Chapter 228 Blade Duel at Cang Lin End
At the same time, the fight between Shang Fei, Su Tang, and Miao Shaoqin was still going. After a few exchanges, the fight did not have a clear winner. Over the past few days, with the aid from Lin Chang, Shang Fei's kung fu had greatly improved. He was supposed to be ninety percent confidence in beating the two before him, but due to the many surprising changes that happened near him, it unsettled his heart, and that caused the fight to drag on.
At that moment, another figure leaped into the roof on this side. Based on the lightness of her steps that were as swift as the wind, it had to be none other than the Falling Plum Blade, Lu Qingning. Once she arrived, Miss Lu joined the battle against Shang Fei. She did not say anything but shared a look with Su Tang and Miao Shaoqin. They understood each other wordlessly and activated a blade style that combined the three of their specialties.
Of the Six Flowery Blades, Plum, Orchid, and Bamboo were the closest to each other, and they had spent quite a lot of time training together. After so long, it was only natural that they formed a natural affinity to each other. This closeness allowed them to come up with a skill set that employed the greatness from each of their blade styles to compliment what the others were lacking. The combined effect was very powerful, but it was to their surprise that the first time they used it in real battle was against their senior brother.
Shang Fei used his shadow blade style and fought one against two. He evaded left and right as he tried to avoid the fatal strikes. Initially, he could do this easily, but with Lu Qingning's appearance, he soon found himself at a disadvantage. After a few rounds, the blade zone soon proved to be the more powerful one. Su Tang used 'The Showcase of a Single Orchid' to strike first, and it was followed up by Miao Shaoqin's 'Swift Winds Chase Moon', and lastly came Lu Qingning's 'Shear Snow Cut Ice', the skill that was meant to kill.
After a few clanks, Shang Fei's lower left and right ribs were cut through by one blade each. The last one aimed right at his temple. Even though he did not die on the spot, the result of the match was clear.
…
Lin Chang showed no concern for Shang Fei at all. He did not give any comment to Feng Bujue's attack, but he turned to the inn owner and said, "Finally, a real expert has arrived. Intriguing… What's your name?"
"Humph…" the person replied with a cold and eerie chuckle. "I am Cao Xin, the eunuch responsible for everything in the Eastern Place."
Lin Chang's expression changed, and his harshness decreased several notches. "Oh, it's Master Cao. Please forgive me for my impoliteness…"
Once he heard that the man was an actual governor of the fourth grade, he knew that this was someone that he could not afford to offend, so he quickly changed his attention. "I am here to clean up the worrisome public. I wonder, Master Cao, are you here for…"
"Enough." Cao Xin cut him off with a raise of his hand. "Lin Chang, I don't have the time to listen to your rambling. "The correspondence between you and Palace Guard Leader Qian Ning has been investigated by the Eastern Palace. What you plan to do, I know perfectly well. Otherwise, how do you think I could have managed to set myself up here before anyone in Chang Lin?"
His reply answered one of the confusions that the crowd had been wondering about. Now that they thought about it, it made sense. Only the power from Eastern Palace could turn an abandoned inn in a ghost town like Chang Lin into the presentable Chang Lin Inn in such a short amount of time.
"Master Cao, since we are both working for the government, why don't we cooperate…" Lin Chang began again.
"Hue hue hue hue…" Cao Xin used his uniquely feminine and shrill voice to laugh as he cut Lin Chang off. "What a good-sounding phrase, 'working for the government'! But in my eyes, this is nothing more than a transaction between you and Qian Ning."
Feng Bujue, who was next to him, added, "After this duel concluded, Qian Ning will obtain more than a handful of kung fu books to study, and you will gain the position of leader of the martial world. After that, you can use the power of the martial world to vanquish the opposing forces in the government for Qian Ning, and he will help you stabilize your status in the martial world with the forces of the Palace Guards.
"No matter how you look at this, this is nothing more than a transaction between two people for the sake of their own ambition. How is this a form of you 'working for the government'?"
Feng Bujue had mentioned what he had just said to Cao Xin earlier when he was still inside the inn. Other than that, he had helped Cao Xin clear up his mind and helped him see that… once Qian Ning and Lin Chang's plan was successful, it would not only harm the martial artists, it would be a conundrum for the Eastern Palace as well. In fact, it might even affect the power of the emperor.
Even though there were many typical cunning and evil stereotypes about people working in the palace, Cao Xin could be considered one of the more loyal eunuchs. Of course, that was in comparison. He was indeed very loyal to the emperor, but when facing his enemy, he could be as cold as the winter wind. In any case, this NPC was soon persuaded by Feng Bujue to join his camp.
