"Stay behind me," I told Si Nan, but he bristled at my order.
"I can fight too," he replied fiercely.
"Against this number? When there's about a third of them armed with knives?"
"Yeah. I can take care of myself. Don't worry about me. When you get the chance, take down the leader." Si Nan glanced in the direction of the giant who had called himself Gui Xiong. "That guy is strong. I don't know why, but I somehow feel like he's dangerous…like he's a monster."
I was surprised at that. Even though Si Nan wasn't a cultivator, he could instinctively tell that there was something horrifying about Gui Xiong. Even more shocking, he actually trusted me to be able to challenge Gui Xiong.
I couldn't help but smile. Pushing my glasses up my nose, I used my other hand to beckon the gathering Ghost Bear Clan members.
"Leave it to me."
The Ghost Bear Clan members were uninterested in my posturing, and they lunged forward as one. Their blades flashed silver, slicing toward me. The majority of them had eschewed weapons, though, and had chosen to rely on their sheer strength and bulk to subdue the enemy.
None of them was on the same level as Ying Quan.
Weaving through their slashes and punches, I manipulated the flow of their energy and movements to use their attacks against them. Whirling about, I swept one of them off his feet and smashed my knee into his throat, causing him to gag and pass out. Then I rammed my elbow into the face of another who was about to grab me in a bear hug, so as to restrain me, breaking his nose with a satisfying crunch. While he staggered and howled in pain, I jumped up and landed on the forearm of a third guy who tried to punch me, and then kicked him in the face. His head snapped back and he toppled over.
Landing on the ground, I immediately ducked under the slash of another gangster armed with a knife. Honestly, if it weren't for Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths, I would never have seen the attack coming. I was half-relieved at avoiding the otherwise fatal blow, but I couldn't afford to rest on my laurels. Straightening up, I dodged the follow-up knife strike.
Allowing the blade to thrust past me, I then rammed my elbow against that of my opponent's, causing his arm to fold. Then I struck his chin with a palm and almost lifted him off the ground despite his immense weight and size.
While he fell, I spun around and kicked yet another assailant. He grunted, but I couldn't finish him off before two of his comrades were attempting to stab me with their knives. Sliding a step backward, I then deflected their blades with a hit on one's wrist and a smack of the other's forearms.
The knives sliced past the air in front of my face, but I made use of their momentum to bring them closer together, smashing their heads into each other with suck force I heard a crack. The both of them went down with a groan, and I stomped on their knife arms, breaking them.
By now, the guy I failed to finish off had recovered, and he threw a vicious hook. I retreated a single step and watched his fist stop an inch in front of my face. The guy grunted and tried to take another step when he realized that I was just outside of his range, but by now the power of his punch had been spent.
As for me, I lunged forward and smashed my knee into his face, caving it in in a spray of blood. I planted a foot on his chest and propelled myself upward to soar above three blades that sought to pierce my back from multiple directions.
Cartwheeling in the air, I then landed upon the shoulders of one of my assailants. He snarled and slashed at my feet, but I locked his head between my ankles and twisted. There was a snap and he immediately went limp when I broke his neck.
His two companions charged at me, but I was already moving away. Reaching out for his shoulders, I then cartwheeled off him before kicking him in the back. He staggered forward, then spun around…
…only for me to sweep his feet beneath him and sent him tumbling onto the ground. I jumped on him, my foot crushing his sternum and drawing a gurgle of blood as broken bone pierced his lungs, and then bounced off to kick the third guy before his knife could reach me.
He stumbled backward, only for me to deliver another roundhouse kick that sent his face crashing onto the ground with tremendous impact.
Glancing up, I saw three more Ghost Bear Clan members lumbering toward me. Two of them were wielding knives, but the third and largest of them was confident in his fists. They would reach me in a few seconds, so I could spare some time to check on Si Nan.
To my pleasant surprise, he was actually holding his own. Ducking under the punches from one of them, he then followed up with a palm strike, and then whirled around to kick the guy. He then dodged a jab from another assailant and responded with a kick that brought the guy to a kneeling position, his foot having connected with the hoodlum's knee. As the guy wavered, Si Nan punched him in the face with all of his might.
A third dude tried to stab him, but he spun around and locked the guy's arm. While they struggled for the weapon, Si Nan used his opponent as a shield against two other knife-wielding thugs. I decided to help him out by running and kicking one of them, and then springing back when the three hoodlums from earlier reached my position.
