First Battle

The Thick-backed Longblade carried the frenzied strength born of fear, terror, and trembling, and came cleaving down at Cheng Yong's head with the force of Single Split Mount Hua.

Cheng Yong raised both palms, one before the other, intending to meet the blade head-on and knock it away. His martial arts far surpassed Meng Qi's, as did his eye for timing; the moment he struck was impeccably chosen. Yet the instant his Iron Palms rose, they tugged at the wound in his left chest. Blood flowed faster, his movements stalled, and his palms went weak for a moment. The longblade broke through and chopped toward his face.

He was a battle-hardened man, unflustered in danger. Following the blade's momentum, he fell backward and performed a Lazy Donkey Roll, evading Meng Qi's strike. But Meng Qi had no real combat experience. He actually hesitated, failing to press the advantage with a chained assault while Cheng Yong rolled across the ground.

Halfway through his Lazy Donkey Roll, Cheng Yong planted both palms on the ground like a toad and suddenly kicked his right foot backward and diagonally upward, straight at his imaginary foe's heart.

This was the ultimate move with which he had repeatedly turned defeat into victory after being forced into a Lazy Donkey Roll. This time, too, he intended to end the fight with it.

His foot struck nothing but Empty and Vast air. Cheng Yong used the momentum to spring up, only to see the red-lipped, white-toothed Little Monk watching him, wanting to chase but not daring to—a complete novice who had just begun training and had never experienced a life-and-death fight.

Damn it! Cheng Yong cursed inwardly. His tried-and-true ultimate move had failed because this opponent was such a jianghu greenhorn that he had missed the chance to pursue! It left him thoroughly frustrated. After that series of violent movements, he felt his chest wound worsening, blood pouring out ever faster. Weakness seeped through his body, golden stars floated before his eyes, and it seemed darkness could swallow everything at any moment.

"No, I need to treat the wound first." Though he had taken the Heart-Seizing Pill and become reckless and impulsive, and though he feared the torment of its medicinal power enough that he dared not disobey the master of Hidden Emperor Fortress, Cheng Yong still retained normal reason. Otherwise, the Sect Masters of all those factions under control would have been exposed long ago.

At this moment, he knew clearly that if he did not treat his wound, within a few dozen breaths he would likely lose consciousness from severe injury and become fish on the Little Monk's chopping board.

Just as he was about to tear off a strip of clothing to bind the wound, he suddenly heard the Little Monk let out a dissatisfied growl. Meng Qi Quickly walked forward, and the longblade chopped down again!

Bastard, why didn't you chase just now? Cheng Yong had no choice but to gather his wits and circle with Meng Qi, trying to end the battle as swiftly as possible so he could tend to his wound.

Jiang Zhiwei sat on the ground, leaning sideways against the Stone door. She watched Meng Qi fight like a mad tiger, each stroke faster than the last. Though his saberwork lacked any pattern, the blade was long and his strength immense. Cheng Yong, badly wounded, had suffered a tremendous drop in martial prowess; his movements were sluggish, and for the moment he could not seize a flaw between the blade's arcs to close in on Meng Qi.

"Random fists can beat an old master to death..." Jiang Zhiwei did not know why that saying came to mind. Then her Heart Moved, and she shouted, "Sweep upward diagonally!"

Though her lower abdomen and Dantian had been struck, leaving her powerless for the moment, the keen eyesight she had gained after opening her Eye Apertures remained. Naturally, she could see the flaws in Cheng Yong's footwork. Moreover, Cheng Yong was slow enough now for her to "guide" Meng Qi. Otherwise, when masters fought, it was like Electric Light and flint sparks—before the words even left her mouth, the opportunity would already be gone.

After a burst of hacking, Meng Qi saw that his blade swept forth like a violent storm, forcing Cheng Yong to keep his distance. At once, he had the illusion that he was a master of his generation.

"This must be the Chaotic Gale Saber Technique..." Meng Qi thought to himself, somewhat pleased. Of course, he knew perfectly well that this was not the Chaotic Gale Saber Technique, but the "Random Hacking Saber Technique." Had Cheng Yong not been grievously wounded, Meng Qi would have been killed on the spot long ago.

