The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 41 Flying Yaksha (6k)

Seven days later.

The sky was dark and the clouds hung low.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the river, whipping up waves that crashed against the banks with a deafening roar.

A large ship fully loaded with cargo cut through the surging waves and sailed down the river at a considerable speed.

The dull rumble of thunder surged through the clouds, but no rain came for a long time.

Wow!

Deep in the river, a wave burst open, revealing a ghostly figure that appeared right in the path of the cargo ship.

The powerful currents stirred up by the large ship surged towards us.

Instead of being overturned, the man pushed forward, breaking through the waves, and with his hands like hooks, he gripped the wooden planks of the boat. Without any apparent movement, he was lifted up lightly like a leaf blown by the tide.

Sa!
Taking advantage of the upward momentum, he quickly scanned the area, and as his body fell, he lightly touched the deck with his toes and leaped up again, instantly soaring to the top of the sterncastle.

The entire process was silent, like the legendary water monkeys, leaving only a few water stains on the deck.

The ship was crowded with people, but no one—whether busy sailors, passengers chatting by the railing, or guards escorting cargo—not noticed the unexpected guest on board.

This ship was quite large, with a huge cargo capacity, and its sterncastle was also very imposing, nearly two zhang high.

Hong Yuan stood atop the stern tower, his figure disappearing into the shadows, his clothes dripping wet.

A smile appeared on his face.

Over the past few days, Hong Yuan's overall route has been moving closer to Linjiang Prefecture, passing through three counties and one town.

Along the way, Hong Yuan constantly challenged various martial arts school masters, gang leaders, and wandering martial artists. In just a few days, he defeated no fewer than ten martial artists whose names he could name.

He would extract martial arts techniques from ordinary martial artists, and when he encountered someone with a notorious reputation, he would kill them without hesitation.

With the information obtained from Yue Feng, finding those famous martial artists saved Hong Yuan a lot of trouble.

He passed through more than one town, but the reason he mentioned one in particular is because in that town, a certain family was practically a local tyrant.

His family produced a master of the second level of transformation, 'controlling the movement at will', who, in Yue Feng's words, is quite famous throughout Linjiang Prefecture.

After wandering around the town for a while, Hong Yuan listened carefully and observed closely, and determined that the person deserved to be killed.

Since this was his first time fighting a martial artist at the "freedom of control" level, even though Yang Erhu had said that even if he had encountered Hong Yuangang at his peak when he had just escaped from the "Azure Phoenix Wonderland", he would still have to be cautious, otherwise there was a possibility of being caught off guard and losing his life.

Hong Yuan remained very wary of this.

He first injured the evil members of the family, which lured out the expert. He was chased all the way to the riverbank before turning back to fight him.

In fact, when the other party was "chasing" him, observing their speed and the lack of mental warnings, Hong Yuan realized that he was probably being overly cautious.

When they actually clashed, this was confirmed.

This expert was completely powerless against him, forced to use all his skills, and finally lost all courage and fled in panic, only to be sent away by Hong Yuan with a heavy blow.

Besides trading various secret medicine recipes with numerous martial artists, Hong Yuan also inquires about anecdotes from the martial arts world.

The more Hong Yuan learned, the clearer his own position became, especially after fighting that martial artist who was at the level of 'controlling his movements at will'.

It's not that the person wasn't strong, but rather that Hong Yuan was too abnormal.

Both were at the level of 'freedom of control', but this was only in terms of strength and technique. In terms of physical strength and spirit, Hong Yuan far surpassed him.

This kind of physical and mental transcendence, even if it's just a slight one, can create a life-or-death gap in combat power.

With the same change in force, Hong Yuan can be a little faster and stronger. This slight difference is enough to completely crush those of the same level.

Not to mention that Hong Yuan's surpassing is not just a little bit.

Perhaps it was this enlightenment that promoted Hong Yuan's spiritual sublimation and added a touch of wisdom to him.

Of course, this is also related to Hong Yuan's persistent practice of meditation and the discovery of a superior incense formula to assist him.

On the contrary, his physical attributes have not increased.

However, Hong Yuan could sense that it was almost time!
After several days of continuous battles with others, supplemented by the use of various secret medicines both internally and externally, I can clearly feel the growth.

Even if other martial artists possessed various miraculous medicines, they would not dare to use them so frequently, because excessive use of medicine can be harmful to oneself.

Hong Yuan, however, is different. He relies on an "external cheat" to absorb nutrients, and no matter how many secret medicines he takes, they will only become nutrients for improving his physical constitution.

