Chen Tang sat quietly for a while and then returned to his usual state.
The tension, discomfort, and fear from earlier had all vanished without a trace.
This adaptability surprised even himself.
Chen Tang got up, pulled the long knife out from Cui Yong's chest, cleaned off the bloodstains thoroughly, and sheathed the blade.
Afterward, he found a few silver taels on Cui Yong's body and rummaged through the house for more silver coins.
This could create the illusion of a robbery murder to confuse others.
Of course, he was indeed short of money.
Chen Tang calculated that, in addition to the silver taels taken from the bodies of the two White Servants, he had a little over ten taels in total, all pocketed.
Chen Tang checked the house one more time to ensure he left no loopholes, then slipped out, ready to leave silently under the snowy night sky.
Just as he closed the door and hadn't left the yard, Chen Tang's ears twitched, hearing laughter from outside the wall, indicating at least five or six people passing by.
Chen Tang frowned slightly and paused his steps.
Going out now would definitely run into this group.
No need to complicate matters.
"Master Chai, look, a pretty young lady ahead, with those long legs and slim waist, tsk tsk."
"Haha, indeed not bad!"
"Master Chai, since she's coming to us, why not take advantage of it..."
The courtyard of Cui Yong was surrounded by high walls, and from inside, Chen Tang couldn't see outside, but from the voices, it should be the people of the Evil Wolf Gang.
He'd seen that Master Chai a few days ago.
"Damn, she's really beautiful, like a fairy!"
Perhaps because they got closer, the people of the Evil Wolf Gang had a clearer look and exclaimed.
The others followed with exclamations of admiration.
Chen Tang couldn't help but roll his eyes, sneering inside.
Is it really necessary?
These thugs, third-rate scoundrels, being so shocked as if they've never seen a woman.
No matter how good-looking, how exceptional could she be?
That Mei Yingxue could be considered a rare beauty, and even after seeing her, he still remained calm and steady as a rock.
"Who is this young lady, why haven't we seen her before?"
"It's a blessing you ran into our Master Chai today. Make Master Chai happy, and hey..."
The laughter outside suddenly stopped!
Immediately following, came a series of 'thud thud' sounds.
What's going on?
While Chen Tang was puzzled, the main gate of Cui Yong's courtyard was suddenly forced open by a tremendous impact!
Following that, a figure rolled and crawled in!
The person had disheveled hair, an embarrassed expression, and a face full of terror. As he stumbled in, he already had a knife in hand, held across his chest.
This sudden change was too abrupt.
Chen Tang was standing at the doorway and had no time to hide inside.
The two of them locked eyes, both stunned on the spot.
This person was the very same Master Chai who had vowed to kill him if they met again, just a few days ago on the street.
Master Chai was also shocked to see Chen Tang.
He had never expected another person to be standing in the courtyard.
And with a knife at his waist and blood all over, he didn't seem like a good person!
This person looked somewhat familiar, like he'd seen him somewhere before. Could he have been lying in wait for me here?
"Is it you?"
Master Chai quickly remembered.
A few days ago, he ran into a boy carrying a corpse, and it was this very person!
Chen Tang's eyes flickered.
This Master Chai, having seen him here and recognizing his appearance, could not be allowed to leave alive!
Moreover, it was necessary to deal with him quickly!
If things got too loud, it would certainly alert others nearby.
In an instant, several thoughts flashed through both of their minds.
Chen Tang acted first.
Clang!
Without saying a word, Chen Tang unsheathed his long knife and swung it down at Master Chai's head!
Master Chai reacted swiftly as well, standing up and raising his knife above to block the strike head-on.
Clang!
The clash of the two blades sent sparks flying, emitting a piercing metallic sound!
Master Chai's pupils narrowed slightly, his whole body jolted, and his arms felt slightly numb.
This boy is incredibly strong!
But he crouched, wrapping his knife around, counteracting Chen Tang's attack while leveraging the force to slash forward at waist height!
Wrapping around is one of the most basic moves in Sword Skill.
The blade circled above the head, its back nearly brushing the scalp, deflecting the opponent's weapon while simultaneously striking forward.