"Sweep upward diagonally." Suddenly, Meng Qi heard Jiang Zhiwei's voice. But in his first true life-and-death battle, with no experience coordinating with Jiang Zhiwei, he simply could not immediately turn what he heard into Thoughts in his mind, then swiftly translate those Thoughts into movement in his hands. So he still slashed horizontally as before.

Cheng Yong naturally heard Jiang Zhiwei's voice as well. His Heart Moved, and he lowered himself before lunging forward, striking straight at Meng Qi's lower abdomen.

The blade Flashed, and blood sprayed out. Cheng Yong clutched his left arm and staggered backward in a rolling retreat.

Then he sprang up with a Carp Leap and glared furiously at Meng Qi. That lunge just now had sent him straight onto Meng Qi's horizontally slashing blade, severely wounding his left arm.

Where was that "sweep upward diagonally" you promised?

Meng Qi met his furious glare with an innocent expression. He more or less understood what had happened and deliberately said, "Sorry, I reacted too slowly. I disappointed you."

Pfft—Cheng Yong was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Ha ha." Jiang Zhiwei clutched her lower abdomen and laughed so hard she was nearly convulsing. I knew this would happen! Ha ha, even if I die alongside the Little Monk, I'll die laughing!

Rage surged within Cheng Yong. He formed a finger-sword with his Right hand and tapped several points on his chest. The bleeding stopped at once. Though the wound was too deep and he was merely drinking poison to quench thirst—after ten breaths, the wound would burst open again, and he might well die outright—he could no longer care about that. If he kept tangling with this detestable Little Monk, he might be dragged to death or angered to death alive!

The moment Meng Qi saw Cheng Yong's movement, and the expression on his face as though they shared an irreconcilable blood feud, Meng Qi's smile vanished. His heart slowly sank as he understood that the next exchange would decide life or death.

A crushing pressure enveloped him. Then he instinctively stepped forward and brought his saber down in a vertical chop.

Jiang Zhiwei stopped laughing. Bracing herself against the Stone door, she struggled to stand and help Meng Qi. But the Dantian was the foundation for storing qi; even if it had not been shattered by a devastating blow, it was still seriously injured. In a short time, she had no way to sort out her scattered True Qi.

After temporarily stopping the bleeding, Cheng Yong shifted his feet into an uneven stance. His badly injured left hand hung low, while his right hand traced half a circle toward Meng Qi's longblade, as though he intended to use Empty Hand Enters White Blade.

Meng Qi silently cried out in alarm and poured all his strength into changing the vertical chop into a diagonal slash, evading Cheng Yong's right hand. Yet Cheng Yong's left hand pressed down on the blade. Great force surged through it, forcing Meng Qi back several steps against his will.

Pressing his advantage without mercy, Cheng Yong slid in close. His palms repeatedly pierced through Meng Qi's blade arcs, and Meng Qi was soon in grave danger. Had Cheng Yong not still feared the longblade's sharpness and known he could not endure another grievous wound, Meng Qi would likely already have died beneath his palms.

No, if this drags on, I'll definitely be the one who dies! An overwhelming premonition of danger and the shadow of death struck Meng Qi's heart, making his eyes redden slightly. The longblade still danced wildly in his hand, but thoughts churned through his mind.

"Why haven't I learned saber techniques?" Meng Qi knew clearly that if he had even entered the basics of saberwork, then given Cheng Yong's condition, even if he did nothing else but guard his openings carefully, he could hold on until Cheng Yong's wound flared up again or Jiang Zhiwei finished regulating her breath. But now, he could only hack and chop wildly! For a moment, despair rose within him.

His saberwork had not entered the basics... Suddenly, a flash of insight Flashed through Meng Qi's mind, and he thought of Cheng Yong's earlier attempt to seize his weapon.

He gritted his teeth, eyes wide as though they would burst from their sockets. The longblade chopped vertically again, as if he meant to perish together with Cheng Yong.

Cheng Yong sneered inwardly. His right hand circled, his left hand rose, and both hands clamped toward the blade. Meng Qi's strength had already been fully spent, leaving him no power to alter the saber's path.

