Chief, don't hit me in the face

Chapter 38: The Legendary Sword Tai’a—Let’s Fight!

The bronze short sword in Xia Ye’s hand hadn’t been severed! For a split second, Cao Ang thought his eyes were playing tricks on him; he even suspected that the legendary Tai’a sword in his hand was a fake—otherwise, why hadn’t it severed his opponent’s weapon? The heirloom from Xia Lingyue’s father was indeed no ordinary item. Xia Ye silently marveled at its prowess as he launched a counterattack. Savage Slaughter! Whoosh! “Song of the Four Seasons” burst forth like a torrential rain of blooming pear blossoms, instantly unleashing dozens of bronze sword shadows. Cao Ang reacted with lightning speed, his toes tapping the ground as he retreated with all his might. With a flick of his wrist, he spun the Tai’a to shield his vital areas. Clink! The two swords clashed once more, erupting in a crisp, metallic ring, as if a musical instrument were being played. Amid a spray of blood, the sword shadows came to an abrupt halt. “Kill!” Cao Ang roared as his long sword slashed out! The undead hero loomed right behind him. If he retreated any further, he’d be struck—and Xia Ye would surely seize the opportunity to launch a fierce assault, narrowing his room to maneuver. Since he was going to take damage either way, Cao Ang gritted his teeth and struck first. Clang! The two swords clashed once more, followed by a kick from Xia Ye. Thud! Cao Ang took a kick to the chest, leaving him slightly winded. He had no choice—to evade the Undead Hero, he had to brace for the impact even when he saw the attack coming. “I’ve got to break through!” Cao Ang swallowed the blood rising in his throat and pressed his attack without retreating—only to be stunned when Xia Ye, who had been so aggressive moments before, suddenly stepped back of his own accord. Thud! Xia Ye took a few quick strides, quickly putting distance between them. “It’s over!” Cao Ang’s expression changed. On the steps, the little girl’s crossbow was already aimed in their direction. At such close range, combined with the momentum of her forward charge, even if he managed to avoid the vital areas, he would still be injured. The next second, the crossbow string vibrated. Crack! Whoosh! Amid the whistling wind, there was a thud as a sharp bronze arrow pierced Cao Ang’s lower abdomen. Intense pain surged through him, but what worried Cao Ang most was Xia Ye. Even in the heat of battle, he had not lost his composure. Given the situation just moments ago, Xia Ye held a massive advantage—if it were him, he would never have retreated. Song Guo nocked another arrow, preparing to fire again. Thud! Taking advantage of Cao Ang’s unsteady footing after being struck by the arrow, the Undead Hero slammed a fist into his back. Pfft! A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out. “How about it? Become my servant, and I’ll let you off the hook!” Xia Ye asked. “Haha, you sure do hold a grudge!” Cao Ang sneered. He knew the other man was asking this because he’d just humiliated him so thoroughly, but the more he acted like this, the stronger Cao Ang’s fighting spirit grew. “Your weapon is top-notch, too!” As Cao Ang spoke, the Undead Hero unleashed another punch. Cao Ang then used the momentum from that punch to leap toward Xia Ye. “If you’re a man, fight me fair and square!” Cao Ang roared. Even through his leather armor, one could see flecks of light flickering—a sign of his Yuan Qi surging through his body. This rising star of the Cao clan was going all out. Xia Ye raised an eyebrow; he had been about to dodge, but seeing Cao Ang’s stance, he immediately changed his mind and met the attack head-on. Blood Shatter! Soul-Shattering Slash! Boom! A powerful gust of wind swept through the air, sending dust swirling. Clang! The two locked in a fierce struggle. Although there had been a prime opportunity to strike, the Undead Hero stepped back and stood quietly to the side. Seeing this, Song Guo also sheathed her crossbow. “Haha, so the Xia clan has men of their own after all!” Cao Ang looked at Xia Ye’s delicate features, somewhat surprised. To be honest, there was no need for him to act this way—after all, even if he was injured, he might