Slaying the Duo with His Sword

"What? The young sect leader shared drinks and laughs with the Desert North Duo, then even rescued them and let them get away?"

In an ordinary courtyard, Zhao Bulu listened to Tian Hao's account, utterly dumbfounded.

To travel throughout the Southern Ming Kingdom collecting medicinal ingredients, prescriptions, and basic martial arts to enrich the Mount Hua Sect's foundations, he had previously studied plenty of intelligence. Some of it had mentioned unorthodox practitioners like the Desert North Duo.

Those two were anything but decent men. They ate people, especially women and children. Anyone had the right to put them to death; they were even more hateful and deserving of death than those flower-plucking rapists.

And now the Mount Hua Sect leader's senior disciple, their future sect leader, had actually shared drinks and laughs with people like that. It was beyond belief.

"Are you certain you weren't mistaken?"

Forcing himself to calm down, Zhao Bulu asked gravely, a cold gleam flashing in his lone eye.

This was a matter of immense consequence. They could not afford carelessness.

"The man in white had a northern accent. Our people also saw him with a Black-Clad Man whose arms were equally thick and powerful, and whose strength was no less than yours, martial uncle.

"Only the Desert North Duo fit that description. Quite a few people already saw eldest senior brother associating with White Bear. To keep anyone with ulterior motives from exploiting this, we must find the Desert North Duo tonight and deliver them to the authorities first thing tomorrow morning to prove our innocence."

His expression equally solemn, Tian Hao had originally wanted his master, Yue Buqun, and the others to come down the mountain and capture the Desert North Duo together, but Linghu Chong had really thrown a wrench into things.

To prevent anyone from exploiting this, they had to capture those two tonight.

"Goudan, take some men and make inquiries at every medicine shop in town. Since White Bear's hand bones were shattered, he'll definitely need medicine to treat them. Once you find a lead, do not act rashly. Come back at once and report to me.

"Oh, and take the dogs."

Zhao Bulu also realized the gravity of the situation and immediately ordered several disciples into action.

"This is a fragment of White Bear's hand bone. It should be useful to you."

Lao Denuo spoke up then, taking out the fragment of White Bear's hand bone.

"We'll go at once."

Goudan and his fellow disciples accepted the order, took the bone fragment Lao Denuo handed over, and set out with their hunting dogs.

They all came from mountain villages in the Qinling Mountains and hunted for a living. Almost every household kept hunting dogs, which excelled at tracking.

As the local power, the Mount Hua Sect had little trouble finding two men on its own turf. Accurate intelligence came back in the early hours of the morning.

Tian Hao, Lao Denuo, and Zhao Bulu immediately set out, rushing to an alley with a group of constables accompanying them.

"Constable Chief Li, the Desert North Duo are powerful. My senior brother and martial uncle will rush in and engage them. Your men must seal off every alley. If they break through our encirclement, attack them, but don't fight them at close quarters. Shoot them from a distance with bows and crossbows."

Tian Hao gave these instructions quietly to Constable Chief Li beside him. He had no intention of letting the Desert North Duo escape.

"Rest assured, Young Master Tian. We're all equipped with the latest bows and crossbows, powerful enough to pierce armor. They won't get away."

Constable Chief Li spoke confidently, certain that they would capture the Desert North Duo this time.

Thanks to Mount Hua Academy and the Imperial Tutor, their county office had risen several ranks in standing. They had even been issued a considerable number of bows and crossbows, lethal military weapons specifically intended for dealing with martial arts experts.

Even Houtian Realm experts would be brought to their knees before powerful crossbows.

Of course, his main reason for following Tian Hao's instructions was the young man's extraordinary status. He was the Imperial Tutor's final disciple-strictly speaking, even the reigning emperor's junior fellow disciple!

Though he held no official position, they still could not treat him lightly.

Besides, they all valued their lives. Those martial arts experts were vicious beyond measure, and the men they faced this time were ruthless cannibals.

Since experts from the Mount Hua Sect were willing to go inside and confront the thugs head-on, he certainly would not refuse.

"Spread out!"

At his waved command, dozens of constables carrying bows and crossbows dispersed into the surrounding alleys in small squads. Some even climbed onto the rooftops.

"Martial uncle, senior brother, go inside. I'll guard the outside. Force them out through the main gate."

Calling to the two, Tian Hao stood beside the courtyard's main gate. The Meteoric Iron Greatsword slowly slid from its sheath on his back, its tip trailing behind him as he poised himself to strike.

