Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan Volume 2 Chapter 1 part1

Book 2 Chapter 1 - The Wily Old Fox
Translated by Foxs

In an instant Xu Ziling's mind, body and spirit entered into an unprecedented state.

He felt his mental and physical have fused into one entity, which was then transformed into some kind of transcending-the-ordinary surge of energy.

His eyes brightened, as he charged fearlessly into a clump of ten or so thugs head on. He even felt that he could react a tad faster than they were able to move. Plus he could indistinctly feel the angle and the timing of each weapon as it came, as well as the opening in each attack. He felt that could even tell which enemy was strong and which one was weak.

Too bad he did not know how to exploit this fantastic newly-found ability.

The heat stream had started to flow from the sole of his left foot, going up.

The first to arrive was obviously the strongest evil thug, who brandished a big hatchet in his hand from right to left, hacking at Xu Ziling's face. Before the hatchet arrived, the gust of wind from the hatchet and the whistling noise as the hatchet split the air have already piercing his skin and his ears; with his new-found sensitivity, everything felt as if it was amplified several times.

The ‘Bloody Battle Ten Styles' that Li Jing taught flashed through his mind like a lightning or a flint spark. Without thinking he launched the move ‘Exposing the Tip of the Fire Beacon', the treasured saber swept …

‘Ding!' The hatchet and the saber collided.

Xu Ziling did not expect he really could chop the enemy's hatchet. While he was overjoyed, the man twisted his hatchet with great force, the treasured saber flew off Xu Ziling's hand.

Xu Ziling was so scared that he felt his soul flew out of his body; he did not foresee that although he knew exactly the opponent's follow-up move, but he had no idea how to deal with it. Unexpectedly just one exchange, and he already lost his weapon.

The big hatchet arrived again. Two other enemies also came from his left and right, one using a saber, the other using an iron chain, both were aimed mercilessly toward his body; they did not hold their hands at all just because Xu Ziling was a young kid.

In this critical moment, Xu Ziling saw a gap. Instead of retreating, he lunged forward and rolled on the ground. To his shock, however, he rolled past these two men just to enter the enemy's encirclement.

As the first three enemies' attack missed its target, their own momentum carried them two more steps forward before they managed to stop and turn around.

The other men immediately swarmed in. Xu Ziling sprang up, only to see from left, right and center, three directions, sabers flickered and swords flashed. He had no choice but to step backward.

‘Bang!' His back crashed onto the city wall. Not able to retreat anymore, he dropped down along the wall and fell sitting on the ground.

First of all Xu Ziling remembered Kou Zhong; and then he remembered his Niang, followed by Susu and Li Jing.

While in his heart he was crying out his goodbye, something flashed in front of his eyes.

Someone wearing tall hat, around fifty years of age, with countenance that looked old and clumsy, a bit like a dead person, suddenly dropped from the sky, exactly in between the evil thugs, who were charging wildly, and he. The man even had time to squat down, and showed a warm smile to Xu Ziling, a smile that did not match his weird countenance at all.

Right this moment two sabers, one sword and one chain, because the wielders were not able to hold back, were striking the man's back. But four men screamed miserably with blood spurting out of their mouth as they were thrown backward, while their weapons were stuck onto this strange man's back.

The other evil thugs have never seen such a brilliant martial art skill; overwhelmed with shock, they scattered away; but they still managed to maintain their encirclement.

The man patted Xu Ziling's forehead and helped him to stand up. He even dusted Xu Ziling's clothes with absolute tenderness and attention.

The four men that were shaken by him were still lying motionless on the ground. It seemed like their condition was not promising at all.

The man showed another glimmer of smile as he spoke in tender voice, "You are Xu Ziling, aren't you?”

Xu Ziling's mind went blank; he simply nodded with a blank expression on his face.

One of the evil thugs behind him called out, "Friend, from which ‘way' are you?”

A hint of grim smile appeared on the corner of the man's mouth. Because he had his back against those men, only Xu Ziling was able to see this. He suddenly had a nagging feeling in his heart that this man, who seemed to be making his move from a sense of justice, was not a good person at all.

The man reached back and swiped, the weapons stuck on his back were wrapped in his palm, which was wider than average person's, without any fear of the sharp edges of the sabers and swords. As if nothing had happened, he said, "I am Du Fuwei. When you, gentlemen, see Yan Huang [King Yama, King of Hell], you must not forget it.”

It was as if a thunderbolt echoed in Xu Ziling's mind, wasn't Du Fuwei the top leader of Huai River militia, Li Jing's former master? He had just led his army to take over Liyang, causing everybody to flee for their lives; how did he suddenly appear here, alone? Not only he saved Xu Ziling's life, he even knew Xu Ziling's name?

While these thoughts were running wild in his mind, Du Fuwei flew backward in lightning speed, slamming himself onto a man who was standing about a zhang away behind him.

The man immediately spurted blood as he was thrown back violently; his entire body exploded with the sound of bones breaking and flesh splitting.

At this moment the rest of the evil thugs deeply regretted that their mom and dad did not give birth to them with more than two legs as they scattered in all directions for their lives.

Du Fuwei waved his left hand, the four weapons in his hand flew out to the left and separately embedded themselves into four man's back. His method was frighteningly cruel, but his accuracy really rendered other people speechless.

Xu Ziling thought that if he did not take this opportunity to flee, what was he waiting for? Thereupon he lifted his feet and ran toward the city gate.

Incessant miserable screams followed him from behind.

Du Fuwei's cruelty in killing his victims broke Xu Ziling's courage that he did not have the guts to even look back. Very soon he ran into the mass of refugees scrambling against each other to get out of the city. Ducking to the left and squeezed himself to the right, very soon he reached the official road leading out of town.

Right now his only hope was to find Kou Zhong, and then together they would run far, far away, never again to see that Prince of the Devils.

Suddenly Du Fuwei's frightening voice echoed right next to his ears, "Xiao Xiongdi, your feet are really fast!”

Xu Ziling turned his head around, but after glancing to the left and right, he still did not see Du Fuwei. Suddenly he noticed that all around him people were looking above him with terror-stricken expression on their faces. Xu Ziling came to realize something so scary that his soul flew away and scattered.

Du Fuwei landed behind him and grabbed his back. Five streams of qi entered his body via his back.

At first Xu Ziling lost all his strength, but then the sole of his left foot starting to heat up, followed by the sole of his right foot cooling down; unexpectedly he recovered enough strength to struggle.

"Huh?” Du Fuwei was surprised, and then he sent more true qi into Xu Ziling's body.

Kou Zhong steered the mule cart into a wooded area by the road. He jumped down the cart.

Susu asked in horror, "Where are you going?”

Kou Zhong came over to Susu. First he looked down to see Li Jing, who was still unconscious and lying in Susu's bosom, and then he looked up and said seriously, "I believe Xiao Ling's situation is more dire than good. Right now I am going to go back to avenge him. Jiejie should drive the cart deep into the woods. Wait for Li Dage to wake up, then you can think of a way to escape.”

On an impulse he took all the silver out of his pocket and placed it in the cart before turning around and left, ignoring Susu's tender call.

He ran back to the main road, and rushed toward the city gate against the flow of people going out of town. Tears constantly poured down his face. His steps were getting faster and faster.

Although all around him people and carts were fighting against each other over their share of the roadway, but to him all of these were not his concern. It was as if he and those people lived in two totally different universes.

Nobody could understand heartfelt and genuine brotherly love between Xu Ziling and him.

Chapter end