Chapter 140
“Wow…” The thousand people in the crowd seemed to be inspired by Xie Wendong as well, with shouts and thunderous applause rising—unclear whether it was for Xie Wendong or to encourage the burly men. The remaining thirty-two burly men, seeing that Xie Wendong had knocked down their own men with just one move, no longer dared underestimate this young man and gradually moved closer to him. Xie Wendong also felt the pressure from them, gripping his wooden sword tighter, staring intently at them without blinking, his legs bent in a bow shape, ready to strike suddenly at any moment. Seeing that they had formed a semi-circle, he could wait no longer. Clenching his teeth and letting out a low growl, he rushed forward, aiming his wooden sword at the throat of the man facing him. The man didn’t dare neglect this attack and quickly bent down to dodge. Although Xie Wendong was using only a wooden sword, a strike to the throat would either kill or seriously injure him. Seeing his first strike miss, Xie Wendong quickly retreated, preventing them from surrounding him and continuing to confront them. The burly men pressed forward step by step, while Xie Wendong slowly backed away, keeping the distance between them at about three steps. “Ya!” One of the burly men shouted, finally signaling the start of the attack. Almost at the same time, at least five knives were swung or thrust at Xie Wendong. Using all his skills, he managed to block the first wave of attacks, but before he could catch his breath, a second wave began. Another five knives, from five different angles, targeted various vital points on Xie Wendong’s body. He rolled aside desperately to dodge, and just as he got up, a knife from one of the men was already in front of him. After all, the elite members of the Hongmen were not like street thugs; their coordination was flawless. Wave after wave of attacks, like endless waves, forced Xie Wendong to keep retreating. After just a few rounds of attacks, he had already been driven down the stairs. Seeing Xie Wendong on the stairs, the burly men stopped chasing him and simply stood there with their knives, guarding the stairs. Xie Wendong supported his knees with both hands, bending over and breathing heavily. Just this short while felt like running five kilometers to him. Looking up at the thirty-two burly men standing on the stairs, like thirty-two immovable giants, he felt they were insurmountable. Could I defeat them? Xie Wendong doubted his own strength—the gap between them was too large; it seemed impossible. As he hesitated, Dong Xinlei appeared behind him somehow, patted his shoulder, and said firmly, “Brother Dong, no matter when, I’ll always support you. I believe you’re invincible. I want to find out what difficulties in this world could stump you, but I really can’t.”
I am invincible! Because my name is Xie Wendong! After hearing Dong Xinlei’s words, Xie Wendong was greatly inspired and nodded at him in gratitude. People can be strange—when facing difficulties alone, they seem like towering mountains that are impossible to climb. But if someone suddenly stands by you to face those difficulties together, even if they can’t help much, those mountains no longer seem insurmountable; it seems like a simple step to cross them.
Xie Wendong closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. His breathing gradually became steady. Waving his wooden sword, he stepped back onto the steps with unwavering confidence.
Five knives, again five knives! This time, Xie Wendong felt no fear. He shifted slightly, dodging the three knives coming straight at him, blocked the one on the right with his wooden sword, and with lightning-fast speed grabbed the blade thrusting at him from the left. With a sharp twist of his wrist, the man on the left lost grip on his knife, which fell from his hand. Seizing the blade, Xie Wendong shouted, “Here’s your knife back!” Then, swinging his arm forcefully, he slammed the hilt of the knife into the man’s forehead. The man didn’t even cry out; with the hilt pressed against his head, he collapsed instantly.
As the man fell, the second wave of attacks began. It was too late to dodge now, so Xie Wendong used his old trick—rolling on the ground to barely avoid the attacks. But this time he rolled to his left instead of backward. He stopped beneath the man on the left and, using the momentum, thrust his wooden sword hard into the man’s abdomen. The man bent in pain, his head now very close to Xie Wendong’s. Then he felt a sharp pain in his jaw, his mind went blank, and before he fell, he saw Xie Wendong’s sinister smile. That smile was utterly detestable, but he had no strength left to stand up and shatter it.
