Tiger Leaps Up

Dust and smoke rolled and surged as a line of a hundred riders came galloping in.

The horsemen were all clad in fine armor, each with sharp eyes and fierce auras, steel sabers at their waists. Their stern, awe-inspiring might cowed the entire field as they drove away the carriages and horses blocking the entrance to Lanyue Garden.

Flanked on both sides by armored soldiers, Commandant Guo Zhen looked just like a Confucian scholar of thirty or forty years of age. Dressed in loose everyday robes, he swept a faint gaze over the whole scene.

Everyone his gaze passed over, whether from wealthy clans and great households or from the gangs, averted their eyes one after another and saluted respectfully.

Hua Feiyun hurried out through the gate and made a full bow before the horse's head. "This nephew, Hua Feiyun, greets Commandant Guo."

Guo Zhen sat high on horseback, sized Hua Feiyun up, then burst into laughter. "A junior of the Hua family, are you? No need for ceremony. Our two families are old friends. You may call me uncle."

Hua Feiyun's face lit with joy, and he followed the offer at once. "Uncle Guo!"

"Good!" Guo Zhen sprang down from his horse, strode forward, and took Hua Feiyun by the hand as they walked inside together. He asked, "Have the inner matches begun?"

"They've already fought several rounds, but they were all nothing more than petty skirmishes. We were only waiting for Uncle's arrival so the true experts could take the field."

Hong Yuan walked forward at an unhurried pace.

Even without deliberately eavesdropping, his extraordinary hearing still took in the conversation between the two.

Hua Feiyun was that Young Master Hua of the Dragon King Society whom he had run into at the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall during the rainstorm that day.

And that Commandant Guo also made Hong Yuan think of the label on the pill bottle in Huang Yihe's study at Guiling Manor.

He had not expected to run into them here.

For the time being, Hong Yuan suppressed a certain thought and followed behind several men and women in broad cloud-brocade robes who were chatting and laughing all the way. Passing through courtyards and halls, they soon arrived at an enormous martial-arts field.

Voices boiled over. In the many viewing sheds, heads clustered thickly, the atmosphere burning hot.

Hong Yuan swept his eyes over the place and saw only dense, packed silhouettes, as though more than half the powerful families and great households from the dozen-plus counties of Linjiang Prefecture had gathered here.

Hong Yuan let out a breath of relief.

If he had to find a specific person among so many people, that really would have been making things difficult for him, Hong. Fortunately, he had come here to find a pig.

That made things much simpler.

Since he was already here, there was no need to rush at this very moment.

Hong Yuan prepared to play a couple of hands. After watching from outside the field for a while, he figured out the rules. He waved over several maidservants, pointed at a saber wielder on the central platform with a tattoo on the left side of his face, and placed a heavy bet of three thousand taels.

For no other reason than that, just from the tattooed saber wielder's stance, he looked much stronger than the rest of those crooked melons and cracked dates.

All right, it was purely Hong Yuan's own feeling.

Clamor rose all around.

Angry curses and loud laughter mixed together. Some platforms were still locked in slaughter, blood spraying; some had already decided victory and defeat.

With a "dong," a bronze gong rang out.

A brawny man built like an iron tower mounted the central platform, grinning savagely as he likewise drew his saber and faced off against the tattooed saber wielder.

The battle broke out with lightning speed, and the clang of metal against metal exploded one after another.

The more Hong Yuan watched, the darker his expression became, until the iron-tower brute cleaved the steel saber from the tattooed saber wielder's hand with one slash, spun, and sent a flying kick into the tattooed saber wielder's heart. The latter crashed heavily off the platform, his life or death unknown!

Hong Yuan's face had already sunk.

Damn it, too shady. They were actually fixing the match.

Not far away, a hearty laugh rang out, accompanied by clapping and shouts of praise. "Good! A beautiful win!"

A short, plump, middle-aged man in rich brocade clothes and a jade crown, looking just like a merchant, stood surrounded by numerous guards. He took the fine wine offered by a beautiful maidservant and raised his cup toward a big man with a long face in the neighboring viewing shed. "Zhao Liu, don't forget that you lost me five hundred salt certificates and three canal boats."

