Battling Jin Long

Wang Gang leaned back in his chair, sized up the three men, and sneered, "My stir-frying method brings in a fortune every day. How much are those few jars of spoiled wine of yours worth?"

"Old Shen, that really isn't fair of you! We normally pour spoiled wine away. How could you trade that stuff for a stir-frying method?" Shopkeeper Gu stepped in to smooth things over. "How about this? Name your price, Young Master Wang, and we'll consider it!"

"Good! Now that's the right attitude for doing business!" Wang Gang smiled and held up one finger. "Ten thousand taels!"

Shopkeeper Lu feigned difficulty. "That certainly isn't cheap! Even if the three of us pooled our money, that would still be over three thousand each..."

Wang Gang waved a hand to interrupt him. "Ten thousand taels each!"

Bang!

Shopkeeper Shen slammed the table and raged, "You're opening a lion's maw!"

Wang Gang raised his hand and slapped him across the face, saying coldly, "Who do you think you're slamming the table at? Just because I called you shopkeeper, you really think you're somebody!"

"You... you..." Shopkeeper Shen was beside himself with fury. How many years had it been? How many years since anyone had dared strike him!

"If you don't like it, go complain to your master. See whether he's willing to fall out with me over you!" Wang Gang glanced at him disdainfully. "Who do you think you are, trying your tricks of swindling and plundering on me!"

"Shopkeeper Shen, Shopkeeper Shen, calm down!" Shopkeeper Lu held him back. "You really were rash. Business is about negotiation. If the price seems too high, we can keep talking. Slamming the table and glaring really is unseemly!"

"Exactly. As the saying goes, even if the deal falls through, goodwill remains!" Shopkeeper Gu gleefully fanned the flames. "But Yukun, you were a little reckless too. If you offend Shopkeeper Shen, you might find it hard to get wine in the future! I heard the Drunken Immortal Tower recently introduced a new Heroes' Wine. Surely it wasn't refined from this spoiled wine?"

Wang Gang paid no mind to this half-joking, half-threatening remark. "If I can't buy it in Gusu, I'll go to Yangzhou. If Yangzhou won't do, I'll go to Jiangning. At worst, I'll follow the current straight to Dongjing. There'll always be somewhere I can buy it!"

"Heh, of course, of course." Shopkeeper Gu gave a few dry chuckles, then turned to Shopkeeper Shen. "Old Shen, what do you think? Can we negotiate?"

Shopkeeper Shen looked around at them with a dark expression, then signaled Jin Long with his eyes. "Fine, let's negotiate!"

"As I see it, there's no need to negotiate! I'll take it!" Jin Long rose to his full height, his presence oppressive.

"Oh? And how should I address you?" Utterly unfazed by his presence, Wang Gang said playfully, "Exclusive rights won't come cheap!"

"I'm Jin Long of the Fish-Dragon Gang!" Jin Long stepped forward and smiled. "Money, of course, I have none! But I can trade you a life for it!"

"A life? Whose life is worth that much?"

"Yours!"

The instant Jin Long finished speaking, he struck at Wang Gang with a palm that carried a howling blast of wind.

Wang Gang did not panic. Neither dodging nor retreating, he raised his own palm to meet it!

"Urgh!"

Wang Gang did not budge, but Jin Long gave a muffled grunt and staggered backward. Looking down at his hand, he saw a blade wound in his palm that reached the bone, its interior charred black.

"What kind of sinister martial art is that!" Jin Long was secretly alarmed. He had never expected this frail scholar to possess such formidable martial skills.

Wang Gang was shocked as well. He had begun gathering power for this Flame Blade the moment Jin Long stood up. He had thought it would slice off half his palm, yet it had only left a wound.

"What tough sinews and bones!" Wang Gang grew serious. Since taking up martial arts, this was his first encounter with an expert like this.

"Hmph! Did you think I was as soft as you practitioners of internal arts?" Jin Long snorted coldly and circulated his Qi and blood. The muscles all over his body immediately swelled, each gleaming with a bronze sheen.

"Pretty boy, come taste the might of external arts!" Jin Long crooked a finger provocatively.

Wang Gang rose with a smile and drew his sword, saying solemnly, "I specialize in swordsmanship. In the martial world, they call me the Jade-Faced Young Gentleman!"

