111 I Am the Great Villain

In the reception room of the Axe Gang, Brother Chen and his strategist encountered two blind men carrying zithers on their backs.

After Brother Chen respectfully poured tea for his subordinates, he began, “Today, the reason we’ve invited these two experts is…”

“We understand that clearly. For one person alone to take down the Axe Gang’s sharp-weapon wielding members, and even face off against four gunmen, is no small feat,” the strategist replied.

…

As dusk settled, Pig Cage City gradually quieted down.

For the vast majority living there, forget electric lights—many couldn’t even afford oil lamps or candles.

A Xing returned with food he had bought outside. After a day spent tidying up, the new place finally looked somewhat like a home.

“Master, I think I saw some Axe Gang members keeping watch outside,” A Xing whispered as he stepped inside.

“Afraid?” Li Daniu, the master, said calmly. In truth, he had already spotted the watchers long ago. During the day when A Xing went out shopping for furniture, Li Daniu had discreetly followed behind, even knocking out a few tailing A Xing—though A Xing was unaware.

“I’m not afraid. With you here, what’s there to fear?” A Xing patted his chest confidently. “But if every time those minions come looking for trouble, you have to step in, that wouldn’t be right. I may not have studied much, but I know that when master is busy, disciples should step up first. So, how about teaching me a few moves?”

“No rush. I’m about to go handle some business. As long as you follow my instructions, I’ll teach you martial arts,” Li Daniu replied.

“Business? I thought you planned to stay here for a while, gather intel on the enemy, then act?”

“No need. I’m just waiting for a third person to return.” Sitting by the window, Li Daniu finally spotted a sturdy man carrying a bundle entering Pig Cage City.

“Laborer Qiang, so late again today,” Li Daniu remarked.

“Yeah, lots of work,” Qiang replied.

Hearing their conversation, Li Daniu was certain this was the third external martial arts expert—Qiang, master of the Twelve Roads Tan Kick.

“Everyone’s here. Pick up your gun and follow me downstairs,” Li Daniu ordered, fixing A Xing with an icy glare that made the young man shiver. After a moment’s hesitation, A Xing grabbed a gun and followed him down.

Qiang was washing his face by a water pipe. Hearing Li Daniu approach, he showed no reaction.

“Twelve Roads Tan Kick, reduced to such a state?” Li Daniu teased.

Qiang paused, then straightened to face him. “Are you talking to me?”

“Who else here knows the Twelve Roads Tan Kick?”

“You must have the wrong person. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Qiang turned to leave.

Li Daniu smiled, flicking a pebble from the ground with a slight inner force. The stone shot through the air and landed behind Qiang in the blink of an eye.

Qiang, already alert, spun around quickly and kicked the incoming pebble away.

“Good power,” Qiang narrowed his eyes, feeling a sting in his leg from even this casually thrown stone.

“Good kicking technique,” Li Daniu insincerely praised. Qiang’s kick was more instinctual than skillful, relying on a martial artist’s reflexes rather than refined technique.

“Do we have some grudge?” Qiang wondered aloud, unable to recall when he had made such an enemy.

“You’ll find out after you’re dead,” Li Daniu said coldly, speaking like a villain without hesitation.

“I’ve been living here in seclusion for years and no longer meddle in the jianghu. Doesn’t that count for something?” Qiang replied, not pressing for reasons. After years in the jianghu, enemies were normal.

“You say you’re in seclusion? You say it’s over? You think you can just walk away?” Li Daniu suddenly lunged, throwing a punch.

Qiang didn’t waste words and delivered a powerful kick to Li Daniu’s chest. His entire skill was leg-based, and he was confident in this strike.

Li Daniu, unwilling to bully with inner force, softened his fist into an open palm to block the kick, then used the Taiji principle of “four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds” to redirect the leg.

Qiang pushed with his waist and leg power, jumping up and swinging the other foot toward Li Daniu’s face.

Li Daniu caught the incoming foot, using its momentum to fling Qiang toward a nearby tailor’s shop.

Qiang stabilized himself in midair, flipping backward to land on the ground, but his feet skidded six or seven meters back into the tailor’s shop.

The tailor, who had been spying from the doorway, reached out and stopped Qiang’s fall.

