Chapter 40: Xinyou Sword Technique vs. Yagyu Shinkage-ryu

Yagyu Shinichi walked onto the ring clutching his katana, signed his name on the death waiver, and stared directly at Yang Sheng.

"Although Lei Dongjun was my junior brother, as the master’s final disciple, he received more secret teachings than I did. Therefore, I do not wish to compete in unarmed combat for this round, but rather in a duel to the death with weapons! Yang-san, do you dare to accept?"

Yang Sheng suddenly grinned. "You Japanese are truly twisted. You claim to be seeking revenge for Master Lei and washing away the shame of your school's defeat, yet you abandon the Shotokan style to use weapons. It matters not, however. The death waiver is signed; on this ring, there are no tactics, only life and death."

With those words, Yang Sheng shouted toward the floor, "Ah Wen, give me the blade."

Ghost Wen immediately rushed to the edge of the ring and tossed the Imperial Guard saber into Yang Sheng’s hands.

Song Changli walked to the center of the ring and announced loudly, "The death waiver is signed! Victory or defeat rests with the man; life and death rest with the heavens!"

As he stepped off the ring, Song Changli whispered sternly in Yang Sheng’s ear, "Young man, fight well! When the little Japs occupied Hong Kong and set up rings to challenge Chinese martial artists, our Hongmen patriots fought them at the muzzle of a gun. Not one of them lost, but not one of them walked off the ring alive. Today, that Wu Tianhao has forgotten his ancestors by letting a Japanese man compete in the Dragon City Championship. You must fight with honor!"

Yang Sheng replied calmly, "Rest assured, Elder Song. Today, he won't be walking off this ring either!"

Yagyu Shinichi appeared refined and courteous, even bowing to Yang Sheng before the start. However, the Japanese were always like this—possessing superficial etiquette while lacking true righteousness. For some reason, Yang Sheng sensed something sinister about him.

"Successor of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, Yagyu Shinichi, please offer your guidance!"

As Yagyu Shinichi finished speaking, his katana lashed out, a streak of snow-white cold light shrieking through the air. From that single strike, Yang Sheng could sense a dense, overwhelming killing intent. This seemingly polite man had certainly taken more than one life.

In reality, Yang Sheng’s guess was conservative. As the heir to the Yamada-gumi, Yagyu Shinichi was obsessed with the martial arts and the sword. He did not train on wooden posts, but on human ones. Those who offended the Yamada-gumi or members of rival gangs were not executed, but handed over to Yagyu Shinichi for target practice. Wood and flesh were different; only the sensation of a blade carving through flesh allowed Yagyu to gain experience, teaching him exactly where to strike to cause the most carnage.

Yang Sheng held his saber with both hands, flicking the scabbard away with an upward force. The long, cold blade struck the incoming streak of light from below, producing a thunderous metallic clash. Both men felt their hands jarred, and they each retreated half a step.

A strange smile crept across Yagyu Shinichi’s lips. "An Imperial Guard saber? Was Yang-san prepared for this?"

He leaped into the air, his katana whistling as he swung it in a series of strikes, the momentum like wind and thunder. It was an offshoot of the Shinkage-ryu: the Eight Forms of the Thunder Blade!

Yagyu Shinichi’s martial arts were learned halfway through his life from Gichin Funakoshi. While not weak, he was not as strong as Master Lei, and his natural physical constitution could not compare to the gifted Lei. However, Yagyu was a genuine heir to the ancient Yagyu swordsmanship. His ancestors were the legendary masters of the late Sengoku period, known as the Three Tengu of Yagyu: Yagyu Munetoshi, Yagyu Munenori, and Yagyu Jubei. Although the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu nominally discouraged honing one's sword skills through slaughter, another branch advocated for tempering the blade through real-life combat, and Yagyu Shinichi was a practitioner of that school.

Holding his saber with a reverse grip, Yang Sheng blocked strike after strike. The long, narrow blade shielded his entire body. As Yagyu Shinichi’s final strike fell into an opening, Yang Sheng suddenly flipped his grip, lifted his blade, and slashed horizontally!

The blade arced from bottom to top, forcing Yagyu Shinichi to retreat rapidly. But Yang Sheng suddenly changed his tactic, gripping the saber with both hands and charging like a spearman, the tip pointed straight at Yagyu’s throat!

Yang Sheng had previously only excelled in unarmed combat, but after acquiring the Imperial Guard saber, he had attained a specialized mastery of weaponry. The Xinyou Saber Technique had only granted him 10% proficiency, but as the battle raged on, more visions flooded his mind: soldiers wielding the Imperial Guard saber, charging through the ranks of the Japanese pirates, the sky filled with cold rain and blood, severed limbs flying. It was as if he had lived it himself, adding three parts of battlefield cruelty to his strikes!

The Imperial Guard saber was five feet long, a foot and two inches longer than Yagyu’s katana. In the past, Qi Jiguang had used that extra reach to suppress katanas and slaughter the pirates. Though Yang Sheng was using a saber, he was executing the essence of the spear.

Yagyu Shinichi lunged backward, the tip of Yang Sheng’s blade grazing his kimono sash. With a nimble flip, Yagyu hugged the ground, his long sword lashing out at Yang Sheng’s legs.

