Although Wu Qianhuan spoke quickly, exchanges of blows flashed like thunder and lightning. There was no time to spare.
Before she could finish a sentence, Chu Fan's Grand Easy Divine Fist was already unleashed.
The only effect those words had was that Chu Fan, who had not been fighting at full strength, instantly poured ten-tenths of his power into the attack the moment he heard them.
Fist against fist!
Boom!!!
A muffled blast rang out like exploding thunder as two currents of inner force collided violently.
Everyone present changed expression at the force of it.
The "two" servants had no chance even to react before the shockwave sent them flying.
Though one had genuinely been blasted away... while the other had flung himself away.
Chu Qing felt like he had really stepped in dog shit.
The Chu Family was hosting a banquet today—how had every demon and monster crawled out of the woodwork?
Xin Youhen of Valley of Ten Thousand Nights.
Chu Qing had heard that name before, though he had never paid much attention to it.
Valley of Ten Thousand Nights lay east of Heavenly Dance City. The two sides were neighbors and had always maintained fairly cordial relations; he had never heard of any feud between them.
So why had Xin Youhen somehow infiltrated the Chu Family and suddenly attacked Chu Fan?
Wu Qianhuan instinctively turned to glance at the two "servants" who had been sent flying, and her gaze happened to meet Chu Qing's slightly gloomy eyes.
It lasted only an instant. At first, Wu Qianhuan did not even react.
But she quickly sensed that something was wrong... those were not the eyes a servant should have!
And why did those damned eyes seem so familiar?
The thought churned in her heart, but she had no time to dwell on it. Looking up, she saw Chu Fan stagger back three steps before steadying himself on the last.
Xin Youhen had not retreated even half a step, though surprise flickered in his eyes.
"What tremendous inborn strength. What a Grand Easy Divine Fist!"
Even as he spoke, his feet did not stop. He rushed forward, and his second punch followed close behind.
"Xin Youhen! You have some nerve, coming to my Heavenly Dance City to hurt people!"
Wu Qianhuan spun her longsword, about to strike, when Tang Xi shouted furiously and leaped into the air.
His twin palms fluttered like falling blossoms as they attacked Xin Youhen's back.
"Get lost!!"
Inner force surged through Xin Youhen's body. Without even turning his head, he kicked out.
Not only did he break Tang Xi's palm attack, the kick drove straight through the center and struck his chest.
With a puff, Tang Xi sprayed blood and flew backward, crashing brutally onto the ground.
"Young Hall Master Tang!?"
Wu Qianhuan's heart sank, and her sword, whose momentum had long been gathered, swept forth.
The lord of Heavenly Dance City, Wu Ganqi, was famed throughout the martial world for his Forty-Nine Forms of the Xing Tian Axe. As a woman, Wu Qianhuan felt that swinging a huge axe around was not beautiful in the slightest, so she had instead trained in swordsmanship.
Her swordsmanship had been passed down by a renowned master: the Lonely Cold Sword Technique of the Dawn Moon, personally taught by Abbess Yetan of Green Pine Cave on Lonely Moon Mountain.
The sword moon was like a wheel, its full radiance cold!
As she unleashed it now, it resembled a bright moon over the sea, shining through the ages, magnificent beyond measure!
Her talent and comprehension had always been exceptional. Back then, Chu Qing had been suppressed by this girl at every turn, and she had often beaten him until his nose was bruised and his face swollen.
Now, seven years later, having cultivated both inner and outer arts, she had long achieved extraordinary mastery.
With this sword strike, Xin Youhen's second punch was forcibly halted.
His Overturning Sea Dragon Fist was like a dragon rising from the sea, its waves unceasing, its fist momentum flowing endlessly once set in motion.
But if he stubbornly continued attacking Chu Fan, Wu Qianhuan would certainly wound him.
Using his left leg as an axis, he spun around, and the second punch that had been aimed at Chu Fan boomed toward Wu Qianhuan.
In an instant, sword light and fist shadows filled the courtyard in dense profusion, dazzling the eye.
Suddenly!
Xin Youhen's internal strength was ultimately deeper. The accumulated force of five consecutive Overturning Sea Dragon Fists had formed, something no young person of Wu Qianhuan's age could match.
With a crashing sound, the dawn moon shattered, and her sword momentum faltered.
