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Kapitel 17

He threw a punch at the knife in front of him, the force of the punch was swift and swift, creating a whooshing sound. Even before the fist arrived, the wind from the punch already stung the skin. The power of this punch was surprisingly similar to that of a martial arts master in a wuxia novel.

In fact, if the concept of "martial arts world" still existed in modern times, they could indeed be called "martial arts practitioners".

But since Er Gou and Xiao Dao had already decided to make their move, how could Xiao Dao not be on guard? Although the punch came fast, Xiao Dao's movements were even more like a ghost.

The punch clearly struck Xiao Dao's face, even shattering his head and passing right through him, but in the blink of an eye, Xiao Dao appeared beside Chen Xing. He sneered, and his knife-like hand slashed towards Chen Xing's neck.

At the same time, Er Gou let out a muffled groan and flew out.

"Splash!" He fell into the water two meters away, splashing water everywhere.

Xiao Dao paused, his palm strike slowing slightly. Suddenly, a force surged from underwater, reaching his leg in an instant. The force was so swift and powerful that it was impossible to resist. In a flash, he was thrown into the air, landing with a splash a meter away in the water.

Only then did he feel the pain.

Chen Xing snorted and leaped ashore.

The ground was icy cold, and his mind cleared, but the pent-up grief and anger in his heart only intensified. He glared at his two opponents, whom he had defeated with his "furious, kicking blows," and roared, "Come on!"

Er Gou roared and leaped onto the creek bank.

The shore was cold, and Er Gou's eyes were bloodshot, his facial muscles twitching and contorting incessantly, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.

But after taking two steps, he slowed down, and a desperate aura suddenly emanated from his entire body.

His aura seemed to contain a murderous intent that could annihilate everything.

"You want to kill me?" Chen Xing stood with his palms outstretched, appearing like a god in the green shadows, but the aura emanating from him unconsciously reminded people of Xiang Yu, the King of Chu, who had nowhere else to turn.

Er Gou remained unmoved, staring intently at Chen Xing, before taking another step forward.

stop.

The two were now only one meter apart.

"Me too!" A venomous scream rang out, and the dagger was already close behind.

"Let's do it!" Chen Xing shouted, looking up.

"I want to see your feet!" Er Gou seemed to squeeze out these words, each one bursting out as he raised his right leg little by little. By the time he finished speaking the last word, he was sitting upright with his legs straight and his upper body still. His right leg had been raised to his waist, and his foot and calf, calf and thigh, and thigh and waist formed three 90-degree angles.

Chen Xing's pupils suddenly contracted, and he rasped, "The ever-changing mechanical feet?"

"That's right!" Er Gou sneered coldly, "He's also your 'furious but helpless' natural nemesis!"

"Have you ever witnessed the Japanese swordsmanship of 'Yagyu Itto-ryu'?" Kodak raised his palm to his brow.

"Come on!" Chen Xing uttered two words, his palms transforming into blades, one like a long sword attached to his arm, the other like a short sword hidden in his sleeve. "Behold my 'Farewell My Concubine Blade'!"

The interlude was complete. A green shadow flickered, Er Gou's left leg remained still, while his right foot created a blur of shadows. At the same time, Xiao Dao's palm blade slowly rose to the ground.

Chen Xing, however, remained firmly planted on the ground like a willow branch, his upper body constantly dodging while his hands remained in the same position.

At a close distance of one meter, dozens of sharp kicks aimed at different locations in an instant all missed their mark. Unsurprisingly, Er Gou suddenly stopped, returning to his original posture, his eyes fixed fiercely on Chen Xing, as if he had never moved.

Xiao Dao's palm was already raised above his head.

Chen Xing sprang back to his original posture.

"You actually have this kind of strength, it's unbelievable!" Xiao Dao chuckled coldly, but his expression showed no surprise whatsoever.

Chen Xing said indifferently, "If you had killed me sooner, we wouldn't be in this crisis today!" As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on Er Gou, who was poised to pounce.

"So you didn't originally have this kind of strength?" Xiao Dao asked, his palm slowly lowering again.

"Fighting the two of you shouldn't be a problem." Chen Xing's gaze was fixed on Er Gou, as if he knew that Er Gou's next attack would be even more difficult to deal with.

"Oh?" Xiao Dao asked, "If that's the case, why bother coming here to join us?"

