"Successfully fired signal flare. Last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn [1] in the hands of Third Tomb Robber!"
The notification from the system made Happy overjoyed.
When he saw that two of the three villains in Gate Realm left and only Third came to chase after him, he instantly felt his spirits rise, because the light of hope had just shone on him when he was in despair.
While Third was good at using hidden weapons and was also the best when it came to the lightness skill, Happy was not the normal amateur that the three tomb robbers expected.
Even though Happy's qi was weak and he was unarmed, he believed that he still had a chance to defend himself and survive if he were up against Third alone.
Hiss!
The sound of wind being sliced charged towards him. Happy listened to the sound of the wind to determine where it came from and rolled forward without bothering about his image. He then jumped backwards and avoided a lancet knife that went past him.
Clang!
Sparks flew when the hidden weapon crashed into a huge sword that was as big as a hill. Happy landed on the ground firmly, but he did not dare to linger around. He slithered his way into the tall sword tomb with his back bent, just like a mud fish.
Third was not concerned about missing his target once.
The terrain of the sword tombs was complicated, and it was easy for someone to hide in it. Besides, since the boy was a disciple from the Murong Clan, he had already cultivated some qi. This naturally made him different from the panicky villagers. It was quite expected that he would have some ability to dodge his throwing knives.
But…
When all the subsequent lancet knives missed too, Third finally discovered that his enemy might not be as easy to deal with as he thought. He gritted his teeth and roared, "Once we get out of this tomb, I'd like to see where you can hide!" He no longer attacked and just chased Happy.
At that moment, Happy laughed. "You want me to go out? Well, I'm not going to."
He changed his direction and went into a side road in the sword tomb before going to the east side.
The situation had already changed. If all three tomb robbers were around, Happy would naturally leave the sword tomb at the fastest speed possible, since if he were surrounded, he would definitely die.
But it was different now. If he left the sword tomb, Third would no longer be obstructed by the terrain and would be able to bring out the full might of his lancet knives. At that time, no matter how agile Happy was, it would be impossible for him to continuously avoid the barrage of throwing knives.
Hence, at that moment, running back into the sword tomb and letting time pass with Third there was the wisest choice for him.
"You brat!"
Third saw through the Murong Clan boy's thoughts. He roared and kicked off the ground into the air. When he looked down, Happy's tracks were instantly exposed, and he threw a lancet knife resolutely.
However, the moment the man leapt up, Happy laughed.
'You want to hit me? You'd do better if you used Tang Sect's Scattered Palm.'
Third might have been able to hit all the inexperienced villagers using his simple technique with hidden weapons, but against Happy who had great combat experience, it was obvious that it was not enough.
Whoosh!
With his clothes flapping. Happy executed a Python Flip right on time, and his body miraculously rolled over and leapt into the air. The motion made it seem like he stopped in the air for a moment before landing on the ground.
Right after avoiding the lancet knives, he tapped the ground and executed a Shooting Stars Chase the Moon to quickly pass by the third tomb to his left before Third could throw his second knife. This submerged him in the darkness.
"And where do you think you can hide?!"
Third gritted his teeth, sucked in a deep breath, and chased after him.
Happy was a person from the Murong Clan, and he had even seen their faces. If Third could not kill him, the consequences would be dire. Therefore, no matter what, he had to kill him in the shortest time possible.
His gaze darkened, and a faint white aura surged out from his Dantian region. It quickly flowed through his entire body. Then, the distance he could close with one step instantly became much wider. In an instant, he found Happy's tracks.
Happy said nothing.
He could hear the sound of wind brought by the great force behind him, and he could also sense the pressure from it. A light crease appeared between his eyebrows.
The robber had actually managed to enter a qi realm. Now, things were looking to be a little bad for him, because Third had decided to go all out…
Thud! Thud!
Another two lancet knives were thrown, and Happy felt a chill on his skin. His clothes were torn in two places. The knives, however, were plunged deep into the tomb behind which Happy had dodged. He instantly broke into a cold sweat. Both his enemy's strength and speed had very obviously increased.
Whoosh!
Before he could react, Third Tomb Robber jumped a few times to land right in front of Happy. Great killing intent could be seen in his eyes.
"Brat… let's see where you can hide now!"
