Lone Cold Moon

Wu Qianhuan's words came out quickly, but the fight was as sudden as thunder and lightning. There was no time.

Before she could finish a sentence, Chu Fan had already launched the Tai Yi Divine Fist.

Her words had only one effect: the moment Chu Fan heard them, he poured all his strength into the attack. Until then, he hadn't been using his full power.

Fist met fist!

BOOM!!!

A dull crash boomed like thunder as the two currents of Internal Energy collided.

Everyone present felt the force of the impact and blanched.

The "two" servants didn't even have a chance to react before the force sent them flying.

One of them really was thrown... while the other had flown away on his own.

Chu Qing felt like he'd really been screwed over.

Why had every sort of demon and monster shown up at the Chu Family's banquet today?

Xin Youhen of Ten Thousand Night Valley.

He'd heard the name before, but hadn't paid it much attention.

Ten Thousand Night Valley lay east of Heavenly Dance City, and the two families were neighbors on fairly friendly terms. He'd never heard that they'd had a falling-out.

So why had Xin Youhen inexplicably snuck into the Chu Family and suddenly attacked Chu Fan?

Wu Qianhuan instinctively glanced back at the two "servants" who'd flown away. Her eyes met Chu Qing's, and she caught the faintly vexed look in them.

It lasted only an instant. At first, Wu Qianhuan hadn't even registered it.

But soon she realized something was wrong... That wasn't the look of a servant!

And why did that damn look seem so familiar?

The thought churned through her mind, but she had no time to dwell on it. Looking up, she saw Chu Fan stagger back three steps, steadying himself on the last.

Xin Youhen, however, hadn't retreated an inch. A trace of surprise showed in his eyes.

"What incredible innate strength, and what a fine Tai Yi Divine Fist!"

Even as he spoke, he charged forward, his second punch following close on the heels of the first.

"Xin Youhen! How dare you come to Heavenly Dance City and hurt someone!"

Wu Qianhuan turned her longsword, ready to strike, when Tang Xi roared and leaped into the air.

His palms fluttered like falling blossoms as he attacked Xin Youhen from behind.

"Get lost!"

Internal Energy surged around Xin Youhen. Without even turning his head, he whipped out a kick.

He broke through Tang Xi's palm technique and drove straight into the center, kicking him in the chest.

With a splutter, Tang Xi spat blood and flew backward, crashing hard to the ground.

"Young Hall Master Tang!?"

Wu Qianhuan's heart sank, and the sword she'd been readying for some time shot forward.

The Heavenly Dance City Lord, Wu Ganqi, was famous throughout the martial world for the Forty-Nine Forms of the Xing Tian Axe. Wu Qianhuan, being a woman, thought swinging a giant axe wasn't elegant at all, so she'd taken up the sword instead.

Her swordplay had been taught by a renowned master: the Lone Cold Moon Swordplay, passed down by Master Ye Tan of Green Pine Cave on Lone Moon Mountain.

Her sword flashed like a full moon, its light cold and bright!

Her strike was like a moon over the sea, shining through the ages, its splendor boundless!

She'd always been exceptionally gifted and perceptive. In their younger days, Chu Qing had been overshadowed by her at every turn, and she'd beaten him black and blue time and again.

Seven years had passed since they'd last met, and she'd long since become formidable in both internal and external cultivation.

As her sword struck, Xin Youhen's second punch was forced to stop.

His Overturning Sea Dragon Fist was like a dragon rising from the sea, with waves surging without end. Once his Fist Momentum began, it rolled on like a torrent.

But if he focused solely on attacking Chu Fan, Wu Qianhuan would surely wound him.

He immediately pivoted on his left leg, turning his body and sending the second punch—originally aimed at Chu Fan—toward Wu Qianhuan.

For a moment, sword light and fists filled the courtyard, a blur to the eye.

Suddenly!

Xin Youhen's Internal Energy was simply too deep. The power he'd built up through five consecutive punches of the Overturning Sea Dragon Fist was beyond what someone Wu Qianhuan's age could match.

With a splashing crash, the bright moon shattered and her swordplay faltered.

