Chapter 67: The Sudden Appearance of Wang Da Xia

  In the dead of night, the long street was empty, with shops on both sides already closed. The sound of a watchman striking his wooden clapper could be heard from time to time in the distance, and it sounded particularly clear on this summer evening. As he watched a middle-aged man carrying a long sword slowly walking towards him in the distance, Zhao Xing's expression became extremely solemn.

  The few assassins he had just killed were nothing but minor characters in Zhao Xing's eyes. But the middle-aged man walking towards him from across the street, exuding a cold and sinister aura from head to toe, made Zhao Xing feel extremely endangered. For Zhao Xing, who had mastered the Overlord Spear, using a sword was not his strong suit; for a special forces operative like Zhao Xing, using a sword was also not his strong suit. The only things Zhao Xing could rely on were the dagger in his hand and his close combat skills.

  The middle-aged swordsman walked to a distance of three zhang from Zhao Xing, stopped, then clasped his fists and bowed, saying: "Everyone says that Shangdang's Zhao Xing is as majestic as a tiger, now please, General, do not hesitate to give me guidance!"

  "I don't dare to accept your instruction, Zhao Xing is just a young man from the countryside of Shangdang, but overnight he was ambushed and killed by two groups of people, it's really not leaving any chance for me to survive!" Zhao Xing pointed his long sword at the middle-aged swordsman, speaking in extreme anger.

  "Less nonsense! Take this!" The middle-aged swordsman said as he prepared to strike.

  "Halt!" Zhao Xing shouted loudly. "But did the Yuans of Luoyang send you here to kill me?"

  "General, why say more! After you've gone to the underworld, you can ask Yama for yourself!" The middle-aged swordsman sneered and replied disdainfully.

  "Alright, since you don't dare to speak clearly, I'll wait until I take you down and pry open your iron mouth and steel teeth to see who's behind your orders!" Before he even finished speaking, Zhao Xing suddenly charged forward, taking the initiative to attack.

  "Clang!" The two long swords collided fiercely, spewing out a string of sparks that stood out especially in the dead of night.

  "Ding, dong......" In the blink of an eye, Zhao Xing had already launched ten moves, but none of them were effective. His opponent's swordsmanship was extremely skilled, and his defense was impenetrable. As soon as Zhao Xing's offense paused, his opponent's counterattack would come rushing in instantly.

  Zhao Xing's heart tightened, his attack had reached its strongest point, but his opponent still wore a leisurely expression, clearly playing a game of cat and mouse with him.

  "General Zhao, I've learned from your swordsmanship before, but now it's my turn! Let me show you my skills!" The middle-aged swordsman exclaimed, his aura suddenly surging as he swung his sword, leaving only a white afterimage. "Whoosh... slash..." After several moves, Zhao Xing was already covered in wounds, his left shoulder and right leg sliced through by the opponent's long sword, piercing muscle and flesh, with fresh blood seeping out, staining half of his body red.

  Although Zhao Xing was stabbed twice, he didn't suffer any fatal injuries and could still hold on for a while. However, if no one came to his rescue, continuing like this would only lead to defeat and death. Zhao Xing regretted it deeply in his heart, thinking that he shouldn't have meddled in other people's business, running to Zhang Fei's residence to see some beauty, and also thinking that the trip to Luoyang was too simple, even if he had brought either Zhang Liao or Zhao Yun with him, he wouldn't have ended up fleeing for his life on the streets.

  Can't win, can't escape, only fight to the death! Anyway, this life is extra, at worst, just die again! Zhao Xing comforted himself in his heart, boosted his morale, and used a desperate move, fighting with all his might. The dagger in his left hand moved swiftly and unpredictably, making the middle-aged swordsman cautious and slowing down his attack speed.

  The middle-aged swordsman's attack speed had indeed slowed down, but that didn't mean the danger was eliminated. At this time, the middle-aged swordsman's moves became more and more sinister and ruthless, every move aimed at Zhao Xing's vital points. As long as Zhao Xing wasn't careful for a moment, he would lose his life to the other's sword in the next instant. Zhao Xing had no other choice but to grit his teeth and hold on, enduring one moment after another.

  Just as Zhao Xing was slightly distracted, the middle-aged swordsman thrust his long sword forward, heading straight for Zhao Xing's heart. Just as it was about to pierce through Zhao Xing's warrior robe, a sudden change occurred - a flying dagger appeared out of nowhere and collided with the long sword, deflecting its path. Zhao Xing barely dodged this fatal blow. "You dare, you scoundrel! Watch my sword!" As he spoke, a figure emerged from the darkness, charging straight at the middle-aged swordsman.

  In Zhao Xing's eyes, the middle-aged swordsman who intercepted him had already achieved a state of perfection in his swordsmanship, but compared to this mysterious man in black, there was still a certain gap. The man in black wielded his long sword with lightness and agility, swinging it effortlessly as if he were strolling through clouds and flowing water, and with just a few movements, he struck his opponent with such force that they could hardly defend themselves. Seeing that the mysterious man's martial arts skills surpassed his own, the swordsman had the intention of leaving, and from the opening of his chest, he pulled out several black balls and threw them at the feet of the man in black.

  "Puff, boom" A white smoke burst forth, causing people's eyes and noses to burn, breathing rapidly, tears streaming down. When the smoke dissipated, the killer had vanished without a trace.

