Chapter 250: Liu Wang, Don't Mess Around (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 250: Liu Lang, Not Liu Lang (Seeking Monthly Ticket)

Liu Lang raised an eyebrow slightly, "What’s wrong?"

"Do you think knowing your name is such an honor?"

"Or perhaps you hold a special status in the Páoshìyuó Kingdom, where everyone bows to you three feet?"

Before he could finish, Liu Lang let out a scoff. "I, the 'Knife Crazy,' roam the martial world with a long blade in hand—afraid of a mere title?"

Lü Jiānnán’s angry expression faltered. He scanned Liu Lang from head to toe, then asked, "Was it you last night?"

Guo Zhiwo, clutching his bleeding wounds, recalled the events briefly, his teeth clenched. "Brother, the person in the Spring Rain Tower last night wasn’t him!"

"The 'Knife Crazy' from last night’s blade work was sharper than yours!"

Liu Lang paused, glancing back and forth at the two men’s expressions, his mind drifting to the Spring Rain Tower. Suddenly, he realized the boss had likely seen them the previous night. Without hesitation, he dropped his blade and pointed it at the ground. "You mean the 'Knife Crazy' Liu Lang of the Northern Wastes?"

"I am the 'Knife Crazy' of Shu Zhou."

Upon hearing this, Lü Jiānnán’s eyes turned cold and predatory.

He couldn’t believe such a clumsy and obvious cover-up. If the person seen in the Spring Rain Tower wasn’t Liu Lang, only one possibility remained.

—Liu Wǔ!

Yet as Lü Jiānnán thought this, his mood darkened further. He suddenly realized that if it were Liu Wǔ in the Spring Rain Tower, that Liu Wǔ must be terrifying.

"A martial artist skilled in both gun techniques and complete knife work, yet so young—their talent alone is the greatest threat."

"Plus, he accompanied me and Guo Zhiwo to the Lake of Curved Pool, having overheard our conversations with Liu Taoyue and others."

Thinking this, Lü Jiānnán’s face grew even colder.

He fixed his gaze on Liu Lang. "No wonder you’re here—he sent you to spy on us?"

Liu Lang feigned ignorance. "Who’s he?"

"I, the 'Knife Crazy' of Shu Zhou, don’t understand your meaning."

"Your denials are useless!"

"If that Liu Wǔ was indeed the one last night, he nearly tricked us. Once I deal with you, I’ll find him!"

Lü Jiānnán spoke no more. He leaped to his feet.

On the other side, Guo Zhiwo seized the chance to grab his short axe and charged at Liu Lang.

The rushing wind and rain instantly scattered the surrounding raindrops.

Liu Lang let out a bitter smile. "Boss, boss, you saw them using my identity last night but didn’t tell us in advance?"

"Well, now they’ve been exposed."

He wasn’t afraid.

Facing Lü Jiānnán, whose cultivation was a realm above his own, and the wounded Guo Zhiwo, Liu Lang remained calm. He even worried about ruining the boss’s affairs.

"The situation is dire—hoping this doesn’t affect the boss."

Liu Lang took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the approaching Lü Jiānnán. A hint of excitement flickered in his expression.

In an instant, he froze, then slashed his blade sideways.

The blade sliced through the air, blocking Guo Zhiwo’s attack. The blade’s edge carved a nine-foot-long scar across the stone path.

"You’re too weak. Just stand there and watch—don’t want me cutting you in half."

Before he could finish, Liu Lang didn’t glance at Guo Zhiwo. He charged straight at Lü Jiānnán.

"A head-hunting master from the Páoshìyuó Kingdom—this is my first encounter. Don’t disappoint me!"

Guo Zhiwo, flushed and pale, roared without hesitation, charging forward.

"You—Wei dog—come to die!"

Liu Lang glanced sideways, a sneer crossing his face.

"Not strong, but bold in speech."

As he spoke, he twisted his stance, his blade slicing in a half-circle before he brought down a second strike.

This time, he left no room for escape.

The blade struck Guo Zhiwo’s arm with a sharp clang. The axe blade shattered, and the arm was severed, falling to the ground with a thud. Guo Zhiwo’s eyes bulged, his face twisted in rage and agony.

"You dare—"

Liu Lang sneered, dissatisfied with the cut. "This strike didn’t take your life. You still have some merit."

"But—"

Before he could finish, Lü Jiānnán rushed over, ignoring the wounded Guo Zhiwo entirely, his eyes fixed solely on Liu Lang.

As he closed the distance, he flicked out two daggers.

The blades sliced through the air.

Liu Lang instantly stepped aside, dodging the first pair of daggers, then parried the second pair with his blade.

"Coming!"

Liu Lang shouted toward Lü Jiānnán, who was ten zhang away, then charged forward.

He infused his body with true energy, both hands glowing. Pulling the celestial spirit into his body, he condensed it around himself, then attached it to his long blade. A flash of light appeared, evaporating the surrounding rain into vapor.

