Chapter 159: The True Deer-Carving Blade

"This is a fake blade, so you gentlemen should still bring out the real one. After all, in this entire world, you won't find a second hero and man of mettle like me. Besides giving it to me, who else could it be given to?"

Yu Liancheng held Feng Siniang by her slender waist, a faint smile curling the corners of his mouth.

Dubi Yingwang and the other three, however, stopped speaking and stood their ground in battle formation. No matter what, they would not hand over the Deer-Carving Blade.

Especially the three others besides the Eagle King, because this Deer-Carving Blade concerned not only their reputation and honor in the martial arts world, but also their very lives.

What's more, with the martial arts of the four of them, could it be that they couldn't even defeat a young man who had just stepped into the world?

Just as Yu Liancheng had said, previously Hai Lingzi and the other two were only putting on an act and had not exerted their true strength. This youth's martial arts were indeed extraordinary, but if he wanted to overcome the four of them, it was still quite unlikely.

At least that was how it appeared to them.

"Forget it, since you refuse to take it out, I will take it myself."

As soon as the words fell, Yu Liancheng's figure lunged, striking first at the "Great Hero of Guandong" Tu Xiaotian. He used a fist technique, rigid, fierce, and overbearing, like wind and thunder.

Tu Xiaotian naturally did not retreat; the dry tobacco pipe in his hand drew a semicircle, striking at the acupoints on Yu Liancheng's fist. This move appeared simple, but it was actually exquisitely peerless, and the wind from the pipe had already enveloped half of Yu Liancheng's body.

At the same time, "Dubi Yingwang" Sikong Shu let out a long whistle, his person like a flying eagle, soaring into the sky, shooting over like a great bird, and reaching out with his claws to grab.

He had been injured by this greenhorn Yu Liancheng, losing all face. Then, realizing he had been played by someone and was escorting a fake blade, his heart was full of fire waiting to be vented.

This grab truly contained his lifelong internal energy, and the sharpness of the Qi was such that even a wall of copper and iron would likely be pierced through.

Hai Lingzi flicked the long sword in his hand, the sword momentum swift and treacherous, fast as lightning. No matter who it was, as long as they were slightly careless, they could be wounded by this viper-like sword technique.

Zhao Wuji flicked his sleeve, and a stream of light swept out from it; it was actually a soft sword. The soft sword flicked a sword blossom, the momentum rounded and harmonious, continuously drawing one circle after another, yet every circle seemed to contain extremely exquisite follow-up moves and changes.

Now, all four of them had exerted their full strength, and the momentum was completely different from before. Moreover, they coordinated with each other, forming a joint front in a snap of the fingers, unleashing all their ultimate moves, with murderous intent revealed.

All four were long-renowned experts in the Edo; their joint strike at this moment, while not quite reaching the level of heaven and earth in harmony or seamless perfection, was still commendable and showed their full edge.

"Careful!" This cry was shouted by Feng Siniang.

But as she called out, the tips of her feet tapped, and she had already retreated backward.

She was truly a very clever woman, knowing what kind of things to do in what kind of situation.

Although her martial arts were not bad, and she was the "Wind Fairy" that everyone in the Edo found a headache, compared to the four experts like Sikong Shu, she was more than a notch behind.

What she had to do was not to fight side-by-side with Yu Liancheng, but to avoid being captured by Sikong Shu and the others, which would make Yu Liancheng hesitate to act.

In short, the further away, the better.

Of course, if conditions permitted, she could also provide Yu Liancheng with some help.

For example—hidden weapons.

Heroines, female demons, and female fairies who walk the Edo are mostly skilled in light-body techniques and hidden weapons, and Feng Siniang was no exception.

After putting some distance between herself and Zhao Wuji and the others, Feng Siniang waved her fair hand and had already unleashed a flurry of flying needles. The flying needles might not be able to wound these four, but as long as they could disrupt their rhythm, it was enough.

The innkeeper Ma Huihui was so anxious he was stomping his feet; with these five experts fighting in his courtyard, he feared the scenery here would be left in a mess.

What's more, these few were all big shots in the Edo; if they died here, it would inevitably lead to another round of trouble.

