Chapter Forty-Four: A Moment Between Life and Death

“I’ll risk it all—even if I die, I’ll drag that bamboo pole down with me!”
Eyes fixed intently on the Maoshan sorcerer, Song Nianqiang and his companion launched their assault. The fat man threw his weight forward, lunging at the Maoshan sorcerer in an attempt to pin him with sheer mass, while Song Nianqiang followed closely behind, fists clenched and ready to strike at any moment.

“Heh, two fools who don’t know their place!” the Maoshan sorcerer sneered, standing his ground as if nothing could shake him. As expected, even with their combined efforts, Song Nianqiang and his companion were no match for the sorcerer.

Using the fat man’s momentum, the sorcerer deftly sidestepped and gave him a gentle shove. The fat man, unable to stop himself, careened backward and crashed to the ground. Song Nianqiang, right on his heels, lashed out with a kick aimed at the sorcerer. If the sorcerer were an ordinary man, he would have been struck, but his gaunt frame allowed him to slip away, leaving Song Nianqiang’s kick swinging through empty air.

“Oh? You’ve got some moves after all!” With a twist, the sorcerer seized Song Nianqiang’s outstretched leg and spun him around, sending him crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.

“Haha, get up! Let’s keep going!” Now the sorcerer was toying with them, playing a cruel game of cat and mouse. He had no intention of killing them quickly; he wanted to break their spirits first.

As he spoke, the fat man hurled a punch at the back of the sorcerer’s head. Because the sorcerer had his back turned, the punch actually landed. Yet the result was not what the fat man expected. “Aaargh!” he wailed, the pain delayed but intense.

“Tough luck, kid!” The sorcerer pulled a steel plate from behind his neck, giving the fat man a pitiful look. “My neck was stiff today, so I used this to brace it. Bad timing for you!” He tossed the plate aside.

“Fatty! Are you alright?” Song Nianqiang dared not attack again without caution; the sorcerer’s skills far surpassed their own. Charging in recklessly would only spell disaster.

“I’m fine! Damn it, this bastard is a monster!” The fat man shook his hand, clearly in pain. His voice was strained, and Song Nianqiang could see his hand reddening and swelling, as large as a pig’s trotter.

“What, lost your nerve?” The sorcerer shifted his stance, no longer underestimating them after the fat man’s lucky strike. Now he kept both men in view, ready to counter any move.

“Who says that? I’m not done yet!” With that, Song Nianqiang stamped the ground and shot toward the sorcerer like a leopard, using every ounce of his strength. The sorcerer’s face grew tense. The fat man, seeing his companion charge in, followed like a battle tank barreling forward.

“Good!” the sorcerer shouted, thrilled that they were finally fighting at full strength. Then, astonishingly, he began to perform Tai Chi, drawing a circle with his hands before his chest and waiting calmly for their attack.

With a whoosh, Song Nianqiang’s fist whistled toward the sorcerer’s cheek, but the man was far too nimble. He caught Song Nianqiang’s fist with both hands, used the momentum to pivot, and sent Song Nianqiang flying. Just then, the fat man came barreling into Song Nianqiang’s path.

Thud!
The two collided chest to chest. Blood gushed from Song Nianqiang’s nose, and the fat man’s face was bruised from the impact.

“Damn it! That old fox is cunning!” the fat man muttered, climbing to his feet and helping Song Nianqiang up.

“Hand-to-hand combat!” Song Nianqiang said, using a term only the two of them understood. The sorcerer didn’t care; he was having too much fun, curious to see what other tricks these youngsters might have.

Song Nianqiang wiped the blood from his nose, then he and the fat man charged once more, this time more steadily, without rushing.

The sorcerer assumed they had exhausted their options and stood his ground, not bothering to defend himself. But soon he realized he had underestimated them, and that mistake would cost him.

When they were two meters away, the fat man dove at the sorcerer’s legs while Song Nianqiang leapt high, aiming a powerful double kick at the sorcerer’s head—a move so startling that the sorcerer froze for an instant.

He tried to step back, but his legs wouldn’t budge—fatty was clinging to them for dear life. Song Nianqiang’s feet were about to strike his face. Anyone else would have been unable to dodge, and indeed, the sorcerer failed to evade. But he managed to cross his arms before his face, so Song Nianqiang’s mighty kick landed on his arms instead. Still, with his legs trapped, the sorcerer toppled over.

Falling, the sorcerer was attacked again. The fat man launched himself from the ground like a cannonball, aiming his entire weight at the prone sorcerer. Given the fat man’s size and the sorcerer’s frail build, if he landed, the sorcerer would be crippled for life.

At this critical moment, the sorcerer’s eyes flashed with an eerie light, and with impossible speed, he rolled aside, narrowly escaping. But Song Nianqiang’s attack was already upon him—a knee driving closer and closer. The sorcerer’s eyes flashed with that strange light again, and, miraculously, he dodged once more.

Both attacks missed. Song Nianqiang and the fat man regrouped, standing side by side. The sorcerer, having used his mystical arts twice in quick succession, was now panting, his chest heaving. He pointed at them with venom in his voice. “Excellent! You’ve actually forced me to use my hidden powers twice! Now, I’ll kill you both swiftly!”

With those words, the sorcerer’s body began to swell, his robe billowing as if filled with a powerful wind. In an instant, he transformed into a gigantic sphere, rising into the air. From his body came a disturbing, ghostly wail that chilled the soul.

Song Nianqiang and the fat man recoiled in shock, stepping back. Yet, unless they could vanish into thin air, there was no way to escape the sorcerer’s next attack.

The ground began to churn, and both men grew anxious. Soon, the dirt was whipped into a frenzy by the wind, filling the air with yellow dust and sand. It was nearly impossible for them to keep their eyes open, let alone stand their ground.

“Die!”
The sorcerer’s voice suddenly rang out behind them. Song Nianqiang felt a tremendous force strike him. In the howling wind, their bodies wouldn’t obey; they could only brace themselves for the blow.

“Nianqiang! Look out!” At the last moment, the fat man caught sight of the sorcerer’s shadow. He lunged in front of Song Nianqiang, taking the brunt of the attack to his chest. Blood sprayed from his mouth as both men were hurled through the air by the impact.

“Interesting…” the sorcerer mused, but his assault was far from over. The wind howled even more fiercely. Song Nianqiang and the fat man could only sit where they landed. Suddenly, a thunderous shout erupted ahead of them: “The two of you—go to hell!”