Chapter 26: Blades Flash, a Hundred Alleys Turn Cold

Clatter—

A sudden clamor erupted within the silent curtain of rain, triggering a frenzy of barking dogs.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Ye Jingtang was yanked aside by Luo Ning just as the sound of a window shattering echoed from the courtyard. He immediately charged toward the yard. Simultaneously, three flying needles were unleashed toward the top of the wall where Ye Jingtang was about to leap. Two of the needles were visible, their sharp whistling meant to draw attention, while the third was silent and unseen. In the pitch-black, rain-drenched night, it was nearly impossible for an intruder to detect the hidden needle.

However, Ye Jingtang did not possess a vast repertoire of techniques, and upon realizing he could not evade the hidden weapons, he abandoned conventional fighting styles.

Clang—

A blade flashed from his waist.

The old courtyard wall in front of Ye Jingtang shattered under the force of his strike, turning into a shower of debris that blanketed the area, engulfing the incoming flying needles.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The dilapidated house was instantly riddled with holes by the countless flying brick fragments. Guo Yuanlong, who had just burst through the window, saw this scene with horror. Realizing he had been cornered by two masters, he didn't even consider fighting back and instead fled toward the side.

But Ye Jingtang, while lacking the lightness skills to chase him down, possessed immense short-range explosive power. Knowing the "Wingless Owl" had extraordinary agility, Ye Jingtang threw his scabbard-less blade as he smashed through the wall, aiming for the spot where the shadow was about to land to prevent him from gaining leverage to vault away.

Whirr—

The three-foot silver blade tore through the night rain with a fierce whistling sound. Guo Yuanlong, caught off guard by the opponent's rapid reaction, quickly pulled back his right foot just as it was about to touch the ground. The blade sliced through the air beneath him, shaving off a layer of his sole.

This move initially hindered Guo Yuanlong’s movement, but he lived up to his reputation; unable to plant his feet, he simply tapped his toe against the spinning blade, using it as a springboard to vault into the air.

Swish—

But even with the fastest reflexes, the act of retracting and releasing his feet slowed him down. Luo Ning and Ye Jingtang surged into the courtyard, determined not to let the thief escape over the wall. Like a deity descending from the heavens, Luo Ning leaped into mid-air, her soft sword slicing horizontally across the sky.

Whoosh—

Amidst a sharp ringing, the soft sword fanned out like a peacock spreading its tail, forming a crescent shape in the rain. The falling raindrops were caught by the sword’s energy, transforming into a lethal barrage that shot toward Guo Yuanlong. Some droplets struck the collapsing walls of the house, creating a series of explosive pops:

Puff, puff, puff—

Dust billowed as circular pits appeared in the masonry.

The "Peacock Fan Sword"?!

Guo Yuanlong recognized this as a technique of the Tiannan Pingtian Sect and was momentarily stunned. He could not understand why, while under the very nose of the Emperor, he was being ambushed by rebels from the Pingtian Sect. Yet, with the "Dragon Call Scroll" in his possession, he was effectively an enemy of the world; with his pursuers already upon him, he had no chance to ponder the cause.

Trapped from above and below, Guo Yuanlong found it difficult to force his way through. He spun in mid-air, dodging the barrage of raindrops, while simultaneously throwing a copper ball attached to an iron wire from his sleeve toward the side.

Bang—

The copper ball pierced the wall, and as mud flew, the wire pulled taut. Using the tension, Guo Yuanlong swung his body gracefully toward the distant perimeter wall.

Ye Jingtang, having thrown his blade, had not stood idly by. He knew that if he let the thief touch the ground, he might never catch him again. Seeing the copper ball fly out, he exploded forward, closing the distance and striking out with a palm.

Guo Yuanlong’s eyes were sharp; he recognized from the way Ye Jingtang had shattered the wall that his martial arts were formidable. But with his escape being the priority, he braced himself and threw a punch in mid-air, hoping to use the force of Ye Jingtang’s palm to propel himself out of the courtyard and flee into the distance.

Guo Yuanlong’s plan was sound, and he technically achieved his goal, but he had severely underestimated the power of Ye Jingtang’s palm. He had borrowed a bit too much force!

