Ai Maiti was terrified; he lurched backward, yet the blade-wind still grazed him—his robe split open in a long gash.Sensing the advantage, Zhao Rou pressed in relentlessly; her blade shadows whirled like a storm, pinning the two down so hard they had no chance to strike back.
The brothers Ai Maidi and Ai Maiti grew more alarmed the longer they fought. Never had they seen such a protean knife art! With years of tandem fighting, they had thought they could surely overwhelm Zhao Rou—but her technique was exquisitely refined; every move concealed unfathomable changes. Step by step they were forced into disadvantage, unable to respond.
Zhao Rou's eyes turned cold. The Wolong Blade flashed down in a sudden slash; steel light flickered, the air itself shuddered—and the edge stopped a hair's breadth before them.With a sharp rip, both men's belts snapped; their robes fell open in the wind, exposing the underlayers beneath.
Their faces blanched; cold sweat streamed down. They knew full well—had Zhao Rou not held back, that stroke would have taken their lives.Zhao Rou smiled faintly, rested the blade against her shoulder, and said, offhand, "So this is the vaunted knife work of the Western Regions? Nothing special."
The brothers' faces went iron blue. Their knees gave way, and they crashed to the ground, panting—no strength left to fight.Silence fell. The onlookers were thunderstruck.
Prince Danba, seeing his trusted men so humiliated, clenched his fists, hatred burning in his eyes. He could no longer restrain his fury and roared, "Damn it! Beaten by a woman!"
Zhao Rou's gaze chilled; she laughed softly. "Your Highness—who says a woman cannot defeat the Western Regions' experts?" She lifted her hand; the Wolong Blade hummed, its edge glittering—a wordless challenge to the prince.
As she spoke, she stepped forward with the blade. "Do you two know the origin of this knife in my hand?"Ai Maidi and Ai Maiti snorted, "What origin? Worth bragging about?"Zhao Rou said, "These eight characters are etched on the blade: 'When the Wolong Blade is drawn, none of the devils can withstand.' This knife shook the martial world and stirred every sect. Lord Wu Tong of the Loyalty Hall, both virtuous and capable, was named the heir to the Wolong Blade by the sect master Li Wenzhong of the Wolong Sect. There was once a notorious fiend named Xie Feng, called the Blood-Drunk Butcher Blade. He killed for pleasure—young or old, it made no difference. Mad with bloodlust, devoid of humanity; his crimes were beyond counting, lives to him but weeds. When he tried to seize the blade manual, Lord Wu split him down with a single stroke and made his name resound. From that day, the eight characters—'Wolong Blade drawn, none of the devils withstand'—echoed through the pugilist world."
The brothers retorted, "Enough talk. The Twin Blades of the Great Desert aren't vegetarians. Let's taste this Wolong Knife Art!"Zhao Rou said, "I'm telling you this so you'll turn back before the abyss. Once blades cross, life and death are in Heaven's hands. Since you refuse to heed sense, have at me first. The Wolong Knife has no peer under Heaven. Come!"
The two exchanged a glance, drew their knives, and with a twist of the wrist sent the edges screaming through the air. From left and right they rushed in—twin knives like storm and fire, thunder and lightning, all in an instant.Zhao Rou did not move a step. A razor glint flashed in her eyes; in the blink of an eye the blade leapt from its sheath. She raised the knife—then her figure flickered past; steel flashed several times, clang!clang!—two ringing notes, then shhk!shhk! Two screams tore the air.Both brothers clutched their bellies—blood poured out in sheets as they howled in agony.
Zhao Rou said coolly, "I've shown mercy today—just a taste of blood. You won't die."
A quatrain tells it plain:Twin blades brag of might;Like thunderbolts they fly.This woman's every move is swift;Each cut makes life run dry.
Prince Danba's men, seeing the brothers bleeding and screaming without end, went pale with fear. For a moment none knew what to do; after a time, some finally rushed to lift the two up.
Then Zhao Rou sprang, landed lightly, and placed the Wolong Blade in Wu Tong's hands. Wu Tong strode forward, the blade glinting. Prince Danba's followers shrank back without thinking. Wu Tong's eyes flashed cold as he said slowly, "If you want to leave with your bodies intact, do not test the steel again. Those eight characters—'When the Wolong Blade is drawn, none of the devils can withstand'—are no empty boast."
For a moment, all on Danba's side stared at one another, speechless. Wu Tong walked straight to the carriage and said in a deep voice, "Any who wish to follow this prince to the Western Regions may remain. The rest of you ladies—go to Chief Escort Chen Hao at the Capital Escort Agency."In short order, the ten young ladies all went over to Chen Hao.
At last, Prince Danba could no longer smother his rage. "Wu Tong, you go too far! If you've any guts, put down the Dragon-Slaying Blade and fight me bare-handed!"
Just then a voice rang out: "Don't trouble Lord Wu for a bout. This old man is unworthy—but if you must vent your spleen, take it out on me."
The speaker was Chen Hao, Chief Escort of the Capital Escort Agency. Prince Danba, consumed by ill luck and fury, didn't even look to see who it was—he only wanted a fight to vent his spite. He snarled, "Who are you to me? If not for you crossing my path, how would I have run into Wu Tong? I could've left you alone—but you dare provoke me!"
Chen Hao walked forward at an easy pace. Danba's rage exploded; with a few bounding steps he dove from midair, palms flipping out in a sudden strike. But Chen Hao, famed in the rivers and lakes for years, thrust out both palms—boom! The impact hurled Prince Danba several zhang away. He hit the ground, staggered, and reeled back a few steps, utterly embarrassed.
The Western Region entourage stared, aghast. In their lands, Prince Danba was a figure of renown—yet here he had been blasted back by a single strike. The highway fell deathly quiet.
For the sake of face, Danba—pale as paper—forced out words to cover his shame. "Old hero, your cultivation is profound. Yet if I don't teach you people a lesson, you'll think the Western Regions have no warriors!" He paused, voice turning hard. "So be it—the Twin Fiends from Beyond the Pass will show a few tricks. Let this old fellow see what real skill looks like!"
The two were Qin Wu, the Lecherous Fiend, a man who preyed on beauty and used a "Blossom-Withering" killing hand; and Qin Wen, the Greed Fiend, a man of avarice and wine. Both were notorious for evil. They had come to the Central Plains hoping for rich spoils—never imagining they'd run into Wu Tong and his companions.
Tune: "Rain on the Bell at Night" — Dawn Wind, Fading Moon
(Yulinling · Xiaofeng Can Yue)
Shaolin's grief runs dry; to end war is the Way; we tread snow toward the moon. Foreign monks trespass the Central Plains; heroes rise to battle; the wind clears, clouds withdraw. See—western winds and evening haze; the north wind suddenly bites cold.Where we watered horses, beyond the frontier—loyal souls—eyes scour the ends of earth, sorrowing at parting. Blades and swords of the rivers and lakes, drenched in blood. Apricot blossoms open—yet to whom can one now speak? Alone, courage still unspent; where the sword is raised, the dawn wind and waning moon are cold. The sun slopes west; still, heroes remain young at heart.In times of chaos, what should heroes do? Bare their red, devoted hearts.