Chapter 73: Battle Of Twin Dragon Gorge Part 2
“Even at this point, what joke is Your Excellency telling?”
Four-directional force flows surged, yet Hong Yuan’s boat underfoot was like an old tree rooted firmly, no matter how the tides assaulted. His gaze swept around, spotting several hidden rocks submerged, and he chuckled lightly.
From the Grain Transport Gang Stockade’s gates, in the area covered by a large shadow, that burly figure sighed again: “Very well! Young man, you are a guest from afar, we should fulfill our duties as hosts. Please come inside.”
Hong Yuan shook his head: “Your Excellency is mistaken. I am not a guest, but a debt collector! In the Moon Embracing Garden, your Grain Transport Gang’s third Head coveted my three thousand taels, and afterward you all placed a bounty on me. Over these days, with compound interest, you must compensate me at least one to two million taels.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the canyon banks were relatively far apart, and not many people heard clearly.
The group of Grain Transport Gang disciples strictly on guard on the platform had all turned red in the face, loudly cursing.
That burly man also seemed stunned by this outrageous demand, then sneered: “Three thousand taels, heh! Three thousand taels becomes at least one million taels in your hands? Aren’t you afraid of bursting yourself?”
Hong Yuan said leisurely: “My interest is a bit high, I know the Grain Transport Gang can’t pay it, so I came personally to collect the debt. After dealing with Your Excellency, I can use the Grain Transport Gang to settle it.”
“I understand. So Your Excellency isn’t coming for the ‘Surging Waves Hand’, but eyeing the Grain Transport Gang.”
The burly man still hadn’t stepped out from the city gate’s shadows, his tone icy cold: “Excellent. If so, why haven’t you made your move?”
Hong Yuan said: “I’m waiting for Your Excellency to come out and fight me!”
The burly man’s voice was indifferent: “I have the advantage of terrain and manpower. Why would you think I’d abandon my strengths for weaknesses? Young man, you spoke so confidently earlier, with ambitions to swallow the Grain Transport Gang. Or is it just empty boasting? If you’re too cowardly to attack me, why not retreat?”
“Good!”
As the words fell, Hong Yuan stomped his foot fiercely. The boat trembled, and the Life-Snatching Throat-Locking Spear shot up, landing in his grasp.
With a ‘huala’ sound, Hong Yuan’s figure leaped out, as if treading on waves. With a sway in the wind, his toes touched a river rock, and ‘whoosh’—he landed on the high platform over two zhang tall.
This display of lightness skill immediately drew cries of alarm from both canyon banks.
Ordinary people merely exclaimed in admiration, but only martial arts experts truly knew the terror within.
Generally, for force-entering martial artists, leaping nearly a zhang was already remarkable lightness skill, but Hong Yuan effortlessly reached over two zhang in his leap—truly shocking the world.
High up in the canyon, Wu Duxiong also showed surprise on his face, quickly dispelling his prior worries.
With such an unbelievable lightness skill at hand, whether he could single-handedly crush the Grain Transport Gang was unclear, but at least for this martial nephew to escape, Wu Duxiong didn’t think those below could hold him back.
Seeing a great battle about to erupt, spectators on both canyon banks grew excited, only for Hong Yuan’s figure to flash forward, fast as a ghostly figure streaking through the air.
Hong Yuan didn’t tangle with the many Grain Transport Gang disciples on the platform. His afterimage flashed, his feet lightly touching heads and shoulders of several disciples as he passed straight through.
The platform gathered two to three hundred Grain Transport Gang disciples, but with Hong Yuan unwilling to fight them, they didn’t even qualify to touch his clothing.
Hong Yuan didn’t charge straight toward the city gate. His figure turned sharply, veering toward the large swathes of house area on one side of the stockade.
This core castle was the residence and offices for the Grain Transport Gang’s Heads, Flag Masters, Incense Masters, Stewards, and other key figures; the sides held ordinary disciples’ houses and the vast workshop area.
In an instant, Hong Yuan landed amid the clustered houses.
