Who Could Outscheme You?

"Fine, fine, fine!"

Furious beyond measure, Chang Jian laughed instead, his face full of malice, but said no more.

He knew full well that if he tried to return to the town, Yue Hongyi and Zhang Buyu would inevitably attack him from both sides, so he could not retreat.

He suddenly sprang into motion, charging straight at Yu Tunzhou with fierce, valiant momentum. His gaze was vicious, but his heart was as calm and composed as a frozen lake.

He had already found the flaw in the move Yu Tunzhou had used to ambush Ji Pan. If Yu Tunzhou dared to use the same trick again, he would teach him what the true path of martial arts was!

Facing Chang Jian's counterattack, Yu Tunzhou remained calm, his mind settling into stillness. He did not yield an inch, striking only when his internal Qi had climbed to its peak.

Pressed for time, he had taken Refining the True only to the sixth revolution.

Chang Jian noticed that Yu Tunzhou suddenly began his footwork with two small steps. He narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, it was that move again.

He did not need to watch the rest to know that two explosive strides straight forward would follow.

Arrogant!

Did he really think one good move could carry him through the world?!

And compared with the move he had used to ambush Ji Pan, Yu Tunzhou's momentum now was less than two-thirds of what it had been!

Had that move consumed so much strength that he couldn't muster enough now?

The thought flashed through Chang Jian's mind: Just as I thought.

That's more like it. That's how it should be!

How could a blow that heavy come without a price?!

The thought had barely passed through his mind when Yu Tunzhou completed the movement in one fluid motion and charged in front of him, his unified force pouring into his shoulder, his momentum as mighty as a mountain!

Chang Jian sneered. He had been ready. His feet turned, and the tall, powerfully built man moved with surprising lightness, like an antelope hanging by its horns, leaving no trace to follow. It was an exquisite footwork technique for maneuvering at close quarters.

He broke free of Yu Tunzhou's lock on him and narrowly slipped aside, evading the fatal blow. At the same time, he darted behind Yu Tunzhou, his gaze abruptly turning savage.

This was the fatal opening, when Yu Tunzhou's old strength was spent and his new strength had yet to arise!

As long as he could counter Yu Tunzhou, he could use him to threaten Xie...

Bang!

Not far away, Yue Hongyi once again saw events unfold in a way she had not expected. Suspicion and surprise crossed her face, and she bit her lip.

Although Chang Jian had dodged and circled behind him, Yu Tunzhou still did not panic.

The Taiji Iron Mountain Lean he had used to defeat Ji Pan was the first method of exerting force he had worked out for himself.

That move held nothing back: a full-powered charge with force bursting forth like thunder, its fierce, overbearing power more akin to Bajiquan.

But the second method of exerting force, which he had used against Chang Jian, incorporated the True Intention of Taiji's circular movements, which he had grasped after observing falling leaves and flowing water.

In the second move, Qi circulated like water. Though its power was inevitably reduced, as long as the flow did not run dry, old strength could give rise to new, leaving him with enough power for a second strike.

From the very beginning, he had known-

Moves like Iron Mountain Lean existed in every school. They made the greatest use of unified force and were tremendously powerful, but their flaws were equally obvious.

If they failed to hit the enemy, the user would be left in the awkward position of having exhausted their old strength before new strength could arise-a fatal opening.

Thus, before preparing to strike, Yu Tunzhou had dug a trap for the three who remained. It was just a matter of seeing who would be clever enough to jump in first.

If Chang Jian saw what had happened to Ji Pan and thought he could turn the tables against the odds by enduring or dodging that move and then countering, his defeat had been sealed from the start.

Because Yu Tunzhou's goal from beginning to end had been the second strike.

Taiji Iron Mountain Lean: fly obliquely with the shoulder, the back hidden within the shoulder!

Now Yu Tunzhou moved like a swimming fish. Power sprang from his spine, his back rounding like a bow. Just like a giant fish leaping from the water, his arched back gave a violent shake!

Bang!

A dull impact rang out, utterly different from the explosive crack that had defeated Ji Pan, but the force that erupted was exactly the same.

He did not even feel any resistance or opposing force against his back.

There was only the bang of a heavy object hitting the ground.

Chang Jian flew through the air and fell unconscious to the ground, his savage grin transformed into a peaceful expression.

