Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: The End (Part One)

Editor: Larbre Studio

“Creak~”

Pushing open the door, Li Yan wiped his face with a towel he had around his neck, walked over to the wooden dummy, picked up the Zi Wu Mandarin Duck Axes, and gently wiped them across.

Name: Li Yan

Status: Severe injury to right hand

Specialty: Ancient Martial Arts 82%/100%

One month of intense and dangerous successive fights had actually increased Li Yan’s proficiency by another percentage point.

Beyond that, just yesterday, Li Yan had used the ES Cell Supplement, and with his right hand disabled, he still dragged his ill body onto the stage, which was truly reckless.

A slender figure stood at the door, wearing sunglasses.

“Are you dressed for a long journey?”

Li Yan smiled and walked over, reaching to hold her waist.

Judy smiled sweetly.

“After this fight, come out with me for Xiao Ye.”

Li Yan’s eyes flickered, but he smiled and said, “Sure.”

“By the way, to see you off.”

“…”

It took a while for Li Yan to speak, “How did you know?”

“I checked your account. You withdrew all the money from the bank. It’s surprising that a fighter like you could earn more than five million.”

Li Yan touched his nose, fumbling in his breast pocket.

“Since you’re here, you can take this.”

Judy took it in her hand. It was a cigarette holder with a blue bead set in it, quite in the Republic of China style.

“Is it a family heirloom?”

The woman asked.

“Bought it in Wan Chai yesterday.”

“…”

“With this, your fingers won’t get stained yellow when you smoke. Besides, it looks really good on you, like a movie star.”

Li Yan seemed a bit awkward, stretching his jacket.

“Take care.”

Judy lowered her head and played with the cigarette holder for a moment.

“When will you be able to come back?”

“I will definitely come back if there’s a chance.”

“Alright then.”

The woman pursed her lips and smiled, revealing a shallow dimple.

“I left a gift in your room, remember to take it.”

Judy pressed close to Li Yan’s body and hugged him gently. Then she turned and left without a word of entreaty.

Walking down the corridor, Judy took a bunch of documents and photos out of her handbag and threw them into the trash can. The topmost photo was of a younger Li Yan.

From birth to present, all the information was comprehensive, without a single flaw.

However, Judy knew that the man in the photo was not him.

…

Walking out of the room, Li Yan’s brows were slightly furrowed, his stride steady. He walked towards the tumultuous tenth floor of the Fuyi Building step by step.

At the edge of the stands sat an old man with steep brows, his expression calm, out of place with the fervent atmosphere around him.

On the ring, Xu Tianci’s eyes were on the ceiling until Li Yan stepped onto the stage, then he shifted his gaze to him, seeing the Zi Wu Mandarin Duck Axes in Li Yan’s hands, his lips curled up slightly.

“The stranger the weapon, the faster you die, haven’t you heard that before?”

Li Yan didn’t react, as though he was lost in thought.

“Hey, did you hear…”

“Hejian, Li Yan.”

The muscles on the man’s face twitched slightly. His gaze was stern and cold.

Xu Tianci grimaced.

The Butterfly Dual Blades crossed in front of his chest.

“Wing Chun, Xu Tianci.”

After saying this, Xu Tianci stepped forward, hands on the Butterfly Blades, while Li Yan stood steady with horse stance below the waist, unmoved.

Xu Tianci’s steps grew faster, turning his stroll into a sprint. When he was less than two meters away from Li Yan, his knees bent slightly and he lunged towards Li Yan with a leap, his Butterfly Blades thrusting at his chest.

“Clang”

In the brief moment their short weapons clashed, Xu Tianci inwardly cursed, realizing his mistake. The straight blade met the curved edge of the Zi Wu Mandarin Duck Axes, and with just an upward flick of Li Yan’s wrist, the rolling curved blade would pierce his own wrist.

The youngster, knowing the danger, quickly used his other blade to pin the circular blade from above and below, attempting to press down on Li Yan’s weapon.

Li Yan flicked his thumb, which was holding the ax handle, using Xu Tianci’s downward pressure to let the Mandarin Duck Halberd spin a large circle between his four fingers!

The Zi Wu Mandarin Duck Axes had four cutting edges, inside and out. With such a rotation, one slip could sever Li Yan’s own thumb, but as the circular blade spun, Li Yan deftly avoided the inner blade, and the outer blade stabbed into Xu Tianci’s left hand!

“Stomp stomp”

Xu Tianci’s expression remained unchanged. He raised his right hand as if to brush past Li Yan’s neck, but it was a feint, and he retreated repeatedly.

Li Yan did not pursue, saying indifferently, “I’ve never seen the authentic Eight Chop Sword before, today I feel honored to witness it, not in vain. This thing in my hand is called the Zi Wu Mandarin Duck Axes, almost nonexistent in the south, let me show you…”

He raised the Zi Wu Mandarin Duck Axes.

“That move just now was called ‘Reunion of the Sun and Moon’.”

Xu Tianci’s injury on the back of his hand was not deep, and he did not care, instead becoming even more excited.

