In the hall of the third floor, Lionel was sitting there with a numb expression while waiting.
As the instructor of the First Reserved Camp, he barely wore his standard-issued armor, but tonight, he equipped every piece of it neatly and the 1.5-meter sword lay beside him, conveniently within reach. He might have seemed calm on the outside, but his heart was shaking terribly.
From a certain perspective, Tang Ling was his student, or at least, half his student. Tonight, his half-student was coming to kill him!
Whenever he thought about it, his wrists would start to hurt. It was the little present that Su Yao had left for him during the first encounter with Tang Ling.
No, not Su Yao but Su Siao.
Lionel’s heart twitched when he saw that white-haired figure standing at the entrance of the manor like a monolith through the large hanging monitor on the third floor. Going against Mad Lion Su Siao felt like a dream.
On the other monitor, the sword flashed again and another male Agnes family member was beheaded. The first and second floors of the manor had been turned upside down. It was a living hell as no grown man was left alive.
As for the younger ones, every single one of them was crippled. Whether they could escape or not was still unknown.
Lionel’s face twitched when he heard the footsteps coming closer. The Grim Reaper had come knocking.
However, he had to sit down waiting for the Grim Reaper because the rest of the third floor had gone mad. They no longer cared about the warnings and expressed their delusion loudly as though they were struggling for one last time before dying.
They forced Lionel to sit down because he was the one who had started it all. Tang Ling’s hatred for the Agnes family started from the encounter with Lionel. At least, that was what the rest of the third floor thought.
Lionel’s face twitched once more. He looked askance at the prying gazes from the corners. Is this what you call being forsaken by blood in the face of death? What? Are they trying to feel better with my death?
Had the normal days continued and things went smoothly for Lionel, he would have attained the qualifications to live on the fourth floor.
The whole Safety Sector No. 17 had only around 200 Purple Moon Warriors, so how many could the Agnes family produce? Only seven, but the number was enough to reign supreme over the other family.
Lionel himself was a decent Purple Moon Warrior.
“Father, why are you sitting there? Father, take me away, please. I’m so scared.” A child’s voice was heard.
Lionel closed his eyes painfully. The voice was from his only son, Jim Agnes. He never had the chance to educate his son, hence the boy’s arrogance and naivety. The boy had lived the life of a noble for his whole life, and the scrumptious food and comfortable living made him as fat as a boar.
Lionel originally planned to start training his son next year, but it seemed like he would have to put that thought on hold indefinitely. Jim called his father meekly, but the uncles who usually took care of him slapped him.
Tang Ling had driven the whole family mad!
Hatred was overflowing in Lionel’s heart. He widened his eyes, but what he saw shocked him to the core.
Tang Ling appeared right before his eyes.
A second ago, Tang Ling’s footsteps came from the stairs, then he appeared in the living hall of the third floor without a sign. His body was covered in both dry and wet blood, making him look extremely gory. His face was also covered with blood, but his cold gaze from deep within his eyes was clear.
“My dear student,” said Lionel.
“Instructor, I remember attending two of your tactical classes. Because I hadn’t started cultivation back then and didn’t know about the detailed combat technique, the two classes were all about stabbing.”
“You do have a good memory. Like what you already know, the dagger is the closest weapon that one can have and it can also be the last line of defense. Using a dagger doesn’t require a great amount of stamina and due to its special traits, it can kill silently. Its lethality isn’t something one can neglect. Mastering the technique of stabbing and how to wield a dagger correctly is what you students must learn first,” Lionel said word by word. He then grabbed his longsword beside him.
“So, I heard you’re the best dagger wielder in Safety Sector No. 17. Am I right?” Tang Ling tossed his sword beside him and fished out the new dagger that Castellan Worf had given him.
“So?” Lionel stood up. He was indeed the most skillful dagger user around. Otherwise, with the mere strength of an early rank 2 Purple Moon Warrior, he would not have been accepted into the First Reserved Camp as an instructor.
