Chapter 13: Ruthlessness

Tian Si seemed to have heard some great joke; his wild laughter drew the attention of the surrounding mine workers and the bandit guards.

"You dog-eating piece of shit, let me tell you: never mind that you're some so-called scholar or some damn advisor; I've killed more provincial graduates and officials under my hand than you can count. What are you, anyway? You think I can't beat your book boy? If you don't scram right now, I'll kill you too!"

Wa Qingyun panicked, knowing this stubborn rogue had gone deadly serious, and moved to intervene, but Li You waved him off; on the other side, Gao Conghu and the others, who had been anxious, could only hold themselves back.

After all, chains bound their feet, and their bodies, weakened by imprisonment in the water prison, were too frail to be of any help.

Li You loosened his whip, his expression suddenly turning cold as he roared, "I, this scholar, have practiced since childhood the art of dragon-slaying. I traveled a thousand li to join Master Wu's operation. You, a mere lackey, keep shouting here. Do you truly think I, Li Hanchen, am just a fool who only knows how to read?"

As Li You finished speaking, with a "Zeng!" he drew Wa Qingyun's waist sword from its sheath, his body slightly crouched, left foot forward, opening his right side; he raised the blade high, the tip aimed at Tian Si, as if his entire person were hidden behind the sword.

"An 'Ou' step sword posture... following the orthodox school?"

Li Qinxiang, seeing Li You draw the blade with such seasoned skill and an extremely steady stance, was inwardly startled; this was the single-sword style of Cheng Zongyou of Huizhou—a true master, indeed.

Li You did not rush to strike; he merely assumed a sword posture without drawing the blade first. This was his stance, and also his bottom line.

It was not that he wished to be so noble; rather, he had to establish an image of being "forced" into this. Otherwise, if he truly enraged all the bandits, what chance of survival would he have?

"Oh ho, so you're a practitioner? You..."

Tian Si also threw down his leather whip, drew his sword with his right hand, and held it up; his wildgoose-feather blade was two chi eight cun long, with a narrow edge and a chilling, cold gleam; the blade appeared to have been forged with a central ridge and a cross-handle ridge.

Is this high-carbon steel?

Li You's eyes narrowed slightly.

Tian Si, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted with great physical strength, naturally paid no mind to this scholar who looked delicate and frail; he thought Li You's sword posture was merely an awkward, showy trick.

Just from this single draw, many did not favor Li You; first, their weapons were not on the same level at all—Li You's sword was merely an ordinary single-handed blade, and moreover, its tip was broken off.

Moreover, before Tian Si had even finished speaking, his figure suddenly moved; with a sharp twist of his waist, the wildgoose-feather sword in his hand came down in a vertical slash aimed squarely at Li You's widely opened right side.

Possessing a solid foundation in martial arts, Li You's mind remained extremely calm; waiting until the sword's center of gravity was fully planted, he suddenly swept his single-handed blade to his own right rear.

At the same time, his footwork was extremely swift as he stepped forward with his right foot, followed immediately by his left; in the flash of lightning and spark, he executed a scissoring step, advancing diagonally into Tian Si's side.

Tian Si's heart was violently shaken, but the center of gravity of his blade had already shifted; the sword posture had naturally become too committed, making it impossible to retract in time. He could only roll on the spot, dragging the blade, narrowly dodging Li You's slash.

Li You had already formed the intent to kill; how could he stop now? He immediately pressed forward!

Tian Si, having spent years licking blood from the edge of his blade, was extremely agile; with a cat-like roll, he stopped, his body already standing upright, gripping the sword with both hands, roaring loudly, his face twisted, and sweeping fiercely at the neck of the advancing Li You.

Li You did not retreat a single step with his feet; his right hand held the sword up to block.

"Ding..."

As the blades collided, the crisp sound had barely risen when Li You's single-handed sword snapped into two pieces under the impact; the tremendous force made both men's arms tremble and go numb.

"How can there be such tremendous power? And he's using only one hand!"

Tian Si was utterly shocked; in that collision, he distinctly felt his thumbs' Hukou trembling; the immense force traveled up his arm, shaking his heart so hard it seemed to slow by half a beat, nearly causing him to lose his grip on the hilt.

But before he could finish being shocked, he saw Li You's broken blade execute an upward push-sword, pressing against his own blade; amidst sparks flying in all directions, it slashed over as fast as lightning.

"Zeng..."

Before the sound of the blade embedding in flesh could fully spread, the half-blade in Li You's hand was already horizontally lodged across the middle of Tian Si's neck...

Instantly, fresh blood gushed out like a spring, flowing along the blade to the back of Li You's hand gripping the hilt, then splashing to the ground like a severed line.

"I... ugh... ugh..."

Tian Si's eyes rolled upward; making "ugh, ugh" sounds, he could not speak, his right-hand sword fell to the ground, and he tried to grab Li You's arm...

Li You immediately stood upright and suddenly withdrew the blade; Tian Si's body swayed, then fell backward onto the ground; under the force of gravity, the wound on his head and neck was stretched into a gap one or two fingers wide; the blood vessels had long been severed, and fresh blood flowed with a gurgling sound!

Decisive, terrifying, and gruesome!

The scene instantly fell into a deathly silence.