An Arduous Struggle

The man in gray swallowed the bitter blood, struggled to raise his head, and his eyes revealed a hint of despair and disbelief.

He wanted to fight back, but the pain in his body rendered him unable to move. The madness and despair in his heart surged like a tide, almost overwhelming his reason.

Su Zhan smiled slightly, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "You really overestimate yourself. You're destined not to escape today."

Having said that, he raised the Dagger high, his gaze as deep and dark as the night, locking onto his powerless opponent.

Suddenly, several men in black appeared and attacked Su Zhan instantly.

Their movements were swift and their coordination perfect; in the blink of an eye, seven or eight sharp blades pierced Su Zhan's body.

Su Zhan grunted, staggered back two or three meters, and then knelt on one knee, clutching his abdomen.

His abdomen was riddled with holes from five or six sharp blades, and blood gushed out.

However, Su Zhan did not panic. Taking advantage of the other party's momentary lapse in attention, he suddenly swept his eyes.

Three knives flew out and pierced the throats of the three men in black.

The remaining two men's expressions changed drastically, and they tried to dodge, but it was too late.

Their heads lolled to the side, and they died instantly.

"Asshole!"

The man in gray let out a mournful roar, filled with extreme anger, and tried to get up and fight back.

He had barely moved a little distance when he aggravated his wound and fell to the ground again.

Su Zhan slowly walked over, looked at him, and said calmly:

You lost.

"You are going to die, and your master won't live much longer either."

Su Zhan was calm and indifferent, like a demon crawling out of hell.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

The man in gray suddenly turned fierce. "If we die, we die together!"

With all his might, he picked up the dagger from the ground and held it horizontally in front of him.

"Whoosh!"

Su Zhan's pupils suddenly contracted. He spun the Dagger and slashed it hard at the gray-clad man's arm, breaking it with a snap. The tip of the dagger was embedded in his chest.

This is one of Su Zhan's most effective Killing Move — Fight with One's Back to the Water.

He knew he couldn't leave alive, so he was fearless; even if it meant dying together, he wanted to take others down with him.

Without pausing, Su Zhan pulled out the Dagger and plunged it into the gray-clad man's abdomen once more...

Blood splattered, staining the entire cave red.

Su Zhan's face was deathly pale, but he remained calm.

He knew that if he were even slightly distracted, his opponent would seize the opportunity to retaliate, and then it wouldn't just be him who died.

Su Zhan quickly calmed down, looked around, then gripped the short knife in his hand, preparing to escape in the chaos.

"Ah--"

Just then, Su Zhan heard a woman's scream, followed by a series of hurried footsteps.

Then, he felt a bright flash before his eyes, as if something had pierced his vision, and it was two Dagger that were fired at once.

Su Zhan instinctively brandished his short sword to parry, the clanging sound preventing the enemy from getting closer.

Su Zhan looked up and saw a tall woman wearing a mask in his line of sight.

Her gaze was dark and sharp, carrying a chilling aura, like a venomous snake or a cheetah.

Her wrists were nimble and agile; her two daggers moved like lightning, making them impossible to defend against.

"Bang bang--"

Although Su Zhan tried his best to resist, the difference in strength was too great. Su Zhan only managed to block a few moves before being forced back several meters.

He tried to yell a warning, but the other party sealed his speech acupoints, leaving him only able to make muffled noises.

Who exactly are you?

Su Zhan shouted, "Why are you following me?"

"Young man, my name is Li Man'er."

The woman said indifferently, "Two of my accomplices were among the Killer we were just chasing."

As she spoke, she flicked the double blades in her hand, making the blades even sharper and more menacing.

Su Zhan's mouth gaped open in disbelief; she never imagined that one of the Killer was a friend of hers.

"Don't worry about who I am, and don't ask me why I want to kill you. Tonight, all you need to know is that you deserve to die."

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Man'er slashed forward with both blades.

"Flutter!"

A sickening metallic scraping sound echoed through the narrow passage, and then Su Zhan saw that his short knife had been cut in two.

There was also a noticeable crack on the blade.

He was deeply shaken.

His short sword was made of fine steel, with a hardness comparable to alloy steel plates, yet it was now cut in two by the opponent's double blades.

Just how terrifying is the other party?

"Call!"

Before Su Zhan recover, Li Man'er had already leaped into the air.

She darted along the rock face like a ghost, appearing before Su Zhan in an instant.

He swept his leg towards Su Zhan's neck.

Su Zhan's eyelids twitched, and he dodged to the side.

He had already sensed the danger posed by the other party.

"Puff puff puff!"

Just as Su Zhan turned his head to dodge, three Dagger pierced past him from the side.

The Dagger missed its target, but it tore Su Zhan's clothes.

Su Zhan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Li Man'er did not give Su Zhan a chance to breathe.

She missed her target without hesitation.

