Chapter 487: Ten Thousand Banners Slay Yama (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Chu Jie and Su Shiyilu are old rivals.

The two are of such similar strength that if one is stronger than the other today, the other will definitely be able to turn the tables next time; the difference in skill is negligible, and neither has been able to truly kill the other in their several encounters. If they were to duel on the battlefield, whoever goes first would definitely call out the other's "green head card" (a symbol of defeat).

This can be considered a subtle tacit understanding.

This time, naturally, is no exception.

Su Shiyilu rode out into the fray, and Chu Jie stepped onto the city wall's battlements, leaping down like a cannonball or a boulder, landing with tremendous speed.

Thump—

A loud bang followed, sending dust billowing into the air.

A large pit split open beneath his feet.

"Let your old man teach you a lesson!" Chu Jie roared as he landed, raising his hand in a grasping motion. Golden martial energy surged wildly, and the dazzling golden light transformed into a large blade, violently blasting through the dust and shooting straight toward Su Shiyilu's face.

If they disagree, they'll start fighting as soon as they land!

Clang!

Su Shiyi Lu also responded.

"roll!"

Two streams of martial energy, distinctly different in color but equally radiating malevolent aura, exploded upon contact. A fierce wind howled, and snowflakes that had fallen unnoticed were swept up and swirled high into the sky, forming a strangely colored, reversed waterfall. People on the city wall raised their hands to shield themselves from the wind.

Chu Yao watched this scene, his fingers curling slightly.

Chu Jie was slightly surprised by the probing attack.

He could clearly sense that Su Shiyilu's condition was off; his strength hadn't improved at all, and had even regressed somewhat. His aura appeared strong on the surface, but in reality, he was weak inside, as if some energy was trapped within him, affecting his condition.

Although this impact may seem insignificant, on the battlefield, where even a moment's distraction can lead to execution, it's a fatal matter. Is Su Shiyilu truly in trouble, or is this old man luring the enemy?

Chu Jie was sent flying backward.

Summon your warhorse before landing.

They charged back at an even faster speed. The warhorse was huge and strong, and with the heavy horse armor, combined with the warrior's incantation, they charged with all their might. If the target they rammed didn't block them, well, the feeling was almost like being hit head-on by a huge object.

Su Shiyilu did not choose to avoid or dodge.

Although this was the safest and least strenuous method, having dealt with Chu Jie for a long time, he knew that doing so was suicidal—because Chu Jie's martial arts philosophy was simple and brutal: fight to the death! If the enemy chose to dodge his full-force attack, then Chu Jie's next attack would increase in power by 10%, the second by 20%, the third by 40%, the fourth by 80%...

As the number of attacks increases, it will certainly put a burden on Chu Jie himself, and he might even succumb to the pressure and die, but the pressure on the enemy will be even greater. His strength is not far from Chu Jie's; at most, he can evade three full-force attacks…

The fourth time was the kill!

This completely forces the opponent to confront them head-on!

Why was Chu Jie able to guard Yonggu Pass for so many years? Because the naive young warriors who fought him often chose to dodge before they had even tested his strength, and their fate was to be mercilessly beheaded by Chu Jie's third or fourth strike.

It was swift and decisive, leaving no room for doubt.

Many young generals in Shiwu died in this way.

If it weren't for Chu Jie causing trouble, the Ten Crows wouldn't have so few high-level martial arts experts to boast about.

"Just got off your wife? Your limbs are weak, that doesn't seem like you—" Seeing that her attack was blocked by Su Shiyilu, she felt a little regretful and thrust her long sword straight at him, transforming it into a halberd. "Or perhaps, you got off some man?"

Su Shiyi was already immune to such distracting trash talk. If he were in a good mood, he might even retort with sarcasm. Martial arts masters need thick skin to avoid being fooled by such details. But he was in no mood for it right now.

The news of the twelfth prince's death hung like a dark cloud over his heart, and endless resentment and hatred brewed and decayed within him. He wished he could kill all the other ambitious princes and make them pay with their lives for the twelfth prince!

But he can't do that.

The pent-up emotions found an outlet at this moment.

His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "Give me your life!"

Anger can make people lose their minds.

Chu Jie was now certain—that old bastard Su Shiyilu must have been provoked, and quite provoked at that!