With a twist and clamp of Cheng Yong's palms, the longblade immediately fell into his hands. Just as Cheng Yong pulled backward to wrest the weapon away, he felt only Empty and Vast space before him—he was merely struggling against air!

Not good! He lost his balance at once and staggered slightly. At the same time, he saw in astonishment that the Little Monk advanced two steps with precise footwork and threw a left punch.

The moment the longblade entered Cheng Yong's hands, Meng Qi released his right hand and directly abandoned it!

Then, seizing the wide-open gap before Cheng Yong's chest and abdomen, he slid forward and used the Arhat Fist move, Black Tiger Steals Heart, with his left hand!

Smack! Meng Qi's left fist crashed heavily into the wound on Cheng Yong's left chest. The wound instantly split open, blood erupting like a waterfall and splashing Meng Qi's head, face, and body.

Cheng Yong made hoarse sounds in his throat. Still gripping the longblade between both hands, he staggered backward several steps and stared at blood-smeared Meng Qi with a face full of disbelief and shock.

He had actually fallen for the scheme of a Little Monk who only knew how to hack and chop wildly, and been killed by someone whose martial arts were so ordinary?

Thud! Cheng Yong fell flat on his back, sending dust flying. His eyes remained wide open, unwilling to close even in death.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Meng Qi laughed like a madman. Fear, terror, repression, trembling, and countless indescribable feelings all poured out of him. Covered in blood from head to toe, he looked especially savage. "I don't know saber techniques, but I know fist techniques! Didn't expect that, did you!"

After laughing himself hoarse, Meng Qi gasped for air, feeling as though every ounce of strength had been drained from his body. He was exhausted beyond measure.

"Little Monk, you've broken the precept against foul language. How can you call yourself 'old, old...'" With the great enemy gone, Jiang Zhiwei also breathed a sigh of relief. Joy rose in her, and she smiled as she teased him. But as a girl who felt she should not curse, she could never bring herself to say the two words "Laozi."

"After surviving such a calamity, even Buddha would be happy for me. He won't blame me..." Meng Qi said, his body and mind feeling utterly unburdened. "Miss Jiang, how are your injuries?"

Seeing him about to Turn Head, Jiang Zhiwei hurriedly stopped him. "Don't worry about me yet. Pick up my sword and stab him between the brows, in case he's feigning death and launches a surprise attack."

Jiang Zhiwei had been taught how to handle situations like this.

Meng Qi nodded. He backed away several steps, never taking his eyes off Cheng Yong as he crouched down to pick up Jiang Zhiwei's longsword. Then he cautiously approached Cheng Yong and stabbed toward the space between his brows from a distance.

The sword pierced through Cheng Yong's brow. Meng Qi finally relaxed completely. Cheng Yong could not possibly be any deader!

Only now did Jiang Zhiwei have the leisure to comment, "Little Monk, you're quite talented. In your first real battle, you calmly and keenly assessed the situation, laid a Trap, overcame your fear, abandoned your saber for your fist, and dealt him a fatal blow. In the future, you may yet become a master of your generation."

"Heh heh." Hearing the highly skilled Jiang Zhiwei praise him, Meng Qi gave a slightly proud, foolish laugh. It seemed he was not some hopeless fool at learning martial arts after all!

At this moment, the blood on the ground suddenly writhed and formed lines of text:

"Jiang Zhiwei and Zhending rescued Cheng Yong from the Sea of Suffering of being controlled by the Heart-Seizing Pill, completing One of the side quests. Each is awarded ten Merit Points."

That counted too? Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei looked at each other, seeming to hear the other's Inner heart. Killing him also counted as rescuing him?

But on reflection, being controlled by the Heart-Seizing Pill truly was worse than death!

"Our earlier analysis was somewhat wrong. If so, where are we supposed to find helpers?" Jiang Zhiwei's delicate brows knit slightly. "Perhaps we don't need helpers?"

Meng Qi said in confusion and distress, "Then what is the point of this side quest...?"

"Perhaps it has no point." Jiang Zhiwei suddenly cried out, "Not good, Sister Qi!"