Under the fist

Chapter 13 Determined, Yang Shuang

"The art of herding beasts?"

Upon seeing the lynx, Lian Youming's heart sank to the bottom.

This is the lynx.

Although not as intimidating as large, ferocious beasts, they are far more troublesome. They can scale walls and rooftops with incredible speed and ferocity, making them one of the top predators in Northeast China.

"go with!"

Xie Laosan seemed unwilling to waste any more time and was determined to finish the battle quickly. He simply stood in the snow and pointed at the boy's back. The lynx beside him had already pounced on him with all four paws in the air.

In an instant, Lian Youming felt a chill run down his neck, and the hairs on the back of his hands stood on end.

This thing was incredibly fast, moving with lightning speed. In a single leap and a claw's scratch, it was already a meter behind Lian Youming. With another sharp screech, it opened its mouth and bit at the boy's neck.

Lian Youming was startled to feel a burst of heat splash onto his skin, and goosebumps immediately rose on the back of his neck. But at that moment, he made an astonishing move, twisting his upper body without hesitation and sending one of his arms into the gaping beast's mouth.

At the same time, the instant his left arm was bitten, Lian Youming subtly flicked his right hand, and a cold glint slid out from his sleeve, fiercely plunging it into the lynx's chest and abdomen.

Everything happened extremely fast. Lian Youming was in front, followed by the lynx. With the wind and snow raging and the frost obscuring their vision, Xie Laosan only saw the man and the beast tumbling and rolling into the snow-covered ravine as they lunged forward. A pool of bright red blood quickly seeped out of the snow and into the forest.

Xie Laosan's eyes were icy as he watched the rapidly spreading blood, a cold smile appearing on his face. But as he smiled, his gaze sharpened as he looked at the lynx struggling to its feet in the snow, and he strode over. However, when his gaze fell upon it, the smile vanished, revealing that the hot blood was actually flowing from beneath the lynx.

The next second, the frost and snow on the ground swirled up, and a cold, sharp glint suddenly shot out like a venomous snake, stabbing and flicking as it circled around Xie Laosan's ankle.

Amidst the vast expanse of white snow, Lian Youming's eyes gleamed, his breath quickened, and he held a short dagger in his hand.

The short dagger was black with a white blade, three-sided in shape, and its tip flashed with a cold light; it was clearly a three-sided military dagger.

Fast, accurate, ruthless, and sharp.

"Military combat techniques?"

Xie Laosan's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly felt a chill on his ankles; his cotton trousers had been torn.

However, just as the military dagger was about to pierce the flesh and sever the Achilles tendon, the man lightly touched one foot with his knee, and with a sharp footwork, he flipped and turned, his left foot going left and right. He not only avoided the sharp edge of the military dagger, but also touched Lian Youming's right wrist.

With a "snap," feeling a sharp pain in his wrist, Lian Youming withdrew his right hand as if he had been electrocuted.

Seeing this, Xie Laosan showed no mercy. As soon as one foot landed, the other foot was raised at the same time. His long leg, with the force of a whip, swept straight into Lian Youming's chest.

"Well!"

The wind and snow lashed his face, and the frost was like a knife. Lian Youming let out a muffled groan and tumbled over. In a daze, he felt as if his internal organs had shifted.

A burning sensation came from his nostrils, and a trickle of hot blood flowed out.

As for the lynx, it had already been lying motionless on the ground, its chest and abdomen pierced by a military dagger, which had even created a hole.

"Good lad, you've hidden your cleverness in your clumsiness. You actually have such a cunning mind. I underestimated you."

Looking at his own leaky pants and then at the boy kneeling on the ground, staring intently at him, Xie Laosan couldn't help but marvel.

This person is only sixteen or seventeen years old, yet he has such cunning and skill, and has also received the true teachings of the Tai Chi School. More importantly, he is resolute and decisive; once he has the will to kill, he does so without hesitation.

Xie Laosan was certain that if he had had the chance just now, Lian Youming would have taken his life without hesitation.

A good seedling indeed.

“Boy, I am one of the thirty-six honorees of the White Lotus Sect, with nine great protectors above me and one hundred and eight true disciples kneeling before me. Following me is not an insult to you.”

Lian Youming wiped the blood from his face; it had been warm a moment ago, but now it had turned into ice crystals.

It's cold.

The coldness is all-pervasive.

Lian Youming felt as if his entire face was numb, and his hands and feet were also much slower. The cold air seeped into his collar, and even his sweat froze into ice.

Xie Laosan smiled, but his eyes were cold. "This is your last chance. Don't worry, this place is on the border. Once we succeed, we can immediately flee abroad and make sure you live a carefree life."

