Chapter Twenty-Four: Struggle to the Death

A stick of incense ago—

Kou Ligang crawled out of the secret passage and saw a member of the Water Dragon Gang unconscious at the entrance. From the rear of the riverboat, the sounds of fighting and shouting could still be faintly heard. Less than thirty feet away was the water dock.

Excellent. This mere thirty feet was no obstacle for him; now, while the others were still entangled in a scuffle, was the perfect moment to escape.

Just as Kou Ligang was about to dive into the water, his ears suddenly picked up a few sharp sounds slicing through the air. Unlike the twang of bowstrings, these were more like the hiss of a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

His mind jolted; a wave of extreme tension swept through his body. Instinctively, his hands grabbed and released, his joints compressed like a tightly wound spring. In one leap, he covered six feet, rolled, and hid behind a pillar of the riverboat.

“Thud—”

Where he had just stood, two iron arrows were now buried halfway into the ground, their fletching trembling. Moments later, two gang members appeared in his line of sight, each holding a large military crossbow.

“Strange, I could’ve sworn I saw someone moving here just now,” one said.

“Don’t be reckless. The One-Armed Thief has already been driven to the rear; there’s no one up front. What if it’s our esteemed guest? Young Master Lang is already furious!” the other complained.

“That’s impossible. All the important guests have been settled. Hey, these military crossbows really are something. Heavy to carry, but they say they’re accurate within sixty feet and can pierce armor at a hundred and fifty. We brought in a hundred sets for this. That One-Armed Thief coming to stir trouble with us Water Dragon Gang is practically courting death—”

The two figures gradually walked away, but Kou Ligang’s back was already damp with sweat. He realized he had grown complacent; his martial arts were formidable, but not omnipotent. Within ten feet, perhaps he could kill these men before their crossbows fired.

But beyond ten feet, his opponents could kite him to death. If their numbers exceeded three, escape would be nearly impossible.

And with a hundred crossbows—this Water Dragon Gang was truly a lawless terror, wielding military-grade weapons!

“The only option now is to wait for the prisoners in the secret passage to cause a commotion and then slip away in the chaos. Otherwise, jumping into the sea would make me a living target. These crossbows are the ancient equivalent of firearms.”

Resolutely, Kou Ligang shrank back, knees bent, his legs forming a scissor shape—what he called “scissor thighs.” His feet pressed against the floor, toes gripping, and he slithered soundlessly into the riverboat.

Like a tiger, whose padded paws tread lightly and quietly, Kou Ligang’s massive frame moved with feline agility. Relying on his sharpened hearing and vision, he avoided the areas guarded by sentries or occupied by passengers.

Gradually, he slipped up to the fifth deck. The entire floor seemed deserted, though his ears caught the sounds of fighting and furious roars.

He had released eighteen prisoners from the secret passage, all ruthless men with advanced training; those who weren’t fierce had already died in the tournament. When their rage erupted, even the Water Dragon Gang wouldn’t be able to subdue them quickly—his chance had arrived!

Kou Ligang was secretly delighted, just about to make his move, when a door creaked open. There was someone on this empty floor after all, and he hadn’t heard their footsteps?!

Young Master Huang was startled; he hadn’t expected a thief in the accommodations arranged by the Water Dragon Gang. Though the guards had explained it was the notorious One-Armed Thief, the ragged, servant-like figure before him—who was this?

After an awkward silence, Young Master Huang spoke first, “Are you a shipworker from the hold?”

“Yes, yes, I was frightened by the thief and wandered here by mistake. Please forgive me, I’ll leave right away, right away.”

Watching the shipworker’s retreating back, Young Master Huang grew increasingly suspicious. Born to a wealthy family, surrounded by hundreds of servants, he had learned to read their moods from the slightest glance or gesture.

Yet this one was far too composed—seemingly humble, disheveled, but his eyes shone with a calmness like West Lake at night: tranquil, mirror-like, undisturbed.

But when that calm erupted, it would be something else entirely—rapids and crashing waves!

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Huang sensed the fierce, wild nature of the universe in this lowly servant.

Young Master Huang’s eyes narrowed. Though the man tried to conceal it, Huang noticed dark red stains at his cuffs—old blood.

“You—”

His vision blurred as the other’s shoulder blades spread wide like a fan, his spine seeming to burst through his back. Clearly human, yet now like a fierce white tiger pouncing to bite.