Zhao Liu gave a cold snort and did not look at the short, plump middle-aged man's smug face.

Letting out the same sighs and groans were also a large crowd of high rollers who had bet on the tattooed saber wielder.

Hong Yuan grabbed someone and glanced toward the short, plump middle-aged man. "Who is that?"

"One of the six heads of the Canal Gang. This one ranks third. You don't even know Third Master Jin?" The high roller Hong Yuan had grabbed was beaming with joy, clearly having won this round as well. He rolled his eyes at him, seemingly mocking Hong Yuan for his ignorance.

"Heh, Third Master Jin?!"

Naturally, Hong Yuan knew of the Canal Gang.

Of the two gangs he had personally buried, the Longjiang Gang and the Long River Society could be considered among the handful of major gangs in Linjiang Prefecture City, but in terms of scale and power, they were not even fit to carry the Canal Gang's shoes.

Because the Canal Gang's influence spread across more than a dozen counties, and in Linjiang Prefecture, at the very least a hundred or two hundred thousand people followed the Canal Gang to make a living.

A great force like this also controlled key routes by water and land and possessed abundant resources. With just a little arming, it would not be difficult for them to pull together several thousand young men willing to fight; Linjiang Prefecture would be shaken.

Hong Yuan did not care about any of that.

If an enormous force could not surround him, then it was nothing but an empty frame. He only knew that this Third Master Jin had swindled his money.

He did not blame the tattooed saber wielder. The man was already on the verge of death at this moment. He had fixed the match with his life on the line. But Third Master Jin had swallowed Hong Yuan's money, so he would definitely have to spit it back out.

Third Master Jin stretched comfortably and said to those around him, "We've played enough outside. Let's enter the inner field."

The inner courtyard.

Beneath the encircling guard of four towers, an enormous platform was brightly lit by lamplight.

Yang Erhu slowly stepped onto the stage, the white at his temples growing all the more eye-catching. He paid no attention to the gazes coming from each private room, but closed his eyes and focused his spirit, waiting for his next opponent.

In one side room, Guo Zhen sat lazily, four armored guards standing to either side of him. Hua Feiyun attended at his side and said with a smile, "This man is a martial hall master. He was once at the level of 'sending and receiving at will,' but now that he's old, his skills have declined. Still, his experience is very seasoned, just right for warming up the venue..."

As he spoke, Hua Feiyun took out another name list and presented it before Guo Zhen. "This is the list for this year's inner-field arena. The three most outstanding among them are Zhao Heng, 'Iron Cable Across the River'; Lin Xiu, 'Heart-Piercing Sword'; and a Smiling Buddha. They're already waiting in the side room below."

Guo Zhen casually swept his eyes over the list and said lightly, "Wait until one or two survive, then gather them over as dogs and horses. People of this sort are only good for that much."

Then he looked at Hua Feiyun again. "I hear my worthy nephew Hua has taken in an arena champion with nine consecutive wins?"

Hua Feiyun smiled. "That man is called He Xiaofeng. He is skilled with a curved blade, but he only won six matches in the outer courtyard and three in the inner courtyard."

Guo Zhen nodded. "Not bad."

In another side room, Wei Zhenzhu glared viciously at Yang Erhu's back, as if she wanted to charge down and swallow him in one gulp. She said venomously, "Is it only this old thing? What about that White Scale Guard 'deserter,' that brat surnamed Hong? None of them were caught?"

As for Yang Lie, Wei Zhenzhu instead ignored him.

Wang Ai said nothing, while the maid wearing a heavy gauze veil had eyes filled with hatred.

Dong!

Amid the sound of gongs and drums, someone leapt up and landed on the arena platform. It was a man with thick, large palms covered in calluses, and an ugly face.

"Wait!" Yang Erhu suddenly called out, then shouted toward the surrounding pavilions, "Young Master Hua, for this match, I want a blade."

On the second floor of the pavilion opposite Yang Erhu, Hua Feiyun was still in Guo Zhen's side room. Hearing this, he walked onto the terrace and said with a smile, "Fine. Give him one!"

Then he said to the ugly man, "What weapon do you want?"

The ugly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "No need. I only trust my two hands!"

This ugly man was clearly extremely confident in the kung fu in his palms.