In the garden, a round of extremely brilliant combat had already unfolded.

Although Yu Liancheng was besieged by the four, his hands constantly moved, sometimes palms, sometimes fists, sometimes fingers... not only did he dissolve all the attacks of the four with ease, but he also actively struck out with a palm or a fist, catching Zhao Wuji and the others off guard.

Dozens of moves passed, and Zhao Wuji and the others became more alarmed the more they fought; this person was young, but his moves, experience, and even his internal energy had reached a level unattainable by ordinary people.

Even they, these old hands who had been famous for many years, could do nothing to the opponent, and he even seemed to have energy to spare.

At the same time, there was also Feng Siniang causing trouble on the side.

Every now and then she would scatter a flurry of hidden weapons, leaving them in a state of chaos.

And when they went to chase Feng Siniang, Feng Siniang would let out a string of silver-bell-like laughter and turn to flee.

As time passed, the four felt the pressure growing greater and greater.

Zhao Wuji, Tu Xiaotian, and Hai Lingzi exchanged glances, and at the same time, a decision was made in their hearts.

This person's cultivation was unfathomable; it was feared they were no match for him.

Perhaps they could use Sikong Shu as a target, and the three of them could take the blade and flee.

"Heh."

But before their plan could be fully formed, Yu Liancheng let out a cold laugh: "Four, it seems you only have this much strength. It is time for this seat, 'Heavenly Father', to make a move."

Although this cold laugh was soft, falling into the ears of the four, it felt like thunder exploding, making their ears buzz.

And the next moment.

The real thunder struck.

Yu Liancheng's figure was like lightning crossing the long sky, suddenly appearing in front of Tu Xiaotian.

Tu Xiaotian was miserable beyond words.

Why did this guy strike at him first?

He did not know that in Yu Liancheng's eyes, this Tu Xiaotian was the oldest and had the most combat experience, but in reality, he was decrepit and the easiest to deal with.

And with the four of them joining forces, as long as one was defeated, the other three would no longer be a problem.

In the blink of an eye, Yu Liancheng had already blasted a fist toward Tu Xiaotian.

Tu Xiaotian only felt the fist wind hitting his face, surging over like a landslide or a tidal wave. The momentum of this punch was so great, and the force of the fist so rigid and fierce, that it was simply unheard of and unseen.

He retreated while pointing out the tobacco pipe in his hand. This point used clever force, seeking only to delay for a moment.

Bang!!

The fist and the pipe collided, and the pipe immediately flew out of his hand.

The fist, like a meteor, had already smashed heavily onto Tu Xiaotian's chest, causing him to tumble backward and spray blood from his mouth.

Immediately following, Yu Liancheng's gaze shifted, his divine eyes like lightning, and his right hand grabbed toward the nearest Hai Lingzi.

This grab instantly produced a scene of desolate wind and bitter rain, with sharp, cold Qi spitting and swallowing between his five fingers.

Hai Lingzi felt the cold Qi penetrate his clothes and drill into his chest, as if it were going to grab his heart out.

His wrist flicked rapidly, and the long sword drew a sky full of sword light, enveloping his entire body, the wind tearing, and in an instant, one did not know how many swords he had thrust.

But as Yu Liancheng exerted force through his five fingers again, Hai Lingzi felt as if all directions had been sealed off by an invisible Qi; his entire body seemed trapped in a swamp, and though he could move, it was extremely difficult.

Furthermore, layers of illusions appeared before Hai Lingzi's eyes, as if countless soul-snatching hands from hell were reaching out to grab him, intending to drag him down into the abyss.

Although he knew for certain these were illusions, his mind was nonetheless somewhat terrified, and the Sword in his hand was no longer as swift or ruthless as before.

Clang!

With a crisp sound, Yu Liancheng had already seized the Sword from Hai Lingzi's palm, and with another burst of force, the Sword was knocked from his grasp.

"As a swordsman, if you cannot even hold onto your own sword, you had best go home early to farm and herd cattle." Yu Liancheng transformed his claw into a palm and struck out with a blast of force from a distance, causing Hai Lingzi to vomit blood and stumble back: "Of course, that is if you can still survive a moment from now."