Back during the bloody cage exam, the way Lionel dissected the Leceister silverback bear left an impression on many people. His skills and techniques were as smooth as butter as he sliced the creature; it was art.
Taking the standard stabbing stance, Tang Ling bent his body slightly forward, squatted, and held his dagger in reverse in front of his chest.
“I always separate gratitude from grudges. I must kill you, but since I did attend two of your classes, I’ll fight you with the dagger, and if you can beat me in your best game, I’ll let you live.”
What?! Lionel widened his eyes. He thought was going to die for sure. He never thought that his teachings would somehow move Tang Ling since the history between the two of them was rather long. He also never expected Tang Ling to fight him using a dagger.
How could Tang Ling be his match when it came to using a dagger? Clyne, their leader, had once told him that if he could achieve the pinnacle of dagger-wielding, he might attain a certain talent. One’s talent was determined by natural causes, but there were cases of adaptive or trained talents as well.
However, Lionel did not agree to the suggestion. He shook his head in slight disappointment. “Your basic stats are far beyond mine. If we were to compete in technique…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fair and adjust my strength to your level.” Tang Ling was calm and confident but not exactly trustworthy.
Lionel almost laughed out loud. Had Tang Ling been this stupid before? He just wanted to beat Tang Ling in the match. He was not that naive to think that he could somehow kill Tang Ling. As long as he could protect himself, to hell with the Agnes family!
After a quick glance at the left corridor, Lionel asked, “Is it only me alone?”
“Yes, you alone.” Tang Ling’s patience was wearing thin.
Lionel did not say anything. He tossed the standard-issued sword away and fished out a dagger from his waist. “Let’s start.” As for his son, to hell with him too! As long as he could survive this, he could simply find a woman and have more than a dozen kids.
Right after his voice subsided, the two of them moved out at the same time. Both daggers were forged by grade B material, and as they clashed in the air, clear clunks were heard.
Everyone in the Agnes family is a monster.
Tang Ling felt the irony of it. Of course, he knew Lionel had a son, but the man did not fight for his own blood at all. He knew Lionel might look serious and sad on the outside, but the thrill in his eyes gave him away.
A dagger match? Yes, it was really a dagger match, but Tang Ling had a surprise prepared for Lionel. The sins ran in the family, so no one should be spared to taint the earth and harm innocent lives.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The daggers clashed at top speed. Just two seconds into the battle, more than a dozen clinks rang out.
Since it was a dagger match, only dagger techniques were permitted, but no one expected Tang Ling to be this skillful with a dagger. He was exchanging blows with Lionel and more than a dozen exchanges happened in an instant.
Outsiders aside, although Lionel himself was a master with the dagger, he was more shocked than anyone. How did Tang Ling’s dagger technique become this remarkable?
The thought forced him to admit that Tang Ling was the only one among all his students to learn his technique to this extent.
However, it had only been two classes, so how many advanced techniques could Tang Ling possibly learn? It had been nothing more than the basic techniques and stance. Even if he was a genius, all he learned were the basics and the best he could do was master them.
With that thought in mind, Lionel’s attacks slowed down and he seemed a little carried away by the shock.
Dagger technique was originally a dark technique since the wielder strived to deliver the kill with a single lethal hit. For one to truly understand the dagger technique, one must know that such a technique should not only consist of the basics. It was actually a mixed technique that consisted of many other elements in order to achieve a single killing blow.
Feigning weakness in front of the enemy was also one of the important elements, which was what Lionel was doing in front of Tang Ling right now. He was shaken by the pressure from the surroundings and how skillful Tang Ling was with a dagger.
In a dagger match that demanded speed, a shaken state of mind would slow down his hand and flaws would start showing all too naturally.
Lionel did not want to drag the match out. Even if Tang Ling had adjusted his strength to his level, he was still no match for him in terms of stamina. Dragging the dagger match was already the wrong approach, to begin with, and Tang Ling had a huge advantage in terms of stamina.
