Chapter 8: Madness
Splat!
Two flashes of cold light appeared as Bai Cangshu instantly released his grip and retreated along the cliffside in quick succession.
The woman's attack was incredibly fast—her daggers, to Bai Cangshu, were like two venomous snakes lunging upward. In that moment, her speed had far surpassed his own.
This woman was strong.
Her blades continued to strike through the air, flinging poison into the mist. A slight weight settled in Green Snake's heart. This pretty-faced man with peach blossom eyes was clearly no ordinary person.
Still, she didn't give up. Her feet slid steadily along the ground, not fast but firmly planted, never slipping. Her shifting center of gravity allowed her strikes to constantly cover all angles around Bai Cangshu.
Bai Cangshu tried several times to target her lower body, but each time her stabbing strikes forced him to retreat.
Such underhanded tactics might work well in street fights, but against a killer like Green Snake, they offered no real surprise.
He continued retreating, his heartbeat accelerating. He wasn't the type to freeze up under pressure.
On the contrary, the surge of adrenaline made his body feel lighter and more agile.
Suddenly, Bai Cangshu halted his retreat. With one foot planted against the mountain wall, he launched himself toward Green Snake's rear.
It was an extremely bold move. The path had a cliff on one side, and no guardrail on the other—only mist and a sheer drop.
The road was less than a meter wide and slick from the damp fog. One misstep could mean a fatal fall.
Green Snake hadn't expected him to attempt such a maneuver. She didn't leap to meet him—jumping into aerial combat was against her own fighting style.
Bai Cangshu covered two to three meters in a single leap, landing behind her. A flash of light in his right hand, and the silver revolver appeared once again.
A sharp chill pierced Green Snake's heart as she turned and saw him aiming.
Bang!
In a sudden motion, she twisted her waist and slithered along the ground like a true serpent, surging forward with unnatural movement.
Bai Cangshu stepped back and pulled the trigger again.
Bang!
The shot rang out, but she continued to move low along the path, contorting in unpredictable ways. [Doom Knocks] didn't seem to trigger its special effect.
Her speed was alarming. By the time Bai Cangshu fired a third time, she was already in close range, a cruel glint flashing across her face. She twisted her head sharply to avoid the shot and lunged forward, dagger stabbing straight at his face.
Bai Cangshu's pupils contracted. A sharp wind brushed his cheek as he tilted his head aside to evade. At the same time, the revolver vanished, and he grabbed both of her arms, suddenly leaping backward.
Ha!
With a forceful exhale, Bai Cangshu broke her balance and wrenched down on her arms.
Crack—
The sound of joints snapping was much quieter than expected.
Something felt wrong. As he attempted to release her, Green Snake had already wound herself around him.
Her flexibility was astounding. Whether when Bai Cangshu had tried to forcefully wrench her apart, or now with her legs coiled around his waist and body climbing onto his back, it was already beyond what a normal human could do.
"Not bad, kid. Try squirming a little more…"
She exhaled with a whisper, a cruel smile tugging at her lips.
She always dressed seductively, but it was in the act of strangling powerful men like this that she found her greatest thrill.
Bai Cangshu gripped both her wrists tightly, preventing the daggers from piercing his body, but he was already bound—her whole body entwined around his joints, continuously applying force to pull his arms behind his back.
Creak—
The terrifying strength of their physical struggle caused his joints to grind. Bai Cangshu felt the searing pain of muscle tearing around his shoulders.
If he lost strength now, the daggers would plunge into his neck instantly.
The breath of the death serpent was growing clearer. His neck's skin began to swell.
Thump!
Thump!
The sound of an intense heartbeat echoed out of nowhere.
Green Snake paused, then leaned back even harder.
"With your heart pounding like this… are you really that afraid of dying?"
Her voice grew more ecstatic. So much so, that a dampness began to spread beneath her.
Bai Cangshu felt his arms being bent further back, the cold bite of the dagger seemingly brushing his neck.
His heart thumped faster, louder.
Then suddenly—
Thump!
Like a drumbeat, a thunderous heartbeat crashed through his chest—and Bai Cangshu's entire body jolted violently.
Creak—
The arm that Green Snake had been slowly forcing back suddenly froze—then, with unstoppable momentum, began to be pulled in the opposite direction.
She felt an overwhelming force surge through her arm, shocking her into instinctively releasing her grip from Bai Cangshu's lower body. She stomped onto his back, using the full weight of her body to pull against him.
This was her full strength.
For a brief moment, they were deadlocked.
Then—
"Heh."
A strange, low chuckle sounded. The next instant, a tremendous burst of power exploded outward.
Green Snake lost her balance completely. Her body slammed face-first into Bai Cangshu's back. The impact crushed her nose instantly, the sharp pain overwhelming her senses.
"Aaah!"
She screamed, but before she could react again, the world spun around her. Through the rain and mist, all she could feel was the intense heat radiating from his body—it was as if this man were burning from the inside.
Boom!
Her body was lifted and slammed violently into the ground. Her spine shattered on impact, blood spraying from her mouth and nose.
"Ugh—!"
All the strength left her body. The daggers fell from her limp hands.
In her fading consciousness, she saw the man crouch down, revealing eyes turned entirely white.
"Mon…ster…"
At this moment, Bai Cangshu's skin glowed red, his muscles slightly swollen, and his frame looked visibly larger. He crouched beside the barely breathing woman, the grin on his face far more unrestrained than hers had ever been.
Bang!
With a single punch, he crushed her once-beautiful face.
Then another.
And another—until her skull caved in completely.
[You have killed Assassin: Green Snake. Dimensional Points +200]
Bang.
Bang.
Bai Cangshu kept hammering down with his fists, again and again. The sensation—utterly euphoric.
He had seen many doctors in the past. Some prescribed psychiatric therapy, others gave him medication.
But in the end, Bai Cangshu remained Bai Cangshu.
He never believed himself insane—only that he was a misfit.
It wasn't that he was too crazy. It was that everyone else was meek like lambs.
Splurt—
A sound like a watermelon splitting open rang out. Red and white matter sprayed in all directions.
"Urgh!"
A retching sound came from a distance. Then a chubby figure was seen stumbling and scrambling away from the path.
Bai Cangshu didn't react. He simply stood up and let the misty rain wash the blood from his hands.
Tang Baduan's face was pale, his body rigid. He had no idea how many times he had tripped running back down the mountain. Even after returning to the inn at the base, he still hadn't recovered.
"A lunatic… That guy is a real lunatic!"
With trembling hands, Tang Baduan dialed Tao Baibai's contact. At this moment, all he wanted was to slap himself for ever suggesting this young man be apprenticed to someone like Master Wutian, a proper martial arts teacher.
Someone like this—only Tao Baibai might dare take him in.
(End of Chapter)