Over the past few months, he had not neglected his rigorous practice of the Martial Sage Dragging Saber Slash. He had already reached major mastery, allowing him to triple his explosive speed.

Combined with his major mastery of Embracing the Origin Inner Force, even a Houtian Realm expert would suffer badly from a moment's inattention.

Zhao Bulu and Lao Denuo wasted no time either. Using their Lightness Skill, they vaulted over the courtyard wall.

Before long, angry curses and sounds of fighting came from inside. Zhao Bulu faced the stronger Black Bear, while Lao Denuo took on White Bear, whose hand had been crippled.

That was not all. The constables on the surrounding rooftops also aimed their bows and crossbows, continually providing supporting fire against the black-and-white duo.

"White Bear, go!"

Swinging his Ghost-Head Broadsword to block another incoming arrow, Black Bear roared, drove Zhao Bulu back with a slash, then turned and charged toward the main gate.

They could not linger here. They had to retreat as quickly as possible.

White Bear, who was locked in combat with Lao Denuo on the other side, also understood their predicament. At the cost of taking a sword thrust from Lao Denuo in the shoulder, he charged toward the main gate too.

Bang!

The wooden gate flew off under a kick, and a towering figure burst through it. Before he could make out the situation outside, a lightning-fast flash of sword light came slashing toward him.

Alarm surged through Black Bear. He had not expected anyone to lie in ambush outside the gate, and he instinctively swung his saber to block.

Clang!

A deafening clash of metal rang out, sparks flying in all directions and illuminating both men's faces.

Before Black Bear could react, Tian Hao used the recoil from the collision to swing the Meteoric Iron Greatsword swiftly upward, then brought it crashing down.

"Eighty!"

He reinforced the blade with Embracing the Origin Inner Force and shouted with his exhalation, just as he had when hammering meteoric iron in the past.

Clang!

Clang!

The blows crashed down one after another, each heavy and powerful, their speed far from slow.

The first strike had already robbed Black Bear of the initiative and left his arms numb from the impact. The successive blows only compounded that numbness, even driving him backward step by step.

What most alarmed and enraged Black Bear was the unmatched sharpness of his opponent's greatsword. His own Ghost-Head Broadsword was merely forged from hundred-times-refined steel. Its advantage lay in its weight and thickness, and with the reinforcement of Houtian True Qi, it normally served him well enough.

But his opponent's greatsword was of even higher quality, and that strange inner force could blast apart the blade qi he condensed on his saber with Houtian True Qi.

With every strike, the notch in the Ghost-Head Broadsword deepened. At this rate, it would inevitably be severed, and his fate after that needed no explanation.

Yet he had no way to change his move quickly and counterattack. If he tried, his opponent would cleave him in two first.

His body was also trapped in the gateway, leaving him no room to dodge sideways. All he could do was meet those slashes head-on and block them.

Now he could only hope White Bear behind him would prove useful and help him break out of this predicament.

Unfortunately, what Black Bear failed to see was that Zhao Bulu and Lao Denuo had joined forces and completely suppressed White Bear behind him. Before long, more than a dozen sword wounds covered his body, blood staining his clothes red and turning White Bear into a blood bear.

Shhk!

After more than a dozen consecutive slashes, Tian Hao finally severed the Ghost-Head Broadsword reinforced with Houtian True Qi. His sword edge also swept through Black Bear's left arm.

"Then die with me!"

The pain of losing his arm only made Black Bear fiercer. With his remaining right hand, he brought the broken saber down in a wild slash, bent on taking Tian Hao down with him.

Yet Tian Hao paid little heed to the descending broken saber. Although it was too late to redirect his sword, hammering-style swordplay was not his only skill.

Clink!

He tilted his head aside and took the broken saber's edge on his shoulder, but the sound of metal striking metal rang out. The close-fitting Chainmail beneath his clothes had stopped it.

At the same instant, both his hands seized Black Bear's right wrist.

Eagle Claw Stele-Smashing Hand!

His force erupted. The strength of his legs drove his waist, gathered its power, and flowed into his arms. With a twist of his body, he slammed Black Bear's massive frame, a full head taller than his own, viciously into the ground.

Pff!

Against a blow that could shatter even a stone stele, Black Bear spat blood from the impact despite his external body-hardening arts and the Houtian True Qi protecting him.

But Tian Hao was not finished. Once again, he became the Green Giant, gripping Black Bear's wrist and slamming him down over and over. The county constables around them swallowed hard at the sight, fear rising in their hearts.

This was one ruthless man!