"One inch longer, one inch stronger." The difference in reach forced Yagyu to evade and remain on the defensive. Yang Sheng’s saber rained down, but Yagyu blocked every blow. As the distance closed, Yagyu suddenly let out a sharp cry, his blade soaring into the air as he slashed toward Yang Sheng’s armpit!

"Swallow Flight!"

Yang Sheng turned his body, reversing his grip on the blade, his entire being seemingly merging with the Imperial Guard saber. At the very moment Yagyu’s blade reached him, he swung his saber in a counter-slash.

"Hidden Blade!"

Yagyu’s "Swallow Flight" was completely shattered by this strike. His hand went numb, and he could barely hold the hilt. Yang Sheng sneered, wielding his blade with both hands and hacking relentlessly, forcing Yagyu back step by step. The Imperial Guard saber was heavy and powerful; in a direct clash, Yagyu had no advantage.

Suddenly, Yagyu withdrew his blade and slid forward, his body hugging the edge of Yang Sheng’s blade as he closed the distance. His left hand threw a punch directly toward Yang Sheng’s ribs!

Yagyu Shinichi had dared to step onto the ring because he was confident that Yang Sheng could never be his match in armed combat. In this era, the ancient sword arts used for killing were rare in Japan. Even if someone wanted to learn, there were few opportunities for the real-world practice needed to hone them. He never expected Yang Sheng’s Xinyou Saber Technique to be so concise, vicious, and imposing, as if forged on the battlefield. Being suppressed, he was forced to take a desperate risk in close quarters.

Yang Sheng sneered and kicked out. One foot parried the opponent’s left arm, while the other landed squarely in Yagyu’s stomach, sending him flying.

"Cun-foot school, Mandarin Duck Kicks!"

Seeing Yang Sheng succeed, a roar of cheers erupted from the crowd. Although most dared not offend Lei Luo or Crippled Hao, they were disgruntled that Wu Tianhao had allowed a Japanese man to compete in their Hong Kong-based championship.

On the sidelines, Wu Tianhao’s expression changed. "Stop the fight! If something happens to Yagyu Shinichi in Hong Kong, not only can we no longer cooperate with the Yamada-gumi, but those Japanese will surely come looking for trouble!"

Lei Luo nodded, stood up, and shouted sternly, "Yang Sheng! Stop and admit defeat! Otherwise, the Hong Sheng Lian organization will not exist in Hong Kong by tomorrow!"

Yang Sheng looked back and flashed a strange smile at Lei Luo. "I don't know about Hong Sheng Lian, but the Five-Hundred-Million-Dollar Detective won't be around anymore."

Before Lei Luo could react, several police officers disguised as gang members surged out from nowhere, pouncing on Lei Luo and his men. Lei Luo’s face darkened, but before he could move, Chen Wenyao, wearing a floral shirt, pressed a gun to his head.

"ICAC Investigator Chen Wenyao. Detective Lei, don’t resist. Come with us."

Lei Luo sneered. "Trying to take me down? With just you lot?"

As Lei Luo spoke, gunfire erupted all around. Chen Wenyao’s expression shifted instantly. Lei Luo had ambushed gunmen nearby! Dulu’s intelligence had not mentioned this! In reality, both Yang Sheng and Dulu had underestimated Lei Luo. Lei Luo had not risen to such power solely on the strength of his title as Chief Chinese Detective; if he hadn't been cautious, he would have been gunned down long ago. The Dragon City Championship was a den of thieves, and the Kowloon Walled City was chaotic. How could Lei Luo have come here without preparations? These gunmen hadn't arrived with him; they had been guarding the perimeter since the tournament began.

Wu Tianhao reacted immediately, shouting, "Move! Don't let the police take Lei Luo!" Although he had harbored thoughts of competing with Lei Luo, he knew full well that if Lei Luo fell, he would not escape either!

Seeing this, Chai Jiu, Huang Juekun, and Yin Tiancheng gave the order to their men simultaneously: "Attack!"

In an instant, the sound of gunfire and battle cries filled the air, and the Dragon City Championship venue descended into total chaos.

Wu Tianhao glared at the three men, gnashing his teeth. "Damn your mothers! I underestimated you three! You actually have the guts to move against me, Wu Tianhao! From today on, my Chao Yi Yong will fight you three to the death!"

Chai Jiu adjusted his glasses, his tone infuriatingly calm. "Dead cripple, there is no 'future.' While we fight here, your territories are being besieged by the three of us. As for those Golden Triangle assassins you hired—they only know money, not loyalty. My price was much higher than yours; they are my men now."

Chai Jiu added, "By the way, do you know who united the three of us? It’s that very Yang Sheng you’ve been trying to kill all this time! Wu Tianhao, do you regret not killing him when you had the chance? Hahaha! Too bad they don't sell regret in this world!"

Watching Wu Tianhao teeter on the verge of a heart attack, Chai Jiu sneered, "Damn dead cripple! You were so arrogant before, why aren't you acting so tough now? Ah Kun, keep your eyes on this cripple; don't let him walk out of the Walled City!"

Chai Jiu could endure, but he was not a man of great forgiveness. He remembered well when Wu Tianhao tried to goad him into killing Yang Sheng and mocked him to his face for being a failure compared to his father, Chai Hongtu.

In the underground arena, the sound of gunfire and shouting spiraled into madness, and the gang members, unaware of the cause, screamed as they fled in all directions. The only place untouched by the chaos was the ring itself.