Legend of the Great Saint

He was just like a young child after losing his treasured sword. He had no way to resist and hurriedly retreated backward.

The evil wind once again hovered from behind, hooking his soul and demanding his life.

Li Qingshan had no misgivings as he sprinkled the at will, his style unrestrained, his fists blowing an awe-inspiring wind as they forced Yang Anzhi to dodge and hide this way and that. But there was no hole Little An couldn’t drill into as he danced in the darkness, fiery and sinister.

One hard and one soft, one yang and one yin, the cooperation between the two of them was incredibly wonderful.

Yang Anzhi was also outstanding. Although he was wounded, he could still rely on his exceptional movement technique as he shuttled back and forth in evasion. But his body showed a few additional wounds, and the flow of fresh blood on his back became increasingly difficult to endure.

The scent of blood was heavy. Even ordinary people could smell it.

“Is Li Qingshan here?” A shout suddenly came from downstairs, powerful internal strength contained within, just like the clap of thunder on a quiet plain.

A dozen torches burned up and shone a bright patch of brightness upstairs.

Li Qingshan’s heart froze a moment. He hinted to Little An. The little knife immediately flew back into his sleeve. He didn’t want anyone to know of this secret for now.

Only now did the crowd see Yang Anzhi’s appearance, and they were all stunned speechless. Yang Anzhi’s momentum was as a rainbow before the lamp lights had been extinguished, and he was almost about to kill Li Qingshan. This was also consistent with his status as their publicly recognized first figure of Suncheer’s martial world, no matter how strong Li Qingshan was.

But Yang Anzhi had unexpectedly been defeated in the turn of an eye, and defeated so miserably to boot.

Yang Anzhi had also recovered his vision. He retreated beside Yang Jun. His face was pale white and his expression malevolent, looking like he wished to swallow Li Qingshan whole. He grabbed Yang Jun and went out, broking through the windows.

Li Qingshan said “pity,” but he didn’t mind it too much. He put a foot on the windowsill and looked downward: “Li Qingshan is right here!”

He saw at a glance a silhouette tall and burly like a black bear, while that black bear also saw him. Two pairs of eyes faced each other, and lightning sparkles flew.

“Xiong Xiangwu!” Liu Hong said in surprise. Although he’d established his foundation within Suncheer City, he’d still shared karma with this ominous man.

“The Black Wind Bandits came into the city!” There was no telling who was the first to cry it out. First the group of nobles upstairs the restaurant grew panicked and disorderly, then immediately came yells echoing from far away.

Li Qingshan stood on the tall building and watched as almost the whole of Suncheer City became frenetic.

Xiong Xiangwu also watched Yang Anzhi with consternation. The two of them had obtained the news at the same time and had hurried to Suncheer City, one for revenge, one to seek the spirit ginseng.

The Dragon Gate Sect relied on their masterly movement technique and had arrived first to grab the spirit ginseng and avoid any mishap. They had to silence Li Qingshan before the Black Wind Camp got to him, so it was obvious that what Yang Anzhi had said about “I wasn’t planning on injuring you” was merely bullshit.

But Li Qingshan’s might had exceeded everyone’s anticipation.

Yang Anzhi said: “This kid’s martial arts isn’t inferior to yours or mine, and he also has hidden moves. Camp master be careful.” He originally didn’t want to associate himself too closely with the Black Wind Camp, but now, every enemy of Li Qingshan’s was a friend of his.

“The Dragon Gate Sect colludes with the Black Wind Camp to raid Suncheer City, everyone can be witness!” Li Qingshan used his true qi to spread his voice far away.

Yang Anzhi shook and gnashed his teeth: “Li Qingshan, you and me can’t live under the same sky!”

That sentence of his had removed the halo of a famed righteous sect from the Dragon Gate Sect, and bashed them down to the status of evil bandits accomplices.

“If you dare to do it then don’t be afraid of people saying it! Good good good, camp master Xiong sent himself to my door, it saves me some troubles.” Li Qingshan five fingers spread open and caged Xiong Xiangwu in their shadow. He rode the momentum of routing the Dragon Gate Sect, and those words of his soared to the sky with their heroic spirit.

“What a big tone!” Xiong Xiangwu’s expression changed. He pushed on his feet and flew up as he attacked Li Qingshan. His movement technique was unexpectedly not lacking in the slightest, even with such a big body like his.

Li Qingshan was just about to act when a silhouette flashed beside him. Liu Hong used a “Iron Knight Charging Out1” move and clashed with Xiong Xiangwu’s move in mid-air.

Xiong Xiangwu fell heavily back on the ground, while Liu Hong borrowed the strength of the collision and returned back to the building. Qi and blood were gushing on both men’s face.

Xiong Xiangwu was furious: “You!”

Liu Hong said: “Camp master Xiong comes to run wild inside Suncheer City, you’re really not giving the old man any face!” Every wild beast had its own territory, while men of the martial world put even more emphasis on this matter than wild beasts. They would absolute not let others casually encroach on their domain. The Black Wind Camp’s attitude had already made a local tyrant like him feel unhappy.

