Chapter 051
Chapter 51: A Single Blade Slash
“People in the Martial World call me the ‘Skull Tapping Bamboo Elder.’ My greatest joy in life is cracking skulls open and tasting the delicious marrow inside.”
The old man in the straw cloak spoke softly, his gaze fixed greedily on the heads of Sun Chang Yu and the coachman. He lightly tapped his bamboo staff against the rain-covered street, as if carefully pondering just how much force and what kind of feeling he’d experience when it finally struck their skulls.
Silence settled for a brief moment amidst the curtain of rain.
Then, from the corner of his eye, the old man glanced upward, addressing the two black-robed figures standing atop the roofs on either side of the street.
“Are you two planning on keeping your identities hidden?”
One of the masked men shook his head slowly and replied, “No need. Once the killing is done, you’ll naturally know who struck.”
Hearing this, the old man paid them no further mind, his eyes turning instead to the carriage ahead. “There’s no rush to kill the prince just yet. After we handle these two eunuch dogs, we’ll each try our luck at claiming his head.”
The two swordsmen in cyan robes immediately answered, “That suits us perfectly.”
In the next instant, their Qi surged wildly, and their long swords hummed violently, bursting forth from their scabbards. Like streaks of swift lightning, two clear beams of light pierced through the rain, flying straight toward the coachman and the great eunuch Sun Chang Yu.
The old man didn’t hesitate either. His withered hand struck firmly against the bamboo staff in front of him. At once, the staff spun rapidly, stirring the rain and wind into a furious whirlwind, speeding toward Sun Chang Yu as well.
Simultaneously, the seemingly frail body of the old man burst forth with a surge of hot, crimson Qi. Like an agile rabbit leaping into flight, he rushed forward, close behind his staff.
Where the bamboo staff arrived, he soon followed—bringing a murderous aura that could devour souls.
Sun Chang Yu said nothing, only reaching his hand out into the air. Rain around him gathered and froze into countless sharp, chilling icicles, launched forth like a volley of arrows toward the old man.
The coachman swiftly turned, positioning himself behind the carriage. Holding his blade with both hands, he slashed horizontally toward the two beams of incoming sword-light. Fierce, dazzling blade energy burst forth from his weapon, instantly evaporating the falling rain into mist, forming a magnificent Heavenly Blade shadow stretching across the street.
A metallic clang rang out, louder than even the thunder in the heavens. Sword and blade energies collided violently, shattering into nothingness.
“Not bad!”
“What fierce blade skills!”
The voices of the two swordsmen echoed closer. Unseen before, their previously deflected swords now rested firmly back in their hands, transforming into two winding Blue Steel Spirit Serpents aiming directly at the coachman’s sides.
“The Heavenly Brocade Guard truly hides many unnamed masters. Yet, together, we brothers could challenge even the Heavenly Union. Killing you alone is effortless!”
As these taunts reached his ears, the coachman’s face turned pale. His foes moved swiftly, their swords even faster. He barely had enough time to raise his blade horizontally to block. The powerful Sword Qi slammed into him, forcing him to retreat.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His feet dug deep furrows several feet long into the street, shattering and scattering the stones around him. Smoke from crushed stone briefly rose, only to be quickly doused by the relentless rain.
Crack!
The coachman looked down to see his blade breaking apart, pieces scattering at his feet. Two deep sword wounds appeared on his waist, blood mixing with rain, staining the water beneath him red.
Meanwhile, Sun Chang Yu’s chilling icicles were destroyed effortlessly by the elder’s spinning bamboo staff. Yet Sun Chang Yu rushed forward, striking again with a palm full of Kui Yin Qi.
In an instant, the cold Qi froze the air itself. Water puddles beneath their feet crystallized into eerie black ice. Yet the old man remained fearless. His bamboo staff glowed red-hot, wrapped in fiery Qi, directly colliding with Sun Chang Yu’s Kui Yin Profound Palm.
Their clash unleashed terrifying waves of Qi that shattered walls and buildings around them into ruins. Sun Chang Yu, clearly weaker, was forced backward, stopping only at the carriage’s edge.
“How are you holding up?” Sun Chang Yu asked grimly, finally halting himself amidst shattered bricks.
The coachman said nothing, tearing off his tattered clothes to roughly bind his bleeding wounds. Calmly, he replied, “We cannot win this fight. I’ll likely die here. I’ll hold them off. Eunuch Sun, take the prince and escape when the moment arises.”
Sun Chang Yu’s expression darkened, his eyes instinctively turning toward the carriage behind him.
At that moment, Li Mu Sheng lifted the curtain, peering outside and shaking his head.
“You two really aren’t enough,” he sighed, pointing toward the old man slowly approaching. “That old man’s martial arts surpass yours, and his Qi counters yours. How can you possibly win?”
He then glanced at the coachman, raising an eyebrow. “And you’re even worse. Two against one, outnumbered and overwhelmed. You don’t stand a chance.”
Sun Chang Yu took a deep breath, his voice soft yet sinister. “Young Master Li, I believe you have formidable martial skills yourself. Perhaps you should think about how you’ll escape their grasp?”
The coachman remained silent, gripping what remained of his broken blade. Quietly, he spoke.
“Eunuch Sun, we’ve served together many years. After I’m gone, please ensure my daughter receives my compensation. I trust no one else in the Heavenly Brocade Guard.”
“Now, run!”
Finishing his words, the coachman suddenly sprang forward, charging directly at the two smiling swordsmen in cyan robes.
His figure blurred, leaving behind only a vague shadowy outline amid the falling rain.
“Que Blade Slash!”
He shouted deeply, gripping the shattered blade handle with both hands, striking downward fiercely at the two swordsmen from a distance.
Hum!
Suddenly, the entire world seemed to tremble. Raindrops froze midair, shivering and suspended. All sounds—the pattering rain, flowing drains, distant thunder—instantly vanished.
On the ruined street, a brilliant golden Blade Shadow arose, stretching over ten feet high, dominating everything with its dazzling, powerful glow. It seemed to absorb all the world’s brilliance into itself, distorting and collapsing the very space around it.
Then, instantly, it crashed downward.
The strike was impossibly fast. From the emergence of the golden Blade Shadow to its disappearance like a heavenly pillar falling from the sky, no one could clearly follow its path.
But the next instant, the street ahead crumbled, becoming a deep, narrow trench filled with shattered stones and mud.
…
The coachman stared in disbelief at the destruction before him, his eyes wide open in shock. Softly, almost to himself, he whispered:
“Did… did that blade truly come from me?”