Whoosh-
A sudden crosswind swept down the street!
The old man had merely glanced toward the bookshop out of the corner of his eye, yet the "panic-stricken" young saber wielder before him seemed to become an entirely different person in an instant.
Rather than countering the attack with any technique, Ye Jingtang drove off both feet, pushing the Chi Dragon Ring-Pommel Saber upright before him with his whole body and delivering an advancing slash with the force of rushing thunder!
This slash was supreme skill stripped of ornament. There were no feints, no deception, and not even a scrap of strength reserved for defense. Its terrifying explosive power alone drove straight for his opponent's centerline.
The old man had charged within seven steps and had no room left to dodge or maneuver.
Had he been an ordinary martial artist, that instant of distraction would already have seen him cleaved across the torso.
But the old man was no ordinary martial artist. In his prime, he had killed a Grandmaster. Age might diminish his physique, but not his experience.
The old man thrust straight for the heart while Ye Jingtang drove his saber forward. By all logic, the saber should have struck the Iron Cane; otherwise, Ye Jingtang would surely be pierced clean through first.
Yet Ye Jingtang showed no intention of knocking the Iron Cane aside. His speed had already reached its utmost limit, leaving no room to change his move.
Realizing that Ye Jingtang meant to trade life for life, gambling on his nerve to force him onto the defensive, the old man's eyes filled with mockery.
After all, this move was far too easy to break. With the advantage of striking first, he needed only to pierce Ye Jingtang's heart with his cane while swinging sideways, then guard his centerline with the Iron Cane to block the saber. That would defeat this desperate killing move.
That was exactly what the old man did, but...
Thud-
A dull impact rang out!
The old man thrust with all his strength, the Iron Cane striking Ye Jingtang's left chest like a spearpoint.
To his astonishment, however, something blocked the Iron Cane. It failed to penetrate the young man's chest even a fraction!
Their weapons were almost equal in length. Once his strike failed, the saber's edge was already upon him, leaving no chance to break through the defense with another short, explosive thrust.
The old man could only shift the Iron Cane sideways and hold it across his body.
But the strength behind this slash was far greater than he had imagined!
Clang-
The explosive clash of metal rang through the silent street!
His defensive move stopped the blade, but it could not stop the force behind it.
Having failed to pierce Ye Jingtang's chest, the other end of the Iron Cane had no anchor. How could one hand withstand Ye Jingtang's full-strength, two-handed slash?
The Iron Cane slammed straight into his body under the blow. His bamboo hat shattered at once, and the saber's edge grazed his cheek, slicing away half his right ear.
Bang-
In a single exchange, the old man who had arrived with such imposing presence and overwhelming menace went flying into the houses across the street.
Ye Jingtang knew his opponent was very likely an aged Grandmaster. Having finally succeeded in playing the pig to devour the tiger, how could he give the man a chance to strike back?
As the old man flew backward, Ye Jingtang followed like his shadow, spinning into an overhead slash that descended upon him before he could land.
This was the Third Blade, which Ye Jingtang had happened to grasp that afternoon while waiting for Dongfang Liren!
Whoosh-
The two slashes linked seamlessly, without the slightest gap. They were so fast that even seeing them clearly was a vain hope, let alone blocking them.
That was precisely what made the Eight-Step Mad Blade so fearsome. It committed everything to attack and nothing to defense. Once a single strike upset an opponent's footing, death was all but assured.
The Eight-Step Mad Blade was excessively fierce. Its all-out bursts placed enormous strain on the wielder and easily tore or pulled muscles. There was even a saying: "One slash with the left hand, one with the right, then home to nurse your wounds." Even Mad Fangzi, the Previous Dynasty's Blade Champion, could only chain eight slashes at his limit. Hence the name Eight-Step Mad Blade.
Few people in the world could deliver eight consecutive slashes, but throughout history, scarcely anyone had survived all eight either. Usually, one slash decided victory or defeat.
Sent flying with his bamboo hat shattered, the old man's deeply wrinkled face was exposed. Horror filled his eyes as he recognized the Eight-Step Mad Blade. Knowing he had fallen into a death trap, he could only hastily raise the Iron Cane in midair to block.