The growth of his comprehension and physical constitution, which fed back to him, allowed Hong Yuan to quickly digest the fist and foot techniques and weapon skills of the martial artists he had fought.

He had previously practiced his boxing in the water, experiencing the resistance and undercurrents of the rapids. His control over his strength became increasingly refined. After incorporating the essence of many techniques, his Tiger Subduing Fist became even faster, while also possessing the flexibility and versatility of water.

and--

Hong Yuan raised his hand and pointed, his fingertip lightly touching the deck. Without making a sound, a tiny, invisible pore appeared on the thick, sturdy wooden board, about the size of a pinhead and two inches deep.

This is not even his full strength.

'Although the spiral force has vaguely taken shape, it will still take a lot of effort to fully comprehend it. Ironically, I stumbled upon this method of force cultivation by accident.'

'This should also be considered a level of subtle force, right? How about calling it Flying Needle Force? Well, since it can't fly off the fingertip, let's call it Condensed Needle Force!'

Hong Yuan felt the flow of qi and blood in his body without any discomfort, and his fingers were able to withstand the 'condensed needle force' he emitted.

He nodded in agreement.

Sure enough, even though he had not yet reached the level of subtlety in the variation of force, he could still use it more violently without any problem, as his physical constitution could withstand it.

'My needle-like strength, as well as my bone-penetrating strength and distance-based strength, are all extensions of the variations of hard strength, while the silk-reeling strength, penetrating strength, and flying-flying-cotton strength are extensions of the variations of soft strength…'

As for the spiral force, it is an extension of both hard and soft forces, so it's normal that it's a bit more difficult.

Hong Yuan's ability to quickly grasp the essence of underwater eddies and develop a basic understanding on his own is astonishing to countless martial artists.

Perhaps because it was about to rain, the cabin was stuffy, and there were chaotic footsteps on the deck below. Several people went out to get some fresh air.

None of them looked up, otherwise they might have noticed Hong Yuan.

Of course, even if he were discovered, Hong Yuan wouldn't care.

A person lazily yawned, and the sound of conversation drifted up:

"The counties we've passed through recently have been quite lively. A few days ago, Master Huang of Qingxu County took a concubine, which should have been a joyous occasion. However, some thugs brazenly broke in and beat Master Huang and his sons to death. The thugs, in a fit of rage, then stormed into the inner courtyard and went on a killing spree, murdering the entire Huang family, including children as young as a few years old. Tsk tsk! The Huang family's vast estate, built over generations, has been destroyed just like that."

As he spoke, he sighed repeatedly, it was hard to tell whether he was lamenting or gloating.

"I've heard about this too. It's said that Zhang, the county magistrate of Qingxu, was a close friend of Master Huang. He risked his life to fight off the villain, but unfortunately, he lost an ear in the process."

Another gruff voice rang out, praising, "Although Master Huang is dead, he had a loyal friend like County Magistrate Zhang, so his life was not in vain."

"Absolutely, absolutely!" The others nodded in agreement.

“Your information is outdated.” Several travelers chatting idly by the ship’s railing heard the commotion and joined in. An elderly man dressed as a merchant chuckled, “The real culprit behind the massacre of the Huang family has been revealed in the last couple of days. It’s said that he was originally a scholar, and a classmate of Master Huang’s son, named Hong Yuan…”

Hong Yuan was surprised that someone would mention him at this moment, and the envy these idle guests showed when they talked about the friendship between Huang Guiling and County Magistrate Zhang made his expression strange.

"A scholar, and a classmate of Young Master Huang? How could he be so vicious? What deep-seated hatred could he have for the Huang family? And how could a mere scholar be so skilled? It's truly unbelievable."

A dark-skinned man exclaimed in shock.

Several people sighed and exchanged opinions. Someone then mentioned, "Even earlier, a man from Yangquan County also emerged. He single-handedly killed over a hundred thugs who were committing crimes at the docks. After the killings, he left without a drop of blood on his body, laughing loudly, and even left behind a poem, 'Killing one man in ten steps'..."

Someone laughed and chimed in, "That poem has been widely circulated, and all the wandering knights in Linjiang Prefecture are reciting it. Even I, a rough man, can recite it! It is said that many powerful families and nobles have heard of that poem and greatly admire that black-clad swordsman. They have made a vow that if he comes to their door, they will be treated as high-ranking officials. Unfortunately, he has not yet shown up. Instead, many vagrants have impersonated him and lost their lives for nothing."

