Chapter Seventeen: Savior or Easy Prey?

“Alright, Brother Vinci. No need for thanks between us. Until we meet again—if you have time, come to Golden Mountain Temple and I’ll invite you to the Arhat Hall for tea. You can watch the Arhats stack themselves while you’re there.” Xiao Yan cupped his hands in farewell.

“I…I will come to Golden Mountain Temple and kill you one day!” Da Vinci realized he had been outwitted; his inner strength was spent, and he was wounded. Any fighting spirit he had left was gone.

Just as the two were reluctantly parting, unwilling to leave and still exchanging words, something caught the attention of the sharp-nosed Howling Celestial Dog. It barked twice at Xiao Yan, as if sensing danger.

Hmm?

A familiar voice echoed from the distance, laughing coldly, “Haha…Xiao Yan! You think you can just walk away? How naïve!”

Da Vinci’s spirits lifted at once; he knew his beloved disciple had arrived.

“Hey…Delivery Guy…” Xiao Yan recognized the bald man approaching from afar.

How to describe him? The bald head was especially unique—three lone hairs sprouted from the shiny scalp. It was distinctive, whether intentionally left unshaven or not, Xiao Yan couldn’t say.

What surprised him even more was that Yuan Tong was dragging along a hefty, portly man, easily weighing over three hundred pounds. The poor fellow’s face was battered and bruised beyond recognition.

“What delivery guy? My religious name is Yuan Tong. Of course, most people like to call me Senior Brother.” Yuan Tong corrected him hurriedly, then tossed the heavy man forward before even getting close. “Say hello to your old buddy.”

Like a rolling ball, the portly figure came to rest at Xiao Yan’s feet.

“Xiao…Xiao Yan…I was forced into this…” the ball stammered.

“Excuse me, who are you?” Xiao Yan looked in confusion for a long moment before recognizing him. “You’re…Bald Qiang?”

Zhuge Yi Xiu nodded frantically.

“Hmph, if this fat fool hadn’t been showing off everywhere, I wouldn’t have found you…” Yuan Tong sneered.

“Disciple, you’ve come at just the right moment. Help your master take revenge!” Though Da Vinci was blind, he still recognized Yuan Tong’s voice.

“Master…your…your eyes…what happened to you?” Yuan Tong was taken aback by Da Vinci’s wretched state. He knew his master’s strength well—injured or not, he’d watched him kill a tiger barehanded, something Yuan Tong wouldn’t dare attempt himself.

So who could have wounded Da Vinci? Could it have been an ambush?

With that thought, Yuan Tong frowned, scanning the surroundings warily for other enemies.

Hearing Yuan Tong’s refined tone, Da Vinci’s emotions were a tangled mess. Who could imagine what he’d just been through…?

Looking back, it was all so bizarre. Was he to tell Yuan Tong that his master had helped the enemy forge a weapon? That he’d even praised Xiao Yan as a good man—and invited him for tea at the Arhat Hall to watch the Arhats?

Damn it…

How could he explain any of that?

But…

“Yuan Tong…promise me one thing: kill Xiao Yan for me…” Da Vinci thought long and hard, but found the situation so strange there was no way to explain.

“Alright!”

Yuan Tong, having confirmed there were no other enemies nearby, didn’t press further. He nodded in agreement, though doubts lingered in his heart. If no one else was here, then who had injured Da Vinci?

Could it really have been Xiao Yan?

Impossible! That useless nobody? Yuan Tong dismissed the idea at once.

Yet the more Da Vinci thought about it, the less at ease he felt. Xiao Yan seemed…uncanny. A hint of unease crept in, so he said, “Wait…Yuan Tong…forget it…let’s just go…”

“Why? What about Xiao Yan?”

“I…I’m afraid you’re no match for him…” Da Vinci said quietly, taking Yuan Tong’s hand and trying to leave.

“Master!” Yuan Tong stood his ground, suddenly turning to look Da Vinci in the face. “Have you injured your brain as well? Xiao Yan is trash—I could take on ten of him!”

“You…no…sigh…trust your master, let’s go…”

“No, Master, wait a moment. I’ll avenge you right now…I don’t know what happened to you, but I’ll prove it: I, Yuan Tong, could never lose to this worthless fool!” Yuan Tong shook off Da Vinci’s hand, turned, and faced Xiao Yan.

With that, the force of his inner strength radiated from him.

Thirteen levels!

For someone of Yuan Tong’s age, that was genius. His pride would not be trampled.

“You…” Da Vinci could only sigh in resignation.

…

“Come, Xiao Yan—meet your end!” Yuan Tong cast a contemptuous glare at Xiao Yan.

“Xiao Yan, this is all my fault. I was the one who betrayed you. Let me hold him off—run!” To Xiao Yan’s surprise and a flicker of emotion, the usually steady Zhuge Yi Xiu made a very uncharacteristic decision. True friendship lasts a lifetime…

“Bald Qiang…maybe…just let it go?” Xiao Yan, grateful as he was, knew the portly man stood no chance.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuge Yi Xiu immediately ducked behind Xiao Yan and said, “Alright, since you’re so sincere, I’ll reluctantly accept your suggestion.”

Wait a second…

???

Was this scoundrel just waiting for that very sentence? And to think he’d been touched for a split second…

“…” Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment and could only manage, “Brilliant!”

“Hmph…no need to be afraid. Both of you will die today! Hahahaha…” Yuan Tong lunged forward in a flash.

Xiao Yan remained calm, not only refusing to dodge but turning his back to Yuan Tong. He addressed Zhuge Yi Xiu behind him, “Roll away, before you get hurt…”

“Uh…” Zhuge Yi Xiu was a little dazed, but his body obediently curled up and rolled away like a ball…

Yuan Tong snorted, his face twisting with malice as he watched Xiao Yan’s back. His fist whistled through the air, aimed at the back of Xiao Yan’s head. “Still pretending at death’s door—where do you get your courage?”

“Maybe from Fish Leong…” Xiao Yan replied with a cryptic remark no one understood.

“Hmph…improvement, I see—five layers of inner strength now… But if you think that will block my fist, you couldn’t be more wrong…” Yuan Tong could already picture Xiao Yan’s skull shattering in the next instant.

But things were never so simple. Of this, Da Vinci—who had just suffered himself—was all too aware. Sadly, he couldn’t warn Yuan Tong, nor would it have mattered if he could…

As the fist was about to land, Yuan Tong thought he heard Xiao Yan mutter something.

“Meteor Hammer!”

???

He had no idea what that bizarre phrase meant—probably some kind of plea for mercy, he thought.

But it was useless…

Yuan Tong increased the force of his punch. The sound of impact split the silence of the mountain.

A wet, sickening thud echoed—blood sprayed in all directions.

A heart-wrenching scream followed: “Aaaah—!”

Even the birds in the distance burst into flight, startled by the cry.