"Did you drug me?" I asked in shock.
Song Heting sneered, "I mixed Yearning Powder into the snake soup you drank. If you use your brain too much, you’ll have a splitting headache. On top of that, I added Cartilage Ointment into your bathwater. Every time you think of escaping, you will feel weak all over. You must agree to my conditions if you want the antidote."
"This is a violation of my human rights!" I protested.
"Don't try to pressure me with those laws. We have different rules here," Song Heting dismissed.
I shook my head, "Aunt Song, I'm sorry to disappoint you. In fact, Song Xingchen warned me on the first night itself so I vomited the soup and I only used the bath water once. The drugs you’ve used won’t work on me at all!"
Song Heting stared in wide-eyed rage, "Song Xingchen, you dare betray me?!"
Song Xingchen fell on one knee, "Aunt Song, my mission is to protect Song Yang from all harm. How can I turn a blind eye to such a thing?"
"Song Xingchen, you’re good at using my words against me,” laughed Song Heting. “So you’re all grown up and rebellious now? When you were young, your parents were killed by the enemy. Have you forgotten who brought you up? Who taught you martial arts?"
"Aunt Song, you’re like a mother to me and I will always remember the kindness you’ve shown me. But I disagree with your methods," Song Xingchen respectfully argued.
Song Heting gritted her teeth, "Everything I do is for the benefit of the Song family!"
Song Xingchen stood up and slowly pulled out his Tang Sword, using the sharp blade to protect me. "Then please forgive me for what I’m about to do."
Song Jie immediately got into position, "Song Yang-gege, my mother has gone mad. We’ll escort you out of the village."
Throwing her head back in laughter, Song Heting crushed the armrest. "How dare you disobey me!"
"I’m willing to accept my punishment afterwards,” bowed Song Xingchen. “I will break my finger to make up for my mistakes."
"There’s no need for that. Defeat me and you can go anywhere you please!" a cold glint flashed past Song Heting’s eyes.
I thought to myself, How could a middle-aged woman defeat Song Xingchen and Song Jie? At the time, I completely underestimated Song Heting.
Song Heting swept away the teacup which was sliced into two by Song Xingchen midair. Embedded into the pillar next to Song Xingchen, both parts of the teacup remained unbroken, much to my astonishment.
Song Heting's hands moved rapidly like flashing lights, her feet firmly fixed in Horse Stance. Deliberately turning the sword around, Song Xingchen met Song Heting head-on with the back of the blade.
Song Xingchen's blade hit Song Heting at lightning speed, but the latter easily dodged out of the way. Her feet seemed to have taken root. No matter how she swung her upper body, her feet remained firmly on the ground, like bamboo swaying in the wind.
Her hands swiftly flew out towards Song Xingchen’s vulnerable parts, her palms landing heavily on his chest. Stumbling a few steps backwards, Song Xingchen covered his chest.
"Mom, forgive me!"
Song Jie charged towards Song Heting, mother and daughter exchanging blows so quickly that all I could see were flashing figures. However, what was clear to me was Song Jie’s struggle against her own mother who seemed at ease.
More than a dozen blows later, Song Heting’s palm landed on Song Jie’s abdomen. She screamed and flew towards a row of chairs, breaking all of them.
Song Heting leisurely took the stance of a martial arts master. A strong sense of hostility rose in my heart and my pupils reflexively turned red.
Song Heting coldly threatened, "Don't use that on me or I'll dig your eyes out!"
The threat to my Achilles Heel woke me up like a bucket of cold water over my head. I didn’t dare to use the Eyes of Yama. This was a fearsome woman!
Right then, Di Yi'an strolled in all alarmed. Greeted by such a scene, he asked in shock, "Darling, what's going on?"
"Go!" Song Heting snapped.
Song Jie took the opportunity to complain, "Dad, look at what Mom did. Say something, won’t you?"
"If there’s a disagreement, talk it out. Don't make your mother angry." With that, Di Yi’an went back into the house with his tail between his legs. Song Jie looked as if she would vomit blood in a fit of pique.
"Song Xingchen, I taught you all your tricks and moves,” came Song Heting’s cold voice. “Without the determination to kill me, there’s no way you can defeat me."
Song Xingchen clasped his hands and shouted, "Apologies for what I’m about to do!"
Song Xingchen turned his blade around in a sudden attack on Song Heting. This time, his movements showed a great difference. Wherever the blade fell, chairs were neatly sliced into two, cracks and grooves appeared on the floor and pillars.
Song Heting had to evade such ruthless moves. The two people fought from one end of the living room to the other. Finally, Song Xingchen drove Song Heting to the wall. Nimbly leaping like a cat, Song Heting stepped on the bright silver pike on the wall, causing its body to bounce like a spring, toppling in Song Xingchen’s direction.
Using his sword, Song Xingchen split the bright silver pike into two. Unfortunately, Song Heting managed to grab the end of the pike, sweeping down with great momentum and forcing Song Xingchen to jump aside. In a split second, she withdrew the pike and stabbed Song Xingchen in the chest like a venomous snake.
Clang! Song Xingchen was attacked in midair!
Beads of cold sweat dotted my forehead, but upon closer inspection, I realized Song Xingchen managed to protect his vital areas with his sword. What a close call!
Song Heting remained steadfast in Horse Stance, her hand holding the pike in a rather strange posture. Later on, I learned that this position was the Overlord Technique, an original creation by Xiang Yu the Conqueror.
Both of them stood face to face for a few seconds, the air thick with tension. Suddenly, Song Heting moved to kill, the pike in her hand dancing with a silver glint. Song Xingchen raised his sword and parried, sparks flickering in midair between the two.
Despite my limited knowledge of martial arts, I could see that Song Xingchen's strategy was to get as close to Song Heting as possible.
As the saying goes, the longer the weapon in hand, the wider the attack range and the greater the attack power. But the reverse was also true–the shorter the weapon in your hand, the closer one must be to attack their opponent and the greater the risk borne.
Noticing a gap, Song Xingchen slashed down on Song Heting with his sword. Song Heting withdrew her pike, her movements so fluid it almost seemed like the pike was part of her body. Then, the end of the pike struck Song Xingchen's right wrist in an upward motion, causing the Tang Sword to fly out of his grip.
Song Heting tried to kick Song Xingchen away, catching the falling Tang Sword with her pike. The Tang Sword swiveled around the pike as if a suction force had been applied. Swish, thud! The sword was thrown out and the blade embedded into the pillar.
Song Heting’s sardonic laughter filled the air, her expression remaining the same throughout the fight, without so much as a drop of sweat on her face.
On the other hand, Song Xingchen was in a mess and covered in cold sweat. Right then, I truly understood what it meant to always have someone better than you, stronger than you, and smarter than you.
Song Heting was the best among the martial Songs and her martial arts cultivation could defeat almost anyone except Zhang Jiulin, the Yin object merchant.
"It’s my turn, Mom!"
As soon as the words fell from her lips, Song Jie charged out of nowhere, holding a pair of crescent moon spades in her hands. Her first three moves were vicious and accurate, driving Song Heting a few steps backwards. However, Song Heting quickly regained the advantage, overwhelming Song Jie.
Both mother and daughter exchanged countless blows before throwing their killer move. Song Heting stabbed Song Jie's throat with her pike while Song Jie's crescent moon spades hooked Song Heting's wrist!
But even the most vicious person couldn’t hurt their own children–Song Heting stopped at a critical moment contrary to Song Jie, perhaps due to failure to control her own strength. My throat was dry from nervousness and the fear of the approaching tragedy. I dreaded watching as they destroyed each other and dyed the floor red with blood.
At this moment, Song Heting suddenly threw away her pike, pushing her palms in the air, making sure not to touch Song Jie. Even then, Song Jie slid a few meters away, two dark handprints visible on her clothes.
I was appalled. How did this happen?
Such a move drew a drop of sweat from Song Heting, a martial arts master. She exhaled slowly, the breath from her lips resembling a white arrow. After stabilizing her internal energy, she resumed a fighting stance.
With wide eyes, Song Xingchen said, "Aunt Song, that move is..."
"The Song family’s assassination skill–Worlds Apart!"
Xiang Yu the Conqueror (232-202 BC) was a warlord defeated by first Han emperor.