madnovel Chapter 17 Japanese Goods
Chapter 17 Japanese Goods
In a flash, Zhou Xing didn't think of anything.
His left arm instinctively swung backward, neither dodging nor avoiding, heading straight for that cold glint!
"Sizzle—"
The sound of tearing cloth.
The dagger struck the arm, but it was like cutting through thick, oil-soaked leather. The blade slipped, only slicing open the outer garment and leaving a white mark on the skin, without penetrating the flesh.
It was that obsession with the bone bell that dissolved the [human puppet form]!
The shadowy figure exclaimed in surprise, "Eh!" Having missed its attack, it didn't linger. Instead, it used the momentum to flip backward, like a startled raccoon, and was about to retreat back into the shadows against the wall.
Zhou Xing didn't give him that chance.
The left arm that was blocking went down and hooked in the same direction, and it was the Wing Chun "Bang Shou" that turned into "Tan Shou". The five fingers were like hooks and lightning-fast grabbed the wrist of the black shadow holding the knife!
The shadowy figure flicked his wrist, reversing the dagger and slashing at Zhou Xing's knuckles.
At the same time, his left hand swept from his waist, and three points of dark light silently shot towards Zhou Xing's face.
Shuriken!
With his head and neck slightly tilted, Zhou Xing could clearly see the trajectory of those few dark lights through his listening skills.
He raised his right hand, his five fingers like those of a pipa, and plucked it three times in the air.
"Ding, ding, ding!"
The three rhomboid shuriken were deflected with precision, striking the earthen wall and scattering a few sparks.
With a flick of his left wrist, his forearm wrapped around the stick like a vine, sticking to the outside of the opponent's dagger. He used a "spreading hand" to neutralize the force and a "sticky hand" to grab the person.
With a press, a push, and a peck, he firmly gripped the shadowy figure's wrist!
It felt cool and slippery to the touch, like holding a live loach.
The shadowy figure's wrist twitched and retracted, seemingly boneless, and slipped from Zhou Xing's fingers!
At the same time, he raised his right foot and kicked Zhou Xing straight in the groin, a vicious and ruthless move.
Zhou Xing raised his knee to block, his shinbone slamming into the opponent's ankle with a dull thud.
The other party cried out in pain and retreated hastily. With a flick of his sleeve, a cloud of black smoke exploded with a "poof," carrying a pungent sulfurous smell that instantly filled half of the alley.
Ninjutsu: Smoke Release!
Zhou Xing activated his full listening skill. Despite the smoke obscuring his vision, his hair stood on end, and he could already "hear" a very subtle disturbance in the airflow three steps to his left...
That direction... was none other than the terrified He Jiu and his mother inside the house!
Zhou Xing's eyes turned cold. He twisted his waist and legs and shot to the door like an arrow, blocking He Jiu and his mother before the shadowy figure could reach them.
The shadowy figure stopped abruptly, thrusting out the dagger once more, aiming straight for Zhou Xing's throat.
This stab was faster and more venomous, carrying a chilling force.
Zhou Xing lowered his stance, mounted his horse, and with a "plowing hand" motion of his left hand, deflected the dagger outwards.
With his right index and middle fingers brought together like a sword, he aimed precisely at the shadowy figure's vulnerable spot in the ribs!
A burst of powerful energy!
With a muffled "thud," it felt like rotten leather.
The dark figure shuddered violently, let out a muffled groan, and used the force to fly backward.
He lashed out with another handful of caltrops, smashing open the half-closed wooden door and tumbling into the dimly lit alley outside.
Without dodging or yielding, Zhou Xing unleashed a flurry of kicks, sending scattered stools and broken pottery flying and clanging as they smashed through the barbed wire, clearing a path.
Outside the small house, the alley was narrow and cluttered with debris.
The shadowy figure vanished the moment it landed, as if disappearing into thin air, leaving not a sound even as it breathed.
Zhou Xingli stood in the alley, slowly adjusting his breathing, his pores opening slightly, and his listening energy reaching its peak.
The whistling of the wind at the alley entrance, the faint sound of car wheels in the distance, the night cries of the baby next door... countless subtle sounds surged in.
And beneath these sounds, he "heard"...
Behind the pile of broken wooden crates to the left front, a barely perceptible, deliberately suppressed heartbeat;
And there was that faint breathing.
Zhou Xing remained calm and composed, seemingly oblivious, and slowly turned to his right, his back to the pile of wooden crates.
Just as he turned around!
A dark figure suddenly appeared from behind the wooden crate!
His body twisted strangely in the air, gliding like a bat. He had already put away his dagger and replaced it with a cross-shaped iron awl, which he viciously stabbed at Zhou Xing's neck!
A sharp whistle pierced the air; this strike clearly carried the force of Ming Jin (a type of internal energy).
If it were truly struck, even with a puppet protecting him, his neck would still suffer severe damage.
