Chapter 216 - 214: A Night of Fish and Dragon Dance (Part 7)

Chapter 216: Chapter 214: A Night of Fish and Dragon Dance (Part 7)

"Can... can you take me over there?"

Li Huaisuang came pattering back, grabbed Fu Juemin’s sleeve, and tilted her small face up to look at him pleadingly, her eyes glistening with anxious tears.

"Over where?"

"To... to Little Fish’s side!"

She turned and pointed to the center of the massive, roaring whirlpool on the river’s surface. "It needs me right now!"

"You want me to swim over there with you on my back?"

Fu Juemin shook his head, stating the facts in a level voice. "We’d be torn apart by that whirlpool or swept over the sluice gate before we ever got there."

"I..."

Li Huaisuang was at a loss for words, clearly realizing how unrealistic her idea was. But seeing the colossal shadow struggling desperately in the whirlpool, she was seized by a profound sense of powerlessness.

She bit her lower lip hard as large teardrops rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t form a complete sentence, only looking at Fu Juemin in silent appeal.

WHOOSH—

A faint sound of something slicing through the air, almost completely masked by the roar of the water, suddenly rang out!

A light breeze stirred the bangs on Li Huaisuang’s forehead.

For a moment, she was bewildered. She only saw Fu Juemin in front of her casually lift a hand, the movement as light as if he were brushing dust from her shoulder.

When she subconsciously turned her head—

She saw Fu Juemin’s hand hovering beside her cheek. Pinched securely between his long, fair index and middle fingers was a piece of iron that glinted with a cold light.

The iron weapon was shaped like a plum blossom, with four sharpened edges. It was a Plum Blossom Dart, exquisitely crafted. Right now... it was still emitting a low BUZZ between Fu Juemin’s fingers, as if a poisonous hornet were frantically beating its wings.

How could Li Huaisuang not recognize what this was? Her little face instantly turned deathly pale. She was quick-witted, though, and immediately ducked behind Fu Juemin.

Fu Juemin studied the Hidden Weapon he had caught so casually for a moment, then tossed it aside like a piece of trash.

CLANG—

As the iron dart clattered to the ground, Fu Juemin looked up. In the shadows of the abandoned warehouse near the sluice gate, figures emerged one by one, silent and wraithlike, as if seeping up from the earth.

The moonlight outlined their varied figures and the cold, grim shapes of the weapons in their hands.

"Who threw the Plum Blossom Dart?"

The one in the lead was an old man with a sallow face and high cheekbones.

His eyes were sinister. A long, withered, gray braid was coiled around his slightly veiny neck like a dead snake. He wore an old-style palace robe of dark silver, embroidered with intricate toad patterns, and exuded an aura that was a mixture of decay, coldness, and murderous intent.

"How many times have I said it..."

The old man in the silver robe spoke in a grim tone, his gaze sweeping over his companions like a viper. "I want him alive. Toad Palace wants him alive. If he’s dead... everyone’s reward is cut in half!"

Hearing this, the surrounding Jianghu Wanderers, each with their own unique attire and disposition, merely tilted their heads, their expressions flippant and unconcerned.

The silver-robed old man’s face darkened, but he knew these people were not his subordinates. They were just hyenas drawn by the scent of profit. There were some things he could only say so much about.

The crowd spread out, slowly forming a semicircle around Fu Juemin and Li Huaisuang.

The sound of cutting wind rose again! Tang Jing, dual blades in hand, darted onto the scene and came to a stop nearby, panting slightly. Behind her, the group of Revolutionaries in trench coats, holding short pistols, followed closely, quickly forming a defensive perimeter.

But this only drew a few cursory glances from the silver-robed old man’s party, who clearly didn’t consider them a threat.

"Well, now... ganging up on the little guy, are we!"

A sudden voice drew everyone’s attention.

On the dam, three figures were seen walking out slowly.

The moonlight showered them without reservation.

One man was built as solid as a mountain, dressed in the short-style clothes of an old-fashioned cart driver, and held a glossy black Qi Mei Stick. Another was as tall and thin as bamboo, with a deathly pale face and vacant eyes, who seemed to float as he walked. The last was a handsome, well-dressed, wealthy young master in his forties, a cynical smile playing on his lips. He was the one who had just spoken.

The trio entered the scene, ignoring the many Jianghu Wanderers as if they were nothing. They walked straight to Fu Juemin and Li Huaisuang’s side, facing the silver-robed old man and blocking the many hostile gazes.

"Instructor, Smoker, Young Master..."

Someone on the silver-robed old man’s side recognized the three and blurted out, "You’re the former Shenghai Thirteen Taibao?!"

"You’ve got a good eye."

The wealthy Young Master smiled and clapped his hands. "A reward!"

As he spoke, a flash of dark silver shot out from under his sleeve, so fast it left only a blurred afterimage in the moonlight.

In the corresponding direction, someone grunted and stumbled back several steps uncontrollably.

Once he managed to steady himself, everyone saw that a silver coin, its edge stained with blood, was deeply embedded in his shoulder, where the cloth was torn and the flesh was split open!

A soft gasp went through the crowd. The way many of them looked at the trio changed instantly, and the advancing formation subtly retreated.