still have a trump card up his sleeve. He had been too overconfident. “You’re just figuring that out now?” Xia Ye snorted coldly. “Then take this!” Cao Ang took a deep breath, suddenly twisted his body, lay flat on his side, and then spun around like a windmill. Rolling Thunder Strike! The long sword spun and slashed furiously. Whoosh! The Tai’a left a trail of gashes across the floor, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air. Xia Ye held his sword horizontally and retreated several steps. Then, just as Cao Ang’s attack came to an end, he violently raised his right leg and stomped the ground with all his might. God of War Stomp! Boom! Cracks spread, the floor shattered, and debris flew everywhere! Crack! Just as he touched the ground, Cao Ang was hit by this blow; his footing faltered, and he lost his balance. “Oh no!” Cao Ang knew something was wrong and tried to assume a defensive stance, but Xia Ye’s attack had already been launched. Bone-Shattering Impact! Boom! Xia Ye collided with Cao Ang, and just as he was sent flying, he swung his sword in a furious slash. Soul-Shattering Slash! Whoosh! Sijige unsheathed Tai’a, then slashed at Cao Ang’s shoulder, sweeping across his chest, and exiting at his waist. Zi-la! The leather armor split open, and a torrent of blood gushed out like rain, staining the floor a deep crimson. Thud! Cao Ang fell. “Oye, we won!” Song Guo cheered and rushed down. “Ugh, I lost!” Cao Ang coughed up blood, his gaze falling on the short sword in Xia Ye’s hand. He couldn’t help but praise it: “What a fine sword!” “Song of the Four Seasons” was as polished as new, radiating a coolness like moonlight or autumn water. Compared to the domineering and formidable “Tai’a,” it possessed an added elegance and splendor, as if a divine being were performing a grand ballet. “It’s called ‘Four Seasons Song’!” Xia Ye sheathed the sword. “What a fine sword!” Cao Ang smiled. Engraved on the blade and scabbard were motifs of the four seasons—spring sowing, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage—as beautiful as a song! As poetic as a poem! As vivid as a painting! It was indeed a fine sword; otherwise, with all of Xia Ye’s weapons severed by Tai’a, he would have had to face himself with his bare hands. “What’s your name?” Cao Ang asked. “Xia Ye！” Xia Ye didn’t care about revenge. “What guts!” Cao Ang laughed: “There are many young men in the Cao clan who are stronger than me—Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, and Cao Ba, for example. Judging by your age, you’ll be participating in the Blood Survival Trial, right? Haha, you’d better watch out!” “Don’t worry—I’ll send them to join you very soon!” Xia Ye’s words were full of confidence. “Heh, you’re being way too cocky!” As Cao Ang spoke, he suddenly mustered all his strength and hurled his bronze longsword. “Tai’a Fuwei!” Whoosh! The bronze longsword instantly transformed into a dark-gold sword energy nearly two meters long, lunging toward Xia Ye. At that critical moment, the Undead Hero, who had been approaching Xia Ye, accelerated and slammed into him with all his might. Boom! Xia Ye was sent tumbling backward; the Tai’a sword energy grazed his arm and pierced the undead hero’s chest, leaving a gaping hole. Clang! The sword energy reverted to its original form and fell to the ground. Crack! The undead hero shattered into a blur of light and drifted back onto the scroll. “Remember this: never underestimate your enemy!” As soon as Cao Ang finished speaking, he died! Xia Ye’s face turned grim. It was true—he’d grown a bit overconfident after defeating an opponent like Cao Ang, who possessed both formidable combat prowess and sharp wits. If it hadn’t been for the Undead Hero, he could have dodged that blow, but he would have certainly suffered serious injuries. Song Guo picked up Tai’a, admired it for a moment, then handed it to Xia Ye with both hands. Under the torchlight, the blade was shrouded in a dark golden glow, and an aura of opulent majesty washed over him. “Beautiful!” Xia Ye praised. This was Tai’a—setting aside its fame and sharpness, that final strike alone radiated sheer dominance and was utterly spectacular. “My scimitar is broken, but