107 One Arrow Capable of Piercing the Clouds

“Master?” A Xing called out softly when he saw Li Da Niu remain silent.

Li Da Niu snapped back to himself and sighed deeply. “My Buddha’s Palm!”

A Xing presumed the sigh came from Li Da Niu’s disappointment in his inadequate talent and aptitude, so he hurried to add, “Master, though my talents may be ordinary and my strength limited, I am diligent. With this humble kung fu, I can train every day for twenty years without fail. If you possess supreme martial arts to impart to me, I shall practice with even greater fervor.”

Inadequate aptitude? Broken kung fu? Were these words meant to sting his pride? Li Da Niu studied the trembling, submissive figure before him and felt a surprising pang of envy.

Aptitude could be discussed frankly: A Xing’s was nothing less than extraordinary. In dramas or novels alike, his talent would stand out among the protagonists. To say nothing of the fact that after the Fire Cloud Evil God struck him down, he had not perished—proof of his remarkable resilience. Moreover, without a scrap of internal cultivation knowledge, he had mastered the Buddha’s Palm in mere minutes after opening his Ren and Du meridians. What sort of innate gift was this? It bordered on the supernatural.

And how could one apply the phrase “broken kung fu” to something so potent? Its destructive force, as displayed in films and stories, would count as devastating even in the realm of immortals and heroes.

Li Da Niu shook his head. “I can accept you as my disciple, yet you must perform one service for me first.”

A Xing answered with eager fervor, “Speak the word, Master, and I A Xing would brave fire and water without the slightest hesitation.”

Li Da Niu uttered two cold words: “Killing.”

“Killing…?” A Xing and Fatty Cong were struck dumb by the mere sound, for neither could truly be called a petty thug. They usually bluffed and extorted, but only among those weaker than themselves.

Where would they summon the courage to take a life?

Li Da Niu kept his face impassive. “I have three enemies who once drove me into exile overseas. This return is solely to exact vengeance.”

A Xing swallowed hard. “Master, your skill is unmatched, so your foes must be formidable as well. How can the two of us, with arms too feeble to tie a chicken, prevail?”

“No matter,” Li Da Niu replied. “Even the three of them together cannot best me. Yet they are numerous, so I cannot promise I will leave them all dead in a single strike. What you two must do is remain on the sidelines. If I injure them and they try to flee, shoot them dead.”

“Shoot?” A Xing’s courage faltered, but fearing Li Da Niu’s wrath he said, “Master, we have no firearms.”

“Rest assured, someone will deliver guns tonight.” Li Da Niu recalled the two rough-looking security guards at the door and spoke with calm assurance.

Observing the hesitation on A Xing’s and Fatty Cong’s faces, Li Da Niu suddenly smiled. From his bag he withdrew a thick wad of cash and set it on the table.

“This money is for the two of you. Tomorrow buy yourselves some decent clothes; you cannot follow me dressed in rags.”

A Xing stared at the money, fighting the urge to grasp it, and asked, “Master… when will you teach us martial arts?”

“After we complete this task I shall depart the Shanghai Bund. Before my departure, however, I will pass my kung fu to you both, along with these funds and the gold bars.” As he spoke, Li Da Niu opened his bag and poured its entire contents onto the sand.

A Xing and Fatty Cong beheld the avalanche of cash and gleaming bars, their eyes nearly bulging from their sockets. At their former standard of living, the sum would sustain them for several lifetimes.

“Then… Master, how formidable is your kung fu?” A Xing was utterly bewitched by the fortune Li Da Niu had scattered. Never in his dreams had such fortune fallen into his lap.

It was only murder, after all. What harm in that? In this world, kindness yielded no reward!

“My kung fu?” Li Da Niu smiled faintly. “You shall witness it for yourselves if you accompany me outside. A Xing, stow the money and carry it.”

“Master, traveling with so much cash is unsafe,” A Xing said, for he had not known the bag held only currency and bars. Now informed, he dared not venture out; safety on these streets was unreliable at best. Especially after they had already displayed their wealth before those two security guards.

“Unsafe? Fear not,” Li Da Niu said. “With me at your side, absolute safety is guaranteed. Moreover, if no one disturbs us, how else will you see the true extent of my martial skill?”

Under Li Da Niu’s insistence, A Xing and Fatty Cong packed the money with shaking hands and A Xing slung it across his back.

As they left the hotel, A Xing noticed the two security guards conversing with several men in black suits by the curb. The guards caught sight of them and gestured.

“Master, those are Axe Gang members. They are ruthless and numerous,” A Xing whispered. “We should return to the hotel; they will not dare enter and cause trouble.”

Li Da Niu shook his head and walked alone toward a quieter stretch of street.

A Xing, though frightened, followed. Whether driven by the money or the promise of learning, or both, he trailed behind.

The men in black suits tailed the three without shame as Li Da Niu led them deeper into the night.

In a deserted alley, the black-clad figures closed in swiftly.

“Brothers, our Axe Gang recently lost a package. Please open the bag you carry so we may inspect it.”

The greeting struck Li Da Niu as absurdly juvenile. Before he could speak, A Xing bowed and replied obsequiously, “Big brother, we are all our own people. I am also an Axe Gang member. This is my sworn brother who has just arrived from out of town; I was about to recommend him to our gang.”

“Own people?” The Axe Gang members blinked, then laughed. “Who are you fooling? Does our Axe Gang have members dressed like you? You look more like a Beggar Clan beggar.”

Before A Xing could protest, Li Da Niu advanced and delivered a single kick that sent the apparent leader sprawling.

The others immediately drew axes and swung at Li Da Niu.

“So slow,” Li Da Niu sighed. One kick each sent the attackers flying. He turned to A Xing and Fatty Cong, who stood frozen in awe, and said, “I have heard the Axe Gang possesses a Cloud-Piercing Arrow that summons ten thousand soldiers and horses. Search their bodies and locate it.”

A Xing promptly handed the bag to Fatty Cong and began rifling through the motionless men on the ground.

“Found it—this is the one, Master,” A Xing declared excitedly. “Once we fire this, they cannot summon reinforcements. Master, let us flee at once.”

“Flee?” Li Da Niu shook his head. “I want them to call for help. A Xing, release the arrow.”

“Release it?” Panic seized A Xing. “Master, the Axe Gang can call hundreds of men at will, and they carry guns as well.”

Hundreds of men? Even the three outer-family boxing experts at the landlady’s could not best them. Li Da Niu felt he faced no challenge.

“That is precisely why they carry guns; I need you to summon them. Otherwise, where shall I obtain the firearms?”

Seeing A Xing hesitate, Li Da Niu seized the Cloud-Piercing Arrow, manipulated it, and pulled. A sharp pop sounded as a flare burst from the shaft and bloomed in the sky, shaped unmistakably like an axe.

“Master, we can still escape now,” A Xing pleaded, face ashen.

“If you wish to leave, go first. But once you depart, do not return.”

A Xing blurted, “What about the money you promised us?”

“I will not pay a single cent.” Li Da Niu could not bear to lose A Xing; without him, how would he learn the Buddha’s Palm?

“Rest easy. A few hundred men are no match for me whatsoever.” (To be continued.)