The Ten Canvases

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Once everything finally died down, Xiang Yang swaddled a robe around Zhao Wanyan’s shoulders and let her sit in his arms. Zhao Wanyan scrutinized the crimson among the bushes and memories from just moments prior to resurface in her mind. Before the blush on her cheeks dissipated, another flow of blood gushed into her face.

“Wanyan!” Xiang Yang whispered, eliciting a grin from Zhao Wanyan. He then asked, “Are you worn out? Did I hurt you just now?” Zhao Wanyan tittered. “I’m okay.” She lowered her head in thought for a moment before adding, “Big Brother Xiang, we went behind everyone else’s back and did this sort of thing, we must not… We must not let my parents find out about this.” Xiang Yang laughed in response. “That’s right, perhaps I ought to start preparing a betrothal gift. It’s too bad that I’m homeless and jobless, so I must put more thought into it.” Zhao Wanyan beamed at him. “That’s alright! My father has always been worried that I’d refuse to wed. If I actively chose someone… surely nothing can go wrong, right?” Xiang Yang let out another laugh. “You’ll know if I suddenly turn rotten someday.” Zhao Wanyan giggled elegantly. “You won’t.”

All of a sudden, Xiang Yan hoisted Zhao Wanyan into his arms bridal style and guffawed. “How about I show you the bad side of me?” As he cheekily said it, he turned to kiss her between her mounds. Though Zhao Wanyan could not be more familiar with his roguish behavior, that did not stop her from getting flustered about it. Struggling to break free, she chortled, “Stop fooling around!”

Out of the blue, a holler came from afar. “Shameless gangster, let go out of our young lady!” Xiang Yang’s heart skipped a beat as he spotted three men charging at him the moment he looked up. Their pattering feet hit the ground at lightning speed, and not surprisingly, it was likely that they knew martial arts. It seemed they were reaching in the blink of an eye as they shouted in unison, “Get ready to die, you shameless gangster!” The power of all three of them combined was undeniably formidable.

Zhao Wanyan flew into a panic, yelling back, “Please stop, he’s not…”

Xiang Yang did not wait for Zhao Wanyan to plead on his behalf. He clenched his left hand and shuffled in front of her so she was shielded behind him. Raising his right palm, he chanted, “Six palms against one, but one move is all we need!” This palm was his key resource, “Nine Consecutive Thunder Palms”. Named after the Thunder Drum utilized by the Yellow Emperor in the war with Chi You, it was said that the sound from this drum could blast into the sky and extend five hundred miles away. Beating the drum nine times in a row bestowed upon the Yellow Emperor’s army its prestige, and thus Chi You was swiftly defeated in one blow. With this “Nine Consecutive Thunder Palms”, every move of his was mighty and ferocious, and he could be deemed resilient and invincible.

The three men were most adept at working together with their skill of six joined palms. Not only was it quick and brutal, but also foolproof. To their horror, when Xiang Yang’s palm came into contact with their attack, the force from him instantly diminished the power of two palms. The repercussion of the Thunder Palm then warded off another two palms. As for the remaining two palms, a third Thunder Palm immediately routed them before they could reach the enemy. The three men’s trump card was astonishingly vanquished by the three strengths of one palm. Before they could recover from their stupefaction, there came another breeze from the fourth Thunder Palm. Caught off guard, the three sustained this immense force at the same time, stumbling a few steps back on their wobbly feet before dropping to the ground. As they felt their chests tighten, their faces went ghastly pale.

Xiang Yang cackled out loud and turned to Zhao Wanyan. “These are the people who came to look for you?” Zhao Wanyan nodded hesitantly and said, “Yes, but I… Ah, be careful!” As she spoke the last two words, her tone transformed in a flash, stricken with dismay. Concurrently, Xiang Yang could sense a chill at the back of his neck, and amid his confusion, he scurried aside with hurried steps. Whipping his head back to look, he noticed that, sure enough, a beacon of light from the sword diverged before his eyes. Wielding the sword was a middle-aged Taoist. If his response was even just a tad bit delayed, he would have been slain by the neck by now.

Taken by surprise, the Taoist bellowed, “What a wicked thief, he’s got some skills!” Right before his words faded in the air, the beam of the blade flickered incessantly, brewing a chaotic scene. The long sword seemed to have morphed into green and white clouds of fog, which enshrouded Xiang Yang in a four-foot circle and lugged him away from Zhao Wanyan. Xiang Yang looked around, seeing that the light from the sword was highly staggered, such that even the figure of that Taoist was obstructed from his view. Met with such a phenomenal opponent after having the time of his life, Xiang Yang was beyond exhilarated. His spirit was lifted and, following a thunderous howl, he struck his Nine Consecutive Thunder Palms into the air. A deafening boom reverberated in their ears and before anyone realized a thing, the long sword was struck and shattered into two fragments, which were then launched mid-air.