Outside the bushes, the two pursuers had clearly run out of patience.
The man wearing the Ghost Face Mask let out a savage laugh and released the leash in his hand. "Blackwind, go! Find him for me!"
"Awwooo!"
The vicious hound named Blackwind gave a low roar, kicked off the ground with all four limbs, and lunged straight at the bushes where Su Haoran was hiding, trailing a reeking wind behind it!
It moved so fast that only an afterimage remained beneath the moonlight.
Cruel smiles appeared on both the Ghost Face Mask man and the black-clothed masked man.
They had spent a fortune buying this Blackwind Hound from Exotic Experts from Southern Border. Specially trained, it possessed an extraordinarily keen sense of smell and a ferocious nature. Its speed in pouncing, killing, and tearing was comparable to a Martial Artist's strike, and countless fat sheep had died beneath its fangs.
In their eyes, this arrogant brat would, in the next instant, have his throat clamped tightly in Blackwind's jaws, screaming and begging for mercy.
Yet the screams and pleas they expected never came.
Just as the vicious dog opened its blood-filled maw and its fangs were about to touch its target, a cold flash suddenly shot out from the bushes!
Splat!
The muffled sound of a sharp blade cutting into flesh was crisp and clean, without the slightest hesitation.
Su Haoran's figure slid ghostlike out from the side of the bushes, perfectly avoiding the hound's pouncing path.
The standard military saber in his hand seemed, at that moment, to become an extension of his arm. He used no fancy saber technique, merely a simple, heavy downward chop.
Yet that chop contained the fierce fist intent of the Arhat Fist!
With fist principles entering saber moves, the saber's edge became the fist's edge!
Blackwind, still in midair, was cleanly split in two from head to tail by that single slash!
Scalding blood and entrails splashed across the ground with a wet rush.
The two symmetrical halves of the dog's corpse separated in the air before crashing heavily to the ground, still twitching.
The entire process had happened with extreme speed!
For an instant, the mountain forest fell into deathly silence.
The cruel smiles on the two pursuers' faces froze completely.
Their eyes widened as they stared in disbelief at the two steaming halves of the dog corpse on the ground. Shock first filled their gazes, then transformed into towering fury and heartache.
"My Blackwind!" The Ghost Face Mask man let out a shrill, miserable scream. "You dared kill my dog! I'll make you pay with your life!!"
This Blackwind Hound was the foundation of their roadside killings and tracking operations. It was worth a hundred gold coins, far more valuable than a human life!
And now, it had been split apart in a single exchange?
"Kill him! Chop him to pieces and feed him to the dogs!" the black-clothed masked man roared as well, his voice brimming with killing intent.
Before his words had even faded, he struck first!
He drove off the ground, charging toward Su Haoran like an enraged wild bull, neither dodging nor evading.
He carried no weapon. Instead, he clenched fists a full size larger than an ordinary man's. Veins writhed across his knuckles as his fist tore through the air on an evil wind, driving straight at Su Haoran's face!
That punch was powerful and heavy. He clearly intended to rely on brute strength and beat Su Haoran to death!
Su Haoran's gaze sharpened. Rather than retreat, he advanced.
The Meditation Scripture, at Major Accomplishment, made his mind like still water. Every movement of his opponent was incomparably clear in his eyes.
With a twist of his wrist, he slashed his blade diagonally upward to meet the man's fist.
Clang!
A crisp sound like metal striking iron rang out!
Sparks scattered in all directions!
Yet only a faint white mark appeared on the black-clothed masked man's fist, followed by a thin streak of blood.
For a punch he had been certain would land, such a wound was utterly insignificant!
What tough skin!
Su Haoran made his judgment at once.
This man's skin and flesh had been tempered to extreme toughness. Although he had not truly entered the Skin Tempering Realm, he was not far from it.
Had he been an ordinary street thug, that slash would have sliced off his entire hand!
"You've got some skill, but you still have to die today!" The black-clothed masked man had failed with one strike, but his killing intent only grew fiercer as he prepared to lunge again.
At that moment, another figure came at Su Haoran from behind and to the side, carrying a cold killing intent!
It was the Ghost Face Mask man!