Jin Long froze at the sight, then cupped his hands as well. "I practice the Thirteen Grand Guardians Hard Training. In the martial world... despicable!"

Before he could finish, Wang Gang thrust his sword at his throat. Jin Long roared and, rather than retreating, charged straight into the sword tip.

Clang!

The sword struck his throat, yet rang out like metal striking stone.

"Hah!" Jin Long grinned savagely and took another step forward. The iron sword bent, and he clapped both hands toward its blade, actually attempting to snap it.

Wang Gang stepped back and withdrew his sword, his expression grave. He had only heard Murong Bo mention such external arts experts in passing and did not know how to deal with them.

Still, Wang Gang was certain his opponent had a weakness. Otherwise, with martial arts that made him impervious to blades and spears, wouldn't he be invincible under heaven?

"Gang Leader Jin, wait!" Shopkeeper Lu called out to stop Jin Long, then said with a smile, "Yukun, business is still about negotiation. As for Gang Leader Jin's talk of trading your life, I think he was only joking!"

"Yes, Yukun, there's really no need to draw blades and swords. These things have no eyes. It wouldn't be good if someone got hurt! Why not sit down and talk again? Harmony brings wealth! Shopkeeper Shen, what do you say?"

"Hmph! We can talk, but my terms remain the same! We'll trade spoiled wine for it, and he must hand over his method for refining spoiled wine as well!"

"We can talk! But wait until we finish fighting!" Wang Gang ignored Shopkeeper Shen's demands, his gaze fixed firmly on Jin Long.

Although he had just come off worse, that was no reason to accept an unequal treaty. He was also faster than Jin Long. At worst, he could kill everyone in the room before fleeing.

How laughable that these people still dreamed of coercing him when their lives were in his hands!

Besides, Wang Gang had never believed there was anything that could not be cut through! If there was, either the tool was not good enough, or the strength was not great enough!

Wang Gang turned his right hand and flourished his sword. Internal power surged into it, and a cold gleam flashed along the blade as it hummed. His left hand remained loosely curled, secretly gathering power.

Seeing the change in the sword, a flicker of unease crossed Jin Long's eyes. His face remained composed, however, and he clapped his hands, signaling Wang Gang to attack.

Wang Gang moved, his figure seeming to turn into a gust of wind as he rushed at Jin Long.

Clang, clang, clang...

After a string of clashes, the two separated. Jin Long retreated several steps, his expression ugly and blood at the corner of his mouth. Wang Gang flicked his sword, and a bead of blood fell to the floor.

He had found his opponent's weakness. This man seemed impervious to blades and spears, but in truth, he had merely trained his sinews, bones, and skin externally. He had simply trained them so well that ordinary blades could hardly hurt him.

But once Wang Gang increased his internal power, Jin Long struggled to withstand it. His exterior was difficult to injure, but his internal organs truly suffered the impacts. Once his breath escaped, his power weakened by three tenths, and Wang Gang broke through his defenses with several successive strikes.

"Gang Leader Jin!" Shopkeeper Shen cried out in terror. The other two shopkeepers exchanged a meaningful glance and secretly made their plans.

Jin Long raised a hand to signal him not to panic. His gaze grew solemn as he looked at Wang Gang, all trace of contempt gone.

"Hah!" Jin Long shouted and circulated his Qi again. His muscles knotted all over his body, and his clothes made a series of sounds as they strained beneath the burden.

The corner of Wang Gang's mouth curled into a smile, and he advanced again. Rather than confronting Jin Long head-on, he relied solely on his movement skills to harry him, his sword dancing like a spirit snake darting out.

Jin Long's strikes were mighty and heavy, his body tough, and he pressed forward step by step.

For a time, sword light flashed and fists whipped up howling winds. The tables and chairs in the restaurant were caught in the fight and shattered one after another.

The three shopkeepers also hid in a corner, dumbfounded. They had never expected Wang Gang to know martial arts, much less to be so formidable. Regret welled up within them. They had angered Wang Gang today; what would they do if he took revenge afterward?

Before they could think further, the situation changed again. Wang Gang was forced into a corner, with nowhere left to dodge.

"Die, pretty boy!" His face twisted savagely, Jin Long smashed a vicious punch at him.