Bu Kek Siansu (The Demigod) Chapter 14

The man was still smiling, but secretly he was startled. He hadn't expected this *tosu* (Taoist priest) to be so cunning. He had never seen this *tosu* perform his empty-hand martial arts; how could he possibly imitate it? However, he calmly replied,

"Of course, I will serve *Totiang's* (Taoist Elder's) wish, but before the match, I hope *Totiang* would not mind introducing himself."

"*Siancai*...! You are cunning, friend. Everyone wants to know your name, yet you conceal your own. Very well, *pinto* (this humble priest) is Lam-hai Seng-jin, possessing meager skills..."

"Ah, so it is the *Tocu* (Island Master) of the Turtle Island? I have long heard *Totiang's* name; my heart is delighted to meet and spar briefly with *Totiang*."

"Now, prepare yourself!"

Lam-hai Seng-jin adopted a stance while gazing sharply at his opponent, for he desperately wanted to know if this opponent could truly defeat him using his own martial art! The man secretly observed and smiled, then he, too, adopted the same stance—the stance of the Empty-Hand Martial Art *Bian-sin-kun* (Divine Fan Hand), a type of martial art based on extremely high-level *sinkang*, causing the palms to become soft as cotton, yet containing a devastating, deadly striking power.

"Hiiiaaatttttt....!!"

The *tosu* charged with his deadly strike. He saw his opponent quickly evade with a strange movement, entirely unlike his own martial art movements, but how shocked he was to see that immediately after evading, the opponent charged him with the exact same maneuver, the move he had just used! Realizing the power of this maneuver, he quickly evaded to break his own technique, yet he had to admit that the other man's strange evasion was far faster, and while evading, the man was even able to counterattack!

Again, Lam-hai Seng-jin attacked with another, more powerful maneuver, and just like before, his opponent leaped and suddenly countered him with an attack from the same maneuver! Naturally, he was able to avoid it, and the longer the fight went on, the more frustrated he became. He unleashed all his stored knowledge, the deadly maneuvers of *Bian-sin-kun*, eight stances in total. All eight maneuvers were avoided by the man, who suddenly shouted,

"*Totiang*, guard against the attack of the *Bian-sin-kun* Martial Art!"

And with fierce intensity, the man now attacked him using the maneuvers he had just demonstrated—the eight most potent stances of *Bian-sin-kun*. Because the man's movements were incredibly fast, Lam-hai Seng-jin found absolutely no opportunity to counterattack, leaving him severely threatened and pressured by his own martial art. Although he knew how to break the attacking maneuvers of *Bian-sin-kun*, due to being inferior in strength and speed, his back was finally slapped, and he was sent sprawling, his face pale, forcing him to quickly regulate his breathing so that his internal organs were not injured.

"*Siancai*... you truly are a miraculous human..."

He finally said, slowly rising.

"Release me...!"

Suddenly, a soft cry was heard, and everyone turned toward Sin Liong, seeing how the miraculous child was cradled in the left arm of Kiam-mo Cai-li.

"Hey, release him!"

Six powerful elders advanced simultaneously.

"Retreat!"

Kiam-mo Cai-li roared and pressed the tip of the sword-umbrella in her right hand against Sin Liong's neck.

"Retreat, all of you, or he will die!"

Seeing this threat, the six men were forced to step back. The strange man looked on with flashing eyes, then he stepped forward, his voice soft yet full of authority as he said,

"Kiam-mo Cai-li, release that innocent child!"

"Heh-heh, easy for you to say. Retreat, or he will perish on the tip of my umbrella!"

She pressed the sharp tip of the umbrella against Sin Liong's neck, who was unable to move in the grip of her strong left arm. However, unlike the six other elders, the man still smiled and continued to step forward, causing Kiam-mo Cai-li to retreat repeatedly, and he said,

"That child has nothing to do with me. If you kill him, then kill him. But by God, I will capture you and give your body to the Ice Bear to become its meal!"

Saying this, the man shed his outer robe.

"You... you... Prince Han Ti Ong....!"

"Prince Han Ti Ong...!"

The *kang-ouw* figures shouted.

"Prince of Ice Island....!"

