With the Blade

Evidently, the iron ruler is supposed to be a weapon for locking and grabbing, but now it’s being overpowered by that steel hook.

This cannot continue.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Wenyuan stepped back slightly to create some distance and prepared to unleash the Evil Qi, determined to fight to the death with this blind man.

However, at that moment, Jiang Wenyuan suddenly found that the Evil Qi which usually obeyed his commands like a limb unexpectedly refused to be controlled.

"There’s something odd about that hook! My Evil Qi is sealed!"

It was only at this point that Jiang Wenyuan realized what those few exchanges and clashes just now really meant — but it was too late to say anything now, as the one-handed blind man already swung the steel hook once more, charging towards him.

This time, the target of the steel hook was not the pair of iron rulers, but Jiang Wenyuan’s own body.

The fierce steel hook whipped up a gust of sinister wind, and from the looks of it, it seemed ready to tear Jiang Wenyuan apart with one swipe!

"Switch! Quickly switch!"

At that moment, both Shan Bing and Jiang Wenyuan realized they might have engaged an opponent they were completely unprepared to handle — perhaps if Jiang Wenyuan tried to lock the cripple’s crutch, and Shan Bing held the shield to block the blind man’s hook, they might have had a slim chance of victory, but as it stood, their opponent selection perfectly exploited their respective weaknesses.

But even if they wanted to switch opponents, would their enemies really give them the opportunity?

"Buzz——"

The sharp steel hook whipped up a bloody wind, forcing Jiang Wenyuan to dodge and retreat.

But this dodge only took him further away from Shan Bing’s direction.

And what Shan Bing faced was even more simple and brutal, as the cripple simply raised the crutch and struck, sending Shan Bing, who was holding a large shield, flying like a soccer ball made from pig bladder — yes, flying kick, Shan Bing’s judgment was accurate this time, it was indeed the special ability of that crutch.

Made from the leg bone of a monstrosity infused with Evil Qi, the iron-filled steel crutch’s effect was to become an extra "leg" for the user. If an ordinary person used it, they couldn’t figure out how to move with three legs and would just go insane on the spot, but for a cripple, it was a perfect fit.

"Yee-hee-hee! Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee——"

The deaf cripple joyfully kicked Shan Bing with the sturdy crutch-leg, just like kids playing soccer on a pitch.

But as the one being kicked, Shan Bing found no joy in this.

The situation had become extremely perilous; his and Jiang Wenyuan’s deaths were just a matter of time. Although he previously felt that by mastering a new technique, he had achieved the level of a top warrior after defeating "Iron Ox Horn" Tuoba Shi, ranked 36th on the Hundred Weapons Chart, he now realized how vast the difference was when faced with the formidable disabled duo.

Indeed, he had discovered a new technique, but so what? Right now, he didn’t even have the opportunity to use it; the cripple wouldn’t give him a chance to make a move. He couldn’t even stabilize his position as the cripple continued to kick him like a ball.

Perhaps he would just end like this, kicked to death.

At this moment, Shan Bing reflected on his short life.

Though he was of a certain age, his life was truly unspectacular. Being conscripted as a youth to guard the border, his life consisted only of fighting — either preparing for battle or fighting on the battlefield. It’s like he was born to enter the battlefield and kill enemies—of course, there’s nothing wrong with that; if he fought to the end and died in battle, it would be a decent end.

But everything hinged on one condition, that it was a normal battle death.

He could accept being slashed to death, stabbed to death by a sword, even by spear or lance — any ordinary battlefield death he could accept. But he could never accept being duped to death by foolish comrades. Such a scenario was beyond the scope of war, rendering his death meaningless.

Thus, when that foolish squad leader issued the ridiculous suicidal orders and he witnessed his comrades die at the hands of the barbarians because of these orders, he decisively chose to kill that squad leader who would deflect the blame for their defeat onto him.

He knew the consequences of doing so, but he still did it. Maybe to outsiders, he seemed crazy with Evil Qi clouding his mind, but only he knew that if he didn’t kill that squad leader, he would never sleep soundly for the rest of his life.

After that, his life became even more uneventful, filled with imprisonment after imprisonment. Though in ordinary people’s eyes it might seem harsh, to Shan Bing it wasn’t much different from being in the War Soldiers’ camp — it was still all about preparing for battle, just in a different setting.

Yes, by that time, Shan Bing already knew he wouldn’t be killed because he could still be useful.

Indeed, after an unknowable length of time, the prominent eunuch Cao finally noticed this hidden sword. To be fair, Shan Bing remembered this eunuch’s favor, but he felt only respect for him, much like he would respect a General in the army. As a War Soldier, he respected anyone who gave orders, something he learned in his youth that had become second nature.

As long as the eunuch gave the command, he would execute any order without hesitation; it was the duty of a War Soldier.

But he wouldn’t gamble his life for that eunuch, for such was a warrior’s rationality.

An officer’s orders might not always be right; some things only need to be experienced once. Only the living can accomplish missions; the dead are simply dead.

So, was there truly anything worth betting one’s life on?

Perhaps there was.

"Ahhhhh——"

Seeing Jiang Wenyuan impaled by the iron hook in the distance, Shan Bing’s eyes turned blood-red at once.

His reflections were abruptly interrupted, and the remnants of those memories were dyed red with blood—those should have been his happiest memories of a lifetime, of finding a true confidant. Though they had never met, he and that brother matched incredibly well as partners. They had been destined to continue as such, perhaps becoming lifelong friends...

But now, that was all gone.

The most beautiful memories had been pierced by that iron hook, and Shan Bing, already close to death, once again returned to reality.

Covered in blood, he had lost all rationality.

All he wanted was to kill.

But would his techniques really be able to overcome this menacing duo? Clearly not, no, not even both of them were necessary; that cripple alone had been able to beat him about, not even giving him a chance to strike, and seemed set to kick him to death.

Thus, he realized the need to utilize more brutal techniques.

More violent techniques.

Techniques that truly embodied his savagery.

So then, how could he truly embody such violence?

"You beasts..."

Taking a deep breath, Shan Bing, still airborne from being kicked, shouted.

"Take my Sky-Sundering Strike!"

BOOM——

The short sword surged forth like roaring thunder.

Did shouting the technique’s name while executing it have any effect?

Once, Shan Bing had doubted this.

But now, he finally grasped that such a method might indeed work.

For even this deaf cripple in front of him had heard the name of this move.

With his crippled body.

With just one slash, the once arrogant cripple was severed in two by the Air Slash.