In the tense silence of the night, the young martial artists looked at each other, hesitating, unsure who should be the one to take the first action. In the brief pause, all the young hearts could hear was the frantic beating of their own pulses and the ceaseless mating songs sung by the male crickets.
The Man in Black broke the silence, pointing his sword at the wounded Zhou Guotin. "Where is he?"
Zhou Guotin spat out a mouthful of blood, looking at the Man in Black with cold defiance. "He is dead. He has been dead for several months."
The Man in Black's reply was simple, lethal. "I don't believe you."
The Man in Black lunged forward with his sword, but suddenly, a butterfly sword flew directly toward him. The Man in Black blocked the incoming blade, but before he could recover, another butterfly sword swung in from his left. The Man in Black abruptly retreated to avoid being cut. Rao Zhengsheng seized the opening and kicked the assassin hard, causing the Man in Black to stagger back a few steps.
At this moment, Dong Lanying, though weak, swung her sword from behind the Man in Black. The assassin quickly bent down and delivered a sharp strike to Dong Lanying's right rib, causing her to cry out and back away instantly.
The Man in Black pointed his sword at Dong Lanying, his voice laced with cold threat. "You, stay down." He turned around and fixed his cold gaze on her. "I don't need to repeat myself." He then rushed toward Rao Zhengsheng, and the two began to fight with devastating speed.
Li Fu, seizing the opportunity presented by the chaos, announced loudly, standing aside. "Young man in black… it seems we have common enemies; I will help you get rid of some." He rushed straight toward Cao Wenyan and Cao Yanmei, immediately engaging the Cao siblings.
While the others engaged in the swirling, new fight, Yuan Xiurong focused on Yongzheng's wound. She drew out the small dagger and examined the cut. "The wound is not bad; no important arteries have been touched." She reassured him, with a gentle tone. "As long as there is no infection, it will be cured in two or three days." She quickly left him to check on the critical injuries of Zhou Guotin.
Xue Horan limped over to Yongzheng. He took out his handkerchief, folded it neatly in half, and placed it on Yongzheng's bleeding arm. "Press hard, it will stop the bleeding," he said gently. He then turned to watch Rao Zhengsheng fight the Man in Black, his heart in his throat.
The Man in Black was relentless. He jumped up and delivered a ferocious triple kick aimed directly at Rao Zhengsheng's chest. Rao Zhengsheng quickly blocked the three powerful kicks and was forced to retreat toward the injured Zhou Guotin, pushing the fight into a more crowded space. The attack of the Man in Black was even more fierce; every move was clearly aimed at taking Rao Zhengsheng's life.
Despite the Man in Black's explicit threat, Dong Lanying was not deterred. She drew her sword out of its sheath and attacked the man in black fiercely from behind. The Man in Black instantly turned and delivered a retaliatory strike to Dong Lanying's abdomen, forcing her to stumble backward. He positioned himself squarely in front of both her and Rao Zhengsheng.
He looked at Dong Lanying; his voice laced with cold command. "I told you to stop and stand down."
Dong Lanying, gasping from the pain but utterly defiant, replied, "I will not allow you to hurt my da shixiong!"
The Man in Black's patience ran out. "If you come at me again, I will strike to injure you."
Dong Lanying ignored him completely. She raised her sword and attacked the Man in Black in coordination with Rao Zhengsheng. As she swung her sword, the Man in Black caught Dong Lanying's right hand in a vice-like grip and slammed a strong punch into her abdomen, sending her flying. She crashed onto the already broken table where the bodies of Su Lie Jie and Yen Shoi Ming lay, groaning in pain.
Seeing the brutal attack on his shijie, Xue Horan sprang into action. He drew his own sword, grabbed the butterfly sword that Rao Zhengsheng had dropped on the ground during the fight, and limped straight toward the Man in Black. He quickly threw the butterfly sword to Rao Zhengsheng, who caught it and immediately positioned both butterfly swords behind his belt, ready for a renewed, more intimate attack.
Xue Horan attacked from the right, while Rao Zhengsheng attacked from the left. The two now assailed the Man in Black, striking from all directions and utilizing coordinated, alternating blows. The combined, frantic skill of the two heroes made it exceedingly difficult for the Man in Black to press his attack on Rao Zhengsheng. All the mysterious assassin could do was focus desperately on protecting himself from being stabbed.
