45: Chapter 45 Feigned Retreat

Yun Song's expression was solemn, his state of mind as steady as a rock.

He stomped one foot violently against the ground, sending snow spraying, his figure instantly shifting to the side. The mining hoe in his hand met the descending long blade at an extremely tricky angle!

"Clang—!"

Metal clashed against metal, sparks flying everywhere.

After the collision, the burly man's blade momentum did not cease; he instantly changed his Move. Slashing diagonally, cutting horizontally, hacking at the waist—a series of chain blade Moves piled up, filling the air with blade shadows, sealing off all of Yun Song's escape routes, each Move aimed straight for his vitals!

Facing the storm-like offensive, Yun Song's figure was extremely agile, at times leaping into the air like a nimble cat to avoid lethal blade strikes.

At other times, he spun rapidly like a whirlwind, deflecting the immense force of the blade.

The ordinary mining hoe in his hand seemed like a divine weapon, precise and tricky, each time steadily striking the weakest point of the blade.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!"

The dense and rapid sounds of metal clashing were incessant.

Seizing a gap in the opponent's Move, Yun Song suddenly leapt into the air, delivering a fierce flying kick that accurately and forcefully struck the burly man's chest!

"Bang!"

A massive force transmitted through, causing the burly man's hulking body to stagger back several steps, knocking over several underlings behind him before he could barely steady himself.

His chest heaved violently, his heavy breathing exhaling bursts of white mist into the cold wind, his eyes filled with shock and rage.

Opposite him, Yun Song's own Qi was surging, his chest heaving violently, holding the mining hoe with both hands, his wrists trembling slightly.

Man and bandit stood in a standoff across the distance.

This seemingly lopsided life-and-death contest had actually fallen into a stalemate, making it hard to determine a victor!

Snow swirled, and the battlefield remained deadlocked.

After hundreds of rounds of fighting, the burly man had been unable to suppress Yun Song, who held only a mining hoe, leaving him both shocked and suspicious.

Having traveled the Jianghu for many years, this was the first time he had seen someone use an ordinary mining hoe with such finesse and ferocity, and for a moment, a sense of cherishing talent arose in him.

He suppressed his Battle Intent and spoke slowly, advising: "Kid, I can see that your skills were hard-earned, and you have a bright future ahead at such a young age. You and I have no enmity; I will let you go, you can just leave on your own."

Yun Song did not yield an inch, his gaze firm: "You can let me go, but first release the Ye siblings."

The burly man slowly shook his head, a trace of greed and helplessness flashing in his eyes: "That won't do. Someone paid five hundred taels for their lives. I eat the Jianghu meal, and I follow the rules; I cannot ruin what the employer entrusted to me."

Yun Song narrowed his eyes slightly, testing him: "What if I offer one thousand taels to buy their safety?"

The burly man paused at these words, his expression wavering several times, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and refused: "No matter how much silver there is, it is not as valuable as credibility on the Dao. Today, these two must die."

"What a fine Jianghu code."

Yun Song gave a cold laugh, his eyes devoid of any warmth, remaining only with stern stubbornness.

"Killing for profit, treating human lives like grass—why should such dirty rules be followed?"

He held the mining hoe horizontally, his Battle Intent reignited: "Since you refuse to let them go, then let us continue to fight. Today, I want to test whether your blade is harder, or my life is harder!"

Seeing that Yun Song was impervious to both soft and hard tactics and had completely torn off any pretense of civility, the burly man was instantly enraged, his face turning completely gloomy.

He stopped wasting words, sheathed his blade, and slowly reached his right hand into his bosom, his movements strange and secretive; it was clear he was about to use his ultimate trump card.

A deadly chill suddenly enveloped the entire scene.

Yun Song's gaze fixed, a warning alarm ringing frantically in his heart.

He knew that if the opponent dared to discard his blade and change his Move, it must be a vicious, lethal technique. If he continued to fight head-on, with his Mortal Physical Body bearing the trump card of a fierce Jianghu bandit, he would very likely die on the spot.

In the blink of an eye, Yun Song instantly restrained all his hostility, his tone suddenly shifting, feigning dejection and weakness.

"Wait!"

He spoke hurriedly, deliberately softening his tone, pretending to have suddenly realized his mistake: "I have thought it through."

The burly man paused, looking at him with cold eyes.

Yun Song deliberately revealed a look of fear and trepidation, put down the mining hoe, and said in a low voice: "I only met them by chance, just a passing acquaintance. A casual meeting is not worth me gambling my life."

The wind and snow ruffled his clothes, and he lowered his eyes, pretending to have completely compromised and given up on being stubborn.