Yang Feng moved with incredible speed. The moment he dashed out of the house, Long Wei could only catch a glimpse of a white blur streaking further into the distance. He sighed inwardly, frustrated that he still hadn''t mastered the art of light-footed movement. Even so, his speed was already far superior to that of an ordinary person, though he remained unaware that his training in the Im-Yang Mystic Martial Arts had also contributed to his agility.
Long Wei''s sharp eyes tracked the white blur of Yang Feng until they arrived at a grand house, brightly illuminated. Torches were mounted on every side of the walls, and the interior was equally well-lit. From afar, the sounds of commotion grew clearer as they approached.
"Hold your weapons!" Long Wei, still outside the courtyard, heard Yang Feng''s commanding voice.
His shout was immediately followed by the clatter of metal and startled cries. When Long Wei leaped into the courtyard, he saw two strange men standing over three villagers who lay sprawled at their feet. The other men stood at a distance, fear evident on their faces.
The two men were strikingly unusual. They appeared to be in their forties, their faces identical down to the hair. Their eyes were narrow and sharp, their thick eyebrows framed prominent noses, and their firm jaws exuded arrogance.
The only difference between them was that the man wielding a flute had his left eye covered with a cloth, while the man with a dark yellow bamboo staff stood on a single leg,his right leg. They were none other than The Death Twins.
"What do you want by causing trouble here?" Yang Feng''s voice carried a menacing edge. "I refuse to believe the villagers did anything to disturb you."
The two men exchanged glances. Their brows furrowed, their expressions twitching as if communicating without words. Then, in unison, they nodded.
The one-legged man spoke. "I am Beng Kui, and this is my younger brother, Beng Sui. Who are you to stand in our way?"
"The Death Twins,who could forget how you were destroyed near this very place ten years ago? Am I wrong to assume you''re here for revenge?"
Beng Kui''s face flushed red, his eyes widening as if realizing something. "Yang Feng, you wretched old bastard! So you''ve finally shown yourself!"
"Oh? So you were looking for me?"
The one-eyed man stepped forward. "We stirred up trouble here to lure you out. Now that you''re here, it''s time to settle our old scores!"
Without warning, Beng Sui lunged, thrusting his flute toward Yang Feng''s left eye. As if wanting to exact revenge for the past, he aimed for the same eye. His flute, moving with piercing speed, emitted a high-pitched, ear-splitting shriek.
Yang Feng chuckled. "You''re no faster than before!" He sidestepped and countered with a swift kick.
Beng Sui blocked with his left hand while slashing his flute toward Yang Feng’s neck. In response, the old warrior bent his body so low that he balanced on a single foot. A moment later, Beng Sui let out a pained scream,Yang Feng''s fist had struck his right side.
"Stay out of this!" Long Wei shouted as he noticed Beng Kui preparing to assist his brother. The young warrior drew his short sword and sprinted toward Beng Kui, who had begun hopping toward Yang Feng.
"Annoying brat!" Beng Kui snapped, irritated as he vaulted over Long Wei’s sword strike aimed at his knee. Twisting midair, he swung his staff toward Long Wei’s head.
Twice, Long Wei dodged the sweeping attacks before launching another strike, this time channeling the Im-Yang Mystic Martial Arts. Though the technique was meant for barehanded combat, Long Wei was surprised by how seamlessly it adapted to swordplay.
Beng Kui’s eyes widened in shock. Long Wei''s movements, while swift, still lacked polish. However, beneath that rough execution lay something extraordinary.
Beng Kui quickly deduced that whatever martial art his opponent was using was of a high level but not yet fully mastered. He decided it was best to kill Long Wei now before he could become a future threat.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
"Die!" Beng Kui roared as their battle reached twenty exchanges. Evading two thrusts from Long Wei’s sword, he spun his staff and struck at the young warrior''s knee.
Long Wei had expected an attack to his chest. He had already moved his sword to guard his upper body when the bamboo staff landed on his knee.
His left knee buckled instantly, forcing him to kneel. Before he could even catch his breath, Beng Kui thrust his staff toward his head.
Long Wei knew he must not panic. Yet, for the first time, he felt his life genuinely threatened in battle. During his encounters with the pirates, he had either won decisively or, at worst, barely scraped by. But he had never been pushed this far.
Is this the kind of opponent Elder Yang Feng faced before? The thought crossed Long Wei’s mind as the staff closed in.