Actually, Cao Xin did not plan to expose Lin Chang's conspiracy. He had gone to Chang Lin to observe the progress of the situation from up close, and he wanted to see Lin Chang in person to see if he was as described in the letters. He also needed to know if he possessed the power that allowed him to look down on the entire martial world. If Cao Xin wished to disrupt this plan from the beginning, then he would not have gone alone and hired a bunch of normal civilians to be the workers in Chang Lin Inn. With Cao Xin's resources, he had multiple ways that could make Lin Chang disappear from the face of the world in less than a month. Even if it was a face to face fight, this eunuch was confident that he could take down Lin Chang with the cooperation of the elites from the Eastern Palace. Of course, the time could not be the night of the full moon.
Not long before the duel started, Feng Bujue had returned to Chang Lin and reconvened with his teammates to exchange information. Then he had used the Bell of Jin Gang to confirm Cao Xin's identity. Feng Bujue then accosted the man and changed his mind. They decided to work together and came up with this plan.
"Lin Chang, now Brother Jin and Brother Wang from Broken Sword Chahitsu have taken my token to send my orders from the two paths leading away from Chang Lin City," Cao Xin said. "When the generals see the token from the Eastern Palace, they will not dare go against it. Tonight, they will not arrive."
He raised his voice to inform the people who had gathered there, "Everyone present, Lin Chang has fallen onto the path of demons. Demonic power cannot be stopped by conventional kung fu. If you do not wish to die, leave Chang Lin immediately. There will be no one who dares stop you along the way, and you can enter Copper Plateau safely."
Cao Xin then turned around to tell Gong Sun Qian, who was several meters away, "Leader Gong Sun, as the leader of a big school, you should know how to read the situation. Only Brother Feng and his friends have the capability to resolve this problem. No matter whether what he said was true or not, now is not the time for you to seek vengeance."
When he spoke, there were people from the lower schools that had already decided to turn and run. The streets became rowdy and noisy. The people from the higher schools, though they wished to leave as well, had their reputation to maintain. They were too ashamed to run away with the first bunch of cowards. They decided to stay a while longer. When they reached Copper Plateau, they would have the peace of mind to laugh at the others.
Out of everyone's expectations, it was Ji Tong who came forth to persuade Gong Sun Qian. "Leader Gong Sun, Master Cao is right. We are in the direst danger we have ever seen. We should let Master Feng focus on handling Lin Chang. Your history with him can be dealt with on another day. You should lead your disciples out of town now. It is more important to ensure their safety."
Gong Sun Qian knew Ji Tong the best. After all, they were nemesis. He knew full well that Ji Tong was only thinking about escaping. All those beautiful words that he said could be concluded into, "Brothers, I haven't gotten an excuse to leave. You'd better go now so that I can follow behind you."
"Fine, since Leader Ji has already said that…" Gong Sun Qian turned his face to Feng Bujue, "Master Feng, see you later!"
He huffed coldly and waved at his disciples. He abandoned his brother and wife's bodies and hurried to leave.
Ji Tong looked like his plan had succeeded. He also waved his hands. "The disciples from Octagonal Spire follow me…"
As he spoke, he led a few people and hurried to leave. Seeing as Thousand Dawn Spire and Octagonal Spire had made their exit, the members from the other schools and members who had gone alone also made to follow. In a few minutes, there was basically no one left on the street.
On the roof, Lin Chang saw this unfold before him quietly. He did not make any move to stop them. When he heard the news from Cao Xin about the Palace Guards not showing up that night, he knew that his plan had failed. Even if he chased after the people with all his might, it would not have helped. At least fifty percent of them would have been able to escape. Furthermore, that was not the time for him to lose his focus. Facing Cao Xin and Feng Bujue as well as the others from Broken Sword Chahitsu that had not showed up, he knew that he could not let his guard down. Who knew if Feng Bujue would pull out yet another strange weapon like the one in his grasp?
"Brother Lin." Feng Bujue lifted his head. "Out of his own ambition, Qian Ning fell to your instigation and started this tragedy, breaking the rules where government would not intervene into the workings of the martial world that have been established for many years. Soon, he will be in lots of trouble, and he will be unable to help you. And now, you have become the public enemy of all martial artists. The other forces in the government will not let you go."
He extended a single finger. "There is only one path for you to choose now… Hide from the world and retire in the countryside."
