Desperados Attack - Chapter 60 - Burning Embrace

The moon was low in the sky!

Duan Pingzhang made no move, and neither did Su Xinghe.

Duan Pingzhang considered this a sign he had met a true master, for Su Xinghe exuded an aura unlike any he had encountered in the Jianghu or among the martial arts world.

Su Xinghe’s reluctance to attack was purely because the man before him was considerably stronger-although he was loath to admit it, he knew his limits.

With slow, deliberate steps, Su Xinghe moved forward, contemplating a decisive strike, but such feats were easier imagined than executed.

A subtle shift in his eyes, and Su Xinghe saw Duan Pingzhang’s hands hanging loosely, not bothering to engage. In a fierce motion, he lunged forward, his sword thrusting towards his opponent.

Su Xinghe’s heart raced to his throat; he wanted nothing more than to end it with one thrust, knowing full well he lacked the strength for a prolonged battle.

As Duan Pingzhang surged forward, Su Xinghe saw it as a suicidal move. His own forward thrust meant that his opponent should dodge to one side or the other, and he would adjust his stance to follow. However, Duan Pingzhang did neither, charging straight on. If Su Xinghe’s strike landed, he would gain the upper hand, but if Duan continued his charge, even a successful hit could leave Su Xinghe in a perilous position.

With these thoughts, Su Xinghe abruptly withdrew his sword, pulling back all his internal energy into his body. A burst of blood spewed from his mouth with a loud “wa.”

He had been caught off guard by Duan Pingzhang’s counterintuitive rush, momentarily losing his composure, resulting in severe injury and spitting blood.

“You!”

Blood sprayed from Su Xinghe’s mouth, a tremendous force overwhelming him. Looking up, he realized he had fallen into Duan Pingzhang’s trap.

With a clatter, his sword fell to the ground.

His hands were now bound by the immortal rope used by Duan Pingzhang. Desperate not to die without a fight, Su Xinghe kicked fiercely upward with his right foot, aiming low.

Duan Pingzhang, seeing this, swiftly stepped back. His reaction was so much quicker than Su Xinghe’s that the kick missed entirely.

“Heh heh, quite ruthless, Ge’er,” Duan Pingzhang taunted. “Using tricks fit for children’s fights; are you trying to end my lineage?”

Fury built up in Su Xinghe. Already harboring no goodwill towards Duan Pingzhang and now facing the prospect of defeat coupled with his mockery, he was incensed.

“You… you… I want you dead!”

Realizing he had been outmaneuvered and nearly lost his life in the process, Su Xinghe silently resolved that nothing would deter him from his intention to kill Duan Pingzhang.

He sheathed his sword.

Suddenly, an electric whip formed from Black Lightning shot toward Duan Pingzhang.

“What? This can’t be possible!”

Duan Pingzhang was alarmed by the sight of the Black Lightning, momentarily shaken out of his usual grace.

Is Black Lightning so rare?

Indeed, Black Lightning is rare. According to legend, only the Ancient Times figures Nüwa¹ and Fuxi² could wield such lightning spells.

“Thunder,” being the strongest spell in the world, was beyond human mastery. When Nüwa and Fuxi had their first child, Ren, his initial spell was Black Lightning. After his parents ascended and became deities, they left Ren with the unique skill. Believing in equality, Ren split the thunder techniques into two: White Lightning, which could only be mastered by those with pure hearts, and Black Lightning, which demanded even more purity and righteousness.

Su Xinghe was hardly worth mentioning, yet Duan Pingzhang suddenly faced this attacking Black Lightning, as formidable as a giant serpent.

Reacting swiftly, Duan Pingzhang tried to intercept Su Xinghe, clenching his fists as flames surged into his palms.

Black Lightning’s power was formidable, the very technique Duan Pingzhang had longed to learn. Seeing the weaker Su Xinghe wield it instead, Duan Pingzhang cursed under his breath. With Black Lightning closing in, he reached for a mirror behind him, capturing Su Xinghe’s swift attack with the mirror’s mysterious power.

He leapt into the air, hovering gracefully as his clothes fluttered in the wind.

Sure enough, a black bolt descended from the sky, aiming straight at Su Xinghe.

Startled, Su Xinghe realized he had no technique to counter such a move, having always relied on offensive swordplay.

“Dodge!”

Unable to evade, Su Xinghe took the hit squarely in the chest, a blow far stronger than any he had dealt earlier.

The Black Lightning burned away much of his clothing, leaving Su Xinghe sprawled on the ground, his chest charred and smoldering. If not for his faintly moving lips, one might have assumed him dead.

“You there, young lady, let me avenge you.”

A tall young woman stepped forward.

“Oh? How do you propose to do that?”

“Allow me to take off his head and present it to the young lady as a ball for her amusement.”

The tall woman, seeing Su Xinghe lying motionless, drew a dagger concealed in her boot and moved to strike him down.

The strike aimed directly to take Su Xinghe’s head, but beheading someone isn’t so simple.

Unconscious though he was, Su Xinghe mysteriously dodged the blow. It was uncanny-despite being asleep, whenever someone attacked him, he would instinctively defend himself. This baffling phenomenon left many bewildered.

When the maid struck from above, Su Xinghe’s defenses shifted upward; when she aimed low, his defenses adjusted accordingly. In short, his guard remained impenetrable no matter the angle of attack.

“Stand aside!” Duan Pingzhang exclaimed, observing Su Xinghe’s instinctive defenses even in slumber. “In that case, it’s up to me.”

Cupped in his hands were blazing golden dragons, a move meant to finish Su Xinghe decisively.

His palms held merging flames, forming the “Karma Fire”-the very technique he had employed before. Karma Fire is known to be a flame capable of consuming all.

The fire grew larger as Duan Pingzhang released it, sending it cascading onto Su Xinghe.

Suddenly animated, Su Xinghe writhed under the attack of the eternal blaze, his previous arrogance vanished, replaced by cries of agony as he rolled desperately on the ground.

Footnote:

1. Nüwa(女娲):A creator goddess in Chinese mythology, she is said to have created humanity and mended the heavens with five-colored stones. She is known for her great power and wisdom.
2. Fuxi(伏羲):A progenitor and cultural hero in Chinese mythology, regarded as one of the ancestors of the Chinese people.