Dragon-Binding Skill (4K Words, Please Vote)

The Pork Offal Congee Shop.

After taking the first shot, Wang the Fat's battle-honed instincts sent him rolling out of the way of Li Xiuwen's next two.

Behind cover, he stared in disbelief and cursed. "Scholar, why the hell are you shooting me out of nowhere?"

In truth, Wang the Fat had been wary of Li Xiuwen's arrival. That caution had saved his life.

With Li Xiuwen's aim, the second and third bullets would have punched through even his Hard Qigong-toughened flesh and exploded inside his organs.

Hard Qigong or not, Wang the Fat would have suffered massive internal bleeding. He would have been gravely wounded, if not killed.

Li Xiuwen had to admit it: veterans who survived as Snake Catchers had combat experience far beyond that of many Learning Society prodigies.

Wang Dafu and the others would already have gone down to that ambush.

Two rust-speckled Pig-Slaughtering Blades slid from his sleeves, wreathed in invisible blood-red baleful energy. He charged.

Wang the Fat's expression changed. He snatched a meat cleaver off the chopping block and hacked at him.

Li Xiuwen saw at once that the blow was no wild swing. Wang the Fat had technique.

He knew some Blade Technique, then, though it was clumsy beside Li Xiuwen's Cook Ding's True Interpretation.

Li Xiuwen swept one blade outward and knocked the cleaver aside.

His other blade came crashing down, its gleam cutting through the night toward Wang the Fat's face.

"Fuck, you came prepared!" Wang the Fat kicked a stool at him and retreated.

Crack! The blade sliced smoothly through the stool and kept coming!

Wang the Fat dodged by a hair.

His hand still throbbed from the impact. He glanced at the cleaver's curled edge.

He considered his defenses unmatched at his level, but even he dared not