Stranger Danger

Chapter 441: Mad Demon Spear

“Losing isn’t scary. What’s scary is losing heart.”

Song Xilai said while watching Jian Wusheng, “Like a sword, a swordsman’s body will break before it bends[1]. Like a sword, a swordman’s heart will plow ahead no matter the opposition.”

“To have a sword without a heart is like having no sword at all.”

“But if your heart is there, then your sword will never falter even if you don’t wield a sword.”

“We swordsmen may bow our heads from time to time, but never our hearts.”

Song Xilai raised his voice, “Tell me. Is your heart still there?”

“It is!” Jian Wusheng replied loudly.

“Did it fall?”

“Never!”

“Did it bend?”

“Never!”

It was like someone had shown Jian Wusheng the light. His lost, dejected eyes slowly regained their previous clarity, and determination returned to his face once more. The dust covering his sword was removed, and its gleam was bright enough to pierce the nine heavens.

“Thank you for your guidance, senior uncle. Wusheng understands now.”

“If your heart hasn’t fallen or bent, then your sword should advance courageously as well. If a man stands in your way, kill him. If a Buddha stands in your way, kill him as well.”

“I understand, senior uncle!”

Ye Qing heard Song Xilai’s counsel as soon as he left the platform. When he saw Jian Wusheng regaining his previous confidence, he too let out a sigh of relief.

Assuming he heard their dialogue correctly, Jian Wusheng must have joined Purity Sword. In fact, Song Xilai was his senior uncle. Purity Sword would have skinned him alive had Jian Wusheng been unable to recover from this setback, so he was very happy with this outcome to say the least.

“Congratulations, Joyless.”

“Not bad at all, Joyless! To think you would overcome even Jian Wusheng.”

“Thank the heavens you managed to win, man. Otherwise, I would’ve lost everything!”

His friends congratulated him immediately after he walked up to them. Qi Xuanyun also congratulated him excitedly, “Congratulations, Brother Ye! Now that you’ve defeated Jian Wusheng, you’re officially the ninety-eighth warrior on the Human Champions Ranking!”

“Oh right! He is, isn’t he? You better treat us to dinner later, man.”

“Yeah! For almost twenty years, you were just a nobody. Now, everyone and their mothers would soon know your name. If this isn’t worth celebrating, what is?”

Gao Ningan and Chu Nianjiu teased Ye Qing relentlessly. The spectators nearby were shooting him envious looks as well.

If someone managed to defeat a named warrior on the Heaven, Earth and Human Champions Ranking, then the victor would take over their rank, and the loser would fall one rank lower.

If the ranker was killed, then their name would automatically disappear from the list.

Since Ye Qing defeated Jian Wusheng fair and square, he was now the new ninety-eighth warrior on the Human Champions Ranking. Jian Wusheng became the new ninety-ninth ranker, the previous ninety-ninth ranker became the new one hundredth ranker, and the previous one hundredth ranker fell out of the ranking list completely.

Ye Qing had zero interest in climbing the Human Champions Ranking, however. He even thought it was a massive pain in the ass.

Establishments seek power, and jianghu warriors seek fame. One of the fastest ways to become famous was to enter the Heaven, Earth and Human Champions Ranking. Countless people fought each other to the death for the chance to enter the ranking lists, and this was doubly true for the Human Champions Ranking.

The Heaven Champions Ranking was dominated by Sages, and the Earth Champions Ranking by Grandmasters. These two ranking lists were usually quite stable.

The same couldn’t be said for the Human Champions Ranking, however. Some people went to extreme lengths to enter the ranking list and become famous such as issuing challenge requests or assassinating a certain target. The ranking list was refreshed so frequently that it could look completely different just a few weeks later.

This was doubly true for the last few spots on the Human Champions Ranking. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that everyone wanted a piece of them, and the things they would do to achieve that goal could only be described as heinous.

That was why the placement wasn’t a good thing to Ye Qing at all. To him, it represented an endless source of trouble.

“Congratulations, Brother Ye.”

It was at this moment Jian Wusheng walked over and congratulated him. His expression was sincere, and his eyes were crystal clear.

