NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: Fierce Battle
Chapter 16: Fierce Battle
The full moon hung silently in the sky. On this summer night, the grassy field was eerily devoid of cricket chirps. Only the night breeze rustled through, the swaying leaves creating a sharp, sandy friction that stood out with striking clarity.
Under the moonlight, the two figures faced each other in a delicate, tense standoff.
You Su’s sneak attack had succeeded by sheer luck. He didn’t dare press the assault any further, instead holding his sword in a defensive stance, awaiting the counterstrike.
Elder Ling’s pupils burned red as he glared at You Su, his gaze dripping with hatred that yearned to tear the boy apart piece by piece. His once kind face had turned into something grotesque and terrifying.
Yet Elder Ling hadn’t let his anger cloud his judgment. On the contrary, he was unnervingly calm.
Recalling the boy’s series of actions, Elder Ling couldn’t help but admire his cunning performance. First, he’d feigned weakness to lower Elder Ling’s guard. Then he’d lured him into close quarters, striking when Elder Ling’s arms were extended and his defenses were at their weakest. The plan was nothing short of insidious. To think that he, who prided himself on outwitting others, had for once been successfully outmaneuvered.
Elder Ling tapped his chest three times – pa pa pa – stopping the flow of blood. The sword hadn’t pierced his vital organs, but it had still left a notable wound. He was in no hurry to retaliate. With a cold sneer, he asked, “When did you figure it out?”
“The first glance,” You Su replied, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword, fully on guard.
“Oh? Why?”
“I’ve raised dogs before. When that Lantern Ghost saw you, it didn’t react like it was facing an enemy – it acted like it was facing its master.”
“Hah, that’s it?” Elder Ling flicked his sleeve.
“The person the Lantern Ghost ate – I knew him. It was Uncle He from the Guardian Firmament Sect.”
Elder Ling froze, obviously surprised by this answer. “Weren’t you blind since childhood?” he asked, incredulous. “How could you see that fool?”
“I am blind, but Uncle He was not always a fool. When I was seven years old, he offended my master and came to apologize. Master called him ‘Little Bald Worm’ because he was bald and had a dragon tattooed on his head. I never saw it, but I remembered it.” You Su spoke calmly, tilting his head slightly to catch even the faintest of Elder Ling’s movements. “I doubt your younger brother would share that nickname by chance.”
Elder Ling suddenly let out a relieved laugh. He genuinely hadn’t expected that the solitary, dim-witted cultivator he’d chosen to sacrifice for his ruse would be recognized by You Su. It also confirmed a startling truth: this blind boy had seen through his façade from their very first meeting and had been playing along all the time, waiting for this moment of betrayal.
“Boy, you’ve really given me quite a few surprises.”
“You flatter me, Elder. Compared to the surprises you have in store for me, this is nothing.” You Su remained composed, neither arrogant nor submissive.
“You Su, you little shit. If you’d just obediently followed my orders, your little family would have suffered a bit and died quietly in this soundproof formation. But now? It won’t be so pleasant.”
Elder Ling’s laugh turned sinister. His face paled abruptly to a ghastly white, the corners of his mouth and eyes splitting slightly. The aged skin peeled away, revealing a withered face beneath, crisscrossed with dark, wriggling bloodlines that resembled leeches crawling across it.
“I’ll turn you into a human pig-no, I’ll keep your ears! I’ll make you listen, day and night, to your junior sister and mistress screaming as they are ravaged by those lowly evil spirits. What a delightful-“
You Su didn’t let Elder Ling finish. With a strike he’d been building up, he thrust his sword forward, the blade slicing through the air with a sharp, cracking gust, aimed straight at Elder Ling’s heart.
Elder Ling’s frenzied laughter didn’t falter, his torn mouth stretching gruesomely toward his ears. His left hand, bony as a withered branch, conjured an invisible surge of force that briefly stalled You Su’s momentum. Simultaneously, his right hand formed a two-fingered sword gesture, deflecting You Su’s formidable strike from the side.
In this split-second clash, Elder Ling’s deflecting fingers stung slightly. He marveled inwardly – this child’s sword rivaled the quality of a spirit blade. The more he saw, the less he could fathom this blind boy.
Yet his expression remained one of assured victory. “What is it? Can’t bear to hear it? Well, you’ve got a lot more to hear. I’ve seen your junior sister from afar-“
He didn’t finish. You Su’s next strike came barreling in.
You Su wasn’t stupid. He could tell that Elder Ling was deliberately goading him – and he had to admit, it was working.
Elder Ling hastily retreated to form a hand seal, but You Su, well aware of a sword cultivator’s advantage, pressed forward relentlessly, leaving no room for respite.
The first time You Su had disarmed him, Elder Ling had dismissed it as minor talent. Only now, struggling to parry, did he realize that You Su with a sword in hand was not to be underestimated.
Elder Ling’s right hand whipped out a talisman, and with a bellow-“Explode!”-a powerful blast erupted between them, kicking up a storm of sand and broken grass. When the dust settled, Elder Ling’s gaunt frame had transformed into something unnaturally towering, his body swollen with explosive, blood-red muscles. Paired with his narrow head, he looked utterly bizarre.
Elder Ling reveled in the surging power coursing through him, his expression a mix of agony and ecstasy.
He commanded three tamed evil spirits. The Lantern Ghost and the Dream Centipede, both of the dream realm, were tools to bewilder minds. But this third one, the Red Flesh Ghost of the Blood and Flesh Realm, he kept hidden within his body, nourishing it daily with his own flesh and blood. It was his trump card, granting him a formidable physique in critical moments – one that even masked his own aura.
Elder Ling grew irritated. With a light step, he instantly vanished, his speed now several times faster than before.
Before You Su could react, a stinking iron fist slammed into his jaw, sending him flying backwards. You Su scrambled to steady himself, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He couldn’t comprehend how Elder Ling had so suddenly undergone such a drastic change-his perception couldn’t even keep up. Just a few moments ago, everything had been within his calculations.
But Elder Ling did not give him time to think. Like a tempest, a barrage of fists battered You Su’s defenses. Even his sharp sword was useless now, and he was beaten back step by step.
In a flash, You Su’s blurred vision caught something startling: amidst the haze, a towering, blood-red figure emerged, just like when he’d glimpsed the Lantern Ghost. He knew it-this was Elder Ling! He was indeed an evil cultivator, taming and wielding the power of evil spirits!
Elder Ling paused, looking down at You Su with disdain as if eyeing a lamb ready for slaughter. His next punch, he decided, would be measured – just enough to cripple the boy. But this unstoppable blow didn’t land solidly on You Su.
You Su dodged! In an instant, he flipped behind Elder Ling and swung his sword at the elder. Yet the blade struck as if hitting steel, failing to leave even a scratch.
With a wave of his massive hand, Elder Ling sent You Su flying again, stirring up a gust of sinister wind. He wouldn’t give the boy another chance. His ferocious attack poured out like a tidal wave.
Yet You Su, like a grasshopper in the reeds, kept slipping through his attacks with uncanny agility. Elder Ling couldn’t understand it-why had this kid suddenly become so nimble? Even a hidden yin-loaded punch failed to connect, causing him to finally growl, “Can you fucking see me?”
Only then did Elder Ling notice, with a jolt of shock, that You Su’s eyes no longer distinguished pupil from white – they were an unbroken expanse of inky black.
In the dim starlight of the night, Elder Ling felt that he was the true monster.