Chapter 138 The Twin Swords of Diancang

The Unorthodox Human World Says: Read this book!

Everyone laughed upon hearing this. Qu Feiyan was the first to clap her hands: "General? That's wonderful! If you're the general, I'll be your strategist, commanding thousands of troops and winning every battle!"

Longkui laughed and said, "You even understand military strategy?"

Qu Feiyan puffed out her small chest: "I know a lot! Fire attack, water attack, honey trap, chain stratagem, divide and conquer, I know everything, hehe."

Shi Potian laughed and said, "I don't know anything. I've made a lot of fools as a gang leader. How could I be a general?"

Longkui asked curiously, "When did the young镖头 (bodyguard) ever serve as a gang leader?"

Lin Zhennan sighed, "Ping'er's mental illness has flared up again. We should hurry to Kaifeng for treatment. Let's leave the matter of Nanjing to Eunuch Liu."

Madam Wang said, "That's right. If we delay any longer, who knows what trouble might arise."

Longkui glanced at the sky and said, "The matter is settled, let's go. We'll go downstream to Zhenjiang, and then head north to Kaifeng via the Grand Canal. This stretch of waterway should be relatively safe."

After everyone descended from the city tower, Liu Chaoyong had already prepared carriages and horses, and personally escorted them to the riverbank. At the dock, a brand-new large ship was moored on the shore, its sails already raised, and the boatmen were busy on the deck.

Liu Chao bowed and said, "The envoy came and went in a hurry, and I did not have a chance to properly entertain him. Why not stay a few more days so that I can show him more respect?"

Longkui said calmly, "Does Eunuch Liu think the merit isn't great enough, and wants the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) to kill more enemies for you?"

Liu Chaoyong was terrified, his face ashen. He lay prostrate on the ground, his buttocks sticking up high, and said, "This servant wouldn't dare. This servant couldn't bear to part with you, Your Excellency. I would never dare to steal the great merit of the young镖头 (镖头 is a nickname for a镖头, meaning a skilled镖师). Your Excellency, rest assured, this servant knows what to do."

"Alright, stop arguing, you can go back now."

Liu Chaoyong was drenched in sweat and quickly withdrew.

Just as everyone was about to board the boat, a commotion of footsteps and shouts suddenly came from the shore.

Shi Potian looked up and saw a large group of people who had somehow appeared on the dock. These people were dressed in various ways: there were Taoist priests in blue robes, monks in cassocks, and chivalrous figures in martial arts attire with swords at their sides. A rough count showed that there were at least a hundred people from all walks of life, a dark mass that surrounded the riverbank, completely blocking it.

Leading the way were two middle-aged swordsmen, one tall and one short. The taller one was slender, while the shorter one had a sharp and wiry appearance. Each of them wore a long sword at their waist, its scabbard simple and ancient, clearly not an ordinary weapon. They walked side by side, exuding an air of distinction, followed by an old Taoist priest in a green robe and a middle-aged Taoist priest.

Qu Feiyan pouted and said, "Why are so many martial arts figures here?"

Longkui said calmly, "As soon as the Japanese pirates fled, they came."

The tall swordsman spotted Sarutobi Hijiki at a glance—dressed as a Japanese samurai, with a katana at his waist, clearly a Japanese pirate. His eyes lit up, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and proclaimed loudly:

"Fellow travelers, what we've been searching for has come to us unexpectedly! We've traveled a thousand miles to come to your aid, but the Japanese pirates, having heard the news, fled by boat, leaving us nowhere to fight. Yet, here at the dock, we've stumbled upon one of them who escaped our net!"

The short swordsman shouted, "These Japanese pirates are so arrogant! Seeing all of you heroes arrive, they don't even flinch and run away. They really don't take us seriously!"

The crowd behind them shouted in unison, drawing their swords and weapons, instantly creating a murderous aura as they surrounded Shi Potian and his group.