Having intimidated the entire crowd with a single, casual move, the wealthy Young Master chuckled, then leisurely turned to look at Fu Juemin.

"Ding Moshan gave special instructions to protect your hide, kid."

His tone was casual, but his eyes held a warning. "When the fighting starts... be smart and stay behind us."

Fu Juemin met his gaze calmly and said nothing.

The latter seemed slightly displeased by his attitude, frowning a little, but didn’t say anything and quickly turned back around.

The arrival of the three "Taibao" made the silver-robed old man’s expression darken slightly, but his eyes showed no panic. Instead, a cruel, cold smile touched his lips as he silently faced them.

The air grew still. The only sounds were the roar of the whirlpool in the river’s center and the splashing of the struggling Fish Demon, like a heavy heartbeat.

SPLASH—!!!

Another huge wave crashed against the bank. The Fish Demon in the whirlpool seemed to have reached some kind of limit, its struggles growing more violent.

The massive sound was like the flip of a switch.

The stalemate was shattered in an instant!

Under the moonlight, the "Instructor," dressed as a cart driver, was the first to move!

With a low shout, his Qi Mei Stick became a black blur, striking with the terrifying momentum of one that could split mountains and crack stone. He took the lead, aiming straight for the silver-robed old man’s face!

A long, narrow sword suddenly slid out from the old man’s hanging sleeve, but before he could make a move, a towering, dark figure shot out from his side.

Faced with the ferocious, powerful strike of the Instructor’s stick, this person didn’t dodge or evade, but actually reached out to grab it with his bare hands!

CLANG!—

Amidst the dull, deafening sound of metal striking metal, a shockwave erupted!

The attacking Instructor, a look of utter disbelief on his face, was actually forced back two steps by the impact!

But the dark figure who had caught the stick with his bare hands only swayed slightly, remaining firm as a mountain.

The force of the blow tore at his wide black robe, ripping it to shreds and instantly revealing the chilling body beneath—

It was a true Steel Body!

A formidable frame nearly two meters tall, its entire body giving off the cold, matte sheen of dark metal! In the center of its chest, beneath a patch of cloth, something glowed a deep red, as if burning fiercely, the scorching heat even distorting the air around it.

From its major joints, jets of white, high-pressure steam HISSed out, condensing into large clouds of mist in the cold night.

"A Western cyborg?!"

Having been thrown back by the blow, the Instructor saw the figure’s appearance clearly. His pupils shrank as he blurted out the words.

Almost simultaneously, another person beside the silver-robed old man ripped off their disguise, revealing a well-tailored white tuxedo that was completely out of place, and an exquisite half-mask of metal on their face.

The two cyborgs stood side-by-side, their four eyes scanning the crowd with beams of emotionless crimson light. Faintly, one could almost hear the CLICKING of precision gears and moving linkages from within their bodies.

In the silent, cold night by the Jiangfeng Dam, there was an indescribably eerie and unsettling feeling.

"I was wondering where you got the confidence to show up with a bunch of small fry. Turns out you had an ace up your sleeve..."

The Young Master, looking every bit the wealthy heir, narrowed his eyes as he studied the two cyborgs. He said slowly, "I never would have expected the great Toad Palace to be colluding with Westerners..."

Previously, only the three Taibao and the Toad Palace’s silver-robed old man—four people in total—were Great Martial Family masters who had entered the Gratitude Sensing Realm. As for the rest, the strongest among them were only at the Tongxuan level.

Now, with the appearance of two Western cyborgs of immeasurable strength, it was no wonder the silver-robed old man had been so fearless and arrogant.

Hearing the Young Master’s sarcastic words, the silver-robed old man, holding his silver rapier, wasn’t angered. He just smiled cruelly. "Tonight, your so-called ’good-for-nothing Taibao’... will be erased from the Jianghu for good!"

"With just your level of strength..."

The Young Master’s lips curled up, a sharp glint in his eyes. As he spoke, he sauntered forward casually. "...aren’t you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?"

The Instructor at his side also hefted his stick and followed, each of them picking a target.

The appearance of the two Western cyborgs was unexpected, but their confidence, born of their own great strength, meant they were not particularly afraid.

The second round of the great battle was about to erupt. But Fu Juemin, who had been standing to the side with Li Huaisuang like a detached spectator, suddenly frowned.

His gaze fell on Smoker, who was standing behind the Young Master and the Instructor.

—At this moment, Smoker’s head was bowed, his eyes darting back and forth rapidly, and the muscles in his face twitched intermittently.

His withered fingers rose and fell, then rose again... as if he were in the throes of some extremely intense and painful internal struggle.

Fu Juemin followed Smoker’s flickering gaze carefully. A suspicion formed in his mind, but he couldn’t be sure.

After a moment’s thought, he couldn’t help but call out a warning: "Watch out!"

The instant the words left his mouth, Smoker, who had been hesitating for so long, looked up.

Under the moonlight, the face of "Smoker"—the most unassuming of the three Taibao—suddenly twisted into a demonic snarl. His pale, gaunt face, ravaged by addiction, became hideous.

He shot forward almost before Fu Juemin’s warning was even spoken. His target—

Was none other than the unsuspecting Young Master, whose back was completely exposed!