Chapter 118: The Divine Path of Reversing Heaven

  "Quickly protect Huang Tianba, three people in a row, reduce the area of attack, back to back against the outside!" Shi Jin saw that the group of men and horses were killing very smoothly, the brothers of Shao Huashan were slower than the opponent with their knives, no matter how they resisted, they would be at a disadvantage. While giving this order, he commanded everyone to retreat together, while holding two knives in his hand, like a small whirlwind, rushing straight into the middle of the street, and the enemy who wanted to pass through behind him was suddenly blocked and had no way to advance.

  Shi Jin made a move with "Double Flying Swallow", his body slightly lowered, both arms swiftly swung to the left and right, instantly cutting off the legs of several people who were about to rush over. Shi Jin's feet didn't stop, he stuck close to the ground and flew past, wherever he went, those unidentified killers all had their limbs severed, one by one they let out blood-curdling screams, writhing in agony as they fell to the ground unconscious.

  Just as Shi Jin was about to take control of the situation, a series of crisp sounds pierced through the air, rushing straight towards him.

  Shi Jin's ears were clear and bright, and as soon as he heard the sound of breaking air, he knew that someone was secretly launching iron lotus seeds. He immediately used his toes to push off the ground, and his entire body suddenly jumped up from the surface. Shi Jin swung out his right hand with a knife, and with a series of "dang" sounds, all the iron lotus seeds were cut down by his horizontal knife. In that brief moment, Shi Jin felt the shock of the iron lotus seeds hitting his knife, and he immediately used his knife to bring back the still-falling iron lotus seeds along with him as he spun around. By the time he had turned halfway around, the momentum of the iron lotus seeds had almost disappeared. At this point, looking at Shi Jin again, he was now holding his knife horizontally in front of his chest, and on the blade were neatly lined up four dark green iron lotus seeds.

  Everyone present was shocked at the sight of the dark weapon, which had been poisoned with a deadly toxin. This group of people were truly ruthless and cruel, able to create such sinister weapons. But before they could even react, Shi Jin used the back of his left hand to swiftly knock against the knife tip, producing a humming sound from the blade. The four iron pellets lined up on it seemed to have received some sort of summons, shooting straight outwards.

  "Hmm——hmm——hmm——"

  Three unknown assassins rushed forward, crying out in pain. One of them was hit by a poisonous iron awl on the shoulder. The man gritted his teeth and pulled out the awl from the bloody wound. He took a glance at it and immediately swung his knife from his shoulder to his armpit, cutting off his arm. The severed arm fell to the ground, spewing out black blood. The man's forehead was covered in sweat, and he fainted from the pain.

  Shi Jin watched this scene unfold before his eyes, and his heart tightened by three points. Shi Jin wasn't afraid of Tie Zhongzi's extreme toxicity, but rather felt that these people were even more terrifying. People who could be as straightforward and decisive as that man were truly rare in this world, and those who had the courage to decide to cut off their own arm in an instant were mostly also brave and cunning individuals.

  It's just that having such a talented person as an enemy rather than a brother is what Shi Jing lamented. On the other hand, these killers who don't know the background are already so formidable, so how exceptional must their master be?

  Shi Jin looked at the man falling down, and in a moment, he thought of many things. When he turned to look towards the direction where Tie Zhongzi's arrow came from, he saw someone sitting cross-legged on the rooftop of a house by the street. The person was thin and frail, wearing a simple grey short robe, with a conical hat on his head that had already been worn out at the edges. Judging from the color of the hat, it was a faded grey-green with a hint of white, apparently having been exposed to the sun for many years.

  Shi Jin's hands moved, each wrapping a chaotic knife flower around his arm, and the knife was held upside down, stuck to the back of his small arm. Shi Jin slightly made a gesture of holding a fist, with an extraordinary aura, saying: "You finally showed up, I don't know what to call you?"

  "I've spent half my life on horseback, and no one has ever dared not to report back to me, just taking my name directly!"

  That voice, though aged, was still vigorous and full of energy, with every word and sentence filled with a sense of abundance.

  It was an old man, Shi Jin's heart was cautiously guarded, but his mouth relaxed and he said respectfully: "I am Shi Jin, I have been rude to you, please forgive me."

  "Following the current vernacular, shouldn't I say long admired! Haha...!" The old man laughed and suddenly stopped, saying: "You're not worthy yet!"

  "Whether it matches or not, I don't care. What I care about is that I will walk my own way, please ask your people to behave!" Shi Jin heard the knife and sword in the old man's words, but he didn't get angry at all, instead, he politely opened up the conversation.

  That mysterious old man took out a rotten gold-made pipe from his pocket, about one foot long, with silver decorations at the mouth of the pipe, and the opposite end was even more impressive, much larger than usual, like a black mushroom growing on the end.

  Shi Jin carefully examined the old man's pipe, watching as he lit it with a tinder and took slow, relaxed puffs under his bamboo hat.

  Just then, Shi Jin suddenly heard from behind, Huang Tianba, who was being pressed down by the younger generation of Shao Huashan again, exclaimed happily: "Si Kong Zhuo! You are Si Kong Zhuo, damn it, come and save me quickly!"

  The old man still hung his head, using the brim of his bamboo hat to cover more than half of his face. He puffed on his pipe with great ease, seemingly not hearing what Huang Tianba said, as if he had treated Huang Tianba like thin air. The old man took another puff before turning to Shi Jin and saying: "You walk your own path, is this road yours? When I was walking it, I'm afraid your father was still a young whippersnapper."

  Shi Jin had not long lost his father, and since leaving the Shi family village, he had been trapped here and had not returned. It is estimated that Shi Taigong's coffin has been properly buried by Zhu Wu, but now this old man who doesn't know whether he is dead or alive has even insulted Shi Taigong, and has touched Shi Jin's sore spot. This reverse scale was moved, and Shi Jin could hardly swallow this breath.

  Then, Shi Jin immediately changed his tone and said coldly: "With such a long history, I should call you old and not dead!"

  "Dying yet not dying, his wish is on me, what can you do to me?" The old man said with a puff of smoke, hehehe laughed, and the dry lips revealed a few yellow teeth amidst the laughter.

  "Whoosh——"

  Shi Jin kicked a small stone on the ground with his toe and shot it towards the old man.

  The old man's bamboo hat turned slightly, and with a swift grab of his hand, he pinched the stone between his fingers. Shi Jing saw it clearly, that was exactly what he had kicked up just now. The stone revolved several times in the old man's slender fingers, then suddenly stopped, pressed against the first joint of the middle finger, and the thumb pressed it down, with a hand shape like a maiden's lotus finger.

  Just as Shi Jin was about to mock him, the old man let out a "whoosh" and shot the stone back again.

  The pebble was still that same pebble, but this time its speed and force had increased several times over; in the blink of an eye, it shot right in front of Shi Jing...