Lian Youming spat, glanced at his left arm where the lynx had bitten him, and said in a light tone, "You still have one last chance. Get out of here now, and I might let you go."

"Good lad, even when he's about to die, he still likes to show off his verbal skills."

Xie Laosan's smile was somewhat cruel, and he was about to take the life of the young man in front of him. But just as he was about to make a move, he saw Lian Youming's eyes flash, and he looked over, glancing behind him as if giving someone a signal.

What is this kid doing?
Is there someone behind you?

Just as he was distracted, Lian Youming shouted again, "Attack!"

Xie Laosan's face tightened, and without thinking, he quickly moved several meters to the side.

Only after protecting his vitals behind him did he squint and peek.

But behind them, the wind blew and snow fell, a vast expanse of white, and there was no sign of anyone.

On the other hand, Lian Youming had already scrambled and crawled a bit further ahead, while beckoning Xie Laosan with his finger without turning his head.

Xie Laosan took a deep breath, veins bulging on his forehead and taut on his face. His tightly closed lips suddenly parted, and he roared, "Die!"

Sensing the overwhelming murderous aura behind him, Lian Youming swallowed the metallic taste in his mouth. His eyes remained clear, and there was no panic on his face. On the contrary, he was very calm and composed.

The more dangerous the situation, the more important it is to remain rational; otherwise, if you lose your composure, how can you expect to win?

Moreover, Lian Youming was not unprepared for this situation.

You should know that there are many ways to kill someone besides fists and feet, and there are countless other ways to win.

As the eldest son in his family, and a child from a military family, especially under the education of his father, a rough and uncultured man who only knew how to fight, Lian Youming suffered all kinds of hardships.

Similarly, I also learned a lot.

Although the path of martial arts is mysterious and wondrous, Lian Youming would never deify it.

In the end, they are still flesh and blood. They can still draw blood if slashed or cut, and they can still be shot through with a bullet.

He's been running all over the mountains and fields every day lately, all to deal with Xie Laosan.

The snow is getting heavier.

The thick snow almost buried up to the knees.

Regardless of whether the "Toad-Fishing Technique" was good or bad, Lian Youming held his breath, his chest and abdomen bulging, and fled down the mountain against the wind and snow.

At this moment, he no longer cared what Xie Laosan and the old man guarding the mountain were fighting over. He only knew that these people were no good; they were not only vicious but also a great calamity.

Having reached this point, Lian Youming had no way out. He could only hope that the old man guarding the mountain could win this battle, save himself, and save the people in the forest.

What he needs to do now is to relieve the pressure on the old man guarding the mountain, kill if he can, delay if he can, and do everything possible to give the other side a chance to win.

However, while Lian Youming escaped quickly, Xie Laosan pursued him even more urgently. This man was determined to kill, and held nothing back. He leaped into the air like an eagle swooping down on its prey, his hands transforming into claws, and with a long howl, he soared into the air and pounced straight down.

Fast, unbelievably fast.

Closer, closer.

Then, Xie Laosan fell into a hole.

Beneath the pristine white snow, a shallow trap was broken by the man's foot, and he fell in.

Xie Laosan's breath hitched, his legs quickly spread apart, and he hurriedly braced his feet against the edges of the trap. Staring at the sharp wooden spikes at the bottom of the pit, his old eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

There was more than one trap on this mountain.

Xie Laosan suddenly realized that Lian Youming had been wandering all over the mountains and fields these past few days, could it be that he was setting up these traps?

Watching Lian Youming's fleeing figure, Xie Laosan felt a sudden tremor in his heart. He looked at the vast white world before him, gazing at the thick snow, and surprisingly felt a long-lost killing intent.

In this kind of weather and environment, no one knows what might be lurking in the snow. Given Lian Youming's ever-evolving methods and cunning nature, there's no guarantee that something truly deadly might be waiting for them.

Lian Youming suddenly stopped, panting heavily, then grinned, as if silently mocking him.

But the boy was still laughing, waiting for Xie Laosan to hunt him down.

Xie Laosan took a deep breath and leaped out of the trap, which was more than a meter deep, in a short time.

At this moment, Xie Laosan's eyes showed a hint of wariness, and he looked directly at Lian Youming, who was grimacing in pain from his chest injury while grinning strangely.

Silent, speechless.

With one step, Xie Laosan followed in Lian Youming's footsteps.

Just as he had anticipated that the other party would do this, Lian Youming turned around and continued to run away, but he did not forget to deliberately confuse Xie Laosan. Not only was his pace strange, but the distance between his two steps was also sometimes long and sometimes short.