Clang-
The saber fell with the force to cleave Mount Hua!
Before the old man could hit the houses, he was chopped straight out of the air and into the ground.
Crash-
The street's blue bricks shattered instantly. Fragments flew as the impact blasted a circular crater into the road.
The resulting shock wave even fluttered the pages inside the bookshop and lifted Dongfang Liren's loose hair.
"Pfft-"
The old man smashed into the ground, the force recoiling through him. He immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face flushed an unhealthy crimson.
Even in this desperate situation, the old man remained quick. He kicked hard against the ground, sliding backward while raising the Iron Cane for a straight thrust.
Ye Jingtang stood free to advance or retreat, while the old man lay gravely wounded on the ground. There was no way he could break the Eight-Step Mad Blade.
His desperate counterattack as he fell was nothing more than an attempt to trade his certain death for an injury-to bite his opponent once even as he died.
But what the old man had never expected was that this young saber wielder was infuriatingly cautious!
He would not even accept an injury in exchange for a kill. The instant the old man raised his hand, the young saber wielder decisively leaped backward, landed before the bookshop, and sheathed his saber with a reverse sweep.
Shhk-click.
All movement abruptly ceased!
"..."
The sheathing motion was clean, crisp, and indescribably dashing. To the old man, it felt as though Ye Jingtang had already cut him down without his noticing, leaving only his head rolling on the ground.
A sidelong glance revealed that he was merely missing half an ear. He was not dead yet...
The old man was a little bewildered, but he still seized this lifeline. He immediately leaped onto the roof across the street, took a defensive stance, and stared at Ye Jingtang as though facing a formidable enemy.
"Eight-Step Mad Blade?!"
Ye Jingtang did not answer. He merely kept his hand on his saber's hilt, his gaze cold as he scanned both ends of the street.
Inside the bookshop, Dongfang Liren had poked her head out the moment Ye Jingtang drew his saber, her eyes like those of a young admirer who had spotted a handsome wandering hero.
After Ye Jingtang delivered his two slashes and leaped gracefully back, Dongfang Liren thought the assassin had been slain. His peerless bearing had nearly swept her off her feet.
But when she looked across the street-the assassin's face was filled with relief at having escaped death. He looked as though Ye Jingtang had almost frightened him to tears...
?!
The assassin isn't dead. Why are you striking such a handsome pose?
Dongfang Liren's gaze turned puzzled.
"You..."
With his hand on his saber's hilt, Ye Jingtang scanned the surrounding houses with cold eyes. His voice was icy and cautious.
"How would small fry like this dare attempt an assassination alone? This man is bait. There must be other experts nearby."
Small fry? Dongfang Liren looked startled and doubtful. According to our intelligence, Blood Bodhi is a genuine Grandmaster. He's just a little old...
But she did not dare distract Ye Jingtang in a situation like this. She hurriedly ducked behind the counter to avoid becoming a burden.
Meanwhile, across the street...
The old man's misjudgment had left him gravely injured after taking two consecutive slashes. It was as though he had made a round trip through the gates of hell.
Hearing those words, he immediately understood why this unfathomable young saber wielder had stopped-he thought the old man was too worthless to be the main attacker. Fearing an ambush by other assassins, he did not dare stray rashly from Prince Jing.
"..."
In all his decades roaming the martial world, this was the first time an opponent had taken him for expendable cannon fodder sent in first. It was an utter humiliation!
But his opponent truly was unfathomable. He could not even withstand the Eight-Step Mad Blade. Surely he could not go back and test whether the young man also knew the Dragon-Slaying Order. As far as he could tell, he most likely did.
Seeing that Ye Jingtang had also "misjudged" the situation, the old man shouted without hesitation:
"Attack!"
Then he leaped backward, making it look as though his accomplices were closing in while he provided support from a distance, and fled farther and farther away.
Ye Jingtang maintained his cautious expression, scanning both sides of the street. Only when the assassin had vanished completely did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
"And that counts as a Grandmaster? He's not even as good as Third Madam. What a joke..."
Before you continue