EFB Chapter 71: Every Strike Draws Blood, Overwhelming Strength
Chapter 71: Every Strike Draws Blood, Overwhelming Strength
Upon seeing Chen Yu, Xiao Tianlu burst out laughing with joy.
"Hahaha, I was just about to settle scores with you, but you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep!"
Zhong Dalu was shirtless, revealing the tiger head tattoo on his shirt.
He took the lead, standing aggressively at the very front of the crowd, looking like a dog relying on its master's power.
"What's wrong, you surnamed Chen? You're scared now? Trying to run away?"
"Why don't you kneel down and kowtow to your grandfather Zhong a few times? If you do, I'll feel better, and maybe I'll spare your life!"
Chen Yu continued walking forward without stopping at all.
"Were my senior sister Luo Ninghai and senior brother Fang Ke injured by you?"
Upon hearing Chen Yu's question, Zhong Dalu was immediately extremely smug.
Driven by a desire to show off in front of everyone, he laughed three times, his fat jiggling as he looked at Chen Yu mockingly.
"Hahaha!"
"I broke Fang Ke's arm myself. Who told him to be so ungrateful and insist on going against Senior Brother Xiao!"
"Senior Brother Xiao only wanted the Crow-Slaying Furnace. He refused to give it to me, so I had no choice but to break his arm and forcibly take it from him!"
At this point, Zhong Dalu's voice suddenly rose, startling his underlings beside him.
"I want everyone in the entire Central Academy to know that anyone who dares to go against Senior Brother Xiao will be crippled by me!"
After saying that, he glanced at Xiao Tianlu out of the corner of his eye to see how he would react.
Xiao Tianlu was naturally very satisfied with these words of loyalty.
He looked at Zhong Dalu with affection, and was about to say a few words of praise when a blood-red blade suddenly flashed in front of everyone.
"Whoosh!"
The knife flashed silently, with extreme speed.
"Hahaha, let's see who dares to disobey now! If they do, we'll cripple them!"
Zhong Dalu didn't react in time and was still laughing as he made threats.
"Bang!"
His right arm quickly fell to the ground.
Only then did the intense pain reach my brain.
"Ahhh, my arm! My arm!"
When Zhong Dalu discovered he had lost his arm, he was in so much pain that he rolled on the ground in agony.
Chen Yu walked over and stepped on his chest.
"clang!"
The deer-slaying knife slid down Zhong Dalu's face and into the ground.
"Waaaah, don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
When Xiao Tianlu saw his underling being beaten, the veins on his forehead bulged:
"Dalu! You bastard, how dare you attack my brother in front of me! I'll kill you!"
Xiao Tianlu turned his head and waved.
"Brothers, let's attack together and kill this ungrateful bastard!"
The crowd glanced at Chen Yu's deer-slaying knife, then at Zhong Dalu rolling on the ground, and none of them dared to charge forward.
"Senior Brother Xiao, I suddenly have a stomachache, so I must take my leave!"
"Excuse me, Senior Brother Xiao, my wife is calling me home for dinner, so I'll have to go now!"
"Senior Brother Xiao, my master needs to see me, I have to go right away."
In less than ten breaths, most of the crowd dispersed.
Only Lin Wan'er and three or five of Iron Rod's underlings were still stubbornly holding on.
"You bunch of disloyal bastards, just you wait! After I deal with that Chen guy, I'll come and deal with you all right away!"
Xiao Tianlu was furious; he hadn't expected his underlings to be so unreliable.
They're all eager to bully the weak, but when they actually run into a tough opponent, not one of them dares to step forward.
"Senior Brother Xiao... save me... I'm dying..."
On the ground, there was a dark red pool of blood.
Zhong Dalu has stopped rolling around.
He discovered that the more he moved around, the faster he lost blood.
Due to excessive blood loss, he no longer has the strength to shout.
Chen Yu stood in front of him, preventing anyone from getting close to provide assistance.
"Aaaaaah! I'm gonna fight you to the death!"
Enraged, Xiao Tianlu drew his long sword and charged straight at Chen Yu.
As a martial arts master who had achieved minor success in tendon refining, he was very confident that no one in the entire Central Academy could last ten rounds under his sword.
"call out!"
The sharp sword, accompanied by a whooshing sound, swiftly pierced towards Chen Yu.
"Senior Brother Chen, run!"
Sha Bao had just arrived when he saw such a fierce sword strike, and immediately felt that Chen Yu was in grave danger.
"clang!"
Another blood-red blade of light flashed past.