Her body was propelled back by inertia, and with a swift movement of her right hand, she unleashed a double-edged sword, its edge gleaming menacingly, and slashed down at Su Zhan's head.

"Call!"

The force was like a thunderbolt, and Su Zhan a sharp pain in his cheek.

He quickly reached out to block the opponent's double blades.

"Ding ding ding!"

The double blades struck Su Zhan's palm, producing a series of ear-piercing metallic clangs.

A shower of sparks flew!

Su Zhan's expression changed; his hand on his thumb ached, and his arms felt numb.

It's probably a fracture.

"Kid, you're pretty good, but unfortunately for you, you've met me."

Li Man'er smiled, her eyes flashing with bloodlust. "Today, you must die."

"Call!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Man'er raised both knees and thrust them into Su Zhan's abdomen.

Her knees were so powerful and heavy; if they landed, they could absolutely tear someone's guts out.

Su Zhan didn't have time to dodge, so he gritted his teeth and suddenly squatted down.

"Pfft--"

Their knees grazed his shoulders, leaving a trail of blood and beads of sweat on his back.

At the same time, Su Zhan leaped up and elbowed Li Man'er.

His movements were swift and ruthless!

However, Li Man'er was already on guard. With a flick of her left hand, another Dagger slid into her grasp, and she slashed it down with ease.

"Flutter!"

A streak of crimson blood spurted out!

This sneak attack failed again.

Su Zhan groaned, clutching his shoulder and collapsing to the ground.

He showed no sign of frustration; instead, a bright smile appeared on his face. He believed that given the opportunity, he would definitely be able to kill his opponent.

He stared at Li Man'er and said, "I admit you're very strong, stronger than anyone I've ever met."

"But I don't believe you can withstand a barrage of ten Crossbow Bolts."

"If you're not afraid of dying, then keep attacking. I don't want to die anyway; I want to go home."

He deliberately used reverse psychology to get the other party to give up.

"Crossbow Bolts?"

Li Man'er laughed upon hearing this, her voice soft and sweet. "Do you think I'd be stupid enough to stand still and get shot by Crossbow Bolts?"

"Don't even dream about it. I've killed countless small fry like you."

Her pretty face radiated arrogance. "Besides, these Crossbow Bolts are nothing but toys to scare people."

"It can only hurt people, but it can't kill me."

Su Zhan frowned slightly, but he wasn't too surprised; the disciples of the Martial Alliance were indeed formidable.

He glanced at Li Man'er, wondering how he would escape later.

"Whoosh!"

Just then, Li Man'er suddenly lunged forward, slashing her Dagger toward Su Zhan's throat.

The speed was simply unbelievable.

Su Zhan quickly rolled to the side to avoid the fatal blow.

Li Man'er ignored it, stepped on the wall with her left foot and rose half a foot, then flicked her right hand.

Five gleaming silver darts shot towards us.

Su Zhan's expression changed drastically, and he once again dodged in a disheveled manner.

Li Man'er arched her body and darted forward like a cat.

A few seconds later, Su Zhan felt a chill in his chest. Looking down, he saw five darts stuck in his chest.

Blood instantly stained the white shirt.

That dart was truly deadly!

Su Zhan's face turned pale. He never expected that his opponent was not only skilled in fighting with dual blades, but also adept at killing with darts.

He still had one last gamble.

Su Zhan endured the excruciating pain, pulled out the Dagger, and pressed it down.

Five darts shattered.

Li Man'er said coldly, "Didn't you want to kill me?"

"I'm telling you to kill, do you dare?"

As she spoke, Li Man'er raised her right hand, and the Dagger transformed into a blur, heading straight for Su Zhan's throat and chest.

Su Zhan's pupils contracted. "Holy crap..."

How could this woman be so crazy?

He cursed angrily, turned his body, and held the Dagger horizontally in front of his chest to block.

"When!"

Dagger clashed, producing a crisp sound and sparks flying.

Li Man'er thrust her Dagger forward again.

Su Zhan could only parry again.

Another clash of Weapons rang out, and Su Zhan felt a sudden ache and numbness in his arm, his entire hand going numb.

Li Man'er's twin blades spun like an umbrella, relentlessly pursuing Su Zhan.

Su Zhan kept waving his Dagger to parry, while also shouting:

"Hey, you crazy woman, if you've got the guts, have a fair and square fight!"

"What kind of heroes are we, fighting like this? If you're so capable, let me go and we'll have a fair fight."

Even though I know the other person won't listen to my advice, I still hope to provoke them.

A fair fight? Do you even deserve it?

To everyone's surprise, Li Man'er completely ignored Su Zhan's provocation and simply wielded the Dagger in her hand faster and faster.

The Dagger's chilling aura grew stronger, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, sending shivers down one's spine.