Of course, Liu Hong might not have been willing to stick his head out for an ordinary person, even with Xiong Xiangwu mustering so many men. But right now, Li Qingshan had already displayed a strength sufficient to let people help him.

The second boss dressed up as a scholar said in a dark tone: “The Iron Fist Gate doesn’t fear attracting the disaster of wholesale extermination, making an enemy of my Black Wind Camp?”

Liu Hong shouted: “Where are the Iron Fist Gate disciples?”

As soon as his voice fell, silhouette after silhouette poured forth from the top of the streets and the bottom of the alleys, surrounding the restaurant. They were all Iron Fist Gate disciples without exception who’d rushed over when they received the news. A hundred answers to a single call, the momentum was even above Li Qingshan’s.

Heroes of the rivers and lakes could run unbridled over their own territory, certainly not only because of their own martial arts, but also thanks to the powerful influence behind their backs. Even if Xiong Xiangwu and Yang Anzhi joined hands, they’d still need to weigh the pros and cons.

Yang Anzhi suddenly said in a loud voice: “Sect leader Liu, don’t you want to know what’s the thing I came here for this time?”

Liu Hong lifted his eyebrows and exposed an interested appearance.

Li Qingshan frowned, but he had no way to stop him from speaking on.

“It’s for a spirit ginseng that appeared in the area around the Old White Peak. Martial artists need only absorb a little of its medicinal nature to make great progress in their martial arts. There’s even a great opportunity to rise to the innate realm. At present this object is within his hands, that’s why his martial arts progressed so fast.” Yang Anzhi pointed at Li Qingshan, his face filled with malicious venom.

An innocent common man was still guilty if possessing a treasured item. He spoke out the spirit ginseng’s existence in front of hundreds of people. The news would definitely spread like wildfire, and when the time came, countless men of the martial world longing to obtain the spirit ginseng would be like wild beasts smelling the scent of fresh blood. They would gather together, and no matter how strong Li Qingshan was he would still be torn into pieces.

Everyone’s gaze couldn’t help but involuntarily turn toward Li Qingshan. Li Qingshan lowered his eyebrows and drooped his eyelids, staying noncommittal. He knew that trying to defend himself would be in vain. His martial arts undoubtedly bore witness to Yang Anzhi’s words.

The worst case scenerio he was worried about had happened, but his mind didn’t become panicked or confused. There was a quietness beyond expectations instead.

“The old man is already at such an advanced age, I already have no desire to make what great progress in my martial arts and be praised as a mighty hero of the rivers and lakes!” Liu Hong spoke thus, but his eyes were roaming over Li Qingshan’s body. His words obviously didn’t follow his heart and mind. There was no one from the martial world who didn’t want to achieve great progress in their martial arts.

“Furthermore, the spirit ginseng is also effective in extending one’s lifespan, could sect leader Liu not care about it either? You only need to pass down the order and seize this kid, then the spirit ginseng would be readily obtainable. At that time I and camp master Xiong will only demand vengeance, we’ll certainly not struggle with you over the spirit ginseng. Even if we wanted to struggle for it we wouldn’t be able to anyway.” Yang Anzhi exposed the fearsomeness of a sect leader that went beyond his own martial arts. Liu Hong was indeed very tempted, while Xiong Xiangwu’s eyes were also shining bright. No one could know what he was secretly thinking about.

In the turn of an eye, it once again became Li Qingshan facing everyone else. His eyes were peaceful, while his mind was urgently considering his plans of escape. He wasn’t counting on any loyalty Liu Hong would have toward him. Wasn’t it already because he had faith in loyalty that he’d been trapped into such a corner to begin with?

Of course, this wasn’t yet a desperate lethal impasse. He could naturally make an easy escape as long as he was willing to give up the spirit ginseng, but he wouldn’t do that unless as a very last resort. The supernatural skill Strength of Nine Bulls and Two Tigers didn’t put emphasis on cultivating qi, so the spirit ginseng was the best guarantee for his promotion to a so-called “innate master.”

The stalemate at the scene was quickly broken. Xiong Xiangwu gave out a great shout and once again flew up to the building.

Liu Hong’s head was hanging down, as if pondering something, and he didn’t move. He’d decided to at least watch from the side, and it wasn’t impossible he’d kick him while he was down.

Yang Anzhi also seized the opportunity to smear some golden skin ointment2. He contained his injuries and was about to act.

The muscles over his whole body stretched taut, waiting to unleash their accumulated power as he saw Li Qingshan about to be trapped into a siege from two great Suncheer masters,

Xiong Xiangwu’s expression suddenly made a turnaround. He forcefully twisted his body around in the air and fell back once again on the ground. A feather arrow brushed past his body as it carried a strong gale with it. On then did the sound of broken air spread over.

1. From a poem by Tang poet Bai Juyi, the Song of the Pipa Player, one of his defining poems. The whole line translates to something like “Suddenly there was water bursting out from a silver jar, iron knights charged out with spears and swords clashing from afar.” It expresses something like a sudden shift in the tone of the song described in the poem.

2. Golden skin ointment: traditional Chinese medicine used for weapon wounds and bruises, often mentioned in Hong Kong wuxia movies, novels and such.