Flying Yaksha

Seven days later.

The sky was dark and heavy, black clouds hanging low.

A sudden gale rose over the river, whipping up wave after wave to pound against both banks with violent booms.

A large ship laden with cargo split through the surging waves, following the river's swift current downstream at no slow speed.

Muffled thunder rolled within the clouds, yet the rain still refused to fall.

Splash!

In the depths of the river's heart, a spray of water blossomed, and a ghostly figure emerged, right in the path the cargo ship was taking.

The powerful current stirred up by the great ship came surging over.

Not only was the man not overturned, he instead squeezed forward, split through the waves, and hooked both hands like claws, clamping down hard on the wooden hull. Without any visible movement, his entire body rose lightly upward like a fallen leaf blown up by the river wind.

Whoosh!

Using that rising momentum, his gaze swept swiftly around. When his body dropped, his toes tapped lightly on the deck and he leaped again, flashing up onto the top of the stern tower in an instant.

The whole process was utterly silent, like one of those legendary water monkeys, leaving only a few wet marks on the deck.

There were many people aboard, but whether it was the busy sailors, the travelers chatting idly by the nearby railing, or the guards escorting the goods, not a single one noticed that an uninvited guest had appeared on the ship.

This ship was rather massive, with an enormous cargo capacity, and even the stern tower had been built quite imposingly, nearly two zhang tall.

Hong Yuan stood atop the stern tower, his figure hidden in shadow, water dripping from his clothes.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Over the past few days, Hong Yuan's general route had been constantly drawing closer to Linjiang Prefecture's city, passing through three counties and one town along the way.

On the road, Hong Yuan had continuously challenged the masters of various martial halls, as well as certain gang leaders and wandering martial artists. In just a few short days, the martial artists he had overturned numbered no fewer than ten whose names could be counted.

Ordinary martial men were merely wrung dry of their martial techniques by him; as for those with notorious evil reputations, he naturally killed them in passing without the slightest courtesy.

With the information he had learned from Yue Feng, finding those famous martial artists saved Hong Yuan no small amount of effort.

The towns he passed through naturally numbered more than one. The reason one was mentioned separately was entirely because, in that town, a certain clan could be called a local emperor.

That clan had produced an expert at the second layer of transformation, "Freely Retracting and Releasing." In Yue Feng's words, the man had some small fame throughout the entire Linjiang Prefecture.

After taking a brief turn through the town, Hong Yuan listened with his ears and observed with his eyes, then confirmed that the man deserved to die.

Because it was his first time exchanging blows with a martial artist at the "Freely Retracting and Releasing" level, even though Yang Erhu had said that even during his prime, if he had run into Hong Yuan when Hong Yuan had just escaped from the "Jade Wutong Immortal Realm," he would still have had to deal with him cautiously, or else might have capsized in a gutter.

Hong Yuan still held the utmost vigilance toward it.

He first injured the evildoing members of that clan, luring out that expert, then was chased and "fled" all the way to the riverside before turning back to fight him.

In truth, when the other side was "chasing to kill" him, after observing his movement speed and feeling no warning from his spirit, Hong Yuan already felt that he might have been overly cautious.

Once they actually exchanged blows, that point was confirmed even more.

That expert had no strength to fight back under his hands. Hong Yuan forced out everything he had, and in the end, after his courage was utterly spent, he fled in panic, only to be sent on his way by one heavy blow from Hong Yuan.

In his exchanges with many martial men, aside from "trading" for all sorts of secret medicinal recipes, Hong Yuan would also ask about some anecdotes of the jianghu.

The more he knew, the clearer Hong Yuan's positioning of himself became, especially after he exchanged blows with that martial artist at the "Freely Retracting and Releasing" level.

It was not that the man was weak, but that Hong Yuan was far too abnormal.

Both sides were at the "Freely Retracting and Releasing" level, but that was only the same level in terms of force technique. In body and spirit, Hong Yuan surpassed him by far.

And this sort of surpassing in body and spirit, even if it was only a thread, would, when reflected in combat power, pull out a difference of a single line between life and death.

With the same changes in force, Hong Yuan could simply be a little faster and a little stronger. Just that bit of difference was enough to completely crush a so-called equal.