However, something that shocked Third Tomb Robber happened next.
Even though a powerful enemy blocked his path, Happy did not change his direction. Instead of decreasing, his momentum actually increased. He used the powerful inertia brought by his charge and slammed his palms together when he was about to crash into Third without thinking of turning back. His eyes were filled with resolution and decisiveness, along with shocking fighting spirit!
Since he could not escape, he would fight!
This was Happy, who had the full intention to fight, going up against Third, who did not expect him to fight. Because of it, Happy seized the initiative. His palms moved past each other, and his Shaolin's Long Fist, which had reached the ninth realm, crashed full force against Third's arms when he raised them in a hurry.
Thud! Thud!
The attack had a great impact. Even martial artists who had entered Gate Realm would be able to sense the strength and the fierce and strong essence of Shaolin's Long Fist. Third's entire body shuddered, and he could not help but stagger a few steps back.
"Again!"
Happy knew that if he let his guard down even in the slightest against a powerful enemy, he would definitely die. His gaze darkened, and he changed his fist into a claw, seizing Third's right arm with one hand while his qi circulated in his Dantian region.
Golden Dragon Stretches Claw!
He grabbed the robber and used the force he had gathered to rise him from the ground. With a Soaring Bird, he flew over Third's head with his limbs outspread and landed right behind him. He then bent his back, and with a front sweep kick, he swept Third off his feet from behind him, which went abnormally well. Then, he used an Overturn Universe paired with a Warrior Monk's Hand Flip to deliver a brutal palm strike. Before the man could react to it, Happy used a Birds Enter Forest and quickly fled.
He used the skill set of Shaolin's Long First in succession at that moment of crisis, and it allowed the martial art to improve a little more, but Happy did not have time to care about that.
Even though he had managed to seize the chance to use Third to train his skills, the man's muscles were extremely sturdy, and even when he was attacked ruthlessly, he never gave up on protecting his vital parts. This meant that Happy's attacks did not deal too much damage to him. If Happy continued fighting him, it would be useless, and it would even be very easy for him to get dragged into trouble.
Once he attacked Third for a bit, he ran, since he had resolved some of the danger. All he needed to do was to drag out the time until reinforcements from the Murong Clan arrived.
Happy's judgment was not affected by the temporary upper hand he had gained.
"Bastard!"
Third used a Carp Jump and regained his footing. He brought out a huge saber from somewhere, and it shone with a chilling glare. Under the moonlight, Third swept his gaze around the area with rage burning in him so violently that his face was red. He gritted his teeth. Clearly, he was absolutely livid after being humiliated by a normal and mediocre disciple from the Murong Clan toying with him when he let his guard down for a moment.
"If you have the guts, come out! Is hiding around the way you Murong Clan people do things now?!"
"Bah, I thought hiding around is the tomb robbers' style!"
Happy's retort came from a distance, and there was a hint of smugness and mockery in his voice.
Third was not angered, but ecstatic. He said nothing but tapped the ground. He stepped on a few tombs and went in the direction from which the voice had come while he looked down from the air.
'The sly bastard.'
Happy swiftly understood that Third had lost his precise location and had intentionally goaded him into revealing his position. Happy could not help but curse in his heart.
But he was also a little happy that Third had changed his weapon.
Once Third pounced in his direction in a very flashy manner, a black shadow accompanied by a faint earthy smell went straight to the man in the air. More precisely, it went straight to his face.
Third was stunned and instinctively brought the saber horizontally across his face to block it!
A powerful wind swept towards him!
A fierce and strong force then crashed into Third's lower abdomen. The man cried out in pain and was sent flying away as if a cannonball had hit him.
But what Happy did not expect was that Third would be sent flying to a huge, protruding sword in the cemetery by his waist side kick, which he only executed after he had thoroughly planned out his attack.
"AHHHH!!"
Third let out a short but shrill scream. He was impaled by the huge sword and got stuck at the sword handle. His weapon fell to the ground with a clatter, and he breathed his last just like that.
Once Happy landed on the ground, he looked up. When he saw what had happened, he could not help but be flabbergasted.
He… had just killed someone.
And that someone was a tomb robber who had reached Gate Realm.
Translator's Note:
[1] One incense stick: Fifteen minutes.