A massive fist shadow tore through the air, striking directly at Wu Qianhuan's chest and abdomen.
Yet just as Wu Qianhuan was about to be injured beneath that punch, Xin Youhen's body suddenly stiffened.
His punch, swift as racing thunder, abruptly revealed a forced weakness.
Wu Qianhuan turned on her feet, transforming into a series of afterimages, and happened to evade it.
"Junior Sister, strike!!"
Chu Fan had recovered somewhat by then. With an angry shout, he rose into the air, both legs crossing as they lashed out.
It was the Grand Easy Divine Legs from the Human Character Scroll of the Great Easy Sect's Book of the Immutable Heavens!
Upon hearing him, Junior Sister Wen showed no expression. She turned in midair and thrust out a finger.
The attacks from both sides landed at once. Only then did Xin Youhen sharply draw a breath. His entire body was like a divine dragon soaring through clouds as overwhelming fist shadows suddenly burst forth.
Yet even as Xin Youhen fought, his eyes swept around the area, as though he were searching for something.
At the same time, a voice drifted over.
"Big Sister, what are they doing?"
"Little Sister, they're fighting."
"Should we save them?"
"If you want to fight, just say so..."
"Then who do we fight?"
"..."
Big Sister fell into deep thought.
Chu Qing lay on the ground pretending to be unconscious. The two voices sounded familiar, so he narrowed his eyes to a slit and saw two heads peeking over the wall.
Looking closely, he remembered.
They were the two lunatics who had appeared when Chu Fan dealt with the Seven Iron Horse Thieves that day.
Why had these two come knocking now?
As thoughts churned through his mind, he heard Big Sister speak.
"Earlier, we wrongly accused Second Young Master Chu without knowing black from white. This time, we came to apologize. Let's help him."
"But they're ganging up on one person."
"...Just help this once."
"Fine."
Little Sister's face was full of conflict. Then she sprang into the air. Big Sister also rose after her and very consciously moved to Little Sister's side, where Little Sister grabbed her ankle in midair.
The girl floated in the air, swung her sister in a full circle with both hands, and viciously hurled her at Xin Youhen.
Big Sister thrust out one palm, a fierce palm wind gathering within it, ready to erupt at the slightest touch.
Even though Xin Youhen had wandered the martial world his entire life, he had never imagined such martial arts could exist.
The brilliance of this technique lay in the fact that its weapon was a person—and people possessed killing moves. In other words, the weapon concealed a killing move within it: a move within a move.
You not only had to deal with the person being smashed at you, but also with that person trying to kill you with ruthless attacks!
For a moment, he found it utterly baffling. Where had these two lunatics come from?
Remembering that instant just now, when it had seemed he had stepped through the Gate of Life and Death, where one wrong step would have cost him his life—
Xin Youhen truly felt lingering hatred in his heart. He took a deep breath, changed his fists into palms, and with a rumbling muffled blast, stirred up heaven-shaking waves.
Chu Fan and Junior Sister Wen had no choice but to alter their moves and retreat to defend, while Xin Youhen tapped off the ground, soared into the air, and leaped straight over the wall.
"Huh? Why did he run!?"
Little Sister's move struck empty air, and her face filled with disappointment.
Big Sister was furious as well.
"Retreating without fighting—how shameless!"
"Chase him!!"
Naturally, Chu Fan could not let someone who had barged in without explanation, then retreated without explanation, simply leave like that.
He immediately leaped after him.
The sisters exchanged a look. When dealing with the Seven Iron Horse Thieves before, they had misunderstood Chu Fan. They had intended to kill the Seven Iron Horse Thieves first, then come apologize in person.
Instead, they had chased in the wrong direction. By the time they returned, they had heard that the Seven Iron Horse Thieves had all died at the hands of the "Night Emperor."
That was why they had come empty-handed to the Chu Family of Heavenly Dance City, intending to apologize to Chu Fan.
But they had not apologized yet, and he was already leaving. How could that do? They hurriedly shouted:
"Wait for us! We haven't apologized yet!"
With that, they chased after him as well.
Only Junior Sister Wen turned back to glance around the courtyard and discovered that two people were missing.
One was the servant who had delivered tea... the other was Wu Qianhuan.
When had they left?
Junior Sister Wen thought about it, found it troublesome, and decided not to think about it anymore.
Before you continue