Chapter 158 — Section 160: Success [First Update]

The carriage drew steadily nearer, bearing a conspicuous emblem that none of Tang Tang's group recognized. By its build it was a lavish, high-grade conveyance, and appearing at this particular moment, it matched their target perfectly.

Without a flicker of hesitation, the instant the carriage appeared, Ling Yan was the first to move.

Facing the low-flying carriage, Ling Yan's fighting spirit surged to its peak; his orange-red eyes blazed into fierce flames, and his blue hair streamed wildly.

With a violent stamp of his foot he launched himself into the air, and in mid-flight he rubbed his fingers together—the spear shot forth. This was his own peculiar technique, and every such technique served a single purpose: to compensate for the frailties of his body.

The spear flew like an arrow loosed from a bow, while his body drifted after it, light as a weightless leaf carried along by the weapon's momentum.

Body following the spear, drifting like the wind.

In his field of vision the target carriage swelled rapidly; his blazing battle intent rolled like molten lava, and that graceful midair figure suddenly let out a thunderous cry.

"Kill!"

Almost before the word left his lips, a rain of stars cascaded down, blanketing the entire carriage.

The shrieking rose like a tide, terrifying beyond measure!

"You dare!" A furious roar erupted from within the carriage, and a towering figure abruptly appeared before it, utterly unruffled as the glittering rain of cold light burst around him.

Fists clenched together, flame gathered and spun at astonishing speed around his knuckles, swelling in an instant to the size of a wine jar.

With a mighty bellow, the big man drove out a punch!

A red fist-glow the size of a wine jar flew from his hand, expanding in midair to the size of a bushel, and with a horrifying shriek it hurtled toward Ling Yan.

Ling Yan recognized Li Tang—he truly was formidable…

But still…

Light flared in Ling Yan's eyes; the enemy's strength only stoked his fighting spirit further, till his whole body seemed to burn—and yet his ten fingers stayed cold as iron.

He had not forgotten his mission.

An almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of his mouth. His right palm, resting on the spear's butt, twisted its five fingers, shaking the iron spear into a blur; the rain of cold light filling the sky vanished in an instant.

The cold gleam kindled at the spear tip shone brighter than the most dazzling star in the night sky.

He thrust the spear straight at the bushel-sized fist-glow!

The big man's pupils contracted sharply, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. Yet he felt no fear; strange as the other's spear technique was, his own fists were no soft touch either.

Hisss!

The spear tip vanished abruptly—and with it, Ling Yan's figure.

Not good!

The big man's expression changed drastically.

Ling Yan seemed to emerge from the empty air beside the carriage, bearing a spear-glow cold and dazzling, charging at the carriage like a knight of old.

His earlier midair flight had been all grace, but now he was like a blazing flame whipped into fierce crackling by the wind—his eyes burned, every part of him burned, and the cold black iron spear seemed heated red, radiating astonishing heat.

Onward, with no thought of retreat!

The big man could not say why that phrase forced itself into his mind. This house-guard in his absurd panda mask could actually give him such a feeling…

Boom!

As though a meteor had struck, the spear found the carriage dead-on.

The carriage burst apart in an instant; where the mighty force passed, the thick timbers of its body disintegrated piece by piece. Screams and curses erupted from within, all was chaos, and the driverless carriage lurched in midair.

"Vile wretch! You're a dead man!"

The big man flew into a towering rage, gave a long roar, and wheeled about to lunge at Ling Yan.

Ling Yan had no time to admire his handiwork. Following the plan, he did not hesitate: with a sharp twist of the spear shaft, the spear tore through the air toward the valley mouth, and his body clung to it light as nothing.

In the blink of an eye he had flown more than a hundred feet!

The big man had not expected Ling Yan to flee with such resolve. By the time he reacted, his fury burned hotter still—damn that panda, today you die for certain!

With a shrill roar the big man spread his form like a great hawk unfurling its wings and swooped after Ling Yan.

The two swiftly drew far away.

The carriage plunged toward the ground.

One after another, flustered figures came tumbling out of the out-of-control carriage.

"Now!"

Tang Tang's trio struck as one.

A few in the crowd rushed forward to block them.

Tang Tang was experienced enough by now; one glance at the panic flooding the eyes of the man barring his way told him the fellow's strength would not be great.

In midair, Tang Tang seemed to have misjudged the distance—he came in a little too far.

Elation flashed across the other's eyes—a fine chance! Without a second thought he struck first, his steel saber trailing streaks of cold light as it went straight for Tang Tang's opening. A misjudged distance usually left a man briefly rigid, and that was a superb opportunity!

The blade light flowed like silk, like a white snake darting its tongue.

But in that instant Tang Tang abruptly shifted, slipping past the saber by a hair's breadth!

His hand seized the flat of the other's blade, and the Crane Body Force surged out!

Pfft!

The man took it as though struck by lightning, spewing a mist of blood skyward. Tang Tang's palm pressed into him, and using the momentum he floated clear, bursting through the man's guard.

Tang Tang had the luck; Bing and Guizhao were both bogged down in hard fighting.

Tang Jin turned his full attention to the field, and spotted a worthwhile target. A female guard was carrying a little girl who had been bound tight and gagged.

In an instant Tang Tang grasped the importance of this target. He had no idea who the girl was, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend—that much he understood.

Judging by how anxiously the female guard handled the girl, this was clearly a very important hostage. If he could snatch her, he need not worry at all about whether these house-guards would pursue them.

The moment he understood, Tang Tang blurred into motion and appeared at the female guard's side.

The woman was tall, golden-haired, her ponytail bound, a sword of icy gleam in her hand; she cut a rather dashing figure.

She spotted the gorilla-masked Tang Tang at once, so when he appeared beside her she showed no surprise. A flick of her longsword sent three blossoms of sword-light blooming, aimed straight at Tang Tang.

The pink sword-blossoms were charming, but at this moment they brimmed with chilling killing intent.

Her swordplay was clearly disciplined and well-honed, but an attack this textbook-perfect was plainly not enough to deal with Tang Tang.

After being put through the wringer in the Hall of Eighteen Bronze Men, Tang Tang in a fight would stop at nothing, using whatever method worked.

Tang Tang shook both hands.

White Crane Vortex!

The sharp white vortexes were like blades spinning at high speed, like a flock of startled white cranes, filling her vision in an instant.

A flicker of alarm crossed the female guard's eyes, but she steadied herself quickly, her sword tip flicking and parrying at a frantic rhythm.

Tang Tang was a little surprised—her swordsmanship was solid and her skill considerable, but she plainly did not know how to fight. He noticed another detail: the female guard cared more about protecting the little girl than about protecting herself!

Tang Tang in battle was terrifying!

Bing's words were no idle boast. In combat Tang Tang always displayed a fighting intelligence beyond the ordinary. Once his intuition sharpened, that became especially fearsome—those imperceptible details were always put to use.