Ten days later.
…
In the ancestral home, Lin Zhao was bent over the Huangli wood desk in the main hall, diligently drawing talismans. He had already memorized the two most basic beginner talismans from the military talisman handbook left by his third senior brother, so Lin Zhao had begun practicing more complex "bravery talismans." The so-called bravery talisman was similar to a talisman that could enhance one's courage and combat power. The construction of the talisman was very intricate, with strange shapes of the characters for "bravery" at the talisman's core, resembling two soldiers holding halberds and confronting each other.
The first bravery talisman was completed five days ago. Lin Zhao tried it once, and the effect was average. However, after five days of research and practice, Lin Zhao's bravery talismans had become much more orderly and less scattered. With a grand sweep of his brush, his inner true qi flowed into the talisman's core along with the brushstrokes, and a new bravery talisman was finished!
"Lin Zhao!"
Beside him, Zhang Liucheng, squatting on a chair to observe, asked, "Are these bravery talismans really useful?"
"Yes, but not very useful."
Lin Zhao replied, "I'm only using the simplest yellow paper, and the cinnabar is also of the lowest quality. Moreover, my intent and mastery in writing talismans are not yet sufficient, so the usefulness of this bravery talisman might only be a little bit, and it won't sell for much money."
"Oh…"
Zhang Liucheng was a little disappointed and said, "I thought you were already that formidable. No choice, wait until I become a Sword Immortal, and you can be my lackey!"
"Get lost!"
Lin Zhao retorted, annoyed.
"Hahaha~~~"
The mischievous boy brandished his wooden sword and ran out of the room.
…
Afternoon.
Two outsiders arrived in the town one after another. One was carrying a tool bag, a pot mender. The other was a seller of candied hawthorn sticks. Every household in the town used iron pots, and the thinner the iron pots, the more likely they were to develop leaks. Furthermore, there were many children in the town, and their favorite treat was candied hawthorn. Thus, these two types of people, along with a peddler, were never lacking in the town.
Evening.
The pot mender bought two sesame seed cakes and sat on a severely damaged small stone bridge, eating them. Beside him, the candied hawthorn seller placed his straw bundles aside and took out his own baked flatbread to eat. There were still a few strings of candied hawthorn left unsold on the straw bundles.
…
In the nearby grass, two people were hiding. One was a beautiful swordswoman with long, fair legs. The other was a male mage in a robe. Both of them stared ahead with wide eyes.
"These two people…"
Leng Yan looked at the pot mender and the candied hawthorn seller and said, "One is called Shi Shi Jia, the other Shi Shi Yi. Can the system be any more perfunctory with its names?"
Xian Bai nodded. "Beauty Leng Yan is absolutely right. I think so too. Lin Zhao and his group will be here soon. Judging by their NPC levels, Lin Zhao is crushed and likely heading for certain death."
"Not necessarily."
Leng Yan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I see Lin Zhao practicing martial arts every day; he's extremely diligent. And didn't he make quite a stir a while ago when he ate a high-grade White Tree Fruit? Those two 'Shi Shi' look like villains. I hope Lin Zhao wins."
Xian Bai smiled lazily. "I, on the other hand, hope the two 'Shi Shi' win."
"Why?"
"Because if the 'Shi Shi' win, we can mercilessly clean up the mess, kill these two 'Shi Shi,' and then take the ancient sword behind Lin Zhao. But if Lin Zhao wins? Would you have the heart to kill Lin Zhao and take his sword?"
"Indeed."
Leng Yan frowned. "Let's watch for now and see how things unfold. In any case, we won't intervene until the outcome is decided."
"Yes, Beauty Leng Yan is indeed exceptionally wise!"
Xian Bai chuckled.
Leng Yan rolled her eyes. She really didn't want to bother with this exceptionally good-looking scoundrel, who was renowned as the "Number One Playboy on the National Server."
…
At this moment, three figures slowly approached from a distance. It was Lin Zhao and Xiao Shitong, picking up Xiao Jiu'er from school.
"Hey~~~ Little brother!"
