Fierce Battle

Xu Yang was pleased with his reward money and quickly ran back to the county seat. First, he stopped at a flatbread stall and bought two cakes, stuffing them into his robe. Then he hurried to Yuelai Inn to thank Xiao Wang, the waiter, before dodging Jia the Third and his men and returning to the ruined temple where he was staying.

The ruined temple where Xu Yang stayed was not far outside the county seat, and it was also fairly close to Xiao Liu Township, where he had gone that day. By the time he returned to the temple, night had already fallen. He went straight to the sleeping mat, pulled a flatbread from his robe, and began wolfing it down.

After eating, Xu Yang took a drink of water and flopped onto the mat. He had spent the entire day running around, and it had taken him ages to scrape together some money. He was exhausted. Just as he was resting, a clamor of footsteps sounded at the temple entrance. Xu Yang immediately scrambled up from the mat and hid in a secluded spot.

He had barely hidden himself when five or six burly men entered through the doorway. The man at their head was huge and thickset, but his eyes were exceptionally lively. At a glance, he seemed a shrewd sort. The group searched the temple without finding anything, then gathered together again. One of the men called out, "Boss, that little punk still hasn't come back! What do we do?"

"Impossible. That kid definitely came back. Xiao Liu saw him leave the county seat with his own eyes. He must be hiding somewhere. Keep looking! We're digging him out today. He dares to ignore the rules of me, Jia the Third? I'll teach him a lesson." The burly leader glowered.

Watching from his hiding place, Xu Yang silently groaned. The burly man at the head was Jia the Third. It seemed they had found out what he had done at Yuelai Inn today. He was in for it now!

At their boss's command, the others spread out again. This time they searched carefully, drawing closer and closer to Xu Yang's hiding place. A sudden stream of sweat ran down his forehead. With discovery imminent, Xu Yang forced himself to calm down and think of a way to escape.

Just then, a tremendous crash sounded at the temple entrance. Jia the Third and the others all turned toward it. Startled, Xu Yang quickly looked toward the doorway too.

An old man lay across the entrance. He seemed to have fainted, and his condition looked dire. Jia the Third and his men exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what to do. After a moment, Jia the Third signaled for his men to check on him. Two of the burly men immediately went over.

A little while later, the two men returned and reported to Jia the Third, "Boss, it's an old man. Somehow he's badly injured and unconscious. What should we do?"

Jia the Third thought it over. "Drag him into the temple. Search him first and see if he's got anything valuable. Then..." As he spoke, he raised a hand and slashed it downward.

The men around him chuckled knowingly. The two burly men then carried the old man into the temple, one in front and one behind. They crouched down and were just about to search him when the old man's tightly shut eyes flew open. At the same time, both his hands shot out like venomous dragons and plunged into the two men's chests with a muffled pfft.

The men's eyes bulged. They spat out mouthfuls of blood and then fell silent. The old man quickly withdrew his hands and flung them up. A cloud of black powder flew toward Jia the Third and his men, who covered their mouths.

Jia the Third and the others were horrified and hurriedly leaped backward. But it was too late. The powder had already touched their bodies, and at once they felt numb all over, unable to move. Before long, they toppled to the ground one after another, their faces blackened. They were dead beyond any doubt.

Xu Yang watched it all from his hiding place, so terrified he nearly cried out. Fortunately, he reacted in time and clapped a hand over his mouth. He instinctively slowed his breathing, afraid the old man might notice him.

The old man had struck like lightning and killed every last one of Jia the Third's men. At last, he let out a breath of relief. But just as he relaxed, the wound in his chest seemed ready to flare up again. His expression changed, and he hurriedly sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing and tend to his injury.

After a while, the old man suppressed his injury, stood up, and headed for the temple exit. Suddenly, he stopped and looked around. Then he leaped up behind the Buddha statue enshrined in the temple and struck the underside of its base, smashing a large hole in it.

He then took a small bundle from inside his robe and stuffed it into the hole. After disguising the spot, he hurried out of the ruined temple.

Xu Yang was delighted to see the old man leave and was just about to get up when a sudden jolt of unease stopped him. He quickly froze and stayed where he was. Sure enough, a moment later the old man suddenly reappeared inside the temple. He had come back.