Having never encountered true masters at the border, Ye Jingtang had been pushed to the brink of a psychological breakdown since arriving in the capital, where he kept running into grandmasters. Now, engaging in battle, he dared not hold anything back. Seeing the aggressive incoming punch, he gathered every ounce of his strength and slammed his palm forward.

Boom—

The宅院 in the rainy night let out a sound like a muffled thunderclap. Luo Ning, who had struck with her sword, watched in astonishment as the rain curtain in the courtyard exploded outward, creating a dry void in the center.

The thief, caught in the middle, had his fist collide with Ye Jingtang’s palm. In that instant, he was like a burlap sack struck by a siege ram; he flew backward, the iron wire in his hand snapping, and crashed into the perimeter wall.

Ye Jingtang fared no better. His combat experience was not low, and he knew that an opponent in mid-air had no leverage, meaning even a master couldn't exert full power. He had planted his feet firmly, expecting to hold his ground.

However, when the opponent’s fist struck his palm, he felt as if he had caught a bolt from a heavy crossbow with his bare hands. There was no technique involved—only unstoppable, raw brute force. The sheer force of the punch, with his arm fully extended, instantly numbed his right arm. Though his feet remained on the ground, he couldn't maintain his stance and slid backward, crashing into the house behind him.

Clatter—

With a thunderous crash, a hole was punched through the wall. Guo Yuanlong did not stop, crashing through the opposite wall and tumbling into the neighboring courtyard before finally hitting the ground.

Ye Jingtang scrambled out of the house, his eyes filled with shock—the power of that punch was so immense that he felt as if his opponent were not a human, but a monster transformed from a wild ox or a giant elephant.

Luo Ning also saw that while the "Wingless Owl's" physical strength was inconceivably high, his martial techniques were mediocre. She shouted urgently, "He is severely injured! Pursue him!"

Guo Yuanlong’s strength was great, but his hand-to-hand combat skills were average; otherwise, he would not have remained a mere thief. Under the impact of Ye Jingtang’s palm, which was infused with massive internal energy, Guo Yuanlong’s right arm was rendered useless, hanging limp at his side. He coughed heavily upon landing, then rolled to his feet and fled toward the distance.

Seeing this, Ye Jingtang broke into a mad dash to catch him. Luo Ning landed, used her sword to hook the ring on the pommel of Ye Jingtang’s Chi Dragon saber, and tossed it to him.

Whoosh...

Ye Jingtang caught his blade while running. It was only then that he noticed Luo Ning’s expression was off; her left arm hung unnaturally. It seemed that when she had pulled him away earlier, she had been wounded by the invisible needles.

"You..."

"Chase him!"

Ye Jingtang gritted his teeth, hoisted his blade, and leaped onto the rooftops, closing in on the black shadow.

Tap, tap, tap...

In the old alleyways, the sound of shattering roof tiles was incessant, accompanied by the cacophony of crowing chickens, barking dogs, and the shouts of startled residents. Guo Yuanlong was exceptionally agile, moving through the rain with almost no sound. However, having taken Ye Jingtang’s palm strike head-on, he was severely wounded; no matter how good his lightness skills were, he could not avoid the consequences, and his movements were visibly faltering.

Ye Jingtang sheathed his blade and sprinted across the rooftops. Along the way, he grabbed roof tiles and, predicting where the thief would land, threw them to disrupt his path. Luo Ning did the same.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Under this relentless pursuit, Guo Yuanlong managed to hold on for half a mile, but he couldn't shake them off. Internal bleeding in his right arm, combined with his surging blood and qi, caused the injuries to spread to his chest and abdomen. Finally, he was cornered.

Guo Yuanlong was a thief who had killed both righteous and villainous practitioners, and possessing a supreme treasure meant that being caught was a death sentence. He resolved to fight to the death.

After vaulting over a wall, he suddenly dropped to the ground and scattered a handful of flying needles upward. He hoped to use the difference in their fields of vision to catch them off guard.

But unfortunately, Guo Yuanlong had overestimated Ye Jingtang’s "masterly" demeanor.