"That's what they deserve. They dared to take on a job they weren't qualified for. They were asking for it!" the old merchant mocked.

"The matter of Scholar Hong and the black-robed swordsman would have been a sensational event under normal circumstances, but recently, the 'Flying Yaksha' has stolen the limelight!"

A burly man with an open chest and thick hair joined the discussion.

The others looked at the man with some surprise. The man laughed and said, "You gentlemen haven't disembarked much these past few days, have you? If you have, just sit down anywhere. The people in the surrounding counties are all talking about that 'Flying Yaksha'!"

"Appreciate further details!"

The man laughed and said, "It is said that the 'Flying Yaksha' is a martial arts fanatic. He first appeared in Wushan County and likes to challenge the heads of various martial arts schools, gang leaders, and famous figures from all over the country. He is highly skilled in martial arts and often plays his opponents with ease, tormenting them to the point of wishing they could die immediately... Of course, the 'Flying Yaksha' generally does not kill people, but if he encounters a master who does evil, then he will kill them!"

"Because this person usually attacks at night and is ruthless, he earned the nickname 'Flying Yaksha'."

Hong Yuan stood on the stern tower, listening to the people below recounting his deeds, and was speechless.

However, he had heard about the nickname "Flying Yaksha" a day or two ago, but it didn't bother him much. After all, everyone knows that he sits at the same table as Yu Lang Jiang Feng.

Perhaps because he had defeated so many renowned masters, Zuo Lie and Shi Meng no longer felt ashamed, and even spread the word that the 'Flying Yaksha' had come to challenge them...

After all, being challenged by the 'Flying Yaksha' is undoubtedly proof of strength, and the martial arts school masters who were overlooked would feel embarrassed.

“Since the ‘Flying Yaksha’ appeared in Wushan County, he has been challenging masters in several counties along the river, and his whereabouts have always been heading straight for the prefectural city. Perhaps he is among our group right now,” the man joked.

As the group chatted idly, the ship had already sailed quite a distance. Suddenly, the sailors and guards on deck gripped their clubs and weapons, their expressions becoming alert.

On the high mast, the lookout at the watchtower looked even more serious, straining his eyes.

The group of people who had been chatting fell silent, all becoming somewhat tense, because the river ahead suddenly widened, the current became gentle, and large swathes of reeds appeared on both banks.

These people were seasoned sailors and knew that such places were the favorite hiding places for river bandits. Mingzhou was a land of dense waterways and had no shortage of 'good men' who did business on the water!
Boom!

A thunderclap boomed, the sky grew even darker, and the rain that had been trapped in the clouds seemed to finally be released. With this piercing sound that tore through the heavens, large raindrops pattered down.

Sudden--

"Whoosh! Snap!"

A whistling arrow shot into the air and exploded!

Immediately afterwards, seven or eight speedboats darted out from the dense reeds on both banks like snakes!
These boats were long and narrow, varying in size. The larger ones carried five or six people, while the smaller ones carried two or three. They moved as fast as the wind, quickly circling around the sides of the larger boat!
The men on the boat were all armed with steel knives and sharp blades, with fierce faces, and they made strange "howling" noises.

"River bandits! It's river bandits!"

Chaos erupted on the deck instantly. The chattering merchants, who had been on tenterhooks, were terrified. Their faces changed drastically, and they hurriedly fled to their cabins.

Although the sailors and guards on the ship were also somewhat surprised, they were used to making a living on ships all year round and this was not the first time they had encountered pirates. They gripped their weapons tightly and guarded every part of the deck!

Several martial arts masters, whose status was clearly higher than that of ordinary guards, quickly put on leather armor, drew their swords, and leaped out with shouts, all displaying swift and agile skills.

"Listen up, cargo ships ahead! Lower your sails and stop immediately! We only care about making money, not taking lives! If you dare to resist, you'll all be thrown into the river for the fish to fill their bellies!"

On a speedboat, the bandits were shouting and making threatening noises. One of them, a one-eyed big man, had one foot on the bow of the boat. He seemed to be the leader of the bandits. He was brandishing a large, ghost-headed knife and roaring loudly, which shook the river.

"Don't believe him! This bandit leader is 'One-Eyed Owl,' the most vicious of all. No one he captures ever survives."

A middle-aged man in brocade robes with a cold and stern face walked out of the cabin. He was relatively calm and was guarded by two martial arts masters with big hands and strong physiques.

