Reversal

The night at Black Wind Ridge was torn asunder by the flash of blades and the spray of blood.

The embers of the campfire flickered in the gale, illuminating the chaotic scene and the figures locked in a deadly dance.

Screams, roars, and the sharp ring of clashing steel merged into a cacophony, turning the once-silent mountain hollow into a churning meat grinder.

Chen Jianghe crouched in the shadows of the wagon train, his gaze scanning the battlefield like a hawk.

Zhao Tieshan and Wang Gui were each entangled with two men in black; their blades and staves flew, and though they held a slight upper hand, they could not break free.

The situation was most dire for Zhou Yong—he was fighting three men alone. Though his saber technique was fierce, his left shoulder was already bleeding, and his footwork was beginning to falter.

And in the center of the wagon train—

Su Derong was facing two opponents, battling those two Dark Strength experts single-handedly.

This was the first time Chen Jianghe had seen Third Senior Brother fight with all his might.

Su Derong, who usually spent his days waving a fan and acting like a carefree young nobleman, was now stained with blood, his hair disheveled.

The folding fan in his hand served as a staff to sweep, then as a dagger to thrust; when the fan ribs collided with blades, they emitted the metallic ring of clashing steel.

But... the disadvantage was clear.

The two Dark Strength experts in black moved with seamless coordination, attacking from left and right like a rising tide.

One wielded Twin Short Halberds, his technique vicious and cunning, targeting the lower joints; the other held a Goose-Quill Saber, his blade flashing like falling snow, every strike aimed at the throat or heart.

Su Derong had pushed his Xingyi Fist to the limit, cycling through the five forms—Splitting, Crushing, Drilling, Cannon, and Crossing. Every punch carried the faint rumble of thunder, his Dark Strength surging.

Yet, two fists could not fend off four hands, and he was stretched thin.

"Sshhh—!"

A flash of steel swept past, carving another deep, bone-reaching gash into Su Derong's left shoulder.

He groaned and stumbled, his folding fan spinning wildly to barely parry the follow-up thrust of the halberds.

"Young Master!" Zhao Tieshan's eyes were bloodshot; he tried to turn back to assist, but was held fast by his two opponents.

Zhou Yong, eyes wide with fury, forced one man back with a swing of his saber and looked around, shouting, "Where is that brat Chen Jianghe?! He was killing men just a moment ago, how did he vanish into thin air?! I must be blind as a dog! I never thought he'd turn out to be a spineless coward!"

Wang Gui parried a blow with a grunt and roared back, "Brother Chen! Help the Young Master!"

Chen Jianghe gripped his butchery knife tightly, but he could not move; this was by no means the right moment to intervene.

The two Dark Strength experts were linked in their rhythm, their attacks continuous. If he rushed in rashly, he would not only fail to help but would disrupt Su Derong's already precarious rhythm, becoming a burden instead.

He had to wait.

Wait for a flaw—a flaw significant enough to turn the tide of battle.

At that moment, Su Derong let out a sharp, piercing cry, his voice raspy from the surging blood: "Zhao Tieshan—burn the wagons!"

Zhao Tieshan was stunned.

"Burn—!"

Su Derong took a blade strike head-on, coughing up blood as he roared.

Zhao Tieshan's eyes turned blood-red. He violently shoved aside the blades before him, pulled a fire-starter from his robes, struck it fiercely, and hurled it toward the stacked cargo crates!

Though the crates were filled with medicinal herbs, the outer layers were coated in tung oil to prevent moisture damage.

Where the fire-starter landed, a "boom" erupted, and flames roared to life!

The two Dark Strength experts were momentarily stunned by the sudden inferno.

In that very instant—

Su Derong's folding fan snapped open. With a violent flick of his wrist, three silver needles as fine as ox hair shot from the tips of the fan ribs, aimed straight at the face of the halberd-wielder!

The distance was too close; the man in black could only tilt his head to dodge, but the needles buried themselves in his left eye and throat!

"Ah—!"

The man clutched his face and stumbled backward, black blood seeping through his fingers—the needles were poisoned!

The other man with the saber was enraged. Holding nothing back, his internal energy exploded, and his Goose-Quill Saber let out a shrill, mournful whistle as he slashed with full force toward Su Derong's head!

The strike was so fast it left only an afterimage.