For ordinary third-rate martial artists, such a wall, barely taller than a man, would be cleared with a graceful leap. But Ye Jingtang was different. He had no lightness skills, and having seen the likes of the "Red God of Wealth," the "Black and White Impermanence," and "Heroine Luo," he knew how terrifying the martial world was. He knew that if he leaped blindly and had nowhere to land, he would be slaughtered. Therefore, unless he was absolutely certain, he would never let both feet leave the ground.

Seeing the thief vanish behind the wall and losing sight of him, Ye Jingtang didn't hesitate. He turned his side and, like a wild ox, slammed his shoulder into the wall.

Boom—

Guo Yuanlong had just released his needles when he heard a massive roar from behind. The old brick wall bulged and then exploded, crashing down upon his back.

Bang—

The immense force struck him from behind, and a look of shock flashed in Guo Yuanlong’s eyes before he was sent flying out, landing on the rain-drenched street.

"Cough, cough—"

Facing death, Guo Yuanlong acted with desperation. He rolled upon landing, sprung up, and turned back, pulling a dagger with his left hand to stab directly at Ye Jingtang’s face. This move left his center wide open—it was a desperate attempt to trade his life for his opponent's.

Clang—

Seeing this, Ye Jingtang drew the blade from his waist and slashed horizontally at the thief’s chest and abdomen, creating a white arc in the air. This strike was flawless and should have sliced the "Wingless Owl" in two, but an accident occurred.

Screech—

With a harsh, grating sound, Ye Jingtang was stunned to find that the thief, who should have been cleaved in half, only had a tear in his clothes. A blade that could cut through the arm of the "Iron-Armed Impermanence" had only produced a shower of sparks upon hitting the thief’s chest.

Judging by the sound, the blade itself had sparked; a flicker of golden light had flashed across the thief’s chest, leaving not even a scratch!

The opponent had gambled his life to exploit a flaw, but since the strike failed to penetrate, the attacker should have been the one struck down. Guo Yuanlong had intended exactly that, but unfortunately, Ye Jingtang had underestimated Guo Yuanlong’s armor, and Guo Yuanlong had underestimated Ye Jingtang’s output.

Ye Jingtang had failed to split Guo Yuanlong’s chest, but the massive internal energy contained in the blade did not simply vanish. Under that single strike, the indestructible "Heart-Protecting Mirror" distributed the force across his entire chest, making it feel to Guo Yuanlong as if he had been struck with the full force of an octagonal copper hammer.

Under the immense pressure, Guo Yuanlong was sent flying several yards away.

In this exchange, both sides looked at each other with shock. Guo Yuanlong realized he was no match for his opponent and desperately tried to throw his dagger to halt the pursuit. Meanwhile, Ye Jingtang, having failed to cleave the thief, assumed he had encountered another "Diamond Indestructible Body" like the "Iron-Armed Impermanence." He knew that if he held back after such a clash, he would be throwing his life away.

Seeing his opponent sent flying, Ye Jingtang didn't hesitate to use the second technique he had been refining. He shifted the blade from his left hand to his right, stamped his foot into the ground, and surged forward for a final slash!

Boom—

Luo Ning, following closely behind, had just emerged from behind the collapsed wall when she saw a thunderous sound erupt on the rain-drenched street. The thief with the silver blade moved like a wild dragon emerging from the sea, shattering the curtain of rain and leaving a white line of mist in his wake.

Swish—

A cold light flashed, the blade’s hum tearing through the rain!

Luo Ning didn't even see the figure clearly before Ye Jingtang had already flashed across the street. Before the thief could land, Ye Jingtang appeared behind him, paused, and sheathed his blade with a backhand motion.

Clink—

The clash of steel ceased abruptly!

Thud—

Roll, roll, roll...

The thief’s body hit the ground, his hand still clutching the dagger he hadn't managed to throw. His head, sent spinning into the air, landed a moment later, bounced a few times, and rolled toward the side of the street, mixing dark, murky blood with the muddy rain.

The wide eyes on the severed head had not yet fully lost their spark; the final look of astonishment in them might have been trying to say four words—The Eight-Step Furious Blade...

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

As the blade fell, the clamorous, rainy night finally fell completely silent...