Sarutobi Higetsu's expression darkened, and he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Shi Potian stepped forward and said, "You've got it wrong. He's not a Japanese pirate, he just looks like one."

The tall swordsman sized Shi Potian up and down, seeing that he was just a handsome young man of eighteen or nineteen, dressed plainly, and without even a sword, he immediately snorted coldly:

"Who are you? You think you can just say you're not? This person is dressed in Japanese attire, with a Japanese sword at his waist—what else could he be but a Japanese pirate?"

Shi Potian patiently explained, "He is from Japan, but not a Japanese pirate. He even helped everyone fight against the Japanese pirates, so don't wrong him."

The short swordsman sneered, "Fight the Japanese pirates? A Japanese pirate helping us fight the Japanese pirates? Do you even believe that yourself if word gets out?"

The tall swordsman waved his hand: "Stop wasting time talking to him! Let's take down this Japanese pirate first!"

At this moment, the old Taoist priest in green robes stepped out from the crowd, holding a long sword, and said loudly, "My two friends from Diancang, please hold your hand."

The tall swordsman clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "What insightful opinion does Daoist Songwen have?"

Songwen Daoist glanced at Shi Potian and slowly said, "This young man has an extraordinary bearing; I'm afraid he's no ordinary person. Perhaps we should find out his background first before taking action."

The short swordsman, his face full of impatience, said, "What are you asking? He's protecting the Japanese pirates, so he's one of them! Just take him down!"

The middle-aged Taoist priest brandished his longsword and said in a deep, resonant voice, "The swords of Diancang, renowned throughout the southwest, possess a sword aura that soars to the heavens. Seeing them today, their heroic spirit is truly awe-inspiring! I, Tianyi, support both of you!"

Shi Potian sighed and said, "I told you, he's not a Japanese pirate. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do. You should go now; we still need to get on the ship and continue our journey."

The two swordsmen exchanged a glance, and the taller swordsman sneered, "Leave? If you don't leave these Japanese pirates here today, you'll have to ask my sword if it's allowed to leave!"

Shi Potian looked at the sword in his hand with a strange expression: "Can your sword talk? Will it answer if you ask it? That's quite unusual."

The short swordsman sneered, "My sword may not speak, but it can keep you here."

Qu Feiyan quickly explained, "Little brother, they're saying their swordsmanship is amazing and we can't beat them."

Shi Potian laughed and said, "Then they're mistaken. These two brothers can't beat Brother Sarutobi."

Upon hearing this, the two swordsmen of Diancang Mountain instantly turned bright red. The tall swordsman roared angrily, "What did you say? We can't beat a Japanese pirate?"

Shi Potian nodded seriously: "Yes. You can't beat them."

The short swordsman trembled with rage and said sternly, "Boy, do you know what kind of reputation we Diancang Twin Swords have in the Southwest? Even the head of the Emei Sect has to treat us fellow disciples with utmost respect!"

Shi Potian remained sincere: "Then you still can't beat him. Brother Sarutobi's swordsmanship is extremely powerful."

The short swordsman flew into a rage, suddenly drawing his longsword and pointing the tip directly at the crowd, shouting, "Fine! I'll see what these Japanese pirates are capable of!"

Shi Potian added, "You can't beat him alone. What I meant was that even if all of you brothers attacked together, you couldn't beat him, not that you can't beat Brother Sarutobi by yourself."

The Diancang Twin Swords were so angry they almost spat out a mouthful of blood. They had been rampaging through the southwest for decades, and their name, "Sword Qi Soaring to the Sky," was renowned far and wide. Who had ever dared to speak to them like that?

It’s tolerable, it’s unbearable!

The onlookers on the dock watched as the faces of the Diancang Twin Swordsmen turned from blue to purple, and they could hardly contain their laughter. Whether this young man was inexperienced and ignorant or deliberately provoking them, whatever the reason, it was bound to end in bloodshed.