Before Qiang could wonder at the tailor’s surprising strength, Li Daniu’s voice rang out:

“Hong Family Iron Wire Fist. Where’s your iron ring?”

“Looks like your target isn’t just Qiang alone. No wonder I felt your gaze was strange earlier,” the tailor said gravely, shedding any trace of effeminacy.

Your gaze was strange? If Li Daniu weren’t trying to keep up his villainous act for A Xing, he might have spat out a laugh. “Old rabbit,” he thought. Could you be more precise with your words?

“Enough nonsense,” Li Daniu said, charging into the tailor’s shop.

Qiang, having regained his breath, leapt out and launched a kick at Li Daniu with the Twelve Roads Tan Kick. He didn’t want to fight in the cramped tailor’s shop—it was too narrow for his kicking style.

Unlike the first confrontation, knowing Li Daniu preferred to use leverage and deflect force, Qiang now used only seventy percent of his power in each kick.

Li Daniu suppressed his inner force, relying solely on Taiji boxing to counter. They exchanged dozens of moves.

Seeing Qiang faltering, the tailor quickly strapped on his iron ring and joined the fight.

Li Daniu lacked combat experience. His ability to suppress Qiang using only Taiji came entirely from heightened reflexes through inner force. Now with the tailor joining, he felt overwhelmed.

Both Qiang and the tailor were top-tier masters of the world, though reclusive now, their past jianghu experience hadn’t faded—far stronger than Li Daniu.

Though Li Daniu suffered a few blows without injury, he felt uneasy. There was still the Fifth Brother’s Eight Trigrams Staff to appear, yet he was already at a disadvantage.

He summoned thirty percent of his inner force.

This boost greatly enhanced his strength and precision.

When masters clash, the difference is razor-thin. With this inner force, Li Daniu essentially gained multiple buffs, quickly suppressing Qiang and the tailor.

“Fifth Brother’s Eight Trigrams Staff, if you don’t come out now, when it’s just you left, you won’t be able to hold the line alone,” Li Daniu taunted, arrogantly shouting toward Ah Gui’s shop.

“Bullying beyond reason!”

Before Qiang and the tailor could be surprised that another expert was here, Ah Gui charged out, brandishing a gun.

The Eight Trigrams Staff was more like a gun technique, derived from the Yang family spear.

Ah Gui’s firearm was more lethal compared to Qiang’s kicking and tailor’s Iron Wire Fist—not just because of the gun’s tip, but because gunplay was battlefield skill designed to kill.

However, Li Daniu’s Taiji boxing was the supreme art of using opponent’s force against them, excelling in chaotic fights. Without coordination among Ah Gui, Qiang, and the tailor, Li Daniu remained calm and composed.

After dozens more exchanges, Li Daniu had discerned the patterns of these three external martial arts styles. His study of the Nine Yang True Scripture, which elucidated martial principles, made learning such external styles almost effortless.

He kicked Ah Gui away, injecting a trace of inner force into him, leaving Ah Gui unable to rise for the moment.

Li Daniu then grabbed Qiang’s leg and the tailor’s fist, channeling inner force into their bodies to immobilize them. Mimicking a famous cinematic scene where a landlord couple battles Fire Cloud Evil God, he pinned them down, creating the illusion of three opponents evenly matched, none able to overpower the others.

Qiang and the tailor sensed something amiss but could not speak, restrained by Li Daniu’s inner force.

“A Xing, come over and shoot those two first,” Li Daniu ordered the stunned young man.

Seeing A Xing hesitate, Li Daniu barked, “What are you waiting for? If you don’t act now, the one with the gun will get up.”

A Xing looked up to see Ah Gui struggling to rise but suppressed by a strange force.

“Master, they’ve retired from the jianghu, and you’ve already beaten them. Can’t you let them go?” A Xing pleaded.

“Nonsense! If I don’t kill them, how can I confidently dominate the jianghu? Come on! Don’t you want to live the life of a wealthy man? Do you want to keep being looked down upon?” Li Daniu sneered, delighting in A Xing’s inner conflict even as he pressured him.

Hearing Li Daniu’s words and recalling his lavish spending during furniture shopping earlier, A Xing made up his mind and stepped toward the three tangled figures lying on the ground.

(To be continued.)