Su Zhan's eyelids twitched, and he felt like his fingers were about to slip off his grip on the Dagger.

He also noticed that the Dagger in Li Man'er's hand seemed a bit unusual.

The chill was even more biting, as if it could freeze his blood.

"Whoosh--"

As Su Zhan's thoughts raced, Li Man'er once again swung her double blades, the two edges slashing fiercely at Su Zhan.

Su Zhan quickly took a step back, creating distance between them.

Taking this opportunity, he turned his head to look.

Upon seeing this, he gasped in shock.

The fierce battle had exhausted him, and with Li Man'er's incredible speed, Su Zhan had no time to retrieve the Crossbow Bolts.

His waist had been wounded by Crossbow Bolts.

The flesh was mangled and blood was everywhere.

Su Zhan couldn't contain his rage. "Damn it! You son of a bitch, that's really insidious, stabbing so deep!"

He cursed Li Man'er as despicable and shameless while circulating the Tai Chi Sutra to relieve the pain in his abdomen.

Although her abdomen is slowly recovering, her hands and feet are still weak and she can't muster any strength.

Li Man'er coldly replied, "A piece of trash should be prepared to be trash!"

"Whoosh!"

As she spoke, Li Man'er moved closer to Su Zhan, as if she wanted to kill him.

Su Zhan secretly realized that resistance would be difficult.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Su Zhan was preparing to fight to the death, he suddenly caught a faint sound of wind.

He instinctively dodged to the side.

With a soft thud, a thin, cicada-wing-like dagger pierced Li Man'er's ribs, causing her to stagger and almost fall.

"Who?"

Li Man'er flew into a rage and shouted angrily, "You bastard, get out here right now!"

"Tsk tsk, beautiful lady, you look so fierce when you're angry!"

At that moment, an Old Man in Black Robe appeared at the corner of the alley, slowly walking out with a short sword in his hand.

He had a full beard and a weathered look, but his eyes were bright and piercing.

Looking at him, Su Zhan felt a sudden jolt in his mind; where had he seen this face before?

He searched diligently, but the results remained blank.

"Mr. Li!"

Upon seeing the old man, Li Man'er was taken aback, seemingly not expecting an enemy to appear in this situation.

But soon, she became sharp:

"Mr. Li, what are you doing here?"

It was clear that Li Man'er knew the other person.

"This place isn't suitable for someone as refined and elegant as me, so I'll change the setting to have a chat."

Mr. Li smiled indifferently, "Did I disturb you?"

Li Man'er said coldly, "Mr. Li, have we never met before?"

Mr. Li smiled but didn't say anything. He simply picked up a rag and wiped the dagger clean.

After he finished wiping, he looked up at Su Zhan and asked, "Who are you? How dare you injure Eldest Miss of the Li Family?"

"Eldest Miss of the Li Family?"

Su Zhan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. "You are Li Xuanwu?"

"Looks like my guess was right!"

Mr. Li laughed heartily, "No wonder you dared to break into my yard and attack the Li family's daughter."

"So he's Tang Ruoxue's lackey. Too bad he's too green; he couldn't even withstand a single move from me, Li Man'er."

"But I'm glad I managed to hurt you, my watchdog. Tonight I can finally torment Tang Ruoxue properly."

"But don't worry, after I've had my fun with her, I'll take you back to Longjing Garden."

He said with a hint of mockery, "After all, I also enjoy admiring loyal hunting dogs like you!"

Upon hearing this, Su Zhan flew into a rage. "Bastard, if you dare touch Tang Ruoxue, I'll kill you!"

"Kill me?"

Mr. Li scoffed at this. "You think you can take me on?"

"Bang!"

Just then, Su Zhan suddenly pulled out a few Steel Balls from his pocket and threw them out.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Mr. Li leaped swiftly to the nearby stone pillar.

Several Steel Balls struck the wall with a series of cracking sounds, sending up clouds of dust and splattering a few drops of blood onto Li Man'er.

Li Man'er shouted angrily, "You're asking for it!"

Su Zhan roared, "Kill!"

He charged forward, ignoring the pain and disregarding the consequences, attacking Li Man'er with all his might.

Li Man'er's pretty face changed slightly. She brandished two sharp blades to block, and with a flick of her wrists, several more Silver Needles appeared.

"Ta-da--"

The two exchanged blows more than ten times in an instant. Although Su Zhan's martial arts skills were inferior to Li Man'er's, he had the advantage of age and abundant energy.

He gritted his teeth and persevered, using brute force wave after wave.

Li Man'er was no less courageous than any man. Although she was somewhat shocked by Su Zhan's courage, she did not back down and took on the challenge.

For a time, the two were evenly matched, fighting fiercely, which dimmed the surrounding lights.

Six or seven people stood at the alley entrance not far away, staring in disbelief at the scene.

They never expected that someone would dare to make a move under these circumstances.