The moment this person appeared, the sailors and guards were immediately invigorated; he must be the owner of the ship.

"Kill the thieves! Ten taels of silver for each thief killed, and one hundred taels of silver for the thief leader!" The middle-aged man in brocade robes didn't waste any words and shouted coldly.

Enticed by the hefty reward, the sailors and guards shouted in unison, "Kill the traitors!"

Morale boosted!

call out!
There were several men on the boat carrying bows and arrows. At this moment, they drew their bows and fired a series of arrows at One-Eyed Owl's speedboat.

However, the wind and waves were too strong, and the rain was pouring down, so the aim was really poor. Although he missed, One-Eyed Owl was enraged and roared, "Kill them!"

As the melee erupted, the pirates on One-Eyed Owl's fast boats approached the cargo ship, swooshing out grappling hooks in an attempt to grab the ship's side and climb aboard.

On deck, the sailors and guards fought back fiercely, firing arrows and slashing with steel swords, cutting down the thrown grappling hooks one after another.

puff!
At this moment, Hong Yuan pressed his palm on the deck and leaped up like an arrow. Before he even landed on the deck, he had already grabbed a sail rope with one hand. With a slight effort, he nimbly leaped up the tall mast like a monkey.

The lookout on the watchtower caught a glimpse of someone on the mast above him out of the corner of his eye. He was startled, thinking that the pirates had attacked, and was about to fall headfirst.

Hong Yuan landed and grabbed him. The lookout was still in shock: "You...who are you?"

Hong Yuan did not answer. With one hand like a hook, he gripped one side of the mast, supporting his own body, and looked towards the reeds.

The one-eyed owl launched several attacks but failed to board the ship. Furious, it roared loudly. At that moment, the sound of gongs and drums rang out from the reeds, and more than a dozen fast boats sped out.

"Old One-Eye, you're really useless. You haven't managed to get past a single person in all this time. Let me do it!"

A dozen or so speedboats sped by like white streaks in the rain. On one of the speedboats in the center, a skinny, shirtless man laughed loudly.

"Bullshit, this is a tough one, you stinky monkey, if you're so good, you do it."

"One-Eyed Owl roared angrily."

"Alright! My men will go up first. I want 70% of the cargo on the ship!" The skinny, monkey-like bandit readily agreed, then set his conditions.

"Keep dreaming..."

The one-eyed owl cursed loudly.

The sailors and guards on deck were terrified when they saw that more than a dozen ships of pirates had joined them, probably more than a hundred fierce bandits.

Even the middle-aged man in brocade robes changed color, his hands clenching tightly: "Impossible! How could One-Eyed Owl and Skinny Monkey, these two bandit leaders, join forces?"

Skinny Monkey's band of pirates joined forces with One-Eyed Owl, and about twenty fast boats were deployed on both sides, swarming around like leeches, and grappling hooks shot up as the pirates launched another fierce attack.

On the deck, the sailors and guards roared and fought back with all their might. The martial arts masters ran around, swinging their weapons and slashing down grappling hooks. But the pirates were too numerous. After a while, the first pirate finally climbed onto the ship.

With a steel knife in his mouth, the bandit grinned and used it to slash one of the guards. Although he was immediately cut down by the others and thrown into the water, more bandits swarmed up to him.

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen pirates leaped onto the deck from various locations.

Hong Yuan descended from the mast and, in the blink of an eye, darted in front of the two bandits. With two loud thuds, the sound of their ribs cracking rang out, and the two men fell into the river like flying stones.

Having at least hitched a ride, it's time to take action. Although bringing all these pirates aboard would actually make them easier to kill.

Taking action now would only result in a large number of those who slipped through the net.

But if that were the case, the crew would suffer heavy casualties.

According to the conventions of this era, these sailors and guards might have even taken on the role of bandits when they encountered lone ships, but Hong Yuan did not witness this firsthand.

Hong Yuan's move immediately attracted the attention of the middle-aged man in brocade robes, who hurriedly asked, "Who is this person?"

Hong Yuan ignored him, strode forward, and snatched a bow and arrow from an archer. Just as the archer was about to curse, Hong Yuan had already drawn his bow and aimed an arrow at a river bandit.

call out!
The arrow missed its mark!
Hong Yuan drew his bow again, and this time with a 'crack,' the bow snapped in two from the force of the pull. The archer was furious and exasperated: "You! If you can't shoot an arrow, don't mess around!"

