Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 176 Facing Life and Death, True Colors Revealed (4k6)

Li Fu's gaze fell on Yang Jiu, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He had previously considered which of the four jailers in Yanzhou Iron Prison was most likely to be bribed, and had suspected Lu Bo, the worldly-wise and cunning, smiling tiger, but he never expected it to be Yang Jiu.

Yang Jiu's Bone-Penetrating Acupoint Strike struck, aiming straight for vital points and intercepting the attacker halfway through.

However, Li's momentum did not diminish. Just as the dark blue finger force was about to reach his body, he used the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to move erratically and slightly spun to the side.

Yang Jiuzhi's two fingers, which he was certain to obtain, missed their mark, leaving him greatly alarmed.

Before he could change his move or react, Li Fu casually struck him, and an overwhelming palm force landed on his chest.

He didn't stop walking.

Yang Jiu rushed forward, only to be sent flying back in the blink of an eye.

"Take him down."

Ma Shixiong and his men, their eyes bloodshot with rage, rushed forward and, before he could get up, pressed their spears against his throat.

Luo Jiu, his beard and hair bristling, brandished his halberd, pointing it horizontally: "Yang Jiu, you, the head of the Ironclad Guard of Yanzhou, have actually colluded with rebels?!"

Yang Jiu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face pale, and gave a bitter smile.

"I'm sorry, brothers—I had no choice."

He coughed violently a few times, as if he were coughing up his lungs.

"I have had a congenital tuberculosis since I was a child. The root of the disease is damaged, and no amount of internal energy cultivation can make up for it."

A few days ago, the doctor examined me and said—that my lungs were already depleted, and I would only have three to five more years to live.

He took a breath.

"I, Yang Jiu, have served in the prison for many years. I have seen many deaths and have had enough of hardship!"

In the end, one can't just leave with a few taels of silver, coughing up blood, and slinking away in a pathetic state, can one?

Zhang Hengbo's people approached me, promising me mountains of gold and seas of silver—something I never dared to dream of in my entire life!

With this money, in my final days, I can taste what ginseng and bird's nest taste like, see the allure of the slender women of Yangzhou, listen to a Suzhou storytelling performance, and lie drunk in a land of gentle pleasures.

I think this is what makes my life worthwhile—but—”

"Hmph, now you don't even have a few years left!" Rowe roared.

Li Fu casually knocked Yang Jiu away, his steps never faltering. As his palm swept past, several more fierce soldiers blocking his path coughed up blood and fell to the ground.

He hadn't given much thought to the matter of the traitor along the way; once he learned of the traitor, he knew that this person would show up sooner or later.

When Zhang Hengbo's side was at its wits' end and on the verge of collapse, the person who bribed the traitor would naturally hope that he would deliver a fatal blow from behind in order to turn the tide.

It's really good now.

This Yang Jiu—before Xu Daofu revealed his name, this man mingled in the battle, striking east and west, using pressure points to capture enemies with swift and skillful movements. He fought alongside Luo Jiugao, Ma Shixiong, and others, showing no signs of anything amiss, and even putting in three times more effort than usual.

It's likely that this person sensed the unfavorable situation and that Zhang Hengbo's defeat was imminent. He probably harbored a侥幸心理 (a gambler's mentality), hoping to slip through the cracks and continue working as a jailer in the Ministry of Justice, secretly enjoying the money he had earned by risking his life.

It wasn't until Xu Daofu, in a desperate situation, exposed his weakness, forcing him to reveal his true intentions and take action.

Li Fu ignored the brief commotion and angry shouts behind him caused by Yang Jiu's betrayal, his gaze fixed on the disheveled figure fleeing for his life in front of him.

Zhang Hengbo was also quite skilled in light-footed martial arts, and had long since shaken off several loyal guards who were following him and slowing him down, intending to escape alone.

Unfortunately, his lightness skill was no match for Li Fu's Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), and he was quickly overtaken.

"Your men risked their lives for you, yet you so easily abandoned them. Aren't you being far too heartless as a rebel king?"

Li Fu swung his palm.

Hearing the whistling wind behind him, Zhang Hengbo knew there was no escape. He turned around abruptly, unleashing both palms with all his might, as if fighting a cornered beast.

His moves were quite powerful, clearly the result of years of hard training.

But that's still not enough.

