Chapter 122 - Fingers Spiralling the Tempered Steel

Translator: Thyaeria

There weren’t many passersby due to the rain. When they saw Su Tao without an umbrella and a few weird people around him, they would take the initiative and send their greetings before making insinuations to ask what’s going on.

Su Tao faintly smiled in response, but he did not answer them directly. No matter how you looked at it right now, it seemed like a Wuxia Drama with the knives and blades around. Thus, Su Tao misled them that the drama crew was here to look at the location for their future scenes, which the neighbors recalled believing it, since there was some news not long ago that the Old Street had been approved by the government to be reformed as a tourism and film location.

The neighborhood had been making preparations to make a fortune. You relied on the things around you to support yourself, and if the reform was really done, they would be able to stretch to the surrounding industries, from inns to meal boxes to earn a fortune.

Knives, swords, and the martial society, they’re practically the dream of every citizen in China.

Even if they’re now in the age of firearms, many people still had the soul for the national martial arts.

Yan Wujin, Tian Ya, and the Knife Demon had each formed a faction.

Yan Wujin was unfathomable, and no one knew how much power was contained in his body. Tian Ya was agile and every movement seemed to be in the ethereal state of mind. As for the Knife Demon, he was overbearing and a little arrogant, but that was just on the surface. The Knife Demon was certainly not just an arrogant person, standing there with a knife, he had a sharp blade himself, with an oppressive aura that soared into the sky.

Su Tao cast a few glances at them, and analysing them from the angle of a Physician, the Knife Demon was heavily injured, and his aura was chaotic. He even fought with Yan Wujin a few times, causing his injuries to worsen. But that was the style in the knife technique that he practiced, the more he fell into desperate straits, the more undaunted he would be against the setbacks.

If an ordinary person was injured like the Knife Demon, their lives would probably be hanging on a thread with different degrees of injuries in their five viscera and six bowels. But as for martial arts, the national martial arts in China, in particular, they would form their martial soul upon reaching a certain realm. With their willpower and aura, they could stand in an undefeated position.

Tian Ya could also understand the injuries that the Knife Demon was suffering, but he did not dare to be careless. He took a small step back. It was when he took a small step back, the Knife Demon roared and pounced towards Tian Ya.

With the rain drifting in the atmosphere, and when the Knife Demon brandished his knife, there was a mist wrapped around the sharp edges. The blade’s flicker that couldn’t be seen normally seemed so realistic at this moment that it made Tian Ya feel a shiver down his spine.

Tian Ya knew that he had encountered the most formidable opponent in his life. Thus, he did not dare to be careless. The flexible sword was akin to an agile snake, hissing at the Knife Demon with sizzling noises. As long as it came in contact with the latter’s body, it would be able to deal considerable damage.

But facing this, the Knife Demon didn’t seem to have any defenses with all the loopholes revealed in his body. However, his entire arm was fully extended out, and in that instant, when the knife stuck forth, Tian Ya realised that he had made the wrong move with his attack. The other party wasn’t forsaking his life, but had absolute confidence.

The Knife Demon was confident that the other party would definitely take a defensive stance, it was absolute confidence that the Knife Demon had nurtured after brandishing his knife for so many years. Even if Yan Wujin faced his knife, the latter would also have to dodge his attack.

A crackling sound rang out and Tian Ya felt his wrist shudder. Instantly, he felt regret. He shouldn’t have used his sword to clash with that knife.

However, the Knife Demon did not go in hot pursuit, even after obtaining the upperhand. He was just trying to probe Tian Ya’s skills. Don’t think that the Knife Demon was a reckless fool with how he fought. As someone with ample experience in battle, if he faced someone that he couldn’t defeat, he would try to win through experience.

Looking at the Knife Demon, Tian Ya felt the former’s aura steadily rising like a volcano. It felt suffocating and ever since Tian Ya had succeeded in his martial arts, he had never tasted defeat. His job as a bodyguard in the Canberra Company was merely a façade. He was also a member of an international mercenary organization, responsible for special tasks in the Neuer International Corporation. Since he wasn’t active in China in the past, he wasn’t familiar with the experts in the country.

The Knife Demon cultivated his skill from an underground arena, so his reputation was a little lacking when compared to Yan Wujin, who was already a famed grandmaster. That was the reason why Tian Ya wasn’t aware of such an expert like the Knife Demon existing in the world. As someone that had gone through hundreds of battles, he knew that he would lose if he continued. Thus, with a holler, his sword wandered out, while executing the Eight-Trigram Step to launch an attack at the Knife Demon from the side.

Casting a glance in disdain, the Knife Demon brandished his knife, which Tian Ya could only choose to defend. Once again, the blade and the sword clashed. Tian Ya felt the web between his index finger and thumb feeling numb as the dominant force nearly took the sword from his hand.

Wiping his face with his hand, the Knife Demon looked even more ferocious with his yellow teeth revealed as he grinned. “How enjoyable. Although it cannot be compared to that Old Goat Yan, it’s still interesting to use you as my whetstone!”

He already had a gauge of Tian Ya’s strength, and when he finished his words, he instantly shot out like a cannonball.