If Lionel wanted to deliver the single lethal hit, he had to use his best technique. With his intentional acting, Tang Ling fell for it.
Lionel feigned slowing down and revealed many flaws. Then, Tang Ling’s dagger was thrust towards his abdomen.
As though he forgot to block, Lionel feigned panic as he twisted his wrist around and held the dagger straight before thrusting it towards Tang Ling’s chest.
Judging from the situation, Lionel was going to lose this dagger match before his dagger could stab Tang Ling in the chest. He calculated that Tang Ling’s dagger would stab him in the stomach and had the time to twist the blade for a full round. It would immediately rob Lionel’s ability to further his attack.
Still, did it hold true? Tang Ling’s dagger brushed the armor at Lionel’s belly, producing a clear clink. At the same time, Lionel’s dagger was also aimed at Tang Ling’s heart, but it was still some distance away.
Now!
The panic in Lionel’s eyes was replaced by sharpness, and his wrist started to twist in a strange movement. The shadow of his dagger became blur while it assaulted Tang Ling’s heart instantly as if the blur motion ignored the distance in between them.
It was the Seven Phantom Stabs, Lionel’s best dagger technique.
Using the high-speed movement of his wrist, he created afterimages of his dagger, fooling his enemy and preventing them from finding out which one was the real dagger.
When the dagger was thrust, it did not rely on the strength of the arm to push it forward but the thumb at the hilt of the dagger. The repeated flinging of the thumb pushed the dagger forward into the air, making it look like a flying dagger.
Due to the speed, it really looked like the dagger flew from Lionel’s hand.
In fact, the first stab was performed when the dagger flew out from his hand. His hand grabbed the dagger back quickly, and then he repeated the thrust.
With Lionel’s strength, he could repeatedly fling and grab the dagger seven times before the afterimages of his dagger faded. He could also utilize the difference in the angle to alter the direction of his stab slightly to catch Tang Ling off-guard.
Barely any victor emerged from Lionel’s Seven Phantom Stabs, but this time, for the sake of insurance, Lionel even feigned his reactions and emotions, diverting Tang Ling’s attention to the attack on himself.
He planned to distract Tang Ling with his acting and shorten the distance of his dagger to Tang Ling’s chest. It was also to conceal the movement of his dagger from Tang Ling.
Lionel wanted to perform his Seven Phantom Stabs within a safe and secure distance. He was extra delighted in his heart because he could already picture the stab wounds on Tang Ling’s chest. Even if he could not kill Tang Ling in a single blow, the latter would lose based on his own rule. He could leave the hellish manor right after that!
If Tang Ling was the one that released him, Su Siao, who was monitoring the whole manor, would surely let him go, would he not?
Unfortunately, before the scene that Lionel imagined could happen, his eyes were blinded by a sudden light. He shut his eyes instinctively.
What happened?! Lionel really panicked this time and was not acting anymore. An ominous feeling rose in his heart. It was just an instant but the ominous feeling came true.
Tang Ling must have exerted a certain level of strength in order to stab his dagger through the standard-issued armor, but when the tip touched the armor and produced a clink, the dagger was retracted.
In addition to that, he should have been leaning forward, not stepping back due to the stab to Lionel’s abdomen and the momentum from his body movements, but that did not happen.
Tang Ling was not going to stab Lionel’s armor from the beginning. All he did was touch it and he moved his body backward, drawing 20 mm from the dagger that could have stabbed his chest. He then used the backward angle to raise his arm holding the dagger and reflected the light from the chandelier in the hall. The light bounced off the blade and shot into Lionel’s eyes.
When Lionel opened his eyes and regained his flung out dagger, he knew what had happened in that instant. After all, he, Lionel Agnes, was a master dagger wielder.
“Now, I see.” A mocking smile appeared on Tang Ling’s face. He did not even spare Lionel a window for his shock to sink in. He twisted his body and slid forward by less than 10 mm.
