Chapter Ninety: A Master of the Sword Way

But those who were true practitioners of the ancient martial arts had all heard of masters of the inner schools. It did not take long before some of them realized what they were seeing and recognized that both men were inner-school experts who had cultivated internal energy. They could not help feeling stirred with excitement.

“Hmph. Such a trivial bit of internal force is nothing compared with our sword energy,” muttered a young man softly from the darkness at the rear of the crowd, where several men from the island nation stood in silence.

“The land of China is vast and rich, and capable fighters emerge in great numbers. Though they cannot compare with the great masters of our nation’s sword way, there are still some fairly powerful experts among them. Those who can cultivate internal energy are not many,” said another of the islanders, a man with a small mustache, nodding as he spoke.

“But that young man is too young. To have developed internal energy at such an age—if he is allowed a few more years, will he not become even stronger? That would be extremely unfavorable to the martial way of our great nation. Later, let us find a chance to kill him first,” the younger man whispered.

“Very well. It seems Lord Tianxiong may need us to act before long. We can take that chance to kill him and call it an accidental misstep in the duel. Surely these Chinese will not dare say anything,” the mustached man agreed.

While the islanders were plotting, gusts of wind roared through the little courtyard. Both fighters had released their internal force; any casual punch or palm strike that landed upon the surrounding rocks, walls, or pillars would leave a hole or scatter debris across the ground, and that was only the aftershock of their clashing energy.

Watching the two men constantly shift and weave, those around them retreated one after another, not daring to draw near the battlefield for fear of being caught in the aftermath and gravely injured. Only now did many truly understand the might of an inner-school master.

“So he truly had not been fighting with all his strength. But is this his full power now?” Tan Ying had withdrawn into the crowd, surrounded by the very experts who had also been defeated by Chen Fengyun, yet these thoughts turned silently in her mind.

Whenever they had fought Chen Fengyun, they had all felt him formidable. Yet each time he later met someone stronger than they were, he revealed still greater power. And now he had displayed the strength of an inner-school master. One could not help but wonder whether he still concealed more.

“Who on earth is he? Whose disciple could he possibly be? At such a young age, he is already an inner-school master. In the future, will he not shake the entire martial world?” At the thought, Tan Ying’s eyes brightened.

Bang, bang, bang...

Yet the battle between Chen Fengyun and Elder Gu continued. Elder Gu had brought forth the true essence of Wing Chun; every move carried breadth and dignity, open and upright, its pressure surging straight at the face.

Chen Fengyun’s martial skill, by contrast, was extraordinarily strange. Beyond Eight Trigrams Palm, Eight Extremes Fist, and Dragon-Seizing Hand, he also knew the Tan family leg techniques, as well as Hung Fist, Praying Mantis Fist, Long-Arm Fist, Five Elements Fist, and even a few moves from Jeet Kune Do and Wing Chun.

In short, Chen Fengyun’s repertoire was a mixed assortment, and there was no single style in which he seemed exceptionally refined. Yet in his hands, every art he used somehow displayed a power fully equal to Elder Gu’s.

“My young friend, to what school do you belong? Why do I not see you using the martial art of your own sect?” Elder Gu actually still had the leisure to ask.

“I belong to no school, but I know a little of every school’s art. For example, I know a bit of your Wing Chun as well, Elder Gu,” Chen Fengyun said with a smile. Then his boxing style shifted, and he truly began to use Wing Chun.

After fighting Elder Gu for several minutes, he had already grasped the essence of Elder Gu’s Wing Chun. Now, with that single change in style, he displayed it, and at once his moves became exactly the same as Elder Gu’s.

Moreover, no matter how Elder Gu varied his techniques, Chen Fengyun could always move after him yet arrive first. Not only did he employ the same art, he did so even faster, leaving everyone in utter shock.

Bang...

Two minutes later, the force of their fists collided. Then Elder Gu suddenly leapt out of the circle and ceased attacking. Chen Fengyun naturally did not pursue; there had been more sparring than hostility between them.

Whoosh...

But just as Chen Fengyun had stopped, a sharp whistle suddenly split the air above. The sound was fierce and thick with killing intent as it came straight for the crown of his head.

Boom...

Chen Fengyun seemed unsurprised. In an instant, he shifted half a foot to the side. A razor-sharp blade aura descended from above and struck the ground beside him with a thunderous crash, cutting a crack more than a meter long into the earth.

“Get out here.”

The blade aura vanished, yet no one around could see who had struck. At that moment Chen Fengyun gave a cold snort and, with a wave of his hand, punched toward the air off to one side. The gale of his fist howled forth.

Boom...

At that same instant, another fierce blade aura erupted from midair and collided head-on with Chen Fengyun’s fist wind. The violent impact burst into a powerful shockwave, instantly forcing a transparent figure in the air into view.

That person flipped lightly and landed on the ground about three meters from Chen Fengyun. When the crowd looked closely, they saw a man dressed in a black robe, wooden clogs on his feet, the front half of his head shaved bare while the back bore a small braid. He was, unmistakably, a man from the island nation.

“Excellent.”

Sure enough, when he raised his head, he proved to be a young man of that nation. In his hand he held a long tachi over five feet in length, its blade bright as snow and giving off wave after wave of cold menace.

“What? Qin Tianxiong actually had a hidden sword master from the island nation at his side?” someone cried out in alarm.

“That strike just now was a complete sneak attack. That islander wanted to kill Chen Fengyun,” one martial artist said in a low voice, having seen through it.

“That’s right. He is extremely powerful—a master of the sword way who has cultivated blade aura. Chen Fengyun may be in trouble,” said others who did not think well of his chances.

“Mr. Quanlang, this brat has offended me. I leave him to you now,” Qin Tianxiong cried out in delight. He knew very well how formidable this swordsman was, and behind him stood an even more terrifying master of the sword way.

“Lord Tianxiong is our good friend. You dare act against him—that is an insult to us. Today I will let you Chinese see the power of the sword way of our great nation,” Quanlang said in clumsy, halting speech.

“Honestly, for a stammerer, speaking seems far too much trouble for you. You’d be better off mute. So, Qin Tianxiong, it turns out your real support was not those weapons, but these few island devils?” Chen Fengyun shot back coldly, then turned to ask Qin Tianxiong.

“Chen Fengyun, Lord Quanlang is an executive of the multinational Yamada Kinship Corporation, and also a good friend of the three of us. Naturally, he is also a master swordsman. Today, Lord Quanlang dislikes what you have done and wishes to teach you a lesson. Don’t tell me you are afraid?” Qin Tianxiong said with a sneer, as though he had suddenly found confidence.

“So the islanders have given you quite extraordinary courage. No wonder you are willing to serve them, even becoming a traitor to your own people without hesitation. If I do not expose your ugly face and filthy dealings today, I fear you will never give up. Very well—then let us begin with this island dog.”