the man deliberately charge headlong into a closed iron door? Could it be that he had some secret skill yet to be revealed?
As they pondered, they watched the strange man’s figure accelerate, like a shooting star racing toward the iron door. With a sharp whistle, a loud crash rang out. The man curled his body midair, kicked off the door, and rebounded like a spear straight back toward Zhou Chang.
Zhou was startled. He hadn’t expected the man, who had moments ago been fleeing, to suddenly charge back aggressively. Even less expected was the man’s incredible speed, which had already brought him back to Zhou’s face before Zhou had time to think. He hastily gripped his sword tightly and shouted as he swung downward.
But the strange man’s speed exceeded Zhou’s expectations. As Zhou raised his sword, the man’s dagger, gleaming ominously, was already before his eyes. Zhou, however, was formidable. At this critical moment, he neither dodged nor flinched, keeping his sword steady as it slashed downward—an all-or-nothing move.
If the dagger struck true, Zhou would certainly die. But his sword would also wound the attacker. Few martial artists would fight so recklessly on the battlefield. Zhou, however, was a soldier by training, and in battle, he cared little for martial decorum. His sword, flashing coldly, showed no hesitation.
Meanwhile, Yao Dingguo was alarmed. He had underestimated the man’s speed and was caught off guard again. Seeing Zhou had already committed himself, Yao planted his left foot firmly and swung his steel blade in an arc, creating a flurry of sword flashes as he attacked the strange man from the side.
The strange man felt helpless. The sudden acceleration and change of direction had taken a heavy toll on his body. His breath was already becoming ragged. He had intended to catch his opponents off guard. If they had flinched even slightly, he could have broken through their defenses and seized a hostage to force the door open. But instead, although initially confused by his maneuver, Zhou had charged forward with no regard for his own life, making it difficult for the strange man to capitalize.
Sighing inwardly, the strange man altered his stance, creating two afterimages. His dagger shot out again, striking the tip of Zhou’s descending blade. With a metallic clang, a piece of Zhou’s blade was sheared off. Using this force, the strange man evaded Yao’s incoming silver-like sword light, retreating sideways.
Unwilling to let up, Yao and Zhou swung their swords in a flurry of light, like two whirlwinds rolling across the ground, pressing the strange man relentlessly.
It was only now that Mei Qing and Lu Ze, along with two others, caught up. They saw Yao and Zhou shouting commands, their swords slicing through the air, working in tandem to block the strange man’s path, gradually forcing him toward a corner. The strange man, however, remained silent, his movements as nimble as a cat. He darted and twisted within the flashing blades, his dagger striking like a venomous snake, always targeting the weakest points of Yao and Zhou, forcing them to be cautious.
Indeed, “longer means stronger.” Having lost the initiative, the strange man found Yao and Zhou’s longer swords gradually asserting their dominance. Their teamwork was seamless. Each time the strange man attempted to sever their swords with his blade, they supported each other, attacking his vital points and forcing him to abandon his attempts midway. As the strange man was driven into the corner, everyone finally relaxed, believing the man had no further tricks left.
The strange man knew that continuing like this would only lead to his capture. Worse still, he had strained his body by suddenly changing direction earlier, and his inner qi had not yet recovered. His chest felt tight, and after the intense fight, he was already tiring. Seeing the dire situation, he had no choice but to take a desperate gamble.
Yao and Zhou were working together to corner the strange man when suddenly, the man tightened his grip on his dagger, sending a flurry of strikes toward their vital points. Both hesitated slightly, only to see him retreat again and suddenly charge toward the corner.
Earlier, at the iron door, he had feigned an attack and nearly succeeded. This time, they would not make the same mistake. Their swords danced into a dense defense, guarding against another surprise attack.
But what happened next surprised them again. The strange man leapt toward the corner, but instead of rebounding as he had before, he vanished like a bird returning to the forest or snow dissolving into water, leaving no trace.
For a moment, Yao and Zhou, suddenly losing sight of their enemy, were stunned. Although he had initially appeared out of nowhere, clearly possessing a skill of invisibility, his sudden disappearance amidst the fierce combat still left them momentarily dazed, their swords pausing mid-swing.
This was exactly what the strange man had been waiting for. As their swords slowed, he reappeared, stretching like a pole, shooting straight through the gap between them like an arrow.
Yao and Zhou, repeatedly outmaneuvered by the strange man, were furious. Their swords, one from the left and one from the right, slashed toward him from behind. The strange man, now moving low to the ground, caught a glimpse of the blades in his peripheral vision but merely gritted his teeth, maintaining his speed while slightly twisting his body to avoid the critical areas.
Blood splattered as Yao and Zhou’s blades sliced across the strange man’s body, marking the first successful strike against him. Yet, there was no joy in their hearts. The strange man’s wounds were not fatal. As they watched him endure the blows, he had already broken through their defenses, charging toward Mei Qing and the others.
Mei Qing, with his cultivation sealed and weapon lost, was helpless. Lu Ze, a mere scholar, was no match either. Qian San, although possessing some strength, had been injured earlier and could barely lift his arm. The only one left was Zhao Dayou, trembling while holding a teapot, frantically searching in his robe with his other hand, shaking like a leaf.
The strange man, having calculated his every move, finally saw an opportunity and seized it without mercy. He had overheard their conversation and observed their expressions, identifying Mei Qing and Lu Ze as the leaders. However, Zhao, who had been hiding behind earlier, was now at the front due to the others turning around, blocking the strange man’s path. The dagger flashed as he charged Zhao, shouting, “You fat fool, get out of the way!”
Zhao, terrified by the man’s ferocity, was paralyzed with fear. His legs refused to obey as he tried to retreat. With the dagger aimed at his head, he shut his eyes tightly and instinctively threw out a paper-wrapped object from his robe, screaming, “Spare me!”
The strange man saw the object flying toward him but couldn’t tell what it was. He extended his dagger and struck it. With a “plop,” it was pierced through. Curious, he looked closer—it was just a paper package.
Enraged, he shook his wrist, using the force to shatter the package. At the same time, he pushed off the ground, preparing to leap again. But as the package burst, a cloud of white powder-like mist erupted, emitting a strange fragrance. As the scent reached his nose, his head began to spin, his limbs grew weak, and his legs buckled, nearly causing him to fall.
The despicable Zhao had hidden sedatives inside the paper package and thrown it. The strange man, caught off guard, was furious but tried to muster his strength to kill the fat man. However, his body felt as if weighed down by mountains, and his eyelids grew heavy. He realized the powder was no ordinary knockout drug. Having underestimated it, he now found himself in serious trouble.
Zhao, having thrown the packet with his eyes shut, felt his legs give way beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground. Peeking through a tiny slit in his eyelids, he saw the strange man glaring fiercely, charging toward him, only to suddenly stumble and fall, landing heavily on top of Zhao. His dagger, now powerless, swung weakly and struck the stone floor beside Zhao’s ear with a metallic clang, burying itself several inches deep.
Zhao’s heart nearly stopped. He dared not push the strange man off, his limbs unresponsive, his mind blank, muttering only, “Buddha protect me,” over and over again through trembling lips.
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