Thanks to my attack, the knife-wielder's attention was diverted to me. Not that I minded. Fighting four thugs wasn't that much different from battling three.
Three blades flashed toward me and I had to rely on my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths to dodge them. Weaving through a series of slashes, I managed to ingratiate myself with their rhythm of attacks, subtly slipping into their maneuvers and stopping their strikes from fully executing. With the flow of battle completely under my control, I was able to knock them off balance one at a time, almost sending them flying.
"Ugh!"
The first guy hadn't even been lying for more than a millisecond before I stomped on his crotch. He shrieked and foamed at the mouth, unable to handle the pain. Twisting around, my foot still on top of his groin, I kicked the fourth and largest guy who was determined to deliver a punch.
The other two were trying to get up, fumbling with their knives, but I was already moving. My knee crashed into the face of one of them, who was just about to sit up. Then my foot lashed out and caught him by the chest, breaking his ribs. While he fell, I swung about and performed a roundhouse kick that snapped the third knifeman's head back. There was a crack, probably his vertebrae giving way, and he toppled soundlessly.
The massive guy threw himself at me with a bellow, his fists lashing out, but he lacked the technique and skills of Ying Quan. I waited for his momentum to ferry him forward, then spun him about to the floor. As he tried to get up, I swung my arms about and slammed my palms into his chest. The immense force pulped his organs and he flew across the room, smashing into the wall opposite me.
Lowering my hands, I then turned toward Si Nan. He was taking care of his last opponent, having subdued the rest. Not bad. Even if he wasn't a cultivator, he was evidently a talented fighter. I had the feeling this wasn't the first time he was in a brawl.
"Amazing! Amazing!"
Gui Xiong was applauding us. He rose from his chair, his hands clapping thunderously. He grinned bearishly and then spread his hands.
"Even though I know none of my boys are a match for you, I still didn't expect you to crush them so convincingly. You've really opened my eyes."
"You mean your eyes were shut this entire time?" I asked dryly.
Gui Xiong merely guffawed. Then he turned serious and studied me. I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine. That coldness deepened when he spoke again.
"You…are a cultivator at the Black realm, aren't you?"
"I guess you could say that." I shrugged. If he knew that I was a cultivator, then there was no use denying it. He would be able to see through my lies. I stole a glance at the others. Na Lan Yan Rou didn't seem surprised – that must be because of her family background – but both Si Nan and Mu Zi Xing were staring at Gui Xiong blankly, sometimes turning to me as if expecting an explanation.
I had none to give.
Instead, I glared at Gui Xiong. I could feel the spiritual qi radiating off him. This was the strongest opponent I had ever faced by myself, and I couldn't stop shaking. Cold beads of perspiration formed on my face, but I bit my lip and forced myself to suppress the trembling.
"Enough playing around. Let the others go. This is between you and me, right?"
"Fine." Gui Xiong gestured for someone else to come out. To my surprise, I found out that I recognized the newcomer. "Ying Quan, cut the girls loose, and bring them out." He then glanced at Si Nan. "The boy over there, do you want to join the fun?"
"I…" Si Nan began, but I cut him off.
"Go. You're here to rescue Mu Zi Xing, aren't you? Take care of her. Also, look after Na Lan Yan Rou as well. Call her sister and bring her back to her family safely."
"You…" Si Nan growled, but then he shook his head. He instinctively recognized that he wouldn't be able to help much. "I understand. Don't die."
"Hang in there!" Na Lan Yan Rou cried out, even as Ying Quan cut her ropes. She surged forward, but the boxer grabbed her by her shoulders and yanked her back roughly. She ignored him and fixed her gaze on me. "I'll call help. Don't be reckless. I'll definitely get my father to come. He will do something about this!"
"Shouldn't you be saying something along the lines of 'my father will hear about this!'?" I asked jokingly, but everyone ignored me.
"Hah!" Gui Xiong guffawed. "Go ahead and call them. But no matter how fast they are, by the time they reach here, the fight will long be over."
He spat out his cigarette and then stomped on it to put it out. Cracking his knuckles, he took a single step forward.
"As long as I get to settle things with this kid here, I don't care if the Alliance chief himself drops by here later."
"You…!" Na Lan Yan Rou protested, but Gui Xiong ignored her.
"Han Sha wants this kid dead. And I still have a debt to repay him. He's my only target."
"Don't you have any shame?" Mu Zi Xing spat. "A grown man picking on a boy younger than you."
"Just go," I told them. "You'll only get in the way."
Si Nan and the other two stared at me for a few moments, and then they allowed themselves to be led back upstairs by Ying Quan.