To say nothing of the fact that Hong Yuan's surpassing was not just by a tiny bit.

Perhaps it was precisely this understanding that promoted Hong Yuan's spiritual sublimation and added another strand of comprehension to him.

Of course, this was also related to Hong Yuan's persistent practice of the meditation method, as well as finding a superior incense formula to assist him.

On the other hand, his innate bones had yet to increase.

However, Hong Yuan could sense that it was soon!

These past few days, he had continuously battled people, supplemented by all sorts of secret medicines used internally and externally, and he could clearly feel the growth.

Other martial men, even if they held all kinds of miraculous pills and fine medicines, would not dare use them so frequently, because medicines, once used too much, were also harmful to oneself.

Hong Yuan was different. He relied on his "cheat" to absorb them, so no matter how many secret medicines there were, they would only become nourishment for raising his innate bones.

The growth of comprehension and innate bones fed back into himself, allowing Hong Yuan to rapidly digest the fists, feet, and weapon skills of all the martial men he had fought.

Earlier, he had hidden in the water to practice his fist, experiencing the resistance and undercurrents of the rushing current. His control over force grew increasingly fine. After Tiger-Subduing Fist fused the essence of many techniques, it gained a few more measures of speed, while also possessing waterlike flexibility and change.

Moreover—

Hong Yuan raised a hand and pointed. His fingertip lightly touched the cabin board without making the slightest sound, yet on the thick, tough wooden plank there appeared an air hole invisible to an ordinary person's naked eye. It was only the size of a needlepoint and went two cun deep.

This was still not his full strength.

"Although Spiral Force faintly has some rough shape now, it'll still take quite a bit of work to comprehend it. Instead, through a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse, I ended up comprehending this kind of force technique."

"This should count as a minute-control level of force too, right? Why not call it Flying Needle Force? Forget it. Since it can't fly out from my finger, I'll call it Condensed Needle Force!"

Hong Yuan felt his blood and qi flowing through his body. There was no discomfort at all, and after releasing that strike of "Needle-Congealing Force" through his finger, his finger could bear it perfectly well too.

He could not help nodding.

As expected, even if he had yet to reach the minute level in force transformations, a slightly more violent application was still no issue. His bones and foundation could completely withstand it.

"My Needle-Congealing Force, Bone-Piercing Force, and Air-Separating Force should all be extensions of hard-force transformations, while things like Coiling-Silk Force, Penetrating Force, and Flying-Catkin Force are extensions of soft-force transformations..."

"As for Spiral Force, it's an extension of both hard and soft force. A little harder—that's normal."

The fact that Hong Yuan could rely on observing underwater whirlpools and, so quickly, comprehend and gain something on his own, forming a faint embryonic shape in his mind—if word got out, it would instead shock countless martial artists.

Perhaps because rain was coming, the cabin was dry and stuffy. Footsteps sounded in disorder on the deck below, and a few more people walked outside to get some air.

Those few did not look up. Otherwise, perhaps they might have noticed Hong Yuan.

Of course, even if he were discovered, Hong Yuan would not care.

One man yawned lazily, and the sound of their conversation drifted up with it:

"The few counties we've passed through recently have really been lively. A few days ago, Master Huang of Qingxu County took a concubine. It was originally a great joyous occasion, but unexpectedly, a vicious criminal strode in as bold as daylight and smashed Master Huang and several of his sons to death. That criminal worked himself into a killing mood, then charged into the inner residence and began a massacre, killing every old and young member of the Huang Family. I heard he didn't even spare children only a few years old. Tsk, tsk! Such a vast Huang Mansion, several generations of family property, scattered just like that."

As this man spoke, he sighed and lamented without end, though it was hard to tell whether he was grieving or gloating.

"I heard about that too. They say County Magistrate Zhang of Qingxu was the closest of friends with Master Huang, and disregarding his own safety, fought desperately to drive that villain back. Unfortunately, one of his own ears was cut off as well."

Another rough-voiced man chimed in, praising, "Though Master Huang is dead, to have a bosom friend like County Magistrate Zhang, one who'd bare liver and gall in true fellowship, means his trip through this world wasn't in vain."