Xie Wendong moved up and down, dodging and weaving, going through all the techniques he had ever used. Dozens of men lay sprawled on the ground, each having been struck once or twice, but always in vital areas, making it impossible for them to get up again. After a round of chaos, both sides were exhausted and returned to a standoff. Although Xie Wendong hadn’t wasted any energy, he was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, with five or six cuts on his clothes. The remaining men weren’t much stronger than Xie Wendong either, their faces covered in sweat and dust, looking like characters from Peking opera.
Both sides looked pitiful and ridiculous, but not a single one of the thousands of disciples below laughed or cheered. Though they were facing off, neither side would budge, and the struggle had reached a deadly intensity. Despite being far apart, they could still sense the murderous intent radiating from both sides, filling the air with an invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe. People didn’t even dare to blink, afraid of missing this thrilling moment.
After all, the burly man used less energy than Xie Wendong did. After resting for a while, he began to move forward slowly, encircling Xie Wendong.
Xie Wendong was exhausted; even the wooden sword in his hand seemed incredibly heavy. Looking at those mere thirty-three steps, he couldn’t help but sigh—this was undoubtedly the hardest climb of his life. With that thought, he laughed heartily, wiped the sweat from his eyes, and rallied his spirits. This might be the only thing keeping him from collapsing.
The chaos resumed. Using the little strength he had regained, Xie Wendong charged forward with a roar, like an angry lion, unimpeded by anyone. There were still ten steps left. Xie Wendong silently counted them, but his strength seemed to have been drained. He leaned on the wooden sword, his body swaying precariously.
Seeing his strength waning, twenty burly men surrounded him tightly. Someone behind him shouted and swung a knife at Xie Wendong’s shoulder and back. He could feel the sharp sound of the blade cutting through the air, but he lacked the strength to dodge. His muscles contracted instinctively.
“Whoosh!” The steel knife left a cut over a foot long on Xie Wendong’s back. The burly man tried to laugh, but his smile froze within a second as Xie Wendong swung back and struck him on the temple with the wooden sword. The man screamed in pain and rolled down the steps.
Xie Wendong felt a burning pain at his back. Before he could check, a gleaming knife came at him from the side. He still didn’t dodge, watching as the blade pierced his weak spot. The force of the strike made his body shake violently. When the knife hit his weak spot, the burly man sensed something was wrong—he couldn’t feel the pleasure of the blade cutting through flesh and bone. He tried to shout, but it was too late. Xie Wendong’s wooden sword slashed across his neck. Helplessly, the man rolled down the steps following in the footsteps of his fellow warrior.
Xie Wendong feigned strength as he gripped the steel knife at his vulnerable spot, appearing like an invincible warrior who wouldn’t fall despite severe injuries. If it had been day, the burly men would have seen through the ruse—Xie Wendong had five or six cuts on him, yet not a drop of blood flowed; even a fool could guess he was wearing protective clothing underneath. But it was night, and with both sides exhausted, Xie Wendong was covered in sweat and mud, so no one noticed. Not that no one saw it—Nie Tianxing did, but he said nothing. Dong Xinlei already knew, and he certainly wouldn’t speak up either.
Xie Wendong slowly moved forward. The burly men ahead, filled with fear, instinctively stepped back, then another step. Nine levels left, eight levels, seven levels. With each step, Xie Wendong reminded himself. The top of the hall was just within reach. Under normal circumstances, he could have leaped up in one bound, but now he had to get past the remaining dozen or so burly men. “Brother Dong, go for it!” Dong Xinlei shouted loudly. Over a thousand gang members, inspired by Xie Wendong’s unyielding spirit, also cheered in unison, “Go for it! Go for it!”