"Heh. Now we can finally get to business."
Instead of surging forward immediately, Gui Xiong was moving in a curve, almost away from me. As if to mirror him, I walked in the opposite direction. The both of us circled each other from a distance, sizing each other up.
"Before we begin, I have a question." I raised a hand and eyed Gui Xiong warily, even as I continued strolling in a circle. "Why are you so eager to fight me? Why me? And earlier, you spoke of a matter. What matter are you referring to?"
"Ah, yes. Of course." Gui Xiong nodded. "It all began when Han Sha told me that you're a cultivator. I figured that you must be connected to that matter a year ago."
"A year ago?" I repeated incredulously, but inwardly I began to have an idea of what he was referring to.
"That's right. You know, the one where thirty gangsters were mysteriously found dead, along with a murder victim? They were all killed inside a warehouse." Gui Xiong dropped his voice into a conspiratorial whisper. "The police didn't believe this, of course, but there were speculations that a single person did it."
He was correct. I was the one who had singlehandedly killed all thirty thugs and delinquents that day.
Not caring about my response, Gui Xiong continued.
"We all knew it was a cultivator, see? Because only a cultivator would be capable of taking on thirty opponents by himself."
He then leaned closer.
"And I don't think it's a coincidence that you're from Gao Zhong High School, and involved with members of the Black Serpent Gang. It took me a while, but I found out that you had been standing up to students in your school who were part of the Black Serpent Gang…and that you are a close friend of the person they murdered in the warehouse."
"That's just circumstantial…" I began, but Gui Xiong raised a hand.
"Don't pretend. I know it was you. Do you think cultivators just show up any damned where? No, of course not. People who can cultivate are rare. Also, you're not a very good liar." He grinned. "I can tell from your expression that you know something about it…that you're at the very least directly involved. Han Sha confirmed that for me."
"Who is Han Sha?" I asked, feeling a chill. Looking around, I felt as if I was being watched by somebody, yet I couldn't see him at all.
"A friend…a benefactor. He appeared maybe two years ago. He taught me how to cultivate."
The chill intensified inside my bones. I had a feeling that this Han Sha might be one of the demonic cultivators after me. That was the only explanation. He must have nudged the attention of the Ghost Bear clan toward me and manipulated them to kill me.
"Where is Han Sha now?"
"Who knows? He was here earlier, but he disappeared just before he showed up. Besides, who cares? You won't get a chance to meet him anyway. He's not the only one who has beef with you."
I swallowed. "So you want to punish me for killing the Black Serpent Gang?"
"Goodness, no!" Gui Xiong threw his head back and laughed loudly. He shook his head and wiped tears from his eyes. "Of course not! I hate the Black Serpent Gang. We are mortal enemies. If anything, I'm grateful to you for getting rid of such scum. You did us a big favor."
"Huh?" I frowned in bewilderment. "Then why…?"
Gui Xiong held up a finger and wagged it at me.
"While you certainly helped us out with regards to wiping out the Black Serpent Gang, you did something unforgiveable."
I stared at him blankly, and the leader of the Ghost Bear Clan sighed exaggeratedly.
"Think about it. What did you do after you killed all of them?" he tapped his head. "Don't tell me you forgot. You were the one who wrote that message in blood, didn't you? Something about my Ghost Bear Clan declaring war?"
…oh.
For a few moments, I was silent. Gui Xiong watched me, and then chuckled.
"Honestly, I was impressed. That was a good idea, especially for a greenhorn kid like you who isn't even a gangster. Making use of our enmity with the Black Serpent Gang to shift the blame…to divert the attention and suspicions away from you. However…"
His expression turned thunderous.
"…do you think you can simply use the name of my Ghost Bear Clan however you want? Did you really think you could get away with using my Ghost Bear Clan as a pawn atop a chessboard? Playing us against the Black Serpent Gang like that? If I allow a white-faced brat like you to manipulate my Ghost Bear Clan like this, then where am I going to have the face to deal with other gangs in the future?"
At that instance, I understood what sort of unforgiveable deed I had committed.
"Nobody uses my Ghost Bear Clan. Nobody."
"Uh…sorry?" I offered an apology, taken back by Gui Xiong's vehemence. The lumbering goliath chuckled darkly and shook his head.
"It's too late. Anyone who dares use my Ghost Bear Clan for their own purposes…will have to pay with their lives."
With that declaration, Gui Xiong ceased his pacing and charged at me with a deafening bellow.