Yu Liancheng spun his body, sent his two fingers out from behind his back, and clamped onto the sword Zhao Wuji had thrust at him from behind.

Zhao Wuji's expression changed slightly; he tried to pull his long sword out, but felt as if the sword were pressed beneath Mount Tai, unable to shake it in the slightest.

His reaction was extremely fast; while his right hand still held the sword, his left hand had already pushed out with a Hunyuan Divine Palm.

Yu Liancheng's expression remained unchanged as he struck out with a fist from his left hand.

Zhao Wuji could not help but be moved.

This was because although Yu Liancheng's fist had not yet arrived, its momentum was overwhelming; the fist wind was like rolling wind and thunder, and the fist's force was like a collapsing mountain.

Yet Zhao Wuji could not retreat, for if he retreated, the power of this punch would only grow stronger. Moreover, his energy had already been locked, and in the end, he could not avoid clashing with this punch.

He let out a loud shout, pushing his Hunyuan Divine Palm to its limit.

With a muffled "bang," the energy exploded. Zhao Wuji felt that mountain-toppling, sea-draining power hit him, and he was sent flying like a rag doll, blood still spraying continuously from his mouth.

The Dubi Yingwang, who had originally intended to assist Zhao Wuji with a claw strike, saw his expression change again and again.

In the blink of an eye, of the four great experts, only he remained, so he hurriedly unleashed his movement technique, wanting to flee.

"Thinking of leaving now? Can you really get away?" Yu Liancheng sneered, his five fingers curling into a claw once more, and a suction force emerged from his palm.

The Dubi Yingwang's body stumbled back involuntarily, but after these two steps, he suddenly spun his body and lunged toward Yu Liancheng, his five fingers clawing out simultaneously, looking as if he had anticipated this all along.

His five fingers were like hooks, and a red hue actually appeared on his fingernails, carving out streaks of ghastly blood-colored light; the shrill sound of tearing wind was enough to make one's hair stand on end, as he had pushed his ultimate trump card, the "Xuemozhua," to its limit.

Yu Liancheng exhaled a burst of True Qi, and his sleeve, like a black cloud emerging from a mountain peak, swept across the sky, actually wrapping around the Dubi Yingwang's five fingers.

Then came the sound of "crack" as bones shattered, followed by the Dubi Yingwang's miserable screams, which were enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Yu Liancheng flicked his sleeve, and the Dubi Yingwang fell from the air; his hand was pulled from the sleeve, but the entire hand had been twisted into a pretzel, with no telling how many bones shattered.

His right hand had originally been severed at the shoulder, and now his left hand had been crippled; the once world-roaming Dubi Yingwang was now likely the "Wubi Yingwang."

To call it miserable would be an understatement.

Ma Huihui, standing to the side, was already too shocked to speak.

He was one of the top wrestling experts beyond the passes, and his martial arts and eye for talent were quite good. He could naturally see that the Dubi Yingwang and the other three all possessed genuine skill and were by no means fame-seeking frauds.

If he were to fight them himself, he feared he wouldn't last a single round.

Yet now, in the hands of this young man, they hadn't even lasted a single round when they truly fought.

"So this brat's martial arts are actually this formidable?" Not to mention him, even Feng Siniang was extremely surprised; although she knew Yu Liancheng's martial arts were high, she had never expected them to reach such a level.

Yu Liancheng did not deliver a killing blow; although the four on the ground were all severely injured, their lives were not in danger.

He glanced at the four of them indifferently and smiled: "Very well, are the four of you willing to hand over the Gelu Dao now?"

Others are the butcher, and we are the meat. In this situation, Hai Lingzi and the others should have surrendered immediately and obediently offered up the Gelu Dao. But who would have thought they simply would not.

Even the Wubi Yingwang gritted his teeth and said nothing.

Of course, he did not know either.

Yu Liancheng raised an eyebrow: "It seems you are truly protecting the blade with your lives; are you not afraid I will kill you?"

After the four were silent for a moment, Zhao Wuji sneered: "It is only because we know that if we reveal the location of the blade, we will die even faster."

These words were not wrong at all; for those who have lost their value, it is naturally best that they are dead.

