Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 6: Brawl

Now that Ao Bai wields absolute power over the court and the realm, suffocating the young Emperor Kangxi, how could Kangxi let this hard-won opportunity slip away? Although he had arranged for Feng Xifan to duel with Ao Bai, Kangxi—who had never witnessed Feng Xifan’s martial arts firsthand—couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. So he simply summoned Duolong, the commander of the Imperial Bodyguards, and deployed eight hundred elite troops from the Valiant Cavalry Regiment. If Feng Xifan were to lose the duel,those 800 elite soldiers from the Valiant Cavalry Regiment would rush in and surely slay Ao Bai with their own hands. By this time, news that Feng Xifan—the foremost martial artist of the Prince of Pingxi’s Mansion—was set to face off against Ao Bai, the greatest warrior of the Manchu people, in a decisive battle for the title of “the greatest martial artist under heaven” in three days’ time had already spread across the entire land of China. Far away in Yunnan, Wu Sangui and his son were moved to tears upon reading this memorial. “I certainly did not misjudge him. Master Feng is truly a man of loyalty and righteousness…” Wu Sangui said with emotion, gazing into the distance with his hands clasped behind his back. Standing beside him, the Crown Prince Wu Yingxiong nodded. “Father speaks the truth… Our master is truly unmatched in loyalty and righteousness! Uh… but now the bookies have set the odds: two to one on Ao Bai’s victory, and six to one on our venerable master… Everyone out there thinks our master is bound to lose…” Wu Sangui’s expression hardened, and he cursed angrily, “How dare they look down on the greatest martial artist in the Prince of Pingxi’s household? Fine! Even if we have to sell everything we own, we’ll back Mr. Feng! We’ll pawn our household goods to bet on him! Hmph… I’m not fighting for money—I’m fighting for pride! Let’s go all out!” Meanwhile, the “Liuhe Tongzi,” who had been ingesting various poisons for years, had long since lost all sense of pain. At that moment, Hai Dafu was holding a knife as thin as a cicada’s wing, carefully peeling the skin off the faces of three “Liuhe Tongzi” and skillfully crafting them into three human-skin masks. “Brilliant… absolutely brilliant! Big Brother, this plan is flawless… That idiot Aobai would never have guessed we’d disguise ourselves as ‘Liuhe Tongzi’ to pull this off behind his back!” Hai Dafu exclaimed admiringly. Lu Renjia waved his hand. “Brother Hai, you flatter me. Your skill in crafting human skin masks is truly unmatched under heaven. I’ve heard… that your ‘Bone-Melting Palm’ is the most formidable technique in the world… As they say, it takes a team to make a hero—when the time comes, I’ll still need Brother Hai to join forces with me…” “Not at all… Big Brother, you’re a natural genius. I’ve even heard rumors about your self-created *Six Harmonies Divine Art* while I was in the palace… My *Bone-Melting Palm* and these human-skin masks are just petty tricks by comparison…” After a round of mutual flattery, Lu Renjia seized the opportunity to pull the *Six Heavens Divine Art* from his robe and trade it with Hai Dafu for the secret manuals on the *Bone-Melting Palm* and the human skin mask-making technique. After all, the *Six Heavens Divine Art* wasn’t even his to begin with, so he didn’t mind giving it away. And on top of that, he’d managed to swindle Hai Dafu out of his signature techniques—the *Bone-Melting Palm* and the method for crafting human skin masks? That night, Feng Xifan took the human-skin mask Hai Dafu had crafted and delivered them separately to the Cining Palace and the Heaven and Earth Society’s headquarters. Fortunately, Lu Renjia remembered the entire plot of the film adaptation of *The Deer and the Cauldron*, so he naturally knew how to counter Ao Bai’s “Thirteen Taibao’s Horizontal Refinement of the Golden Bell Shield”—specifically, the supreme technique of “Retracting Yang into the Abdomen.” After personally instructing Long’er, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon Sect, she prepared not only the nine Divine Dragon Daggers but also a special, extra-large two-inch-long Divine Dragon Dagger. The three days passed quickly. Kangxi had gone to great lengths to prepare for this martial arts contest; eight hundred elite soldiers from the Xiaoqi Regiment stood guard around the training ground. Eight-colored dragon banners fluttered in the wind. Feng Xifan, clad in black and with a pair of daggers strapped to his back, stood facing the wind, with the “Six Harmonies Boy”—his gaze vacant—standing behind him. Of course, Chen Jinnan, Hai Dafu, and the Divine Dragon Sect’s Holy Maiden, Long’er, were all wearing human-skin masks as they stood in the center. Glancing back at Chen Jinnan and the other two mingling among the “Six Harmonies Boys,” Lu Renjia thought to himself, “Thank goodness I had them change out of those ridiculously flashy Fuwa costumes before coming to the capital. Otherwise, even if Chen Jinnan and Long’er had been fooled by ‘Xinkou Kaihua,’ they’d never in a million years have agreed to disguise themselves as ‘Six Harmonies Boys’…” Just as Lu Renjia was lost in his thoughts, the legendary warlord Aobai arrived slowly in a palanquin carried by sixteen strongmen. The