A gigantic fist-shadow tore through the air, aimed straight at Wu Qianhuan's chest and abdomen.

But just as Wu Qianhuan was about to be struck, Xin Youhen suddenly stiffened.

His punch, swift as thunder a moment before, lost its momentum in an instant.

Wu Qianhuan turned her steps, leaving a trail of afterimages, and slipped clear of the blow.

"Junior Sister, attack!"

Chu Fan had caught his breath. With a shout, he sprang into the air and struck out with both legs in a crossing motion.

It was the Tai Yi Divine Leg, from the Human Scroll of the Book of Unchanging Heaven of the Taiyi Sect!

At his words, Junior Sister Wen's expression didn't change. She spun in midair and jabbed a finger toward Xin Youhen.

Both attacks landed at once. Xin Youhen drew a sharp breath, his whole body surging like a divine dragon rising through the clouds, then unleashed a storm of fists that blotted out the sky.

Even as he fought, Xin Youhen kept glancing around, searching for something.

At that moment, a voice rang out:

"Big Sister, what are they doing?"

"Little Sister, they're fighting."

"Should we save someone?"

"Just say you want to fight..."

"Then who should we hit?"

"..."

Big Sister fell into thought.

Chu Qing lay on the ground pretending to be unconscious. The two voices sounded familiar, so he cracked his eyes open just a sliver and saw two heads peeking over the wall.

He took a closer look and remembered.

They were the two crazies who'd appeared when Chu Fan fought the Iron Horse Seven Bandits.

Why had those two come looking for him again?

As the thought ran through his mind, Big Sister spoke:

"We wrongly accused Second Young Master Chu without checking the facts last time. We came to apologize, so let's help him."

"But they're ganging up on him!"

"...We'll help just this once."

"Fine."

Little Sister looked conflicted, then sprang into the air. Big Sister followed, quite readily moving beside her younger sister, who grabbed her by the ankle in midair.

The girl floated up, gripping her sister with both hands and swinging her around before hurling her viciously at Xin Youhen.

Big Sister thrust out one palm, a fierce gust of palm-force coiling around it, ready to erupt.

Even after a lifetime roaming the martial world, Xin Youhen had never imagined a martial art like this.

Its brilliance lay in the fact that the weapon was a person, and that person had a deadly move. In other words, a deadly move was hidden inside the weapon: a move within a move.

He had to deal not only with the person being hurled at him, but also with her trying to strike him down!

For a moment, he could only think, Where had these two lunatics come from?

He remembered that instant just before, when it had felt as though he'd stepped through the gates of life and death. One wrong step, and he'd have died on the spot.

Xin Youhen truly had a grievance to nurse now. He drew a deep breath and turned his fists into palms. A dull, rumbling crash stirred up waves that seemed to reach the heavens.

Chu Fan and Junior Sister Wen were forced to change their moves and defend themselves. Xin Youhen, meanwhile, tapped the ground, sprang into the air, and leaped straight over the wall.

"Hey? Why did he run!?"

Little Sister's attack hit empty air, and she looked deeply disappointed.

Big Sister was furious too.

"Retreating without a fight! What a shameless man!"

"After him!"

Chu Fan couldn't let someone who'd barged in for no reason and left just as inexplicably get away.

He immediately sprang after him.

The sisters exchanged a glance. When they'd fought the Iron Horse Seven Bandits, they'd misunderstood Chu Fan. They'd planned to kill the bandits and then visit him to apologize.

But they'd gone the wrong way. By the time they returned, they'd heard that the Iron Horse Seven Bandits had all died at the hands of the "Night Emperor."

So they'd come to Heavenly Dance City's Chu Family empty-handed, intending to apologize to Chu Fan.

Now they hadn't apologized, and he'd left. How could they let that stand? They hurriedly called out:

"Wait for us! We haven't apologized yet!"

With that, they chased after him too.

Only Junior Sister Wen glanced back at the courtyard and noticed two people were missing.

One was the servant who'd brought the tea... the other was Wu Qianhuan.

When had they left?

Junior Sister Wen thought about it, decided it was a bit of a bother, and stopped wondering.