Chapter 48

【What to do?】

Wu Fan, who was part of the Eagle Valor Guard, naturally knew better than anyone else about the guard's conduct. They always gave you the choice of a group fight or a one-on-one, but in the end, it would be you fighting them all alone, or them ganging up on you. In the past, Wu Fan didn't think there was anything wrong with this method and even praised it, but now that it was happening to him, it was truly a big problem!

【If I wait any longer, more people will gather! No matter!】

Thinking this to himself, Wu Fan took a step forward—turned and ran up the stairs!

“Thump, thump, thump, thump…!!”

The stairs of the tavern were instantly filled with the sound of footsteps, not just Wu Fan's, but also those of dozens of Eagle Valor Guards!

“Catch that traitor!”

“Scoundrel! Don’t run!”

Hearing the shouts and curses of those chasing him, Wu Fan ran even faster, thinking to himself: [Not run? Only a fool wouldn't run!]

As he ran, Wu Fan reached the third floor, seemingly with no way out.

Seeing the panic on Wu Fan's face and his trembling figure on the edge of the tavern window, the leading Eagle Valor Guard, Xiao Qi, laughed viciously, panting heavily, and said, “Run! Why aren’t you running anymore? Ah? Commander Wu?”

Wu Fan suddenly smiled, a smile full of joy.

Then—

“Whoosh! Thump~~~”

A steel cable with a sharp tip shot out from the fourteen-form blade case in Wu Fan's hand, embedding itself in the wall outside the tavern!

“Ha ha! I’m not running anymore! But I can fly!”

Smirking, Wu Fan directly controlled the fourteen-form blade case and jumped out of the window, landing on the ground in the blink of an eye.

All the Eagle Valor Guards were stunned!

How could they have forgotten this! They should have known that the weapon box in his hand was unusual.

“What are you all standing around for! Chase him!”

Someone shouted, and all the Eagle Valor Guards on the upper floors rushed down.

Wu Fan, now on the street, ran with all his might towards the East Market of Luoyang. The reason was simple: the East Market was a mix of fish and dragons, crowded with people, making it a good place to shake off his pursuers!

“Commander Wu! Where are you going!”

A voice came from behind, a very familiar one, and very close!

Without thinking, Wu Fan drew his blade and swung it back!

“Bang!”

The sound of metal clashing, Wu Fan's already fast-moving body rolled forward several yards before stopping!

Ignoring the intense pain, Wu Fan, with his numb right arm, tightly gripped his blade, looking at the Eagle Valor Guard Commander, Wu Yuanhao, his nominal superior, with eyes full of ferocity! The surrounding Eagle Valor Guards had already surrounded him, and running was definitely out of the question, especially with a skilled expert like Wu Yuanhao. Wu Fan could only fight to the death!

Wu Yuanhao held a carved bronze short stick, looking at Wu Fan with equal ferocity, baring his teeth like a wolf looking at a sheep: “I knew you were up to no good! Killing three superiors in ten days, I see! You’re a spy for the Maitreya Sect! Ah? Ha ha ha! You probably don’t know this, but your family has all been taken by the Yellow Gate Guard. Those eunuchs are far more ruthless than we are! Hmm?”

[Too careless!]

Wu Fan looked at Wu Yuanhao without flinching, took a deep breath, and said nothing, only pointing the fourteen-form blade case at Wu Yuanhao.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…!”

Steel needles shot towards Wu Yuanhao from all directions!

“Roar!”

Wu Yuanhao shouted, using his bronze short stick to block the needles, creating a watertight defense. Amidst the clanging sounds, he managed to retreat unscathed!

[Forming a sea of qi, approaching external qi release, there’s a chance!]

Wu Fan thought to himself, holding the long blade in one hand and drawing a short blade from the blade case with the other, rolling on the ground and aiming for Wu Yuanhao's lower body.

“Looking for death!” Wu Yuanhao sneered, his bronze short stick precisely intercepting Wu Fan's attack, and said, “Dying and still daring to resist?”

Whether he was looking for death, Wu Fan didn't know, but he knew that if he didn't kill Wu Yuanhao now, he would be killed! Even if he claimed he was acting on the orders of Lord Luo, it wouldn't help!

“Bang, bang, bang, bang!”

The sound of metal clashing deafened the surrounding Eagle Valor Guards, who involuntarily took a few steps back, creating some distance.

In the midst of the flashing blades, what Zhai Rang and Zhai Lingling had once said to Wu Fan came true: his cultivation method and blade technique were not compatible, leading to a flaw after a few moves, and Wu Yuanhao's stick hit his abdomen, sending him flying far away.

Wu Yuanhao, like a cat watching a mouse, had a mocking smile on his bearded face: “I never thought Commander Wu had such strength!”

“Ha ha!”

Wu Fan, bent over in pain, managed to force out two words.

However…

Wu Fan also deepened his understanding of one thing: the benefits of innate strength!

