A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Taking advantage of this moment, Yuan Hai twisted his shoulders and swayed his arms, then forcefully tore his wrist apart. The powerful force he had developed through his Leopard Fist technique allowed him to break free from Guan Luoyang's reverse wrist joint grappling.

The horse had already galloped across the river and was charging straight at them; the two men dodged at the same time.

Yuan Hai's energy was even more ferocious than that of a real leopard. He had just been punched so hard that he vomited blood, but as soon as he broke free, he was about to chase after him again.

A short stick swept across, and a three-inch sharp blade popped out from the end. The instructor dealt with the last few assassins and intercepted Yuan Hai.

Enemies meeting are bound to be furious. Yuan Haibao unleashed a flurry of punches and claws as he charged at the instructor.

Guan Luoyang retreated to the riverbank, and as he waded into the water, he saw the rider on horseback tumble and fall backward.

The horse was still galloping forward when the rider on its back lunged in the opposite direction, firing three slashes in mid-air.

Guan Luoyang flung out the throwing knives in his hand, knocking one of them down. He dodged the second knife, but then noticed that the third knife had actually predicted the direction of his dodge. He hurriedly brought his four fingers together and flicked them, using the short, sharp force of the Crane Fist on his fingernails to knock it down.

With those three slashes delaying him, the man wielding the knife landed safely, rolled forward, and charged towards Guan Luoyang.

In this day and age, it seems a bit old-fashioned and conservative for someone to use throwing knives instead of guns. But this person actually had short hair, with thick, black hair on his head, and wore a white mandarin jacket, unbuttoned, exposing his chest. His belt was tucked with a ring of throwing knives, and he held a short knife in each hand.

This is Xiang Fang, who went to Hong Kong two years ago to carry out an assassination. At that time, in order to disguise himself, he cut off his queue and dressed as a Japanese. After returning, he was too lazy to grow his queue back.

As Xiang Fang rolled and leaped, he passed Guan Luoyang, and another tear appeared in the fabric of Guan Luoyang's thigh.

Xiang Fang looked at his shoulder, where he had just been slapped. His clothes were torn, and there were several bright red welts on his skin.

"Such a young master of boxing is truly rare!"

The charcoal ash on Guan Luoyang's face could conceal his facial features, but to those with truly discerning eyes, it couldn't hide his age.

Xiang Fang's tone was somewhat surprised, "Looks like I'm about to have another memorable achievement."

Within the Imperial Household Department, Luohan, Dianmu, Kuaidao, and Longhu held slightly higher positions than the others, precisely because they all possessed the record of single-handedly defeating a Grand Master of Boxing.

Having already lingered by the river for several minutes, Guan Luoyang had no time for idle chatter and charged straight ahead.

Xiang Fang's dual-wielding short sword fighting style is derived from the Kunwu double swords in Chaquan. The footwork emphasizes the technique of nimbly sliding in and out. When wielding the weapons with both hands, the word "slippery" is the most important.

When he fought with Guan Luoyang, his arm would always be precisely intercepted by Guan Luoyang, but with his short knife, he could often gain an inch and a mile in a flash, or smoothly slash after being hit.

It's as if every time they're hit and their direction changes, it's a well-rehearsed routine.

Guan Luoyang felt an attack that was far more dangerous than the sudden, violent storm that Yuan Hai had just attacked.

Xiang Fang's blade was like subtly flowing mercury, smooth yet aggressive. It seemed to move with the flow, his arm slippery and lacking in decisiveness, but in reality, it repeatedly pressed towards Guan Luoyang's vital points, swiftly encroaching on his room for maneuver.

Guan Luoyang was even forced to walk down the riverbank and retreat into the river without realizing it.

When the water splashed against his calves, Guan Luoyang's eyes flickered, and he deliberately accelerated backward.

Xiang Fang sneered inwardly.

"You want to use this river to restrict my movements?"

Since the late Ming Dynasty, Chaquan and Tan Tui have been almost indistinguishable. Practicing Chaquan inevitably involves practicing Tan Tui. Although Xiang Fang does not rely on leg techniques as his main offensive method, he is confident that he will not be at a disadvantage compared to Qingmian Gui in any terrain.

The two retreated while chasing, rushing into the middle of the stream.

Guan Luoyang kicked with his foot, sending water splashing towards Xiang Fang's face, reflecting the moonlight. Xiang Fang, blinded by the water's brilliance, neither dodged nor avoided, but instead dispersed the water and slashed away with his blade.

The two fought fiercely in the water, the waves crashing and roaring endlessly. The current rushed from upstream to the southeast, and its impact on the two of them was negligible.

However, the silt or rocks at the bottom of the river, which are uneven and vary in hardness, are what we really need to pay attention to.

Even the slightest imbalance could become the enemy's opportunity to take their life.