"Exactly, exactly!" The others nodded heavily.

"Your news is already out of date." A few idle travelers chatting by the ship's rail heard the commotion over here and joined in. An elderly man dressed like a merchant laughed and said, "The true culprit behind the Huang Mansion extermination has already spread these past two days. They say the man was originally a scholar, and was even classmates with one of Master Huang's sons. His name was Hong Yuan..."

Hong Yuan had not expected someone to mention him at this moment. And when these idle travelers spoke of the friendship between Huang Guiling and County Magistrate Zhang, that envy in their tone also made his expression turn strange.

"A scholar, and Young Master Huang's classmate besides? How could he be so vicious and savage? What deep hatred did he have with the Huang Family? And a mere scholar, with skills so formidable? It's truly hard to believe."

A dark-skinned man said in shock.

Several people sighed one after another and exchanged their opinions, then someone brought up, "Even earlier, Yangquan County also produced a figure. That man, alone with one saber, cut down a hundred or so local tyrants who had been committing evil at the docks. After killing them, not a drop of blood stained him, and he left laughing loudly. He even left behind a poem about 'killing one man every ten steps'..."

Someone laughed and took up the thread. "That poem has long since spread far and wide. All the wandering swordsmen throughout Linjiang Prefecture are reciting it. Even a rough fellow like me can recite it! They say many powerful clans and nobles heard that poem and greatly admired that black-clothed saber-wielder, putting out word that if he came to their doors, they would surely receive him as a high minister. Unfortunately, until now he still hasn't shown himself. Instead, quite a few wastrels have impersonated him and lost their lives for nothing."

"They deserved it. Without a diamond drill, they still dared take on porcelain work—seeking death!" the elderly merchant mocked.

"If it were ordinary times, the affairs of that Scholar Hong and the black-clothed saber-wielder would count as extremely sensational. But speaking of recent days, their limelight has been stolen by that 'Flying Yaksha'!"

A powerfully built man with his chest bared, revealing dense hair, leaned over and joined the discussion.

The others looked at this man, all somewhat surprised. The man laughed heartily and said, "Gentlemen, you haven't been getting off the boat much these past few days, have you? If you had, then wherever you sat down, any of the counties along the way would all be talking about that 'Flying Yaksha'!"

"I'd like to hear the details!"

The man laughed. "They say that 'Flying Yaksha' is a martial fanatic of sorts. He first appeared in Wushan County and loves seeking out the masters of major martial halls, gang leaders, and famous figures from various places to challenge them. His martial arts are profound, and he often plays his opponents in the palm of his hand, torturing them until they wish they could die on the spot... Of course, that 'Flying Yaksha' generally doesn't kill people. Only if he runs into experts who commit evil does he strike to kill!"

"Because this man usually attacks at night, and his methods are vicious, he earned the nickname 'Flying Yaksha.'"

Hong Yuan stood atop the stern tower, listening as the people below repeatedly mentioned his deeds, and he was speechless as well.

However, he had already heard the nickname "Flying Yaksha" a day or two ago, so it did not move him much. After all, who did not know that he was someone who sat at the same table as Jade Gentleman Jiang Feng?

Perhaps because he had defeated more and more famous experts, Zuo Lie and Shi Meng no longer felt it was shameful, and had actually put out word themselves that they had also been sought out and challenged by "Flying Yaksha"...

After all, being challenged by "Flying Yaksha" was undoubtedly also proof of strength. There were even martial-hall masters who had been overlooked and felt they had lost face because of it.

"Ever since 'Flying Yaksha' appeared in Wushan County, he's challenged experts in county after county along the river, and his trail has been heading straight toward the prefectural city. Perhaps that man is among us right now." The burly man cracked a joke.

As the group chatted idly, the boat had already traveled far.

Suddenly, the sailors and guards on the deck each gripped their clubs and weapons, their expressions turning vigilant.

High atop the mast, the lookout in the crow's nest looked even more solemn, straining his eyes to the utmost.

The group of people who had been chatting all shut their mouths as well, each growing somewhat nervous, because the river ahead had suddenly widened, the current turning slow and gentle, while great swathes of reed marshes appeared along both banks.