“Thank you, Brother Wusheng,” Ye Qing replied politely.

To be honest, Ye Qing found such interactions irksome, but he didn’t express it as a matter of course. That would just be assholish.

“But I will win our next match,” Jian Wusheng declared seriously.

Ye Qing smirked. “Sure. I’ll be waiting.”

They talked idly with each other for a bit before Jian Wusheng bade Ye Qing goodbye, but he didn’t take his leave immediately. Instead, he spoke with Luo Zhan, Qi Xuanyun and everyone else.

While this was happening, the rest of the matches began growing more and more heated probably because they were finally past the probing stage.

On the first platform, Xu Rulin and Yang Zhao’s fight were growing bloodier and bloodier.

Xu Rulin was a border soldier, so his spear techniques were full of killing intent. He fought to kill the enemy in front of him no matter the price.

Yang Zhao was a noble gentleman from the Yang Clan of Tian Yong famed for his kindness and amiability. He tried to be courteous by avoiding lethal techniques and fighting only with the intention to win, not to maim or kill Xu Rulin.

However, Xu Rulin relentlessly exploited his courtesy and nearly dealt him a serious blow multiple times. Even a Buddha can get angry, much less a mere mortal. So, Yang Zhao went on the offensive and began wielding his silver flute like a shortsword. He moved like the wind and targeted Xu Rulin’s vital spots with every strike.

Not only that, Yang Zhao’s silver flute would release a melodious tune that could disrupt the mind from time to time. It wasn’t long before the gentleman put a couple of bloody holes in Xu Rulin’s body.

The injuries didn’t intimidate Xu Rulin, however. On the contrary, it brought out his bloodthirst in full force. He abruptly twisted his spear in the middle and split it into two short spears.

Now that he was wielding two short spears, his spear techniques were much, much different from before. If before his spear technique was like that of a general’s, strong, heavy, and powerful, now it was like he was wielding a pair of vipers. Vicious and cunning, his attacks seemed to follow no discernible form or pattern whatsoever. There were only doing whatever it took to kill the enemy.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Eyes bloodshot and killing intent spilling out of his body like a fountain, Xu Rulin charged toward Yang Zhao with exactly zero regard for his life. He looked like a ghoul of Fengdu who wanted nothing more than to drag Yang Zhao to the grave with him.

“What... What a monster.”

Even those watching from outside felt intimidated and suffocated by his crazed behavior. Those who were weak-willed were pale-faced and shaking already.

Turning a little white, the Harmony King wiped some sweat from his forehead and asked, “What is that spear technique?”

The Harmony King was by no means an accomplished man in any area. Even so, his royal background still gave him a broader horizon and a stronger backbone than most. That was why he was surprised to feel a not insignificant amount of pressure from Xu Rulin’s spear technique.

Hong Jianglong sat up straight and narrowed his eyes a little. “That’s the ‘Mad Demon Spear’.”

“The ‘Mad Demon Spear’ of the Northern Spearn King, Xu Xiu?” Someone asked. “Yes, it must be him! The Northern Spear King is the battalion commander of the Silver Spears of Northern Xinjiang, and Xu Rulin is a border soldier. Is he a member of the Silver Spears?!”

“Xu Xiu? Are you talking about Madman Xu?” The Harmony King asked.

“Ahem... that is correct, Your Highness.” Lei Xiaodan coughed.

The Northern Spear King Xu Xiu was born in a literary clan in the capital. After realizing that the pen could govern the realm, but it was the sword that protected the realm from harm, he gave up his original calling and embarked on the martial way instead. He changed his name and joined the border troops at Northern Xinjiang as a lowly conscript. In less than twenty years, he became a battalion commander with a string of meritorious accomplishments under his belt.

Despite his background, Xu Xiu was courageous, fierce, and extremely bloodthirsty. He was always the man who led the charge during battle, and he took pleasure in killing his enemies. The number of times he was caught behind enemy lines was too numerous to count, but each time he was able to crawl back to the living to fight another day. Over time, people came to know him as Madman Xu.

