Chương 35: The Wind Howls, the Rain Weeps—Kill!

The third day arrived. Beneath the Withered Timber Bridge on the banks of the Su River. The bridge had stood here for more than a century. Time had left its mark upon it; what had once been sturdy wood was now rotten and decaying. Few people traveled this way anymore, and the old crossing had long since fallen into disuse. That day, a cold river wind swept across the water as autumn rain drizzled from the gray sky. The rain seemed to sob. The wind seemed to mourn.

The ancient bridge stretched across the river like the corpse of a bygone age, trembling beneath the storm. Ripples spread across the water, scattering reflections into chaos. Dead leaves swirled through the air while rain battered the withered reeds along the shore. Everything spoke of desolation. Upon the river floated a lone fishing boat, rising and falling with the waves—a solitary martial heart adrift in the boundless sea of destiny. The martial world was vast. Martial artists were no more than dust.

Wind, rain, and rushing water blended into a mournful symphony, thickening the atmosphere of impending slaughter.

"Struggle onward... struggle onward... Mortal ties fade into emptiness, bitter as wormwood. Fate twists and turns, yet the heart remains unbroken. Through storm and hardship I press ahead... My resolve shall never wither." Wrapped in a straw raincoat and wearing a bamboo hat, Su Zhe sat alone in the boat, fishing amid the autumn rain. The mood had struck him. Though his poetic talent was mediocre at best, he couldn't resist improvising a few lines.

A Phantom Shark Mask concealed his face, hiding every trace of expression. Then a voice rang out from the reed marshes.

"Guild Master Mad Shark, Huang Yuan has arrived." The reeds swayed. Huang Yuan emerged, leading twelve martial artists. The weakest among them was already a Second-Rank martial artist. Huang Yuan himself had reached the Third Rank. His internal force was condensed and stable, ready to erupt at a moment's notice. Together, the thirteen men were known as the Thirteen Guardians of the Wang Estate. All were retainers of Wang Shan. All were experts.

If the Thirteen Guardians moved together, they could easily wipe out many of the smaller sects and clans within Lu County. From Mad Shark's memories, Su Zhe knew that Huang Yuan had not visited the nearby fishing villages over the past few days. Instead, he had sent the other twelve guardians to investigate Huang Mazi's disappearance. Which meant that today, Su Zhe intended to leave behind not only Huang Yuan— —but all twelve of the others as well.

"Brother Huang, this matter is of great importance. Come aboard, and let us speak." Su Zhe lifted his fishing rod and called out with a hearty laugh. He circulated his blood and qi, gathering it in his throat as he perfectly imitated Mad Shark's hoarse, sinister voice. The Phantom Shark Mask concealed his aura, and the distance between them was considerable. Huang Yuan suspected nothing.

"Excellent! Since Guild Master Mad Shark has invited me, how could Huang refuse?" Huang Yuan smiled and nodded. With a kick, he launched a three-foot section of deadwood from the riverbank. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The log shot forward like an arrow, skimming across the water and leaving a white trail behind it. Huang Yuan leapt gracefully into the air. Wind roared around him like a tiger's howl.

He landed firmly atop the floating log and rode it across the river, cutting through the waves. It resembled the legendary feat of crossing a river upon a single reed. The remaining twelve guardians lacked Huang Yuan's skill, but each employed their own movement techniques to skim across the water toward Su Zhe. Soon, all thirteen boarded the fishing boat.

"Guild Master Mad Shark, Huang Yuan has arrived." The small vessel suddenly felt crowded with fourteen men standing upon it. Yet Huang Yuan remained calm. Mad Shark might have been one of Lu County's strongest experts, but he was seriously injured. Huang Yuan was a Third-Rank martial artist personally cultivated by Wang Shan. And he had twelve elite fighters backing him. No matter how fierce Mad Shark might be, starting a fight here would be suicide.

"Huang Mazi was not killed by me." Su Zhe spoke in Mad Shark's arrogant tone.

"People call me ruthless, but I have never denied a kill in my life. If I had slain a mere village tyrant, I would have admitted it openly."

"Furthermore, I still need Wang Shan's help to break through Lu County's blockade. Why would I foolishly cut off my own path to survival?" Huang Yuan nodded. The logic was sound. The entire matter was suspicious.

"Regardless, my brother disappeared after meeting with you."

"You've been hiding along the Su River these past days. Do you know who killed him?" Su Zhe narrowed his eyes.

"I do have some clues."

