Had the man not withstood Hong Jiu’s attack, one would think he was a ghost with his gangly appearance.
“Who the hell are you? What’s your name?” questioned Hong Jiu.
The man sneered and mumbled with all the words piling over the next. “My name is of no significance. Judging from the way you fight, you can hold your weight. Why oppose my master when you have a bright future?”
Hong Jiu: Still haven’t gotten under his skin?
Starting conversations in an uncouth tone was a psychological tactic Hong Jiu commonly utilised. It could grant him a window into his opponent’s temperament and possibly throw his opponent off their game, giving him an advantage in a fight. In the worst case scenario, it could afford him a window to escape. His opponent this time, however, didn’t bite, which could only mean his opponent was either super tolerant or was so used to abuse that it wasn’t enough to faze him.
“Your master ain’t squat.”
“Shut up! I am showing you respect for your martial prowess. If you do not mind your words, I will not forgive you.”
Bring it own, then!
Hong Jiu wasn’t afraid, but he wasn’t in friendly territory. The last thing he wanted to do was something that’d jeopardised Ming Feizhen’s identity.
“You have no reason to hold anything against me, then. I was just sleep-, sweeping here when your men started on me. You think you can just piss on someone’s shoe and then walk away scot-free? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Same applies no matter where you go in the world.”
Judging from the fact that the man didn’t budge, Hong Jiu assumed only insulting his master would get to him.
“It was not without rhyme or reason, so we cannot be blamed. Do you possess an item that is not yours?”
Irritated, Hong Jiu brayed, “What type of flipping question is that?!” As a beggar, there were few belongings that Hong Jiu didn’t beg to obtain from others, so the question struck a wrong nerve with him.
“It seems the information was correct. This is an unavoidable fight, then.”
“Bring it on!” Hong Jiu slapped his thigh, then stepped into his palm strike.
“Hehe, very good.”
Hong Jiu’s opponent moved after him, yet made it in time to block, prompting Hong Jiu to disengage. After all, his opponent recognised his patterns if he could keep up despite not having the initiative. Hong Jiu’s “God’s Palms” had enough in-built variation for him to attack relentlessly. Howbeit, the more techniques he performed, the higher the risk of exposing his background, particularly in front of someone with a discerning eye.
Although there were plenty of martial artists who practiced palm disciplines, there weren’t many who did so and were named Hong Jiu. As long as someone was willing to think a little, they’d quickly match him up with Ten Thousand Miles Dragon Rider.
“Finally afraid?”
“Afraid? Yes, afraid you’ll piss your pants! Watch this!” Hong Jiu pulled out a flexible blade from his sash.
The man turned his face. “Impressive skills.”
While Hong Jiu could wield all eighteen arms, it would be a stretch to say he was proficient with all of them. To compensate for his lack of skill, he relied on his physical attributes and combat intellect. When his opponent was his equal in those fields, his only option would be to abandon weapons. Thankfully, he wasn’t the sort of man to waste a learning opportunity.
During his stay in Nanjiang, Hong Jiu rematched Moyan Changping, defeating the latter in less than a hundred exchanges. In their first match, Hong Jiu was amazed with Moyan Changping’s techniques. In their second bout, Moyan Changping struggled to impose his will at all. Hong Jiu was the sort of person to learn through doing – through fighting, in this case. During the month that Ming Feizhen was unconscious, Hong Jiu sparred with Moyan Luohou eight times and was utterly defeated on all eight occasions. One could say that Hong Jiu acquired his knowledge on blades through Moyan Luohou.
Hong Jiu picked up Moyan Luohou’s technique, but he didn’t inherit the crafty style. Instead, he slashed away without the deception, cutting up his opponent’s tunic.
Hong Jiu’s opponent: He’s strong and skilled. Hidden Hero’s nickname is Hong Jiu, as well, except he was never said to be an expert with daggers. They couldn’t be the same person.
Because of all the openings Hong Jiu cut open, the black armour his opponent wore underneath became visible. Clearly, his opponent wasn’t weak when he walked around with armour on all the time. Nonetheless, it would be hard to turn the tables if the armed one was to gain the advantage over the unarmed one. Gradually, Hong Jiu restricted his opponent’s movement space.
Though both of them were interrupted for a split second when they heard footsteps, Hong Jiu’s opponent did a better job at capitalising on the moment, thrusting two fingers on the same hand at Hong Jiu’s face, forcing Hong Jiu to cancel his attack to dodge.
“You nearly put a hole in my face,” Hong Jiu complained upon finding room to breathe.
“Sorry, it was a life and death moment, so I had no choice.” The man smiled as though he was never in danger. “People in the pugilistic world call me Master Qi. May I ask for your name?”
Hong Jiu pointed to himself with his thumb. “Master Shiba.”
“I shall remember it. In regards to the item on you, how about we leave it here for today?” Despite speaking as if he was going to pull out, Master Qi’s feet didn’t move.
Hong Jiu was confident he knew what was going through Master Qi’s head. He surmised the people who were approaching were local guards based on their gait and the rattling of their weapons. Most likely, somebody notified the authorities after hearing the sounds of their clash. “You think I’ll be captured?”
“You’re not afraid despite knowing it’s the authorities?”
“Hah, let’s have a bet, shall we? If I am arrested, you owe me a hundred thousand silver taels.”
“Sure. And if you lose?”
“I’d lose?” Hong Jiu remained undaunted.
They were right: it was the authorities. Hong Jiu had more information, though, because he was acquainted with them. Tang Ye, Su Xiao and Bai Yeshuang came into view at the same time.
Hahahaha, hahahaha, a hundred thousand taels! One hundred thousand!
“Hahaha, if they arrest me, I’ll eat dog crap!”
“Hong Jiu, we are taking you in on grounds of suspicion that you are involved in a theft case. Please come with us!”
Nobody said a word for a long, long time.
“I’ll help you,” Master Qi started, breaking the silence with a grin, “find a dog that’s taking a dump.”