Chen Tang had only learned the Tiger Subduing Fist and had never practiced with a saber, so he knew nothing about these techniques.
He gripped the long saber and slashed with all his might, but Master Chai parried it with a horizontal blade.
Before he could swing a second strike, Master Chai's blade was already coming at his waist!
This strike was extremely swift.
Behind Chen Tang was the door to Cui Yong's house, just closed as he came out.
If he retreated, he would inevitably crash into the door.
Even if he managed to break through, there would be a delay.
A moment's hesitation could mean death on the spot!
This waist-level slash, with its sharp and fierce aura, was almost impossible to dodge!
Master Chai had not become a minor leader in the Evil Wolf Gang by mere luck.
Chen Tang had never imagined such a situation.
With just a brief exchange, life and death would be decided; his own fate hanging by a thread!
Chen Tang's heart pounded wildly, and his mind was intensely concentrated, his hair standing on end, his whole body tensed.
A sudden tearing sensation appeared at the center of his brow, bursting forth with an inexplicably profound perception!
In an instant, a bizarre scene occurred.
In his vision, Master Chai's waist-level slash abruptly slowed down!
This feeling was profound and mysterious, indescribable.
Hmm?
Chen Tang's heart tightened.
Life and death were but a moment away, leaving him no time to ponder!
Instead of retreating, Chen Tang advanced, stepping into the center and closing in.
It was just one step, but it opened up a path to life!
In the midst of combat, when facing an opponent's lethal move, ordinary people would instinctively retreat or sidestep to evade.
Chen Tang did not have much experience in fierce combat; that last move was entirely based on instinct.
Stepping into the center, taking a step forward, he narrowly avoided the blade poised to slice his waist!
Simultaneously, Chen Tang released his grip, letting the long saber fall.
A flash of astonishment crossed Master Chai's eyes.
Chen Tang's two consecutive moves took him by surprise.
Why step in only to throw away the sword in hand?
Before he could comprehend, Chen Tang thrust out both palms, his fingers curved like two tiger claws, fiercely clawing towards his face!
Stealing Food from a Tiger's Mouth, a mighty presence!
A move from the Tiger Subduing Fist.
One hand covered the face, the other secured the throat!
Master Chai only felt darkness before his eyes as Chen Tang's large hand pressed upon his face, obscuring his view of what's ahead.
He was just about to retract his sword to change moves when a burst of pain erupted from his throat!
Crack!
The chilling sound of bones cracking resounded!
Chen Tang's other hand, transformed into a tiger claw, had already crushed Master Chai's throat!
Master Chai collapsed powerlessly in the courtyard, his eyes wide open, his face full of disbelief, dying with an inexplicable expression.
It seemed as if fate had played a tremendous joke on him.
He had just escaped death, only to fall at the hands of an unremarkable youth.
Chen Tang panted slightly.
The entire process seemed slow, yet it was all in an instant.
Chen Tang closed in, released the saber, stole food from the tiger's mouth, and crushed the throat!
Only now did Chen Tang's saber finally fall onto the snowy ground.
This engagement was a hundred times more perilous than the previous encounter with three men!
In Chen Tang's eyes, the panic and tension from having just killed three men had vanished, replaced by a flicker of excitement.
That indescribable, profound state had already disappeared.
But he vaguely realized that perhaps it was what the Mountain Guest referred to as Entering the Divine State!
Once in that state, the actions of everyone within view slow down!
Of course, this was only Chen Tang's assumption.
After all, he had experienced it only once.
Chen Tang looked down at the corpse beneath him, shaking his head slightly.
His power was indeed lacking in many ways.
Just now, he had only managed to crush Master Chai's throat.
According to the Mountain Guest, if Stealing Food from a Tiger's Mouth were practiced to perfection, it could rip and tear the opponent's throat in one move!
The essence of Stealing Food from a Tiger's Mouth lies in the word 'steal.'
The tiger's mouth is perilous by nature, and this 'steal' must be swift and fierce, or else one would be injured by the tiger's maw.