Chapter 23: A Solo Duel Against Two Fierce Warriors

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Duel with Two Fierce Opponents

When the night grew deep and all was quiet, Xu Yun once again heard Qiu Yan’s knock at the door. By now, he was thoroughly convinced of her desire to survive.

“No one will disturb us now,” Xu Yun said with a smile as he opened the door.

Qiu Yan said nothing more, returning decisively to her seat. Without hesitation, she removed her top, took seven silver needles from the silver box, and said, “Let’s begin.”

Though it was the second time Xu Yun had seen Qiu Yan’s smooth, fair back, he still had to steady his breath several times to suppress the wicked thoughts in his mind. He was not a lecher, but he was hardly a saint unaffected by temptation.

“Your internal injuries aren’t recent—you may feel unaccustomed to what comes next. Are you ready?”

Qiu Yan nodded. Now, for the sake of Guo Guo, there was nothing she could not endure.

Xu Yun wasted no more time. With a flicker of his right hand’s index and middle fingers, he drew a silver needle. His inner energy surged from his dantian and gathered at his fingertips. With a deft turn of his wrist, he drove the needle into the Shendao acupoint along Qiu Yan’s spine, channeling a warm current through the needle and into her meridian.

Qiu Yan immediately felt a profound sense of relief. The stagnant blood clogging her heart and lungs slowly dissolved under the gentle warmth of Xu Yun’s energy.

As Xu Yun gently twisted the needle between his thumb and forefinger, he instructed, “Regulate your breathing as best you can. Ready your silver needle. When I count to three, insert it into the Yutang acupoint at the center of your chest.”

Qiu Yan did not speak, focusing on steadying her breath. She raised her silver needle to signal she was ready.

Xu Yun’s hand flickered as he drew a second needle. “One, two, three!”

At his word, both acted in concert—Xu Yun driving the needle into the Lingtai acupoint on her back, Qiu Yan piercing her Yutang acupoint at her chest. Instantly, Qiu Yan felt a refreshing energy surge through her, as if all the impurities in her body were being expelled through the pierced points. The comfort was unparalleled since her injury.

After this perfect synchronization, Xu Yun was reassured enough to let Qiu Yan needle her own chest. Together, they inserted the remaining needles into key acupoints along her Ren and Du meridians.

With each needle, Xu Yun’s subtle channeling of inner energy brought Qiu Yan increasing ease.

At last, Xu Yun drove the final needle, infused with his power, into the Mingmen acupoint at her lower back. When he saw the dark purple hue fade from the acupoint, he knew the needles were truly dissolving the congealed blood.

He finally let out a long breath of relief.

But just as Qiu Yan was beginning to feel the comfort spreading through her meridians, her brow suddenly furrowed.

There was a faint rustling from the rooftop above. Two light footsteps landed, so soft they were nearly imperceptible to the ear.

“Calm your mind. Breathe in rhythm with the relaxation and tension of your meridians, follow the order of your energy flow. Leave the two rats outside to me.” Xu Yun’s lips curled into a devilish smile. He hadn’t expected their foes to move so swiftly—no sooner had one fallen than two more arrived!

This was no time for Qiu Yan to act rashly. She could only focus on regulating her energy flow, or risk a severe backlash. Everything else, she had to leave to Xu Yun.

Wearing simple flip-flops, Xu Yun took his own path, slipping out the window once more with seamless grace and not a hint of hesitation.

“Good thing Qiu Yan can’t fight tonight, otherwise this rooftop would be a slaughterhouse,” Xu Yun muttered inwardly.

On the rooftop, two figures halted. A deep voice said, “Gong You, I’ve found the tracker Wildcat left behind.”

“So it seems Wildcat’s fate is sealed,” replied the other, cautious. “The Violent Fox Empress lives up to her name—seriously wounded, yet still eluding Wildcat’s hunt. Qin Hu, we must proceed with utmost care.”

The deep voice was tinged with disdain. “Gong You, you give Qiu Yan too much credit. If anything happened to Wildcat, it was luck on her part. With such serious internal injuries, she should be near death already—what threat could a dying woman pose?”

“Ahem!”

A soft cough startled both men, sending a chill down their spines as they immediately tensed, murderous intent flaring.

“Eagle Gong You. Beast Qin Hu.” Xu Yun smiled faintly, stepping into view. “You two are fairly well-known in the underworld. What are you doing up here in the middle of the night, having a little rooftop rendezvous?”

Gong You narrowed his eyes warily at the man before them. This youth had approached them silently and seemed to know their identities—he was certainly no ordinary man.

“May I ask who you are, and why you’re eavesdropping on us?” A cruel gleam flickered in Gong You’s eyes. Xu Yun knew well—only bloodthirsty men harbored such a look.

“Xu Yun.” His eyes narrowed, and a powerful fighting spirit rose around him as he slipped into combat readiness. “Have you heard the name?”

