Chapter 41: Flying Sky Yaksha
Seven days later.
The sky was dark and gloomy, with low-hanging black clouds.
A sudden swift wind arose on the river surface, whipping up waves that crashed against both shores with a deafening roar.
A large cargo ship fully loaded with goods broke through the towering waves, speeding down the river channel at a considerable pace.
Muffled thunder rumbled in the clouds, yet the rain delayed its descent.
Splash!
Deep in the heart of the river, a wave burst open, revealing a ghostly figure that emerged right on the cargo ship’s path.
The powerful current stirred up by the large ship surged toward him.
Far from being overturned, the figure squeezed forward, parting the waves. His hands hooked like claws, fiercely gripping the wooden hull. Without any visible effort, his entire body rose lightly upward like a fallen leaf caught in the tidewind.
Whoosh!
Using the upward momentum, his gaze quickly swept around. As his body began to fall, his toes lightly touched the deck and leaped again, swiftly darting to the top of the stern tower.
The entire process was utterly silent, like a legendary water monkey, leaving only faint water stains on the deck.
The ship was crewed by many, yet neither the busy sailors, the nearby passengers leaning on the railings and chatting idly, nor the guards escorting the cargo noticed the unexpected guest aboard.
The ship was quite massive, with an enormous cargo capacity, and even the stern tower was built imposingly tall, nearly two zhang high.
Hong Yuan stood at the top of the stern tower, his figure concealed in the shadows, his clothes dripping wet.
A smile appeared on his face.
Over these past few days, Hong Yuan’s overall route had been steadily approaching Linjiang Prefecture City, passing through three counties and one town.
Along the way, Hong Yuan continuously challenged various martial arts school masters, gang leaders, and jianghu wanderers. In just a few short days, no fewer than ten renowned martial artists had been defeated by him.
Ordinary martial artists were merely forced to hand over their martial arts techniques, while those with notorious reputations were unceremoniously killed without hesitation.
With the information obtained from Yue Feng’s mouth, locating these famous martial artists saved Hong Yuan a great deal of effort.
He had passed through more than one town, but this particular one was mentioned separately because a certain family there reigned like local emperors.
That family had produced a Form Transformation Second Layer “Freely Control” master. In Yue Feng’s words, he was somewhat famous throughout all of Linjiang Prefecture.
After casually wandering around the town, Hong Yuan listened with his ears and observed with his eyes, determining that the man deserved to die.
This was his first time facing a “Freely Control” level martial artist. Even though Yang Erhu had said that even at his peak right after Hong Yuan escaped from the Biwu Immortal Realm, he would need to treat such an opponent with caution, or risk capsizing in the gutter.
Hong Yuan remained extremely vigilant about this.
He first injured some of the family’s wicked young members, luring out that master, then fled all the way to the riverside while being pursued, before turning back to engage him.
In fact, while the opponent was “pursuing” him, observing his movement speed and the absence of any mental warning, Hong Yuan felt he might have been overly cautious.
Once they clashed, this was confirmed.
The master had no power to fight back under his hands. Hong Yuan forced him to use every trick he had until his courage broke, and he fled in panic, only to be finished off by Hong Yuan with a heavy blow.
In his fights with various martial artists, besides “trading” for all sorts of secret medicine formulas, Hong Yuan also inquired about jianghu anecdotes.
The more he knew, the clearer Hong Yuan’s self-assessment became, especially after clashing with that “Freely Control” level martial artist.
It wasn’t that the man wasn’t strong; it was that Hong Yuan was far too abnormal.
Both were at the “Freely Control” level, but this was merely equivalence in force techniques. In terms of physical body and spirit, Hong Yuan far surpassed him.
And this superiority in physical body and spirit, even if just a thread, would translate into a razor-thin gap in combat power between life and death.
With the same force transformation, Hong Yuan could always be that much faster, that much stronger. This tiny difference alone could utterly crush so-called equals.
Not to mention that Hong Yuan’s superiority was far more than just a little.