Lü Nine Nan saw this and remained unmoved. With a flick of his wrists, several wooden soldiers tumbled from his sleeves. Before they hit the ground, those wooden soldiers surged forward toward Liu Lang.

Following them, Lü Nine Nan’s hands never ceased their motion, releasing several cloth dolls.

—Sewn from rags, they vaguely revealed their stuffing of straw, with a silver needle nailed at their foreheads.

As soon as those dolls materialized, they exploded open, forming straw men as tall as men, propped upright by a single wooden stick.

At that moment, Lü Nine Nan pressed his palms together.

A sharp crack echoed.

Dozens of threads sprouted from the arms of those straw men, weaving and spiraling toward Liu Lang, racing past the wooden soldiers.

The sound of tearing air filled the air.

As Liu Lang was about to cleave those threads, a stench wafted through his nose.

He sensed something amiss and retreated sharply.

At the same time, he didn’t forget to kick away Ge Mu Xiu, who had stepped in front of him.

“You!?”

Ge Mu Xiu couldn’t even curse. He stared at the thread as thin as a hair hurtling toward him, fear etched on his face.

“No, brother, you—you—you—”

But Lü Nine Nan remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on Liu Lang, showing no sign of stopping.

In a blink, those threads passed through Ge Mu Xiu’s body.

Ge Mu Xiu’s fear froze in place, staring blankly at Lü Nine Nan.

“Brother—”

Before the word left his lips, his body shattered into pieces, collapsing to the ground. Blood soaked the rainwater red.

Worse still, black smoke rose from those meaty chunks, rotting at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Liu Lang glared and cursed, “Damn it, even killing his own people, he’s not human!”

Still cursing, he dared not linger a step.

If those threads were merely sharp, his swordplay could handle them.

But that lascivious sorcerer from Paoxie Suo had smeared some deadly poison on them.

Its venom was evident from Ge Mu Xiu’s fate.

Lü Nine Nan, however, paid it no mind. Quickly swirling his joined hands, he sent those threads spiraling faster toward Liu Lang.

“You killed my Kǒngqiāo Flag’s Golden Lion, so I’m taking your life to repay the debt!”

Liu Lang slashed a sword, fending off the approaching threads, muttering, “He died by your hand, after all.”

As he spoke, he scanned the alley, seeking a way to counter Lü Nine Nan.

But Blackfish Alley offered little advantage, and no one dared step forward to aid him.

Even nearby onlookers, some claiming strength, held back, unwilling to challenge Lü Nine Nan’s power.

“Boss, if you don’t show up soon, I might just—”

Liu Lang believed himself no match for Lü Nine Nan, yet confident he could escape.

Still, he felt a twinge of resentment.

Leaving like this was unbearable.

He hadn’t even drawn his blade, yet was entangled by those wooden and straw soldiers, which clashed with his title as the “Blade Fiend.”

Lü Nine Nan noticed his intent, coldly saying, “Blade Fiend? Not impressive.”

“Waiting for Liu Wu to arrive?”

“No need. Tell me where he is now.”

“After killing you, I’ll go find him myself.”

Liu Lang smirked, unyielding, “Tell me where you are, then I’ll run—”

He wasn’t Lü Nine Nan’s equal.

But he didn’t think Lü Nine Nan could match Chen Yi.

After all, Chen Yi was not just a martial master but also a saint of the medical arts.

Even the Five Poison Sect’s elders couldn’t kill him, let alone a lascivious sorcerer from Paoxie Suo.

“Hmph!”

Lü Nine Nan sneered, “Then you die first!”

In truth, he was more desperate than Liu Lang.

After all, he wasn’t a native of Wei Dynasty’s world, but a bandit from Paoxie Suo.

Acting here risked provoking the city guards, the execution bureau, and even the so-called upright martial artists within the city.

Worse, he was entangled with Liu Hong and Lin Huai’an. Exposure would ruin his alliance with Kǒngqiāo Flag and Shu Zhou.

Such consequences he could not abide.

Thinking this, Lü Nine Nan followed Liu Lang, taking along the straw men beside him.

Together with the wooden soldiers and threads, they surged toward Liu Lang.

A cacophony of tearing sounds and thunderous crashes echoed through the already ruined Blackfish Alley.

Nearby observers, unable to tolerate the chaos, quickly fled.

“Is this the ‘Blade Fiend’?”

“He was with Black Tooth Elder before, heading to three military outposts. Guess he survived.”

“Perhaps he betrayed Bright Moon Tower. With Black Tooth’s caution, how could he fall to Xiao Jinghong’s ambush?”

“Regardless, Liu Lang isn’t the only one causing trouble. His enemies are the sorcerers of Paoxie Suo.”

“If we just watch, we’ll be mocked for cowardice.”

“Have you not seen? Even Liu Lang can’t match that sorcerer. What use are we ordinary fighters?”

“This—”

As the onlookers whispered, a cart appeared in the distance.

But it didn’t venture far, stopping at the mouth of Blackfish Alley.