Hua Feiyun clapped his hands, and very soon, a blade appeared in Yang Erhu's hand. He stroked the cold edge and looked icily at the ugly man. "Come!"

The next instant, both sides suddenly pounced out, attacking almost at the same time.

Yang Erhu swung his blade and advanced. The sound of wind being split roared loudly, and a biting cold gleam enveloped his opponent. Who would have thought that the ugly man would neither dodge nor evade? Amid startled cries from several side rooms, he met it with a pair of flesh-and-blood wrists.

Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal exploded. The ugly man's sleeves tore apart, revealing pairs of iron rings at both wrists. They abruptly tightened, as if a layer of iron armor had been fitted around his wrists. With a savage laugh, he charged up against the blade light and smashed a fist toward Yang Erhu's chest.

Though startled, Yang Erhu did not panic. As the other man's fist came at his chest, he flipped his body, swept over the other man's head, and at the same time swept his long blade backward.

The ugly man was also astonishingly fast. He turned back and blocked with his wrist held crosswise. There was another explosive ring of metal. Yang Erhu landed on the arena railing, and his feet suddenly shook.

As the railing beneath his feet shattered inch by inch, his figure had already turned. He leapt up, sweeping straight toward Hua Feiyun on the second-floor terrace.

He had gradually grown old, his strength no longer holding out, like a fierce tiger nearing its twilight years. Yet at this moment, it was as if he had come back to life again, and a surging power suddenly rose within his body!

It was fury!

Yang Erhu was no fool. From the moment that old man Jia had come to his door and threatened him with Master Qin's severed finger, he had already understood that Master Qin's chances were grim.

Yet he had still clung to a ten-thousandth of hope, until he heard what old man Jia said earlier, and only then did that thought die completely.

He even knew that Master Qin was probably already dead long ago, and as for himself, the other side clearly had no intention of letting him leave alive either.

The suppressed fury suddenly erupted at this moment. Force surged. The distance between Yang Erhu's position and Hua Feiyun's terrace was more than two zhang, and he was leaping upward from below.

Even in the prime of his life, he might not necessarily have been able to leap in. Now he drove an outburst of True Force, like a fierce tiger at the end of its days leaping toward a cliff on the far side of an abyss.

Yet in the end, he was still a little short. Just as his body was about to fall, one of his hands reached out and pressed against the edge of the terrace, and his figure rose up again.

Huala!

Wrapped in a foul gust of wind, he was already on the terrace, pouncing toward Hua Feiyun. From start to finish, it had only taken the blink of an eye. Only now did Yang Erhu let out a furious roar: "Hua, I want your life!"

In Hua Feiyun's astonished gaze, the blade light arrived in a flash. But at that very moment, a cold snort suddenly rang out. A curved blade thrust in from the side and collided with the steel blade in Yang Erhu's hand, forcing him back step after step.

Yang Erhu's eyes were about to split. He did not look at the expert who had appeared so abruptly. His body stumbled backward. He had only forced out a burst of strength, and it was already on the verge of being completely spent. Just as he was about to crash into the railing, he mustered the last bit of his remaining strength and threw the steel blade.

Whoosh!

The long blade shot out like a sharp arrow, stabbing toward Hua Feiyun's chest.

The next instant, with a "pa," Hua Feiyun easily caught the steel blade and looked mockingly at Yang Erhu, who was slowly collapsing, his eyes wide with rage.

"Worthy nephew Hua, are you unharmed?" Inside the side room, Guo Zhen's unhurried voice sounded.

The curtains of these side rooms were all lifted, so he had naturally seen what had happened. Yet he had not moved in the slightest, still sitting lazily and drinking wine. The eight armored soldiers at his side also remained utterly still.

From the surrounding pavilions and the various side rooms, some movements sounded, and then one intrigued gaze after another turned over, as though they had watched an ingeniously staged show.

"I am unharmed. Many thanks for Uncle's concern." Hua Feiyun smiled.

The one who had used a curved blade to block Yang Erhu's strike was a thin man. It was precisely He Xiaofeng. At this moment, he stood respectfully beside Hua Feiyun and said with his head lowered, "Young Master, I have startled you."