"You really are not stupid at all; you are quite clever." Yu Liancheng sighed, then immediately revealed a smile: "Although I have methods to torture people, I am too lazy to use them on you, because I have already guessed the location of the Gelu Dao."

The expressions of Zhao Wuji and the others changed, but they said nothing more.

"You really know?" Feng Siniang had already leaned in close.

"Of course." Yu Liancheng nodded and slowly walked toward a certain direction: "The Gelu Dao is of great importance, and as long as one is a person of the martial arts world, there is no one who does not want to obtain the Gelu Dao, and they themselves are no exception. Therefore, the three of them do not trust the other two, and the Gelu Dao must be placed in a location that all three can monitor at any time."

At this moment, Yu Liancheng had already walked to the side of the carriage.

The expressions of Zhao Wuji and the others changed drastically.

"The blade is inside the carriage."

Just as he finished speaking, Yu Liancheng had already blasted a punch toward the carriage. This punch, based on the "Wind Thunder Eighty-One Styles" and mixed with various tyrannical and rigid fist techniques, was truly peerless in its might and unstoppable.

With a "bang," the carriage exploded, shattering into pieces.

A black rectangular package also fell out from the bottom of the carriage.

In Yu Liancheng's hand, there was now an extra rectangular package.

"Hurry and open it to see if the Gelu Dao is inside." Feng Siniang had leaned in, her beautiful eyes shining with light.

In reality, her attainments in blade techniques were not very profound; the reason she came to seize the Gelu Dao was largely to enjoy the trembling, exhilarating pleasure one feels when stealing a blade.

Now, her delicate body was trembling slightly, as if she were already trembling with excitement.

Yu Liancheng opened the package, and inside was a black blade box.

Inside the blade box was an unremarkable blade.

This blade had an elegant and aged scabbard, and the hilt was no more than two feet in length. Its lines and shape were extremely simple, without the slightest dazzling decoration.

Yu Liancheng pulled the scabbard away bit by bit.

During this process of drawing the blade, his expression became very serious and solemn.

And the blade was finally drawn out slowly, completely unsheathed.

The blade's light was crystalline and bright, like a pool of autumn water.

Other than that, there was not a single unique feature; it seemed like an ordinary blade.

Feng Siniang could not help but doubt: "Is this really the Deer-Carving Blade?"

"Indeed, this is the one and only Deer-Carving Blade, peerless under the heavens." Yu Liancheng nodded, then glanced at Feng Siniang: "You don't believe it?"

Feng Siniang bit her lip: "It's just that this blade is a bit too ordinary, isn't it?"

"An old man once spoke of a principle: the best assassin is someone who has no distinguishing features and whom you wouldn't notice a second time in a crowd. A blade is the same. Because it is, in itself, a sharp weapon for killing, it does not need much decoration."

Yu Liancheng said indifferently: "Of course, if you don't believe me, we can test it."

"How to test... Ouch, why are you pulling my hair?" Feng Siniang stroked her cloud-like long hair, gave Yu Liancheng a resentful look, and suddenly said: "You don't mean to test the so-called 'hair-cutting upon contact'?"

"Exactly." Yu Liancheng placed a long strand of hair onto the blade's edge.

However, before he could even blow on it.

The hair had already split into two segments.

A precious blade.

This was a truly precious blade.

"This really is the Deer-Carving Blade." Feng Siniang's eyes grew even brighter, as if they were two sparkling, luminous stars.

"It's yours as a reward." Yu Liancheng threw the Deer-Carving Blade to Feng Siniang.

Feng Siniang caught it in a hurry, a bright smile appearing on her face. She carefully stroked the Deer-Carving Blade from top to bottom, then handed it back to Yu Liancheng and said: "Forget it, you should keep the blade. A blade like this can only unleash its power in the hands of an expert like you, and besides, I didn't contribute anything at all this time."

"No, it is precisely in the hands of an expert like me that it cannot unleash its power."

Yu Liancheng shook his head: "Furthermore, you and I already had an agreement; I give you the blade, you give me the sword. It just so happens that I gave the sword to you instead, so we both win—you won twice."