"The man who killed your brother was..." He deliberately dragged out the final words. All thirteen men focused their attention on him. Then Su Zhe suddenly shouted:"It was your master—Wang Shan!" Wang Shan?! Their master?! All thirteen men froze. What kind of absurd accusation was that? Huang Mazi had worked for Wang Shan. Why would Wang Shan kill his own subordinate?

"Guild Master, Huang came here in good faith. Why would you mock me with such nonsense—" Huang Yuan's face darkened with anger. But before he could finish— Su Zhe attacked. His body exploded into motion. Streams of light flashed through his hands. A hammer. A blade. Appeared instantly. The Fifty-Forging Hammer in his right hand smashed forward with the force of a charging bull's horns, unleashing thunderous power. At the same time, the Fiendslayer Saber in his left hand followed.

The Fiend Tiger God-Slaying Saber Art erupted. Murderous energy soared skyward as though seeking to annihilate every living thing beneath heaven.

"You—!" Caught completely off guard, Huang Yuan reacted with remarkable speed, drawing his own saber to defend. BOOM! The fishing boat shook violently. Huang Yuan felt blood surge through his body as if his organs had been displaced by the impact. What terrifying strength! Su Zhe possessed the Craftsman's Legacy Token and the Fifty-Forging Hammer, granting him the power of four bulls. The Flood Dragon Silk further granted him the strength of a flood dragon.

Combined— His explosive force reached fifty-five thousand pounds. Even though Huang Yuan was a full realm higher, receiving that strike head-on left him reeling.

"The Bull Hammer!"

"The Fiend Tiger Saber Art!"

"You..."

"Who are you?!" Huang Yuan screamed in shock. Su Zhe offered no answer. His saber swept horizontally. A crescent moon of steel flashed through the rain. Slash! Slash! Slash! Three heads flew into the air. Blood erupted upward, forming a crimson curtain.

"This isn't Mad Shark!"

"We've been tricked!"

"Capture him! The treasure our lord seeks must be connected to this man!" Huang Yuan roared. The remaining ten guardians immediately drew their sabers. Against Su Zhe, they descended like ten tigers charging down a mountain. Huang Yuan was the fiercest among them, a tiger king leading the pack. Blade-light flashed. Tiger shadows seemed to accompany each strike. Several sabers stabbed toward Su Zhe's throat, temples, and vital points.

No matter how monstrous Su Zhe's combat strength was, facing one Third-Rank and ten Second-Rank martial artists head-on left him no chance of victory. So he never intended to fight fairly.

"Bull Tramples the Earth!" The Fifty-Forging Hammer descended with overwhelming force. But his target wasn't the enemy. It was the boat beneath their feet. BOOM! The strike landed like divine wrath. The fishing vessel exploded instantly. Wood splinters filled the air. Water erupted in every direction. The attackers lost their footing and plunged into the river. Before disappearing beneath the surface, Su Zhe shouted:"Believe it or not! Wang Shan wanted to discard me once my usefulness ended!

He sought to drive me into desperation so he could completely control me and seize my supreme cultivation art!" Then he fell into the water. At the same time, his mind connected with the Creation Immortal Cauldron. The four immortal apertures instantly equipped: Demon Scale Armor Flood Dragon Silk Fifty-Forging Hammer Craftsman's Legacy Token The Fiendslayer Saber appeared in his right hand. A Blackwater Steel Fork appeared in his left. His body moved through the river like a predatory fish.

With a powerful kick, he shot toward the nearest enemy.

"On land, you outnumber me."

"But underwater... I am a demon." Water churned. Killing intent spread through the depths. The battle beneath the river had begun. Thrust! The steel fork pierced straight through a martial artist's heart. Su Zhe twisted violently. The man spat blood and died instantly. Huang Yuan's eyes nearly split with rage as he led the others in pursuit. But after striking once, Su Zhe had already retreated far away. The martial arts these men practiced were designed for land combat. Underwater, their abilities were crippled.

"One." Su Zhe raised a finger beneath the river's surface. A mocking smile curved his lips. Huang Yuan and the others nearly exploded with fury. Yet Su Zhe moved through the water more smoothly than the finest spirit fish. Thrust!

"Two." Boom!

"Three."... One after another, martial artists of the Wang Estate died beneath Su Zhe's attacks. Each kill was accompanied by another raised finger. Nothing crushed morale more effectively. As the bodies accumulated, the river gradually turned red. Blood clouded the water, reducing visibility to almost nothing. And that only made the situation worse for Huang Yuan and his men. Because it meant their chances of turning the tables and killing Su Zhe... Were becoming smaller and smaller.