These people had all traveled by boat year-round, so they naturally knew clearly that places like this were the favorite hiding grounds of water bandits. And in Ming Province, where waterways crisscrossed in dense webs, the thing least in short supply was "good men" who did business on the water!

Rumble!

A roll of thunder exploded. The sky grew even darker, and the rainwater trapped inside the clouds seemed finally to have been unclogged. Along with that fierce boom that split the heavens, bean-sized raindrops came smashing down with a crackling patter.

Suddenly—

"Whoosh! Pop!"

A signaling arrow shrieked into the air and abruptly burst open!

Immediately afterward, from the dense reed marshes on both banks, seven or eight fast boats shot out like swimming snakes!

These boats were long and narrow, some large and some small. The bigger ones held five or six people, the smaller ones two or three. Swift as if riding the wind, they swept in the blink of an eye toward both sides of the large boat!

The men aboard all held steel sabers and sharp blades, their faces fierce, strange "awoo, awoo" cries coming from their mouths.

"Water bandits! It's water bandits!"

The deck instantly descended into chaos. The hearts of the merchants and travelers who had been chatting, hanging in suspense all this time, finally died. Their faces changed drastically, and they hurriedly fled toward the cabins.

Though the sailors and guards on the boat also showed some alarm, they made their living on boats year-round after all, and this was not the first time they had encountered water bandits. Each gripped his weapon tightly and guarded various points of the deck!

There were also several martial instructors whose status was clearly higher than ordinary guards. They quickly put on leather armor, drew sabers and swords, and leapt out with shouted commands, their movements all crisp and nimble.

"Listen up, cargo ship ahead! Drop your sails and stop at once! Your grandfathers only want money, not lives! Dare to resist, and we'll toss every last one of you into the river to fill the fishes' bellies!"

On a swift boat, the water bandits shrieked and howled, letting out threatening cries. Among them, a burly one-eyed man planted a foot on the bow, seemingly the leader of the bandits. He brandished the ghost-head broadsword in his hand and roared harshly, his voice shaking the riverway.

"Don't believe him! That bandit chief is 'One-Eyed Owl,' the most vicious and brutal of them all. No one he's captured has ever lived."

A cold-faced, middle-aged man in brocade stepped out from the cabin, his expression still fairly composed. At his side stood two martial masters with broad hands and sturdy builds, guarding him.

The moment this man showed himself, the sailors and guards were immediately roused. He was likely the owner of this ship.

"Kill the bandits! Ten taels of silver for every bandit killed. One hundred taels for killing the bandit chief!" the middle-aged man in brocade shouted coldly, wasting no words.

Under such heavy reward, the sailors and guards shouted in unison, "Kill the bandits!"

Their morale soared!

Whoosh!

There were also several people on the ship carrying bows and arrows on their backs. At this moment, they drew their bows and nocked their arrows, and cold shafts abruptly shot toward One-Eyed Owl's swift boat.

But the wind and waves were too fierce, and with the rainstorm pouring down, their aim was truly a little poor. Though none of the arrows hit, One-Eyed Owl was enraged and roared, "Kill them for me!"

As the melee erupted, on One-Eyed Owl's swift boats, the water bandits closed in on the cargo ship one after another. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Flying hooks were thrown out in succession, trying to catch the gunwale and climb aboard.

On the deck, the sailors and guards naturally rose in resistance, loosing strong arrows in volleys and hacking wildly with steel blades, cutting down the flying hooks thrown over one after another.

Pfft!

At this moment, Hong Yuan pressed his palm against the cabin boards, and his figure shot up like a sharp arrow. Before he had even landed on the deck, one hand had already caught a sail rope. With a slight exertion of strength, he swept up like a nimble ape onto the high mast.

The lookout in the crow's nest caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye and saw an extra person above him on the mast. He was so startled he thought the water bandits had stormed up, and nearly toppled headfirst downward.

Hong Yuan's figure dropped, and he grabbed hold of him. The lookout, still shaken out of his wits, stammered, "You... who are you?"