"Humph… Retire?" The purple aura that covered Lin Chang's face slowly gathered again.
"Feng Bujue let me show you the path that I have chosen for myself," Lin Chang replied severely. "First, I will kill you and this damn eunuch, and I will proceed to kill off all the government officials who knew about this and might use it against him. Then, I will continue my transaction with him…"
He grinned devilishly. "At worst, I will have to pay the schools a visit one by one. Those who surrender and respect me as the leader can leave, and those who disobey will die. It will only waste a little bit more time. The path that I have chosen will not be stopped by people like you!"
"Then there is no other choice," Feng Bujue said as he put away the rifle. He took out the anti-gravity gun from his inventory and then took out a small ball made from bamboo and a firecracker from his pocket. After he lit up the ball, he shot it into the air with the gun. This was him sending a signal to his friend, but Lin Chang did not know about the fact that there was something called a sniper rifle in the world. He thought that Feng Bujue was summoning allies.
Two seconds later, from several hundred meters away, a gunshot howled through the wind.
Laughing Soul did not aim for the man's head. After all, her shooting mastery was not at Level A yet, where every shot would land. If she aimed for the head, there was a forty percent chance she would have missed. Even though her rifle was good and she had a favorable position, wind speed and every other factor, a chance like this would not present itself twice. The first shot was the easiest to succeed. Once the enemy had suffered this kind of super long ranged attack once, their guard would go up. Therefore, this shot was not allowed to miss, so aiming at the body was the safest bet. As long as this one shot was able to injure the boss, even if the latter attack missed, it would have been worth it.
When Lin Chang first practiced Shapeless and Formless Law, he had been consumed by the demon, and that had caused the shift in his personality. Beyond this main persona, there was a higher existence, and that was the Formless Demon. At certain moments, when Lin Chang was unable to protect himself, his internal demon would do that for him. The night of full moon was when the Formless Demon's consciousness and power was at its height. Facing this sudden fatal shot, in that instant, a black aura formed a wall to block the bullet's trajectory. Be it speed or power, this bullet was not comparable to weapons from the olden era. After a temporary halt, the bullet pierced through the wall and headed straight for Lin Chang. Unfortunately for him, the spot where he was injured was the heart.
…
The sky was cloudy, and there was no wind. Some snow fell silently. This was a morning about thirty years ago. Before the door to the Ye family came slowly a couple of figures, one old and one young. The child looked no older than ten, and the clothes that he wore were tattered. His face and hands were frozen red from the cold, but there was a fierce determination shining in his eyes. Standing next to the young boy was an old man with a head full of white hair.
"We're here, Chang Er." The old man stopped. But his hand that held the boy did not let go. Little Lin Chang lifted his head to look at the only relative he had left in the world and asked in a childish voice, "Grandpa, will you come visit me in the future?"
The old man shook his head. "I am going somewhere very far away. I won't be able to come visit you."
He was a man at the end of his years. He knew that he was not long for this world. Sending his grandson to the Ye family was his dying wish.
"Then… I want to follow you, Grandpa. I don't want to go and learn kung fu at the Ye family." There were tears in Little Lin Chang's eyes. Even though he was a lot more mature than other children his age, he was still a child.
The old man squatted down to tussle the boy's hair. "Chang Er, please don't say something like that…"
Tears still welled up in his eyes. Little Lin Chang knew that separation was imminent.
"Sigh…" The old man sighed deeply. "I have no money or power, so I cannot give you anything…"
The old man choked on his words. There were helplessness and pain in his eyes. Lin Chang's parents were nobodies in the martial world. Theoretically speaking, with a background like his, it was barely possible for Lin Chang to earn a seat at the Ye family. But several months ago, his parents had both died in the battle to vanquish the Qing Lian Cult. Lin Chang's grandfather was already old, and he was seriously ill; he could not stick around long enough to see the boy grow old.
At the end of the day, the Lin couple had contributed to the greater good, and they could not see the only child of Lin family die alone in the world, could they? Therefore, the Ye family made an exception to take Lin Chang in as a disciple.
The snow was still falling.
The grandpa let go of Little Lin Chang's hand and stood up unevenly. "Your father and I are people of normal means. We had to fight for everything we own. We worked our whole lives, but at the end of the day, we are just nobodies to others. No one will remember us even after we pass. Sigh… this is all part of destiny."
The old man lifted his eyes to look at the door and plaque of the Ye family. "Chang Er, the Ye family is at the top of the world. As long as you are hardworking and treat others well, you will achieve greatness one day. Make use of this opportunity that your parents earned with their lives."
