Great Dao Lord through Deducing Myriad Arts

Chapter 273: Chapter 227: If the Path Is Severed, Then Forge a New One

’I’ll show him,’ Gu Yi thought viciously. He had already reached the edge of the clearing. Seeing the rocky, overgrown forest just ahead, he couldn’t help but breathe a small sigh of relief.

’Once I get in there, he won’t be able to catch me, no matter how powerful he is.’

But just then, a sudden warning flared in Gu Yi’s mind.

This was an intuition unique to a Martial Arts Grandmaster, an instinct that had saved Gu Yi from the brink of death countless times.

So, the moment the warning arose, Gu Yi moved with extreme speed, instantly trying to dodge.

But it was too late.

For in the very instant he began to react, several feathered arrows had already arrived, silently closing in. They aimed straight for his vitals: the back of his head, his heart, and his lower back.

In that moment, Gu Yi displayed an astonishing reaction speed.

He ducked his head, tucked his neck, and simultaneously bent at the waist, curling his body. Miraculously, he managed to dodge all three arrows.

But Wu Liangchen seemed to have anticipated this. After firing the three arrows, he paused for the span of a finger-snap, then drew his bow and loosed another.

This arrow was even faster than the previous three, and its angle and timing were wickedly precise.

It was fired just as Gu Yi was bent over, making it impossible to dodge.

PFFT!

The feathered arrow struck him square in the back of his left knee.

The immense force carried it through without pause, exiting from the front and trailing a spray of blood.

Struck by excruciating pain, Gu Yi stumbled, but then immediately pushed off with his right leg, once again charging forward with reckless abandon.

Only then did he remember that not only was Wu Liangchen’s blade work and pugilism exceptional, but his archery was in a class of its own.

But it was too late for regrets now.

At this moment, all he wanted was to survive.

But with his left leg so grievously wounded, how could he possibly outrun Wu Liangchen?

In a near instant, Wu Liangchen dropped his bow and closed the distance, once again smashing a fist downward.

DOOM!

Forced to meet the blow unprepared, Gu Yi was rocked by the impact and staggered backward as blood began to seep from his mouth, nose, and ears.

This was a sign that his internal organs had been damaged by the shockwave.

But Wu Liangchen didn’t give him a single moment to catch his breath. He pressed forward relentlessly, raining down punch after punch.

And with every punch Gu Yi blocked, a fresh spurt of blood erupted from his mouth and nose.

By the end, his entire body was dyed red with blood, yet thanks to the formidable life force of a Grandmaster, he still had not collapsed.

The spectating crowd was stunned silent by the brutal scene.

Finally.

After shattering both of Gu Yi’s arms with a final punch, Wu Liangchen stopped. He stood before the teetering Gu Yi, saying nothing.

Gu Yi forced himself to remain standing and coughed up a piece of his lung, then began to wheeze raggedly, like a broken bellows.

Yet even then, he did not beg for mercy. Instead, he glared defiantly through swollen eyes, fixing a cold stare on Wu Liangchen before spitting a wad of bloody phlegm.

"I’ve lost. But don’t get too cocky, Wu Liangchen. Killers are always killed in the end. I refuse to believe you can be triumphant forever. I’ll be waiting for you in hell."

But Wu Liangchen just smiled. "You’re right, killers are always killed in the end. But I have a question for you."

"Don’t bother asking. I know what you want to say. I don’t get it myself. Why go to all this trouble for a few worthless whores? What’s in it for you?"

Wu Liangchen said lightly, "Perhaps... just for my own peace of mind."

Gu Yi froze, then stared at Wu Liangchen in utter disbelief.

"Just for that?"

Wu Liangchen nodded.

Gu Yi suddenly began to laugh, then said with a sigh of reminiscence, "You know, I was a lot like you back in my day. Full of righteous spirit, vowing to right all the injustices in the world."

As he spoke, a pale yellow fluid began to trickle from his mouth and nose, and his complexion rapidly turned ashen.

It was the sign of impending death.

Wu Liangchen remained silent, merely listening.

"Thinking back... when did I change? It must have been the first time I realized the path forward was cut off. After that, I could never muster the will to continue."

