Chapter 11: Get a Better One

Feng Yi saw his tracks were exposed, so he simply called out Ling Tui Si, adapting on the spot; after all, compared to fighting to the death with petty lackeys, the strategy of capturing the bandit chief is always effective.

His words had just fallen when a clear, long laugh rang out all around, and at the same time many torches were lit, lighting up the courtyard brightly.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty constables armed with weapons came running over; their steps were swift, and at a glance one could see they had solid martial foundations, far beyond ordinary prison guards.

Ding Dian furrowed his brow and said in a low voice, "Look at the roof!"

Feng Yi had never trained in judging position by sound; his hearing was far inferior to Ding Dian's. He looked up and saw that the roofs all around were also crowded with people.

In the glow of fire and moonlight, the weapons in their hands flashed with cold light, and there were also some specks—reflections from arrowheads.

This made Feng Yi's heart turn cold, and he couldn't help saying, "This old thief is trying to catch a turtle in a jar, but he's got another thing coming!"

Ding Dian couldn't help but laugh and said, "You really know how to talk!"

Feng Yi blinked, also feeling it wasn't quite appropriate—wasn't he comparing himself to a turtle? He smiled and said, "As long as the meaning is the same."

However, Ling Tui Si, this old thief, feels guilty; upon meeting me, Feng Yi, he is naturally terrified, and without these people protecting him, how would he dare come out to see me?

He also said to Ding Dian in a low voice, "Don't engage them head-on at all; if things go wrong, we'll leave immediately—once we're gone, Miss Ling will be safe, so you can rest easy."

He had never experienced such a grand showdown; his voice trembled slightly, but his expression remained composed.

Ding Dian, however, secretly amused.

Yet seeing them surrounded, the crowd still chatted and laughed freely, paying no heed to the strong enemy, secretly puzzled.

After all, many people knew his original self, and they all wondered how Feng Yi could have such presence.

Only hearing Ling Tui Si's gentle voice say slowly, "Feng Yi, you have today entirely thanks to my painstaking upbringing; now you are so ungrateful—is this the way of humanity?"

With the sound of steady steps, two yamen runners carrying lanterns, and several people lined up on either side, escorted a person over.

In the firelight, the leading figure wore a green robe, tall and slender, with a sharp countenance and five long whiskers fluttering below his jaw—this was Ling Tui Si making a grand entrance.

Hearing this, Feng Yi thought of the suffering his original self had endured, his own anxiety upon arriving here, and his anger surged, but he quickly restrained himself and said lightly, "To achieve your personal aims, you treat your underlings like weeds, forcing me to suffer imprisonment and nearly be beaten to death."

"However, you are the chief and I am a petty lackey; taking your salary is nothing."

But my father, for your sake and the foundation of the Longsha Gang, died at the hands of the Dongting Gang; you don't even spare a thought that I am his sole son, yet you still want to silence me—don't you fear chilling the hearts of all the brothers? You, a profit‑seeking, unrighteous old wretch devoid of human feeling, dare to speak of morality before everyone.

What a waste of your vast learning and your position as a Hanlin—you truly don't know what shame means!

He spoke at length, growing more indignant, and the Longsha Gang members murmured in agreement, unable to help exchanging glances.

Most people didn't know the details Feng Yi revealed, but many knew that his father was indeed a veteran of the Longsha Gang.

Feng Yi counts as a second‑generation member, though he's on the dark side.

But Ling, the chief, sent him on a mission, and you still want to silence him—this is too vicious, isn't it?

For a moment, everyone's gaze flicked to Ling Tui Si.

Ling Tui Si, mocked by Feng Yi's cold words and falsely accused of things that hadn't happened, appeared composed but his eyes were bloodshot, showing his inner turmoil.

He was both angry and perplexed.

