Ning Yi turned back, and in that instant, a scene unfolded amidst the crowd a dozen meters away, catching everyone off guard.

At this time, the streets were already bustling with pedestrians. Although the dozens of meters wide street wasn't packed shoulder to shoulder, a cacophony of sounds filled the air. Children ran about, occasionally tossing firecrackers, lighting them, and darting away, eliciting laughter and scolding from nearby vendors and pedestrians. In the distance, the Yellow Dragon danced closer accompanied by the deafening clamor of gongs and drums. Under such circumstances, it was difficult for ordinary sounds to attract attention. However, the sudden sound that pierced the air wasn't mere noise, but rather a horrifying scream.

It was a bloodcurdling "Ah—" of utter despair, the cry of a person on the verge of death, tearing through the surrounding din. Having just turned around, Ning Yi witnessed the cold gleam of metal flashing amidst the countless lanterns. The speed was astonishingly fast, like the blades of an electric fan, tracing out two blurred circles in an instant. A spray of blood erupted high above the heads of the pedestrians accompanied by the scream, and a severed arm soared into the air.

A chaotic wave of sound engulfed everyone, those aware of the situation mingling with those who weren't, those who had reacted mixing with those who hadn't.

"Yaaah—"

Ding ding ding~ ding——

Shouts and the clashing of metal spread outwards in ripples. A black figure spun overhead, while another figure, yelling, charged from below. Losing control, the figure was flung out, crashing into tables and benches on the other side. Amidst flying splinters, it hurtled several meters, followed by a rumbling crash.

Stoves burst open, soup pots and boiling water flew through the air, and burning charcoal scattered like a peacock spreading its tail, scattering diners in panic. The black figure landed again, wielding its weapon. Two lanterns caught in the crossfire shattered, flames tracing patterns in the air.

In a mere instant, Ning Yi perhaps belonged to those who saw but couldn't react, unable to comprehend what was happening. Just a dozen meters away, an arm and blood soared into the air. Then, someone yelled and charged towards the attacker. The attacker leaped into the air, no more than two meters high, resembling a gymnast launching from a pole vault. Black robes fluttered in overlapping layers, and the person charging from below was hurled several meters away by a casual strike, scattering countless objects.

Only then did the crowd finally react. The splash of blood and the falling severed arm, caused screams to erupt. Xiao Chan kept asking, "Young Master, what's wrong..." Ning Yi grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close. A pedestrian who sensed danger retreated towards them and was pushed away by Ning Yi.

The cries exploded in the night. A dozen meters away, the sound of weapons clashing echoed densely. Someone screamed, "Ah—" The atmosphere was intense and deadly, like two armies facing off on a battlefield. The lanterns hanging overhead were dense, like a spider web strung across the street. Every now and then, a lantern burst open or an entire rope with lanterns fell. Someone was thrown to the ground, one hand missing, clutching the wound and screaming tragically.

Fights occasionally broke out in Jiangning City, or two groups clashed in the streets – members of镖局 (Biaoju - security companies), gangs, or guards from wealthy families. The reasons for fighting were varied, but this sudden scene was different. The one who had leaped into the air was merely a woman, and those attacking her were all burly men. Dressed in the blue shirts and short coats of江湖 (Jianghu - the martial world) figures, they exuded the ruthlessness and bloodlust of those who lived a life of licking blood from blades. And yet, despite their numbers, they couldn't gain the upper hand against the woman.

Ning Yi watched the chaotic scene unfold before him. The crowd around him began to scatter even faster. Xiao Chan wrapped her arms around Ning Yi's waist, crying, "Young Master, Young Master, a fight broke out..." She was frantically trying to pull Ning Yi away, but Ning Yi merely held her by the shoulder, protecting her. If someone ran towards them and was about to collide, he would push them aside. The movements of the figures were obscured by the throng, making it difficult to see clearly. Fortunately, the area gradually cleared.