Then, Tang Ling’s hand started to twist in a strange way, similar to how Lionel twisted his toward him a moment ago. Furthermore, Tang Ling’s twist was even more perfect than his own. Countless afterimages of the dagger were created and it glared brightly.
“Is this the right distance?” Tang Ling and Lionel were very close to each other and the voice that entered Lionel’s ears sounded like the whisper of the devil.
I’m a master of daggers! Lionel raised his hand so that the dagger blocked the left side of his neck.
Prediction was also a crucial element in using a dagger. Its light weight granted it the speed and it should not defend along the way. Instead, the attack must be predicted beforehand for a successful block.
Alas, in the next second, Lionel felt his Adam’s apple turn chilly although the left side of his neck that he blocked did not even feel the wind.
Was that a change in direction? How can this kid change directions better than me? How did he find the precise stabbing point to fling his dagger forward and suddenly change the direction from the left side of my neck to my Adam’s apple?
Unfortunately, Lionel would never get the answer to his question. Despite the standard-issued armor covering a huge part of his body, the area around the neck remained exposed.
Tang Ling’s grade B alloy dagger easily plunged into Lionel’s Adam’s apple, cutting the trachea with a single slice. The gush of blood choked Lionel, causing him to cough as blood sprayed all over Tang Ling’s right arm.
Nevertheless, Tang Ling was a hardworking student. Since he had acquired Lionel’s strongest technique, he must complete it meticulously.
Lionel felt the cold blade leave his throat, but it returned in the next moment.
One, two, three…seven, eight, nine!
Tang Ling was able to stab the same spot nine times whereas Lionel could only make seven stabs based on his technique.
“Ugh, ugh…” Lionel covered his throat with his hand as he tried to speak but all he could utter were grunts.
“Instructor, are you trying to praise me?” Tang Ling squinted his eyes at Lionel.
Lionel staggered backward and fell to the floor. His chest was expanding and collapsing violently while mysteries revolving around Tang Ling flooded his heart. He had clearly planned and calculated everything. He even felt that it was too childish of Tang Ling to fight him in a dagger match while wearing his armor.
Therefore, he had included his armor in his calculation during the dagger match. Although he thought of how to use his armor to help him secure triumph, he had lost!
His remarkable technique was defeated by Tang Ling who had probably used the lousiest way: the reflection of the dagger!
What kind of battle knowledge was that? How much of a genius was Tang Ling to learn his most powerful technique, the Seven Phantom Stabs, in just an instant? It should be renamed the Nine Phantom Stabs from now on!
Should he be proud as an instructor? Should he be happy that his unique technique was passed down to a genius? He had even thought of teaching this unique technique to his fat son. How many times would he have to demonstrate slowly for his son to understand?
In just two seconds, Lionel’s mind was flooded with numerous thoughts.
Tang Ling picked up his longsword and seized him by the neck. “I really don’t want to go so far, but your despicable personality left an impression on me. That’s why I assumed that killing you with a quick cut was a mercy to you. How do you feel now? Being killed by your student using a dagger with the unique technique that you took pride in? Did you feel something break inside?”
Lionel widened his eyes in rage. Crimson foam spewed from his mouth as he got more agitated.
“I like you better this way. You can’t say anything, can you? Just like the many students back in the bloody cage, I suppose they had something to say as well. But they are none of my business. I’m just honored to take revenge for them along the way. What do you think?
“Oh, and what do you call your unique technique again? What? You forgot the name? Never mind. I’ll just call it the Tang Ling Stab.”
Lionel’s face flushed while his eyeballs almost popped out with engorged veins around it.
Tang Ling shook his head and swung his sword across Lionel’s neck. He picked up the severed head and looked towards the big monitor. He saw his bloody self appearing like a devil from hell. Then, he shook Lionel’s head at the camera and said, “52.”
“Am I a genius? I hope that I can get your sincere praise when I stand before you all. You people must have thought of me as a maggot back then, right? How does it feel now? A maggot taking revenge and killing everyone of you? I really want to know.”