All the grand ambitions he had harbored for after his counterattack entered his dreams with him before they could unfold.

Silence fell over the scene.

Having witnessed the entire exchange from the closest distance, Yue Hongyi took a long look at Yu Tunzhou as he caught his breath, completely overturning all her previous assumptions.

Like Chang Jian, she had thought that the earlier weakening of Yu Tunzhou's momentum meant he lacked the strength to continue. But that final strike with his arched back had overturned all her previous conjectures, leaving her itching to curse under her breath:

So devious!

With her intelligence, she could naturally guess now that Yu Tunzhou had dug this pit for them before he struck.

She imagined it for a moment-if she had been the one to attack instead of Chang Jian, her response might not have differed much from his.

For although Yu Tunzhou's first move was powerful, its flaw was also obvious.

But this fellow had thought of that too, and had even used it as bait to lure them into jumping into the pit themselves.

She had still underestimated him!

Behind them, Ao Xiyu and the others exchanged looks.

Liu Qingshi gave Yu Tunzhou a long look, wondering how this trip was supposed to be counted.

In theory, he had stepped forward and deterred Zhang Buyu and the others, but in practice, he had not actually fought. Did that count as taking action or not?

Cao Jianjia suddenly looked at Xie Linchuan.

She had clearly heard the fellow suck in a breath just now!

So Xie Linchuan had not known about Yu Tunzhou's trump card either?!

Zhang Qinghe was even more relieved, abandoning his original plan to "ambush" Yu Tunzhou.

Who could outscheme this bastard?!

Yu Tunzhou steadied the Qi in his body, then bent down to check Chang Jian and Ji Pan one by one. Only after confirming that both were deeply unconscious did he walk back, reassured.

Xie Linchuan beckoned. "Brother Zhang, Miss Yue, come and divide the fish with us."

At the same time, he explained to Yu Tunzhou:

"This thing is difficult to cut up, and even harder to carry away. We can't finish dealing with it and take it back to the residence in a short time."

"And Zhang Buyu has no intention of fighting us to the death. If we refuse, they'll turn around and go back to town to make the matter public. Then disciples from every household will come swarming over, and things won't end well."

Yu Tunzhou narrowed his eyes and looked toward Zhang Buyu. The two of them seemed to be discussing something in low voices.

In the end, Yu Tunzhou shook his head regretfully.

If they were determined to run, he had no way to keep them there when they were on guard.

In the end, he still was not strong enough.

As though seeing what he was thinking, Xie Linchuan smiled. "In the struggle for the Dao in this town, one more friend is always better than one more enemy."

Yu Tunzhou nodded.

Before long.

Yue Hongyi came over alone.

Zhang Buyu went to gather Chang Jian and Ji Pan together, showing no intention of coming over.

At that moment.

Yu Tunzhou was certain he saw a flicker of regret in Xie Linchuan's eyes too.

What was he regretting?

Naturally, he regretted that Yue Hongyi had come over alone.

Yue Hongyi and Zhang Buyu were also meticulous, worried that if they came over together, Yu Tunzhou's side might suddenly turn against them and surround them.

Yu Tunzhou grasped the crux of it in an instant. He could not help shooting a sidelong glance at the fellow who had just been comforting him, grumbling inwardly that each of these people had more schemes up their sleeve than the last.

Sure enough.

When Yue Hongyi drew near, she shot Yu Tunzhou a fierce glare, then said coldly:

"Zhang Buyu said he can't trust you, Young Master Xie, so I've come to take our two shares of fish meat."

Xie Linchuan shook his head and sighed. "Brother Zhang is truly judging a gentleman's heart by a petty man's measure. How could I, Xie Linchuan, be the sort to betray my word? When I spit-"

"Cut the nonsense!" Yue Hongyi interrupted. "Your reputation among the aristocratic clans isn't very good, Young Master Xie. Hurry up and deal with the fish before more trouble crops up!"

Ao Xiyu suddenly said, "If you take your fish meat while we're still dealing with ours and return to town at once, what are we supposed to do?"

Yue Hongyi frowned. "We can wait and return to town with you."

"That still won't do," Ao Xiyu said mildly. "You'll have a share, but ours is larger and heavier. We can't carry it all back in one trip."

