Chapter 230 - 207: White-haired as New, Overturning the Cup as Old Friends
At the critical moment, Li San threw his dagger to help Wu break the encirclement.
He could have chosen to throw the dagger at Watanabe Ryosuke, taking the chance to injure the opponent, but if he did, Wu would end up either dead or disabled.
Just then, Wu’s left arm was hanging down as his waist turned, seeming to be gathering power. Li San saw all these details—he discerned that Wu intended to block the blade with his left arm and then take the opportunity to close in on his adversary.
Watanabe Ryosuke’s blade was fast and sharp; using an arm to block would inevitably lead to amputation, and closing the distance might not be successful due to the severe pain slowing his movements. With only a slight change in blade direction and a dragging move, Watanabe could disembowel Wu.
Thus, Li San chose to throw the dagger; Wu had previously intercepted two of Watanabe Ryosuke’s strikes for him, and now it was his turn to intercept this strike for Wu.
Of course, he had two daggers. Throwing one to break Wu’s encirclement still left him with another to aim at Watanabe Ryosuke. However, Li San chose not to, since Watanabe also held a sheath in his left hand.
Previously, the first strike Watanabe executed with Iaido sword drawing technique, had a chilling intent, making Li San realize that their mental cultivation was on par. He himself had dodged assassination by twelve gunmen; it stood to reason that his opponent wouldn’t be felled by a single dagger.
Thus, Li San didn’t risk throwing the dagger for a sneak attack just to find himself empty-handed against his enemy.
Meanwhile, Wu caught the whirling dagger from the air in his right hand, blade pointing downward, using it to block the sword slashing toward his waist.
Clang!
The clear sound overshadowed the gunfire around them; the dagger in Wu’s hand trembled incessantly. His arm was numb, but he still tightly gripped the dagger, not letting it slip.