In an instant, he saw clearly the people in the room.

There were two individuals.

One was Gu Yang, also holding a dagger.

The other man was dressed in ordinary sportswear, also wielding a dagger. This man appeared to be around forty years old, looking weathered and worn, with a long face, raised eyebrows, and a cruel expression formed by years of ruthless behavior.

A person’s appearance is shaped by their heart; over time, one’s mindset can subtly influence their looks.

Some people wear a frown for years, and to outsiders, they truly seem to have a face full of sorrow. Others who commit evil deeds for a long time will develop a fierce and menacing appearance.

The one who just attempted to assassinate Su Jie was that kind of person.

“Su Jie, is that you?” Gu Yang also recognized him: “Punishment, this matter has nothing to do with him; don’t harm the innocent. This is a society governed by law. If you hurt someone, I guarantee you won’t get out of here without being arrested.”

“Judgment, are you coming with me?” The man called “Punishment” sneered: “This young man just managed to dodge my strike; his movements are skilled. He must be your disciple, otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed to break down the door. Well, since you won’t come with me, I’ll cripple your disciple and see whether you listen or not.”

“He’s not my disciple. Wait!” Gu Yang was about to intervene, but the man called “Punishment” suddenly lunged forward again, attacking Su Jie.

“Good.” Su Jie sensed the true intent to kill; he had achieved the “Golden Body” and was eager for a fight against a strong opponent.

This man before him was powerful and would serve as a touchstone for his Martial Arts advancement!

Since returning from the war-torn lands, he hadn’t encountered a worthy opponent.

That Xiong Zhiguang was a master, but he paled in comparison to the man codenamed “Punishment.”

Just moments ago, Su Jie had barely escaped the dagger’s deadly strike, but he felt no fear. Having experienced the hail of bullets, he no longer regarded daggers as a threat.

As the man codenamed “Punishment” burst out of the doorway, Su Jie countered by entering the room directly, moving to Gu Yang’s side.

“Coach, give me the dagger.” Su Jie extended his hand and took Gu Yang’s dagger.

Just then, the man codenamed “Punishment” returned, lunging at him again. He was like a shadow, as relentless as a parasite, with the dagger glinting coldly, targeting many vital points on Su Jie. At that moment, Su Jie had obtained Gu Yang’s dagger, and his arm moved as if it had transformed into multiple limbs, his whole being resembling a giant spider, aiming to ensnare the man called “Punishment.”

Crackling sounds filled the air…

The daggers clashed, sparks flying.

Both “Punishment” and Su Jie accurately intercepted each other’s daggers while simultaneously countering.

In just a few exchanges, danger lurked at every turn, yet Su Jie grew increasingly excited; good opponents were hard to come by.

He let out a sharp whistle, the dagger dancing in his hand like a silver snake. At the same time, his footwork resembled magic; with a single movement, he appeared on the left, yet his body was on the right, advancing and retreating, deceiving the eyes and minds of his opponent.

This was his painstakingly practiced “Magic Step,” the essence developed by Odell, which he had perfected during his training in the mountains. Unfortunately, he hadn’t yet fought anyone with it.

“What kind of footwork is this?” The man called “Punishment” displayed a strange expression, unleashing his own strength. The dagger in his hand flickered as if it were a venomous snake striking.

With each stab, a faint hissing sound could be heard.

His body was like that of a soft-bodied creature, almost magnetic, repelling Su Jie’s attacks just as they were about to connect.

“This footwork is impressive.” Su Jie felt a chill in his heart, his focus sharper than ever.

Since achieving his Martial Arts, he rarely faced such a formidable opponent who could push him to this extent. Even in the war-torn lands, he hadn’t encountered such terror. Of course, that time with Daru was merely a spar, while the man before him, “Punishment,” aimed to cripple him.

Naturally, he had also met Odell in the war-torn lands, but Odell was too strong; he was no match for him and gained little experience from that battle.

Dagger duels were exceptionally perilous, ten times more so than bare-handed fights; a moment’s inattention could lead to bloodshed.

Needless to say, such clashes were incredibly honing.

“When did Su Jie become this strong?” Gu Yang moved, already at the doorway, guarding it. He had noticed that Su Jie was holding his own in the fight, his footwork more agile than a monkey’s, and his dagger techniques exquisite, especially the footwork, which was astonishing, more impressive than a magic show.

Even Gu Yang, who had seen much, had never witnessed such a miraculous footwork.

“This kid is tough to deal with.” “Punishment” frowned; after a few rounds, he realized Su Jie wielded his dagger with great agility. Although his experience wasn’t vast, he was quite slippery, and he couldn’t handle him easily, especially with Gu Yang nearby. If the two of them teamed up, he would surely be in trouble.