Xu Buxiu was a martial genius. He had never learned martial arts until he joined the border army, but it took him only a decade or so to become a Grandmaster and invent his own spear art. That was why they also called him the Northern Spear King.

The Mad Demon Spear was a spear art Xu Xu invented after fighting countless battles, and the best way to describe it was madness and death incarnate. Once battle was engaged, the only way to stop the Mad Demon Spear was to kill its wielder, or be killed by it. The words “compromise” and “peaceful resolution” didn’t exist in its dictionary. Hence the name.

Xu Xiu was the battalion commander of the Silver Spears, and everyone who joined the battalion must learn the Mad Demon Spear. Not all practitioners of the Mad Demon Spear were Silver Spears, but all Silver Spears were practitioners of the Mad Demon Spear.

It was all thanks to the Mad Demon Spear that the Silver Spears were able to dominate the battlefield. Their allies called them the Battalion of Hundred Victories, whereas their enemies called them the Mad Army.

Although the Mad Demon Spear was pretty widespread, few people actually dared to learn it. The Mad Demon Spear was an insanely bloodthirsty spear art that only those with great willpower and fearlessness could withstand. Otherwise, the killing intent would eventually erode their mind and turn them into crazy, bloodthirsty monsters who knew nothing but murder.

“If he serves under Madman Xu, then it all makes sense,” The Harmony King remarked. He once saw Xu Xiu in a morning meeting at the capital. It was just a careless look from a far distance, but Xu Xiu’s killing intent and bloodthirst still scared him so that he nearly blacked out on the spot. That very same day, he would fall ill and spend days in bed before he finally recovered.

Back on the platform, Xu Rulin managed to catch Yang Zhao off guard and turn it into an insurmountable advantage. Just a short time later, the gentleman took a spear in the solar plexus and was forced to surrender.

Of course, Xu Rulin himself wasn’t doing very well. His left arm was ripped off the sockets from a counterattack, and his forehead was cut deep enough to reveal the skull.

All things considered, Xu Rulin’s injuries were actually much more severe than Yang Zhao even though he was the victor. It was because Yang Zhao cherished his life, and Xu Rulin did not.

Yang Zhao most likely could have won the match if he just gritted his teeth and soldiered on, but he would have to pay a hefty price to do so. That price might even include his future, so what was the point?

Xu Rulin’s victory over Yang Zhao was celebrated even louder than Ye Qing’s victory over Jian Wusheng. It was because Yang Zhao was the ninety-second warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, whereas Xu Rulin was a true nobody who was even less known than Ye Qing. At least Ye Qing was famous for his meritorious deeds and known as the “Qing Emperor Junior”. But Xu Rulin? There was nothing remarkable about him besides the fact that he was a Silver Spear.

“I can’t believe Yang Zhao actually lost.” Someone sighed.

“Indeed. Who would’ve thought that only two people in the Human Champions Ranking would fail to make it to the end of the Hidden Dragon Meet?” Someone chuckled. From time to time, they would look in Jian Wusheng’s direction. The swordsman was completely unperturbed by their meaningful looks and words, however.

“Yang Zhao lost only because he was caught off guard. He’s really much stronger than Xu Rulin. Assuming they fought again, Xu Rulin would lose for sure,” Jian Wusheng commented.

“Yeah.” Ye Qing nodded in agreement. Even they wouldn’t fare much better assuming they were encountering Xu Rulin’s Mad Demon Spear for the first time.

“Yang Zhao would have won had he chosen to keep fighting.”

“What’s the point?” Luo Zhan shook his head.

“Indeed. It isn’t worth it.” Ye Qing chuckled.

Even if Yang Zhao won, it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. Depending on the injuries he suffered, it was highly unlikely he would be able to advance further in the Hidden Dragon Meet. But now, he still wasn’t out of the Hidden Dragon Meet. With Yang Zhao’s strength, it was entirely possible for him to sweep the whole losers bracket and even become the champion.

Yang Zhao had chosen wisely. If he was in his position, he would have made the same choice.

1. Yeah I don’t know what the fuck he’s talking about a sword, especially Chinese sword, thrives on being flexible. ☜

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