Both of them moved extremely fast, trampling the water and silt into turbid waves. Where they had last landed, the water had just splashed upwards when they were already seven or eight meters away.

Guan Luoyang fought him for over 300 meters in the water, never leaving the river's boundaries. He used only the Crane's Bone technique from his grappling skills, employing exquisite, crisp, and swift strikes to restrain his opponent's arms.

He streamlined his movements as much as possible, making each move straightforward and powerful.

But when Guan Luoyang struck his forearm with the edge of his palm again, his left foot, which was retreating, seemed to have stepped on something too soft, causing his body to lean slightly backward.

Xiang Fang immediately spun his short sword around, one blade blocking Luo Yang's hand, while the other was held in reverse, aimed at his heart.

The two made eye contact very briefly.

A sliver of moonlight reflected in each of Guan Luoyang's eyes, obscuring the whites and pupils, yet that sliver of light left a lasting impression.

His throat and tongue vibrated against his teeth, and he exhaled through his nose with a very low and deep hum.

Xiang Fang's gaze suddenly went vacant for a moment.

The most advanced practitioners of the art of hypnosis can significantly influence the minds of hundreds of people at once through lengthy rituals, talismans, chants, and slogans.

Back then, Tian Gongyu and his group pursued the application of this hypnosis method in combat, aiming for it to be effective in the shortest possible time, as long as it could work on one person. After a long period of discussion among many master boxers, they discovered that no matter how many steps were shortened, it was essential to bring together the three key elements: sound, changes in light and shadow, and body movements.

The changes in light and shadow are just the trigger; the sound and body movements must follow a certain rhythm. The moment the rhythm changes abruptly is the instant when hypnosis takes effect.

For a master like Xiang Fang, such an effect could only exist for a fleeting moment.

A moment was enough; Guan Luoyang pressed down on his elbow with his left arm and flicked his wrist with his right.

The knife was still in Xiang Fang's hand, but he had already slit his own throat.

But at the last moment, his grip suddenly loosened, and with a sudden counter-force of his wrist, the knife sliced ​​through his neck, drawing blood, but it was not immediately fatal.

His knife was a deep, bright red, unlike those of the assassins; it lacked the deadly poison that could kill instantly.

The thrill of having his life hanging by a thread caused Xiang Fang's pupils to shrink sharply, his nostrils to flare, and his hand to loosen while tightening. At that moment, the speed of his other hand reached a peak he had never experienced before.

The blade slashed upwards, and Guan Luoyang's clothes and skin, which was even more exquisite than rhinoceros hide, felt a bone-chilling coldness as if they were three feet deep in ice and snow before that blade.

In a race against time, Guan Luoyang clenched his teeth and roared. Just as his chest and abdomen were about to be ripped open, his whole body trembled. He felt a force rushing to the top of his head. The hand that was pushing forward slipped and fell, striking Xiang Fang's chest.

Boom! !

Xiang Fang's chest caved in, his facial features distorted, and his eyes bulged out.

With a palm strike that made his body feel clear and ethereal, he flew ten meters into the water.

The river water spread out from his head, creating a large red blotch.

The bleeding body swayed and sank in the water, the splashing sound continuing.

Guan Luoyang looked down and saw that the knife had cut halfway down his side to his stomach, breaking the skin but not drawing blood.

Guan Luoyang understood that if his palm strike had been even a fraction slower or weaker, the knife would have severed his intestines.

The aftereffects of that palm strike, that force that seemed to spring from nowhere, still lingered in his body.

Guan Luoyang's eyes narrowed slightly. Seizing the last bit of meaning, he took a few steps to Xiang Fang, pulled out a throwing knife, and threw it back at him.

The blade pierced the air, and before Yuan Hai could even hear the wind, he was struck on the back of the neck.

At this moment, the instructor pulled out the sharp blade that had pierced Yuan Hai's heart and looked at Guan Luoyang. He sensed something about Guan Luoyang's current state, but had no time to explain.

The two quickly crossed the river, reached the foot of the city wall, found a spot at random, and leaped up to half the height of the wall. Using their fingers to pry open the brick seams, they flipped over and climbed onto the wall.

The patrolmen, startled by the fireworks, were running along the city wall, flicking their torches and peering down below. But before they could even make out the two figures, Guan Luoyang and the instructor had already broken through their defenses.

Amidst the screams of several Qing soldiers who were knocked down, Guan Luoyang nimbly landed on the ground, flipped forward to dissipate the force, and sped away. The instructor silently scraped against the wall and jumped down, and the two disappeared together into the streets and houses of Guangzhou.

When Luohan, Dianmu, Yang Xiaowu with the long spear, Jin Yuehe, Zhu Changshou's top disciple, and others arrived, they were already more than a step too late.

They were surrounded by heavily armed guards, searching in all directions along the streets and alleys. The lights were as bright as day, but their faces were gloomy, as if even torches could not illuminate them.