Songwen Daoist, however, knew the abilities of the Diancang Twin Swords, and quickly said:

"Young man, apologize quickly! Do you know that the two before you are the renowned Diancang Twin Swords, known in the martial world as 'Sword Qi Soaring to the Heavens,' which speaks of their unparalleled swordsmanship. Countless underworld masters have fallen to their blades. How could a mere Japanese pirate compare?"

Madam Wang also said, "Ping'er, you should be careful with your words. These are all senior heroes. You should give them face and not be too honest."

What do you mean? Are you trying to save face for me because you adults also think we're no good?

The Twin Swords of Diancang had reached their limit and could no longer tolerate it.

The tall swordsman made the first move, his longsword trembling like a snake's tongue as he unleashed the "Clouds Across the Green Mountains" move from the "Nine Styles of Diancang," his sword light sweeping across the area, aiming straight for the throat of the monkey flying sun and moon.

This sword strike was swift and ruthless, its wind sharp and fierce, clearly demonstrating the full force of his attack. He intended to kill this Japanese pirate with a single blow, washing away the humiliation of being looked down upon by Shi Potian.

Sarutobi Hitsuki, already displeased, snorted coldly and advanced instead of retreating, drawing his katana. With a flash of light, he struck first despite being behind, and with a crisp "clang," accurately cleaved the spine of his opponent's sword.

The tall swordsman felt an overwhelming force coming from the sword, his hand trembled violently, and the sword almost flew out of his hand.

He was terrified. He kicked off with both feet and did a somersault to retreat far away. But Sarutobi Nichigetsu's Japanese sword was like a leech, continuing to slash. While he was in mid-air, he hurriedly pointed the tip of his sword down and used the move "Snowy Mountain" to stab Sarutobi Nichigetsu's throat.

Sarutobi Higetsu ducked low and advanced, his katana sliding along the opponent's blade, the tip aimed straight for the tall swordsman's chest. The strike was incredibly fast; the tall swordsman had no time to dodge and was about to be pierced through the chest—

"Be careful, senior brother!" the short swordsman shouted, leaping forward and thrusting his long sword out with the move "Moonlight over Erhai Lake." The sword light flashed like the moon as he stabbed at the side of Yuanfei Riyue's ribs, attacking where the enemy would surely defend.

Sarutobi Nichigetsu swiftly shifted his blade, letting the tall swordsman go, and with a backhand slash, deflected the short swordsman's longsword with a clang. The tall swordsman used the momentum to retreat, looking down to see a gash in his chest, his skin throbbing with pain. Had it not been for his junior brother's timely intervention, this blow would have disemboweled him.

The two men exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. The Japanese pirates' swordsmanship was far more terrifying than they had imagined.

"Junior brother, combine your swords!" the tall swordsman shouted.

At this point, we were already in a bind. We couldn't care less about being criticized for outnumbering the enemy. Besides, the Diancang Twin Swords had always been inseparable. If one enemy was attacked by two people, and there were four of them, we would still only have two. Our friends in the martial arts world couldn't say anything. It's all about the victor and the vanquished. As long as we defeated the Japanese pirates, everything would be fine.

The two stood side by side, their swords drawn simultaneously. The combined attack technique of the Diancang Twin Swords was a unique skill that the two had honed over decades. The two swords complemented each other, providing both offense and defense, making them virtually invincible in the southwest.

At this moment, they unleashed their full power, and the two longswords transformed into two silver dragons, soaring up and down, their sword light flashing, seemingly embodying the sword energy soaring into the sky, enveloping the sun and moon.

Sarutobi Higetsu, however, remained calm and composed. He parried and slashed with his katana, never retreating an inch, defusing each of their attacks. After seven or eight exchanges, he suddenly let out a long roar, and his swordsmanship abruptly changed.

He leaped into the air and slashed down fiercely at the tall swordsman.

"A single slash against the wind!"

"Clang!"

After a piercing sound, the tall swordsman's longsword broke in two, with one half flying straight into the air.

