Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Remnants of Xindu Mountain
The man before him was clad in black, around thirty years old, with a deep scar running across his face, giving him a fierce and ugly countenance. In his hands, he gripped two blades, their tips resting on the ground, reflecting a cold, menacing light.
“He’s dangerous!”
A hostile guest, never a friendly one! Feng Xiaobao narrowed his eyes, sizing him up, then cautiously approached.
The swordsman in black rasped out, “Did you kill Tian Anding, the Twin-Blade General of Xindu Mountain?”
“That was me, Feng.”
“Good. I am his brother, Tian Anning. I’ve come to claim your life. When you meet Tian Anding in the afterlife, don’t forget my name—tell him it was I who sent you!”
“So you’re one of the remnants from Xindu Mountain. Enough talk—let me send you to meet your brother. Come on, baby!”
“What did you say?” Tian Anning couldn’t understand his words.
“I said, ‘Fool, watch out for my spear!’” Feng Xiaobao laughed loudly, unleashing his spear.
Tian Anning flew into a rage, and the two clashed fiercely, blades and spear colliding with a cacophony of strikes, sparks flying everywhere, locked in a deadly struggle.
Compared to Tian Anding, Tian Anning’s blade technique was even more brutal. His twin blades stabbed and slashed wildly, often risking his own life for the kill, exuding a vicious, bloody aura.
If it were anyone else, faced with such relentless assault, they’d quickly lose composure, barely managing to fend off the attacks before realizing the enemy had already closed in, blades poised to strike, placing them in immediate peril. Or, perhaps, they’d try to escape, only to be routed, unable to regroup for another assault.
But Feng Xiaobao was something else. Sometimes he retreated rapidly, sometimes he advanced swiftly, his spear technique never faltering.
“Clang!”
Blade met spear, and the two figures sprang apart, each assuming their stance—Feng Xiaobao holding his bright silver spear steady, aimed at Tian Anning, while Tian Anning brandished his twin blades parallel before him.
Feng Xiaobao couldn’t handle the Golden Blade King, but Tian Anning didn’t intimidate him.
“No wonder Tian Anding fell to him—he’s got some skill!” Tian Anning thought to himself, twirling his blades and launching another assault.
He pressed the attack for over ten moves, initially forcing Feng Xiaobao back. But once his momentum waned, Feng Xiaobao turned the tables, pressing him instead.
Yet Tian Anning retreated without disorder, luring Feng Xiaobao beneath a two-story building. There, Tian Anning unleashed his double-bladed technique, blocking the silver spear, then slashing with full force toward Feng Xiaobao’s neck.
The strike was perilous. Feng Xiaobao, his spear spent, had no choice but to retreat.
Just then, a figure in yellow leapt down from the rooftop of the second floor, blade flashing like a golden cloud descending, targeting the very spot where Feng Xiaobao could no longer retreat.
On the other side, Tian Anning seized the moment, charging forward with his twin blades, cutting down at Feng Xiaobao without hesitation.
A pincer attack—let’s see how Feng Xiaobao handles this!
Seeing victory within reach, Tian Anning’s eyes gleamed with wild delight. “Boy, you’re dead!”
At that very instant, the twang of a bowstring rang out!
Hidden atop the second-floor roof, the would-be assassin who aimed to ambush Feng Xiaobao never expected that while he hunted the mantis, the oriole would strike from behind. The arrow came swift as lightning, and as he leapt down to catch his prey unawares, he was hit squarely, falling heavily to the ground like a sack of rice.
The ambushers failed, taken out instead—and by a master archer!
Shocked, Tian Anning’s blade faltered for a breath, giving Feng Xiaobao his chance. He unleashed his spear technique in full!
Stabbing, thrusting, chopping, sweeping, blocking!
Spinning and twisting, like a dragon soaring and dancing, swift and fierce, every thrust aimed at Tian Anning’s vital points, driving him back step by step.
The terrain changed as their battle pushed them to the end of the street, where open fields flanked the road, and in the distance, the gates of Luoyang City came into view.
Bathed in sunlight, Feng Xiaobao’s spirits soared, his spear rhythm tightening, spearhead flashing, as Tian Anning fought desperately to defend.
But it was futile. The bright silver spear struck his chest, piercing through his heart in one blow!
Recovering his spear, Feng Xiaobao formed a sword finger with his left hand and gripped the spear in his right, gazing coldly at his opponent.
Tian Anning looked at the blood spurting from his chest, fell backward, and his final sight was a graceful figure approaching from afar.
Tang Tian!
“Thank you,” Feng Xiaobao said sincerely.
“No need to thank me—you could have handled it yourself,” Tang Tian replied with a gentle smile.
It was only natural that Feng Xiaobao couldn’t defeat the Golden Blade King; the man was a true general, beyond his reach. But Tian Anning was only at the captain level—even with an ambusher, Feng Xiaobao still had a fair chance. (Otherwise, Tian Anning wouldn’t have bothered with an ambush.)
“You can’t say that. At least I couldn’t beat the Golden Blade King—why didn’t you shoot him as well?”
Tang Tian gave him a side glance. “He had the intent to kill, but not the will. Why should I waste an arrow on him?”
Such perceptiveness—a true veteran. Seems she’s not easily fooled elsewhere either, Feng Xiaobao thought with some regret.
Only seasoned fighters know the difference between intent and will to kill.
“I saw the two Yangs—they’re both fine,” Tang Tian informed him.
“That’s good.”
The ones sent to intercept Yang Debiao and Yang Deyong were disciples of the Golden Blade King’s grandsons. Once the fight broke out, the experienced Yang brothers realized their opponents showed killing intent but not will—they only meant to block their way, not kill them. (It was simple: they avoided striking at vital points.) With that understanding, both sides fought spiritedly, but no one was harmed.
“Unbelievable! My black horse—worth one hundred fifty strings of coin!”
Though no one was hurt, it was a pity his well-trained horse suffered. The loss was not just money, but the time spent training.
“Our family’s ranch has a market in Luoyang. I’ll take you to find a few good horses!” Tang Tian, true to her wealthy and bold nature, spoke casually of picking out several fine steeds—oh, to be kept!
She had come on horseback, riding her own, with another horse belonging to Tang Zhiling.
Such a clever girl—why not just one horse, so we could ride together? Seems even the ‘big and brainless’ label won’t stick to her, Feng Xiaobao lamented, mounting Tang Zhiling’s horse. His own recognized him, and with Tang Tian’s soothing, allowed him to ride.
After two waves of enemy resistance, they reached Luoyang’s city gate without further hindrance. The gate guards knew Feng Xiaobao well—he often took this route and had gifted them plenty of coins—so he and Tang Tian entered the city unimpeded.
There were no more ambushes within the city. First, the enemy wasn’t omnipotent—mobilizing two waves was already impressive. Second, a major brawl inside the city would cause a scandal, forcing the authorities, for the sake of reporting to the court, to intervene.
They soon arrived at the Princess’s residence. Upon inquiry, they learned the Princess was home.
Feng Xiaobao went to see the Princess, while Tang Tian returned to her own estate.
He entered the Princess’s residence confidently. Hearing from a maid that the Princess was in the side hall discussing matters, he went there directly.
Entering the hall, he was amused by the sight before him. “Hey, isn’t that Old Nurse?”
Old Nurse Jian Sanlang knelt before the Princess, bitterly complaining about having been forced by Feng Xiaobao’s men to eat horse dung, trying to secretly accuse him—only to be caught red-handed by Feng Xiaobao himself.
He had traveled by donkey cart early in the morning, while Feng Xiaobao had ridden swiftly, so their arrival times were not far apart, both entering the residence one after the other.