"If anyone could defeat the boss, there would be no need for me to join them," Chen Xing said, sounding somewhat weak.

Xiao Dao said, "Wrong. There are at least two who can do it." Chen Xingman responded, "Oh?" Xiao Dao chuckled and said, "One is naturally 'Two-Hearted Blade' Du Liu, and the other, you should be able to tell, is of course..." His voice suddenly lowered, as if he said a name, or as if he said nothing at all. Subconsciously, Chen Xingman's mind was slightly distracted.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [57]: "Kill!"

Xiao Dao suddenly shouted. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. With that shout, he unleashed a palm strike. —But this strike was unusually slow.

Chen Xing dared not underestimate it at all. Only those in the thick of it could perceive that although the palm strike was slow, it contained a kind of brutal and deadly aura that only Japanese samurai possess when charging into battle, along with Xiao Dao's loud cry. The momentum of the attack was no less than that of a thousand troops, leaving no room for dodging or retreating. The only option was to fight head-on.

That was no longer Yagyu Kendo's Ittō-ryū style, but rather Miyamoto Musashi's swordsmanship, possessing the power to "destroy Buddhas and wipe away demons," leaving no room for retreat and inevitably resulting in defeat even in a direct confrontation.

Chen Xing suddenly let out a long sigh. In the sigh, his eyes were fierce and powerful, no longer showing any trace of evil or despicable aura. All that remained was a tragic air of questioning why the heavens were so unjust. At the same time, his arms came together as if he were holding a long sword, and he did not even block Xiao Dao's palm strike, but instead went straight for Xiao Dao's neck.

A strong aura of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu, when he was cornered and had nowhere else to turn, suddenly arose.

If there were no one among the thousands of soldiers, why would Heaven be so unjust?

With a "whoosh," Er Gou also launched a kick at the same time as Chen Xing made his move. This kick was delivered with his left foot, which remained perfectly straight. Moreover, his body remained motionless during the kick, as if his left foot were a stick attached to his body, capable of moving freely along an axis.

This is undoubtedly the real killer move of Er Gou's "ever-changing mechanical feet".

The art of martial arts is different from what is commonly referred to as "martial arts." People often confuse the two, but few know the difference. For those in the underworld, "martial arts" are used to kill; a person's skill in combat does not necessarily reflect their level of martial arts prowess. Since it is called "martial arts," it must encompass both "martial" and "skill." A martial artist must cultivate skill; martial arts grow stronger with skill. Once skill reaches a certain level, even without knowing any martial arts techniques, one's martial arts prowess will be astonishing.

In ancient times, and even in contemporary martial arts novels, "gong" (功) is often equated with internal energy. However, in the modern underworld, "gong" doesn't simply refer to cultivated internal energy. One of the ten major underworld martial arts techniques is pure gunmanship, emphasizing using the power of bullets to subdue and kill enemies. It employs speed, stability, accuracy, ruthlessness, decisiveness, and insidious tactics. This school may not know any other martial arts and may only be slightly better than the average person in regular combat, but once armed, they would be no match for even dozens of specially trained sharpshooters from various military units. Therefore, the meaning of martial arts in the underworld differs from that in martial arts novels.

Xiao Dao and Er Gou are true "underworld" figures, having followed their boss for many years. In their line of work, without martial arts skills and the ability to kill, not only can their skills not be improved, but their lifespan is also short. This is because their profession is universally reviled; once discovered, they are immediately attacked. The world is vast, and there are countless people skilled in martial arts or possessing brute strength. Moreover, once discovered, they are usually surrounded and attacked by several or even hundreds of people. Without the ability to kill, they simply cannot protect themselves. Therefore, in this line of work, skills and martial arts are usually developed simultaneously.

Given Xiao Dao and Er Gou's skills, it would be unbelievable if they didn't possess terrifying martial arts. The combined effect of their attack would be unimaginable for the attackers, especially since they were now filled with murderous intent.

However, Chen Xing, Du Liu, and A Ding all have very mysterious origins. Originally disciples of high-ranking figures in various underworld factions, they are now among the three most sought-after members of the underworld. Meanwhile, the Gentleman's Sect, the leader's sect, has long since declined. In terms of martial arts techniques, Chen Xing's reputation in the underworld far surpasses theirs. What will be the outcome of their duel?

The answer came quickly.

A person took flight.

—This person can only be Chen Xing.

