Tiger and Wolf Fight in the Woods

The vice president of the Dragon Scale Association, known in the martial world as "Ugly Tiger."

Five years ago, he set an eighteen-win streak record at the Lin Family's martial arts tournament to select a husband, and afterward took Lin Kun as his adoptive father.

Peng Canghu had joined the Dragon Scale Association with his own martial arts background. No one knew who his master was. He wielded a wolf-toothed club with seemingly effortless strength, earning great merit in the repeated battles against the Wild Wolf Gang. He had even once saved Lin Kun's life.

The martial artists of Pingyang Prefecture privately joked that Lin Kun's fate was too hard and that he was especially good at bringing misfortune to his sons.

Thus, not only did he have no biological sons, most of the adopted sons he took in also died in battle.

Yet Peng Canghu's fate was even harder than his and could withstand plenty of misfortune.

"Everyone, you killed people from the Dragon Scale Association and now think you can leave so easily? Wouldn't that make me look bad?"

Peng Canghu slowly walked out of the woods. Moonlight fell across his scar-covered face. His eyebrows were sparse, his two dead-fish eyes dull and lifeless, and his nostrils flared outward. He still had the typical snout of a pig.

Sure enough, in the martial world, there were only wrong names, never wrong nicknames.

His voice was not loud, but its deep tone carried a vicious edge that was difficult to ignore.

Liu Dachui held his iron-ring saber and said, "Ugly Tiger, what do you intend to do?"

Peng Canghu's gaze fell on him, and he sneered. "Zhan Laoshi died beneath your saber, didn't he? Liu Tietou, you were lucky. You weren't at the Wild Wolf Gang that night. Unfortunately, your luck runs out today."

Liu Dachui glanced at the woods behind him. "You think you can keep us here alone? What a pipe dream."

Peng Canghu smiled confidently. "You don't need to test me. The Dragon Scale Association's disciples are on their way. I only need to hold you off for fifteen minutes. None of you will get away."

Zhao Xia said coldly, "What big talk!"

"Zhao Xia? Since you've appeared here, it seems that fool Zhao Huaien botched the job! Good. Once I capture you and offer you to my adoptive father, it'll be a great merit!"

Peng Canghu stared at Zhao Xia's tall, curvaceous body, with its layered peaks and graceful contours. He inwardly sighed that she truly was one of the World's Renowned Treasures. Judging by appearance alone, she was indeed different from ordinary women. If his heart did not already belong to someone, he might really have sampled her.

"A soulless shell isn't worth me investing my energy in."

That was what Peng Canghu thought. He had always prided himself on being a man who valued inner qualities.

Zhao Xia had not yet told the ordinary gang members about Zhao Huaien. Hearing Peng Canghu say this, some of them seemed to understand.

Liu Dachui looked at Zhao Xia and said in a low voice, "Peng Canghu is extremely troublesome. They say his martial arts are no weaker than that old thief Lin Kun's. Chief, I'll go test this mad tiger. Find an opportunity to leave first. Whatever you do, don't let the Dragon Scale Association wrap us up like dumplings."

Without waiting for Zhao Xia to speak, Liu Dachui carried his iron-ring saber into the woods and faced Peng Canghu.

Peng Canghu gave a contemptuous smile. "A one-on-one fight? Do you have that ability?"

Liu Dachui raised his nostrils to the sky. "Enough nonsense. When I was making my way through the martial world, you were still digging boogers out of your nose and eating them. How dare you put on airs in front of me? I'll chop off that ugly head of yours with one slash!"

"I hate—people saying I'm ugly the most!"

Peng Canghu suddenly kicked off the ground and leaped high into the air. His wolf-toothed club came crashing down from the sky.

Vicious Tiger Pounces!

This move descended from above and seemed straightforward, but it was actually far more complicated.

With the opponent above you, no matter which way you dodged, he could change the direction of the "pounce."

And in this kind of exchange, if one side chose to dodge, it was fine if they avoided it completely. But if they failed, their defensive force had already dispersed, and they would take the full force of the attack.

Usually, they would lose their ability to fight at best, and at worst, they would be left dead on the floor.

Liu Dachui had roamed the martial world for many years and understood this principle well.

"He's opening with a killing move!"

He gripped the saber hilt with both hands, gritted his teeth, and met the attack with the back of his saber. The instant they collided, a tremendous force surged over. He rolled along the ground with the momentum, dispersing the force, then performed a wild boar somersault and rose to his feet. He immediately raised the iron-ring saber before him and assumed a defensive stance.

