Chapter 42: Battle Against Yang Jiguang!
Feeling the piercing murderous intent, the Crown Prince stepped back a few paces continuously.
"Clang!"
With a loud crash, the solid lamp post beside Handsome Nan was twisted into a V-shape, teetering on the verge of collapse under the impact, its light fixture smashed flat against the ground.
"He is still no match for me!" Standing in the shadows, Handsome Nan cast a look of utter contempt, chillingly cold to the bone!
...
Chiang Tin-sang naturally heard the commotion over here.
He glanced back indifferently, a faint, imperceptible sneer playing at the corner of his mouth.
...
In the center of the arena,
Tung Sing’s sworn brothers and the vicious hitmen of the Big Circle Gang were locked in a fierce, bloody battle, every blow drawing blood.
Within moments, a dozen or so of Tung Sing's men had already been killed or wounded.
True to their reputation as hardened outlaws capable of wreaking havoc across Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, these hired killers struck with terrifying ruthlessness!
Had it not been for Old Dog Ming and Broken Finger Song fighting desperately to shield them, half the men would likely have already fallen by now.
A miserable screech pierced the air: "Old Dog!!!"
Old Dog Ming, currently locked in a brutal five-on-one death match, snapped his head back, only for the three men in front of him to launch a sudden, vicious assault!
Old Dog Ming’s reaction was blindingly fast. Instinctively throwing his body backward, he jammed the tip of his blade into the floor, instantly bounced back up with a flick of his wrist, and swept his razor-sharp blade horizontally outward.
Realizing the danger, two of the major thugs tried to dodge, but it was already too late.
With a sickening 'Rip!' sound—
The curved saber in Old Dog's hand slashed fiercely across their waists and abdomens.
With such ferocious force, he nearly chopped them into four separate pieces!
...Even so, their intestines spilled out onto the ground in a messy heap.
"Hisss!"
Everyone nearby, friend and foe alike, gasped sharply!
The hardened thugs stepped back in sheer terror, their hands and feet suddenly turning ice-cold.
Taking advantage of their momentary daze, Old Dog dashed over to reinforce Big Song.
Old Dog's blade was fast and venomous, every move intended to take a life.
As he swept past, countless men fell beneath his blade, his momentum even overshadowing Liu Haizhu.
Yet, he was overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
Just imagine this:
If dozens of cold-blooded murderers surrounded you, intent on butchering you,
And you faced countless gleaming blades, any one of which could instantly snuff out your fragile little life...
...That intense thrill can only be truly felt when you are experiencing it firsthand.
...
Things were looking desperate for Old Dog and Big Song. Because of their fierce bravery, they had become the primary targets!
The two brothers stood back-to-back, drenched in blood. No sooner had they cut down a few enemies than ten more swarmed in!
Broken Finger Song’s blade had long since become chipped and dulled, yet he continued to hack away with frantic desperation.
The brothers on the outer perimeter had bloodshot eyes, but they were blocked by a combined force of over thirty Big Circle thugs, unable to break through no matter how hard they tried.
...
Meanwhile,
Liu Haizhu’s situation was hardly looking optimistic either!
This stubborn mule had been driven into a absolute fury! His clothes were shredded into blood-soaked rags, and he looked as though he had just been hauled out of a vat of blood.
Yang Jiguang was panting heavily, his body covered in blue and purple bruises as he barely managed to hold his ground.
...
The short stature of this man did not mean he lacked a weapon; rather, his methods were unimaginably treacherous.
His weapon was a belt, and hidden beneath that belt was a razor-sharp soft sword.
Just moments ago, in the span of a single breath,
He had thrust out dozens of sword strikes. One of those strikes had grazed the very skin of Liu Haizhu’s neck—missing him by a mere fraction of an inch, which would have brought this script to an abrupt end!
...
"Heh!"
Yang Jiguang slowly raised the soft sword in his hand and gave his wrist a flick, instantly straightening the flexible blade into a rigid spear:
"Your martial arts are decent. I can't bear to kill you—why don't you swear allegiance to me from now on!"
"Hoo!~"
Liu Haizhu took a deep breath, his face smeared with blood as he smiled: "You little prick, trying to amuse your daddy?"
Furious, Yang Jiguang snapped: "Impudent words! Aren't you afraid of death?!"
"Hahahaha!"
Having caught his breath, Liu Haizhu picked up a discarded knife from the ground and pointed it straight at him: "You've said all your arrogant nonsense! ...Heh... Scared of you? ...I'm fucking terrified that if you jumped up, you'd only reach my kneecap!"
"You're courting death!"
Yang Jiguang’s most sensitive nerve was anything touching upon his height! In an instant, his complexion turned a dark, furious purple, and blinded by rage, he launched a frantic counter-attack.