Hong Yuan turned to another archer, who glared at him angrily, but only saw a large hand grabbing at him. He tried to hold on to his longbow, but a surge of immense force shook him, causing him to fall to the ground. Then, his quiver was taken away.

Just as the archer was about to shout and curse, Hong Yuanfu drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

call out! Phew!

Three arrows were fired almost simultaneously, swiftly piercing the throats of three river bandits in the river below. Then, three more arrows were fired, taking three more lives!
Boom!
One-Eyed Owl climbed onto the ship from one side, leaped onto the deck, and swung his ghost-head knife in a wide arc at a sailor, grinning maliciously: "Dare to block my way onto the ship? I'll send you to your death right now."

call out!
A cold arrow shot out and pierced his only remaining eye. The smile on the one-eyed owl's face froze, and he fell backward without even letting out a scream.

Several archers, and even some guards and sailors nearby, were dumbfounded. Hong Yuan drew his arrows and fired again. Seeing that they were stunned, he shouted, "What are you standing there for? Bring me the arrows!"

"okay!"

Hong Yuan, alone with his bow, was like ten archers firing simultaneously. He would fire whenever an arrow came, and it was always... but not always a hit; some were lucky enough to dodge it.

In a short time, dozens of people had lost their lives, but Hong Yuan was not satisfied. With his methods, if he had let these bandits come ashore to fight, the killing efficiency would have been even faster.

Even in the pouring rain, the fast boats were scattered to the sides of the large ship, making it difficult to coordinate. The remaining pirates also sensed the danger, panicked, and scattered in disarray.

The skinny monkey was the quickest to react. He was still climbing the rope when he suddenly saw his men being shot dead one by one. He immediately jumped into the water and swam to a speedboat a while later.

His men on the ship were already dead. Skinny Monkey frantically rowed the oars, wanting only to escape as quickly as possible.

Hong Yuan drew his bow and aimed it at the skinny monkey!

Snapped!
The longbow broke again.

An archer quickly handed over his bow and arrows, his panic subsided, and his face was full of admiration: "Use mine."

"No need!" Hong Yuan leaped onto the gunwale, and with a burst of speed, the gunwale shattered as he shot out like a whirlwind, covering several meters before landing on a speedboat below.

boom!
With a light tap of his foot, he leaped again, and to the astonishment of everyone on the large ship, the small boat suddenly sank downwards. Hong Yuan flew more than three zhang like a giant bird and landed on another fast boat.

Before he could even regain his footing, he charged forward again, slamming into two gaping bandits on the boat. With a cracking sound, the bandits were sent flying into the water, while Hong Yuan soared into the sky and landed directly on the skinny monkey's boat, which was three zhang away in front of him!

Skinny Monkey's eyes bulged out as he saw Hong Yuan following closely behind. Overwhelmed by fear, a surge of strength welled up within him, and he forcefully hurled the wooden paddle in his hand at the descending Hong Yuan.

"Die!"

The next moment, Hong Yuan kicked the wooden oar, and with a loud "crack", the entire oar suddenly shattered into pieces. The skinny monkey's face was hit by the flying wood fragments, and his face was covered in blood. Hong Yuan's foot also kicked down amidst the blood splatter, hitting him right in the chin!
In an instant, the skinny monkey's chin and even his entire face twisted and deformed, as if it were exploding inch by inch. He was shot out like a ball, rolled into the river, and disappeared without a trace.

Hong Yuan landed on the small boat, ignoring the remaining bandits who scattered like fish. He channeled his strength under his feet, slightly adjusted the boat's direction, and moved it toward the shore.

"Take medicine to replenish your vital energy, train diligently, and practice martial arts in combat! Your physical constitution will increase by 1 sliver!"

Suddenly, a row of small characters appeared before Hong Yuan's eyes.

At this moment, the middle-aged man in brocade robes on the large ship, disregarding the fact that there were still bandits climbing aboard who were being surrounded and killed by the guards, rushed to the bow of the ship and shouted, "Hero, please wait!"

But all he saw was the other person leap up and disappear into the rain as they approached the shore. He couldn't help but sigh with regret: "It's such a pity that I can't get to know such a person!"

The martial arts skills displayed by the opponent astonished him; such a person could possibly be a match for a hundred soldiers by himself.

A guard who had overheard the passengers' conversation earlier exclaimed in a low voice, "This person... this person couldn't be that 'Flying Yaksha,' could he?"

(End of this chapter)