He is angry that he spends all day hunting geese, yet a small bird pecked his eye; moreover, he never expected Feng Yi to run away, and then swagger into the prefecture—where does he get the courage? He is puzzled about how he and Ding Dian escaped from prison; who broke into the prison and killed the jailer? Most important is Ding Dian—where is he now? Although Ding Dian is right here, he has washed away the dust, removed the chain from his shoulders, changed his clothes, and grown a beard.

He is neither the handsome, graceful Ding Dian of three years ago, nor the Ding Dian who is whipped every month by Ling Tui Si's men, dressed in rags and filthy.

Ding Dian didn't even raise his voice, so Ling Tui Si merely said he was the helper who rescued Feng Yi and Ding Dian from prison—he didn't take it to heart; if he hadn't wanted to know Ding Dian's whereabouts, he would have already ordered a volley of arrows.

Ling Tui Si stared fixedly at Feng Yi, his eyes seeming to blaze with fire; yet, mindful of his status, he suppressed his anger and said coldly, "Your tongue has always been sharp, old man, I've long known that—but today I only ask you one thing: where is the man surnamed Ding?"

Feng Yi and Ding Dian exchanged glances; Ding Dian smiled without answering and simply sat on the railing of the corridor, completely at ease.

Feng Yi then said, "The man surnamed Ding? Who's that?"

"Heh, playing dumb—I really underestimated you!"

Ling Tui Si laughed angrily in return.

Feng Yi laughed and said, "Ah, you mean Ding Dian, right?"

"Isn't he locked up just like me? How come? Could it be he's missing—did he break out of prison, or did you, Prefect Ling, bribe him with a pile of silver?"

Ling Tui Si's brows rose, killing intent surging; he knew that after today, Ding Dian's secret in Jingzhou Prefecture could not be kept, and he said in a deep voice, "Seize them!"

The three immediately responded, stepping forward in an arc.

The man on the right, about thirty, wore an arrogant look and had a single blade at his waist.

The man in the middle was tall and thin, dressed in splendid robes, looking like a scholar, with a pair of gloomy hawk eyes that occasionally flashed a smile, and a long sword hung at his waist.

The man on the left, though empty‑handed, was muscular, with knotted muscles, his features crowded together—a kind of person unforgettable at first glance, his vicious aura plainly visible, extremely terrifying.

Although Feng Yi was a member of the Longsha Gang, he did not recognize them.

Clearly these were men of Prefect Ling Tui Si of Jingzhou, not subordinates of the Longsha Gang chief.

Feng Yi immediately shouted, "You're hardly any famous martial artists; I, Feng Yi, making my debut today, do not kill nameless nobodies—report your names!"

"What makes you think you're worthy?"

The three shouted in unison.

"Let Big Brother keep you company."

"Brother Geng, to kill a chicken you don't need an ox‑cleaver; let me, the younger brother, handle it!"

"Don't try to steal it from me."

Feng Yi smirked inwardly; the three were treating him like a cabbage.

"Whoever wants to chop, chop!"

In fact, these three are all well‑known figures in the martial world, prominent people in Jingzhou City; who would regard Feng Yi, a minor member of the Longsha Gang, as anything?

Therefore they all focused their attention on Ding Dian. After all, who else could be so composed here besides the prefect?

But who would have thought Feng Yi would be so arrogant; the three could only set aside their status and deal with this overconfident brat.

Just as they were about to rush forward and attack, Ding Dian let out a low nasal snort and said, "Just these few materials, and you bring them out into the world? Hehe!"

He is extremely knowledgeable; with a cold glance he knew the details of these few men. Although his voice was low, Ling Tui Si heard it, his eyes brightened, and upon a closer look he recognized him as Ding Dian, then sneered, "I wondered who would dare come uninvited—this prefecture's office turns out to be that of the great hero Ding."

The three halted in their steps, for to earn the prefect's praise of 'great hero Ding' could only be Ding Dian himself—no one else.

Ding Dian ignored Ling Tui Si, laughing: "Feng brother, these few are not nobodies."