Perhaps this realization spurred a sublimation in Hong Yuan’s spirit, adding a strand of comprehension to him.
Of course, this was also related to his persistent cultivation of the meditation method, aided by finding a high-grade incense formula.
On the contrary, his root bone had yet to increase.
However, Hong Yuan could feel it: it was coming soon!
After days of constant combat with others, supplemented by various secret medicines used both internally and externally, he could clearly feel the growth.
Other martial artists, even with spiritual pills and elixirs in hand, wouldn’t dare use them so frequently, as overuse of drugs harms the body.
Hong Yuan was different; he relied on his “cheat” to absorb them, turning any amount of secret medicine into nourishment for root bone improvement.
The growth in comprehension and root bone fed back into himself, allowing Hong Yuan to rapidly digest the fists, feet, weapons, and kung fu of the martial artists he had fought.
Earlier, while lurking in the water practicing his fists, he experienced the resistance and undercurrents of the river flow, gaining even finer control over his force. After Tiger Subduing Fist integrated various technique essences, it gained more swiftness, along with water-like softness and variability.
Moreover—
Hong Yuan raised his hand and pointed, his fingertip lightly touching the deck without a sound. Yet on the thick, tough wood, an air hole appeared, invisible to the naked eye, the size of a needle tip and two inches deep.
This wasn’t even his full power.
‘Although Spiral Force has vaguely taken shape, comprehending it fully will still take considerable effort. By accident, I stumbled upon this force method.’
‘This should qualify as microscopic level force, right? How about calling it Flying Needle Force? Nah, it doesn’t fly out from the finger—better call it Condensed Needle Force!’
Hong Yuan felt his qi and blood flowing through his body without any discomfort, and firing this “Condensed Needle Force” with his finger was fully bearable.
He couldn’t help but nod.
Indeed, even though he hadn’t reached the microscopic level in force transformation, a more violent application was fine—his root bone could handle it.
‘My Condensed Needle Force, Bone Penetrating Force, and Air Transmitting Force should all be extensions of hard force transformation, while Silk Twining Force, Penetration Force, Flying Fluff Force, and the like are extensions of soft force transformation…’
‘As for Spiral Force, it’s an extension of both hard and soft forces—naturally more difficult.’
That Hong Yuan could so quickly comprehend and develop a prototype by observing underwater whirlpools would shock countless martial artists if spoken aloud.
Perhaps due to the impending rain, the cabin was stuffy. Footsteps shuffled chaotically on the lower deck, and a few people came outside for fresh air.
None of them looked up, or they might have spotted Hong Yuan.
Of course, even if discovered, Hong Yuan wouldn’t mind.
One person yawned lazily, and their conversation drifted up:
“The counties we’ve passed recently have been quite lively. A few days ago, Master Huang in Qingxu County took a concubine—a big celebration. But unexpectedly, a fiend brazenly broke in and beat Master Huang and several sons to death. The fiend got carried away, stormed into the inner quarters, and massacred everyone, sparing not even a few-year-old children. Tsk tsk! The vast Huang Mansion, generations of family wealth, gone just like that.”
The speaker sighed repeatedly, unclear if out of regret or schadenfreude.
“I’ve heard about that too. They say County Lieutenant Zhang of Qingxu and Master Huang were the closest of friends. Ignoring the danger, he fought desperately to repel the fiend, but sadly lost an ear in the process.”
A coarse voice chimed in with admiration: “Though Master Huang is dead, having a friend like County Lieutenant Zhang who shares life and death with him means his life wasn’t in vain.”
“Exactly, exactly!” The others nodded vigorously.
“Your news is outdated.” A few chatting passengers by the rail heard the commotion and joined in. An old man dressed as a merchant laughed: “The true culprit behind the Huang Mansion massacre has spread in the last two days. Apparently, he was originally a scholar, a classmate of one of Master Huang’s sons, named Hong Yuan…”
Hong Yuan hadn’t expected anyone to mention him at this moment, and hearing these idle guests speak enviously of Huang Guiling and County Lieutenant Zhang’s friendship made his expression turn odd.