Xiao Tianlu's longsword was cleaved in two at the waist!
"How...how is this possible?"
"What happened?"
For a moment, Xiao Tianlu couldn't even react.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible?"
"Why are you faster than me?"
Holding the deer-slaying knife, Chen Yu approached Xiao Tianlu step by step.
Xiao Tianlu felt a tightness in his throat, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
"Why? Why is that? I've never heard of a second master of the Lesser Tendon Refining stage in the Central Academy?"
"No, no, that's impossible. You've only been in the Central Academy for a short time. It's absolutely impossible for you to have achieved the Lesser Completion of Tendon Refining..."
Xiao Tianlu felt afraid and subconsciously took a step back.
Chen Yu pressed forward relentlessly; however much Chen Yu retreated, Chen Yu advanced just as much.
Seeing that things were not going well, Lin Wan'er quickly ran out.
"How dare you! You actually dare to threaten our Senior Brother Xiao with a knife!"
One of the henchmen shouted in a bluffing manner.
Chen Yu raised his head and glanced at him.
"Ahhh, I was wrong, please don't kill me!"
The young man was immediately terrified and burst into tears.
"Brother, run! Before he tries to kill us!"
"Run! Run!"
The last few of Iron Rod's henchmen also ran away, leaving Xiao Tianlu all alone, facing the fierce-looking Chen Yu.
"You, you, you! I'm warning you, the Central Academy strictly forbids disciples from fighting amongst themselves! Killing is absolutely forbidden! I also have people in the Inner Academy. You'd better think carefully; if you kill me, I guarantee you won't survive either!"
Xiao Tianlu was afraid, but he kept uttering harsh words.
This was based on his years of experience committing crimes; no matter how afraid he was inside, he could not show weakness on the surface.
Only by feigning composure and revealing background information can one possibly intimidate the other party.
His method was quite effective, allowing him to escape from bandits and robbers on numerous occasions.
After all, it's a connection within the inner courtyard of the Sword Forging Manor; no bandit would dare to disrespect it.
Within a ten-mile radius of Qinglan Mountain, anyone who dares to offend a disciple of the Sword Forging Manor's inner court will face only one fate: death.
Seeing Chen Yu hesitate, Xiao Tianlu was overjoyed and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Junior Brother Chen, it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. We're both top-tier experts in the Central Academy. Strong individuals should naturally respect each other. Let bygones be bygones. From now on, you're my brother, even closer than Zhong Dalu!"
As he spoke, Xiao Tianlu raised his hand and solemnly swore an oath.
"I, Xiao Tianlu, hereby swear that from this day forward, we will be brothers, sharing clothes and fortune. My banknotes are your banknotes, my connections are your connections, and my wife... uh, this..."
"Whoosh!"
A flash of crimson light appeared.
The deer-slaying knife gently stroked Xiao Tianlu's right arm.
The right arm immediately rebelled, breaking off from him and embracing the earth.
"Ahhh! My arm! My arm!"
Just moments ago, Xiao Tianlu was unruly, but after losing his right arm, he became just like Zhong Dalu, collapsing to the ground and rolling around in agony.
Chen Yu, carrying a knife, walked closer, ready to finish him off.
"No, you can't kill me! If you kill me, the manor will never forgive you! Killing your own fellow disciples is a capital offense!"
Xiao Tianlu wailed as he issued a warning.
"capital offense?"
Chen Yu snorted coldly.
"You know that killing one's fellow disciples is a capital offense? Then why did you still attack me?"
"This...this is different. I have connections in the inner courtyard. What about you? After I kill someone, someone can help me settle things. Do you have that kind of power?"
Even facing death, Xiao Tianlu remained arrogant and conceited.
He kept using the inner courtyard to intimidate people, with no other intention than hoping that Chen Yu would back down.
But Chen Yu just stared at him and sneered.
"Have you forgotten? I have an iron plaque that grants me immunity from all punishment, except for patricide and treason. Even if I kill you, I'll get away scot-free!"
Although Chen Yu said that, he didn't really believe that a mere iron plaque had any effect.
If the rewards and punishments of the manor were truly so fair, and everything was done according to the law, would Xiao Tianlu still dare to smash and injure people at will?
The reason for saying this was simply to undermine Xiao Tianlu's will to resist and make him even more desperate.
"Your brand is completely useless..."
Although Xiao Tianlu lacked confidence, he still habitually remained stubborn.
"My brand is useless, but your connections in the inner courtyard are?"
Chen Yu brandished the deer-slaying knife in his hand.