The Deer-Carving Blade is indeed a divine weapon, but unfortunately, it only possesses the characteristic of "sharpness" and lacks the demonic nature of the "Small Building Listening to Spring Rain Overnight."

With the Duoqing Sword in hand, Yu Liancheng can already dominate the world; the Deer-Carving Blade offers him almost no improvement.

"But..." Just as Feng Siniang was about to say something, Yu Liancheng suddenly struck out with a palm, his internal energy splitting into four in mid-air, striking the four people who were just about to flee through the air.

"Everyone, no need to be in such a hurry." Yu Liancheng turned to look at the four, smiling: "You have no more value; I should have sent you to the afterlife, but suddenly I want to give you a chance to live."

Sikong Shu and the others lay on the ground vomiting blood, confused, but Yu Liancheng had already said: "I need someone to spread the name of 'Heavenly Father' Yu Liancheng throughout the Edo, but this only requires one person, so... only one of you can survive."

Sikong Shu and the others looked at each other, then began to curse loudly.

"Heh, don't think a mere sowing of discord can make us kill each other."

"That's right, and do you think we would believe your words?"

The next moment, the pipe in Tu Xiaotian's hand struck at Sikong Shu's fatal point, and Sikong Shu's foot kicked toward Tu Xiaotian's chest. Hai Lingzi and Zhao Wuji each thrust their swords toward the other's vital spots.

No matter what, as long as there is a glimmer of a chance to live, no one is willing to give up.

These four were all veterans of the Edo; their martial arts and schemes were quite good, and they were all injured.

They fought each other, and it was truly spectacular.

As for the final result.

It was even beyond Yu Liancheng's expectations that the one who emerged victorious was actually Tu Xiaotian, who was proficient in vital points.

This old man was not only advanced in age, but his martial arts were also inferior to the other three.

Even if the Dubi Yingwang had been crippled, he shouldn't have been a match for Hai Lingzi and Zhao Wuji.

Yet, the one who survived was precisely Tu Xiaotian.

The reason he survived was simply by using a very old, very useful tactic—feigning death.

This tactic of feigning death was not clever, but in the situation of a life-and-death struggle among the group, it still played a miraculous role.

Just as Zhao Wuji achieved a pyrrhic victory, Tu Xiaotian suddenly leaped up, his pipe stem stabbing toward Zhao Wuji's heart meridian.

He won.

Yu Liancheng did not break his word and let him leave.

After Tu Xiaotian limped away, Feng Siniang could not help but ask: "You actually let him go?"

"Of course, I am a man of my word." Yu Liancheng said: "Besides, I still intend to use him to fish out the person behind him."

"The person behind him?"

"What do you think of my martial arts?" Yu Liancheng asked in return.

Feng Siniang pondered for a moment and said: "Among the people I know, perhaps only one person has a chance to defeat you."

"Who?"

"Xiao Shiyilang." Feng Siniang said: "His martial arts might be a notch lower than yours, but he has courage, he has drive, and he is very good at using the surrounding environment to win."

"Oh, then I must meet him." Yu Liancheng looked up at the sky and said: "In this life, it is hard to find an opponent. Behind Tu Xiaotian is a Heavenly Sect, and the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sect is a supreme expert. I have already intended to treat him as an opponent, and I am using Tu Xiaotian to draw him out."

"Heavenly Sect, why haven't I heard of it?" Feng Siniang frowned.

"There are many things you haven't heard of." Yu Liancheng had already strode out of the courtyard.

"Hey, where are you going?" Feng Siniang shouted.

"I'm afraid he won't come out, so I'm going to find a few Heavenly Sect subordinates to slaughter and see, and practice my skills while I'm at it."

"Wait for me, I'm going too; I'm just worried about having nothing to do."

"Big Sister Feng, the Deer-Carving Blade has already been given to you, yet you are still pestering me; you haven't fallen in love with me, have you?"

"Big Sister your head, go to hell." Feng Siniang caught up to Yu Liancheng and kicked at him, but he dodged it.

Suddenly, Feng Siniang stopped, turned around, walked over to the stunned Ma Huihui, and took out all the banknotes on her person: "I'm very sorry that this matter implicated you."

After saying this, she chased after Yu Liancheng again.

PS: Daily request for monthly votes.