The cart driver bowed his head, unable to discern his features, only noting his withered, gaunt appearance.

Behind them in the sedan chair, Zhao Shichang had just dismounted, eyeing the distant bloodshed with a slight frown.

"My lord, that man is 'Butcher' Liu Lang."

Liu Tiaoyao nodded, speaking: "Last night, the gunman known as Liu Five mentioned he’d crossed paths with Liu Lang."

"Indeed."

"If possible, let Lü Nine-South spare his life."

Zhao Shichang grimaced, replying: "My lord, such a request may not be proper."

"Lü Nine-South and Liu Lang are locked in combat now. Regardless of the outcome, their clash will draw attention."

"If you appear here now, it may lead to..."

Liu Tiaoyao understood his meaning, paused, then shook his head: "Then it is as it may be."

He gazed toward the distant clash of blades, remarking:

"Such is the martial prowess of those in thejianghu—truly enviable."

Liu Tiaoyao, a scholar, regarded martial skills as mere exercise for the body. Yet witnessing Liu Lang and Lü Nine-South’s prowess, he could not help but admire.

Were he himself of mid-third rank, his achievements would surely surpass the present.

Zhao Shichang sighed inwardly, relieved the noble had been persuaded. Otherwise, the old master’s affairs would be ruined, and greater troubles would follow.

"My lord, it is best for Lü Nine-South to leave swiftly."

"The longer he lingers here, the greater the trouble."

After a pause, he continued: "Now, Ashu-Tai and Zeng Zhi-feng are missing, and Lü Nine-South’s aid is needed to find them."

Liu Tiaoyao nodded: "Then we shall proceed."

Zhao Shichang exhaled in relief, patting the cart driver’s shoulder: "Go quietly, Master Liu."

The driver inclined his head, then descended from the cart, moving swiftly beneath the gloomy clouds, closing in on Liu Lang and Lü Nine-South.

As he advanced, he occasionally flicked out several silver needles.

After a low, muffled explosion, those whose minds were fixed on the slaughter between Liu Lang and Lü Nine-South—those lurking in the shadows, even some beggars peeking from corners—all fell victim to the needles.

In an instant, dozens perished.

From the sedan chair, Zhao Shichang murmured: "My lord, Master Liu’s intervention should allow Lü Nine-South to retreat swiftly."

Liu Tiaoyao nodded, eyes scanning the fallen martial artists, sighing:

"A pity—Master Liu is already advanced in age, unlikely to break through third rank again."

In that moment, he recalled the Liu Five from the previous night, a trace of regret crossing his face.

"Were that Liu Five and Liu Lang at my disposal, I’d have no fear of failure."

Zhao Shichang naturally grasped his meaning, agreeing: "Indeed, a missed opportunity..."

Yet such matters no longer mattered.

As long as Master Liu cleared the onlookers, ensuring Lü Nine-South’s safe exit, it would not disrupt their scheme.

Soon, Master Liu’s blade felled dozens, clearing all witnesses.

Only one figure remained—closest to Liu Lang and Lü Nine-South, cloaked in black with a bamboo hat.

Master Liu employed his old skill, flinging two silver needles.

Whoosh.

A faint tearing sound split the air.

Yet Master Liu frowned—the needles failed to pierce the black-clad man as before. Instead, they were caught between his fingers.

Studying him closely, he said lowly: "You’re not weak."

"But this is not your place. Should you not wish trouble, depart swiftly."

He knew the commotion had already drawn many, and the longer he lingered, the more attention it would attract. Thus, he refused to waste time in conflict.

The black-clad man glanced at him, his iron mask beneath the hood faintly glowing.

"You speak truly—indeed, you must leave."

"You..."

Before Master Liu could drive him off, the man turned, pointing toward the distant clash:

"'Butcher' Liu Lang, your blade is as dull as if rusted—how dare you challenge me?"

Liu Lang stumbled, nearly struck by the threads, then recovered, glancing at the black-clad man with a sigh:

"Boss, this head-hunter’s skill surpasses mine, and he’s riddled with poison—he’s a thorn."

The man was Chen Yi.

Hearing this, he sneered: "Weak is weak—what excuses do you seek?"

Liu Lang clenched his teeth, no longer avoiding the fight, then charged toward Lü Nine-South.

"You said it yourself."

"If I fall, I’ll need your aid."

Yet before he could reach those threads, a black shadow flashed past him in an instant.

"No time for posturing."

"Deal with that elder first—I’ll handle him."

Seeing Chen Yi act, Liu Lang muttered, "Should’ve said so sooner," then turned to charge at Master Liu.

Lü Nine-South watched Chen Yi, his expression grave:

"Who are you, really?"

"Last night, you first appeared at Chunyue Tower, then trailed me. What do you seek?"

Chen Yi studied the threads circling him, smiling:

"Why do you all care so much about my identity?"

"Even if you knew, what then?"

After a pause, he turned to Lü Nine-South: "Could you let me escape alive?"

(Chapter Complete)