The one on the left is an expert in external martial arts from the Taiheng Sect of Shanxi, surnamed Geng, named Tianba, nicknamed 'Double Blades'—meaning his pair of iron palms are as sharp as blades, hence the name. In fact, he never uses weapons.

The smug-looking one on the right is Ma Daming of the Wansheng Blade school; his blade technique is nothing to scoff at, far stronger than yours.

I don't recognize the one in the middle, but from his posture and steps—agile and light—it's clear his kung fu is not weak, though to say he's remarkable is another matter.

The young man wearing a sword bowed with great poise, clasping his fists in salute, and said with a smile: "I am Zhou Qi; though I am a minor figure unworthy of the hall of the refined, my master bears the surname Wan, and in the jianghu he is known as the 'Five Clouds Hand'."

Ding Dian narrowed his eyes slightly and said lightly: "So you are Old Master Wan's disciple—indeed, you have quite a background."

Feng Yi suddenly realized: "Oh! A disciple of Wan Zhenshan—this isn't one of the scoundrels who bullied and framed the honest man Di Yun, is it!"

Anyway, he couldn't quite recall what Wan Zhenshan's disciples were called, but these people are all scoundrels.

Ding Dian looked at Ling Tui Si and said: "To make Old Master Wan's school willingly serve as lackeys, Magistrate Ling, you are quite capable!"

Ding Dian remained calm, utterly disregarding the Old Master Wan he spoke of.

Zhou Qi is Wan Zhenshan's second disciple; he came to the magistrate's office to serve alone, not as a school, and is acting on his master's orders with other duties, not out of greed for fame or profit.

Being insulted like this, he couldn't help but flush with anger, yet his scheming was deep, and he did not lash out.

The blade-wielding Ma Daming, however, sneered: "Surname Ding, you are finally a person of note, but today the magistrate has dispatched archers to surround the office, and also picked tough fighters from the Longsha Gang and the magistrate's office; at this point, you had better surrender peacefully! Let's avoid hurting each other."

It turned out that the son of Saber Three had been killed by Feng Yi; although Ling Tui Si had told him not to act rashly until they pumped Ding Dian for secrets, then let him avenge, Saber Three still felt resentful in his heart.

That night, when he got up, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he decided to torture Feng Yi in the prison as a way to collect interest.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at the prison, there lay only corpses; the jailers had been killed by internal martial arts blows, and Ding Dian and Feng Yi had already vanished, so he immediately reported to Ling Tui Si.

Ling Tui Si was also shocked, but his mind was meticulous; he immediately mustered nearby men, ordering them to carry torches secretly and set up an ambush near the Jingzhou magistrate's office, but they must be cautious and light-footed, making no sound to disturb people or livestock—violators will be killed without mercy!

If the intruders break in, they will all light their torches, the archers will take up positions around the perimeter, and the rest will rush into the office to seize the people.

Thus, in this situation, Ding Dian, whose hamstrings were severed and whose pipa bones pierced, along with Feng Yi, a minor figure of the Longsha Gang, were considered nobody.

Ding Dian lifted his head to gaze at the sky, wondering what else to think.

Feng Yi, however, asked: "Senior Ding, these fellows talk big—what level of martial skill are they at?"

Ding Dian pondered: "Capable fighters in the third tier. To climb to the second tier, however, is hopeless for a lifetime."

Feng Yi immediately shouted: "I see—these people are nothing but trash, with no renowned master to teach them; they can only linger in the third tier all their lives, no wonder they rely on numbers to show off their might here!"

Ding Dian gave a faint smile, stroked his beard, and said: "Even a youngster can be taught!"

Seeing the two converse as if no one else were present, everyone felt indignant; Geng Tianba, a rash and hot-tempered man, could no longer restrain himself and shouted at Feng Yi: "You bastard, what are you, daring to speak! Take this blow!"

