Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan Volume 10 Chapter 5 part3

EDIT: Never mind, I got it back. I am staying at the hotel and am using their free internet. I thought if I could not get it back, I would have to wait until tomorrow to do it at the office.

Jaya, kink, you are welcome. Bocah, Ysabel, Lao Qianbei and everybody, Happy New Year! Akolaw, thanks for sharing. Xu Xiong, why don't you throw your guess on that? Perhaps the others would love to join in. The end of fight.

Xu Ziling's condition was just slightly better than his. Stopping the spin, he had to spurt out the second mouthful of blood; but then he took advantage of the impact force to turn around and leap to Shang Xiuxun's side. After staggering a few steps he was able to steady his footstep.

Cao Yinglong dropped down on his butt on the ground, rolled about a zhang away, and only then was he able to spring up.

"Idiots!” he roared, "Why haven't you attack?”

Like having a rude awakening the crowd of bandits swarmed toward Xu Ziling and Shang Xiuxun. Once again the ear-splitting battle cry filled the air.

※ ※ ※

Kou Zhong was sitting on a rock high on the cliff above. Removing his mask, he fixed his eyes on the two figures, which, by this time, had just reached the edge of the mountain.

Because he had trailed Li Tianfan before, he was able to use this ‘shortcut' to beat him by reaching this place one step ahead and waited for his honorable arrival here.

In his heart, he had neither anxiety nor delight; his feeling was cold and detached that even he himself did not understand. He could not just kill indiscriminately, but he could not turn a blind eye toward the enemy either.

After finding out that Li Tianfan was Li Mi's son, he already made up his mind not to let him go back alive to see Li Mi. But all along he still had a feeling toward Shen Luoyan; it was hard for him to ruthlessly destroy the flower. Outside Baling County that day, he even let the ‘Mermaid' You Qiuyan go, much less Shen Luoyan!

Under the moonlight, Li Tianfan and Shen Luoyan were approaching rapidly.

They started with more than ten people and now they became only two people; evidently in order to pursue and attack Li Xiuning, they had paid a bitter price. It was also obvious that Li Tianfan and Shen Luoyan were selfish people, who did not hesitate to sacrifice their subordinates' lives in exchange of their chance to escape. If they were not solely preoccupied with escaping, it would not be that easy for Li Xiuning, Chai Shao and the others to subdue their men.

The two people eventually detected his presence; they halted in shock.

Raising the Moon in the Well, Kou Zhong leaped down, and stood at the peak of the slope to block their way. "You think it's that easy to leave?” he said with a cold laugh.

Li Tianfan's eyes flashed with a deep cold murderous intent; glaring viciously at him, he said, "Where's your partner?”

Shen Luoyan's beautiful eyes suddenly exuded a red-hot expression, but it disappeared just as quick.

Kou Zhong sneered and said, "To deal with you, this kid, me, one person, is more than enough. Others are experts in both literature and martial art, but you are an expert in hiding and fleeing, plus very adept in easily abandoning your subordinates. You are really unworthy to be Li Mi's son.”

Li Tianfan laughed indifferently and said, "Do you want to arouse my anger? It's not that easy. No need to waste too much words, make your move, let's see your real skill!”

Kou Zhong saw Shen Luoyan pulled the ‘soul-snatching hairpin' from her hair, but did not see Li Tianfan producing any weapon. Inwardly he was quite astonished; could it be that just like Xu Ziling, this guy also loved to use his fists and legs?

But this moment he had no time to think. Taking a step forward, he pointed to the two using his Moon in the Well, sending out a powerful saber qi.

Li Tianfan let out a cold laugh. Not allowing Kou Zhong to amass his momentum, he flipped his two hands to reveal a pair of short blades approximately two chi long each. One slashed upward the other stabbed downward, his technique was vicious and harsh to the extreme. Laughing, he said, "The right is called shooting the sun, the left is called moonshine; they can cut gold and pare jade. Kou Xiong better be careful!”

Seeing that even though he verbally abused Li Tianfan, yet he was still able to maintain his elegant demeanor, Kou Zhong's heart shivered in fear. The Moon in the Well swept swiftly; relying on the weight, length and the sharpness of the weapon, he tried to gain the upper hand first.

Yellow glow suddenly flared out. Its power was definitely unstoppable; the violent saber qi hacked down on Li Tianfan's clothes fluttering in the breeze.

Li Tianfan did not show the least bit sign of fear; rising to the challenge, he fought a fierce hand-to-hand combat with Kou Zhong.