With a muffled groan, Chen Xing was sent flying, crashing two meters away.

He was undoubtedly kicked away by Er Gou.

But two screams rang out at the same time, and Er Gou and Xiao Dao fell to the ground simultaneously.

Huang Zilan saw the situation very clearly at that moment.

Xiao Dao unleashed a long-prepared palm strike, aiming for Chen Xing's forehead; Chen Xing neither retreated nor dodged, but instead joined his palms together, swinging his long arm like a knife, aiming for Xiao Dao's neck.

Er Gou kicked out with his left leg straight up, his body in mid-air, but his left leg flew to Chen Xing's abdomen like a stabbing blow; Chen Xing intercepted with his left foot, and his right leg flicked out, striking Er Gou's head, his body also in mid-air.

Xiao Dao dodged to the side, his palm blocking Chen Xing's slashing arms before he could strike. His palm strike changed from a chop to a flick, continuing to attack Xiao Dao's forehead, which had changed position due to the change in posture. Chen Xing's tightly closed arms suddenly separated, his left arm transforming into an elbow strike to Xiao Dao's ribs, while his right arm's slashing momentum remained undiminished.

Chen Xing's left foot trembled a few times, creating a leg curtain, and his right foot kicked three times, each time aimed at Er Gou's rapidly moving head; Er Gou's right leg, which was at three ninety-degree angles, suddenly straightened, and his right foot seemed to be able to detach from his body and suddenly lengthen, hitting Chen Xing's chest.

Then Chen Xingfei flew out, Er Gou swayed twice, took a step back, leaned forward, lost his balance and fell; Xiao Dao took a step to the side, lost his center of gravity and fell.

All three people simultaneously groaned, screamed, and cried out. The three sounds of them hitting the ground echoed at the same time.

There was only one difference—Chen Xing slid half a meter after falling to the ground before stopping, while Xiao Dao and Er Gou fell down and their bodies twitched but they couldn't stand up.

Everything happened so quickly, yet Huang Zilan felt an unusual chill in her heart.

—It turns out Chen Xing is capable of fighting these two; Du Liu is also capable of fighting the boss!

—But why won't they take action?

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [58]: (Why would they rather one betray and the other be hurt, rather...) She dared not think any further. Hadn't she herself admitted defeat without putting up any resistance? Weren't her classmates, companions, and friends all afraid to resist?

Banging sounds rang out, and the three of them started fighting again.

This time, the three people flashed and leaped around, making it impossible to see who was who, how they fought, or how many moves they exchanged. All that was known was that suddenly all three of them flew out and fell to the ground.

This time, however, none of the three were able to get up quickly. They struggled several times, but all failed, and they were all panting heavily. It was clear that all three of them were injured to the point of exhaustion, which also showed that Chen Xing's strength was greater than either Xiao Dao or Er Gou. However, once faced with a joint attack, he could only fail.

The three men's panting sounds like those of dying wild beasts, and their fierce and ruthless expressions showed that they were all trying their best to regulate their breathing in order to get up as soon as possible and kill each other.

Suddenly, a sinister laugh rang out, and Xiao Dao staggered to his feet. "I'm going to kill you..." His face was contorted with rage, and his voice trembled as if chilled to the bone. But his crazed gaze told everyone that no one could stop him now.

"You're dead!"

Another sinister laugh.

Er Gou also stood up.

Chen Xing, however, was still panting and struggling to remember.

※※※※※

As he walked, Wang Jia couldn't help but recall the stream that encircled the "mountain," the stream that could restore one to their original state. The triple temptation of quenching thirst, relieving hunger, and alleviating fatigue made him want nothing more than to jump into the stream, to stop thinking and asking questions.

But a vague sense of foreboding made him realize that this was definitely not a good thing.

Deep in his heart, he couldn't help but pray to God again and again, hoping—hoping that Amu would not fall into temptation and enter the stream.

Little did he know that Wang Mu was not only in the stream at that moment, but was also enjoying the tender and beautiful pleasures he had long awaited.

There is nothing more comfortable than soaking in a hot spring after being dirty for many days, and having someone scrub his back and clean him, not to mention that the people serving him are quite unusual.

The stream was warm, and the misty light made everything seem even more beautiful. Seven beautiful maidens surrounded him in the water, displaying the most dazzling beauty of their lives. Because of the mist, they seemed unbelievable—they did not appear to be ordinary mortals, but rather celestial beings who could only exist in people's minds!