Muttering to himself that this was precisely what he wanted, Liu Haizhu lunged forward!
In an instant,
The two clashed once more. With a single arm, Liu Haizhu held his blade horizontally to block the soft sword!
Veins bulging on his left arm, he seized the opening and threw a heavy, straight punch right into Yang Jiguang's head.
"Bang!"
Yang Jiguang staggered back three paces, his mind spinning like a runaway roller coaster.
"Ah!!!"
He roared up at the sky with his duck-like voice, his soft sword transforming into a myriad of dazzling beams.
Liu Haizhu was momentarily stunned.
Acting on pure reflex, he retreated, only to crash right into a Big Circle thug. Without a second thought, he grabbed the man by the collar and used him as a human shield.
"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"
Before the Big Circle thug even realized what was happening, his body was riddled with a hundred wounds and literally torn to shreds!
What an opportunity!!!
Excited as if he had gone mad, Yang Jiguang waved his soft sword around with a buzzing sound, once again unleashing a flurry of sword lights.
Shouting at the top of his lungs: "I'll hack you to pieces!"
...
"Roar!"
Liu Haizhu’s eyes nearly split from their sockets, yet he had nowhere left to retreat!
In a split second, the biting sword radiance transformed into countless chilling glares, sweeping toward this stubborn mule with the force of a thunderbolt!
"Ah!!!"
Liu Haizhu felt as though his internal organs were burning like fire!
"Agh!"
He let out a painful roar akin to that of a wild beast!
Just at this critical juncture,
A sudden burst of golden light erupted from this stubborn mule’s body, resembling divine golden armor protecting his frame... Looking closer, that golden armor appeared completely tangible, dazzling and brilliant!
...
In the distance,
Ah Gang, who had been scared nearly out of his wits, suddenly blurted out in shock: "Holy shit, the Invincible Golden Bell罩?!"
...
In the arena,
After the brief miraculous phenomenon faded from Liu Haizhu’s body,
The chilling tip of the sword still pierced straight through his torso.
"Thud!"
Yang Jiguang was shocked: "You..."
"Swish!"
With a grip like a pair of iron pliers, this stubborn mule grabbed Yang Jiguang fiercely by the throat with bulging eyes!
With his other hand, he locked onto Yang Jiguang's wrist!
...
Glaring with bloodshot eyes, Liu Haizhu demanded: "You want to kill me!"
A violent, overwhelming aura radiated from his body as Liu Haizhu raised a fist the size of a rice bowl and smashed it viciously toward Yang Jiguang's head.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Three punches—just three punches—and a furious Liu Haizhu completely caved in Yang Jiguang's skull.
Gripping Yang Jiguang's now-stiff wrist, Liu Haizhu slowly pulled the soft sword out from his own abdomen, without even twitching an eyebrow!
...
...
Moments later,
Holding his wound, Liu Haizhu walked step by step to the center of the arena, picked up his large iron shovel, and roared toward the crowd: "Step aside, all of you!"
...
Were the men being slaughtered by the Big Circle Gang Tung Sing's ordinary footsoldiers???
No,
Those were Liu Haizhu’s money! ...Fifteen thousand per corpse, fifteen thousand each—that is way too fucking ruthless, dammit!!!
...
"Wait!"
From the central steps, a sharp, piercing shout suddenly rang out!
It vibrated so intensely that both factions engaged in the fierce battle immediately stopped in their tracks.
Liu Haizhu also halted his steps, raising his head to look over.
...
In the seats belonging to the Big Circle Gang, Yip Kai-hoon sat with a dark expression, remaining silent. Instead, it was the "Bat Mouse" Wu Chai-shu by his side who spoke up.
He cast a deep glance at Liu Haizhu and stated coldly: "The Big Circle Gang withdraws!"
...
Inside the arena, logistics personnel were clearing the grounds. After this battle, the number of Tung Sing men still standing... was only half, and every single one of them was injured.
...
A moment later, the cleanup crew retreated from the arena.
In the center of the plaza,
Liu Haizhu suddenly snapped his eyes open, pointed the blade of his shovel at the leaders of the two remaining factions, and shouted: "All of you, come at me together!"
The Ghost-Faced Man from the Kowloon Walled City had been sitting with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing. Hearing these words, he snapped his eyes open instantly!
Glaring furiously, he snapped: "Damned triad punk, what did you just say?!"
(Note: The Ghost-Faced Man, also known as Scarface No. 4, along with "Walled City Wanderer" Chan Lok-man's rival the Twelve Young Masters, "Walled City Blade" Shin-yat, and "Smuggler Boxing King" Chan Lok-gun, are collectively known as the Four Youths of the Walled City!
His combat record: Seventeen consecutive matches across the six major fighting rings of the Walled City, with zero defeats.)