The candied hawthorn seller stood up, grabbed his straw bundles, and said with a smile, "My candied hawthorn is two copper coins a piece. Look, there are only four left today. How about I charge you four copper coins for all of them? Please help me sell these so I can go home down the mountain."
The pot mender, chewing on his sesame seed cake, couldn't be bothered to look over.
"Brother Lin Zhao!"
Xiao Jiu'er pursed her lips and smiled, raising her hand in a salute. She said pitifully, "I promise I'll listen carefully to Teacher's lectures tomorrow!"
"I understand…"
Lin Zhao affectionately patted the little girl's head and said with a smile, "Then sell them to me. Four copper coins it is."
"Thank you, thank you!"
The candied hawthorn seller quickly pulled the candied hawthorn sticks from the straw bundles. Lin Zhao's gaze flickered as he noticed that the man's palms were covered in thick calluses, especially on the inner side of his thumb, a characteristic of a martial artist who grips a blade or sword. Furthermore, as he handed over the candied hawthorn, he held the body of the stick instead of the handle.
Something is fishy!
Just as the man handed over the candied hawthorn, Lin Zhao instinctively pushed Xiao Jiu'er back. Suddenly, he let out a low roar, "Xiao Shitong, protect Xiao Jiu'er well!"
"Swish!"
The opponent suddenly accelerated, and several candied hawthorn sticks were thrust forward. Lin Zhao slanted his body and struck the man's wrist with a punch, causing the candied hawthorn and bamboo sticks to shatter. Revealed were four dark blue steel needles, all coated with poison!
"You brat, quite vigilant!"
The candied hawthorn seller smirked, turning and spinning the needles, thrusting them towards Lin Zhao's temples.
In an instant, as Lin Zhao leaned backward, he fiercely kicked the opponent's leg. Using the force to retreat, he reached into his robe and ignited a bravery talisman. Instantly, the talisman's core glowed, transforming into a streak of fiery red true qi that entered Lin Zhao's body. For a moment, the true qi in his body became more abundant. He sent out a punch with all his might, "Qi Chong Dou Niu Style!"
The opponent immediately threw away the poisoned needles. Once such sneak attacks were discovered, they were useless against a martial artist with a solid foundation in the Fifth Realm. The man crouched, assumed a strange boxing stance, and lunged like a venomous snake towards Lin Zhao's lower body, simultaneously shouting, "What are you waiting for!?"
Not far away, the pot mender laughed heartily, raised a cast-iron pot, and threw it at Lin Zhao. He lunged forward, delivering a punch towards Lin Zhao's flank.
"Bang!"
Lin Zhao punched the iron pot away. With a thought, the boxing intent throughout his body erupted explosively, section by section. He unleashed the most powerful "Zhen Ma Feng Qiang Style" of the Farmer's Three Punches. His speed and strength greatly increased. Coupled with the effect of the bravery talisman, Lin Zhao at this moment could no longer be regarded as a Fifth Realm martial artist.
He twisted his body, evading one of the assassin's punches. He spun in the air, and a lightning-fast hook landed on the opponent's jaw. Immediately, he pressed his left hand on the ground. Lin Zhao's body moved like a loach. With a flick of his toe, he kicked the other assassin's ankle. Then, he rolled out and delivered a heavy punch to the pot mender's abdomen.
Fighting one against two was already a disadvantage, let alone the explosive sounds in the opponents' punches. Both were Sixth Realm warriors at the Kai Shan (Mountain Splitting) realm. In the instant of combat, Lin Zhao had already made up his mind: he had to kill or severely injure one of them first, otherwise he would surely die.
"Pot mender," the man sneered, crossing his arms and instantly grabbing Lin Zhao's incoming punch. He then exerted force and pulled his arms together, sending Lin Zhao flying backward.
"You've got some skills!"
The opponent laughed heartily, "But you still have to die!"
He drew a short knife from behind him. The blade gleamed coldly, clearly tempered and extremely sharp.
"Xiao Shitong!"
Lin Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, "Quick, take Xiao Jiu'er and go get help!"
"Alright!"
