Chapter 21: A Fight to the Death

As the night wind intensified, it became difficult to support the wounded man on foot. Xiao Bugui transformed into a great crane and beckoned Fang Dabai to climb onto his back.

The long spear in Fang Dabai’s hand had gone limp, so he had tied it around his waist as a belt to compress his abdominal wound. Looking back, he noticed several suspicious figures in pursuit and grew suspicious. "Are you of the Crane Clan?" he asked.

The crane, in Xiao Bugui’s voice, replied, "This is a technique from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations."

Realizing this place was no longer safe, Fang Dabai climbed onto the crane and said, "Fine, let’s go!"

As they flew through the night sky, the cold moonlight made the wounded Fang Dabai shiver, and he struggled to endure his agony. Sensing this, Xiao Bugui said, "Hang in there, senior. We will reach the reed marsh soon."

Suddenly, four more cranes swooped out of the night sky, pecking at Fang Dabai from both sides. Xiao Bugui’s wing was struck, and, burdened with the weight of his passenger, he plummeted toward the ground. The four cranes were relentless, continuing their assault until they landed and shifted into human form—three men and one woman.

The eldest man spoke: "Fang Dabai, do you remember me?"

Xiao Bugui returned to human form and helped Fang Dabai to his feet. These four had been present in the hall of the Five-Corner Tower; they had witnessed Fang Dabai’s injury and, nursing old grudges, had followed to finish him off.

"I remember you, Qu Zhan. I beat you within an inch of your life back then, but I spared you because I respected your grit," Fang Dabai said. Memories flooded his mind: the Crane Clan leader, Qu Rui, had coveted his Seven-Kill Spear and besieged him at Qu Family Fortress. To break free, he had fought the entire Crane demon clan alone with nothing but his spear.

Qu Zhan replied, "I was lucky to survive that day, but now, I have come for my revenge."

"I am severely wounded," Fang Dabai said. "Let us settle this another day."

"It is precisely because I saw you were wounded that I chose today to kill you," Qu Zhan retorted.

Xiao Bugui said indignantly, "The four of you are taking advantage of a man in his hour of need. Even if you kill us, it will hardly be considered an honorable deed in the martial arts world."

Qu Zhan laughed. "Young man, I have no quarrel with you; you may leave. But Fang Dabai and I share a blood feud, and this debt must be settled."

Xiao Bugui was afraid, but in the world of martial arts, honor is paramount. He refused to abandon his companion. "To leave him behind would be a betrayal of my code. If you wish to kill him, you must defeat me first."

The Crane Clan girl taunted Xiao Bugui: "Little brother, don't regret this. There are four of us and only two of you. If you run now, we promise not to harm you."

Ignoring the girl, Xiao Bugui looked at the bracelet on his wrist and called out for help: "Brother Jiao, we are in trouble. Show yourself!"

The bracelet transformed into a colossal flood dragon. The four Crane Clan members were unfazed; one young man even said with excitement, "This youngster is impressive! He has quite a fine sword."

Qu Zhan told the youth, "Qu Cheng, kill them both, and the weapon shall be yours."

Qu Cheng laughed. "Uncle is right. I shall claim the prize. Qu Jin, Qu Zhen, lend a hand!"

The flood dragon let out a booming laugh. "Three fresh morsels—just in time for my meal." Unexpectedly, the dragon circled behind them and lunged, snapping its jaws shut around one of the young men.

The girl reacted quickly, striking with her sword, but the blade merely sparked against the dragon’s black scales, unable to inflict a single wound. The dragon surged into the air, steadied itself, and with a calculated flick of its tail, sent the girl flying.

Qu Zhan attacked with his sword, but Xiao Bugui, unarmed, was no match. He could only drag Fang Dabai into the dense reeds. Qu Zhan spread his wings, pursuing them at low altitude. The strong night wind whipped the reed tassels, masking the tracks of the two men.

The sharp, sickle-cut stubble of the reeds sliced into Xiao Bugui’s ankles, but he gritted his teeth, daring not to make a sound. Fang Dabai’s legs had lost all strength. He pulled away from Xiao Bugui’s support and collapsed to the ground, exhaling deeply. "Kid, stop running. I’m finished. Let me lie here for a while."

"If we don't run, they will find us, and you'll be dead for sure," Xiao Bugui insisted.

Fang Dabai’s gaunt face was swollen and purple, his eyes reduced to mere slits. "Wen Dana’s blade was poisoned," he whispered. "Even if they don't kill me, I’m as good as dead."

Hearing this, Xiao Bugui realized Fang Dabai’s head had swelled to the size of a watermelon. "What should I do now?" he asked in a panic.

Fang Dabai looked at him. "Your treasure sword is likely lost for good. Here, take this spear. If you ever run into Wen Dana, avenge me."

Xiao Bugui refused. "Senior, I don't want it. Your spear won't even hold its shape."

"You look down on me? You look down on my spear? Today, I will let you witness the true might of Fang Dabai and his Seven-Kill Spear." Fang Dabai snapped off a reed stalk. With a look of fearless resolve, he channeled the baleful energy from his *dantian*, infusing it into both himself and the stalk.

His body became light and powerful. Stepping across the reed tops, the stalk in his hand acting as a spear, he flew toward Qu Zhan.

Qu Zhan, his sword cutting through the reeds like a scythe, searched for them. Seeing Fang Dabai charging with nothing but a reed stalk, he sneered and swung his sword. To his horror, the stalk pierced through the steel of his blade, then punched through his armor and his body.

Qu Zhan stared at Fang Dabai in disbelief, unable to comprehend how he and his sword had been skewered by a simple reed. He let out a bitter laugh. "You didn't kill me back then, but today, I have died by your hand." He collapsed, flattening a patch of reeds.

Fang Dabai took a deep breath, a smile appearing on his swollen face. Xiao Bugui rushed to his side, worried. "Senior, are you alright?"

Fang Dabai puffed out his chest. "I have a little life left in me. I won't die until I’ve dealt with those three little wretches." He dashed off. Xiao Bugui followed, grumbling, "You’re half-dead already—can't you just rest? My flood dragon is more than enough to handle the remaining three."

As it turned out, the two young men were nowhere to be found, and the girl, Qu Jin, lay unconscious. The flood dragon, bellies full and bloated, coiled in the reeds, complaining to Xiao Bugui, "Those two youngsters had such poor cultivation; I swallowed them in one bite each. A pity about the girl with the tender skin—I’m too full to eat her."

Fang Dabai was deeply disappointed. "To die without being able to kill more of my enemies... what a regret." He left his final words: "Xiao Bugui, keep my Seven-Kill Spear. Find Sect Leader Ji; my manual for the spear technique is with her."

"I don't want your spear," Xiao Bugui protested, but Fang Dabai was past the point of arguing. With a smile, he lay back, pressing down the reeds, and closed his eyes amidst the dancing white plumes.

"Senior! Senior!" Xiao Bugui called out. Finding that Fang Dabai still had a faint pulse, he took the limp spear, tied it around his own waist, and instructed the dragon: "Carry Senior Fang back. It’ll give you a chance to move around and digest your meal."