The sound of weapons clashing was ringing incessantly.

Surprisingly, Shen Luoyan was simply watching with folded arms, as if she had full confidence on Li Tianfan's ability.

In a flash, Kou Zhong, using the extremely agile swimming fish shenfa, successively sent out a dozen or so swift saber strikes toward Li Tianfan from different angles; a very intense offensive so that from attacking, Li Tianfan was forced to take defensive stance, the all-out attack became dodging and evading.

But Li Tianfan's shooting the sun and the moonshine, two blades, were moving with elaborate and exquisite changes. On top of that, his footwork was fantastic. Every time Kou Zhong's saber slacked off a little bit, immediately he adopted counterattack style, forcing Kou Zhong to strenuously maintain his offensive momentum.

It was only now did Kou Zhong know that Li Tianfan was indeed not a dog child [from idiom: tiger father would not begot dog child].

Shen Luoyan glaring like a tiger watching its prey on the side also posed a great threat to him.

Kou Zhong remembered Lu Miaozi's ‘Escaping One' principle, but in reality he still did not know how to use it. All he could do right now was sending his vortex of qi via his Moon in the Well, which turned into streak after streak of yellow lightning constantly striking Li Tianfan.

From the beginning Li Tianfan did not stop retreating, the saber's circle was getting narrower and narrower. When it looked like his blood was about to splash under Kou Zhong's saber, suddenly he abandoned his blade and stretched out his arm to block.

Kou Zhong was greatly surprised; he thought that the opponent should not be so desperate to risk his life like this. Hurriedly he reduced his power by thirty-percent.

It was at this moment that Shen Luoyan made her move. The Soul-snatching Hairpin swiftly lunged toward Kou Zhong's open right flank. Her shenfa was as quick as a demon.

‘Dang!'

The Moon in the Well struck Li Tianfan's right arm, creating a loud metal-to-metal clashing noise.

Kou Zhong realized that Li Tianfan must be wearing some kind or magical armor on his arms. He knew he had fallen into disadvantageous position; also, he knew now why Shen Luoyan picked this right moment to launch her attack. Hastily he dodged sideway.

Li Tianfan laughed aloud; his blade's momentum changed fast. Relying on his arms, which were impervious to the enemy's sharp weapon, he unleashed a series of violent attacking moves to penetrate the opponent's defense, entering every crack and loophole in Kou Zhong's saber momentum.

Shen Luoyan repeatedly let out her tender shouts, as she continuously circled around Kou Zhong, launching surprise attacks each time she saw an opening.

Kou Zhong has lost his advantage. Were it not for the opponents had to spend considerable strength to deal with his vortex of true qi, perhaps he would have been defeated early on.

Realizing the disadvantageous situation, Kou Zhong let out a long laugh, and suddenly retreated toward the top of the slope, while at the same time his saber hacked down an empty air.

This saber strike was actually in accordance with the Yijian Technique.

Li Tianfan and Shen Luoyan realized suddenly that this one saber strike actually sealed up all spaces from which they could launch their attacks, so that any successive move they were planning could not be unleashed.

Overwhelmed with shock, the two people backed off.

Revealing a bright, sunny smile, Kou Zhong put his saber back into its scabbard and spoke amiably as if he was addressing his old friends, "Enough playing today, please say hello to Duke Mi on Xiaodi's behalf.”

And then after another loud laughter, he winked at Shen Luoyan, and flew away.

After being shaken by Kou Zhong's ‘like a heavenly steed soaring across the skies' saber strikes, unexpectedly Li and Shen, two people did not dare to restart the battle.

※ ※ ※

With their backs and hips pressed up against each other, Xu Ziling and Shang Xiuxun dealt with wave after wave of attacks from four sides, eight directions. A strange feeling that they were of the same flesh and blood started to develop in two people's hearts.

Dead bodies were scattered all around them, the number of cuts and wounds on their bodies was also growing more and more.

Cao Yinglong, Xiang Batian and Fang Jianding, three Big Bandits were standing on the eaves. From their vantage point they directed their subordinates in continuous offensive against the two people under siege below.

Suddenly the sound of battle cry sprang up everywhere from the southeast direction, and rapidly approaching.

Cao Yinglong stomped his feet, his countenance changed. "What kind of trick is this?” he said, "How come we know nothing until they arrived here?”

Fang Jianding roared; he was about to rush down to deal with Xu Ziling, two people, when Cao Yinglong pulled him back and shouted, "Small neglect may breed great mischief, we retreat immediately.”

Chapter end