Chapter 37: Zheng Jian: I Want to Fight Three To honor two generous readers

Chapter 37: Zheng Jian—I'll Take On Three at Once

Within the Liu Manor, Zheng Jian and Ding Mian, the Tota-hand, exchanged more than a dozen moves in the blink of an eye.

The longer Ding Mian fought, the more alarmed he became. He had assumed that Zheng Jian, merely a second-generation disciple of Mount Hua, could hardly possess any real skill, even if he had trained from the womb.

Yet, to his astonishment, the young man’s movement was extraordinarily elusive. Each time Ding Mian launched an attack, Zheng Jian slipped away from the force of his palm like a swimming fish. The strangeness of his footwork left Ding Mian dizzy and disoriented.

After several exchanges, Ding Mian realized with horror that he had fallen into the disadvantage!

Fei Bin and Lu Bai, who were standing by, exchanged glances and nodded subtly. Fei Bin raised his voice: “Mount Hua has colluded with the Demon Sect! No need for courtesy, everyone—let’s join forces!”

With that, he and Lu Bai leapt into the fray, one to the left and one to the right, joining the battle.

At once, the gathering of martial experts looked on in surprise. The hot-tempered Taoist from Tianmen could not help but curse aloud: “Despicable! It’s bad enough for elders to bully the young, but now you gang up on him? Throwing around accusations of colluding with the Demon Sect—this old Taoist refuses to stand for it!”

He drew his sword, ready to intervene.

Within the combat circle, Zheng Jian called out loudly: “Master Tianmen, worry not! Dealing with these three rotten apples is easy for me. Please just stand guard.”

The Taoist paused in surprise. Were all disciples of Mount Hua so bold?

To take on three opponents at once, and not even flinch?

Inside the battle, Zheng Jian’s words were confident, but the pressure was mounting. These three came from the same sect and their coordination was impeccable. United, their assault was not something an ordinary person could withstand.

He unleashed his “Hundred Transformations of Divine Movement” with full force. Spotting a brief opening, Zheng Jian drew his sword at last—now was the time for steel!

“Good lad, so you’re finally showing your true skills! Well done!” The Tianmen Taoist, seeing this, relaxed a little and praised him.

“Brother Yue has found himself an excellent disciple! Mount Hua will surely flourish. Alas, none of my own students can compare…” Abbess Dingyi sighed. The Hengshan Sect, composed entirely of women, had always relied on the trio known as the “Three Ding Sisters” to uphold their reputation, but among the second-generation disciples, none could stand alone like Zheng Jian.

Dingyi’s heart filled with envy…

Among the crowd of onlookers, someone suddenly shouted: “I remember now! A few years ago, a youth rose in the martial world like a comet. He slew ‘Wandering Alone for Ten Thousand Miles’ Tian Boguang and was hailed as the ‘Heaven-Restoring Swordsman.’ Could this be Mount Hua’s chief disciple before us?”

“That’s right! The age matches! Besides, yesterday in the tavern, this young man dispatched ‘Bright Camel of the Northern Frontier’ Mu Gaofeng with a laugh—without even drawing his sword! He truly lives up to the name, ‘Heaven-Restoring Swordsman!’”

The crowd buzzed with excitement.

Despite his fierce battle, Zheng Jian heard his own title and felt a surge of satisfaction. He knew his efforts had paid off, and the derogatory moniker “Thief’s Bane” was finally forgotten!

Facing the onslaught from three experts, Zheng Jian silently recited the general principles of “Nine Swords of the Solitary,” deepening his grasp of both the “Sword-Breaking” and “Palm-Breaking” techniques with every clash.

As Ding Mian attacked again, Zheng Jian instantly spotted subtle muscle movements—a telltale sign. Predicting his trajectory, Zheng Jian struck first and aimed his sword at the path Ding Mian was destined to take!

“What sword technique is this?” Ding Mian was terrified. He knew most of Mount Hua’s sword arts, but had never seen such a bizarre move, which seemed to abandon defense entirely for an unprecedentedly fierce offense, as if it saw straight through his intentions.

Fei Bin and Lu Bai, too, realized how troublesome Zheng Jian was. Despite their combined strength, they found themselves only evenly matched against him.

“This one cannot be allowed to live!”

All three men came to the same conclusion.

Barely fifteen or sixteen years old, yet wielding such terrifying sword skills and internal energy—if allowed to grow, he’d be a grave threat to Senior Brother Zuo.

As Zuo Lengchan’s trusted aides, they understood well his ambition to merge the Five Mountains Sword Sects and to ascend as supreme leader of the martial world.

They had never expected Mount Hua to produce such a formidable heir!

A surge of murderous intent rose in their hearts, and their moves instantly became ruthless, each attack aimed at Zheng Jian’s vital points.

“Be careful, nephew!” The Tianmen Taoist, sensing their bloodthirst, urgently called out.

Zheng Jian, bearing the brunt, sensed their shift in aura, but he had anticipated this. For him, a battle reaching such intensity was exactly what he sought.

Those who kill must expect to be killed!

Their murderous intent was unmasked, so Zheng Jian could counterattack without remorse. In doing so, he would sever Zuo Lengchan’s power, dealing a crippling blow to the Songshan Sect.

Ever since he sent away the “Bixie Sword Manual” three years ago, Zheng Jian knew Zuo Lengchan would be a formidable enemy, rivaling even the Eastern Leader of the Demon Sect. Now, seizing the chance to cut off his henchmen and weaken Songshan’s strength was a great boon for Mount Hua.

Songshan boasted thirteen “Guardians” under Zuo Lengchan. Taking out three at once would be a devastating loss!

At this moment, Zheng Jian’s sword slashed again and again, its light enveloping the area. Ding Mian and his two companions, realizing the seriousness, abandoned their palm techniques and drew their swords, unleashing the Songshan sword art.

Refined by Zuo Lengchan, the Songshan sword art comprised seventeen unique forms. As the trio wielded it, their momentum was overwhelming, sword energy crisscrossing. Their teamwork was flawless, forming an impenetrable net around Zheng Jian, tightening with every move—their intention clear: to trap and kill him with the orthodox Songshan sword art.

Witnessing the formidable Songshan sword art, the Tianmen Taoist, Abbess Dingyi, and others turned pale. They knew, were they in Zheng Jian’s place, they wouldn’t last twenty moves under such a siege, let alone break free.

Yet Zheng Jian’s performance shattered all expectations. His sword moved like a dragon, appearing aimless but always striking the critical points in their formation, causing the sword net to rupture for an instant each time!

“Thank goodness I learned the ‘Nine Swords of the Solitary.’ Otherwise, I’d be doomed against these three today.” While Zheng Jian felt fortunate, the immense pressure brought clarity to his mind.

Since he began his martial training, he had never faced such formidable foes, nor endured such overwhelming stress. It was precisely because of this that his strength had reached a plateau in recent times.

Now, Zheng Jian was like carbon subjected to intense heat and pressure deep underground—slowly transforming into diamond. With mounting pressure, he was undergoing a complete metamorphosis, both in character and in power.

A transformation, elevating both his inner self and his outward strength.

…

Once again, thanks to both noble patrons for their generous rewards—an extra update in gratitude. Also, votes, bookmarks, and follows are always welcome.

(End of chapter)