golden dragon throne inside the palanquin was a full third larger than the one in the Golden Hall. This blatant display of ambition—as obvious as Sima Zhao’s—infuriated Emperor Kangxi, who was seated in the stands. Duolong, who was skilled at gauging the Emperor’s intentions, whispered, “That rebel Ao Bai—how dare he be so brazen… Hmph! Your Majesty, rest assured. Even if Feng Xifan can’t defeat him, as long as we give the order, the Eight Hundred Valiant Cavalry Regiment will certainly take that dog’s life!” Hearing Dolong’s words, Kangxi nodded in satisfaction. He gave Dolong a nod, and Dolong immediately bellowed at the top of his lungs: “By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees…Today, Feng Xifan, the foremost martial artist of the Prince of Pingxi’s Mansion, shall compete in a duel against Ao Bai, the greatest warrior of the Manchu people, for the title of the world’s greatest martial artist. The victor shall be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and enfeoffed with the hereditary title of Duke, to be passed down through the family without interruption… Let the duel begin!!!” Seated in his palanquin, Ao Bai slowly removed the ring from his thumb. His eagle-like eyes swept the surroundings, and a cold, disdainful smile spread across his face. “Hmph! You little brat, Kangxi—today I’ll show you that in the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks are nothing but bullshit!” “Boom…” He slammed his palm against the dragon-head ornament on the armrest of the dragon throne, using the momentum to leap into the air. “Feng Xifan!!! Today, with your blood, I’ll let the whole world know that I am the greatest in this age!! Hahahaha… Die!!!” Ao Bai roared as he charged through the air. His sweeping, expansive moves returned to their most primal form. Relying on having mastered the *Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Refinement Golden Bell Shield* to its highest level, Aobai’s techniques contained not a single defensive move. As the saying goes, a true master’s skill is revealed the moment they strike. Chen Jinnan—who was disguised in a human-skin mask and mingling among the “Liuhe Tongzi”—along with Long’er, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon Sect, and Hai Dafu, all went on high alert upon sensing Ao Bai’s overwhelming presence, as if facing a formidable enemy. “When a man dies, the birds soar to the heavens; if he lives, he’ll live for ten thousand years!! I’ll give it my all!! I’d rather die than remain single!!! I’ll battle the Demon Hero in these desolate mountains and wilderness!!!” Lu Renjia roared furiously, drawing the two thirty-jin broadswords from his back to charge forward. The two broadswords slashed out like the horns of a gazelle, striking at a devious angle straight toward Ao Bai’s ribs. In an instant, Lu Renjia managed to push Feng Xifan—the owner of this body—to the absolute limit of his profound inner energy, unleashing strength fifty times that of an ordinary person. The two pudao blades cut through the air with a fierce, whistling wind; moving at a speed forty-five times that of an ordinary person, they turned Lu Renjia into a mere blur. Facing the blade aura emanating from Feng Xifan’s pudao, Aobai—suspended in midair—paid it no heed, allowing the blades to strike him as they came. “Clang… clang…” Amid the clanging of metal, Lu Renjia felt a numbing sensation in the web of his hand, as if he were striking a steel bar. In the movies, seeing Aobai as invulnerable to blades and spears hadn’t made much of an impression on him, but this tangible contact left Lu Renjia momentarily stunned. For a moment, with his soul inhabiting Feng Xifan’s body and able to wield only seven or eight layers of his original strength, Lu Renjia was riddled with openings. Before his opponent could withdraw his blades, Ao Bai clamped both arms around the two pudao, pinning them against his ribs, and delivered a powerful kick straight to Feng Xifan’s chest. There was a dull “thud…” Aobai was a powerful warrior who had opened the Eight Extraordinary Meridians but had five of them blocked; this kick possessed a force fifty-five times greater than that of an ordinary person. Lu Renjia felt as if he’d been struck by a truck and sent flying. A suffocating sensation washed over him, followed by the excruciating pain of broken ribs and displaced internal organs, causing him to spurt a mouthful of blood. “Pfft…” His entire body flew backward like a kite whose string had snapped. Having lived in peaceful times—even though he’d been bullied plenty in elementary, middle, and high school—when had he ever suffered such severe injuries? His stubborn nature suddenly flared up, and as he flew backward, Lu Renjia roared, “‘Six Harmonies Boy’!!! Cut him down!!!” Watching the six identical-looking youths charging toward him, brandishing their steel hoops, Ao Bai scoffed with disdain. “Hmph… They’re no match for me. Do they think I’m afraid just because there are so many of them? Come and die!!!” Aobai’s fists moved like the wind, unleashing a barrage of powerful, heavy punches. His wide, sweeping kicks were like giant axes splitting mountains; as the wind from his legs swept past, they actually left a one-chi-deep gully in the ground. Kangxi, watching intently from the stands, was now utterly stunned. He had never