The crowd on both canyon banks instantly lost sight of Hong Yuan in their view, but waves of startled shouts rose one after another.
Accompanying the shouts was a silver gleam flashing out. In just a dozen breaths, from left to right, then front to back, it twisted like a silver snake, darting back and forth.
Breaking sounds rang out successively, followed by fire snakes bursting in all directions. Then, with a booming crash, a massive fire erupted in the workshop area.
The many spectators were dumbfounded, while the Grain Transport Gang disciples’ eyes bulged with rage. No longer minding defense of the platform, they all rushed toward the house area.
“You thief, how dare you!”
On the city walls, some Grain Transport Gang higher-ups hidden in the shadows could no longer sit still, cursing loudly.
They didn’t care how many ordinary disciples died, but if the workshop area burned, the losses would be immense.
Some Grain Transport Gang higher-up glared red-eyed toward the man standing firm as a mountain below the gate, shouting hoarsely: “Senior, please make your move!”
The burly man sighed lightly, suddenly reaching out to seize his weapon. With a stomp, the green bricks underfoot cracked and shattered as he shot forward.
Still in mid-air, he roared like thunder: “Come and fight!”
“Coming!”
As if responding to his words, a clear whistle sounded. The silver gleam flashed like lightning, carrying sharp piercing wind, rapidly exiting the house area.
Ignoring the surging, rage-filled Grain Transport Gang disciples drawing blades and slashing, Hong Yuan only saw a lion-like burly figure suddenly charge, a cold gleam piercing the air!
Hong Yuan stomped his foot. Amid the booming shock, the ground’s stone slabs exploded, sending large swathes of gravel flying, striking the incoming Grain Transport Gang disciples with pained cries. The silver spear flashed, meeting the attack head-on.
Suddenly closing within one zhang.
Like thunder striking.
Nearby spectators on both canyon banks only heard faint rumbling wind and thunder in their ears, then dazzling cold light flickered. They saw under the castle, on the platform for Grain Transport Gang personnel passage, two electric serpents intertwining.
The next moment, a massive clash of metal exploded.
Two spears collided fiercely in mid-air, bursting a blinding blaze of light. Centered on the spear tips, the airflow boiled, ‘pu’—exploding outward.
Hm?!
Quick-reacting spectators immediately noticed something off. Lei Meng, called ‘Surging Waves Hand’, had astonishing palm kung fu—when did he switch to spear?
“It’s not Senior Lei Meng, it’s Mingzhou’s top spear, ‘Spear King’ Han Ding Tian!” Someone gaped, crying out in shock.
“What?” Many widened their eyes, straining to peer afar, wishing they could sprout wings to fly above the stockade for a better view.
Shocked yet even more thrilled.
‘Startled Swan Spear’ versus ‘Surging Waves Hand’ was anticipated, but ‘Divine Spear’ against ‘Spear King’—new and old spear heroes clashing—stirred blood even more.
“When did the Grain Transport Gang invite the Spear King?”
Amid the fierce clash of the two spears, the shockwave’s force wind kicked up ground sand and dust.
Hong Yuan narrowed his eyes, looking toward the opposite burly man.
His hair was already white, yet showed no withered feel—each strand like shining silver silk. His square face glowed red, qi and blood abundant, muscles knotted, brimming with explosive strength.
“‘Spear King’ Han Ding Tian?”
“Correct! It’s this old man!” Han Ding Tian’s white hair flared, like an enraged lion. Eyes bulging, he stared at Hong Yuan: “Brother Lei Meng’s ambitions went unfulfilled, yet he has passed away. This battle falls to me.”
Hong Yuan said flatly: “You shouldn’t have come. At your age, you should be enjoying retirement, delighting in grandchildren. Why seek your own death?”
“Arrogant junior!”
Han Ding Tian let out a sharp whistle, thrusting his spear skyward. In an instant, spear shadows filled the sky.
Though over sixty, nearing seventy, he showed no sign of decline.
This was the wonder after reaching microscopic level—force like drawing silk, exquisite control over one’s own qi and blood, greatly prolonging peak state.