Hua Feiyun waved a hand, then looked at Yang Erhu and said leisurely, "What? Are you very surprised that this young master knows martial arts?"

"This man startled Young Master. I will kill him!" He Xiaofeng said.

"Kill what kill? Don't always be fighting and killing. Take him away. Once the Hero Arena is over, we'll deal with him properly." Hua Feiyun smiled.

He Xiaofeng was just about to assent when he heard a roaring voice ring out: "Hand him to me! I'm going to chop him into meat paste and swallow him mouthful by mouthful! Xiao Chan, go bring him over."

When this voice sounded, many of the nobles inside the surrounding pavilions all furrowed their brows, but they did not say much. Rather than anything else, it was disgust.

Because the speaker was precisely Wei Zhenzhu.

With Wei Zhenzhu's enormous size, she was naturally in a private box below. The moment her words fell, the woman with the heavy gauze over her face flipped up onto the pavilion.

The corner of Hua Feiyun's eye twitched. "Since Madam Wei has spoken... hm?"

He saw Yang Erhu slumped on the floor, eyes wide and mouth agape, his face full of shock, and could not help laughing again. "Is it strange that Madam Wei is here? Or that this young master is acquainted with Madam Wei?"

"No! He is wondering why I am here."

A flat voice abruptly sounded beside Hua Feiyun's ear, instantly making his hair stand on end. Startled, he instinctively turned his head.

The back of his head was suddenly pressed down by a palm, and Hua Feiyun at once felt a tremendous force surge in. He was like an infant fallen into a giant's hand, unable to resist, and his head was smashed into the ground!

With a thunderous bang, his head sank into the wooden floor. Sharp splinters stabbed into his face, making him scream in agony.

"Young Master!" He Xiaofeng was no less shocked.

He had been right beside Hua Feiyun, yet with his martial arts, he had actually failed to notice someone had slipped behind the two of them. If the other party had wanted his life, how could he still be alive?

This left him both shocked and terrified, but seeing Hua Feiyun pressed down by the other man's palm, he involuntarily swung his curved saber, chopping straight at the man's skull.

The one who had made the move was naturally Hong Yuan.

He had followed behind Third Master Jin and slipped in quietly. Originally, he had still wanted to investigate a little, but then he suddenly heard Yang Erhu's voice and immediately unfolded his movement technique, rushing over at high speed.

With his current martial arts, the speed of his figure truly was not something ordinary people could catch.

A sharp wind howled behind him. The strip of cloth in Hong Yuan's hand turned, and amid the clang of metal on metal, the refined steel staff wrapped inside blocked the descending curved saber. Then his body darted, and Hong Yuan's other hand had already seized He Xiaofeng's saber-holding hand!

He Xiaofeng saw those indifferent eyes, his heart jolting as he blurted out, "It's you?!"

He recognized the other man. It was precisely that black-clad saber-wielder who had killed Yan San at the docks. Yet precisely because of this, he felt even more shaken.

Back at the docks, although the other man had used a bamboo hat to block one of his strikes, at that time he had not felt the other party could truly defeat him. How long had it been since then?

The thought had only just arisen when his palm was already seized by the other man. His body, beyond his control, was flicked backward, and the curved saber instantly sliced open his throat.

"Young Master Hong, Xiao Chan has missed you so bitterly!" The moment Hong Yuan appeared, the veiled woman's eyes turned red, and she charged straight over.

Even though Hong Yuan's bearing had now changed greatly, she still recognized him at a glance. Boundless hatred showed in her eyes, to the point that she even forgot her fear.

Where had this roadblock come from?

Hong Yuan casually turned the long strip of cloth in his hand and swept it across.

Bang!

It sent the veiled woman flying bodily out, and she smashed headfirst onto the arena below. Her brains burst apart, and she made no more sound.

The veil fell away, revealing a pitted, uneven face.

The whole building was shaken with shock. At this point, the distinguished guests in the various private rooms no longer cared about their refinement either; cries of alarm rang out again and again. Over a dozen figures were the first to rush out—precisely the group of martial artists taking part in this inner-ring bout.

Clang! Clang!

"Protect the commandant!"

From the private room behind him, the sound of long sabers being drawn also erupted.