Chapter Fourteen: The Dragon Battles in the Wilderness (Part Two)

Yue Leiting didn’t even glance at the man before him. His gaze remained fixed on Zhong Weiguo, who had been so arrogant just moments earlier. Slowly straightening his back, Yue Leiting kicked the man in front of him into the pond. The pond, already filled to the brim by the rain, swallowed the man whose arm had been broken, leaving him powerless to swim. After a brief struggle, he sank beneath the surface.

“When I was hacking people, you lot were still running around in diapers. If you want to take me down, come at me—if you don’t care to live.” Yue Leiting sneered coldly, picking up two knives from the ground.

For a moment, I was stunned by Yue Leiting’s aura. He casually handed one of the knives to Xiao Lianshan.

Zhong Weiguo narrowed his eyes to slits and waved his hand. The men flanking the path surged forward simultaneously.

I noticed Xiao Lianshan’s grip on the knife was odd—the handle pointed forward, the blade pressed against his forearm, as if he held a dagger. Having witnessed his skills before, I wasn’t worried about him. Xiao Lianshan was adept at close combat; bold and fearless, he preferred fighting at close quarters, where the incoming attackers found it difficult to move. Thus, he always seized the initiative. He was powerful and forceful, embodying the principle that venom and ruthlessness must be rooted in strength—no matter how clever, without might, it’s all empty. When Xiao Lianshan punched an opponent, it was rare for anyone to rise again.

He targeted his blows at the joints, moving swiftly and precisely. Yet with a knife in hand, Xiao Lianshan seemed less comfortable. Several times, he brought the blade to an opponent’s throat, but his movements became hesitant and slow. The attackers poured in like waves, and his sluggishness soon left him open to several blows. The deepest wound was on his arm, exposing bone, blood pouring out and mixing with the rain, dripping steadily, staining the ground at his feet red.

On the other side, Yue Leiting was the complete opposite. Once he had a knife, he was in his element—every strike aimed for a vital spot, without a moment’s hesitation. The more he fought, the more excited he became, his face twisted in a grimace, splattered with his enemies’ blood. Seeing Xiao Lianshan wounded, he turned and shouted anxiously.

“Use the damn knife!”

“I... I can’t do it,” Xiao Lianshan gritted his teeth.

“This is no time for mercy. They’re here to kill us. If you don’t strike, you’ll be struck.” Yue Leiting kicked a kneeling attacker, barely thinking as his blade pierced the man’s chest.

I understood well: though Xiao Lianshan was skilled, he lacked Yue Leiting’s ruthless heart. Yue Leiting had seen too much blood and carnage—these situations were routine for him. All he needed to remember was the rule: it’s either you or me. But Xiao Lianshan was different. He had no taste for slaughter, only wanting to subdue his opponents, not kill them.

Suddenly, I saw Xiao Lianshan toss away his knife. Seeing he was unarmed, the attackers grew bolder and charged. Without the knife, Xiao Lianshan moved more naturally.

As a blade flashed toward him, Xiao Lianshan stepped swiftly left to dodge, seized the attacker’s right wrist with his own right hand, and slammed upward with his left, breaking the man’s elbow. With a flick of his wrist, the man’s tendons snapped and bones broke instantly.

“Heh, clearly a tough guy, but with a Buddha’s heart,” Yue Leiting muttered helplessly from the other side.

Though Xiao Lianshan was more nimble without the knife, he was still bare-handed against blades, and with multiple injuries, he could barely hold off the attackers. As more pressed in, his wounds multiplied, especially a deep stab to his calf, which left him barely able to stand.

“Lianshan, are you all right?” I asked, worried, watching him sway.

“Heh, just a mosquito bite—it itches,” Xiao Lianshan answered through gritted teeth. “Brother Leiting, how are you?”

“I’m fine. Guard that side—don’t let anyone get to Yan Hui.”

Yue Leiting fought with gusto, but age was catching up with him; his breath now came in gasps. Though he could still fight desperately for a time, fatigue was setting in. As he spoke, his left hand pressed hard against his lower abdomen.

Blood streamed from between his fingers, soaking his shirt. The wound was deep enough to be fatal, and if he didn’t press it tight, his intestines might spill out.

Of the thirty or so men Zhong Weiguo brought, half now lay on the ground. The color of the ponds had changed, the shocking red spreading ever wider.

Xiao Lianshan could no longer stand steadily or move nimbly. Two more assailants charged from left and right. Xiao Lianshan, using all his strength, knocked down the one on his left, but had no power left to defend against the blade swinging down at his head from the right.

Gasping, Xiao Lianshan instinctively closed his eyes. If this blade landed, it would be the end for him. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed the descending knife. There was a sickening crack as the blade lodged in my hand, the pain nearly unbearable. But I knew if I let go, Xiao Lianshan would die, so I gritted my teeth and squeezed tighter. No matter how hard the attacker pulled, he couldn’t free his blade.