Xiang Huishan seemed determined to make things harder for Xie Wendong. Seeing the morale of the remaining men slump, he snapped angrily, “How can you thirty-three people not even defeat a young man? Do you still deserve to be Hongmen disciples? Do you still deserve the title of ‘Eagle-Headed’?”
Stirred by Xiang Huishan’s words, the remaining dozen burly men roared in anger, refusing to back down. Almost simultaneously, they swung their knives at Xie Wendong.
“Damn it!” Xie Wendong thought to himself. The knives around him formed a seamless net, pouring down on him with no room to dodge. He grabbed the steel knife at his vulnerable spot and swung his arm, using it like a flying knife. A flash of white light shot out like lightning, piercing the abdomen of the man rushing at him. Thanks to Xie Wendong’s dwindling strength, the blade still penetrated over an inch deep, causing the man to cry out in pain and fall to the ground. Without hesitation, Xie Wendong took advantage of the rare opening to break free from the knife net. Before he could get up, more than a dozen knives swarmed at him again. This was a life-or-death moment; Xie Wendong couldn’t afford to think too much. With a shake of his wrist, golden light flashed, and silver threads caught three knives aimed at his head. Seeing the golden light, the men stopped moving, staring at him in shock, and exclaimed in unison, “The Golden Knife? Is it the old master’s Golden Knife?” The Golden Knife was both the old master’s protective weapon and his talisman—seeing it was like seeing the old master himself. Now that it appeared on Xie Wendong, no wonder the men stood frozen in shock, forgetting to fight.
Xie Wendong ignored whether they were talking about a golden sword or a silver sword. He pushed aside the burly man blocking his path and rushed onto the main hall. Standing there, his legs trembled uncontrollably from exhaustion. Even he was surprised he could still stay upright under such circumstances.
Facing Xiang Huishan, Xie Wendong stared intently at him and stretched out his hand, saying, “Give it to me!”
Xiang Huishan, still recovering from his shock, looked blank and asked, “Give you what?”
Xie Wendong took a step forward. His eyes were bloodshot and nearly glowing red, his expression extremely dark. Combined with sweat and dirt, he appeared even more intimidating. Shouting loudly, he said, “I’m already on the main hall! Give me the token!”
Frightened by Xie Wendong’s ferocious appearance, Xiang Huishan instinctively placed the token—the sect leader’s badge—in his outstretched hand. Xie Wendong glanced at it, said nothing, put the badge in his pocket, smiled faintly, and then collapsed straight down. Lying on the roof of the main hall, he looked up at the starry sky. He had never felt the sky so close before. Sighing, he thought, “Finally, I can rest.”
Xiang Huishan stepped forward and shook Xie Wendong, saying, “Hey, hey! What’s wrong with you?”
Lei Ting sighed beside him, “Stop calling him ‘hey.’ We should call him ‘Elder Sect Leader’ now.”
Xiang Huishan replied, “Elder Sect Leader? But he used another weapon to pass the trial. He can’t be considered to have passed!”
Lei Ting snorted, “If he can’t be considered to have passed, then why did you give him the sect leader’s token? ‘This… this…’ ‘This damn thing! You already gave him the token, so what’s the point of arguing?! Ugh! I’d rather call a little monkey ‘elder’!”
At that moment, Dong Xinlei and Nie Tianxing also ran over. The latter looked at the fallen Xie Wendong and sighed deeply, “Alas! I never expected someone so young to die so early. It’s truly fate punishing talented people!” Dong Xinlei was furious and shouted, “What fate punishing talented people? What dying young? Dong Ge is just asleep! Shut your stupid mouth!”
Nie Tianxing suddenly realized, “Ah! He’s just asleep. I’m sorry. I was dazzled just now.”
Seeing Nie Tianxing’s pretentious act, Dong Xinlei sneered angrily, “Dazzled, huh? I’ll make sure you’re completely dazzled!” With that, he brought his fist into close contact with Nie Tianxing’s eyes. “To be honest, you look way cuter like a panda than usual!”