“A scholar, and Young Master Huang’s classmate? How could he be so ferocious? What deep grudge did he have with the Huang family? And a mere scholar with such formidable skills? Hard to believe.”
A dark-faced man said in shock.
The group sighed and shared opinions, then someone added: “Even earlier, a figure emerged in Yangquan County. With one man and one saber, he slew over a hundred local ruffians at the wharf who were causing trouble. After the killing, not a drop of blood on him, he laughed and left, even composing a poem ‘Ten Steps, One Kill’…”
Someone laughed and continued: “That poem has spread far and wide. All the wandering knights in Linjiang Prefecture are reciting it—even a rough man like me has memorized it! They say many noble clans and nobles admire that black-clad saber wielder upon hearing the poem, vowing to receive him as a high minister if he visits. Sadly, he hasn’t appeared yet, and instead, many imposters have died pointlessly.”
“Serves them right—no diamond drilling, yet taking on porcelain work. Asking for death!” The merchant old man mocked.
“The scholar Hong and the black-clad saber wielder’s deeds would be sensational in normal times, but lately, they’ve been overshadowed by that ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’!”
A burly man with an open chest revealing thick hair crowded over, joining the discussion.
The others looked at him in surprise. He laughed heartily: “You folks haven’t gone ashore much these days, have you? If you had, you’d hear everyone in these counties along the way talking about that ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’!”
“Tell us more!”
The man grinned: “They say this ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’ is like a martial fanatic. First appeared in Wushan County, loves challenging martial arts school masters, gang leaders, and famous locals. His martial arts are supreme, often toying with opponents in his palm, tormenting them until they beg for death… Of course, ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’ usually doesn’t kill, but if he meets evil-doing masters, he strikes to kill!”
“He usually strikes at night with ruthless hands, hence the nickname ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’.”
Hong Yuan stood on the stern tower, listening as the people below successively mentioned his exploits, leaving him speechless.
However, he’d heard the ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’ nickname a day or two ago and felt nothing about it—who didn’t know he sat at the same table as Yu Lang Jiang Feng?
Perhaps because he’d defeated more and more famous masters, Zuo Lie and Shi Meng no longer felt embarrassed and even spread word themselves that ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’ had come to challenge them…
After all, being challenged by ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’ was proof of strength; overlooked martial arts school masters even felt disgraced.
“From appearing in Wushan County, ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’ has challenged masters through several counties along the river, heading straight for the prefecture city. Maybe he’s among us right now.” The man joked.
As the group chatted idly, the ship had traveled far.
Suddenly, the sailors and guards on deck gripped their clubs and weapons, their expressions turning vigilant.
High on the mast, the lookout in the crow’s nest looked deadly serious, straining his eyesight.
The chatting crowd fell silent, growing tense, for the river channel ahead suddenly widened, the water flow slowed, and vast reed marshes appeared on both shores.
These people were seasoned sailors who knew such places were water bandits’ favorite hiding spots. The land of Mingzhou was crisscrossed with waterways, never short on “heroes” plying the water trade!
Boom!
A peal of thunder crashed, the sky growing even darker. The rain pent up in the clouds finally broke free with this sky-splitting roar, beansized raindrops pounding down.
Suddenly—
“Whoosh! Pop!”
A signal arrow whistled into the sky and exploded violently!
Immediately after, seven or eight fast boats slithered out from the dense reed marshes on both shores like swimming snakes!
These boats were long and narrow, varying in size. Larger ones held five or six men, smaller ones two or three, swift as the wind, quickly flanking the large ship’s sides!
The men on board wielded steel sabers and sharp blades, faces fierce, howling “Ooh-ooh” cries.
“Water bandits! Water bandits!”
The deck instantly descended into chaos. The merchants’ suspended hearts sank, faces paling as they fled into the cabins.
The ship’s sailors and guards showed some alarm but were seasoned from years at sea; water bandits weren’t new. They gripped their weapons tightly, guarding various deck areas!