"What formidable Internal Energy!"

In terms of realm, the two were both at the mid-stage of the Armor-Breaking Realm. Yet under Peng Canghu's fierce offensive, Liu Dachui had almost no chance to retaliate.

Their saber and club clashed, each blow carrying Internal Energy and sending waves of flying snow into the air.

Several black pines shed showers of splinters before slowly toppling over.

Zhao Xia said worriedly, "Sixth Uncle isn't Peng Canghu's match."

Zhang Yu said nothing. He carefully watched Peng Canghu's moves and found them somewhat familiar. It seemed that Peng Canghu was using a wolf-toothed club to perform saber techniques.

Was he hiding his original martial arts style just as Zhang Yu was? Zhang Yu lacked a suitable sword art and could only use his sword like a saber, relying on the familiar Sun Chasing Saber Technique. But why was Peng Canghu doing this?

If we don't completely drive this man back, none of us will get away today!

After the two fought for forty or fifty exchanges, Peng Canghu remained at ease, while Liu Dachui's Internal Energy had been exhausted and he had suffered injuries in several places. Several times, he had barely dodged, and the iron spikes on the wolf-toothed club had scraped his back until it was a bloody mess.

Fierce Tiger Drains Heart!

Peng Canghu spun his wolf-toothed club and thrust it toward his opponent's chest. Liu Dachui hurriedly retreated, but his footwork was becoming disordered, and his life was in danger.

Zhao Xia swung her great axe and blocked the wolf-toothed club from the side, saving Liu Dachui.

Peng Canghu retreated half a step and snorted coldly.

He feared injuring Zhao Xia and ruining Lin Kun's delightful plan to score two victories in one night, so he voluntarily withdrew his strength.

"Chief, leave quickly. I'll hold him back."

Liu Dachui rose and was about to fight again.

Zhao Xia pressed down on his shoulder and said, "The Wild Wolf Gang comes and leaves together! We won't abandon another brother."

She looked at Zhang Yu and clasped her fists. "This opponent is tough. My lord, please leave first. I and the brothers of the Wild Wolf Gang will hold Peng Canghu back. If we're lucky enough to survive, we'll follow you again and destroy the Dragon Scale Association!"

"Stand down. You're not his match."

Zhang Yu was helpless. Why did taking charge of the Wild Wolf Gang feel like he had come to act as their hired fighter? No, he had to turn this situation around as soon as possible.

He slowly passed Zhao Xia and walked into the woods.

Liu Dachui thought inwardly, Ugly Tiger isn't an ordinary mid-stage Armor-Breaking Realm expert. His Internal Energy is formidable, and his martial arts style is quite strange. Even I am no match for him. How many exchanges can this man last against him?

The gang members also watched Zhang Yu. Since even Liu Dachui was no match, could this Divine Cult envoy, so young, truly possess martial arts superior to theirs? Because of the reputation of Dongfang Bubai of the Sun Moon Divine Cult, some of them still held onto hope.

Zhao Xia was equally uncertain.

The Divine Cult envoy was exceptionally intelligent and decisive when faced with trouble.

At the ruined temple, he had plotted Zhao Huaien's death, leaving the other side no chance to retaliate.

Earlier in the woods, he had calculated the routes and arranged an ambush, wiping out seven or eight small Dragon Scale Association squads without losing a single man.

But martial cultivation and combat experience required time to accumulate and temper. They could not be gained overnight. His opponent was a martial-world expert who had been famous in Pingyang Prefecture for many years...

"Pretty-faced young master, have you come here to die?"

Peng Canghu looked at the black-clad swordsman who had walked out, displeasure rising in his heart. As a strapping man, how could he... how could he be born so handsome? He ought to be ashamed of it!

Zhang Yu chuckled. "Being ugly wasn't your fault to begin with. But being jealous of my good looks and slandering me for it is very wrong!"

Before his voice had even faded, he used Flowing Clouds and Water and sprinted forward. He suddenly drew his longsword. The black blade reflected no light as it swept upward toward the point where that ugly head joined the body.

"I told you, I hate people saying I'm ugly the most..."

Peng Canghu thrust out his wolf-toothed club to block, but the black blade merely tapped the club lightly before spinning toward the rear. The two passed each other in an instant. Shock filled his heart. What speed! What strange footwork!

The sword aimed at his neck had only been a feint!