He leapt forward and struck Feng Yi's forehead with a palm; though he called it 'a blade,' it was actually a palm strike, the wind whistling, clearly packing considerable force.

Feng Yi inhaled, his Divine Illumination Skill circulating, he sank his stance and unleashed his right palm with a hey.

No frills—just a straight clash.

With a da, the two palms met; Geng Tianba's face flushed, his body swayed, he lost his footing and stepped back one pace.

Feng Yi merely swayed slightly, his complexion unchanged.

Feng Yi used the Opening Mountain Palm; its power naturally falls short of the Shadowless Divine Fist, yet based on his Divine Illumination Skill, it is like a newly sharpened whetstone—still unstoppably sharp.

Geng Tianba only has strong external technique; his internal strength is nothing remarkable, so he fell behind as soon as they clashed.

Yet this scene left everyone feeling incredulous.

After all, everyone here knows Feng Yi's background, yet he managed to exchange a palm with the top expert recruited by the boss and even gain the upper hand! "Hmm, not bad—Old Master Ling recruited you, it seems you still have a couple of tricks; take this palm of mine!"

Feng Yi stepped forward, circled his right palm, and shot it out with a swish; for a moment, the surging wind blew Geng Tianba's robes upward.

While everyone was still startled, Feng Yi's palm had already struck Geng Tianba's front.

Geng Tianba raised his palm to block, retreated another step, and at this moment his vital energy and blood surged, his face flushed like cinnabar.

Feng Yi knew well the principle of striking while the opponent is down; he gave him no chance to breathe, and with a whoosh unleashed his third palm like a flying strike.

Having taken two palms, Geng Tianba's right hand went numb and weak; he could not lift it, so he hastily raised his left arm to block.

Feng Yi pressed his palm onto the arm; a flash of red crossed Geng Tianba's face, a crack sounded, his forearm snapped at the elbow, and his body was shoved back five steps by the force, thudding with each step.

Before he could grab a support, his mouth twitched and he spat a mouthful of blood, his face as pale as gold paper—clearly not only was his arm broken, his viscera were also severely shaken.

Seeing this, everyone was shocked and stirred, an uproar erupting.

No one would have expected that the obscure Feng Yi, with three palms, would shatter the famed 'Double Blades' of the jianghu, breaking his arm and making him vomit blood.

Feng Yi, pleased with himself, stood with hands on his hips and laughed heartily: "You, a third-tier fighter, managed to take three of my palms—truly living up to your name!"

If I wanted to kill you, it would be as easy as turning my hand; but I don't wish to be like you lot, disregarding status—so you had better step down and bring someone truly capable.

Having suffered such a loss, hearing these words left Geng Tianba both shocked and furious, and he spat another mouthful of fresh blood.

Although he was arrogant and rash, he now knew he was inferior to Feng Yi, his skill lacking, and had nothing more to say.

Yet Feng Yi's words were hard to hear; he could neither advance nor retreat, standing awkwardly in place, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to hide until they finished everything and then emerge.

Ling Tui Si could not let his subordinate expert remain helpless; he waved his hand, and two constables came forward to support Geng Tianba away.

Ling Tui Si wore a look of disdain and said: "Feng Yi, don't be arrogant—do you think learning a bit of internal energy makes you invincible under heaven?"

Ling Tui Si himself possessed profound martial arts; although he was surprised that Feng Yi had suddenly become formidable, his internal strength was merely respectable, his techniques truly insignificant, not worth worrying about.

Feng Yi ignored him, turned to Ding Dian and said: "Senior Ding, do you consider my three palms that toppled a third-tier fighter to be first-rate level?"

Ding Dian chuckled: "Barely passable."

Feng Yi nodded: "Alright, even if it's just barely adequate, first-rate is still first-rate; facing these misfits, I, Feng Yi, find it hard not to be invincible—just thinking about it makes me feel lonely!"

(End of chapter)