The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 32 Narrow Road for Enemies

Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Narrow Road for Enemies

"Oh no, it’s that coward!"

Sha Lifei obviously saw it too. Instinctively, he shrank his neck and hunched his shoulders, but seeing Li Yan standing tall with his left hand gripping the knife handle, his face turned bitter as he straightened up.

"Everyone, I’m back."

Master Zhou snorted and prepared to lead his people into the courtyard.

A fat man standing nearby with an exposed chest and breast saw this and immediately laughed, "Oh, Master Zhou really is reliable! We were just thinking, if you didn’t come back, we would have gone in..."

"Move aside!"

Before the words were finished, a hand reached out from the side, causing him to stagger.

The fat man was about to curse, but when he saw who it was, he closed his mouth immediately.

It was Meng Haicheng who acted.

He looked at Li Yan, his eyes full of joy, "Good boy, it’s true that enemies meet on a narrow road! Damn it, I was thinking of looking for you!"

Li Yan gave him a faint glance, "Still not convinced? Want to have another go?"

Hearing the two speak, Master Zhou was instantly surprised.

He hadn’t expected that the young man behind Master Wang also had a grudge with the Iron Blade Gang.

"Fight you with fists? No way!"

Meng Haicheng’s face flushed as he cursed, "Don’t even know what place Xianyang is. Brothers, get this kid down for me!"

"Got it, Brother Hai!"

A group of ruffians immediately surrounded them.

"Hey, hey, hey..." Sha Lifei panicked and shouted, "Meng Haicheng, do you have no shame? Bullying the few with the many? Do you not abide by the rules of the pugilistic world?"

Meng Haicheng said disdainfully, "Rules? Are you worthy?"

Swoosh!

Before the words were finished, they saw a figure rushing forward.

It was Li Yan suddenly springing up, with his left hand extended forward and his right hand probing downward.

"This move again!"

Seeing this, Meng Haicheng was instantly furious.

Last time, Li Yan used this stance to hit him squarely with a thrusting elbow, forcing him to abandon his mics and flee awkwardly.

He knew he couldn’t make it in the mics business anymore.

Not to mention that he couldn’t stand the ridicule from his peers, just leaving the mics halfway through for whatever reason meant no one would dare work with him in the future.

As for Li Yan wanting to step in for Zhou Pan, it was purely a worry too many.

He knew full well who his mentor was; it would still be alright if he could discipline Li Yan, but knowing he suffered a loss and lost face, there’d surely be no good outcome.

Therefore, he didn’t dare to boast, even fearing the incident might reach Zhou Pan’s ears.

After much deliberation, since he had no future as a bladesman, he decided to grit his teeth, run to Xianyang City, and rely on his senior, becoming a lackey.

Seeing Li Yan attacking, Meng Haicheng didn’t dodge at all.

He shrank his body while twisting his waist, right hand reversing to build a cover, just like a big macaque squatting on the ground.

Laughable as it looked, it was a finishing move taught by Zhou Pan.

If Li Yan continued to use the thrusting elbow, he could use the move "Old Ape Falling from the Branch," a foot flip, to kick Li Yan down, making him a eunuch.

If the opponent changed to a sidekick, he could seamlessly transition into "Agile Monkey Coiling Silk," blinding the enemy’s eyes and tearing their face to pieces.

In short, changes were possible from lower to upper routes, each fierce and aggressive.

With this defense, how could he suffer the same loss as before?

However, Li Yan’s hand, which was probing downwards, suddenly grasped the knife handle, then changed tactics abruptly, shaking it violently.

Clang!

The knife flashed like a cold light, tearing through the rain curtain.

The Guanzhong Fast Blade was not something ordinary. Meng Haicheng hadn’t reacted when a knife was placed on his neck. Feeling the blade slightly cold, tightly pressed against his neck, it had already cut the skin.

In the eyes of the others, however, it was a ridiculous scene:

Meng Haicheng squatted on the ground as if Li Yan was waving a knife to slay a monkey.

Humiliated again, Meng Haicheng angrily said, "A duel with fists and feet, yet you use a knife, don’t abide by the rules!"

Li Yan raised an eyebrow, "Rules... are you worthy?"

"You..."

Upon hearing this, Meng Haicheng was so infuriated that his head buzzed.

Before he could speak, his expression changed, stumbling back a few steps.

It was Li Yan holding the knife, forcing him to retreat continually into the courtyard, then turned his head calmly and said, "Anyone who dares to cross this threshold, their head is yours."

Unfortunately, these words did not scare off the Iron Blade Gang members outside.

Though these guys weren’t like bladesmen who dangled their heads at their belt, each was living day by day, with no thought for tomorrow.

In the previous dynasty, Daxing called them "Wild Tigers," while the Golden Tent Khanate referred to them as "Unregistered People," and various organizations usually called "No-Life Society," all of them were men with nothing to lose.

Just like in today’s Jinmen area, "Pot gangs" often draw lots for deadly battles, daring deeds like jumping into oil pots, three sword six holes, gouging eyes; even frowning slightly is not considered brave.

People in Guanzhong are equally daring, blunt, and stubborn.

Immediately, a man stepped forward, one eye big and the other small, swaying the short knife in his hand, stared and barked, "Yo, using a knife."

After speaking, he pointed to his own neck.

"Come on, cut me here, kill me and prove you’re a man, brothers, look closely!"

"Ha ha ha..."

The group of ruffians laughed heartily, without a hint of fear.

Bladesmen, they had seen many and naturally had countermeasures.

This countermeasure was simply to play rogue!

Under the strict laws of the Great Xuan Dynasty, whether people of the ’jianghu’ or the Mystical Sect, all were treated equally. Killing someone would immediately result in a bounty on one’s head, especially in broad daylight.