The black blade stabbed toward his tailbone. Relying on his abundant combat experience, Peng Canghu turned while already thrusting out his wolf-toothed club, accurately blocking the sword behind him. He then spun and kicked the blade, completely eliminating the threat to his rear.

Zhang Yu took two steps to the left and dodged the kick.

After that exchange, both of them felt that their opponent was troublesome.

Peng Canghu looked at that face beneath the moonlight. It seemed somewhat familiar. And that black sword—he seemed to have seen it somewhere before.

"I remember now."

"At the tournament to select a husband, you defeated 'Little Giant Spirit God' Fan Zhutian with one sword on the arena. You're Zhang Liyu. And now you've thrown in with the Wild Wolf Gang. You certainly know how to pick your moment. Brother Zhang, why not abandon the darkness and turn toward the light by joining the Dragon Scale Association? I'll recommend you to my adoptive father and guarantee you a bright future."

Zhang Yu smiled. "Thank you for the kind offer. However, I'm not good at recognizing fathers, nor am I willing to recognize someone else as my father. In that regard, I can't compare to Brother Canghu!"

Peng Canghu heard the sarcasm in his words and sneered. "You're courting death."

He swung his wolf-toothed club and charged.

Zhang Yu continued using Flowing Clouds and Water, wielding his sword to block as he spun into battle with him.

After the two had fought for ten exchanges, Zhao Xia seized an opportunity to join in with her axe, and the three of them battled together.

Liu Dachui had suffered severe injuries and could only watch from the side with the gang members supporting him. With his current strength, joining the battle would only distract Zhang Yu and Zhao Xia. It was better to lead the group in holding the line and prevent the Dragon Scale Association's disciples from suddenly arriving.

After the three sides fought for seventy or eighty exchanges, the sounds of the Dragon Scale Association's men approaching could already be heard in the distance. Peng Canghu had to face the two of them, one orthodox and one unorthodox, keeping his mind intensely focused. Seeing reinforcements arriving for his side inevitably shook his state of mind, and he relaxed slightly.

Relying on the Green Jade Thumb Ring, Zhang Yu finally sensed a flaw in his opponent. He pushed the footwork of Flowing Clouds and Water to its limit, bypassed the sweeping wolf-toothed club, and thrust his sword from the side toward Peng Canghu's left chest.

"Kill!"

At the same time, Zhao Xia's axe came chopping down.

At the critical moment, Peng Canghu flung out his wolf-toothed club and smashed it against the Xuanhua Great Axe. The blow contained vigorous Internal Energy. Zhao Xia's tiger's mouth split and bled from the shock, and she retreated five steps in a row before dispersing the force.

Peng Canghu retreated two steps and punched Zhang Yu in the shoulder. The black sword merely trembled slightly and did not change direction.

It pierced through!

Blood sprayed into the air.

Zhang Yu succeeded with one strike and hurriedly retreated four or five steps. That force had bored into his right shoulder and rampaged through his meridians. His palm trembled slightly, and he could barely hold the sword anymore. Yet he endured the pain and forced out a smile.

"You're lucky your skin is thick. Otherwise, that sword would have taken your life."

"People who take someone else as their adoptive father all have thick skin. Is that some kind of talent?"

Peng Canghu looked at the bloody hole in his chest, finding it difficult to believe. He stared coldly at Zhang Yu. "Your swordsmanship is mediocre, but your footwork is impressive."

By then, the Dragon Scale Association's men were less than fifty meters away. Although Peng Canghu was seriously wounded, he had not completely lost his ability to fight.

As Zhang Yu was about to leave, he suddenly looked toward the approaching Dragon Scale Association disciples and shouted, "Brother Canghu, today we fought and became acquainted. You could say it was love at first sight!"

"When we meet again in Pingyang City, we'll drink together and continue our conversation."

"Don't forget our agreement tonight."

Peng Canghu paid no attention to those disjointed words. He pressed a hand over the wound in his chest, but the blood still would not stop flowing. Seeing that their side's strongest expert had been seriously injured, the Dragon Scale Association disciples did not know how strong the enemy was and were unwilling to pursue them deeply. They merely protected Peng Canghu as they headed back toward camp.

In the woods.

Dark figures overlapped, and hurried footsteps echoed across the snow.

Zhang Yu suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the ground.

"My lord!"

Zhao Xia threw the Xuanhua Great Axe to a gang member, hoisted Zhang Yu onto her back, and continued running toward Wolf Head Mountain...