Yan Wujin stood on the side to watch with a grave expression. He wasn’t too worried for Tian Ya. Even if the latter’s flexible sword was pretty good, posing a good offense and defense, he was a little lacking when compared to the Knife Demon.

The Knife Demon was a formidable opponent, since his strength would grow every time they encountered one another. The Knife Demon was clearly injured, but his strength hadn’t decreased. On the contrary, it increased instead. This type of person was a talent blessed by the heavens in martial arts.

When Yan Wujin was young, he was also known as a genius. But the genius was already getting on his age and compared to him; the Knife Demon was at the peak of his life. It’s like a sunrise and sunset.

The Knife Demon’s attacks seemed simple, in the realm of reducing complexity into simplicity and clashing against the flexible sword with his physical and internal strength combined.

The flexible sword was initially graceful, but it looked weak and fragile at this moment. The knife, on the other hand, was overpowering like a torrential wave, while the flexible sword seemed like a leaf.

Tian Ya had chosen to attack because he knew that the Knife Demon was too powerful. Despite having confidence in his defense, there’s always a moment that he would fail to defend. Thus, he had chosen to go on the offensive, which was also the most foolish idea that he had ever made.

Every time the flexible sword straightened out, it would be turned soft by the broad knife. It was akin to a babe on heat and had her Achilles heel slapped and instantly turned powerless.

Soft and hardness were two extremes, and if one side reached the extreme, they would be able to subdue to the other party. Just like the fight between the Knife Demon fought with Yan Wujin, he would have a feeling that he couldn’t exert any strength, since Yan Wujin had cultivated softness to the extreme that could subdue his domineering knife techniques. But when Tian Ya encountered the Knife Demon, he suddenly realised that his softness was futile against the latter. Every single knife attack would seem so destructive, while he was like a weak little chick.

After ten-odd moves, Tian Ya already had the decision to retreat. Casting a glance at Su Tao, he coldly snorted and misled the Knife Demon with his footwork before pouncing towards Su Tao. However, Su Tao was already prepared. His hands had stretched forth with a silver needle in between each of his fingers. He flung them out without any hesitation. They seemed like arrows that streaked across the sky.

Tian Ya initially thought that he could catch Su Tao by surprise and complete his mission. However, he never expected the latter to be so hard to deal with. Swirling his flexible sword in the air, he managed to block the ten silver needles, but he never expected the other party to fling another one out.

Su Tao was like a hedgehog. Even if Tian Ya had sharp fangs that could breakthrough the other party’s defenses, there’s someone pursuing him from behind, along with Yan Wujin standing by the side.

Thus, Tian Ya could only sigh while stomping his foot, changing the angle, and scuttle towards an alley. But at this moment, Yan Wujin had made his move. He had long predicted that Tian Ya would escape, so he had taken a step in advance to block the former in that direction with his palm stretched out at the same time.

Tian Ya brandished his sword, but when the sword came in contact with the palm of the other party, he felt that Yan Wujin was performing magic. His hand had spiraled around the sword. Yan Wujin had his head lowered, and as the sword passed through his neck, he pushed out a gentle palm against Tian Ya’s chest.

Spewing a mouthful of blood, Tian Ya made use of this force to scutter. After a few minutes, he had already disappeared. With this speed, if he were to participate in the Olympics, he would surely be able to break the world’s record easily.

Seeing how Yan Wujin dealt with Tian Ya so easily, the Knife Demon twitched his lips in disdain. “Old Goat Yan, have you thought of the consequences by constantly obstructing me? You’re not young yourself, and a day will come when you will have to enter the coffin. I can kill Su Tao at that time, can you protect him then?”

Shaking his head, Yan Wujin smiled. “A martial artist will maintain their top form for just ten years. You’re right, perhaps I might not be your opponent in a year or two, but have you considered before that I can teach Su Tao martial arts? If he learns my techniques, you might be the one who’s not his opponent instead.”

“Pooth!” Spitting a mouthful of phlegm on the ground, the Knife Demon roared, “Are you making a joke? I will lose to that stinky brat?”

Yan Wujin faintly smiled. “How about we make a bet? I’ll instruct him a little right now, and if you lose, you will not bother him anymore. If you win, I will wash my hands off this matter.”

When Su Tao heard Yan Wujin’s words, he felt all sorts of disdain for the latter. The Knife Demon’s strength was there to witness, and even if he’s gravely injured right now, Su Tao could only be considered as half-baked with just his acupuncture skills alone. There wouldn’t be an issue for him to deal with ordinary people, but dealing with a grandmaster expert like the Knife Demon was too much for him.

After a brief pondering, the Knife Demon nodded his head. “It’s a good method; we can resolve things for once in this manner.”

Yan Wujin waved his hand towards Su Tao, which the latter nodded his head and walked over.

Seeing that Su Tao had no confidence, Yan Wujin said, “The Knife Demon is currently injured, and after fighting with Tian Ya, his exhaustion is high right now. So you only have to drag the battle, and you will win half of the battle.”

Su Tao helplessly smiled. “With how reckless that Knife Demon is fighting, I’m afraid that I can't drag the battle even if I wanted to!”

Yan Wujin reminded, “Do you have enough silver needles with you?”

After a brief pondering about the needles in his medical box, Su Tao suddenly had a flash in his mind. “I know how to deal with him now!”