A large circle, a dozen meters in radius, opened up on the road, but the chaos hadn't lessened. Weapons, screams, and flames mingled with the falling lanterns burning on the road. Children cried in the distance, and shouts echoed in the crowd as people searched for their companions. Someone who had been knocked down struggled to get up. A horse tied to a tree nearby got spooked and struggled, neighing wildly. A voice rang out, "The 武烈军 (Wu Lie Army) is apprehending a criminal, bystanders disperse—" A man, chest pierced by the black-clad woman's long sword, flew back more than a dozen steps and collapsed heavily to the ground.

Although she seemed to be handling the pursuit of five or six people with ease, the fighting wasn't like the elegant duels in television martial arts dramas. The woman's sword appeared to be just over half a meter long, longer than a dagger or the military machetes Ning Yi had seen, but shorter than a typical longsword. The blade looked a little wide and clunky, likely for durability in slashing. The woman was tall and slender, dressed in black from head to toe, with a veil covering her face. She didn't attack much, mostly parrying with clangs and dashes, and dodging in a small radius.

Among those attacking her was a burly man over two meters tall, wielding a table or even a support pillar from a nearby wooden shed as a weapon. At times, she even dodged somewhat awkwardly. But almost every time she struck, there was a result. For such a long sword, piercing an enemy's body wasn't easy, but the force behind her strikes was tremendous. Holding the sword with her slender frame, she seemed to crash into her target with all her might, driving the sword all the way through. This was why the person who had just been pierced was sent flying more than a dozen steps before collapsing.

In the brief fight, the woman's black robes were already covered with specks of blood, mostly from her enemies. But she had likely been injured before, otherwise Ning Yi wouldn't have gotten blood on his hands. However, it wasn't obvious at the moment. Once the field of vision cleared, Ning Yi saw the woman dragging a wounded enemy by the hair as she retreated. Amidst the din, the man on the ground screamed, waving his hands and feet, trying to grab the woman's hand, but he failed several times in the heat of the fight.

Two more companions charged from the front, but he was blocking them. The burly man on the side swung a table at her. The woman was already retreating quickly, and at that moment, she exerted sudden force with her hands and kicked off the ground with her legs. The man on the ground was almost pulled into the air. The woman landed and rolled. The table almost flew over her head. She turned a circle and started to stand up. The man being dragged also fell to the ground, kicking up dust. A circle of his hair was torn off, and blood flowed freely. The woman kicked him in the back.

The two men in front charged forward, but this companion was suddenly kicked off the ground. He quickly reached out to support him, but the black-clad woman's sword tip flashed past, piercing his chest.

"Ah—" The man who reached out to hold his companion's shoulder screamed and quickly retreated. The three of them were pushed back more than a dozen meters like a sandwich, scattering a cluster of flames caused by burning lanterns. Amidst the flickering light, they crashed to the ground. The woman did a somersault and pulled out her sword. The man on the ground pushed away his pierced companion. "Kill her!" A sword tip had entered his chest a little. His calf had been pierced by a few bamboo sticks, and blood was dripping.

A dart flew from not far away, drawing a splash of blood from the black-clad woman's shoulder. Then, a blue-shirted man wielding a broadsword also approached, his blade dancing, forcing the woman to retreat continuously.

Flames flickered, smoke billowed, and the horse neighed. The old horse tied to the tree nearby had also broken free from its ropes. It charged wildly through the chaotic fight, heading straight for the still shouting, hesitating, and unable to run crowd. Seeing the old horse run halfway, a beam of light flew over, drawing a subtle arc in the air. It pierced the old horse's head with a "poof." It was the black-clad woman who shot her sword out like a concealed weapon.

The running old horse was struck by lightning, and its body let out a "yeng—" in the air. The momentum still carried it forward a few meters, followed by a loud crash. Blood gushed out of its head like a spring.

The fighting over there hadn't stopped at all. Amidst the flashes of blades, the woman, who had lost her weapon, kept dodging. Suddenly, the black skirt swirled like a lotus flower, and the man swinging his blade staggered backward, in pain. A low blow. And next to him, another blue-shirted man wielding twin swords lunged forward, trying to force the woman away. However, the next moment, the woman simply moved forward.