I’ve seized Tai’a!” Song Guo was very satisfied. “That’s right!” Xia Ye glanced at Cao Ang’s corpse and decided against cutting off his head—it was too much trouble. The Xia and Cao clans had been in constant conflict over territory, salt flats, mineral veins, and other issues. To encourage his people to fight, Clan Chief Xia Song had instituted a rule: anyone who brought back an enemy’s head could exchange it for one sword coin. “Only two Sword Coins!” Song Guo searched the body and found a small leather backpack containing some herbs, millet rice balls, and jerky—none of which were worth much. “When you’re out hunting, there’s nowhere to spend money anyway!” Xia Ye smiled. Just the Tai’a sword alone had already paid for the trip—this weapon could no longer be measured in monetary terms; it was worthy of being a clan’s treasured heirloom. “This trip to Fengjing has really paid off big time!” Carrying the bronze treasure chest on his back, Xia Ye stepped out of the Underground Palace and stood in the sunlight once more. He couldn’t help but marvel at his bountiful haul: the *Sutra of the Ten Thousand Spirits of the Great Wasteland*, the *Tai’a*, and two chests full of Winter’s Chill Ivory and Empty Tower Stone. “That’s right—we’ve hit the jackpot!” A sudden exclamation rang out, startling Xia Ye and Song Guo into turning their heads to look around. Xia Qingyuan was sitting on a pile of rocks not far away, chewing on a blade of grass and gazing wistfully at the sky. “I didn’t want to kill you at first, but this loot is too valuable. If word gets out, it’ll land me in big trouble!” As Xia Qingyuan spoke, he turned to Xia Ye: “You… understand?” “Fight!” Song Guo’s reply was brief and to the point. Xia Ye saw a squirrel dart up onto Xia Qingyuan’s shoulder. “Have you ever seen a mechanical beast?” Xia Qingyuan teased the squirrel. “With luck like this, what am I even supposed to say?” Xia Ye gave a self-deprecating smile. Just by looking at the squirrel—which was so lifelike it was indistinguishable from the real thing—he knew that Xia Qingyuan’s mastery of mechanical arts must be truly remarkable. “To be honest, I thought my luck was pretty good—I had a huge haul during those rainy days. Who would’ve thought you guys were just as lucky!” Xia Qingyuan whistled in admiration. “A Spirit-Summoning Sutra, a Tai’a sword, plus valuable ivory and Empty Tower Stone—Xia Ye, tell me, do you think I’d let you walk away alive?” “It’s not a done deal yet who’ll win or lose!” Xiao Song Guo was brimming with fighting spirit. “Is that so?” Xia Qingyuan smiled, sizing up Xia Ye. “But I have to say, Xia Ye, your battle with Cao Ang was truly spectacular. Even though we’d just met, I thought you were pretty good—but I never expected you’d actually be able to kill him!” “It was just luck!” Xia Ye replied. “No need to be modest. In that fight just now, whether it was your boldness, courage, tactical acumen, or ability to adapt on the fly, you performed exceptionally well. Under normal circumstances, I would definitely recruit you to join my team!” Xia Qingyuan sighed: “What a pity!” “Let’s fight!” Xia Ye looked around to assess the number of enemies. “By the way, I forgot to mention something earlier. There’s also a bronze short sword that rivals the Tai’a. What’s its name? Can you tell me?” As Xia Qingyuan asked, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Snap! Crisp and sharp! Whoosh! The squirrel on his shoulder darted out and vanished among the ruins. At the very same moment, from the abandoned stone house beside Xia Ye, a mechanical Tong Ren burst through the wall. Boom! The stone house collapsed, sending dust flying. “Ahh!” Song Guo gasped! The mechanical Tong Ren stood 1. 8 meters tall; if not for the fact that his entire body was cast in bronze, he would have looked indistinguishable from a human. Wielding two bronze long swords, he radiated a fierce fighting spirit, and the blood-red totemic runes engraved all over his body exuded a thick aura of slaughter. “My prize—a Mechanical Tong Ren who wields dual swords. How does he compare to your Tai’a and the Great Wilderness Sutra of Ten Thousand Spirits?” Xia Qingyuan laughed nonchalantly, confident of victory!