The tall man, his face ashen, was about to be cleaved in two again when the short man hastily leaped forward, raising his sword to parry. Another clang rang out.

The short swordsman's hand split open, and his longsword flew out of his hand with a hiss, plunging into the ground up to the hilt.

The tip of Sarutobi Higetsu's blade continued forward, about to cleave into the short man's breast pad.

"Stop!" Tianyi Daoist shouted, drew his longsword, and leaped forward. He unleashed the Taishan School's "Reaching the Summit," his sword light flashing like a meteor, aiming straight for Yuan Fei Riyue's back.

The Sarutobi Sun and Moon Blade spun around him as he turned to parry. With a clang, sparks flew. Daoist Tianyi felt a tremendous force surge through him, forcing him to stagger back three steps, his arm ache and going numb.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the two swordsmen of Diancang quickly jumped away, saving their lives.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

The shorter swordsman was deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. The taller swordsman, gripping his broken sword, stood frozen in shock. They never dreamed that the two of them, working together, could not withstand even ten moves from this Japanese pirate.

Shi Potian watched from the side and laughed, "I told you long ago, even if the two of you joined forces, you couldn't beat Brother Sarutobi. If Brother Sarutobi hadn't shown mercy, you two would already be dead."

"Stop fighting, let's go. You can't beat them, and even with those two Taoist priests, you still can't win."

The two swordsmen of Diancang were so angry that they trembled all over.

Some busybody threw two swords at the Diancang Twin Swords, shouting, "The Diancang Twin Swords, a scholar can be killed but not humiliated! Fight them!"

The Taishan Sect's Tianyi Daoist, with a fiery temper, couldn't stand Shi Potian's words and angrily retorted, "I, Daoist, am enough on my own."

Ignoring the soreness and numbness in his arms, he drew his sword and charged forward.

The two swordsmen of Diancang disregarded their noodles, took the swords, and went forward again.

The three of them immediately started fighting.

But after only a few moves, the three of them found themselves in grave danger once again.

Songwen Daoist had come with several people, and now he had no choice but to draw his sword to help.

The four attacked together, their four long swords surrounding Sarutobi Higetsu.

Sarutobi Higetsu finally got serious. He changed his swordsmanship, using the "Ichi-tō-ryū" style from the Fusō swordsmanship, his sword flashing like lightning, invisible and intangible. With each flash of the blade, a longsword was knocked away, its surface covered in cracks.

The combined force of the four men was completely ineffective against him.

Songwen Daoren used the move "Emei Pine Breeze", his sword momentum was like the undulating waves of pine trees, but it was broken by Yuanfei Riyue's slash. The blade grazed his ear and cut off a strand of hair.

Tianyi Daoren unleashed the Taishan School's ultimate technique, "Eighteen Bends of Taishan," his sword strikes heavy as a mountain, yet he couldn't withstand the lightning-fast three consecutive slashes of Yuanfei Riyue, nearly breaking his longsword in two.

After more than twenty moves, the four men's swordsmanship became increasingly scattered, while Sarutobi Higetsu fought with ever-growing ferocity, his blade flashing like snow, forcing the four men to retreat repeatedly.

But with everyone watching, the four of them couldn't admit defeat and had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue resisting.

Seeing that these people were stubborn and unwilling to waste time with them, Sarutobi Higetsu changed his sword stance and slashed out. The tall swordsman's longsword broke again, and he followed up with another slash, aiming to cut off the opponent's arm first.

Shi Potian shouted, "Brother Yuanfei, don't kill them!"

Sarutobi Higetsu had no choice but to sheathe his sword and jump away, saying, "Yes, sir."

The tall swordsman's face turned ashen. The Pine-Patterned Taoist sheathed his sword and said, "My lord? Young man, who exactly are you?"

Among the crowd of onlookers, a man from the martial arts world shouted:

"It's said that the Invincible Southerner has a Japanese subordinate who is highly skilled in martial arts. Could he be Lin Pingzhi, the young head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of the Fuwei Escort Agency?"