Hong Yuan did not answer. One hand hooked onto the side of the mast like a claw, supporting his body, while his gaze turned toward the reed marsh.

One-Eyed Owl launched attacks again and again, yet still could not board the ship. Just as he was howling in fury, the sound of gongs and drums rang from within the reed marsh, and more than a dozen swift boats actually swept out.

"Old One-Eye, you're really useless. After so long, you still haven't gotten a single man aboard. Let this grandpa do it!"

More than a dozen swift boats, like streaks of white beneath the curtain of rain, shot over at great speed. On the central boat, a bare-chested man who looked like a skinny monkey laughed loudly.

"Bullshit. The quarry's tough to bite, stinking monkey. If you can do it, you go."

One-Eyed Owl shouted angrily.

"Fine! If my men get aboard first, I want seventy percent of the goods on the ship!" the skinny-monkey-like water bandit agreed in one breath, then put forward his condition.

"Dream your mother's sweet dream..."

One-Eyed Owl burst into curses.

On the deck, when the sailors and guards saw more than a dozen boats of water bandits join in, likely at least over a hundred fierce brigands, all their expressions changed in horror.

Even the middle-aged man in brocade lost color, his hand clenching tight. "Impossible. One-Eyed Owl and Skinny Monkey—how could these two water bandit leaders have joined hands?"

Skinny Monkey's water bandits merged with One-Eyed Owl's. Over twenty swift boats spread out left and right, densely packed like leeches attaching themselves to the ship. Flying hooks sprang up one after another, and the water bandits launched another savage attack.

On the deck, the sailors and guards roared wildly and resisted with all their might. Those martial masters also rushed about everywhere, swinging the weapons in their hands again and again, chopping down one flying hook after another. But there were too many water bandits. A moment later, the first water bandit finally climbed aboard.

The water bandit had a steel blade clenched between his teeth. With a sinister grin, he took it down and slashed a guard, wounding him. Although he was immediately hacked back into the water by the others, even more water bandits instantly swarmed up.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten water bandits had leapt onto various parts of the deck.

Hong Yuan dropped from the mast. Between the rabbit's rise and the falcon's fall, he had already darted before two water bandits. With two bangs, the sound of two breastbones bursting rang out, and the two men's bodies fell into the river like flying stones.

In any case, he had hitched a ride on this ship. When it was time to act, he still had to act—though if he let all these water bandits come aboard, it would actually be easier to slaughter them.

Taking action now would instead let a large number of fish slip through the net.

But if he did that, everyone on the ship would suffer heavy casualties.

According to the customs of this era, these sailors and guards might well have taken on the work of bandits themselves when they met lone ships on ordinary days. But in the end, Hong Yuan had not seen that with his own eyes, had he?

The moment Hong Yuan made his move, he immediately drew the attention of the middle-aged man in brocade, who hurriedly asked, "Who is that man?"

Hong Yuan ignored him. He strode forward and, with a chopping motion of his hand, snatched the bow and arrows from an archer's hands. Just as the latter was about to open his mouth and curse, Hong Yuan had already drawn the bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at a water bandit.

Whoosh!

The arrow missed!

Hong Yuan drew the bow again. This time, with a snap, the bow was directly strained apart by brute force, making the archer both furious and anxious. "You! If you don't know how to shoot, don't mess around!"

Hong Yuan turned toward another archer. The latter glared at him angrily, but only saw a large hand reaching over. He tried hard to grip his longbow tightly, but a surging, tremendous force jolted through it, shaking him backward until he fell to the ground. Immediately afterward, his arrow basket was taken too.

Just as the first archer was about to curse, Hong Yuan once again drew the bow and nocked arrows.

Whoosh! Whoosh, whoosh!

Three arrows in succession shot out almost at the same time, piercing through the throats of three water bandits in the river below with incredible speed. Immediately after, three more arrows flew, taking three more lives!

Thud!

One-Eyed Owl climbed up from one side of the ship and suddenly leapt onto the deck. The ghost-head blade in his hand swung in a full arc toward a sailor as he grinned viciously. "You dared stop your grandfather from boarding. Your grandfather will send you to your death right now."

Whoosh!