imagined that Ao Bai, unleashing his full power, could be so terrifying. Trembling, he asked Dolong, “Can… can the Valiant Cavalry Regiment take him down?” Duolong, his teeth chattering, was even paler. Though he had originally been brimming with confidence in the 800 elite soldiers of the Valiant Cavalry Corps, he now felt that Ao Bai was like a human weapon—not only could the 800-strong Valiant Cavalry Corps not stand against him, but he suspected that even 8,000 Imperial Guards would be no match for him. “Your… Your… Your Majesty, perhaps I should go find some more men?” “Clang, clang, clang… clang, clang, clang…” The clanging of metal echoed across the heavens and earth. The steel rings swung by Chen Jinnan and his two companions—who were mingled among the “Six Harmonies Boys”—struck Ao Bai’s body, actually sending a few sparks flying. Yet they couldn’t even scratch him. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Lu Renjia steeled his resolve. “Today, it’s either you die or I die! Aobai… I’ll chop you to pieces… Aaaah…” “Battle the demon hero in the wilds!” “Surrounded on all sides, yet I alone reign supreme!” “To kill a man is but a matter of his head touching the ground!” “As a marquis and chancellor, I reign supreme!” “I’ll cleave the heavens and earth—and shift Mount Tai!” “If I sever the sun and moon, the sea will flow backward!” “With a blade in hand, what have I to fear?” In an instant, seven fierce and relentless moves of the *Eight Desolations and Six Heavens Sword Technique* were unleashed simultaneously, sending countless sword auras slashing toward Aobai. This indiscriminate assault startled Chen Jinnan and the other two standing within the formation. “Big Brother’s going all out… I can’t fall behind either… Bone-Melting Palm!!!” Amid Hai Dafu’s sarcastic shriek, a palm strike of immense, ethereal power struck toward Aobai’s lower abdomen. Chen Jinnan, who had long been poised and ready, also channeled the “Blood-Coagulating Divine Claw” and lunged toward the crown of Ao Bai’s head. Aobai, standing firmly with his hips planted, let out a cold laugh. “Hmph! I knew you bandits would resort to tricks… ‘The Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Refining Golden Bell Shield’—impervious to blades and spears… Vajra Body Protection!!!” “Clang, clang, clang…” “Boom…” Amid the clanging of metal, the more than ten sword auras slashed out by Lu Renjia were actually withstood by Aobai, who even managed to parry the combined attack from above and below by Chen Jinnan and Hai Dafu. Ao Bai, holding back a surge of true qi, his eyes gleaming with intensity, said, “Hai Dafu? Hmph… so even Chen Jinnan has come. I never expected the two of you to be hiding among the ‘Liuhe Tongzi’ to ambush this old man. But it’s no use… no one in this world can break through my ‘Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Refinement Golden Bell Shield’!” “Brother Hai… don’t waste your breath on him! ‘Monkey Steals the Peach’!!!” Lu Renjia shouted from mid-air. Upon hearing this, Hai Dafu, casting aside all notions of heroism, lunged with a claw straight for Aobai’s groin. “Hmph! Think you can steal my peach? There’s not a single weak spot on my entire body…” Ao Bai gathered a burst of true qi, and the massive member between his legs instantly retracted into his abdomen. “Retract the Yang into the Abdomen!!!” This move caused Hai Dafu to grab at thin air. “Holy Maiden!! I’m counting on you! Strike his Dazhui acupoint!!!” Long’er, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon Sect, who had been waiting with the Divine Dragon Dagger in hand, heard Lu Renjia’s shout and instantly flung the specially prepared, three-cun-long, extra-large Divine Dragon Dagger. Confused, Ao Bai felt a tingling sensation at the base of his spine, and his manhood—which had been retracted into his abdomen—suddenly shot back out. “I still can’t get you! Just like a monkey stealing peaches again!!!” Hai Dafu roared, his eagle-claw-like fingers reaching toward Aobai’s crotch. “Crack…” Amid a bone-chilling cracking sound, Aobai’s agonized howl echoed throughout the Imperial City and beyond. “Aaaaaah… I’ll take your lives!!!!” Roaring, the true qi he had gathered over decades burst forth in an instant, violently sending both Chen Jinnan and Hai Dafu flying. “Strike while the iron is hot! Which of these two icy blades shall prevail…” Lu Renjia bellowed, unleashing the most ferocious move from the *Eight Desolations and Six Heavens Sword Technique*. The two thirty-jin broadswords were stripped of all flashiness, striking down with a return-to-simplicity, unadorned force—their relentless momentum clearly signaled a fight to the death. A concentrated blade aura, neither dissipating nor dispersing, gathered upon the two pudao; the flickering aura, appearing and disappearing, resembled a venomous snake striking out. “Splatter…” With a loud sound, Ao Bai’s massive head flew off at an angle. Ao Bai fell instantly, his lifeless body collapsing as blood stained Lu Renjia’s face. He could even taste the salty, metallic flavor in his mouth. At the same moment, the cold voice of the “Evil God System” echoed once more in Lu Renjia’s mind. “Mission to eliminate Ao Bai complete… The Qualified One is beginning to return… Countdown begins… 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 1…”