Chapter 6 – Fighting Barehanded

Wang Yigao felt that this person before him must have some mental issues. While it is not impossible for one to defeat an opponent who is at a higher level of cultivation, that requires genius talent and pinnacle martial arts taught by masters. Lin Ming is a poor young man, for him to attain his current state of strength was already a great accomplishment. But considering his mediocre talent, he actually thought he could win? Could it be that he did not get enough sleep yesterday? Is he sleepwalking right now?

Wang Yigao asked with a smirk. “What do you want?”

“If I win, I want two hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng, and five hundred gold liangs.”

Two hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng, and five hundred gold liangs! The people around were all rendered speechless: This child is quite the high maintenance type! Two hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng would require up to three hundred gold liangs. All of it would sum up to a whopping eight hundred gold liangs! This is no small number; however, one needs to be alive in order to take it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Eight hundred gold liangs?” Wang Yigao coldly snorted. “You think you qualify? You think your arms and legs are worth that much?”

Within Sky Fortune Kingdom, the lives of nobles and commoners are not equal. Even if Wang Yigao were to kill someone, he would only end up being confined as punishment. After that, all he had to do was pay a compensation of two hundred gold liangs.

Lin Ming slowly replied. “For martial artists, their arms and legs are priceless. If you are unwilling, then I understand. All you need to do is break off your own tendons.”

“Screw you! You are asking for death!” Wang Yigao furiously roared out, pulling the long sword on his waist.

Lin Ming’s face remained expressionless as he spoke. “You have yet to answer my question.”

“Heng! A mere eight hundred gold liangs? I can give you a thousand gold liangs! However, do you think you can live to take it? This senior will cripple you. If you can still preserve your life after three moves, this senior will have my name read upside down! [1]”

Wang Yigao had become agitated, to Lin Ming’s delight: More money for the taking. “Very well, a thousand gold liangs it is!”

He had only finished speaking those words when Wang Yigao’s sword slash descended upon him.

A faint trace of golden light radiated from the sword, and a piercing sound resounded for dozens of metres.

A martial technique!

Martial techniques involve the use of primal energies to kill the enemy. When Wang Yigao claimed that he would kill off Lin Ming within three moves, he was not just being carried away by his emotions. Rather, he had confidence in his abilities, in his martial technique! The opportunity to learn these techniques is something that only the young masters of great families or disciples of martial houses could have.

Once the martial technique is employed, those who do not possess martial techniques would find it difficult to endure. This was especially true considering the difference in martial cultivation between Wang Yigao and Lin Ming. Wang Yigao had absolute confidence in winning with just one move. The reason he had said he would kill Lin Ming within three moves was simply him preparing a backup in cases of ‘what if’s.

Wang Yigao was correct in his assumption that Lin Ming had not learnt any martial techniques. Lin Ming could only resort to common moves to deal with Wang Yigao’s attack.

When the surrounding people saw this scene, they all felt that the outcome had been determined. As for Lin Xiaodong, his heart became nervous. How could Lin Ming block off this sword attack?

Lin Ming’s attention was focused upon Wang Yigao’s incoming sword slash. Since practicing the ‘True Primal Chaos Formula’ from the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’, his perception had increased by several folds. In Lin Ming’s eyes, Wang Yigao was a wild beast [2] lunging towards him! For the past few days, Lin Ming had been dismembering countless number of wild beasts. Even though the beasts were already dead, dismembering them still required him identifying the gap between the bones. Whenever his knife descended, it would be quick, accurate and vicious!

At the moment when Wang Yigao’s sword descended, Lin Ming’s knife shot out. There were no calculations or considerations within his move; it was based purely on instinct. The knife went through the loophole within Wang Yigao’s move, slashing upwards with a slight tilt.

Equipped with a dazzling sword, going against an extraordinarily common knife, yet the results was something that no one could have expected. Lin Ming leaned to the side and dodged Wang Yigao’s sword slash. The knife in his hands however, had incredibly stabbed into Wang Yigao’s ribs!

“Ping!” After suffering from a stab of the knife, Wang Yigao exclaimed, his body collapsing and tumbling down onto the ground.

What is going on? The surrounding onlookers were unable to understand what had just happened and were stunned.

Presently, a one-foot long hole had appeared on Wang Yigao’s clothing, from his chest to his ribs. However, no blood was issued out. Instead, something silver shined through the hole.

“Flexible armour?”

Lin Ming secretly lamented. It turned out that Wang Yigao was wearing a flexible armour under his clothing. If not for the armour, that blow earlier would have dealt a heavy blow towards Wang Yigao’s fighting potential.

“You!” Wang Yigao was both shocked and furious, his eyes turning blood shot. He had actually been hit! He was hit by someone whose martial cultivation level was one stage lower than him! In front of countless onlookers! For the prideful Wang Yigao, this was an unacceptable matter.

“I want you to die!”

Logically speaking, that strike earlier signified that Wang Yigao had lost. But, how could the enraged Wang Yigao admit his defeat? Wielding his sword, he once again aimed a slash at Lin Ming!

Another martial technique was launched!

As for Lin Ming, he was just like an experienced hunter, catching onto every weakness shown by a wild beast!

“Ping!” The scene from earlier replayed itself. This time, a slash tore open a hole on the right side of Wang Yigao’s clothing, turning it into a waistcoat.

The surrounding onlookers were all stunned. They stared in disbelief at the outcome of the battle. How could this have happened? As the saying goes, ‘one inch longer is one inch stronger’. Wang Yigao’s sword has a far longer reach than Lin Ming’s boning knife. In addition, Wang Yigao possesses martial arts techniques and has a higher level of martial cultivation. But, in this fight, he ended up being stabbed twice with a seemingly ordinary move.

“That child, both his body speed and his knife speed is faster than Wang Yigao!” A martial artist who was observing the duel commented. A Physical Training First Stager beating a Second Stager in terms of speed was an unusual occurrence!

Lin Ming’s speed was indeed faster than Wang Yigao. In fact, the disparity in speed was quite considerable. This was the results of practicing ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’! Before practicing it, Lin Ming’s knife wielding skill was already extremely accurate and insightful. However, his speed and strength was unable to complement it. It would only be natural for him to be unable to defeat Wang Yigao who was at the Second Stage of Physical Training.

But, with the existence of ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’, the situation was now completely different!

“A a a!” Mad with fury, Wang Yigao tore off his outer clothing, revealing a silver looking flexible armour. He had lost to a Physical Training First Stager brat. If he were unable to exact vengeance, then he would have no face to remain in Sky Fortune City.

“I will slaughter you!” Wang Yigao desperately poured out the primal energies within his body, causing his sword to emit an even brighter radiance than before. He slashed down onto Lin Ming’s head. If this strike were to connect, Lin Ming would certainly end up dying.

At this moment, Lin Ming made a move that surprised everyone. He threw away his knife and faced his opponent bare handed!

All the onlookers were unable to comprehend this move from Lin Ming. This slash from Wang Yigao was obviously the final blow, backed with every last drop of energy. So, why is this teenager throwing away his weapon at the most critical moment? Surely, the knife is stronger than a fist? In times of crisis, he could even use it to parry the opponents sword.

[1 In the old days, Chinese words are usually written from top to bottom.]

[2 The word used here is different from the word used for Ferocious Beast. Not sure if the author made a mistake.]