Milu City Catches Thieves, Jing

At Penglai Immortal Island, in the White Jade Palace, True Martial Great Emperor said, "Those two granddaughters of Ziqi Dao are quite brave. They have more heroic bearing than some men."

Ancestor Lu laughed heartily. "It's rare for Emperor to praise anyone."

"Hong Yun and Hong Lian have indeed become entangled in Buddhist karma." True Martial Great Emperor sighed.

Tiger Subduing Arhat and Happy Arhat exchanged a knowing smile.

Chen Renfeng listened silently, keeping his expression unchanged. How could this Great Luo Golden Immortal see things so differently from me? When will I finally be moved to tears that turn into golden pills? How depressing!

The scene in the water mirror grew increasingly intense.

Su Jiangcheng shouted and dashed over from Alu Restaurant. Su Dingfeng followed behind him. The two men were dressed in splendid robes, and after a few leaps, they arrived at the scene.

Hong Yun hurriedly said, "Young masters, the thieves cut off the Golden Bodhisattva's head. Capture them quickly!"

Su Dingfeng's head buzzed. The golden Buddha I escorted thousands of li has been stolen—and it was personally made by Master. Today, even if I have to stake my life, I must stop these thieves.

Su Dingfeng roared, "You little thief, you're courting death!"

Su Dingfeng instantly drew the treasured sword from his back. He used the Flying Goose Treading on Snow Mud movement technique, and with one move—Neither Wind Nor Rain Nor Shine—a storm of sword rain enveloped Chang He. The moment Young Master Su made his move, he unleashed his strongest killing technique.

Chang He saw only stars glittering before his eyes. His enemy's long sword exuded waves of chill, and his heart was greatly shaken. The movements of these two men did not resemble those of any martial sect in Southern Expedition Country, and this attack was not Dian Cang Swordplay either. Could they be...

In the blink of an eye, Chang He had no time to think further. He used A Cluster of Ten Thousand Flowers, one of the eighteen techniques of Cang Lang Peak from Dian Cang Sect. It was inspired by the flowers blooming in profusion all along the route from the meadows of Ten Thousand Flowers Creek on Cang Lang Peak to its flow into Erhai Lake. He adopted it as a defensive stance.

Su Dingfeng's slashing, thrusting, sweeping, and flicking attacks were swift, precise, and vicious, each one striking toward a vital acupoint. Chang He defended continuously, but Su Dingfeng's internal power was profound. Every clash of their swords left Chang He's tiger mouth throbbing with pain, forcing him to retreat as he fought.

Su Jiangcheng refused to fall behind. He used the Flying Goose Treading on Snow Mud movement technique and closed in on Chang Hu, employing close-quarters grappling techniques to unleash his signature move, South Flying Swallow North Returning Goose.

First, his left hand formed an eagle's claw and seized for the opponent's throat. When the opponent raised a hand to block, his right eagle claw seized the opponent's wrist at the Shenmen acupoint. His left claw followed the momentum to seize the elbow joint at the Shaohai acupoint. Finally, he advanced in a right bow stance, then sent his left foot flying toward the Yangming meridian point behind the knee. The technique emphasized defeating the enemy with a single move.

Chang Hu had initially been careless. Only when his left elbow was caught did he realize the danger. If the joint were locked completely, that arm would be crippled.

In desperation, Chang Hu used Full Moon over Five Platforms, one of the sixteen techniques of Five Platform Peak from Dian Cang Sect.

The long sword hacked downward from above his head, intent on severing both of his opponent's arms. The move was vicious and ruthless.

Su Jiangcheng shifted into an empty stance and moved backward, relaxing the strength in his hands. Chang Hu took advantage of the moment to break free, then used the opportunity to open a distance of more than twenty feet. However, as he pulled his left arm free, the eagle claw tore through his clothes, leaving five bloody marks with blood pouring from them.

After only one exchange, Liu Changhu had lost thirty percent of his power.

Hong Yun and Hong Lian had been watching from the side. Only now did they realize that the martial skills of these two thieves surpassed theirs by a wide margin. The thieves had likely been deliberately toying with them earlier.

Hong Yun thought, Fortunately, Su Jiangcheng and Su Dingfeng came to help. Otherwise, I would have suffered badly.

Su Jiangcheng had failed to seize his opponent with that move, but he had seriously wounded him. As the saying went, one should take an enemy's life while he was ill; he gave his opponent no chance to catch his breath. His Flying Goose Treading on Snow Mud movement technique was peerless in the Jiangnan martial world, and with a flash, he reached Chang Hu's right side.

Su Jiangcheng launched a fierce attack with Dark Clouds Drag Rain Over West Tower, his left hand grabbing the back of Chang Hu's neck and his right hand seizing his wrist.

