39. The Canned Hidden Weapon Is Nearly Unstoppable

On the rooftop, Swordmaster Dongmen stood to one side, his eyes narrowed as he observed the events unfolding below. Next to him was another middle-aged man, whose commanding presence and vigorous demeanor exuded an air of dominance and confidence. Though he appeared to be only around thirty, the wisdom reflected in his keen eyes was that of someone in their fifties or sixties, or even a venerable elder.

He was of average, perhaps slightly short stature—about one meter sixty-something—dressed in simple blue cloth trousers adorned with two Taiji symbols, one on each knee. A wide leather belt was fastened around his waist, and he was bare-chested, his well-developed muscles sharply defined across his shoulders and arms. Black metal pauldrons sat atop his broad shoulders, and nine longswords were slung across his back. His hair was cropped into a short, bristly crew cut, thick and dark.

Beneath his broad, bushy eyebrows, a pair of shrewd, profound eyes glimmered. When he spoke, his mouth revealed a set of dazzling white teeth, commanding attention. Swordmaster Dongmen spoke up: "Father, shouldn't we go down and take a look?"

"These days, my relationship with the Grand Elder grows ever more complicated. Having someone curb his arrogance for us is no bad thing," the middle-aged man replied.

"But this Xie Wuji is standing up for my sister—he's on our side. Yet he's up against a Golden Core expert. Letting him confront a Golden Core head-on is far too dangerous! Isn't that sending him to his death?" Dongmen Swordmaster protested.

"This man is a descendant of the Undying Longevity Sect; he should know some of their arts. I’m rather curious to see the skills that once shook the world. Don't worry—if anything truly dangerous happens, I'll intervene at once. After all, the Grand Elder has been acting more outrageously of late," said the middle-aged man.

Dongmen Swordmaster sighed. "If the Undying Longevity Sect still existed, that young man would be considered a scion of a noble house. His great-uncle was one of their guardians, so he does have some right to befriend our sister."

"And what if he were to become your brother-in-law?" the middle-aged man teased.

Dongmen Swordmaster immediately waved his hands. "No, absolutely not! My sister's still young—far too young!"

His eyes flashed fiercely. "If that Shi fellow dares harm a single hair on her head, I’ll never forgive him!"

This son left the middle-aged man both proud and helpless. He was none other than Dongmen Yong, the master of the Danxia Sect.

Shi Zhenxiang was feeling stifled and aggrieved. He knew that Xie Wuji wasn't an inner or outer sect disciple; even if he killed him, it wouldn't violate any sect rules—at most, he'd be confined for seven days, and his master would surely protect him. So Shi Zhenxiang felt little concern.

Now, wielding twin short swords, Shi Zhenxiang launched a flurry of attacks at Xie Wuji. It was Xie Wuji's first time facing a Golden Core expert, and he quickly realized just how fast his opponent was.

He blocked with his fists, sparks flying as weapon clashed against flesh. Crash after crash, the two fought from the shopfront out into the street, overturning stalls and scattering goods. A wine merchant’s entire batch of spirit liquor was smashed, eight jars of precious brew ruined in an instant.

The longer the fight dragged on, the more Xie Wuji realized how difficult his opponent was. Suddenly, Shi Zhenxiang kicked him hard, but Xie Wuji managed to shield his chest in time, retreating two steps without injury.

"What’s your name? With skills like that, you’d stand out even among the outer disciples," Shi Zhenxiang said.

Xie Wuji laughed aloud. "I'm the grandnephew of Old Master Qin—my surname is Qin, and my given name is Die, as in the 'die' from bone-setting medicine!"

"Qin Die, you do have some ability. But you’re still no match for me. I haven’t even used my real skills, and you’re already struggling to keep up," Shi Zhenxiang replied.

The onlookers burst into laughter, for "Qin Die" sounded identical to "real father," making it clear that Xie Wuji was toying with Shi Zhenxiang.

Xie Wuji arched an eyebrow, grinning. "My good son, now you know to call me father? Be sure to give your mother my regards!"

Shi Zhenxiang’s rage exploded; he ground his teeth. "You insolent brat—you really don’t know what death is!"

Xie Wuji wasn’t trying to take advantage of Shi Zhenxiang but to enrage him. When a person lost their temper, openings would appear in their defenses—an opportunity for a surprise attack.