Just as he was about to resign himself to fate, another thought flashed in his mind,Sky Jade and revenge. If he died now, wouldn’t everything be in vain? He had been entrusted by two great warriors to safeguard Sky Jade. This realization reignited his fighting spirit, awakening the indomitable will of a pirate.
Suddenly, Long Wei tilted his head to the side. The bamboo staff barely missed him, grazing past his ear by the width of a finger.
Having trained in the Im-Yang Mystic Martial Arts, every movement he made, whether offensive or defensive, naturally aligned with its principles. Even his reflexes followed its form. Without hesitation, Long Wei slashed at Beng Kui’s right shin.
Though his blade didn’t sever the limb, it cut deep enough to make Beng Kui let out a piercing scream.
Beng Kui''s body staggered forward. Long Wei shifted slightly to avoid being crushed under it. In one swift motion, he thrust his sword deep into Beng Kui''s ribs.
"Aaaakkhhh!" Beng Kui roared just as his body collapsed to the ground.
Blood stained the grassy earth in the village chief’s courtyard. Gasps of shock, admiration, and horror echoed from the villagers who had been watching.
Beng Kui''s body convulsed, his eyes wide open with deep-seated hatred. Just when Long Wei thought he had truly won, Beng Kui forcefully pressed his left hand against the ground, propelling his body high into the air, reaching about waist height. While mid-air, he spun, spraying blood everywhere, and swung his staff at Long Wei’s head.
Instinctively, Long Wei raised his sword to block the attack. A sharp clang rang out as he was sent flying three zhang away. Beng Kui''s body crashed lifelessly onto the ground, and only then did Long Wei realize his sword had shattered.
His face paled at the thought of what would have happened if that staff had struck his head.
"Wei Ji, watch out!"
Long Wei turned his head swiftly. He barely caught sight of a green flash and a whistling sound before realizing that a flute was already inches away from his face, aiming to stab him.
Once again, his reflexes saved him. Somehow, he managed to deflect the flute and leap to his feet. At some point, his left leg had also been freed from the acupoint strike.
He struck out with his right palm, and a loud boom erupted as their internal energies clashed. Another sharp sound followed when Long Wei’s left hand blocked Beng Sui’s flute strike with the cold energy of Im. His right hand, imbued with Yang energy, countered Beng Sui’s left hand, forcing the one-eyed man back by two steps.
"I''ll let you hold onto Sky Jade a little longer!" Beng Sui growled at Yang Feng, grimacing in pain before swiftly darting over to Beng Kui’s body. Carrying his brother, he disappeared into the night. "This isn’t over!" his voice echoed in the distance.
Silence filled the air, broken only by Yang Feng’s coughing as he clutched his chest and Long Wei’s ragged breathing. The earlier clash of internal energy had taken its toll on them both. Somehow, fortune had spared Long Wei, and he was grateful that his meditation training had yielded results. At the very least, his internal strength was not far below Beng Sui’s.
The watching villagers were in a daze. The battle had unfolded too suddenly. None of them had expected to witness a duel between martial experts in the village chief’s courtyard that night. Those who had been ready to fight to the death with whatever weapons they had, now found themselves inexplicably safe.
"Taihiap!" A young man rushed toward Yang Feng, intending to help him up.
His actions prompted the other villagers to quickly assist both Yang Feng and Long Wei.
"Taihiap, please stay in my home tonight. I will prepare everything you need," the village chief offered, his face pale.
Yang Feng gently brushed off the hands reaching to support him. Though his gesture was soft, it was clear he felt slightly uncomfortable. "Don''t worry about us. Take care of your fallen brethren first."
That night, both sorrow and joy spread throughout Mingxia Village,sorrow for the loss of three villagers, but joy that one of The Death Twins had been slain.
The villagers praised the bravery of the two warriors, eagerly competing to offer them a place to stay. Yet, both Yang Feng and Long Wei saw through their insincerity.
"They are just afraid and seeking protection," Long Wei whispered.
Yang Feng gave a bitter smile. "Yes… that is human nature. You must get used to it."
That night, they both stayed in the village chief’s residence. However, by dawn, the entire household was shocked to find that their saviors had already left.
Yang Feng had been uneasy. During the night, he had seen the glow of a bonfire deep within the forest near the village. He suspected it was Beng Sui spending the night there.
At the break of dawn, they set off in pursuit, reaching the supposed bonfire site just as the sun rose fully above the horizon.
Both stood frozen, their faces pale with disbelief at what they saw.
They had come prepared for another battle, yet before them lay Beng Sui’s lifeless corpse.