Xiao Shitong bent down, and the First Realm martial artist carrying Su Qingjiu sprinted away. Su Qingjiu looked horrified, turning to look at Lin Zhao reluctantly, fearing this might be their last farewell.
…
The two assassins' original targets were not the two children, but only the youth in front of them.
"Go!"
The two attacked from left and right, splitting into two paths. In the next moment, the whistling sounds of the short knife and punches arrived together. Lin Zhao saw clearly and instantly changed his stance. At the cost of taking a punch to his shoulder, he fiercely twisted the arm of the puncher and hid behind him, instantly creating a situation where the pot mender would have to kill his own accomplice to kill Lin Zhao.
"Scram!"
"Pot mender" roared and stabbed with his knife. It still left a shallow wound on Lin Zhao's arm. Fortunately, Lin Zhao's defensive fist aura was robust enough, otherwise this knife might have crippled his arm. At the same time, the knife also grazed the other assassin's neck, leaving a shallow bloodstain.
Lin Zhao sank his body, fighting speed with speed. He immediately used the "Han Di Ba Cong Style" to flick the assassin in front of him upwards. In the next moment, both his fists descended from the sky, "Qi Chong Dou Niu Style!"
"Chiss!"
As the pot mender's short knife pierced into Lin Zhao's shoulder, Lin Zhao's fists heavily struck the opponent's neck. The pot mender was sent flying backward, his eyes filled with deep confusion. Who was this brat? This life-risking fighting style was something only battle-hardened veterans in the army possessed. How old was he?
"Brat!"
The other assassin threw a punch.
Lin Zhao turned and met the attack with his left fist. Instantly, his left fist went numb. He used the momentum to bounce back and unleashed his right fist, delivering a heavy old-fashioned punch to the pot mender's neck. In an instant, the pot mender was almost unconscious. A Sixth Realm martial artist, repeatedly struck in such vital areas, could not withstand it.
"Madman!"
The assassin behind him punched like thunder.
Lin Zhao, enduring another punch to the shoulder from the Kai Shan realm attacker, tumbled forward. He seized the short knife on the ground and, while rolling, lightly brushed it across the throat of the downed pot mender. In the next moment, the pot mender could no longer speak, clutching his throat and convulsing as he waited to die.
"…"
The remaining assassin looked at Lin Zhao and felt a chill. Under the moonlight, the youth's eyes were terrifyingly cold. He too had been a skilled fighter on the battlefield, killing many in countless battles against mountain bandits and suppressing local rebellions. His iron fists had once shattered many bodies. Looking at this youth, he felt an inexplicable chill.
"Your turn!"
Lin Zhao slowly stepped forward, his right hand clenched into a fist, boxing intent flowing. His injured left hand held the short knife, radiating murderous intent.
"Hmph!"
The assassin desperately calmed his mind and then delivered a punch, his fist aura surging!
Lin Zhao also punched. The two fists met, both landing on the opponent's chest. However, as Lin Zhao was hit, his body spun, and the short knife left a deep bloodstain on the opponent's arm. Then, he stumbled backward, swaying precariously. Perhaps a rib in his chest was broken, and he felt on the verge of passing out.
"Bastard!"
The assassin grunted, lowering his body like a beast hunting, his powerful punch, capable of splitting mountains, descended from the air, smashing towards the youth's head.
Lin Zhao smiled faintly and shifted his body sideways. His left shoulder took a punch, and the sound of his shoulder blade cracking echoed. Despite the injury, his boxing intent did not diminish in the slightest. His right fist shot up again, another "Han Di Ba Cong Style." As he punched the opponent's abdomen, Lin Zhao snatched the fallen short knife in mid-air. The blade scraped across the opponent's back, dragging a long wound.
This was all a desperate, life-for-life struggle.
Lin Zhao had no choice but to do this. Only by doing so did he have a chance to survive.
After all, he had no backing; if he didn't fight desperately, he would only die.
…
Watching Lin Zhao's battered and trembling body, Leng Yan's delicate eyebrows furrowed. She felt a pang of pity and wanted to intervene. Her hand had already lightly rested on the hilt of her sword.
At this moment, Xian Bai looked at her and shook his head.