Chapter 8: Strike Kill

Even a Peach Blossom Island Disciple who had only trained basic skills for five years would not fear a Beggar Sect First or Second Bag Disciple, but unfortunately Fang Xiu now possessed only the body of a ten-year-old child and a left leg that could barely walk; the killing power he could exert was truly limited.

The Bibo Heart Method and Bibo Palm Technique are the foundation of Peach Blossom Island Martial Arts; although they cannot be called profoundly deep, their conception is extraordinary, running through the philosophy of Peach Blossom Island Martial Arts — they were created by Huang Yaoshi modeling on nature, observing the vast, boundless intent of ten thousand li of ocean waves.

Cultivating the Bibo Heart Method and Bibo Palm Technique in combination, if practiced to a profound level like Huang Yaoshi, one's Inner Force becomes like the surging waves of the great sea, yet can also move in hidden undercurrents; the palm technique resembles waves striking the shore, continuous and unending, with ever-changing moves.

Once the initiative is seized when striking, one can launch consecutive attacks, one wave following another, leaving the opponent unable to parry in time, struggling on all sides.

Peach Blossom Island's advanced palm techniques, the Empty Palm Strike and Falling Petals Divine Sword Palm, both take this as their foundation.

Unfortunately Wu Mianfeng's aptitude was mediocre; after five years of training he had only just reached the level that the most talented Feng Mofeng achieved in two years, so Huang Yaoshi simply did not transmit the advanced methods to him.

But just now, when he used the stone in his palm to sneak attack for the second time, he actually employed the profundities of the Bibo Heart Method.

The Bibo Heart Method's supreme Inner Force technique, Three Waves — meaning that after a single circulation of Qi one can not only strike out all one's Inner Force, but also divide it into threefold force; between the three layers of force no further Qi circulation is needed, the attack speed is extremely fast, and it can neutralize the opponent's Internal Energy resistance, striking by surprise when they are unprepared.

Only Wu Mianfeng had merely cultivated it to the Two Waves stage so far.

Before entering the room Fang Xiu grabbed a handful of mud and sand from the ground; the first time he threw sand he had no hope it would work at all — its purpose was simply to make the villain lower his guard.

As a handful of fine sand scattered out, he simultaneously used the first wave of Internal Energy to adsorb a slightly larger stone onto his palm; at this moment his palm was open, palm facing down — no one could imagine Fang Xiu still held something in his hand; immediately taking advantage of the villain's unpreparedness, he used the second wave of Internal Energy to shoot the stone from his palm, only then achieving success in one stroke.

A peanut-sized stone propelled by Internal Force instantly smashed one of the villain's eyes, while the other eye could not open for the time being.

Suffering this heavy blow, the villain screamed and cursed while wildly slashing the Short Knife in his hand in all directions.

The wooden stick in Fang Xiu's left hand seized the chance to strike the villain's right elbow tendon, but unfortunately the force was too small to make the Short Knife fly from his hand.

Fang Xiu grew increasingly calm; his body naturally sank down, using the height difference between them to avoid the villain's wildly dancing Short Knife; at this moment he could not close in, so the Bibo Heart Method and the equally powerful Bibo Palm Technique were of no further use.

What he used next was the family-inherited Kung Fu he had bitterly trained since age three, the most solid of all — Yan Qing Fist.

Yan Qing Fist is said to originate from Shaolin; it was compiled by Lu Junyi at Shaolin Temple, and later Lu Junyi passed this fist to Yan Qing, who carried it forward and glorified it.

How the Wu Clan obtained Yan Qing Fist, Wu Mianfeng was too young at the time to know, but he had also heard it was related to the Liangshan Heroes.

Yan Qing Fist fuses many boxing styles; it appears to be Long Fist, but its content is actually very mixed — it incorporates Shaolin Fist, Yingzhua Quan, Peers Fist, and even contains some characteristics of later Taiji Fist, Xingyi Fist, and Baguazhang.

Fist, palm, hook, claw; footwork, leg techniques; close-range elbows, body grappling, throws — everything is complete, even including saber techniques, sword techniques, staff techniques, and spear techniques; it plays for comprehensiveness, having whatever you need.

Back then when Huang Yaoshi saw the Yan Qing Fist Fang Xiu practiced, he expressed neither approval nor disapproval, only giving the conclusion of "comprehensive but mediocre," but he did not stop Wu Mianfeng from continuing to cultivate; in Huang Yaoshi's eyes, Yan Qing Fist was actually very suitable as a foundational boxing method for building a Foundation.

The current scene could not be called Wulin Heroes contending; it was fundamentally a street brawl, so the mediocre Yan Qing Fist instead played its role.

Fang Xiu thrust his chest out and pulled in his abdomen, slanted his waist and crossed his legs, moving like a swimming fish, like a walking cat; his footwork was light and natural, circling within three chi of the villain's front; unfortunately his left leg began to ache severely as he exerted force, several times nearly getting slashed by the Short Knife — this was the combined application of the Sticky Step and Crouching Step from Yan Qing Fist.

