Chapter 328: Assassination

After returning, they rested; on the second day they continued handling things this way, and in just four or five days Zhu Can's central army was already in utter chaos. It wasn't that they hadn't considered massing the great army to crush Bai Lang, but this person, when he sallied forth, would sometimes feint with a spear; moreover, everyone having horses gave them superb mobility. Cavalry that pursued him were directly slain by Bai Lang—whether dozens or hundreds of horsemen, none were a match for this fierce general of the Great Sui. Even his eighteen horsemen were formidable, their wind-raising, cloud-charging, trampling of thousands exuded a tiger's might.

However, at this very moment, Bai Lang was assassinated.

The one who struck to assassinate him was truly an awesome figure.

This was Bai Lang returning victorious in broad daylight once again, and Shang Xiujuan was the one who welcomed him and washed away his travel dust—these past days, from the Flying Horse Ranch across the river, one could see Bai Lang's heroic figure as he swept across the sands, unstoppable; that tiger-like ferocity of pouncing, slashing, and treading through blood proved beyond doubt that his nickname 'White Tiger Star Lord' and the description 'the courage of a fierce tiger' were no joke or empty flattery. This is describing the facts.

So when these people now appear at the banquet, they simply dare not look directly at Bai Lang, only gazing up at him, making the meal utterly boring. However, Shang Xiufang came uninvited—Bai Lang also didn't understand why Shang Xiujuan invited him to eat without calling Shang Xiufang, especially since she had originally invited Shang Xiufang to perform. This Madam Shang simply sat down beside Bai Lang, which made him feel far more comfortable than those accompanying guests.

She made people feel like basking in a spring breeze; even seeing Bai Lang's kind of slaughter, there was not a trace of fear. Of course, Shang Xiujuan's glance at Shang Xiufang seemed a bit off, but Bai Lang merely felt that way, while the shop owner sitting beside him would smile charmingly and frequently toast him, and from time to time wanted to play a little game with him—whenever Shang Xiufang climbed up on him......

The assassination occurred suddenly at that moment; Bai Lang merely felt his vision blur slightly, as if time and space were a little out of sync. He frowned, and immediately noticed that whether it was Shang Xiujuan, Shang Xiufang, or anyone else present, they all seemed to 'freeze'—in an instant a hand appeared before him, a hand with slender joints looking like that of a refined scholar, reaching down toward his skull.

Bai Lang casually extended a finger and thrust it straight at that palm, murmuring, 'Evil King?' The fingertip of his Southern Dipper White Tiger Fist was no different from a spear's tip. His finger carried a piercing whistle, and a single thrust was as if he wanted to pierce the firmament. The palm slightly contracted, and Bai Lang's finger struck its center. The incomparably sharp true qi thrust forth like a spear, but Bai Lang felt that this palm was truly as boundless as the firmament.

Just as the sharp true qi of a spear would continuously advance, lose control, and finally transform into heavy thunderclouds, directly unleashing a bolt of furious lightning—'Transformation of true qi?' Indeed it was the Undying Seal Method; Bai Lang laughed, 'Any little problem? How are you supposed to convert muscular strength?' Although the true qi on his finger had been transformed, the inner force of the transformed Undying Seal Method naturally could not be blocked by the Golden Bell Shield Gang Qi on his finger—yet Bai Lang's finger had already been trained to the Golden Gate Jade Lock Bronze Cast Iron Forged state.

Now, moreover, a mighty strength burst forth, shattering the thundercloud-firmament that the palm had turned into, as if Mount Buzhou pierced the blue sky. Bai Lang then rose to his feet, and the owner of that palm was naturally unharmed; everyone present had seen the palm, but only now did they see its owner—a handsome middle-aged man, whose first impression on anyone, whether they knew him or not, was Evil King Shi Zhixuan.

Besides the Evil King, who else could have such bearing? Who else could possess such an aura?

Bai Lang stood firm like a mountain; he was naturally taller than the Evil King. 'Shi Zhixuan? You came to kill me—what's in it for you?' This guy was still quite curious; Shi Zhixuan's pressure on him was not great, at most just Phantom Demon Body Technique and the Undying Seal Method; Bai Lang didn't believe they could break through his muscular defenses. Shi Zhixuan smiled silently, presumably because Bai Lang wasn't his son-in-law, he couldn't be bothered to keep explaining. Bai Lang also sighed and launched himself forward with all his might—he wouldn't give Shi Zhixuan any chance to try seizing a hostage as a threat.

Regarding this assassin Shi Zhixuan's integrity, Bai Lang had no trust whatsoever. Therefore he had to suppress this Evil King before him with his own proactive fierce attack; moreover, he was truly curious what benefit he might gain from fighting the Evil King. 'Losing to this pretty boy? No way!' Bai Lang completely ignored the fact that this man was a tough guy who had slept with both a demoness and a buddhist nun, making a highly inappropriate judgment based solely on appearance.

Bai Lang knew that this person, who toyed with true qi through yin-yang life-and-death transformations, had mastered it to an extraordinary degree, arguably the best in the present age; his Southern Dipper White Tiger Fist's true qi, due to the nature of this world, had been forced down to a relatively low level—in intrinsic quality—so he had already tested that this old scoundrel could likewise transform it. Thus Bai Lang simply prepared to contend with this old fellow using bodily strength, to see if muscular power could be transformed as well; if that worked, he could say he was actually a one-way street.

Bai Lang's combat was like that of a living, breathing tiger, even more perilous than a real tiger—while the others present, aside from Shang Xiufang, could each take on a tiger in single combat, Bai Lang's kind of 'tiger' is such that, under heaven, probably only a handful could face him in mortal combat and survive. Shi Zhixuan is one of them; Bai Lang's fists, feet, palms, claws, iron elbows and knees all came forth, while Shi Zhixuan, relying on his ethereal, agile, ever-changing palm technique, managed to block them all.

Bai Lang's attack style and its rhythm were uncommon, not like the usual methods of Central Plains martial artists; rather, it was an open, closing, hard and fierce, simple yet severe technique—more like the moves of northern, western, and even southern barbarians. Shi Zhixuan's body technique was like a phantom demon; when advancing or retreating, it seemed as if there were several Shi Zhixuans, and moreover, every person present who hadn't fled saw his position differently each time—this is the effect of his identity, causing those who see, hear, smell, and feel him to completely misjudge his direction—it doesn't need to be large, just a slight error will do.

Naturally this should also affect Bai Lang, but Bai Lang is a master of wind, and the white tiger inherently controls wind—'Breath of the Storm!' Bai Lang smirked to himself, his attacks becoming even fiercer. He could feel that Shi Zhixuan relied solely on true qi turning into gang to block or deflect his force, and it was fundamentally hard to resolve, let alone transform—Bai Lang's divine power was unmatched, and his hands and feet were like iron and stone, fundamentally not something Shi Zhixuan's deathless true qi could corrupt.

'If this continues, Shi Zhixuan will eventually be unable to hold out, but his body technique is ethereal; even if I could sense his correct position through the wind's flow—this guy probably hasn't yet unleashed his true skill. Never mind! We'll fight and see!' Bai Lang thought.