Bad Luck

Bang!

At the sound, the snow a zhang away exploded. A piece of white cloth flew up, kicking snow and wind into the air.

At the same time, a figure beneath the cloth sprang up like a tiger suddenly turning on its prey. Wrapped in a howling gale, it charged at him through the snow.

The attacker had concealed himself beneath the white cloth in the snow. Xu Yang hadn't noticed anything amiss until the figure was only a zhang away.

The instant Xu Yang stopped, his opponent seized the moment and launched a sudden attack.

A zhang might seem like a long distance, but to a Qi Gathering expert, it was only one step.

The attacker was as fast as rolling thunder and as fierce as a tiger. In an instant, he crossed the distance, his massive fist tearing through the air as it shot straight for Xu Yang's throat—a lethal target.

Xu Yang had been on guard, so although the attack caught him off guard, he didn't panic. Just as the fist was about to smash into his throat, his waist twisted and rolled like a giant python, turning his body aside to evade the deadly blow.

But that wasn't the attacker's only trick. As their bodies crossed, his leg swept around like a tiger's tail, kicking straight at Xu Yang's lower back.

Boom!

The gusting force roared like a tiger, whipping up snow. This kick was even more powerful than the punch before it—and just as deadly.

Xu Yang had no time to turn and defend himself. He could only execute a Bear Pounce, driving his body forward with the mighty dragon of his spine. He surged ahead like an explosive bear, letting the kick sail past him.

Snow and wind swirled wildly!

Twisting in midair, Xu Yang turned to face his opponent, only to see the man sticking to him like a dog-skin plaster, his five fingers clawing for Xu Yang's dantian.

Now Xu Yang could see the man clearly. He wore a mask, leaving only a pair of sinister eyes exposed.

Bang!

After evading two deadly attacks in a row, Xu Yang had recovered his bearings. He kicked in midair, knocking away the hand reaching for his dantian, then landed steadily on the ground.

The tremendous force sent his opponent staggering back, leaving several footprints in the snow.

The man seemed to have been jolted by Xu Yang's unbelievably solid physique. As he retreated, he shook out his hand, astonishment filling his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected Xu Yang's body to be so hard—it was like punching a boulder.

A cold gleam flashed in Xu Yang's eyes. His aura turned razor-sharp.

He didn't know who the attacker was or why he had gone to such lengths to ambush and kill him. But of the two of them, only one would be alive by the end of the day.

Boom!

Ice, snow, and dirt exploded as Xu Yang charged forward. His bones and sinews crackled like a string of firecrackers.

At last, it was his turn to attack.

Rage kindled the fire in his heart. Diamond True Qi surged from his dantian, and his blood and qi boiled like water.

The mighty dragon of his spine seemed to come alive, each section linking together as powerful force surged down his arm.

Explosive Bear Force!

This was their first true exchange. Their earlier attacks had been probes; now they both unleashed Explosive Bear Force, the signature killing move of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

His fist tore through the air, unleashing a terrifying gust. Snowflakes shattered three feet from his knuckles, the attack's power truly fearsome.

The masked man's expression changed drastically. The move wasn't particularly sophisticated, but its savage aura filled him with an intense sense of danger.

He immediately gave up on clashing head-on with Xu Yang and raised both arms to defend himself.

Bang!

The fist crashed into his arms, jolting his entire body. It felt as if his arms had been struck by a heavy hammer. His bones hadn't broken, but they had likely cracked, and for a moment he couldn't feel his arms.

Even more terrifying, a domineering stream of true qi surged from Xu Yang's fist into his body, slamming through his meridians like a knife.

"Explosive Bear Force!"

"True qi beyond the body!"

"Minor Success in Qi Gathering!"

The masked man finally understood why his sneak attack hadn't been enough to take Xu Yang down.

Xu Yang had already reached Minor Success in Qi Gathering and could project his true qi beyond his body. He had also mastered Explosive Bear Force from the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

Either one of those abilities would have made it impossible for him to kill Xu Yang—let alone both together.

He wanted to run!

But Xu Yang's attacks came in an unrelenting tide, fierce and razor-sharp.

His second move followed hard on the heels of the first.

While the masked man was suppressing the rampaging true qi, before feeling had returned to his arms, Xu Yang's other hand shot out like lightning and clamped around his wrist like an iron vise.

Xu Yang twisted his hand back, force surging through his arm. With a sharp crack, he snapped the masked man's wrist, twisting it like a knot of rope.

"Ah..."

The pain of his broken arm made the masked man's vision go black. He nearly passed out.

He had been wearing a mask and hadn't made a sound until now. But in that moment, he forgot all about it and let out a howl of pain.

"Bao Gang!"

The moment Xu Yang heard his voice, he knew who had ambushed him. He had never imagined it would be Bao Gang.

That bastard had come to kill him just because Xu Yang hadn't lent him money that day?

"Die!"

The pain of his broken arm drove Bao Gang mad. No longer caring that he had been recognized, he glared viciously and swung his other hand at Xu Yang's throat.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to kill the man who had broken his arm.

Whoosh!

But he had forgotten that Xu Yang still had another hand.

As Bao Gang's palm came slashing in, Xu Yang's other hand shot out, bending bonelessly. It was the Whip Force of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

Bao Gang's sleeve burst apart, and a line of blood appeared across his wrist. The pain made him scream again.

Xu Yang's expression remained cold. He grabbed Bao Gang's broken wrist with both hands and yanked hard.

Squirt!

Blood sprayed. The white tendon came away with Bao Gang's wrist, the gruesome sight enough to turn a stomach.

"Xu Yang, spare me! I was blinded by greed. I shouldn't have lost my money and then tried to rob you."

He had been in Wei Yuan Hall. Xu Yang had been cast aside by the Huang Family, and killing him for his money should have been as easy as reaching out and grabbing it. Bao Gang had never expected reality to be so different from what he'd anticipated. Xu Yang had quietly reached Minor Success in Qi Gathering.

Now fear finally gripped him, and he screamed for mercy.

"If you come to kill someone, you should be prepared to be killed."

Xu Yang stomped on Bao Gang's knee. With a sharp crack, Bao Gang's leg snapped, and his body immediately toppled to one side.

Xu Yang followed with a palm strike, chopping into Bao Gang's neck. His head slammed into the snow and ice, and his body began to twitch.

"Die!"

Xu Yang's third attack was a stomp on Bao Gang's neck. The twitching stopped at once.

Xu Yang let out a long breath, crouched down, and began searching the body. He rummaged for a long while but didn't find a single coin.

"Damn bad luck," he muttered.

He had killed several people by now, but this was the first time he'd come across someone without a penny to his name. Bao Gang must have lost every last coin before coming to rob him.

The wind and snow grew heavier. Before long, they would cover the traces left behind.

But Xu Yang still dragged Bao Gang's corpse into the mountain before returning to the road and continuing home.

As soon as he opened the door, Xu Qing hurried over to brush the snow off him. "Brother, you're back late again."

"I went to our maternal uncle's place," Xu Yang explained.

"Today, Aunt Gao San from next door came to borrow grain. I didn't lend her any," Xu Qing said quietly.

Xu Yang nodded. "Aside from those who helped us before, don't lend anything to anyone who comes asking."

When Xu Laoer had left the two of them to fend for themselves, they had gone around asking others to lend them grain too. Hardly anyone had helped.

"We're nearly out of firewood. The snow's too heavy, so I didn't dare go up the mountain."

"I'll chop some tomorrow. Stay home and don't worry."

Amid the wind and snow, the siblings' voices gradually faded.