At the same time, three cross-shaped darts shot towards the back of Zhou Xing's head!
Zhou Xing seemed to have eyes in the back of his head.
At the same instant the shadowy figure sprang up, he pushed off with his feet, his body not advancing but retreating, crashing backward violently!
It is Wing Chun's close-quarters combat technique – "Bang Shen Kao"!
The impact was both fierce and sudden. The shadowy figure was in mid-air with no way to avoid it and had to retract the iron spike, crossing his arms to protect his chest.
"Bang!"
They collided head-on!
The dark figure was thrown backward by the impact, and the cross-shaped dart also missed its mark, grazing past Zhou Xing's shoulder.
Zhou Xing, seizing the advantage, pressed forward relentlessly, twisting his hips to get close to the body, his right fist like a spear, suddenly thrusting out from under his ribs.
Sun-shaped punch!
The double punches struck in quick succession, short and explosive, penetrating to the very tip of the fist, creating a series of crackling sounds as they blasted through the air!
The dark figure parried the attack in a disheveled manner, his arms going numb from the impact, and his steps faltering.
Zhou Xing seized the opportunity and kicked the shin of the opponent's supporting leg with his right foot like an iron plow!
"Snap!"
A clear sound of bone cracking.
The dark figure groaned and swayed to the side. He then used the iron awl in his hand to stab Zhou Xing in the abdomen again.
Zhou Xing spread out the iron cone with his left hand, and with his right hand, he shot out a spear like lightning, aiming straight for the dark figure's throat!
The shadowy figure recoiled in shock, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound to the throat, but leaving its chest wide open.
Zhou Xing changed his fingers into a fist, and his inch-force exploded twice within a small space, and the punch landed solidly on the black shadow's chest!
"Thump!"
Like beating a heavy drum.
The shadowy figure was sent flying into the air by the blow, crashing into the earthen wall of the alley before slowly sliding down.
He struggled to stand up, but coughed up a mouthful of foamy blood, and his eyes quickly became unfocused.
Zhou walked forward, kicked away the iron awl beside him, squatted down, and pulled off the black cloth covering the shadowy figure's face.
An ordinary, even somewhat immature face, about twenty years old, with traces of blood still remaining at the corner of his mouth.
The bitter almond flavor is stronger now.
Zhou Xing reached out and pried open his mouth, and sure enough, he saw that one of his back molars was missing, with traces of wax seal remaining, and the venom sac had been bitten open.
"A charity? Ninjas?"
Zhou Xing asked in a low voice.
The shadowy figure stared intently at him, making a hoarse sound in its throat, unable to speak.
A few seconds later, his head lolled to the side, and he died.
Zhou Xing stepped forward and searched the person; besides some odds and ends, all he found was the dagger.
The blade gleamed with a bluish light, and the aroma of bitter almonds filled the nostrils.
He turned the knife over and saw a tiny, chrysanthemum-shaped engraving.
Japanese goods.
He stood up and shook his wrist.
The alleyway fell silent again, with only the faint sounds of the city in the distance.
Back inside, the oil lamp was still lit. He Jiu held the terrified old woman tightly, the two huddled in a corner, their faces deathly pale.
He Jiu was afraid of death, but not that afraid. After spending so many days in prison, he had thought about death a hundred times over.
What he feared was the old woman in his arms.
The moment we met, before the warmth of our first meeting had even dissipated, the razor blade was handed to me.
"Are you... alright?"
He Jiu's voice trembled violently.
"He's dead."
Zhou Xing said, looking at the neat cut on his left sleeve, there was only a faint red mark on the skin inside.
"Pack your things and leave right away. We can't stay here any longer."
He Jiu looked at the red mark, then at Zhou Xing's calm face, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"He...came for me?"
He asked in a trembling voice.
Zhou Xing didn't answer. He walked to the door and looked at the dimly lit alley outside.
"They're coming for me."
He spoke slowly.
Just a moment ago, Han Muxia's ring in my arms felt slightly warm. Eight more foreigners are needed to dispel this obsession.
The ninja outside must be from the East.
He is also a member of a charity.
Based on information from the police station, they were becoming increasingly anxious due to the frequent murders.
This time, they didn't even resort to slow, elaborate schemes; instead, they directly dispatched assassins to clear the area.
And he himself had clearly returned to their sights.
The ninjas sent this time already possessed Ming Jin strength; next time…
The trip to the ghost market was a must-do.
There, one can both improve their skills and gather clues.
"At three-quarters past midnight tonight, at the old ferry crossing."
Zhou Xing's voice was calm, as if the life-or-death struggle had never happened. "Get ready."
He Jiu held his still-shaken mother, looked at the black-clad corpse on the ground, then at Zhou Xing's calm, almost cold profile, and swallowed hard.
This police officer is too sinister.
But then he remembered Zhou Xing's back as he stood in front of him and his mother.
However, he doesn't seem like a bad person.
"I'll listen to...I'll listen to you."