  Zhao Xing, who was leaning against the wall and panting, quickly covered his mouth and nose with his clothes as soon as he saw the smoke rising, and didn't suffer much harm. The man in black robes had an even higher sense of alertness, and as soon as he saw the white light flashing, he leaped out more than a zhang away, avoiding the smoke.

  "General Zhao was shocked!" The man in black saw that the assassin had already escaped far away, so he stepped forward and saluted Zhao Xing.

  "Thank you, noble knight, for lending a helping hand. Otherwise, I would have lost my life tonight!" Zhao Xing replied with courtesy. "May I ask the noble knight to reveal his esteemed name, so that Zhao Xing can repay the debt of gratitude in the future?"

  "General Zhao, you're being too serious. It's just a small favor, no need to worry about it! I am the master of Yanshan Martial Arts Hall, Liao Dong Wang Yue is my name!" The man in black said with courtesy.

  "Impossible, could it be Wang Yue, the number one swordsmanship master of Eastern Han?" Zhao Xing raised a question in his heart, and enthusiastically said: "I have long admired the great name of Wang Xiaoshi, today I finally get to see you, it's an honor for three lifetimes!"

  Wang Yue was delighted to hear Zhao Xing's praise, and he quickly took out the golden wound medicine powder that he had been carrying with him and handed it over. "This is my own prepared golden wound medicine powder, specially used to treat knife wounds, please ask General Zhao to stop the bleeding and treat it quickly!"

  With the support of Wang Yue, Zhao Xing sat in the carriage that had lost its four walls, tore open his outer garment, and slowly sprinkled the golden wound medicine powder onto the wound. Under the moonlight, Zhao Xing saw that this medicine powder was fine and white like flour, warm to the flesh, and did not sting, with an excellent hemostatic effect, reminding him of something he often used in his previous life - Yunnan Baiyao! Zhao Xing's mind moved, while treating his injuries, he chatted with Wang Yue.

  "I've heard that at the age of 18, Wang Da Xia single-handedly stormed Helan Mountain and brought back the head of the Qiang tribe's leader, making a name for himself in the northern border. By the time he was 30, he was unmatched under heaven, truly a heroic figure with an air of grandeur!"

  "General Zhao, I'm so fed up! Even if my martial arts skills are unmatched in the world, within Luoyang City, I'm still just a lowly person in the eyes of the wealthy and powerful families. Even though I've become the Crown Prince's martial arts instructor now, I still can't get any recognition from him!" Wang Yue let out a sigh of frustration, pouring out his grievances to Zhao Xing.

  Confirmed that the man in black opposite him was indeed a descendant of Wang Yue, a famous swordsman from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Zhao Xing no longer had any intention of recruiting him. Because he knew that Wang Yue's desire for fame and fortune was extremely strong, his heart was set on making a name for himself in Luoyang, changing his commoner status, and with his current position and power, it was impossible to recruit him. Zhao Xing thought that since he couldn't recruit him, he would make friends with him instead, laying an emotional foundation for future use.

  "I heard that Master Wang has opened the Yanshan Martial Arts Academy in Luoyang City, and wants to send some of our young disciples to study under him. Is this possible?" Zhao Xing planned to adopt a roundabout strategy to save the country, preparing to send the students of the Sleeping Tiger Class to Luoyang City for training in batches, with Yanshan Martial Arts Academy as their destination.

  "General Zhao is so young and already holds a high rank of third grade, why doesn't he personally train his subordinates to give them a good future?" Wang Yue asked with some surprise. What Wang Yue meant was that the disciples taught by his own martial arts school were only ordinary warriors who could only serve as guards or be raised as family loyalists, far inferior to following General Zhao who had a chance to rise to prominence.

  "Wang Da Xia is too modest, the ancients said: 'The greatest hero, for the country and the people.' I hope that in the future, the young men of our village will be like Wang Da Xia, brave enough to enter the tiger's lair alone, and take the heads of the Xianbei, Qiang and Hu leaders, to help the great Han dynasty slay demons and evil!" Zhao Xing said with a serious face.

  This hat is worn with a level! It not only praised Wang Yue for the country and the people, but also showed that Zhao Xing's purpose of cultivating swordsmen was not to rebel, but to cultivate talents for the country! Wang Yue felt very comfortable after hearing this, and readily agreed.

  "General Zhao, you're injured now, let me escort you back to your mansion!" Wang Yue said with a eager face. The young man in front of him was evaluated by the emperor as a talent comparable to Huo Yun and Yao, his future prospects were boundless, and getting along well with him would be greatly beneficial for himself!

  "Then I'll have to trouble you, Great Hero Wang!" As for Wang Yue's proposal, Zhao Xing was more than happy to accept. Even if Wang Yue hadn't brought it up himself, Zhao Xing had been prepared to speak up with a thick face. Since Wang Yue had taken the initiative to say so, it just proved that this big hat he had spent money on was still very valuable, at least in the eyes of ordinary people, it was also a symbol of power and status.

  As the two were still talking, they saw a team of people with torches rushing over from afar. A black-faced man in his twenties was sitting on horseback, directing and commanding, with a dignified appearance. He loudly said: "Surround this place, don't let the violent thugs escape!"