Chang Hu lowered his head and twisted aside, thrusting his sword back toward Su Jiangcheng's lower abdomen.

Su Jiangcheng did not retreat. He twisted at the waist and dodged to the side. At the same time, his left hand changed from a claw into a palm and struck Chang Hu squarely on the left shoulder. His right hand followed through, hooking Chang Hu's right arm and stripping away his long sword, then he kicked Chang Hu in the buttocks.

Chang Hu flew like a kite with its string cut and crashed down before Hong Yun and Hong Lian. Two soft swords instantly pressed against his neck, icy and menacing.

On the other side, Chang He was also forced into a fluster by Su Dingfeng's swift sword. Several cuts had opened on his body, though fortunately none had injured his muscles or bones.

Seeing Chang Hu captured after only two exchanges, Chang He grew frightened. If the two men joined forces, he feared he would be captured in three or four moves as well.

Chang He roared, "Young hero, wait! We can discuss this!" Su Dingfeng's attack paused at his words. Chang He seized the chance to widen the distance between them, then cupped his fists and said, "Are you two young heroes not from the martial world of Southern Expedition Country?"

"Enough nonsense. Hand over the Buddha head, and I'll spare your life," Su Dingfeng replied bluntly.

Chang He answered with a grin, "As they say, Dian Cang comes from the martial world south of the heavens. You two young heroes should first learn how Dian Cang Sect conducts itself. Don't let the beauty of these two girls ruin matters."

"Haha! Dian Cang comes from the martial world south of the heavens? What an arrogant claim. You want the Buddha head but not your lives?" Su Jiangcheng laughed and retorted.

After pondering his words, Chang He said, "It seems you two are from the Central Plains martial world. My Dian Cang Sect does not wish to make enemies of you. Release my junior brother, and we'll give you the Buddha head."

Hong Yun pressed her sword against Chang Hu's neck and escorted him toward Chang He. The two sides stopped three zhang apart.

Hong Yun said, "Bring the Buddha head over first."

Chang He exerted force with his hand and sent the Buddha head flying toward Hong Yun's face. At the same time, he used Dian Cang Sect's movement technique White Cloud Jade Belt Float. In the space of a breath, he reached Hong Yun. Instead of grabbing Chang Hu, he seized the bundle containing the flying Buddha head.

Hong Yun was startled. She thrust her sword forward from a bow stance. Chang He leaped and kicked twice: one foot struck his junior brother in the lower abdomen and sent him flying toward Su Jiangcheng, while the other struck the spine of Hong Yun's soft sword. Borrowing the rebounding force, he leaped from the rooftop.

He landed astride the tall steed Hong Lian had just mounted. Clamping both legs, he shot more than thirty feet away. The change happened too quickly for the cavalrymen to react.

Su Dingfeng also leaped down to the main street, seized a soldier's horse, and pursued him.

Chang He galloped wildly. By then, the city gates had already closed. When he reached the city wall, he rode up the stairs, step by step, and reached the top of the wall. The guards swarmed around him.

Chang He was a ruthless killer who did not blink at taking lives. With one sword stroke, he cut down the soldier blocking his path, then spurred his horse toward the eastern side of the wall.

Chang He strapped the Buddha head to his back, tore off a strip of brocade from his robe to blindfold the horse, and struck the horse's rump three times with the spine of his sword.

The horse went berserk and ran even faster than it had through the streets. When it was still one zhang from the edge of the wall, Chang He pulled the reins. The red horse leaped into the air and burst over the wall, its hind hooves kicking off the edge as it flew a full six zhang.

The city wall had been built on a hillside, making the combined height of the wall and slope fully eight zhang.

While airborne, Chang He suddenly leaped onto the horse's back. When he was two zhang above the ground, he stepped on the horse's head and used his internal power to shatter its brain. With a bang, the red horse crashed onto the ground.

Pitifully, even after death, the thousand-li horse had every bone broken and could not let out a single whinny.

Chang He landed steadily, then glanced back at Su Dingfeng, who had ridden up along the city wall. With a flash of his feet, he vanished into the mountain forest.

Su Dingfeng was frantic. He urged the mount beneath him to jump down as well, but no matter how much he whipped it, it refused to obey. The horse was also growing agitated and tried to throw him off.

He could only dismount from the wall and order the soldiers to open the city gates and pursue the thief.

The soldiers could not tell whether he was an official or a thief, so they all raised their spears and surrounded him.

Even with countless skills at his disposal, Su Dingfeng could not use any of them. His face flushed red with fury.

A moment later, Su Jiangcheng, Hong Yun, and Hong Lian arrived with the guards as well.

They opened the city gates and went to where the horse had fallen. "Thief, where do you think you're running?"