What was cultivation in this world? It was nothing more than cultivating the internal qi within one's body and converting it into strength! What was innate strength? It was a loophole, a favor from heaven! People with innate strength were born stronger than 99% of the world, and if they cultivated "internal qi," their strength would be doubly enhanced!

Innate strength was graded in terms of strength and power. For example, Li Yuanba, the first hero in the Romance of Sui and Tang, was a mentally challenged child, and his martial arts were not the best, but his superhuman innate strength allowed him to dominate the world! Similarly, Wu Fan had been told by the system that even in this world, Xiang Yu was a top-tier expert, and this world had internal qi! This meant that when innate strength reached a certain level, one could still dominate without internal qi. In the face of absolute strength, all techniques were futile!

What did this have to do with Wu Fan?

Of course, it had something to do with him. Wu Fan's innate strength, though not as extreme as Li Yuanba's, was still much stronger than that of normal people. In his fight with Wu Yuanhao, Wu Fan realized that despite being at a lower level, he was at least 50% stronger in terms of strength! This meant that in a situation where his martial arts were inferior and his cultivation method and techniques were in conflict, he might as well abandon the techniques and rely on his strength to win!

Wu Fan couldn't help but sigh, a sigh that said—some things, when you think about them, are just that simple.

He had originally thought that cultivation in this world was a difficult matter, but in the end, Wu Fan found that if one couldn't reach the third and fourth levels of "external qi release" and "qi transformation," the first two levels were not much different. The only difference was in strength and experience. Wu Fan was not lacking in strength; he just lacked rich combat experience, like when he was beaten by Zhai Rang, a rookie being toyed with by a veteran!

Straightening his body, Wu Fan put away the dagger in his left hand, held the long blade with both hands, and looked at Wu Yuanhao, saying with utmost seriousness, “I will cut you down!”

“Hmph!”

Wu Yuanhao sneered, showing extreme disdain, and stepped forward, his bronze short stick aiming for Wu Fan's face!

Wu Fan grinned, not dodging, and swung his long blade with great force, not slower than Wu Yuanhao's short stick.

Dodge?

Not dodge?

Who would dodge first?

Wu Yuanhao's stick would shatter Wu Fan's head.

Wu Fan's blade would split Wu Yuanhao's body in two.

In this life-or-death moment, Wu Fan gritted his teeth and held on, believing that a promising Eagle Valor Guard commander with four hundred households and seven or eight hundred subordinates wouldn't risk his life to die with him!

Sure enough…

Wu Yuanhao changed his move mid-way, lowering his body to let Wu Fan's blade pass by his back.

Wu Yuanhao was afraid!

“Pant, pant, pant!”

Taking advantage of the situation, Wu Fan's blade attacks aimed for a mutual destruction, forcing Wu Yuanhao to struggle for breath, a truly surprising feat!

Wu Fan's hands were already bleeding, and the blood dripped to the ground as he swung his blade, but he endured the pain, his face twisted, and continued to slash at Wu Yuanhao!

“Aaaah!”

Wu Yuanhao was forced into a panic, shouting continuously, but he couldn't bring himself to test Wu Fan's determination to die!

“Pant, pant, pant!”

The sound of metal clashing continued, getting louder with each strike.

Seeing the many large dents and the risk of breaking on his bronze short stick, Wu Yuanhao panicked and shouted, “What are you all standing around for? Kill him! Kill him!”

“Go to hell! Kill!!!”

Wu Fan, eyes wide open, jumped up with all his strength, using his damaged blade to deliver the heaviest strike!

“Crack!”

“Aaaah!”

In the scream, Wu Yuanhao fell to the ground, his face covered in blood!

“Pant, pant, pant…”

Wu Fan, breathing heavily, his arms trembling, slowly moved towards Wu Yuanhao.

Wu Yuanhao had dodged just in time, only disfigured but not dead!

“Protect Commander Wu! Everyone, attack!”

“Kill! Kill him!”

Wu Fan, seemingly oblivious to the shouts of the Eagle Valor Guards, moved step by step to Wu Yuanhao, sitting on his back like a demon, pulling his hair with his left hand, and placing his long blade at his neck.

Wu Yuanhao was terrified, the cold blade making his body shiver, and he screamed, “You can’t run! Wu Fan! You can’t run!”

Wu Fan sneered, feeling dizzy and on the verge of fainting, but he forced his eyes open and laughed, “You won’t let me live, so I’ll make you all die! All die! All die…”

With his last strength, he made a final slash.

“Swish!”

Blood splattered!

“Thud!”

Wu Yuanhao fell to the ground, dead.

Wu Fan also fell to the ground, his fate unknown.

Everyone heard Wu Fan’s last words, and a chill ran through their hearts, making them shiver!

“Kill him!”

“Kill the bastard!”

“Attack!”

“What are you waiting for?”

As the Eagle Valor Guards argued, someone suddenly leaped from the sky, picked up Wu Fan’s body, and leaped away! The strange way of leaping several yards without making a sound made everyone feel as if they had seen a ghost! In the blink of an eye… he was gone?

…

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