He was thrown from his horse by the sudden burst of force, but fortunately he dodged in time and was not injured. When he tried to remount, he was forced to retreat repeatedly by the sharp blade thrusting towards him. Nasu Shilu also abandoned his horse and charged straight at him with full force.

Wherever they went, bombing continued.

The falling snowflakes never managed to touch the two; before they even reached within a hundred feet, they were either blown away or forcefully melted, hissing and crackling. Their weapons clashed, sparks flying, and the ground trembled slightly—a sensation felt even from the city walls.

"Haven't watched it in a long time, have you?"

Yu Zhubu's slightly nostalgic voice reached Chu Yao's ears, and he responded calmly: "It hasn't been long. Wasn't he forced into a sorry state by my lord before? He hasn't made any progress in all these years."

Yu, the registrar, twitched at the corner of his mouth.

That was indeed shameful. A dignified fourteenth-rank right-handed scholar, despite the restrictions on his hand movements, couldn't even subdue a young literary talent within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, especially since the other party was skilled in both literature and martial arts, which meant he wasn't quite right in the head... It really doesn't make sense...

At this moment, Chu Yao said, "He's cheating again!"

Kang Shi and his companions kept a close eye on the situation below the city wall.

At first, I didn't understand what he meant.

Who's trying to cheat?

But the answer came soon enough.

A blinding golden light erupted from Chu Jie's body as he frantically circulated his martial energy in his dantian, seemingly gathering power to unleash a powerful incantation. The next instant, Chu Jie roared, "Burn the camps!" Fire attacks were one of Chu Jie's specialties in wartime.

Previously, this same formation had been used to burn over a thousand soldiers alive, and the smell of burnt human flesh lingered for days.

Su Shiyi Lu also suffered losses a few times.

Naturally, we dare not slack off.

Unexpectedly, several water bags flew towards them.

As expected, the water sac was smashed to dust by Su Shiyilu's palm, and the viscous black liquid inside gushed out instantly.

Taking advantage of a fleeting opening, Chu Jie transformed his martial energy into a bow, plucked the bowstring, and fired over a hundred arrows. The arrows pierced the air, their arrowheads rubbing violently against the air, generating sparks. These sparks, as the arrowheads pierced through the black liquid, stained half the sky red!

Martial energy is precious, and Chu Jie doesn't want to exhaust it in a duel.

Naturally, we should save money wherever possible.

Su Shiyi Lu was caught in the fire dragon's embrace.

The fire was manageable, but the pitch-black liquid sticking to his body was quite troublesome. The fire spread so rapidly it was alarming! He had no choice but to unleash his martial energy to repel it, and this opening was the perfect opportunity for a strong attack. Chu Jie pressed forward relentlessly!

Go all out, without holding back!

The golden crescent-shaped blade of light unleashed by the weapon was dozens of meters long, and it crashed down on Su Shiyilu!

Rumble!

The blast wave could almost blow a person into the air.

The loud noise was so impactful that it hurt my ears as well.

As the smoke and dust subsided, Su Shiyilu appeared unharmed, surrounded by several massive, rotating shields. In reality, he was in a sorry state, his body covered in sparks and blackened, with half his eyebrow singed. In contrast, Chu Jie—

He raised his left arm with a cold smile.

The left arm gauntlet was shattered and ruined, revealing a strong and powerful half of his bronze arm. The muscles were bulging and as hard as rock, as if they could burst through the thin human skin with just a little more force. Three swimming golden dragon patterns were wrapped around the front of the arm.

Su Shiyilu's face turned ashen.

Chu Jie looked at the dragon pattern and sneered, "Three times!"

This kind of mistake was something Su Shiyilu had never made before, and it wouldn't give Chu Jie a chance to accumulate three dragon patterns with the "Fight to the Death" skill, because the fourth strike could be a fatal blow!

(#｀-_ゝ-)

Sigh, I've discovered that this seems to be the first time I've written about the martial spirit that corresponds to the way of the scholar?

P.S.: Suddenly realized that yesterday's title could have been "(Middle 2)"?

P.S.: The Scholar's Way is alright; after writing so many quirky characters, I've gotten the hang of it, and there are even more bizarre ones in the pipeline. But the Martial Arts Intent setting is a bit tricky; my head is buzzing.

(End of this chapter)