Seizing the brief opening while Su Haoran exchanged blows with the black-clothed man, he silently closed in. He threw another punch, from a vicious angle, straight toward Su Haoran's vital ribs!
Attacked from both front and rear!
Su Haoran's pupils constricted sharply. His saber momentum had already been spent, leaving him no time to withdraw and defend.
In that lightning-flash instant, he made the most direct response.
If he could not withdraw his saber in time, then he would meet fist with fist!
His left fist shot out violently. The force of the Arhat Fist erupted in an instant, colliding solidly with the Ghost Face Mask man's fist!
Boom!
Another heavy impact rang out.
This time, Su Haoran felt a more condensed, fiercer force surge up his arm, making his Qi and Blood churn.
He staggered back three steps before finally dispersing the force.
The Ghost Face Mask man likewise let out a muffled grunt and retreated two steps, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.
A grave expression appeared on Su Haoran's face.
Second Skin Tempering!
This Ghost Face Mask man was also a genuine Skin Tempering Martial Artist!
His skin was tough, and his strength far surpassed that of ordinary men. He was even a whole realm above Su Haoran!
One Martial Artist at Second Skin Tempering, plus one tough-body expert infinitely close to Skin Tempering!
Tonight was a true battle to the death!
"Kill!"
Without another word, the two bandits, one before and one behind him, launched another storm-like assault.
The black-clothed masked man's fist technique was broad and forceful, each punch carrying tremendous weight and a tiger's wind. Su Haoran could only use his saber to block, steadily draining his own stamina.
The Ghost Face Mask man was even more sinister. Like a venomous snake lying in wait, he always launched deadly sneak attacks from the side at the instant Su Haoran dealt with his companion's attacks and exposed a flaw.
For a time, saber flashes and fist shadows crisscrossed through the forest, while the clang of metal echoed without end.
Relying on the Arhat Fist at Major Accomplishment and the Meditation Scripture at Major Accomplishment, Su Haoran defended steadily under their joint assault.
His mind was intensely focused, his brain whirling madly as he analyzed the two men's attack patterns and habits.
This can't go on!
Long defense always ends in failure!
He knew clearly that his Iron Cloth Shirt had yet to reach Major Accomplishment. His stamina was limited, and once it was drained dry, only death awaited him.
He had to deal with one of them first!
His gaze locked onto the relatively weaker black-clothed masked man!
The Meditation Scripture circulated to its limit, making everything around him seem even clearer.
An opening!
A sharp glint flashed through Su Haoran's eyes.
He deliberately exposed a flaw. As he blocked a heavy punch from the black-clothed masked man, his body staggered, as though his strength had failed him, and he fell backward.
"Die!"
The black-clothed masked man took the bait as expected. Believing Su Haoran was exhausted, wild joy burst into his eyes. He stepped forward in reckless pursuit, throwing an even more powerful straight punch at Su Haoran's heart!
Eager for success, he left himself completely open!
Now!
Su Haoran's retreating body abruptly stopped. His feet rooted themselves to the ground as force surged from his waist and abdomen. A spiraling power rose from the soles of his feet and instantly flowed through his entire body.
Rather than retreat, he advanced. Rather than evade, he crashed directly into the incoming fist!
Bang!
The black-clothed masked man's fist struck Su Haoran squarely in the chest.
The imagined sound of shattering bones did not come. Instead, it was like striking a taut cowhide drum, producing a dull thud.
Su Haoran felt his chest tighten and his Qi and Blood roil, but relying on the Iron Cloth Shirt, he forcibly withstood the blow!
And in the instant he took that punch head-on, the military saber in his hand had already turned into an arc of death.
Fist transformed into blade—Arhat Fist—"Black Tiger Digs Out the Heart"!
The saber flashed and vanished!
Splat!
The black-clothed masked man froze abruptly. He lowered his head in disbelief and saw a section of saber tip protruding from his chest.
"You..."
He managed only one word before the light in his eyes swiftly faded and his life was extinguished.
Su Haoran's face remained expressionless as he violently pulled out the military saber, sending warm blood spraying forth.
Without even looking at the falling corpse, he turned and faced the stunned Ghost Face Mask man.
"You're courting death!"
The death of his companion shocked and enraged the Ghost Face Mask man.