Kiam-mo Cai-li, who had previously felt certain she could take the miraculous child, became utterly enraged. She shrieked a long, piercing cry, her hair whipping forward, toward Prince Han Ti Ong's neck, and her sword-umbrella also lunged with a devastating attack. The man, who was called Prince Han Ti Ong, remained calm, not evading when the thick tip of the hair wrapped around his neck like a snake, but when the sword-umbrella flashed to stab him, he caught the umbrella, and with a single movement of his hand, the sword-umbrella sliced through the hair wrapped around his neck. His hand did not stop there.

While Kiam-mo Cai-li shrieked upon seeing half of her prized and relied-upon hair severed, Prince Han Ti Ong's two hands moved, and suddenly, he snatched Sin Liong's body after first slapping the demoness's back, causing Kiam-mo Cai-li's body to go limp and paralyzed! With Sin Liong cradled in his left arm, Prince Han Ti Ong now turned and faced the seven people, ignoring Kiam-mo Cai-li, who was groaning and crawling to stand up.

"Is there still anyone among you who intends to bother this child? This time, I certainly will not be gentle!"

"*Siancai*....!"

Lam-hai Sian-jin bowed,

"I beg *Ong-ya's* forgiveness for *pinto* not recognizing *Ong-ya* and thus acting rudely."

"Forgive me, Prince."

"Forgive me..."

The six elders mumbled their apologies; only Kiam-mo Cai-li did not apologize. In fact, the woman said,

"Prince Han Ti Ong, you just wait, Kiam-mo Cai-li is not accustomed to letting insults pass without seeking revenge!"

"Hmph, that is up to you. I am always on Ice Island. Now, leave, you shameless old people, daring to harass a mere child."

With bowed heads, the seven famous *kang-ouw* figures left the Forest of a Thousand Flowers. Because they utilized their skills, only their shadows were seen flashing past, and in a moment, they had vanished from the place.

"Hmph... dangerous..."

Han Ti Ong released Sin Liong and sighed deeply while looking at the child who was now kneeling before him.

"*Locianpwe* is not only powerful and benevolent but also extremely cunning..."

Sin Liong said admiringly, gazing at the Prince's face with awe.

Han Ti Ong furrowed his brow.

"Hmph, why do you say that, especially what do you mean by calling me cunning?"

"*Locianpwe* defeated them, meaning *Locianpwe* is extremely powerful. *Locianpwe* pardoned them and let them escape, meaning *Locianpwe* is benevolent. And *Locianpwe* observed their movements and then defeated them using their own martial arts that *Locianpwe* had memorized, meaning *Locianpwe* is extremely cunning."

The handsome face changed; the sharp eyes looked on with surprise and admiration, then he said,

"Wow, in terms of cleverness, I might not be able to match you in the future! Wit and cunning are indeed essential for survival in this dangerous world. Do you know that without using cleverness—inflaming their hearts by defeating them with their own arts—if they had advanced together to gang up on me, I might not have won! Now you are free from danger, well, I must go...!"

Seeing the man turn his body and step away, Sin Liong looked toward the corpses of the eleven villagers still lying there and cried out,

"*Locianpwe*....". Prince Han Ti Ong stopped walking and turned around. He felt surprised himself. It was not usual for him to obey anyone's command except his father's voice, the third king of Ice Island. However, there was something in the child's voice that made him involuntarily stop his steps, turn, and ask,

"What is it now?"

Still kneeling, Sin Liong said,

"*Locianpwe*, would *Locianpwe* kindly accept *teecu* as a disciple."

Han Ti Ong now turned his body fully and approached the kneeling child.

"Child, what is your name?"

"*Teecu* is She Kwa, named Sin Liong." Sin Liong then briefly recounted the death of his parents and why he had fled and hidden in the forest, because he was horrified and disgusted by human cruelty and felt he had found a peaceful and tranquil place there.

"Hmph, you want to become my disciple to learn what?"

"To learn the wisdom that *Locianpwe* possesses, and of course, to learn the divine arts."

"If you only wanted to learn martial arts, why did you refuse earlier when those figures offered you the chance to become their disciples? They are figures who possess great power."