Xiao Lianshan, not feeling pain, opened his eyes to see me gripping the blade, blood dripping from my hand onto his face. Yue Leiting, ignoring the agony in his abdomen, took a deep breath and, heedless of exposing his back, spun and stabbed the attacker in the chest. The man staggered, released the knife, and fell into the pond.

With Yue Leiting’s back exposed and no knife in hand, two attackers struck him almost simultaneously, opening deep wounds on his back. He collapsed to the ground, blood pouring out.

Xiao Lianshan grabbed the knife from my hand and, with difficulty, turned to strike down the two men attacking Yue Leiting.

The narrow path was best defended back-to-back, but now Yue Leiting and Xiao Lianshan, each saving the other, were face-to-face, exposing their backs to Zhong Weiguo’s men. The attackers seized the opportunity and charged without hesitation.

Neither Yue Leiting nor Xiao Lianshan had the strength to resist further, and my hand was too injured to hold anything.

“This is all my fault, brothers. When we meet again below, I’ll make it up to you. Next life, I’ll be your ox or horse.” Yue Leiting laughed, short of breath.

I stayed silent. According to the divination, Yue Leiting shouldn’t face mortal danger today. I looked up at the scarecrow on the nearby pear tree, swaying in the wind like a fluttering yellow robe. Breathing heavily, I whispered, “Yellow robe, auspicious beginning.”

Bang!

Four crisp gunshots rang out, and four attackers fell. More men surged along both sides of the path, guns in hand, surrounding Zhong Weiguo’s forces.

“If you don’t want to die, drop your knives!”

I had never realized how pleasant Liu Hao’s raspy voice could sound. My legs gave way, and I sank to the ground.

Zhong Weiguo, seeing the sudden turn of events, shouted in panic, “What are you afraid of? Kill him—whatever it costs, I’ll pay!”

His men looked at each other uncertainly. Liu Hao fired three shots into the air, and Zhong Weiguo’s men all dropped their knives.

Liu Hao herded them onto the wide field, making them kneel with their hands behind their heads.

“You wanted my life? Hmph, you’re not even close,” Yue Leiting sneered, glancing at Zhong Weiguo.

Xiao Lianshan, curious, asked Liu Hao how he had arrived. Liu Hao explained that Huo Qian, ever vigilant, had him investigate Zhong’s background. He discovered Zhong Weiguo and Li Jianglong were brothers, realized trouble was brewing, and rushed over with his men.

“I didn’t waste my kindness on you—you finally learned to be clever,” Yue Leiting said, clutching his stomach and laughing.

Xiao Lianshan was still puzzled. He asked Liu Hao why they didn’t take the main road to Zhong Weiguo’s place, but chose the small path instead, which wasn’t passable by car.

“We started on the other road, but halfway there, a landslide from the heavy rain killed a few brothers. We had no choice but to take the small path.”

Yue Leiting looked up at me with admiration. “Yan Hui, you really are a living immortal. You predicted it all—you said the southwest would bring friends, and the northeast would bring loss. You were right, I’m convinced!”

I smiled faintly. The way of fate is to turn misfortune to fortune. I only interpreted the signs. I told Yue Leiting his life was strong; death was not in his fate today.

Liu Hao glanced at the kneeling men and asked Yue Leiting, “Brother Leiting, how should we deal with them?”

“Cripple them,” Yue Leiting replied without hesitation.

Liu Hao nodded to his men, who aimed their guns at the kneeling men’s heads.

I hurriedly stopped Yue Leiting, reminding him that ill-gotten wealth comes at the expense of virtue. Though riches may be gained, they harm your karma. If you don’t do good, after sixty years of luck, retribution will come. Zhong Weiguo sought revenge today, and you survived, but these men have siblings too. If you kill them, how many more Zhong Weiguos will come for you? Do you really want to spend your days in fear?

“Boss, if we let this go, people will think you’re weak. We’ve killed before—if we don’t act, it’ll be hard to keep control,” Liu Hao said hesitantly.

“Let them go. Those wounded, send to the hospital. I’ll pay for the burials of the dead,” Yue Leiting replied, his voice low as he pressed his wound.

“Boss?!”

“Enough. From now on, whatever Yan Hui says, I’ll follow. He and Lianshan saved my life twice—they won’t harm me. And he’s right: vengeance breeds vengeance. After so many bloody years, can you say you sleep well at night?”

Liu Hao thought it over and sighed, signaling his men to let them go.

Zhong Weiguo, unwilling and full of hatred, grabbed a knife and charged at Yue Leiting. Liu Hao nodded, and his men hacked Zhong Weiguo down, the fatal blow severing his neck. Blood spurted from his artery like a burst pipe.

Yue Leiting never looked at him again. Zhong Weiguo convulsed in the pool of blood, until the flow from his neck slowed and finally ceased, his eyes wide open, staring at Yue Leiting.

Liu Hao checked for breath, then looked up at Yue Leiting. “Boss, he’s dead.”

I gazed at Zhong Weiguo’s corpse, shaking my head weakly. “I left him a path to live, but he stubbornly chose death. The beast weeps blood, and dies when the blood is spent. In the end, he fulfilled the fate he set for himself...”