The stick in his hand was not idle either; after poking the villain's tendon it slightly withdrew and then rapidly thrust out again, transforming the continuous wave-like moves of the Bibo Palm Technique, the stick tip repeatedly stabbing at the villain's soft ribs and joints.

Simultaneously employing the combat essentials of sticking, twisting, coiling, lifting, parrying, toppling, and blocking from Yan Qing Fist, taking advantage of the opponent's total confusion, he continuously attacked the right hand holding the Short Knife, finally using the wooden stick to firmly lock the villain's elbow joint, then forcefully wrenching it — the villain's hand could no longer grip the knife, and the Short Knife fell to the ground.

Then Fang Xiu instantly released the wooden stick; the villain's arm was locked by the stick and could not move for the moment, turning was inconvenient; he followed with a Kicking Step and darted behind the villain.

The villain was nearly 1.7 meters tall; Fang Xiu's height was just over 1.4 meters; he bent his waist and sank his shoulders, his right hand just reaching out from the villain's crotch, ring finger and little finger curled in, the remaining three fingers gathered into a claw shape, using the Eagle Claw Gong from Yan Qing Fist to execute a Monkey Steals Peach.

Eagle Claw Gong belongs to a type of Claw Technique in grappling arts; it is fierce, ruthless, and vicious; its essence lies in seizing to strike, entangling to lock; Fang Xiu showed no mercy at this moment, using no other striking methods at all — one grab, one strike, three fingers suddenly exerting force, then the wrist rotating to press and lift, forcibly plucking the peaches right off.

The villain let out a miserable shriek at this moment, lost all ability to resist, and collapsed headfirst onto the ground trembling all over.

Fang Xiu's series of attacks ended; his body also had not a shred of strength left; his left leg's severe pain made standing impossible, and he fell onto the villain's back as well.

He knew the principle of "strike the snake but fail to kill it, and it will bite you three fen deep"; he forcibly circulated his last bit of Internal Energy and smashed a fist onto the villain's Dazhui Point at the back of the neck; unfortunately his remaining Internal Force was far too shallow — this punch could at most make the villain dizzy.

Just at this moment, the barely-breathing Mo Laodao forcibly climbed up, grabbed the Short Knife on the ground, and stabbed it into the villain's neck; the carotid artery was instantly severed, blood spraying in all directions; this guest finally ceased wailing, and after a few breaths there was no more movement.

When Fang Xiu entered the door just now he called him "Grandpa"; Mo Laodao knew Fang Xiu had always only called him Mo Laotou, never even calling him "Dao Grandpa" — this itself was a hint.

Although at first Mo Laodao never thought Fang Xiu could counter-kill the villain, instead being frantically anxious that Fang Xiu had walked into a trap, he nevertheless silently accumulated strength the whole time, preparing to perish together with the villain at any moment.

This one slash now exhausted his last strength; he collapsed face-down on the ground, blood flowing straight from the corner of his mouth.

Fang Xiu also rolled off the villain's back panting heavily; in two lifetimes as a human, Fang Xiu had never thought he would kill someone, but at this moment he felt not the slightest discomfort after killing — his chest only felt a refreshing exhilaration.

Even though his own personality only sought to live peacefully and steadily in this world, as a post-80s man who grew up reading Jin Daxia's novels, who has not yearned for the carefree, gratifying Jianghu?

Being able to win this battle today, the most important factor lay in the villain's carelessness and underestimation of the enemy — from the start he was sneak-attacked by Fang Xiu and injured in the eyes.

But besides Wu Mianfeng's solid Martial Arts Foundation, Fang Xiu's adult mindset was also crucial.

Wu Mianfeng possessed Martial Arts in vain, ignorant and confused, unable to apply them, and even more unaware of how to fight desperately with someone.

Whereas Fang Xiu from the start employed all sorts of ruthless tricks, every attack aimed at the opponent's vital points — playing the fool, striking the eyes, stealing peaches, stopping at nothing.

When staking one's life, who still cares about moves? This principle Wu Mianfeng did not understand, but when Fang Xiu employed it he absolutely did not hesitate.

The fight scenes in my previous book were once criticized by readers as too crude and pale, which suddenly enlightened me; there is a major taboo in writing — Self-approval; one thinks whatever one writes looks good, cannot listen to outside opinions; fortunately I am still fairly receptive to advice.

For this book I will pay great attention, and will also read some well-written novels to learn — of course not copying directly, just getting the feel.

This is Fang Xiu's first battle; the opponent is merely a Beggar Sect Second Bag Disciple with no great skills, so there won't be any exquisitely clever moves; afterward I will strive to improve — after all, if a wuxia novel's fights aren't good to read, it just won't do.

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(Chapter End)