*Swallow Carrying Spring* was the signature lightness skill of Young Master Zhehua.
While not among the very pinnacle of martial arts in the Jianghu, it was nonetheless first-rate. It might fall slightly short in long-distance pursuits, but when it came to agility, it was second to none—especially its exclusive technique, Return of the Swallow, which allowed one to retain a reservoir of momentum within the body to abruptly pivot and change direction midair.
Back in Puning County, Young Master Zhehua had relied on that very move to evade Hongzhao's Vajra Palm.
After being refined through the tortoise shell, *Swallow Carrying Spring* had not only enhanced its inherent advantage in nimble footwork, but had also gained the ability to recover breath mid-stride for lasting endurance. Furthermore, its unique technique, Return of the Swallow, had evolved from allowing a single redirection in midair to three successive turns.
Wang Yu named it Three Turns of the Flying Swallow.
Naturally, learning a technique did not mean one could wield it to perfection right away. Wang Yu was still in the stage of familiarizing himself with it, currently capable of executing only a single midair turn. Yet against Wei Honggang alone, that was more than enough.
"The little bastard actually learned such formidable lightness kung fu?"
Wei Honggang had hailed from the Great Vajra Monastery, after all, and his discerning eye was sharp. He instantly recognized the extraordinary caliber of Wang Yu's footwork, though his supreme self-confidence remained unshaken.
"Watch this monk beat you to death!"
Wei Honggang roared and erupted into violent motion. The refined iron staff in his hands swept across in a wide arc, hemming in Wang Yu from both flanks and below.
Wang Yu thrust his sword again, planting the tip with pinpoint precision right against the head of the staff. Borrowing the momentum, he launched into the air. Golden mist unfurled across the sky, and a solitary shadow flickered within.
Now that his lightness kung fu had improved, Wang Yu intended to use Wei Honggang as a whetstone to sharpen his swordplay.
Wei Honggang, however, was no Naluotuo, and the Vajra Demon-Subduing Staff in his grip was far more formidable than Naluotuo's eagle-beak mattocks. With a single sweep of the heavy iron staff, he shattered Wang Yu's Lone Shadow in the Golden Haze, following up with Phoenix Nodding its Head, thrusting straight toward Wang Yu's chest.
Wang Yu tapped his feet lightly, his body floating weightlessly like willow catkins. Riding the gust of wind whipped up by Wei Honggang's iron staff, he drifted backward. His longsword looped and twined along the staff like a coiling snake, shearing straight toward the man's wrists.
Countering a staff with close-in blade work was a maneuver Wei Honggang had encountered countless times. With a violent tremor of the long staff, he scattered the force behind Wang Yu's blade, then swung the weapon diagonally toward Wang Yu's shoulder.
Wang Yu let his sword slide along the staff as his body flashed in the opposite direction. With another light tap of his toe, he drifted back once more.
Putting all his strength into his grip, Wei Honggang flicked the iron staff upward, sweeping it toward Wang Yu's legs, only for Wang Yu to execute a midair twist backward, cleanly dodging the strike once again.
……
Wang Yu fought as he ran, and Wei Honggang fought as he gave chase. Though locked in pursuit, neither slowed in the slightest. Zhao Shan and Zhao He, trailing far behind them, could barely catch the faint clatter of weapons—a sound that only grew softer and more distant, leaving them no choice but to follow the trail of destruction Wei Honggang left behind.
Relying on his lightness kung fu and the secret technique of Three Turns of the Flying Swallow, Wang Yu darted circles around Wei Honggang, cycling through the first five forms of the Seven Forms of the Setting Sun. Yet none landed a decisive blow, proving that Wei Honggang's martial arts were indeed formidable.
Of course, this was also because Wei Honggang had revealed apparent flaws several times, none of which Wang Yu had seized upon. Wang Yu could not be certain whether those openings were genuine or mere traps designed to lure the snake from its hole.
Regardless, Wang Yu was in no rush. As the ancient saying went: *Those skilled in warfare first render themselves invincible, then await the moment when the enemy is vulnerable.* Having grown thoroughly familiar with *Swallow Carrying Spring*, his lightness kung fu now far surpassed Wei Honggang's, placing him in an unassailable position.
Wei Honggang, on the other hand, grew increasingly agitated. He realized that after such a prolonged chase, Wang Yu showed no sign of faltering stamina. In contrast, his own wide, sweeping strikes not only drained his internal true qi, but also sapped his raw physical strength.