A flash of light startled Xiao Tianlu, who abruptly closed his eyes.
"Aaaaah! What do you want to do? What do you want to do?"
Chen Yu did nothing but put a knife to his neck.
"Brands and connections are useless; at this moment, the only useful thing is this knife."
Chen Yu applied a little force, and the blade pressed a thin mark on his neck.
"If it allows you to give birth today, then you can give birth."
"If it wants you dead today, you must die!"
Tiny beads of blood seeped from the skin.
Xiao Tianlu's psychological defenses were completely broken down.
The pain from the severed arm wound continued.
The rapid loss of vital energy and blood gradually weakened his body.
The deadly knife held to his neck made him truly feel the threat of death!
"Waaaaah, I was wrong, I'll never do it again, please forgive me!"
Xiao Tianlu wept bitterly, appearing to have suddenly realized his mistake.
Now that things have come to this, he finally understands.
So-called underlings and lovers are all unreliable.
When things are going well, everyone acts all high and mighty.
When faced with headwinds, they run faster than anyone else.
No amount of connections will help you in critical moments; no one will risk their own strength to help you.
Thinking of this, Xiao Tianlu felt even more desperate.
It was obvious that his strength was far inferior to Chen Yu's.
They can only kill or torture us at their mercy.
"Waaah...please spare me too..."
Zhong Dalu, standing to the side, said weakly.
He deliberately went shirtless today to show off his tiger head tattoo and intimidate people.
My right arm is bleeding profusely, and I can't find any cloth to bandage the wound.
After fiddling around for a while, I had no choice but to sacrifice my little brother and use coarse linen pants to stop the bleeding.
Even so, Zhong Dalu's current situation is far from optimistic.
He had lost too much blood, and his body was cold and he was somewhat delirious.
The two were now much more obedient than the other, completely unlike their previous unruly demeanor, which made Chen Yu very gratified.
Sure enough, no matter how bad a person is, they can all turn over a new leaf and start anew under the patient persuasion of the Deer-Slaying Knife.
Seeing Chen Yu's ruthlessness, instantly knocking Xiao Tianlu to the ground, Sha Bao was stunned into silence.
In her memory, Chen Yu was still the same as when he was selected for the Central Academy, and his martial arts level was only at the Great Perfection of Flesh Refinement.
In just over a month, he had actually broken through to the Tendon Refining Realm, and he could beat Xiao Tianlu, who was also at the Tendon Refining Realm, as easily as beating a chick.
This is enough to show that his cultivation in the Tendon Refining Realm has reached a fairly high level.
"Is this... still the same Senior Brother Chen Yu I know?"
Sha Bao kept repeating this sentence in his mind.
She stood there, unable to come to her senses for a long time.
"Ahhh, no! This can't go on, I'm going to die!"
In the brief moment of distraction, Chen Yu suddenly exerted force, cutting the deer-slaying knife even deeper, directly slicing through Xiao Tianlu's neck, causing him to scream in terror.
"Please, please, don't kill me! I can give you money, women, and even pull strings!"
Xiao Tianlu cried out in terror, his mind blank except for the desire to survive.
Just as Chen Yu was about to kill him, another group of people suddenly appeared in front of him.
Lin Wan'er walked over with an old man and a fat bear.
"Steward Murong, Chen Yu committed heinous crimes in broad daylight, brutally murdering his fellow disciples and disregarding the laws of the manor!"
Lin Wan'er looked at the old man with an air of righteous indignation.
"We implore Deacon Murong to uphold justice! First, cripple this villain's hands and feet, then hand him over to the Criminal Law Hall for further processing!"
Before the old man could speak, the fat bear beside him couldn't help but speak up.
"Let him go! You dare touch my man, Liu Chenyu's man? You don't want to live anymore, do you?"
Chen Yu looked at Liu Chenyu, who was speaking. Liu Chenyu was broad-shouldered and burly, with a round face, a thick beard, and wearing a white sock on each foot.
Upon hearing Liu Chenyu's voice, Xiao Tianlu's expression immediately lit up with joy.
"Brother Yu, please save me! I'm dying!"
Seeing Xiao Tianlu injured and looking so pitiful, Liu Chenyu felt extremely distressed.
The wounds were on Xiao Tianlu's body, but the pain was in his heart.
He desperately wanted to kill Chen Yu, but he was hesitant to act rashly.
After all, with a gleaming knife held to his neck, a slight misstep could kill Xiao Tianlu.
Liu Chenyu wasn't 100% confident about taking someone away from a knife's edge.