He stopped. He swallowed the rest of his words because he was afraid of shaking his grandson's conviction.
Little Lin Chang watched his grandpa walk away, his emotions in turmoil. He was a child not of ten years old, but he already had to carry so many things. It was so heavy, so hard.
Tears could stop sadness, but only temporarily. The sadness that remained would be covered with laughter.
In the end, Little Lin Chang wiped away the tears harshly and forced a smile. "Grandpa, don't you worry. I will make a name for myself. In the future, I will stand at the top of the world! That way, no matter how far away you are, my name will be able to reach your ears!"
He turned around to knock on the door that would change his life.
…
"Hah… Hah…" Lin Chang gasped for air with his head lowered. He looked at his chest and the large hole there. The wound was grotesque, and a copious amount of blood and flesh had burst out of his chest, splattering on the roof tiles around him.
Laughing Soul used a high-caliber rifle. The bullet shot from this weapon could pierce iron boards, much less a physical body. Laughing Soul's spotter[1], Passing Rain, looked through the binoculars that Laughing Soul had bought at the shop and saw the wound on Lin Chang's chest. She commented, "We did it! A fatal shot!"
Cao Xin, Shang Fei, Su Tang, Miao Shaoqin, and Lu Qingning were baffled beyond words. They stood like dummies staring in shock at the ghastly wound that had suddenly appeared on Lin Chang's chest.
"Ha… Hahaha… Haha…" Lin Chang's mouth was coughing blood, but he was still laughing. "This is just a small injury… Ha… Cough. My kung fu is made from numerous forms. I have mastered this godlike skill. Naturally, I will not be wounded by such a small…"
He used his hand to cover the wound and tried to use internal energy to nurse it, but unfortunately, this was not a wound that could be cured like that.
"It'll be fine. I'll be fine… I will kill all of you soon… I have many things to do… And…" he mumbled to himself, his voice getting softer and softer.
The purple air around Lin Chang gathered on the surface of his body. He used this demonic power to keep himself moving. He leaped down from the roof and took one step after another toward Feng Bujue and Cao Xin. He was still mumbling. "I am the best in the world. I need to be the king of the martial world…"
"Is that… the dream you pursue?" Feng Bujue asked with a smile. Just in case, he still summoned Death Poker. After this period of recovery, he could use Shield.
"Do you think that's laughable?" Lin Chang slowly approached him, trailing blood behind him.
"We are all prone to having… dumb dreams," Feng Bujue lamented. "But what is so bad about that? I indeed admire your persistence and do not dislike the way you've gone about things. But regretfully, I have to tell you that your weakness determined your defeat from the beginning."
"Ha… You dare say…" Lin Chang had difficulty speaking.
Feng Bujue cut him off. "Of course you are weak. You are so weak that you are unable to overcome your inner demon. You chose to rely on him to obtain greater power."
He took out a black bell with a gilded handle from his inventory.
"Aren't you curious why the ghosts in the mountains take a wide berth away from you?" He raised the Bell of Jin Gang. "Your soul has been corrupted already. Even if you don't die here today, in less than a year, you will be taken over by your inner demon and turn into nothing more like a zombie.
"And this bell is your natural enemy. Even without that attack, by cooperating with Master Cao, you will always lose."
Ring ring.
Feng Bujue rang the bell twice, and Lin Chang, who was still three meters from him, was pressed to the ground by an invisible force. He knelt before Feng Bujue as the black air around him struggled madly like a dying animal.
"Ha… Ah… Ah!" Lin Chang laughed bitterly before screaming into the sky. His scream pierced the night sky, carrying with it the helplessness and futility of human nature. Even Lu Qingning, Su Tang, and Miao Shaoqin showed pity toward their once senior brother.
Several seconds later, the black aura completely dissipated, and Lin Chang's face paled. There was endless melancholy in his eyes. "Brother Feng… do you really think I'm a hero?"
Feng Bujue did not answer. He merely reached out and extended his palm to point at the empty streets around them, showing an ironic smile. This street was originally filled with so many experts, heroes, and artists, but at that moment, the ones that remained were a madman and a eunuch.
"Hahaha…" Lin Chang collapsed. His face was turned to the sky, and he could not help laughing. In the end, he closed his eyes. With a smile on his face, he breathed out his last words. "So, this is destiny…"
[1] Modern sniper teams normally comprise at least two people. The spotter is armed with an automatic weapon for defensive use and binoculars to help direct the sniper.