As for them, they had no fear.

Firstly, they had the Iron Blade Gang backing them, having bribed the authorities.

Secondly, while they were causing trouble at the doorstep, even at the government office, they wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

Against bladesmen, they had only one thought: if I’m killed, it’s my bad luck, but you’d better not have any peace afterward, not only government pursuit, but there’ll also be gang rewards.

But if you fail to kill me...

Heh, today is my day to make a name!

Navigating between black and white, how could you have no tricks up your sleeve?

Facing these unreasonable people, Li Yan couldn’t be bothered with nonsense, let out a cold chuckle, exerted force with his wrist, and the knife edge immediately embedded into the flesh.

Meng Haicheng’s neck instantly gushed blood, staining half of his body red.

"No, no, no!"

By now Meng Haicheng was so scared his face had turned white, feeling his scalp tighten, he screamed, "Don’t come over, this guy is a madman, do you want my life?!"

The Iron Blade members outside heard this, stopped advancing, but their eyes were filled with scorn looking at Meng Haicheng.

This guy was the gang leader’s junior, dying wasn’t easy to explain.

Unexpectedly, despite barking orders daily, he turned out to be a coward at the critical moment.

Facing these ruffians, Li Yan didn’t bother to engage.

Their way of dealing, completely different from the ’jianghu’ folk, seemingly tyrannical, was merely playing the rogue, relying on laws to suppress the ’jianghu,’ and using fists to bully ordinary folks.

If it were a desolate and lawless place without legal backing, you could be sure that not one would be left alive, slaughtered utterly.

The commotion had long alerted the people inside the courtyard.

A group of people, young and old, male and female, poured out from the dilapidated mansion, most of whom were ordinary people with no martial skills.

There was an ugly girl crying, holding a broom, an old musician trembling, wielding a short knife, and even children holding wooden sticks.

Of course, there were also many young people, all glaring angrily.

Seeing this, Li Yan realized why Master Zhou, despite his martial skills, dared not resist these ruffians at all.

A shadow puppetry troupe usually needed singers, shadow handlers, and musicians.

Sometimes, singers played music simultaneously, singing while pulling, plus a designated shadow handler, two people could set up a troupe and perform at temple fairs.

Evidently, the Spring Breeze Class was a large troupe.

Apart from performers, they probably even brought their family members and children.

This was helpless, with severe land annexation over the years, people in the Divine State reluctant to leave their homes unless they had no land — who’d willingly roam the pugilistic world with family?

"It’s alright, it’s alright."

The series of events caught Master Zhou off guard, yet he forced himself to be calm and said, "This is Master Wang whom I invited, everyone go back, don’t get involved."

After speaking, he looked at Li Yan, wanting to say more but hesitated.

He was helpless, not expecting the savior he invited to also be a disaster, brandishing a knife at the drop of a hat and having grudges with the Iron Blade Society.

When this reckless youth has had his fun, he could leave patting his butt, and at worst, hide for a while, but they would probably have to face the Iron Blade’s retaliation.

Thinking of this, Master Zhou no longer had the means to cope.

Seeing the situation, Wang Daoxuan’s eyes also softened slightly, nodding, "Master Zhou, rest assured, one thing at a time, your matter, this poor Daoist shall handle."

Seeing this, his doubts were mostly eased.

There was old and young in this family, nothing like peelers or those who practiced evil ways.

Even so, he glanced at Li Yan.

Li Yan held the knife in one hand and formed the Yang Jue with the other, taking a deep breath, the scents from within a hundred meters all rushed into his nose, then closed them off with the Yin Technique.

The leather smell from the boxes inside was all from livestock.

In the theater troupe, there was no hint of anything sinister.

He nodded at Wang Daoxuan, then suddenly kicked, picking up a stone from the ground, caught it effortlessly, and threw it over the courtyard wall.

This flying locust stone technique, everyone in the pugilistic world could do.

His family once herded sheep for a period, raising a hand to hit the horns, making them return to the flock, so he was quite proficient.

"Ouch, you coward!"

The stone flew over the courtyard wall, and a scream was heard behind.

Someone tried to climb over the wall from behind, wanting to randomly seize someone from the theater troupe as a hostage to exchange for Meng Haicheng, but was caught by Li Yan.

Li Yan chuckled, patting Meng Haicheng’s face with the knife handle, and calmly said, "Do you want to settle this today, or in a few days?"

Meng Haicheng gritted his teeth, "How about settling it today?"

"Simple!"

Li Yan raised his eyebrow, "I’ll kill you first, then slaughter those bastards outside, and get wanted by the court to hide somewhere else."

Meng Haicheng swallowed hard, "What about settling it in a few days?"

Li Yan raised his eyes, "Then according to the Martial Arts rules, once this matter here is settled, I’ll make a move. You can find anyone to fight in a life-and-death duel on the stage!"

Faced with this situation, Meng Haicheng had no choice but spat a harsh word, "Fine, just don’t run by then."

Li Yan sneered, "Would Li Hu’s son run in Zhou Monkey’s territory? I’m not willing even if you are!"

With that, he kicked Meng Haicheng out the door.

Meng Haicheng, after all, had some martial skills, stumbled out the door, stabilized himself, turned around, and shouted, "Little bastard, I’ll collect your corpse in three days!"

"Let’s go!"

After speaking, he turned to lead the people away.

After they left, Li Yan turned and said, "Uncle Sha, go spread the word, say Li Hu’s son is here, this duel, they can’t avoid it!"

"Understood!"

Sha Lifei understood immediately and rushed out.

Seeing things settled, Wang Daoxuan nodded and said to Master Zhou, "The rain should stop by tomorrow. Master Zhou, please prepare quickly."

"Tomorrow night, we’ll head to the Chaotic Burial Mound!"