"Young man, Murong Chunfeng, a senior deacon of the Criminal Law Hall, is here. Put down your knife at once!"
The old man stepped forward, pointed at Chen Yu, and shouted angrily:
"I ask you, do you still respect the laws of this manor? Harming your fellow disciples, what kind of skill is that? What kind of heroism is that? If you continue to be so stubborn, then I have the right to kill you!"
"The law? Where were the laws of the manor when my senior brothers and sisters were injured? What punishment did Xiao Tianlu receive for injuring people?"
Chen Yu said coldly.
"Old man, I advise you to mind your own business, or you'll be rolling around here in pain right now!"
"You, you, you scoundrel! How dare you be so disrespectful to your superiors!"
Murong Chunfeng was so angry that his beard trembled.
"Don't think that just because you've rendered great service to the manor, you can act recklessly! Release Xiao Tianlu immediately, and I might spare your life! Otherwise, I'll execute you on the spot!"
"Steward Murong, it's clear that Xiao Tianlu was in the wrong first, so why are you only focusing on Senior Brother Chen?"
"I saw it clearly: Xiao Tianlu drew his sword and stabbed Senior Brother Chen first. Senior Brother Chen's attack was merely self-defense!"
Sha Bao came to his senses and spoke up in defense of the wronged.
"Get lost, you filthy bitch! Who gave you the right to speak here!"
Lin Wan'er cursed at Sha Bao.
"You lowly disciple of the Central Academy, utterly useless, and you still want to defend Chen Yu?"
"I think you're his accomplice! Deacon Murong, can't you arrest and torture her too?"
Murong Chunfeng's face darkened.
He hadn't expected that not a single disciple from the Central Academy present would give him any face.
After much deliberation, he decided to take action to cripple Chen Yu, using him as an example to restore the prestige of the Criminal Law Hall.
But after looking at the deer-slaying knife in Chen Yu's hand, he changed his mind and decided to pick on Sha Bao, the easy target, first.
"You're saying Xiao Tianlu attacked Chen Yu first? Let me tell you, your opinion doesn't count. I didn't see it, so it didn't happen!"
"I witnessed Chen Yu committing the crime with a knife. You stood by and did nothing to help, making you Chen Yu's accomplice. I'll execute you first!"
"You bastard, the reputation of the Criminal Law Hall has been ruined by old beasts like you!"
Sha Bao, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up in rebuke.
"Who are you calling an old beast? Daring to speak disrespectfully to Steward Murong is a blatant disregard for the rules of the manor, a crime punishable by double the penalty!"
Lin Wan'er put one hand on her hip and pointed the other at Sha Bao's nose, scolding him.
While everyone was still arguing, Xiao Tianlu had already breathed his last.
Only after confirming that he was completely dead did Chen Yu slowly withdraw the deer-slaying knife.
"Tianlu!"
Liu Chenyu's eyes widened in horror; he could also sense that Xiao Tianlu was no longer alive.
"Aaaaah, Chen Yu, I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!"
He drew the large sword from his back and slashed it fiercely at Chen Yu's head.
Chen Yu was equally unyielding, raising his deer-slaying knife and charging forward.
"Whoosh!"
The two swords clashed against each other, cutting through the wind.
The blade edges are three feet, two feet, and one foot apart.
Suddenly, a finger as white as jade reached in.
"Bang!"
A burst of energy exploded at the blade's edge, causing the sand to instantly collapse an inch.
Chen Yu and Liu Chenyu both bled from their tiger's mouths at the same time.
The two swords stopped frozen on either side of that finger, completely still.
Everyone looked up at the same time.
The owner of the fingers was a woman in white.
She was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with jet-black hair that cascaded down her back, loosely tied up with a single plain silver hairpin, the rest of her black hair swaying gently in the wind.
She stood between two long swords, her clothes rippling in the evening breeze.
Where the sleeves fell, half of her fair wrist was revealed, her skin as smooth as jade.
A light blue silk sash was tied around his waist, from which hung a piece of warm white jade with a vermilion character "影" (shadow) engraved on it.
Chen Yu carefully observed her face.
Her eyebrows were extremely thick, and her eyes were as clear as the moon reflected in an ancient well.
Her facial features were originally very good.
But unfortunately.
A scar running across his entire face ruined everything.
The scar started on the left forehead and went all the way to the bottom of the right chin; it was thick and deep, and looked quite creepy.
"Young Master!"
Upon recognizing the person who had arrived, Murong Chunfeng hurriedly bowed in greeting.
"Please, young master, uphold justice for us!"