He had never expected this young monk to be so fearless of death, daring to fight by trading injury for life!
With an enraged roar, his punches became even more violent, every move targeting Su Haoran's vital points.
Without the other man's restraint, Su Haoran's pressure greatly diminished.
He drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his churning Qi and Blood. Rather than weakening, his battle intent rose higher.
"Your turn!"
He abandoned every thought of defense and pushed the Arhat Fist's fierce strength to its limit.
For a time, only the sound of fists striking flesh remained in the forest.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two figures fought madly beneath the moon. One punch struck a chest, then another blasted into a shoulder.
The Ghost Face Mask man was a Skin Tempering Martial Artist, thick-skinned and tough-fleshed, extraordinarily resistant to blows.
But Su Haoran's Iron Cloth Shirt was equally tough. Coupled with the fierce, tyrannical force of the Arhat Fist, the two fought evenly, neither able to do anything to the other.
Ten moves... twenty moves... thirty moves...
The more the Ghost Face Mask man fought, the more alarmed he became.
This little monk's stamina and resilience were simply inhuman!
He had clearly reached Second Skin Tempering. By all rights, his endurance should have been greater, yet after fighting for so long, the other man's fists had not softened in the least. Instead, they were growing heavier and heavier!
What he did not know was that Su Haoran's Arhat Fist had already reached Major Accomplishment. Every punch contained the orthodox force of Buddhism, giving him a natural advantage against a Martial Artist like him who came from an unorthodox background.
After another direct clash, the two were sent flying apart at the same time.
The Ghost Face Mask man felt his arms go numb as he panted like an ox.
Su Haoran had also taken several punches, and a thread of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Yet his eyes shone with a terrifying brightness, like a lone wolf in the night.
He caught the instant his opponent drew breath!
"Arhat Subdues the Tiger!"
Su Haoran gave a low shout. His footwork shifted, his body turned, and he instantly closed in on the Ghost Face Mask man's side. An elbow strike containing the force of his entire body smashed viciously toward the man's temple!
That strike was fast, precise, and ruthless!
The Ghost Face Mask man was horrified. He only barely managed to raise an arm to block.
Crack!
A crisp sound of bone breaking rang out.
Su Haoran's elbow directly shattered his arm. The immense force did not diminish, still smashing brutally into the side of his head.
The Ghost Face Mask man's head buzzed. The world spun around him, and stars burst before his eyes.
Su Haoran pressed his advantage without mercy, giving him no chance to catch his breath. He stepped forward to follow, brought two fingers together like a sword, and drove fingertips filled with Arhat Fist force with unerring precision into his throat!
"Urgh..."
The Ghost Face Mask man's body stiffened abruptly. Both hands clutched desperately at his neck as blood poured wildly from between his fingers.
He staggered back two steps. The savage Ghost Face Mask on his face now looked incomparably absurd.
At last, with a thud, he fell backward and lay still forever.
Huff... huff...
In the silent mountain forest, only Su Haoran's rough breathing remained.
He leaned on his saber, his chest heaving violently. Every place his body had been struck by fists burned with pain.
A battle to the death had finally come to an end.
He did not relax immediately. Instead, he vigilantly scanned his surroundings. Only after confirming that no other threats remained did he slowly walk over to the two corpses.
First, he removed the Ghost Face Mask, revealing the plain, unremarkable face of a middle-aged man.
Then he began searching the bodies with practiced efficiency.
A moment later, Su Haoran frowned.
Poor bastards!
Other than a few hard flatbreads, these two men had only a few taels of silver fragments between them, totaling less than five taels.
"What rotten luck."
Su Haoran muttered a curse. Even the Killing Intent brought by killing two men was diluted considerably by their poverty.
Too lazy to waste effort digging graves, he merely dragged the two corpses into a nearby deep ditch, then casually covered them with dry branches, dead leaves, and grass.
After finishing all this, Su Haoran picked up the large bundle from the ground and slung it over his back again. After determining his direction, he did not linger for a moment, swiftly turning and vanishing into the vast mountain road beneath the night.
Tonight's danger only strengthened his resolve to break through as soon as possible.
The Iron Cloth Shirt had to reach Major Accomplishment soon!
Before you continue