“Alright, Punishment,” Gu Yang said, “I won’t go back. It wasn’t easy for you to find me here; after all, we fought side by side before and were once brothers. I’ll let you go this time, but don’t come back. And I advise you, that path is meaningless; it’s better to find a place to live peacefully. You have enough money to live like a wealthy man. Su Jie, stand down.”

“I’ll cut him first, then come for you.” “Punishment” growled, ignoring Gu Yang’s words and instead attacking Su Jie with even more ferocity.

“This is exhilarating; fighting with daggers is far more thrilling than with fists.” Su Jie faced “Punishment” with no fear, no matter how fierce the attack.

At that moment, his spirit was completely unified, emitting a roar like a tiger and a dragon, echoing throughout the room, the wind howling, stirring up a tempest in the small space.

His arm shot up, the dagger swirling in his hand, drawing an arc upward, perfectly intercepting “Punishment”’s attack as their daggers collided.

Clang!

With a tremendous force, both daggers flew out of their hands, leaving them bare-handed.

Su Jie didn’t pause; he let out another long howl, unleashing his most adept “Hoe Strike.”

In the war-torn lands, facing the “Panda Mask Man” Odell, believing that Zhang Manman and Zhang Jinchuan had fallen victim, he had unleashed his strongest strike. That state of mind, whenever recalled, felt like a true breakthrough in his Martial Arts.

Now, facing “Punishment,” he recalled that state of mind again and unconsciously executed the move.

“Not good.” “Punishment” didn’t see Su Jie’s action but felt an overwhelming pressure from deep within, sensing a vast momentum enveloping him.

In this critical moment, he raised his arm to protect his head, squatting down hard and sliding forward.

Bang!

He took Su Jie’s slap head-on, staggering back, struggling to maintain his balance.

But just as he charged forward, he prevented Su Jie’s “Hoe Strike” from reaching its full power, thus avoiding a fate of having his limbs broken.

Even so, his arm was severely injured, blood flowing from the wound.

Su Jie’s “Hoe Strike” was a swift and powerful move, digging in and tearing out in one fluid motion.

After being struck, “Punishment” felt Su Jie’s attack dig deep into his flesh, nearly tearing off a chunk of meat.

Roar!

“Punishment” lost interest in continuing the fight with Su Jie and charged towards Gu Yang at the door.

But Gu Yang merely sighed, stepping aside to let “Punishment” escape.

Su Jie didn’t pursue; he could tell Gu Yang had intentionally let “Punishment” go.

“Coach, what’s going on? I came to see you and ran into this master; he’s truly formidable.” Su Jie picked up the two daggers from the ground, examining the notches on them, realizing just how immense their strength had been.

Moreover, Su Jie noticed that many parts of his clothing had been torn by the daggers, but fortunately, his skin remained unbroken.

His skin was very sensitive now, automatically contracting in the face of danger; this was the result of his rigorous Martial Arts training.

“You’re strong.” Gu Yang gave Su Jie a thumbs up: “He was my former comrade, codenamed Punishment. He came to find me to rejoin the team. I won’t go into the past, but how did you train? In just a year, you’ve become this strong? You were clearly weak when you left. Did you go to war? How come you have the scent of battle on you? This isn’t something you can cultivate in a fighting ring. Your various movements and techniques feel like dodging bullets.”

“I went to the war-torn lands and encountered a few attacks; my training is still far from enough.” Su Jie had a vague sense that Gu Yang’s background was not simple and that he had experienced warfare. He had occasionally heard Zhang Manman mention bits and pieces of things.

Zhang Manman wanted to recruit Gu Yang but had never succeeded.

“Coach, I think your comrade will come back to bother us again.” Su Jie said, “Why don’t we team up to catch him and hand him over to the police? He brandished a weapon and committed a crime; by law, he should at least serve a few years in prison.”

“Bringing me back is his mission. As long as I’m here, he won’t leave and will always come for me.” Gu Yang stared at Su Jie and suddenly said, “Here’s the deal: I’ll give you a task. If you can capture him alone, I’ll agree to help you with one thing and teach you all my Martial Arts. How about that?”

“Coach, with your skills, you should be able to handle this ‘Punishment,’ right?” Su Jie couldn’t gauge Gu Yang’s depth.

“I don’t want to deal with a former brother, but he is quite annoying. If you can capture him, he’ll give up. He thinks you’re my disciple; if he can’t handle my disciple, he’ll know when to back off.” Gu Yang sat down and poured himself a glass of water.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep