Chapter 55: A Legend Reappears on a Rainy Night
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
In recent years, the Fish Dragon Gang dominated the gangdom in Chang’an. All the people knew that there were several valiant and distinctive figures, who were much more mighty than normal gang members, in the leadership of Fish Dragon Gang: Chang III (known as indifference), Qi IV (cruelty), Liu V (peremptoriness), Fei VI (ferociousness), and Chen VII (insidiousness). Except for Mr. Qi, who was famous for his cruelty and fought from the bottom level of Jianghu world, the other figures could easily, without doubt, establish their new world in different places, no matter if in Western City or Southern City.
Many people thought that these men, probably unsatisfied with their current position, would leave the Fish Dragon Gang to seek new prospects or even replace their leader through betrayal. However, these five men still closely followed their boss after so many years and never left—because their leader was Spring Breeze Pavilion Old Chao.
Although few people in Chang’an had ever seen Old Chao show his attacking talent, or in more precise words, those aged people who had seen it years ago had already died, no one dared to despise him or simply regard him as a paper tiger that could only rely on brotherhood and friendship rather than his own power. That was because everyone understood that, for the figure who could control such a man as Chang III, it was impossible that the sword on his waist was merely the accessory of a scholar.
His name—Spring Breeze Pavilion Old Chao—was a shadow floating over all his enemies. They wondered what would happen if he unsheathed the sword on his waist, but no one dared to have a try. They knew clearly that a bloody carnage would take place at night in Chang’an once his sword was unsheathed.
Lord Meng of Southern City, sensing that his team had been subdued by Chao Xiaoshu’s movement of gripping his sword, popped open his eyes and then fiercely shouted, "He is fighting alone and he isn’t a celestial being! Come on! Go kill him!"
In this world, there was no lack of madcap and reckless people, no shortage of hermits seeking a chance to shoot for fame by killing a legendary figure, and no short of followers who suddenly became brave due to a large crowd of people. With Lord Meng’s shout, hundreds of men from various gangs in Chang’an raised their steel swords and, with yelling and bawling, rushed at Old Chao from all directions!
"I just want to go home."
Looking at the coming enemies, Chao Xiaoshu just said such a sentence. Then with a "Qianglang!" sound resounding through the shabby alley, the official sword on his waist was unsheathed like a flood dragon, stabbing towards the headmost man in a seemingly slow, but fast way.
Looking at the back of Chao Xiaoshu, Ning Que was holding the hilt with his right hand, but he didn’t pull out the extremely sharp podao that was recently whetted. He wanted to see the actual strength of the legend from the gangdom of Chang’an. What’s more, he was worried that the moment he unsheathed his podao, a bolt of lightning would mistakenly kill him, given that Chao Xiaoshu’s previous words were too pretentious, which might have caused the retribution of nature.
Chao Xiaoshu’s sword was normal in style, length, and width. There was nothing special about the blade either. However, the moment the rapidly moving sword scattered the raindrops, many wispy stripes could be vaguely seen on the sword. These stripes were not some kinds of Fu, more like several gaps filled with mercury.
When a very awesome figure said a fact, many people would have thought of him as pretentious. Staring at that sword, Ning Que watched the scene as the ’normal’ sword, in the last moment, precisely and easily slapped onto that man’s chest, instead of stabbing. He eventually realized that Old Chao’s previous sentence was not just for flaunting. Instead, this figure was mighty and impressive.
The flat and straight sword was, while in the air, forcibly bent to a curved shape by a kind of force. Compared with its speed, the raindrops falling from the sky were extremely slow. The moment the sword slapped against that man’s chest, the kind of force suddenly went out from the sword, directly making the chest deeply concave with a "Pa!" sound!
A loud and depressive noise as if hitting on heavy leather!
A disastrous and suddenly disappearing howl!
The headmost reckless man from Southern City, having no chance to see Chao Xiaoshu’s face clearly, was directly slapped away like a kite. Tragically, the ’kite’ flew over the dilapidated Spring Breeze Pavilion, and at last fell to the ground about 50 meters away!
...
...
The hundreds of shouting and rushing gang members suddenly became quiet. Their eyes, subconsciously following their companion’s movement through the air, rolled a long arc in the dark and rainy sky. Then, horror immediately filled up their bodies, causing their hands on their swords to become chill.
They had imagined that there might be a gust of blustering wind or bloody rain when Spring Breeze Pavilion Old Chao unsheathed the official sword on his waist. However, they had never envisioned that a thin cyan-steel sword could shoot a heavy man to such a far distance. How awesome the force inside that thin sword was, just like the big hammer held by a deity! The strength was formidable enough to make an upheaval!
No, the sword wasn’t like the hammer in a deity’s hand! Instead, it seemed more like the steel mace held by a celestial!
Those gang members rushing near Chao Xiaoshu were all shocked to a standstill by this thunderous strike! However, Chao Xioashu didn’t stop his forward steps in the rain. He, chicly moving forward with his sword, attacked with each step, with his wrist slightly raised and the indigo robe gently vibrating. On every offense, the thin sword uttered a hum, totally showing its flexible shape. Covered by raindrops and cold wind, like a steel mace it roaringly attacked the enemies. One strike, one flying man!
If the sword touched someone’s chest, he would be thwartwise slapped away against the alley wall and then fell with blood spitting. If the weapon contacted someone’s leg, he would be thrown away with a somersault in the dark air, and then landed hard on the ground, vomiting blood. The sword was swaying in the rain, uttering a depressing hum and ceaselessly slapping the reckless men away. The tragic and horrible howling resounded through the Spring Breeze Pavilion which was so still and sullen before.
Chao Xiaoshu’s movement of swaying the sword looked very easy and casual, even could be described as careless, just like driving off mosquitoes on a summer night. Not any change could be noticed in his expression; peaceful as usual. Comparatively, Ning Que, who was behind Old Chao, couldn’t remain calm anymore, with an amazement flashing through his bright eyes in the rainy night.
Chao Xiaoshu, instead of choosing a more comfortable and more efficient way like stabbing the enemies to death, preferred to slap away the enemies with the thin sword. At the beginning, it confused Ning Que. Later he came to know that only in this way could Chao Xiaoshu keep a clearing around him, avoiding the enemies’ sudden and massive siege.
However, such a potent and even arrogant combat mode would consume much more strength and mind. If Old Chao didn’t intend to shock the hundreds of reckless men in this way, it must mean that he has the confidence to slap all his enemies to death directly!
Ning Que, looking at the back of middle-aged Chao Xiaoshu, who overbearingly moved forward on this rainy night, and then looking at the howling men under Old Chao’s sword and the moaning men lying on the muddy water in the distance, thought while licking his lips,
I knew you were mighty, but I never imagined that you were so formidable.
The several gang leaders of Chang’an, who hid among the crowds, had already been frightened and heartbroken. Today, they finally saw Spring Breeze Pavilion Old Chao unsheathe his sword, but they would rather have not seen it throughout their entire lives. In the past, they also made a good living under the shadow of the Fish Dragon Gang, so they thought the strength gap was not so big. Furthermore, they believed there was a possibility of victory for them if they fought to their utmost. Until now, on this chill and rainy spring night, these men just miserably realized these cruel facts, which were different from their assumptions.
They could be alive, just because the Fish Dragon Gang and the middle-aged man disdained to notice them.
A legend was a legend. Those who could be remembered as a legend, no matter if in the Jianghu world, the brothel, or officialdom, inevitably had their reasons to become a legend. Further, this fact wouldn’t be changed at all even if the legend had been absent for several years.
...