He didn't eat flowers or drink water, which was certainly related to the fact that he wasn't thirsty or hungry, but the main reason was that he believed it was absolutely wrong to wash off the dirt and then drink it. What difference would that make from "pretending to be clean and using urine to wash the pot"? Besides, the stream not only contained filth, but also contained things that might become human in the near future. What difference would it make from eating and drinking it, or eating people?

Time seemed to pass very slowly, and those people (including Wang Jia) never came. During this time, he had already learned the names, origins, and past experiences of these people.

Immersed in the water, with his eyes slightly closed, he could still see everything. He could clearly sense the seven beautiful young women's yearning to give everything, and the complex emotions of the two men who saw him as a god, a savior, and also as an insurmountable enemy. All of this felt both novel and exciting to him, making him completely forget about his brother Wang Jia's safety and existence, forget the horrific scene he had witnessed not long ago, and simply observe the faces, expressions, and rare glimpses of female nudity around him with his eyes closed.

But I felt no urge to act.

When clothed, the body of the opposite sex is certainly very alluring because it is unknown. However, once the clothes are removed and the body is naked, the body of the opposite sex is neither mysterious nor tempting, neither frightening nor beautiful. It is no different from still life painting in daily life, and even has an added ugliness.

In his disappointment, he couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions: admiration for his own gentlemanly perseverance, yet doubt about his own sanity. Images of street girls flashed through his mind, images that stirred endless fantasies. In summer, their clothes were thin, their figures almost entirely revealed, always evoking a sudden, throbbing attraction, a wicked urge to remove their clothes and see for himself. But now, he realized that while their faces couldn't compare to any of the seven women beside him, their figures were likely inferior as well. Why, then, did he feel no lustful thoughts at this moment? Was it because they were so easily obtained? Was it because they were so real? Or perhaps it was only when they were fully clothed, slowly undressing and allowing him to gradually experience their bodies, that lustful thoughts arose?

Lost in thought, Wang Mu heard Wu Xiaohui's gentle, wifely voice beside him, "Amu, all your clothes are washed and dried." He opened his eyes, gazing at the gentle, quiet, and elegantly beautiful young woman, and couldn't help but think, "With her artistic and quiet nature, it's impossible for me to get to know her and become close to her in everyday life. Unless our status changes..." He smiled and said, "Thank you." Leaving the warm stream, ignoring the slightly regretful or relieved glances, he dressed. "Now, I must find my brother. Then we'll work together to get out of this predicament, out of here."

As he spoke, he was still thinking: "The ways of Heaven are unpredictable. In the current situation, I can have the bodies of each of them without any resistance, and I don't have to worry about their displeasure after I escape. This is a rare opportunity, and once it's lost, it will never come again. But if I do this, how am I any different from a despicable person who takes advantage of a crisis, or an evil person who lusts after women? Even if I get a lot, how can the guilt in my heart be erased in my future life?"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [59]: "But if I don't take advantage of this opportunity, I will never have any connection with any of them again in this life. After I escape, they may not even remember who I am. I can't expect to get their gratitude. Wang Mu is just a nobody in the mortal world. His greatest wish in life is to get a satisfactory girl as his wife. Perhaps if I express my love to someone here and now, I can get her as my wife in the future. It would be a pity to give up such a rare opportunity. Even if we don't know each other in the future, and this is the most likely opportunity, what loss is there for me? Since there are merchants in the world, there has been trade. Helping them escape is saving their lives. Between life and sex, life is more important after all—at least, that's how it is for them. How could I, Wang Mu, be so foolish as to make a selfless sacrifice without any conditions? How could my morality be so noble?"

For a moment, he felt a surge of urge to undress and enter the inn to experience true tenderness, and this urge grew stronger, even stirring a physical desire within him. But just as he was about to recklessly turn back to the stream, he suddenly saw the terrified looks in everyone's eyes as he turned around. It was as if a thunderbolt had struck him, and he was overwhelmed with mixed emotions, unsure of what to feel. "Why are they so afraid of me? Could it be that they are unwilling, yet dare not, unable to?... If I were to do that, wouldn't I become the most despicable person ever!"

Just then, a sinister, chilling voice suddenly came from behind: "Murderers die! Zhu Qian, your death is near!"

II. Killing to survive