Sure enough, Shi Zhenxiang fell for the ploy, his attacks turning wild and chaotic, intent only on tearing Xie Wuji limb from limb.

On the rooftop, Dongmen Yong smiled faintly. "I like this young man—his roughness hides subtlety. He knows he’s outmatched, so he employs a ruse to unbalance his opponent and force a mistake!"

"Cheap tricks—flashy and attention-seeking, with none of the dignity of a true sect," Dongmen Swordmaster huffed.

Dongmen Yong clasped his hands behind his back. "If this were a duel to the death, such cunning could turn the tide. You must learn that all’s fair in war—if you always insist on brute force, you’ll only throw your life away. This young man has talent; the more I see, the more I appreciate him."

"Father, I think Xie Wuji is a menace. If he ever learns the true cause of his great-uncle’s death, he might turn against our Danxia Sect. Wouldn’t it be best to eliminate him now, while we have the chance?" A cold gleam flashed in Dongmen Swordmaster’s eyes.

Dongmen Yong sighed. "All this is Elder Ding’s fault—he was obsessed with finding out the whereabouts of the Undying Phoenix Spirit... But it’s taken Qianyun so long to find a friend she can confide in. If Xie Wuji were to die and leave Qianyun heartbroken, could you bear that?"

"I just think that fellow’s sly and unreliable. Besides, he’s almost thirty—two years older than me! With a man like that around Qianyun, I can't be at ease."

"At least he hasn’t done anything to harm her, has he?" Dongmen Yong replied. "For now, help him as much as you can. This young man is teachable; perhaps in time he’ll even help us with our great ambitions. The disciples all think the Danxia Sect is at its zenith, but little do they know that my enmity with the Grand Elder grows deeper by the day. If this continues, the sect will surely split sooner or later..."

Dongmen Yong's heart was heavy; he’d been brooding over this for some time. But seeing Xie Wuji today brought sudden clarity.

Xie Wuji belonged to no faction and possessed excellent potential. What’s more, he was growing close to Yong’s daughter.

But things weren’t going well for Xie Wuji in the arena. Though he’d managed to throw Shi Zhenxiang off-balance, in actual combat he was still slightly inferior.

After his brief outburst, Shi Zhenxiang quickly regained his composure and returned to the fight. His sword was heavier than Xie Wuji’s fists, his speed greater, his combat experience far richer.

With all these advantages combined, he held absolute dominance. Before long, Xie Wuji was on the back foot, clearly struggling. Just as he was about to be overwhelmed, Xie Wuji snapped his fingers, pulling a can from his ring in a flash!

He hurled the can straight at Shi Zhenxiang.

Shi Zhenxiang laughed. "You think to use hidden weapons against me? Watch and learn..."

With a swing of his sword, he cleaved the can in half—spilling its contents in every direction.

It was a can of surströmming, bought by Xie Wuji at the supermarket—a notorious "bioweapon" of a snack!

The can burst in the air, spraying foul-smelling liquid and chunks of fish everywhere—much of it landing directly on Shi Zhenxiang.

Stunned, Shi Zhenxiang was quickly assaulted by the overpowering stench. Enraged, he shouted at Xie Wuji, "What is this abomination?"

"Well, your name suits you now—you're absolutely reeking!" Xie Wuji laughed uproariously.

The fury overwhelmed Shi Zhenxiang and he vomited a mouthful of blood. "You wretch! You... you..."

The stench spread instantly, forcing the surrounding crowd to cover their noses and retreat rapidly.

"What the hell is that smell? It’s... damn, it’s unbearable!"

"Rotting meat, rancid pit, and the stench of unwashed underwear... Oh heavens, that’s horrific!"

In moments, the entire street was in chaos, people fleeing in all directions. Even Xie Wuji recoiled in disgust, stepping back.

Shi Zhenxiang, furious and humiliated, staggered forward, clutching his chest and pointing a trembling finger at Xie Wuji. "You... you despicable scoundrel!"

Suddenly, Shi Zhenxiang collapsed. The onlookers gasped in shock.

"Oh no! Brother Shi has fainted!"

"Heavens, Brother Shi actually lost—he lost!"