Driven by desperation, Rao Zhengsheng violently kicked the Man in Black, then grabbed Xue Horan's left hand and hurled him at the assassin. Xue Horan instinctively delivered a powerful kick. The Man in Black blocked their combined footwork and slid back toward the kitchen area. He then loosened a threaded needle flying directly at Xue Horan.
Rao Zhengsheng rushed to Xue Horan, using his sword to quickly wind the needle and thread onto the blade. He thrust his sword forward sharply, forcing the Man in Black to stabilize his position.
Suddenly, Cao Wenyan rushed in front of Rao Zhengsheng and delivered a fierce blow to the fighter's right side.
Xue Horan, seeing the attack coming, quickly moved his body from Rao Zhengsheng's left to his right, wrapping his arms around his Zhen Ge. Cao Wenyan's powerful fist directly hit Xue Horan's left back. Both Xue Horan and Rao Zhengsheng were sent flying twenty yards away by the force of the impact.
Cao Wenyan lunged to stab the two downed men, but a sword struck his own blade, diverting his attack. Cao Wenyan parried the unseen attack, forcing the sword to fly back to its master's scabbard.
Cao Wenyan said coldly, "Yong Taihua."
Yong Taihua stepped forward, a serene look on his face. "Cao gongzi, I apologize, but there is no misunderstanding that cannot be resolved."
Following Yong Taihua were several influential figures: Yong Caixia, the five members of Sword Village (Yan Zhanjin, Chen Dandan, Kuo Wenqian, Liu Hung, and three Jinfeng Sect disciples). The battlefield had instantly become overcrowded.
The Man in Black used the distraction to strike, swinging three daggers at Cao Wenyan before flying away quickly, escaping the new, overwhelming faction.
Li Fu, seeing his opportunity, quickly grabbed Cao Yanmei, but Yongzheng rushed forward and hit Li Fu's hands with his feet, forcing him to release her. Yongzheng then kicked Li Fu's right shoulder, sending the island chief crashing onto the clotheslines. Li Fu, recovering quickly, shot a small dagger at Cao Yanmei, and then escaped into the darkness of the night.
When Li Fu's dagger flew towards Cao Yanmei, Yongzheng dashed forward, pulled Cao Yanmei back, and slapped the dagger away from her face.
Li Fu quickly followed the Man in Black into the back mountain. He thought he saw the Man in Black, but as soon as he walked into the clearing, the figure was gone.
Li Fu frowned. "Damn... that bastard shouldn't be too far away." Immediately, the cold tip of a sword pointed on the right side of Li Fu's neck. Li Fu's face turned pale.
The Man in Black's voice was dangerously calm. "Why are you following me?"
Li Fu tried a smooth answer. "I admire you. Is this a good enough reason?"
The Man in Black pressed him. "Where is your position on the steps?"
Li Fu smiled weakly and slowly shook his head. "Second." The Man in Black slowly retracted his sword, and Li Fu turned to face the mysterious assassin. "You ask me as if you know who I am?"
The Man in Black looked at him and said, flatly, "Li Fu, a member of Seventy-two Islands, the second leader of Seventy-two Islands."
Li Fu, intrigued and respectful, asked, "Then tell me, where is your position on the steps?"
The Man in Black simply glanced at Li Fu and tossed a small pendant: a sapphire jade with the word "one" written on it.
Li Fu looked at the sapphire jade, his eyes wide. He muttered to himself, "One..." Looking up at the Man in Black, he gasped, "Number one!" Li Fu immediately knelt down on both knees, holding the sapphire jade in both hands and looking down at the ground. "Li Fu, second leader of Seventy-two Islands. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Chief."
The Man in Black took the sapphire jade back from Li Fu. He knelt down and grabbed Li Fu's arms, seemingly to help him up.
Li Fu, relieved and deferential, said, "Chief, please punish me for failing to recognize you." He smiled. "Where have you been all these years?"
The Man in Black answered, "I..." and ruthlessly pierced his sword into Li Fu's abdomen.
Li Fu snorted in pain and grabbed the Man's mask. Li Fu coughed up blood. Seeing the man's face, he was stunned. He pointed at the Man in Black, his voice strained. "It's you... how could you be the Chief of the Seventy-two Islands? Since you are..."
The Man in Black pierced the sword deeper into Li Fu's abdomen and twisted the blade into his body. Li Fu fell to his knees, dying. The Man in Black fixed his mask and kicked Li Fu's chest. Li Fu fell to the ground and died.
The Man in Black looked down at the body. "There are many things that stupid people like you will never understand. At least your death serves a purpose." The Man in Black then turned and walked into the night.