Caught You

Fang Shuwen's words had not stemmed from arrogance. In truth, he was an exceptionally cautious and prudent person. The only reason he had spoken that way was out of concern that killing four of their companions in succession might frighten Feng Mantian and the rest into fleeing. Rather than leaving behind a lingering threat, it was far better to risk it all. He wanted to thoroughly enrage the remaining three and slaughter every last one of them right here inside Zhujige Pavilion. That way, he could completely resolve the danger hanging over Zhou Qingmei. Whether Fang Shuwen's words had worked or the remaining three truly possessed absolute confidence, Feng Mantian let out a furious roar: "Fine, fine, fine! Today, either you die or I perish!" The Black Fiend Demon Skill was abruptly mobilized, black vapor rolling across his entire body. Pushing off the ground, his figure surged directly toward Fang Shuwen like a storm cloud. Guan Tianyue charged alongside him. The two struck from front and behind, yet just as their fists and palms were about to land on Fang Shuwen, their feet suddenly shifted. Splitting left and right, they began to circle around him. Fang Shuwen raised an eyebrow, remaining rooted to the spot. He watched the two figures enveloped in black mist whirl endlessly, their strikes hovering between releasing and holding back, occasionally making feints as if provoking him. To be honest, the sight was somewhat comical. Zuo Qingshuang began to curse loudly: "Feng Mantian, do you have any shame left at all? "You call yourself a renowned expert in the jianghu, yet not only are you ganging up on a young junior, you even resort to such shameless tactics because you don't dare face him head-on! "If this is all the courage you have, you might as well scurry home and give birth to babies!" Xu Chongshan let out a cough. "Junior Sister... you are an unmarried woman after all; you should mind your tongue a little." "Mind his grandmother's grandson! Who bullies people like this?" Zuo Qingshuang was beside herself with rage. The senior brother with whom she had just been ready to share life and death now suddenly seemed utterly detestable. Xu Chongshan was left speechless... In all good conscience, the Black Fiend Cult was an evil sect. Yet to call this 'bullying' was stretching it a bit. Qingyangzi, Ghost Scholar, Li Nanchen, and Monk of Ultimate Bliss had died at Fang Shuwen's hands one after another. These veteran old devils of the Black Fiend Cult had been forced to throw away all their dignity, resorting to mixing feints with real strikes solely to disrupt Fang Shuwen's sight and attention. If they hadn't been driven to their absolute wits' end, why would they ever sink to this? In the past, the Black Fiend Cult had been notorious throughout the jianghu for its cruelty; once word of today's events spread, they would become famous across the jianghu for their utter shamelessness. Of course, this reflection was based purely on their relative strength, not on any grievance Xu Chongshan held against Fang Shuwen. In truth, at this very moment, he felt boundlessly grateful that such a youth had stepped forward out of nowhere at Zhujige Pavilion's most critical juncture to prop up the falling edifice. Yet he could not help but worry. Fang Shuwen was still young and lacked combat experience; might he suffer a loss against the Black Fiend Cult's shameless tricks? He only knew that under the current circumstances, shouting furious curses like his junior sister served no purpose. It was better to keep his mouth shut, so as not to distract Fang Shuwen. Yet right at that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a trace of a shadow, and his heart gave a violent jolt. "Not good! "Young hero, look out!" Of the people who had come to Zhujige Pavilion today, four were already dead. All that remained were Feng Mantian, Guan Tianyue, and that man in black who had never once revealed his true face. In everyone's mind, Feng Mantian was the backbone of this group. After all, he was the Cult Master of the Black Fiend Cult. So when he and Guan Tianyue employed such outright shameless methods against a mere youth, no one would ever have imagined that they were merely a diversion to draw attention. The dark shadow Xu Chongshan had glimpsed out of the corner of his eye was precisely that man in black who had never shown his face. This person's movement speed was far superior to Feng Mantian's. Taking advantage of the moment Fang Shuwen's attention was occupied by Feng Mantian and Guan Tianyue, he had finally struck. In virtually the blink of an eye, he had slipped through the gap between Feng Mantian and Guan Tianyue, encroaching right beside Fang Shuwen. By the time Xu Chongshan's warning rang out, it was already too late. This person was far too fast, and his martial arts were exceptionally sinister. A single finger, stirring not the slightest breeze, was already thrust toward Fang Shuwen's sea of qi acupoint. Once the sea of qi was pierced by that finger, even if Fang Shuwen possessed peerless divine skills, he would suffer a devastating blow. When that happened, the situation would reverse once more... Zhujige Pavilion, which Fang Shuwen had dragged back from the brink of the abyss, would plunge once again into irrevocable doom. Yet this strike was too fast, too stealthy. Even if Fang Shuwen heard Xu Chongshan's words and reacted at the very first instant, it would simply be too late! Despair surged through Xu Chongshan's heart, but at the same time, he resolved to fight to the death. He could never allow a youth like Fang Shuwen to die a gruesome death in Zhujige Pavilion. Although the Qi-Severing Powder made circulating his qi a torment worse than death... it did not mean he was entirely unable to exert his inner power. Just as before, even if it meant staking his life, he had to give his all to wrest a glimmer of hope for Fang Shuwen, Zhou Qingmei, and Lu Xiaoqing. All of these thoughts settled in a single instant. Yet in the next moment... Xu Chongshan's eyes flew wide open. Without any warning—or perhaps before anyone had even noticed—a hand had already been prepared. Just as that finger was about to land on Fang Shuwen's sea of qi acupoint, that hand abruptly clamped down, seizing the finger in an iron grip. "Caught you." A trace of a smile curled on Fang Shuwen's lips, and the delight in his eyes did not diminish in the least. Xu Chongshan was injured, after all; his physical state fell far short of his prime, and his perception was nowhere near what it used to be... In reality, much earlier—when his Vajra Throws the Pagoda had struck empty air and Feng Mantian had been whisked away by this black-robed man—Fang Shuwen had known that the man possessed extraordinary lightness skill. His speed was something Fang Shuwen could not match. Therefore, when Feng Mantian and Guan Tianyue suddenly played the trick of surrounding him without striking, he had only appeared to devote all his attention to the two of them. In truth, the greater part of his focus had remained fixed on this very person. The Great Perfection of the Yijin Jing had immensely elevated Fang Shuwen's martial foundation, as well as his perception and methods. Fast as the man was, he could not escape Fang Shuwen's eyes. In a contest of lightness skill alone, Fang Shuwen could not catch up to him... but that did not mean he could not beat him! With calculated intent against an unwary foe, his grasp had struck true on the very first try! The black-robed man's heart dropped violently. He was a ruthless man himself; each time Fang Shuwen had attacked, it had been a thunderous strike that killed on the spot. Harboring not the slightest wishful thinking, he immediately moved to snap his own finger to force an escape. Yet how could Fang Shuwen ever give him the chance? How could he let a cooked duck fly away? Without warning, a surge of true qi tore upward through the meridians of the man's finger... Successive popping sounds rang out as the true qi shattered acupoints and meridians in rapid sequence. The black-robed man's entire body shuddered, and immediately after, his head was clamped tight. His entire form was caught firmly in Fang Shuwen's palm. Fang Shuwen hoisted him up, swung him around in a wide arc, and barked: "Have the two of you circled around me enough?"