“It’s a pity it’s one-handed, not authentic.”

“If it were both hands bleeding, it would be your neck, not the back of your hand.”

“We’ll see about that!”

Xu Tianci bent forward, this time his Butterfly Dual Blades proactively clashing against the weapon in Li Yan’s hand.

“Clang”

Li Yan’s eyes shifted, and Xu Tianci’s other hand had already sliced toward his neck with a backhand strike.

Li Yan could twist his blade to ruin Xu Tianci’s wrist at most, but Xu Tianci’s now free right-hand knife could stab directly into Li Yan’s neck.

After all, it was a one-handed halberd.

Li Yan’s brows furrowed, and he stepped back with his right foot, dodging with half of his body.

Xu Tianci let out a long laugh, rushing forward to fill the gap left by Li Yan, his hands pressing against Li Yan, and with a forward thrust of the Butterfly Blade in his left hand that was clashing with the Mandarin Duck Halberd, he chopped towards Li Yan’s chest. With half of his body just dodged and his weight on his left foot, Li Yan had no way to avoid!

To Xu Tianci’s surprise, as Li Yan retreated half a step back with his right foot, he didn’t just stop there but turned his body about 150 degrees to the left, offering his left arm to him.

“To choose a lesser of two evils shows decisiveness.”

Shift your stance to the enemy’s side, to lure the enemy into breaking their arm!

Eight Chop Sword!

At that moment, the Butterfly Blade cut into Li Yan’s shoulder, at least two inches deep, reaching the bone!

With the hand holding the weapon injured, what will you use to beat me?

The fierce-looking Xu Tianci mentally roared, yet his vision went dark in front of him!

It was Li Yan’s right hand wrapped in bandages!

Xu Tianci rushed forward, but Li Yan stepped back further, and Xu Tianci was struck by Li Yan’s right hand!

The index and thumb exposed from the bandages curved into claws and unhesitatingly stabbed into Xu Tianci’s eyes!

“Tianci!”

The old man stood up, his grey-white eyebrows trembling.

“Aaaaahhhhh!”

Xu Tianci roared like a raging beast but clung desperately to his weapon, cutting across Li Yan’s shoulder and stabbing his Butterfly Dual Blades towards Li Yan’s chest.

Li Yan leaped back lightly on his calves. His hand carried traces of blood and blurry mucus. His left arm’s wound was quite deep, and blood had spilled all over the ground.

Li Yan still did not counterattack, but calmly watched Xu Tianci.

“This move is called ‘Gold-threaded Brow-wipe’.”

“Huuh~ huff~”

Xu Tianci’s left eye had become a fierce and terrifying bloody hole, and his right eye was also swollen, with stars wheeling before him.

Enduring pain that would make an ordinary person faint, he bit his lower lip until it bled:

“The Bagua Palm, lively steps and fierce hands, impressive.”

Li Yan said nothing, nor did he urge him off the stage but stood in the ready stance, eyes fixed on Xu Tianci.

“Come!”

The nineteen-year-old youth roared and charged at Li Yan again!

The Butterfly Dual Blades, one held upright, the other reversed, their cold gleams like refined steel, one slashed towards Li Yan’s heart while the other aimed to sever Li Yan’s right wrist.

Li Yan twisted his waist, leaning his body to the side to dodge the dual blades, the Mandarin Duck Halberd clashing against the flat blade of the young man’s overhand cut.

As the round edge of the Mandarin Duck Halberd spun in reverse, the young man’s left hand switched from a normal grip to a reversed grip, both reversed-grip blades hugging the edges of the Mandarin Duck Halberd from top to bottom.

Li Yan’s eyes widened, sensing something was off.

Eight Chop Sword, Binding Knife Technique.

Li Yan, experienced and cunning, but with one hand greatly hindered, had to pull back his wrist to prevent Xu Tianci from sealing his blade movements.

The young man not retreating a bit, switched the blades from an inward to an outward cut against Li Yan’s wrist, from top to bottom like two dragons emerging from the sea, from Li Yan’s arm upwards, one on each side, aiming straight for Li Yan’s neck!

“Shii!”

Blood splattered.

Li Yan kicked at Xu Tianci’s shin, himself shocked, hastily retreating.

From chest to neck, two wounds, each eighteen centimeters long, barely missed slashing his throat!

His own sword-wielding wrist was also cut open. It could take no more force.

Eight Chop Sword, Plowing Knife Technique!

“Hahahahaha~”

The youth was actually laughing, and with his bloodied and battered eye sockets, he gave off a strong visual impact!

“This move!” he pointed his blade at Li Yan, “Eight Chop Sword, Twin Dragons Emerge from the Sea.”

Li Yan took a deep breath, looking at Xu Tianci’s undiminished fighting spirit on his face, the shades of departure in his heart gradually dissipated, and for the first time on the ring, he revealed a fierce smile:

“Wing Chun’s knife work absorbs and softens, remarkable.”

In unison, the two exclaimed, “Come!”