Xie Laosan followed behind, unable to tell which foot had landed firmly and which had missed. Hesitant and fearful, the two strangely maintained a certain distance.

However, this situation did not last long.

Lian Youming grew increasingly tired and colder as he ran. The warmth under his coat and sweater was constantly fading, as if it were freezing into ice. Even his cotton shoes were gradually getting cold, the chill seeping in, as if they had frozen into two lumps of iron.

During the chase, Xie Laosan, having calmed down, unsurprisingly deciphered eleven traps in succession. There were lassos, pits, spikes, and a large net woven from withered vines.

Xie Laosan truly hadn't expected Lian Youming to have such a hidden trick up his sleeve, and he almost fell for it. At the same time, he also noticed the boy's gradually slowing pace, but he didn't rush to catch up; he simply followed along.

Having been tricked and humiliated several times, Xie Laosan had long since come to hate the back of this figure that kept swaying its buttocks in front of him. Especially at this moment, his hatred for Lian Youming was even stronger than his hatred for the old man guarding the mountain.

Something like an ant.

As expected, Lian Youming gradually slowed down, and eventually stopped altogether.

"Go ahead and chase after her!"

Lian Youming's face was bloodless, his lips were pale, and the fine hairs on his face, along with the messy hair on his forehead and his eyelashes, were already covered with a layer of ice crystals.

Xie Laosan's head was covered in frost, but he could still exhale warm breaths as he breathed.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll cut out your tongue first, then sever your tendons in your hands and feet, and then I'll leave you lying here."

Lian Youming forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Speaking of which, is it too late for me to leave with you now?"

Xie Laosan, however, was no longer fooled and had lost his patience. He pushed his way in step by step, and said with a sinister smile, "Die!"

Just as this man walked up to Lian Youming, when the two were only half a step apart, a lasso suddenly shot out from the snow and snagged Xie Laosan's right foot.

There are also traps.

But Xie Laosan seemed to have had enough and felt aggrieved. His face was extremely ferocious. He grabbed Lian Youming's fist in mid-air with his right hand.

The boy's face was also full of ferocity, much like a wolf cub at the end of its rope. Even with his wrists captured, he could not hide the murderous intent in his eyes.

"I know you did this to save those people in the forest. Hmph, you ants, how dare you challenge me." Xie Laosan's eyes were gloomy, filled with both hatred and pleasure. He subtly exerted force under his fingers, and the sound of bones cracking came from Lian Youming's wrist. "I'll kill them all in a moment to vent my hatred."

But at that very moment, at this critical juncture of life and death, Lian Youming's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had found a way out of a desperate situation, and he looked straight behind Xie Laosan.

Having learned his lesson once, Xie Laosan was not about to fall for it again. He scoffed, "Heh, playing tricks, you think I can pull the same thing again..."

However, before she could finish speaking, amidst the swirling frost and snow, a petite figure darted through the woods like a rabbit and a falcon, striking Xie Laosan squarely in the back like an arrow released from a bow.

Xie Laosan was actually aware of the situation, but he had lost the initiative and had no time to react. In his haste, he could only hold his breath, and his coat swelled up as if he had stuffed a wad of cotton inside, trying to dissipate the force behind him.

"Well!"

With a painful groan, Xie Laosan turned his head to look, gritting his teeth.

"Yang Shuang!"

The newcomer was covered in blood, indicating that he had been through a fierce battle. It was none other than Shuang'er.

But what made Xie Laosan even more alarmed was that he suddenly realized that Lian Youming's right hand, the wrist that he had grabbed, had actually twisted and broken free at this moment. The twisting of the wrist also generated a strange spiral force, which was as weak as drawing silk, but it was very effective.

"Silk Entangling Hand!"

The instant Lian Youming broke free of his restraints, a military dagger plunged deep into Xie Laosan's chest, twisting and churning.

When Xie Laosan turned around again, he saw the boy's eyes trembling wildly, as if showing the helplessness of killing for the first time, but also revealing an indescribable determination.

But all of this subsided quickly, replaced by a calm and a hint of slyness after the success.

Xie Laosan's eyes were bloodshot, as if they could bleed. He raised his leg and kicked, breaking the noose in his shock and anger.

"roll!"

This sound was both a roar of anger and a scream of agony.

Lian Youming was hit by a kick and drew his military dagger in the process.

The weapon left his body in an instant, and a thick, scalding jet of blood splattered onto the boy's face, which was as frozen as ice, filling his eyes with crimson.

(End of this chapter)