Several seemingly tangible, supple, and long white rainbow palm strikes appeared as if they were alive, tracing different lengths and arcs in the air as they struck.

Some struck his face directly, some sliced ​​at his ribs diagonally, and one even circled in a large arc, silently attacking his back.

Zhang Hengbo was shocked. Having only observed from the sidelines, he could not have known the true power of such a wondrous palm technique by witnessing it firsthand.

He had never seen a palm strike so flexible and adaptable, so free to bend and combine at will. In his haste, he managed to deflect two palm strikes, but he could no longer defend against the one that came from behind.

With a muffled thud, the palm struck his back squarely.

Zhang Hengbo coughed up a mouthful of blood, staggered forward, and seemed to have displaced his internal organs, suffering serious internal injuries.

Li Fu gave him no chance to catch his breath, and with a swift movement, he closed the distance to within three zhang.

Having long realized that he was no match for Li Fu, Zhang Hengbo looked anxious and quickly called out...

"Officer Li, hold your hand."

I am willing to work with you on great things. With your abilities, why not join forces with me?

This world—

But recalling that more than one person had said these words before, Li Fu remained unmoved.

He quickly switched to pleading.

"Officer Li, how much money do you want? I have plenty of gold and silver treasures hidden in various places, I'll give them all to you!"

I only ask for————

Li Fu ignored him and casually swung out a palm strike, the force of which seemed light and effortless.

Zhang Hengbo hurriedly tried to defend himself, but felt an overwhelming force surge towards him, and was once again sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

He struggled to get up, but saw Li Fu walking slowly towards him, his steps unhurried, each step seeming to tread on his heart, the oppressive feeling as heavy as a mountain almost suffocating him.

At that moment, a hoarse shout rang out.

"Officer Li—show mercy!"

It was Zheng Shaoqing, who was seriously injured and vomiting blood, lying on the ground, who suddenly found a surge of strength and rushed over to stand in front of Zhang Hengbo, protecting him once again.

His face was pale, blood still dripping from the corner of his mouth, and he looked fierce as he stared intently at Li Fu.

When Zhang Hengbo saw that Zheng Shaoqing still had the strength to block him, he was first stunned. Then, a hint of wild joy and relief flashed in his eyes. Perhaps he was frightened by Li Fu, because he didn't say a word, nor did he show any gratitude or concern. Taking advantage of this moment, he used his hands and feet to turn around and try to escape again!

They didn't even glance at the person who risked his life to protect them, as if it were only natural for him to sacrifice himself to save them.

"Finally, faced with life and death, their true colors were revealed!"

Upon seeing this, Li Fu raised an eyebrow. He didn't rush to kill Zhang Hengbo because it was still uncertain whether Zhang Hengbo was good or evil.

It's okay now!

It is in times of crisis that people's true nature is revealed.

Zhang Hengbo, despite his past reputation for heroism and his ability to win people's hearts, could not hide his selfish, cowardly, mean, and ungrateful nature at this critical moment of life and death.

If he were truly a hero who cared for the world and his subordinates, even if he could not live and die with them, he would feel guilty and would either try his best to retreat with them or offer his own life to save his subordinates. How could he be so easily discarded?

"You're still going to risk your life for him?"

Seeing that Zheng Shaoqing only had eyes for him, he disregarded his serious injuries and desperately swung his palm to attack. Although the palm strike was weak, his will was firm.

Li Fu used the skillful technique of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to gently deflect most of the force of Zheng Shaoqing's desperate attack, and also caused Zheng's body to tilt to the side.

With a sudden flick of his right index finger, a sharp gust of wind shot out, a testament to his finger-flicking technique!

On the other side, Zhang Hengbo was fleeing in panic, terrified. A sharp pain shot through his left calf, and with a "plop," it was pierced by the finger strike, and blood gushed out like a spring!

He let out a miserable cry and fell to the ground again.

As the saying goes, those in positions of power use their minds, not their bodies.

Zhang Hengbo's martial arts skills were not low, but perhaps due to his many years in a high position or being imprisoned for several years, his bones had become rusty.

His martial arts adaptability was utterly terrible.

"Chief Zheng, your sincerity and willingness to sacrifice your life for righteousness are truly rare."

To prevent Zhang Hengbo from escaping any further, Li Fu turned his gaze to Zheng Shaoqing, who had stumbled and fallen but was still trying to get up and fight back desperately, and said coldly.