Several martial artists clearly of higher status than ordinary guards quickly donned leather armor, drew swords, and leaped out shouting, their movements agile.
“Cargo ship ahead, listen up—lower sails and stop immediately! Gramps wants only wealth, not lives! Resist, and you’ll all feed the fish!”
On one fast boat, the water bandits howled threats. A one-eyed burly man stomped on the bow, apparently their leader, brandishing a ghost-head broadsword and roaring fiercely, his voice echoing across the river.
“Don’t believe him! That bandit leader is One-Eyed Owl, the most vicious—none he captures survive.”
A stern-faced middle-aged man in brocade emerged from the cabin, composure intact, flanked by two burly martial artists with massive hands.
His appearance immediately bolstered the sailors’ and guards’ spirits—he was surely the ship’s owner.
“Kill the thieves! Ten taels of silver per thief killed, a hundred for the leader!” The brocade middle-aged man barked coldly without nonsense.
With heavy rewards, the sailors and guards roared in unison: “Kill the thieves!”
Morale soared!
Whoosh!
Several on board with bows on their backs now nocked arrows, firing cold arrows suddenly at One-Eyed Owl’s fast boat.
But the wind and waves were fierce, with torrential rain; accuracy suffered. Though missing, it enraged One-Eyed Owl, who bellowed: “Kill them!”
As the melee erupted, One-Eyed Owl’s fast boats closed in. Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Flying hooks were flung one after another to grab the rails and climb aboard.
The deck’s sailors and guards resisted fiercely, loosing arrows and slashing with steel sabers, severing the thrown hooks in succession.
Thud!
Hong Yuan pressed his palm on the deck, shooting up like an arrow. Before landing, he grabbed a sail rope with one hand, exerted force, and agilely leaped onto the tall mast like an agile ape.
The lookout in the crow’s nest caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye, seeing someone atop the mast, and jolted in terror, thinking water bandits had boarded, nearly tumbling down.
Hong Yuan landed and grabbed him. The lookout, still shaken: “You… who are you?”
Hong Yuan didn’t answer. One hand hooked like a claw gripping the mast side, supporting his body as he gazed toward the reed marshes.
One-Eyed Owl’s repeated assaults failed to board, infuriating him into howls when gong and drum sounds rang from the reeds—another dozen fast boats surged out.
“Old One-Eye, you’re useless—can’t even get one man aboard. Let this lord show you!”
Amid the rain curtain, over a dozen fast boats streaked like white lines. On the central one, a skinny monkey-like bare-chested man laughed loudly.
“Bullshit! Tough nuts—stinky monkey, you try.”
One-Eyed Owl roared angrily.
“Fine! My men go first— I want seventy percent of the cargo!”
“In your dreams, you…”
One-Eyed Owl cursed furiously.
Seeing another dozen bandit boats join, at least a hundred fierce bandits, the deck’s sailors and guards paled in horror.
Even the brocade middle-aged man blanched, fists clenched: “Impossible—how could One-Eyed Owl and Skinny Monkey, those two bandit leaders, team up?”
Skinny Monkey’s bandits merged with One-Eyed Owl’s—twenty-odd fast boats swarming both sides like leeches, hooks flying as they attacked viciously again.
The deck crew roared madly, resisting desperately. The martial artists dashed about, slashing down hooks with their weapons, but the bandits were too many. Soon, the first bandit climbed aboard.
The bandit, steel saber in mouth, grinned ferociously and slashed a guard. Though quickly hacked into the water by others, more bandits swarmed up.
In a blink, over ten bandits leaped onto various deck spots.
Hong Yuan dropped from the mast, darting like a hare and falcon to two bandits. Bang bang—two chest-cracking sounds rang out, their bodies plummeting into the river like flying stones.
He’d hitched a free ride, after all—time to act when needed, though letting all the bandits board would make killing easier.
Acting now would leave many escaping fish.
But that would cause heavy casualties among the ship folk.
By this era’s norms, these sailors and guards might moonlight as bandits on lone ships, but Hong Yuan hadn’t seen it himself.