Clearly one man and one spear, but as Han Ding Tian moved, it became like four spears, eight, sixteen striking together. Cold gleams streaked, turning into life-devouring venomous flood dragons, ferociously pouncing at Hong Yuan.
Amid the whirling silver light, a curtain of light suddenly blocked before Hong Yuan. He parried Han Ding Tian’s assault but seemed barely holding on, forced to retreat step by step toward the surging river behind.
High in the canyon, Qing Songzi’s face grew grave. His palm gripped a tree trunk, cracking it with a ‘kacha’, already seeing Hong Yuan at a disadvantage.
“As expected, dual spear showdown—the Soaring Swan Spear is impressive, but the ‘Spear King’ is still superior!” A martial world veteran sighed: “What a pity. This Soaring Swan Spear is too arrogant. If honed a few more years, he might qualify for higher peaks.”
On both canyon banks, many jianghu folk watched intently, many anticipating or gloating, eager to see this new star fall here.
Perhaps in response, Han Ding Tian’s spear moved faster, more urgently. Spear gleams unfolded like a waterfall, but with his roar, the scattered cascade reversed, suddenly contracting to a single cold star.
The fierce assault and sharp force wind vanished simultaneously, leaving only a star gleam too fast to react, stabbing forth abruptly.
This was the essence of Han Ding Tian’s lifelong spear technique—all force converged to a point, only bursting at the critical moment.
Dang!
Hong Yuan’s spear shook, followed by a massive force surging in, flinging it into the air. Han Ding Tian’s spear momentum unabated, surging power poured into the tip, stabbing toward Hong Yuan’s chest.
At the same time, Hong Yuan suddenly felt the booming waves behind him—the muffled thunderous tides—vanish, replaced by the clear ‘hua hua’ of flowing water.
He didn’t see it himself, but the thousands on both canyon banks saw a ghostly figure-like shadow break the water surface, feet tapping swiftly for lift, leaping up with a sudden palm strike toward Hong Yuan’s back.
Huala!
Hong Yuan felt his whole body’s qi and blood stir slightly.
Flames rose in Han Ding Tian’s eyes. Seeing the foe about to perish in this pincer attack, suddenly a light shadow flashed in his vision—his sure strike missed.
Hong Yuan’s body floated like flying catkins, darting up like lightning. Underfoot was Han Ding Tian’s thrusting spear; he tapped its shaft, flipping up. Five fingers spread abruptly, meeting the rear attacker.
That person was drenched, water streaming down a face that clearly showed astonishment, but the palm strike didn’t halt, about to clash.
Chi chi!
The sneak attacker seemed to hear a faint piercing sound in his ears—something breaking air, ripping several chi—then his eyes burned, both pupils exploding!
The sneak attacker screamed, his qi and blood scattering instantly, his leaping form tumbling down.
Hong Yuan’s fingers unleashed Condensed Needle Force, striking true. With sharp qi energy stabbing from below, he countered with a backhand strike—’boom’—a fist wrapped in powerful Spiral Force blasted out.
The fist hit Han Ding Tian’s incoming spear shaft. The latter felt a colossal force surge, involuntarily staggering back several steps.
Hong Yuan’s figure drifted down, looking at Han Ding Tian: “No need to deny it—in spear technique, I’d call you the strongest I’ve met, even above my current self. But without weapons, I am the strongest.”
Words unfinished, Hong Yuan shot forward like lightning. Shock flashed on Han Ding Tian’s face. He retreated explosively, wanting space for spear work, but the opponent’s speed was too great.
The words still echoing, a phantom flashed before his eyes—the man already at his chest, five fingers swirling, lightly pressing his torso.
Amid the stinging pain, Hong Yuan spun away, arriving before the sneak attacker. This man endured the agony of burst eyes, trying to escape, but a foot slammed down instantly, stomping his head.
Peng!
His skull instantly sank into stone and gravel.
“‘Surging Waves Hand’ Lei Meng? Wasn’t he already dead? How is he still playing corpse?”