“Gong You, why waste time talking to this nobody?” Qin Hu, impulsive by nature, glared coldly at Xu Yun, his murderous intent undiminished.

“Don’t be reckless!” Gong You snapped. He was in no hurry to strike.

He had already judged that Xu Yun’s strength was at least on par with their own. With Wildcat’s fate uncertain, it was clear this man was involved—especially since the Violent Fox Empress was half-crippled. Perhaps Wildcat had fallen at this man’s hands.

Xu Yun smiled. “Looking for the one from yesterday? Don’t bother—she was killed by Qiu Yan.”

At this, Gong You and Qin Hu’s killing aura erupted. Gong You’s gaze turned sinister. “So you do know the Violent Fox Empress… Hmph, where is she?”

Xu Yun raised an eyebrow. “I do know where Qiu Yan is, but what if I don’t want to tell you?”

“Eagle! This brat is clearly asking for trouble! Let’s kill him first, then deal with that wretched Qiu Yan!” Qin Hu spat, grinding his teeth. He’d always gotten on well with Wildcat, and now, knowing Wildcat was dead, he was furious.

Xu Yun hadn’t expected such ruthlessness from his foes. To send two near-elite fighters at once—even if Qiu Yan had been uninjured, facing two top-tier opponents alone would be a heavy burden.

Gong You’s patience was wearing thin. “If you won’t talk, you leave us no choice!”

“I’ll tear you to pieces!” Qin Hu suddenly stepped wide with his left foot, sank to one knee, his hands forming tiger claws—the right hand thrust forward, the left poised before his chest—his furious eyes locked on Xu Yun. A classic Tiger Awakens stance.

Gong You crouched low, eyes sharp, his right foot sliding back, body almost parallel to the ground, arms extended like mantis blades. Xu Yun recognized this was not standard mantis boxing—it was the unique Blade Arm Fist Gong You had created for survival.

“Tonight, I’ll play with you both,” Xu Yun sneered, tilting his head back. A killing aura surged from his unremarkable form, filling the air with oppressive force, engulfing the entire rooftop like a tidal wave.

Gong You and Qin Hu were instantly gripped by a bone-chilling dread. Their brows knitted, and their faces grew grave—they hadn’t anticipated such a terrifying presence. The sheer murderous energy radiating from Xu Yun would be unbearable for most novices, and even as second-tier experts, they felt a shudder of fear, an impulse to retreat.

But Qin Hu’s bloodlust only intensified. He wouldn’t back down for a mere show of force. Tonight, he and Gong You had a simple goal: either find Wildcat, or bring back Qiu Yan’s corpse.

Even if a wild card like Xu Yun appeared, Qin Hu’s answer was the same—kill, kill, kill.

Gong You was not so rash. Now he understood why Wildcat had died here—there was a true powerhouse lurking in this place. The Violent Fox Empress truly had formidable connections to enlist such a master. Their leader had miscalculated.

Xu Yun was ready. Though fighting two experts at once would not be easy, there was no other way—he had just finished using acupuncture to clear Qiu Yan’s meridians and dissolve her clotted blood; if she fought now, it would be suicide.

He could only hope these two were not as skilled as he feared, or at least he could defeat them before Qiu Yan recovered to join the fray.

In a flash, Qin Hu lunged forward three steps, his burly figure spinning, launching a twin-clawed Hungry Tiger Ascends Mountain attack, whistling through the air with unstoppable force.

At the same moment, Gong You acted without hesitation. His body shot forward like an eagle diving for prey, both wrists flickering with deadly light—two sharp blades gleaming coldly in the dark.

Gong You knew only a combined assault offered any chance of victory.

His short blade slashed for Xu Yun’s ankle while Qin Hu’s twin claws raked for Xu Yun’s chest. Their teamwork was seamless—they were clearly accustomed to fighting side by side.

Faced with two such experts, Xu Yun dared not be careless. His footwork was agile and fluid, his figure flickering past Gong You’s lightning-fast blade, then twisting aside to evade Qin Hu’s ferocious heart-piercing grasp.

As he dodged, Xu Yun didn’t remain passive. His right fist twisted from his waist, striking out with the force of wind and thunder—a punch as swift as a lightning flash, landing squarely in Qin Hu’s abdomen.

It was a brutal blow. Qin Hu felt as if a knife had twisted in his gut, the power of a hundred hidden streams exploding inside him with crushing force. Had Xu Yun followed with another devastating punch, it would have been enough to end Qin Hu’s life.

But Gong You gave him no such chance, pressing in with his blade. Xu Yun sensed the twin gusts of deadly wind and was forced to retreat two steps.

In his haste, Gong You left his back wide open. Xu Yun would not let such an opportunity pass. He sprang into the air, twisting mid-leap, and brought his heel down in a devastating, forceful kick aimed squarely at Gong You’s exposed back.