Hong Yuan’s move drew the brocade middle-aged man’s attention: “Who is this man?”
Ignoring him, Hong Yuan strode forward, snatching a bow and arrows from an archer. As the latter opened his mouth to yell, Hong Yuan nocked and aimed at a bandit.
Whoosh!
The arrow missed!
Hong Yuan drew again—crack! The bow snapped under the force. The furious archer snapped: “You! If you can’t shoot, don’t mess around!”
Hong Yuan turned to another archer, who glared but saw a huge hand grab. He clutched the longbow desperately, but a surging force shook him tumbling down, quiver snatched away.
As the first archer began yelling again, Hong Yuan nocked another.
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!
Three arrows in succession, nearly simultaneous, pierced three bandits’ throats in the river below with blinding speed. Three more followed, claiming three lives!
Thud!
One-Eyed Owl climbed aboard from one side, leaping onto the deck and swinging his ghost-head saber at a sailor, grinning: “Dare block gramps? Gramprs sends you to death now.”
Whoosh!
A cold arrow shot fiercely, piercing his remaining eye. One-Eyed Owl’s smile froze; without a scream, he toppled backward.
The archers and nearby guards and sailors stared dumbfounded. Hong Yuan nocked more arrows, seeing them dazed, barked: “What are you standing around for? Get me arrows!”
“Oh! Right!”
One man one bow, like ten divine archers firing volleys—arrows flew on sight, mostly hitting… though some lucky dodges happened.
In mere moments, dozens fell. Hong Yuan wasn’t fully satisfied; with his skills, boarding combat would kill faster.
Even in the storm, with fast boats scattered on both sides unable to support, the remaining bandits sensed crisis, panicking and scattering in rout.
Skinny Monkey reacted fastest, midway up a rope. Seeing subordinates shot dead, he leaped into the water, soon swimming to a fast boat.
His crew were corpses. Skinny Monkey frantically rowed the oar, desperate to flee.
Hong Yuan aimed at Skinny Monkey!
Crack!
The longbow snapped again.
An archer hurriedly offered his: “Use mine.” No longer panicked, full of admiration.
“No need!” Hong Yuan vaulted to the rail, stomped—splintering it as he shot like a gale across several zhang, landing on a fast boat below.
Bang!
He pushed off again. Amid the large ship’s crew’s stunned gazes, the small boat sank slightly as Hong Yuan soared like a great bird over three zhang to another fast boat.
Before steadying, he charged forward, casually slamming two gaping-mouthed bandits—bones shattering as they flew into the water. Hong Yuan rocketed skyward, hurtling straight to Skinny Monkey’s boat three zhang ahead!
Skinny Monkey’s eyes bulged. Seeing Hong Yuan closing in, terror surged; he unleashed massive force, hurling the oar at the descending Hong Yuan.
“Die for me!”
Next instant, Hong Yuan’s foot struck the oar—crack! It shattered into pieces. Wood shards peppered Skinny Monkey’s face in a bloody spray as Hong Yuan’s kick landed on his chin!
Instantly, Skinny Monkey’s jaw and face twisted, crumpling as if exploding. He shot like a ball into the river, vanishing without trace.
Hong Yuan landed on the small boat, ignoring the scattering remnant bandits like fleeing fish. Force surged in his feet, adjusting course toward the shore.
“Take medicine to replenish essence, diligent training, combat to hone kung fu! Root bone +1 strand!”
Suddenly, a line of small text appeared before Hong Yuan’s eyes.
Meanwhile, the large ship’s brocade middle-aged man, ignoring remaining bandits still being encircled and annihilated by guards, rushed to the bow shouting: “Hero, stay!”
But he only saw the figure leap near shore and vanish into the rain curtain, sighing in regret: “Such a figure, and I couldn’t make his acquaintance—truly a pity!”
The martial arts displayed stunned him like a celestial being; one such man could rival a hundred armored soldiers, perhaps.
A nearby guard who’d overheard the passengers’ chat earlier gasped: “This man… could he be that ‘Flying Sky Yaksha’?”