"But look back, what kind of person are you really loyal to?"

You poured your heart and soul into him, risking your life to cover his retreat, but did he ever offer a word of comfort, a glance of concern, or even consider retreating with you?

He could so easily abandon and treat even the most loyal and helpful people around him as worthless.

If one day he is lucky enough to hold power and sit high in the palace, ruling as an emperor, then he might one day become emperor.

Do you think he would show compassion for those ordinary people who are thousands of miles away, whom he has never met, and who are nothing more than ants in his eyes?

Will he be the enlightened ruler you hope for, the one who will relieve the people from their suffering?

These words struck Zheng Shaoqing's heart like a hammer blow.

He was jolted, slowly turned his head, and looked at Zhang Hengbo, who was on the ground howling and struggling, his face full of fear, only concerned about his injured leg, and still ignoring him, the one who had saved his life.

The Iron Stream King seemed to have already realized that Zheng Shaoqing was too badly injured to be of any help, and now he didn't even bother to give him a few perfunctory words. He was only staring intently at Li Fu, who now had the power to decide his life or death with a wave of his hand.

He dragged his injured leg, shuffling backward in terror, pleading incoherently.

"No—don't kill me! I'll surrender! I'll confess anything!"

"Money—women—territory—I can give you anything, and I'll serve you as my master. Spare my life!"

Faced with life and death, he became incoherent and revealed his ugly side, showing no trace of the heroic spirit of the Iron Stream King.

A chilling despair, mixed with endless bitterness and disillusionment, instantly overwhelmed Zheng Shaoqing.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He staggered back a step, as if all his strength had been drained. The persistent light in his eyes dimmed completely, and he collapsed to the ground.

The onlookers, including Luo Jiugao, Luo Wei, and Madam Zhong, although they knew that Zhang Hengbo was a wanted criminal of the imperial court, had also heard of his heroic reputation. They were shocked and somewhat incredulous to see him being frightened by Li Fu and revealing his cowardly, ruthless, and heartless nature.

Especially Ma Shixiong, Lu Bo, and the other two, not to mention them.

All three of them, as jailers of the Yanzhou Iron Prison, had once been in charge of this person.

At that time, Zhang Hengbo, though imprisoned and shackled, still held his head high, talked and laughed freely, discussed the ills of the world, and lamented the suffering of the people. His words were full of indomitable spirit, and even when he occasionally talked with these "lackeys" of the court, he was quite generous and upright.

At that time, although they were dutiful and kept a close watch on him, they couldn't help but think to themselves that although he was a rebel, he was a tough guy. No wonder he could gather a crowd and stir up trouble.

Even though Shen Tie had only been in the Iron Prison for a short time and had only been in contact with him, he still held the same opinion.

But this cowardly man, dragging his injured leg and ignoring his subordinates, begging for mercy out of fear of death, bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Iron Stream King of my memory, who once looked down on everyone in the iron prison.

The slightest hint of approval and emotion that the three of them had felt due to past impressions was shattered at this moment, leaving only utter astonishment, followed by an indescribable contempt.

Recalling the hardships he had endured in the days of pursuing this man, Ma Shixiong couldn't help but feel a surge of anger upon seeing this scene, and he snorted with disgust.

"The infamous Iron Stream King—so this is what he really is!"

While in prison, Zhang Hengbo often talked at length, saying that if he were to be released, he would regroup and save the people from suffering.

In retrospect, that arrogance was mostly based on the confidence that the court would not dare to kill him easily and that there was still hope of escaping or being granted amnesty.

Once truly faced with a desperate situation, with life and death hanging by a thread, this facade is easily torn away like paper, revealing their true nature of being greedy for life, cowardly, and selfish.

Lu Bo spat and cursed, "Pah! I used to think you, Zhang, were someone important, acting so tough even in jail. Turns out it was all an act!"

So it turns out I'm not the only one who puts on airs in front of others.

Shen Tie said coldly.

"When it really came down to losing his head, it turned out that the infamous Iron Stream King wasn't much better than a street thug."

Mocking remarks rang out, but Zhang Hengbo didn't care anymore. He only hoped that Li Fu would let him go and was still begging for mercy.

"Officer Li, Lord Li, please spare me, just let me go—"

But Li Fu remained calm, showing neither joy nor anger, and walked forward slowly, speaking only slowly.