"Then what do you propose?"

"Ask the town guardian to stand guarantor for both sides!"

Yue Hongyi fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "All right, I have no objection."

Puzzled, Yu Tunzhou asked Xie Linchuan, "What does it mean to ask Old Mo to stand guarantor?"

Xie Linchuan said in a low voice, "Before the disciples of the various households fight, they often make wagers and ask the town guardian to stand guarantor, so neither side can go back on its word. After all, at this time, the various households' stationed guardians aren't allowed to act outside."

Understanding dawned on Yu Tunzhou. So that was how it worked.

He had thought they would have to go and fetch Old Mo, but Ao Xiyu and Yue Hongyi merely looked toward the town together, and a familiar figure appeared.

It was Old Mo.

Sure enough, Yu Tunzhou thought, Old Mo is watching what's happening here too.

He wondered whether the various households' stationed guardians were doing the same.

Just then, Zhang Buyu also came over.

Old Mo was a little different this time. He coughed twice, his expression solemn.

"I have a general understanding of your request. I can guarantee that after those two take their Dragon Fish, they won't inform anyone else on their way back to their residence."

Everyone except Yu Tunzhou bowed, paying their respects as juniors.

The moment they lowered their heads and bent over, Old Mo bared his teeth at Yu Tunzhou, then immediately resumed his serious expression.

With a casual grab, he seized the unconscious Chang Jian and Ji Pan.

"I'll take them back to their residences."

"Remember, the struggle for the Dao hasn't yet reached the stage where you can do as you please. No one is to be killed."

After giving them that warning, Old Mo vanished into the night.

Zhang Buyu looked at Yu Tunzhou and suddenly said, "I hear you and this town guardian are on very good terms, Brother Yu?"

Yu Tunzhou shook his head. "Old Mo is kindhearted. He saw that I had no one to rely on in the past and often looked after me, that's all."

Zhang Buyu naturally did not believe him, but he did not press the matter. He merely said, "Floating Hill Mountain belongs to the Human Emperor's lineage. Since you cultivate the Spark Instruction, Brother Yu, you could be considered half a successor to the Human Emperor yourself. We should try to keep in touch in the future."

Yu Tunzhou nodded slightly.

Meanwhile, Ao Xiyu borrowed Cao Jianjia's Falling Blossom Sword and cut a large piece from the fish's tail, no less than five hundred jin, handing it to Yue Hongyi and Zhang Buyu.

She had even thoughtfully removed the scales and skin for them.

Yue Hongyi's brows knitted. Compared with the tail, she wanted the belly, or even the head. That was where the essence lay!

Zhang Buyu shook his head slightly. "This is already enough for the two of us. When cultivating through Qi Ingestion, the Dragon Fish only provides some additional help. The breakthroughs afterward still depend on us."

Yue Hongyi was silent for a while, then nodded in agreement. Together with Zhang Buyu, she lifted the Dragon Fish and hurried toward the town.

Once the two had completely departed and vanished from sight, Ao Xiyu, who had been pretending to continue cutting up the Dragon Fish, suddenly stopped and returned the Falling Blossom Sword to Cao Jianjia.

Cao Jianjia took the sword and went to wash it by the river.

"Not cutting anymore?" Yu Tunzhou asked.

Ao Xiyu's mood seemed to have suddenly become exceptionally good. She gave them a genuinely radiant smile, dazzling beyond compare.

"I told you beforehand, I'm the only one who knows how to deal with this Dragon Fish!"

"Do you know what's truly precious about this Dragon Fish?"

"It's these false dragon scales!"

"This creature absorbed who knows how many years' worth of water fortune, as well as the thin fortune dispersed through this world. It all condensed in these false dragon scales."

"Its next step would have been to nurture dragon bones. Unfortunately for it, it ran into us."

"As for the fish meat?"

"Whoever wants it can eat it!"

Yu Tunzhou was silent for a moment. Then, with a sincere expression, he said from the heart, "Traveling with all of you this time has truly broadened my horizons."

Hearing that, everyone turned to him with odd looks in perfect unison.

Ao Xiyu put away her smile and glanced sideways at him, the corners of her eyes lifting slightly with an indescribable meaning. Smiling without a trace of warmth, she spoke only four words:

"Likewise, likewise."