The twin swords swung into empty air. The man holding a single blade who had taken a low blow tried to avoid it when he realized he had become the target. However, his right hand holding the blade was suddenly trapped. There was a "crack" sound from his knee, and his calf was broken and completely twisted. The moment the pain entered his mind, a fair palm suddenly enlarged before his eyes.

The black-clad woman's sleeves were very long. During the fight, her hands were almost invisible. Only now could one see the fair arm shooting out from the sleeve. The sleeve made a sound like a whip vibrating through the air. The woman clenched her fist, her knuckles pointing straight at the other person's eyes.

Bang——

The force, like a shockwave, transmitted directly through the eyes. The man wielding the twin swords on the side swung his blades trying to rescue him, but at that moment, the woman struck like lightning, and her body moved around behind the opponent.

Pa pa pa pa pa pa——

Eyes, bridge of the nose, Adam's apple, temple, spine, back of the head. When the twin-sword man slashed over, the woman had already moved behind the single-sword man. Her palm slammed down from the air like a steel whip, striking the opponent on the Baihui acupoint (the top of the head).

"Yaaah—"

The man wielding the twin swords' eyes turned red, and his blades danced like wheels. Ning Yi couldn't see clearly from afar, but in front of him, countless sparks scattered. A few seconds later, a large blade suddenly stabbed out from behind him. As the man's body fell, the slender black-clad woman stood there, holding the broadsword, covered in blood, and looking over here.

The two-meter tall man grabbed a table and swung it over. But the woman no longer dodged. She waved her hand in the air, turning the force of the blow ninety degrees and sending it smashing to the side. Dragging the broadsword, she charged over. The other table had just begun to swing, and the blade light had already risen.

Boom——

The single-sword man's blade was heavy, almost the weight of a ghost-head blade. With the woman's figure, dragging it beside her looked strange. However, at this moment, the blade light directly shattered the table. The burly man's entire chest bones were shattered, and the broadsword was embedded inside.

He flew out with it, and the fragments of the table still flew in the air. The woman's long hair also fluttered in the air. She had already charged towards the old horse's corpse like a ghost.

At this time, only two blue-shirted men were still alive in the entire scene. The one with the injured calf had just gotten up and didn't dare to charge forward. The one who used darts was also wandering around from beginning to end. Seeing the woman charge over, the dart whizzed and spun madly in the air. However, the woman directly closed the distance with him. The flying objects seemed like tangled balls of thread. The two figures crashed together, fell to the ground, and rolled. With a turn, the woman stepped up and stood up. Blood seemed to spin around her body. The dart thrower's throat had been cut open, and the rope of the dart fell into the woman's hands. The black skirt moved, and the long dart, dragging the rope, flew more than ten meters and embedded itself in the forehead of the last injured survivor...

The entire fighting process didn't last long, just three or four minutes. The crowd around had scattered further, and the noisy sounds had quieted down a lot. A few yamen runners and constables drew their swords and didn't dare to come over from a distance. The woman didn't care about them. She was covered in blood at this time, walked to the old horse's corpse. Thick blood had flowed all over the ground. She reached out and pulled out her sword, took out a piece of cloth and wiped it. With a "whoosh," she put it back into her backhand.

Ning Yi and Xiao Chan had also retreated a lot, but they were watching this scene not far away, and their whole bodies were a little bit trembling...

***************

Seeing someone discussing the style of Wuxia, this book is a lower martial arts world, and the fighting is preparing to go in a tragic direction, which is certainly higher than "Young and Dangerous", hehe, the specific feeling, my current favorite is the director Tsui Hark, Zhao Wenzhuo starring in the movie "The Blade", naturally there will be some changes.

Seeking Sanjiang tickets, recommended tickets ^_^

Support (完本神站) share this site to those little friends who need it! Can't find a book, please leave a message!