"Zhang Hengbo, you instigated an uprising, causing widespread war and leaving many people displaced, their families destroyed, and their lives ruined because of you."

You outwardly appear benevolent and righteous, but inwardly harbor treachery and cunning, attempting to deceive the world. In times of danger, you only know how to cherish your life and are ungrateful.

If he stirs up trouble again in the future and seizes control of a region, it will surely bring disaster to the people!

"I cannot let you live!"

He waved his palm in a circle and guided it out, and several white rainbow-like palm forces shot out, some straight and some curved, some hard and some soft, attacking Zhang Hengbo from all directions.

How could Zhang Hengbo, already severely injured, possibly withstand the attack?

The palm strikes were fierce and powerful, and he was like a small boat in a raging sea, being tossed about by the force of the palm strikes. Blood gushed from his mouth and the sound of bones breaking was heard.

Li Fu seemed to have done it deliberately, not killing him with a single blow, but giving him a quick death.

Click click click!

Zhang Hengbo staggered backward, enduring numerous blows until his bones and muscles shattered. The once infamous Iron Stream King knelt like a lump of mud, his eyes bulging as he stared intently at Li Fu, his face filled with resentment and disbelief. His throat made a hoarse sound, but he could no longer utter a single word. He slowly collapsed to the ground, his breath extinguished.

The Iron Stream King, who once dominated the northern lands and stirred up the winds and clouds, has now met his end!

Everyone was startled.

Li Fu looked at Zhang Hengbo's corpse.

"If word got out about this scene today, I'm afraid no one in the martial arts world would believe it. They would just think that the imperial court was deliberately trying to smear the reputation of this Iron Stream King."

But this is not surprising.

Just like Li Mi, the Duke of Wei at the end of the Sui Dynasty, who rode an ox with books hanging on his back and studied diligently in his youth, Yang Su, who rose to the position of Grand Tutor, was amazed when he saw him and said, "This boy's learning and demeanor are beyond our reach."

After the uprising succeeded, they captured one of the largest granaries in the world and opened it to distribute grain to the poor.

People came with their old and young, and within ten days the army increased from several thousand to two hundred thousand. Zhai Rang, the original master of Wagang, felt that he had great talent and strategy, which he himself was far inferior to, and was willing to give up his throne and humble himself.

Historical records state that his army was disciplined and orderly; even in the height of summer, when he commanded his soldiers, they would act as if they were carrying frost and snow on their backs. He himself dressed simply and frugally, and distributed all the gold and jewels he obtained to his men, which is why everyone was willing to serve him.

For a time, all the rebel kings in the world revered him as their leader, and his momentum was unstoppable.

However, after succeeding, Li Mi arbitrarily killed Zhai Rang and his former subordinates, eliminated dissidents, clung to power, gradually became arrogant, and disregarded the soldiers and civilians, ultimately leading to a crushing defeat.

After surrendering to the Tang Dynasty, he only received the position of Minister of the Imperial Household.

The Minister of the Imperial Household was required to personally serve dishes and plates to the emperor at every grand banquet.

How could a man who once commanded the world, such a humiliating disgrace, accept it if he were not afraid of death?

"If someone had said that Li Mi was actually arrogant and intolerant, and cowardly, when he was first elected as the leader of the various rebel kings and commanded the world, probably no one would have believed it."

Iron Stream King Zhang Hengbo was nothing more than another Li Mi who died at his hands before he could achieve great things.

Moreover, whether his abilities are comparable to Li Mi's is another matter.

After killing Zhang Hengbo, Li Fu felt a sense of relief.

Just then, the celestial script appeared before their eyes, with lines of ink characters gradually darkening.

A true knight-errant is one who can distinguish right from wrong and see through even the smallest details.

Zhang Hengbo, a warlord from the north, is a tyrant who pretends to be benevolent and righteous but acts tyrannically. He harbors treacherous intentions but outwardly presents himself as a chivalrous hero. If he is allowed to grow in power, he will one day carve out his own territory and become king, causing great harm to the region and even more suffering to the people.

The great hero was not misled by appearances, nor swayed by empty fame. He clearly discerned the villain's treachery and executed him before he gained power and became arrogant, thus averting countless future wars and calamities in the north.

[Reward: Mastery of the 49-form Whirlwind Willow Sword Technique.]

>