He had intentionally exposed openings several times, once even offering up his vulnerable back, yet Wang Yu steadfastly refused to take the bait, leaving Wei Honggang cursing him inwardly as a gutless coward.
"Spineless coward!" Wei Honggang finally bellowed.
"Indeed a spineless coward," Wang Yu agreed with a nod. "After having your face slashed, you swallowed your anger for over a decade, only daring to talk tough after the man died.
"To be honest, someone that cowardly is a creature I've never seen, let alone heard of in all my life. Tell me, what's the point of such a person staying alive? Wouldn't it be better to piss on the ground and drown yourself in it?"
"Cruel and bloodthirsty, exploding at the slightest touch—isn't that right, Stronghold Chief Wei, the Reckless Vajra and Poison Hand Veda?" Wang Yu taunted.
"You little bastard! Once this monk drags you back to the stronghold, I'll strip your tendons, flay your skin, and light you up like a sky lantern! If I let you die a comfortable death, I'll change my name to Merciful Veda!"
"As they say, names may be mistaken, but monikers never lie. It seems the world has misunderstood you. How about changing your name to Coward Veda instead? Though that might be an insult to the Buddhist guardian deity himself."
"Little bastard! This monk will rip your mouth to shreds!"
"If you ask me, the world has misjudged you all along," Wang Yu said with utmost gravity. "Everyone thinks you're ruthless, brutal, and bloodthirsty—a truly hardened villain.
"But I think that tough, violent temperament is nothing more than your protective coloring. You merely use an outward turtle shell of aggression to mask your sensitive, fragile inner heart.
"Did I guess right?"
"Guess your mother's—"
"Chief Wei, permit me a personal question: did you suffer some childhood trauma? For instance, being prone to bullying, or being severely traumatized by someone in particular?"
Wang Yu cut him off smoothly. "Did that leave you with deep psychological trauma, turning you into a coward who has to hide behind an aggressive demeanor and cruel methods to protect yourself?"
Wei Honggang's eyes turned crimson, his chest heaving violently. He wanted nothing more than to jam his Great Vajra Finger into Wang Yu's chest and rip him in half.
"Yes," Wang Yu said earnestly. "Very good. It seems my words have touched your soul. I won't say more; walking out of that psychological shadow is something you'll have to do on your own.
"I believe in you. With your natural talent, you will certainly break free from the turtle shell that binds you. Then the world will have one less murderous Poison Hand Veda, and gain one more sensitive, fragile Coward Veda."
"Amitābha!" Wang Yu pressed a single palm vertical and gave Wei Honggang an irreverent half-salute. "By doing so, we will both have accrued immeasurable merit, sufficient to attain Buddhahood in the next life."
"Attain your grandmother's leg!" Wei Honggang spat furiously. "This monk says you belong in the eighteenth level of Hell, having your tongue ripped out!"
Wang Yu shook his head, looking as if he were holding a serious philosophical discussion. "If the eighteen hells and the six paths of reincarnation truly exist, I'd rather go to the Asura Realm. I've heard the women of the Asura Realm are enchantingly voluptuous and drop-dead gorgeous—perfect for me.
"By the way, Coward Veda, you used to cultivate Buddhism. Even if you dropped out halfway, you must know some inside secrets. Do you happen to know what kind of spiritual practice in this life will get me into the Asura Realm in the next?"
"Aaargh!"
Driven nearly out of his mind with rage, Wei Honggang circulated his internal qi frantically. His refined iron staff blurred into afterimages, unleashing the full essence of the Vajra Demon-Subduing Staff and blanketing Wang Yu from every angle.
Wang Yu retreated swiftly, executing another midair shift with Three Turns of the Flying Swallow to evade a crushing blow. Yet Wei Honggang forced his true qi to reverse, swinging his arm in a manner that defied physiological limits—at the cost of tearing his muscles and straining his meridians—to lash out with another strike.
Wang Yu's brow twitched. Laying his longsword against the staff, he felt shockwaves rippling down the weapon, vibrating straight into his arm.
His gaze sharpened. He made his longsword oscillate in tandem, dispersing the incoming impact, though his arm was still left slightly numb and aching.
"Break!"
Though it had been a move that traded grave injury to himself for minor pressure on the foe, it had successfully stalled Wang Yu. Seeing an opening, Wei Honggang capitalized on the momentum, sweeping the iron staff horizontally aimed straight at his waist.