In his heavily wounded state, Su Derong had no strength left to dodge.

He looked at the encroaching blade, his mind strangely clear.

Father, Mother, Grandfather... I am incompetent. I could not protect the Su Family Escort Agency.

Junior Brother... it is good that you fled. You are still young and gifted; in the future, you will surely be able to... drink a few more cups of good wine on my behalf.

He closed his eyes.

At that very moment—

"Lower your head, Senior Brother, I am here to help you!"

A thunderous roar exploded from the shadows at the side!

Chen Jianghe lunged out like a hunting leopard. While still in mid-air, he raised his right hand and flung a large bag of lime powder directly into the face of the blade-wielding man in black!

The man in black had been entirely focused on Su Derong; caught off guard, he was completely enveloped by the cloud of lime.

"Ah—!" A miserable howl rang out.

His eyes burned with agony, his vision blurred, and the momentum of the blade in his hand faltered.

Chen Jianghe landed and rolled, dodging the wild slashes of the blade. At the same time, he swept his right hand to his waist, slipping on a pair of newly forged iron Brass Knuckles.

Five Elements Fist—Crushing Fist!

His punch shot out like an arrow, driving straight into the man's exposed ribs.

The protruding knuckles of the iron weapon gouged deep into flesh and blood!

"Snap!"

The crisp sound of breaking ribs was drowned out by the surrounding shouts of battle.

The man in black roared in pain, his left palm striking out wildly as Dark Strength erupted in all directions, sending sand and stones flying.

Chen Jianghe, however, refused to clash head-on. His footwork shifted rapidly, moving like a fish darting around a rock, narrowly evading the palm winds by a hair's breadth.

Simultaneously, his fists struck in a continuous chain.

Splitting, Crushing, Drilling, Cannon, Crossing!

The five forms of the Five Elements Fist rotated, each punch reinforced by the Brass Knuckles, landing solidly on the man's joints, tendons, and vital points.

Unable to see, the man in black was forced to rely solely on his hearing and sensory perception. He was already at a disadvantage, and now, under Chen Jianghe's vicious and tricky close-quarters assault, he was thrown into complete disarray.

"You little beast, you're courting death!" He bellowed in rage. Ignoring everything, he brought his palms together and unleashed his Dark Strength in a full-force, sweeping blast!

It was a desperate, mutually destructive tactic.

Chen Jianghe, as if anticipating this, retreated rapidly while raising his right hand once more—

A second bag of lime powder!

The powder coated the man's face again.

The man in black was now completely blinded; though his palm strikes were fierce, they lacked any accuracy.

At that exact moment, Su Derong forced himself to draw his final breath and sprang up from the ground. His fan, having returned to his hand at some point, was folded shut, transforming into a short spike. He drove it into the back of the blade-wielder's heart, the tip piercing straight through his chest!

"Ugh..." The man in black stiffened. He slowly looked down at the blood-stained fan bone protruding from his chest, his eyes filled with resentment and disbelief.

Su Derong pulled the fan bone free, and the man's corpse collapsed to the ground.

He stumbled, nearly falling, but Chen Jianghe caught him just in time.

"Senior Brother..."

"I'm fine." Su Derong waved his hand. His face was as pale as paper, yet he grinned. "Well done, Junior Brother."

The two turned their heads toward the other side.

The remaining poisoned man in black, seeing this, was struck with terror. Ignoring the poison spreading through his veins, he turned and attempted to flee into the darkness.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Chen Jianghe and Su Derong surged forward almost simultaneously.

Su Derong snapped his folding fan open, and several silver needles chased after the man's back.

Chen Jianghe flanked him from the side, his Brass Knuckles charged with Bright Strength, aiming directly for the man's temple.

The man, already slowed by the poison, barely dodged the silver needles, only to be struck heavily on the side of the head by Chen Jianghe's fist.

"Bang!"

The dull sound of a skull fracturing echoed out.

The man in black flew sideways like a broken sack, slammed into the rock wall, and slowly slid down, lifeless.

Two experts of Dark Strength, dead.

The fire continued to burn, but the sounds of battle were slowly fading away.

The remaining seven or eight men in black, seeing their leaders both slain, saw their morale collapse instantly. In the blink of an eye, they were cut down by Chen Jianghe and the others.