Though Huang was only mildly versed in martial arts, his family was so wealthy that even high-level experts served as his guards; his standards were naturally high.

Starting with Kan, then Dui, moving through the Nine Palaces, his steps turned and shifted, shoulder and wrist twisting, folding fan sword thrusting forward, striking at the very peak of the tiger’s charge—the strongest and weakest point.

Yet to Kou Ligang, this simple move was utterly different. Though slow and shaky, it bore the aura of an immortal sweeping his sleeves, lofty and merciless!

This move was called the Immortal Sword, a martial art transcending conventional techniques. Huang could only imitate a fraction of its essence, but with his personality and status, he still seemed regal and unmatched.

Kou Ligang felt the “heavenly” aura.

But he would never submit to heaven. Breaking through the gates of immortality and shattering his own small universe—this was only his first step. If heaven was nothing, what was this man before him?

The tiger leapt, joints crackling, twenty fingers and toes grasping downward. With a tiger’s roar, his energy surged from hands to feet and back, each segment linking muscle and bone, shifting left half a foot without leverage, dodging the attack.

Young Master Huang paused, knowing this move wasn’t flawless. But aside from a few old monsters, anyone struck would be stunned, as this was the opening move of a supreme martial art. Yet Kou Ligang was unaffected?

A heavy thud resounded as Kou Ligang’s limbs struck the ground. Without hesitation, he pressed his foot down, twisted his hips, and carved a small dent in the wooden floor. His tiger palm swept fiercely.

“Hmph!” Young Master Huang was proud and arrogant; he considered martial artists useless, believing even the strongest would bow to power. Why bother with the trivial?

But her vision was unrivaled in the martial world. Instantly closing her eyes, her pale hand formed a claw, waist twisting, arms rotating, bowing low, channeling the twelve great tendons of the human body. The air thickened like syrup; the claw flashed like a dragon reaching through clouds, striking at Kou Ligang’s eyes from an impossible angle.

Kou Ligang tensed, quickly adopting the Child’s Posture to settle his energy. His internal force contracted into his lower abdomen, then rebounded at a hundredfold speed, narrowly blocking the claw.

This handsome young master sneered, folding fan suddenly flying out like a hidden weapon, striking at the supreme point.

This point connects the three yang and the Ren meridian; a hit disrupts the abdominal wall, breaking the flow of energy.

Though his martial arts were only entry-level, his insight, timing, and brilliance were astonishing. Considering the whole deck was reserved for him alone, Kou Ligang realized he had met his match.

Kou Ligang stepped, sinking his waist, avoiding the vital point. The fan struck his chest with a sharp crack; pain shot through him, and though not fractured, his bones were displaced.

Yuezhou truly deserved its reputation as the land of nine revolts; every step brought danger, whether from powerful gangs or formidable young masters.

If he were to fall here, did it mean he could only reach this level?

At this thought, Kou Ligang’s eyes hardened. His momentum surged; instead of retreating, he advanced, letting the opponent’s exquisite moves land on his body. Before the pain arrived, he crashed into her like a street thug, locking her tightly in his grasp.

The prestigious Young Master Huang’s eyes widened in shock; she had never expected such brute force and disregard for life. In her world, even veteran martial artists only exchanged polite blows.

Pressed to the ground, she was stunned. Just as she looked up, “bang!”—an experience she had never known exploded within her: her nose stung, vision blurred, her head felt like it was boiling, tears streaming uncontrollably.

“So it turns out you’re a paper tiger!” Kou Ligang grinned savagely. No matter how refined the technique, it had to connect with flesh. The depth of power depended on years of training; in that sense, she was no stronger than Zheng Bao’er.

So, risking serious injury or death, Kou Ligang pinned her down. When it came to strength and ruthlessness, it was a straightforward contest.

“Thud! Thud!”

Two more headbutts landed. Kou Ligang’s forehead split open, and the illustrious young master’s eyes swelled and bruised, her forehead rising in a lump—she was left questioning her very existence.

Seizing the chance, Kou Ligang grabbed her throat. Dead men are often more useful than living ones. Her eyelids paled, mouth choking out strangled sounds, body struggling unconsciously—but it was futile.

As their bodies pressed together, Kou Ligang gradually noticed a faint scent of orchids emanating from her.

Pervert? Rabbit lord?

Before he could think further, a sharp crack sounded—her throat crushed, powder falling from his hand.

Powder?

Then, all around him, he heard the click of crossbows being loaded.