The heavy staff whistled through the air, but struck nothing. Wang Yu had bent backward into an Iron Bridge to let it pass, then tapped his foot against the ground, skimming across the grass like a swallow dipping over water.
*Thud!*
The iron staff smashed into the dirt, churning up clouds of leaves and dust, but failed to graze even the hem of Wang Yu's robe.
"Look, I'm the Prince of Zhenxi, and you're the stronghold chief of Mount Qi's Vajra Stronghold. I understand we have bad blood, and I understand you chasing after me,"
Wang Yu said. "But our feud isn't deep enough to warrant fighting to the death, is it? You're the master of a stronghold, eating hearty meat and drinking big bowls of wine every day. I didn't kill your parents, nor did I sleep with your wife. What are you putting your life on the line for?"
Wei Honggang said nothing, relentlessly swinging his staff.
The chase continued, dragging from afternoon into dusk, until they had nearly traversed the entire forest. Wang Yu moved like a swift swallow, while Wei Honggang was like a runaway battering ram, plowing a path through the woods with thunderous crashes and sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky.
After fighting for so long, not only had Wei Honggang expended an immense amount of internal qi, but even Wang Yu, who possessed the ability to recover breath on the move, was beginning to feel his reserves running dry, the drain outpacing his recovery.
Neither had expected the other to hold out for this long, yet both could sense that the other was reaching his limit.
The force behind Wei Honggang's staff had diminished, and the edge of Wang Yu's sword had lost its razor-sharp bite.
The setting sun dipped toward the horizon, casting a blanket of golden radiance through the gaps between branches and leaves.
Amid that golden glow, Wei Honggang's sharp eyes caught sight of the thinning trees just ahead; beyond lay an open expanse of grassy plains.
"Hahaha!" Wei Honggang burst into booming laughter. The refined iron staff in his hands struck left and right, cutting off Wang Yu's lateral escape routes and herding him straight toward the edge of the forest. "Without trees to hide behind, let's see where you run!"
Stripped of the forest's cover, the flaw of *Swallow Carrying Spring*—rich in agility but lacking in sustained straight-line speed—would be laid bare. Wei Honggang believed that pushing himself to the absolute limit would be enough to catch Wang Yu and bring him down.
Naturally, that was merely his illusion.
Wang Yu was already preparing to burst into full speed the moment they cleared the woods, giving the man a taste of true despair.
*Whoosh—*
Wang Yu darted out from the trees like a swallow, appearing as though his momentum was finally flagging.
*Crash—*
Wei Honggang burst through like a rampaging bear, braced to launch into a full pursuit.
Bursting abruptly from the shadowed forest into the wide world, the brilliance of the twilight was blinding. The setting sun shone directly into their eyes, causing both men to squint and experience a momentary flash of daze.
At that exact instant, inspiration struck Wang Yu. Executing Three Turns of the Flying Swallow, he pivoted sharply in midair and lunged straight back toward Wei Honggang. His longsword melted into a ray of sunset brilliance, the tip blooming into a brilliant flash of twilight that mirrored the evening sun, reflecting straight into Wei Honggang's eyes.
Seven Forms of the Setting Sun: Setting Sun Reflection!
Life harbored within extinction, flashing in an instant to claim victory through surprise!
Wei Honggang's vision had already been impaired by the setting sun. When the sword gleam flared, his eyes squeezed shut instinctively. Yet the lingering afterimage struck terror into his heart. He hoisted the iron staff, twirling it into a defensive blossom.
However, he had already injured his arm during his earlier reckless strike, and the lion's share of his internal qi had been drained. Caught completely unprepared, he was half a beat too slow. Just as his long staff began to spin, he felt a sharp, biting chill slice across his throat.
Wei Honggang's twirling staff slowed to a stop. Holding the weapon in his right hand, he raised his left hand to touch his neck. Bringing his fingers back into view, he found them coated in crimson.
In the next breath, severed by the blade and pressurized by the surging internal qi within him, the carotid artery ruptured completely. Blood erupted outward like a geyser, hissing through the air.
Wei Honggang whipped his head around, only to see Wang Yu already standing behind him, staring down at the sword in his hand and speaking softly:
"I gave you plenty of chances to walk away. Since you didn't want to leave, then stay here forever."
Bewilderment, regret, malice, and fury flashed through Wei Honggang's eyes before the light within them faded completely. His massive frame crashed to the ground.
In the final moments before he lost consciousness, he seemed to hear a distant voice shouting from afar:
"Brother Yu!"
Chapter 31