"I started to become greedy and lecherous. I started to enjoy... certain perverse hobbies."

Bloody foam began to bubble from Gu Yi’s mouth and nose. No longer able to stand, he collapsed to the ground.

"So you started torturing people for your own amusement?" Wu Liangchen questioned bluntly.

He never believed that nonsense about a dying man’s words being virtuous. In his eyes, Gu Yi hadn’t realized his wrongs; he had only realized he was about to die.

Besides, any pity for a murderer was the greatest insult to their victims.

Gu Yi paused for a moment, then gasped, "I didn’t want to... but don’t you understand? Ordinary thrills had no effect on me anymore. To chase that feeling of pleasure, I could only let myself go like this."

"Then your death is more than deserved!" Wu Liangchen said coldly, then turned and walked away.

Gu Yi sat collapsed on the ground, his face draining from pale to a deathly gray. He summoned his last ounce of strength to shout:

"Wu Liangchen, don’t think you can escape this curse! The path forward is severed! Sooner or later, you will fall into depravity too!"

Wu Liangchen didn’t turn his head, replying coolly over his shoulder.

"If the path is severed, then I’ll forge a new one myself."

"Forge a new one myself..." Gu Yi whispered, his already fading eyes suddenly shining with light.

But this light was like a shooting star, gone in a flash.

By the time Shan Rui and the other disciples of the Broken Sword Sect arrived, Gu Yi had already breathed his last.

"Master!" Shan Rui fell to his knees, weeping bitterly.

Although Gu Yi had done many evil things, he had at least treated Shan Rui well, so his tears were genuine.

The other disciples, of course, also dropped to their knees, but only they knew how many of their tears were real and how many were for show.

The crowd of onlookers, still buzzing from the spectacle, began to discuss it animatedly.

"Holy shit, that was worth the trip! Not only did we witness the birth of a new Martial Arts Grandmaster, but we also saw the fall of an old one," someone exclaimed, their face alight with excitement.

"Say no more. Master Wu is on another level!" another person declared with a huge grin, giving a thumbs-up.

This was clearly someone who had bet on Wu Liangchen to win.

As for those who had bet on Gu Yi, they could only curse under their breath before slinking away in defeat.

Jiang Feng finally snapped out of it and said to the dumbstruck Xu Kai, "Let’s go, brother-in-law. What are you still gawking at?"

Xu Kai swallowed hard and asked, "Where are we going?"

"To the casino, of course! I bought a ton of chips earlier, and now it’s time to cash them in!" Jiang Feng said with a grin, thinking to himself, ’Looks like the old man really does know best.’

His father’s judgment was truly sharp; he had predicted the outcome of this fight from the very beginning.

Jiang Feng’s only regret now was not betting more.

Many others shared his thoughts, and so the crowd gradually began to disperse.

On a distant hillside, Yan Jun and his male companion were both silent.

After a long while, the man finally sighed. "What incredible archery. Nothing else aside, that skill alone is enough to rank him in the top ten of all Martial Artists in Great Yan."

Yan Jun’s expression, however, was grim, his eyes filled with a deep sense of dread.

He wasn’t afraid of anything else. After all, no matter how fast Wu Liangchen’s Body Technique was, no matter how powerful his fists and blades, he would still need to get close to pose a threat.

And with his formidable guards, Yan Jun was confident that even if Wu Liangchen went on a killing spree, he would have more than enough opportunity to escape.

But that archery... that was what he truly feared.

After all, he couldn’t hide inside the Prince’s Mansion forever.

"Let’s go!" Yan Jun suddenly shouted, his expression dark.

The carriage immediately turned around and headed back toward the city.

Chen Sujin left as well.

She walked slowly, her exquisitely beautiful face pale from the cold, yet filled with a heartfelt joy and relief.

It was as if a traveler who had journeyed for thousands of miles had finally set down their heavy burden.

And when she arrived at her carriage, she saw the driver give her a slight nod.

Chen Sujin paused, then an overjoyed expression lit up her face as she climbed into the carriage.

There sat Wu Liangchen, upright in the carriage. Though his face was a little pale, he wore a faint smile.

"Thankfully, I didn’t fail the mission!"