From the shadows the Black Wind Three Fiends leapt forth, landing with a thud. In unison they cupped their fists toward Sima Lun and flattered loudly:
"Brother Sima! Your divine skill is peerless, none under Heaven can match you—the Black Wind Three Fiends bow in awe!"
Tianshu Gate Master Zeng Cheng's eyes flashed coldly as he barked:"Black Wind Three! Incapable in your own right, yet you seek an outsider to seize our sect's secret canon? Truly shameless beyond compare!"
The Three Fiends flinched but quickly masked their unease with crooked smiles. Zhu Xie, the eldest, chuckled harshly:"Master Zeng, though your Northern Dipper Sect is indeed of lofty name, keeping the True Canon locked away in your hands is nothing but waste. Hand it over to us, the Black Wind Three, and this supreme art will at last shine in its true glory!"
The Masters bristled with rage. Wang Feng, new leader of the sect, thundered:"Petty villains daring to prattle so wildly! Unless we reclaim the Canon today, we are no men!"
The Black Wind Three Fiends were infamous across the Jianghu—depraved rogues who preyed upon the weak and had even colluded with foreign marauders to ambush righteous heroes.
Zhu Xing, known as Zhu the Fiend, was cunning and treacherous, a master of plots and ambushes.
Hou Sheng, gaunt-faced with monkey-like jaws, called Hou the Fiend, excelled in stealth and lightness skill, striking from shadows with cruel precision.
Zeng Chang, dubbed Zeng the Fiend, relied on brute force and hardened body skill, fierce in direct combat though less subtle than his brothers.
Together, their venomous arts had long plagued the martial world.
At this moment, Sima Lun strolled forward, True Canon in hand, smiling slyly as his eyes swept over the trio. With a mocking air, he extended the book toward Zhu the Fiend:"Here it is, the treasure you've so long coveted."
The Three Fiends were overjoyed, yet as Zhu reached for it, a chill pricked his heart. His face stiffened, suspicion flashing in his eyes. Forcing a grin, he stammered:"Brother Sima… perhaps… now is not the best time…"
Sima Lun arched a brow, feigning surprise:"What? Was it not you who begged me to seize this for you? This very thing you've dreamed of day and night?"
Hou and Zeng exchanged a nervous glance, sweat breaking on their foreheads. Hastily they joined Zhu in fawning:"Brother Sima, yes, we want it indeed—but with this mob surrounding us, we'll never escape alive! Might we trouble you to… dispose of these meddlesome fellows first?"
Zhu forced another smile:"Indeed, Brother Sima, once the path is clear, we can properly claim the book!"
Sima Lun laughed, his eyes gleaming with mockery. Tapping the Canon with his finger, he drawled:"You want me to act? Not impossible…"
Zhu's eyes lit. "Then Brother Sima means…?"
Sima Lun's smile vanished, replaced by a thin, cold curve:"But first, show me your worth. If you cannot even withstand these Northern Dipper disciples, then this Canon is useless in your hands. Go—hold them off! If you falter, then I will act."
The Three Fiends blanched but had no choice. Gritting their teeth, they answered as one:"Yes!"
Zeng Cheng sneered:"To steal our Canon and expect to walk away? Black Wind Three, today you meet justice!"
Hou the Fiend shouted bravely, "With Brother Sima behind us, what need have we of fear!"Zeng the Fiend echoed, "With Brother Sima's unmatched might, we fear no man!"
Though older than Sima Lun, they fawned upon him shamelessly, showering him with "Brother Sima" from left to right. All knew he was eccentric, a lone rogue of the Jianghu who thrived on mischief—neither wholly wicked, yet forever stirring calamity.
But for Wang Feng, on the very day he ascended as Sect Master, to have intruders snatch away the Canon was intolerable. His brows shot up, his eyes blazed. He roared:"No matter who you are, the Canon of our sect must remain! None shall leave with it alive!"
Zeng the Fiend barked back:"Do not think us so easily bullied! I'll be the first to test the new Master!"
With reckless bravado he lunged, palm striking. Wang Feng merely snorted coldly. If I show no strength today, the sect will be mocked forever. Holding steady, he lured his foe closer. Zeng the Fiend, emboldened by Sima Lun's shadow, pressed rashly forward. But Wang Feng's footwork shifted like the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams; his palms met the attack with dazzling speed.
Suddenly Wang Feng's hand cut inward, a crushing strike driving deep. Bang! Zeng the Fiend flew back, crashed to the ground, and spat blood in defeat.
The other two Fiends reeled in terror. Hou rushed to lift his fallen brother, while Zhu quivered, stammering:"Brother Sima, it seems only you can handle this!"
Nothing pleased Sima Lun more than such groveling. Elated, he turned to Wang Feng with a sly smile:"So—you are the new Sect Master?"
Wang Feng stood tall, voice like steel:"I am!"
At once Sima Lun's heart tightened. This man's strength is formidable. To seize another sect's Canon is to commit a grave taboo… He lowered his stance, speaking lightly:"The Black Wind Three merely wish to borrow your Canon. What say you, Master Wang?"
But Wang Feng's fury was unquenchable."Sima Lun! Spit out the Canon or be spared no longer!"
At this, Sima Lun's face darkened. Accustomed to endless flattery from the Fiends, he could not stomach such defiance. His temper snapped:"Very well! Show me your strength, Master Wang. One against one, as Jianghu law decrees! Zhu the Fiend, hold the Canon—watch as I punish him and avenge your brother!"
"Shameless villain!" Wang Feng spat. "You've committed a grave sin, stealing another sect's secret treasure, and dare prattle of rules? Very well—if it is one-on-one you want, then one-on-one it shall be!"
With that, Sima Lun lunged, a palm thrusting straight toward Wang Feng's chest. Wang Feng pivoted, parried with his left, and counter-struck with his right. Their palms collided with a thunderous crack! Both staggered back several paces.
Wang Feng's eyes narrowed. This man's power rivals my own. To win, I must give my all.
Sima Lun, too, felt a chill. This opponent is no trifler. Yet I've gone too far to retreat. I must prove myself here!
They clashed again—palms and fists blazing. Wang Feng launched his sect's signature Seven-Star Palm, crying out as he struck with the move Swift Meteor Step. Sima Lun countered fiercely, spinning into his own art, the Sixteen Whirlwind Palms.
Bodies blurred, palms whistled. One moment Wang Feng swept forth with Shifting Constellations, the next Sima Lun whirled with Falling Autumn Leaves, his form fluttering like a leaf in gale. The crowd gasped as thirty rapid exchanges flashed by.
Then Sima Lun unleashed Swift as the Wind, his movement like lightning across the sky. Wang Feng answered with Stars Racing, Lightning Flying, his steps darting like meteors, his body flickering like bolts of light.
The mountain air thundered with their battle—master against master, palm against palm—each determined to seize destiny in the name of their sect.