A cold arrow shot over with force, piercing through his one remaining eye. The smile on One-Eyed Owl's face froze. Without even letting out a scream, he toppled backward.

Several archers, along with some nearby guards and sailors, were already staring dumbfounded. Hong Yuan drew more arrows and loosed them in rapid succession again. Seeing these people standing there in a daze, he barked, "What are you standing around for? Bring me arrows!"

"Oh! Right!"

Hong Yuan, one man and one bow, was as if ten divine archers were firing in unison. The arrows came, and he shot; when he shot, he never m—well, not every arrow hit. There were always a few lucky ones who dodged.

In that short span, several dozen men had been sent to their deaths, yet Hong Yuan was not particularly satisfied. With his methods, if this gang of river bandits were allowed to come aboard and fight, his killing efficiency would only be faster.

Even amid the torrential rain, with multiple skiffs scattered to both sides of the large ship and unable to support one another, the remaining river bandits finally sensed the danger. Panic-stricken, they collapsed and scattered with a roar.

Skinny Monkey reacted the fastest. He had originally still been climbing the hooked rope, but when he suddenly saw his men shot dead one after another, he immediately leapt into the water. Only after a while did he swim to one of the skiffs.

The men on the boat had already become corpses. Skinny Monkey hurriedly worked the wooden oar, wanting only to flee as quickly as possible.

Hong Yuan drew his bow and aimed at Skinny Monkey!

Crack!

The longbow snapped again.

An archer hurriedly handed over his own bow and arrows. The panic was gone, replaced by a face full of admiration. "Use mine."

"No need!" Hong Yuan's figure sprang forward, suddenly leaping onto the ship's rail. With a burst of force underfoot, as the rail shattered inch by inch, he shot out like a gale, sweeping across several zhang before landing on a skiff below.

Bang!

With a tap of his foot, his figure sprang again. Under the stunned gazes of everyone on the large ship, the little boat suddenly sank downward, and they saw Hong Yuan fly like a great bird more than three zhang through the air, actually reaching another skiff.

Before he had even steadied himself, he charged forward and swept out again, incidentally slamming into two river bandits on the boat whose mouths were hanging wide open. Amid the sounds of bones exploding and shattering, the river bandits were blasted over the water's surface, while Hong Yuan shot up into the sky, dropping straight toward Skinny Monkey's boat three zhang ahead!

Skinny Monkey's eyes bulged. He had likewise seen Hong Yuan pursuing from behind. Amid indescribable terror, a surge of great strength welled up in him, and he swung the wooden oar in his hands with all his might, smashing it toward the descending Hong Yuan.

"Die!"

The next instant, Hong Yuan planted one foot on the wooden oar. There was only a resounding "crack," and the entire oar suddenly split into pieces. Skinny Monkey's face was struck by the spray of wooden shards, blood blossoming all over it, while Hong Yuan's foot also kicked down through that splattering blood, landing squarely on his chin!

In an instant, Skinny Monkey's chin, and even his entire face, twisted and deformed as if shattering inch by inch. His body shot out like a ball, rolling into the river water and vanishing without a trace.

Hong Yuan landed on the little boat and no longer paid any attention to the surviving river bandits scattering like fish. Power surged under his feet, and he slightly adjusted the boat's direction, bringing it toward the riverbank.

After taking medicine to replenish essence, diligent training, and tempering martial skill through combat! Root Bone +1 thread!

Suddenly, a row of small words appeared before Hong Yuan's eyes.

At this moment, the brocade-robed middle-aged man on the large ship no longer cared that the river bandits who had climbed aboard were still being surrounded and killed by the guards. He hurriedly ran to the bow and shouted, "Hero, please stay!"

Yet he only saw the other man approach the riverbank, then leap up and vanish into the curtain of rain. He could not help sighing in regret, wringing his hands. "Such a figure, and I could not make his acquaintance. What a pity!"

The martial arts the other party had revealed left him shocked as if he had seen a heavenly being. A figure like that might well be able to stand alone against a hundred armored soldiers.

Beside him, a guard who had also heard the travelers' idle talk earlier could not help crying out in a low voice, "That man... That man couldn't be the 'Flying Yaksha,' could he?"