The old man looked around the temple, and only after finding nothing amiss did he nod in satisfaction and leave again. Xu Yang silently cursed him. Thank goodness I was born with an extraordinary gift and a keen instinct for danger. Otherwise, I really would have fallen into that old man's hands.

After what had just happened, Xu Yang didn't dare come out. Better to keep hiding here; at least it was safer than going elsewhere, where he might not have time to hide if danger appeared.

Xu Yang's instincts were right. More than half an hour after the old man left, a slender figure darted into the temple. Xu Yang, who had been nodding off, immediately jolted awake.

He looked over and froze in surprise. It was someone he knew: the customer from earlier that day, Young Master Li, who had tipped him with silver. But he didn't look well at all. His face was dark with gloom, and it was clear his mood was terrible.

Li Yuan entered the temple and quickly swept his gaze around. He went up to check on Jia the Third and his men, then searched the temple, but found nothing. With a dark expression, he quickly left.

Seeing Li Yuan go, Xu Yang breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close; Li Yuan had almost discovered him. He couldn't stay here. He had to get out as soon as possible, or his life would be in danger! Besides, people had died here. The county magistrate would surely send someone to investigate, and Xu Yang didn't want to be made the scapegoat.

At the thought, Xu Yang grew so anxious he wanted to flee at once. But after thinking it over, he decided to wait until dawn. Who knew whether those two were still nearby? If he ran into them by bad luck, wouldn't he be killed on the spot?

Time passed slowly, and soon it was nearly dawn, the darkest hour of the day. The temple was pitch-black. Xu Yang was just about to sink into a deep sleep in his hiding place when he sensed that someone else had appeared inside.

He was so frightened he nearly screamed. Luckily, he reacted quickly and covered his mouth in time, avoiding detection. Xu Yang steadied himself and looked up, but the temple was so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He couldn't make out a thing.

Just as he was growing anxious, unsure what to do, a burst of firelight suddenly appeared inside the temple. Then came a loud crash, followed by laughter. Xu Yang hurriedly looked toward the middle of the temple.

Two people stood inside: Li Yuan and the old man. Li Yuan was in a wretched state, a trace of blood hanging from the corner of his mouth. The old man chuckled. "Junior Brother, you're still as impatient as ever. Wasn't the gift I prepared for you just lovely?"

Li Yuan's face was gloomy. "As expected of Senior Brother. I admire you." As he spoke, his expression changed, and he continued, "But you've underestimated me. I'm determined to get that thing!"

At that, Li Yuan's face flushed red, and he grew visibly feverish with excitement. He sprang forward and attacked the old man. The old man's expression changed dramatically. He hurriedly tossed the torch onto a nearby rack, fending off Li Yuan's assault as he shouted, "Have you gone mad? You actually used a forbidden art! Even if you beat me, you won't come out of it unscathed."

"Haha! You don't need to worry about that, Senior Brother. I advise you to hand it over. Maybe I'll spare your life." Li Yuan called out as they fought.

"In your dreams! You'll never get it unless I'm dead!" the old man replied. "Then die!" Li Yuan snarled, his face contorted.

The two fought for a while, and Li Yuan used the Heavenly Demon Great Art again. Though the old man had taken him by surprise earlier, Li Yuan had used a forbidden art to burn through his own life force, so he was unharmed for the time being. The old man, by contrast, was in a bad way. He had merely forced down his earlier injuries, and now, after their exchange, they flared up again.

With a scream, the old man was kicked away by Li Yuan. His body slammed into the wall with such force that cracks spread across it.

Thud. The old man's body crashed heavily to the ground, then fell silent. To Xu Yang, he was as good as dead. Li Yuan evidently thought so too. He had absolute confidence in his Heavenly Demon Great Art; no one had ever survived a single strike from it.

Even so, Li Yuan didn't dare let his guard down. He cautiously approached the old man, ready to attack at the slightest movement. He reached the old man without being attacked, then crouched down and felt his neck. His expression immediately eased, and he slowly let out a breath.

But just as Li Yuan relaxed, the old man's eyes snapped open. He thrust a hand toward Li Yuan's chest. Li Yuan's expression changed, and he hurriedly raised an arm in front of himself, barely managing to block the attack.

Li Yuan's face relaxed at once. Before he could counterattack, the old man suddenly spat. A streak of black light shot straight toward Li Yuan's face.