Chapter 657: Alley Ambush
Li Daoxuan felt no panic at all; in fact, a faint smile touched his lips, almost making him want to chuckle. "Oh dear! A street ambush for robbery?"
Xu Chenglong sneered, "Who do you think you're looking down on? Robbery? How much silver could we possibly wring from you? Is your little coin purse supposed to weigh dozens of pounds?"
Li Daoxuan grinned. "Then your ambition must be rather grand, wouldn't you say?"
Xu Chenglong's eyes narrowed. "You punk, what's your connection to Bai Yuan?"
Li Daoxuan instantly understood. This gang was clearly after Bai Yuan.
Bai Yuan currently faced two factions of enemies: the Prince of Fu's estate and the Xiaolangdi water bandits. The Prince of Fu's men had just interacted with him, and they hadn't seemed intent on immediate hostilities. So, deducing the identity of the group before him was no great challenge.
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "Ah, so it's the Xiaolangdi water bandits. What exactly do you plan to threaten Bai Yuan with once you've captured me?"
Xu Chenglong snapped, "I'm the one asking the questions here!"
Li Daoxuan tilted his head. "I believe you're mistaken. I'm the one asking questions now. And if you don't answer to my satisfaction, I might just have to 'persuade' you."
Li Daoxuan shrugged lightly. "My apologies for not having trained, then. Come on, come and kill me."
The words had barely left his mouth when two bandits lunged forward.
Xu Chenglong barked a swift order: "Take him alive! He's only useful conscious."
The two bandits had been poised to draw their blades, but upon hearing Xu Chenglong's command, they reconsidered. Empty-handed, they both charged at Li Daoxuan.
Li Daoxuan genuinely hadn't trained; he didn't know a single martial arts move. As a young man from the modern city, his brawling skills were far from formidable. Confronted by two assailants, he was unsure how to react, so he instinctively swung both hands up, attempting to "block" their incoming fists.
The moment he moved, it was obvious to everyone: this man genuinely couldn't fight.
Xu Chenglong roared with laughter.
The two bandits smirked, too. With a subtle shift, their fists easily bypassed Li Daoxuan's clumsy block. Then, with two dull thuds, both fists landed simultaneously on Li Daoxuan's chest.
The impact was heavy and muffled.
They had intended to drop Li Daoxuan with a single blow, ideally shattering a few ribs, certain that he would then weep and meekly submit to their will. Thus, they struck with considerable force.
What a shame!
But the principle of action and reaction held true: the harder they struck, the more painful the recoil.
Almost simultaneously, both bandits let out a shriek of agony, clutching their hands as they doubled over. "Agh, aghhh, my bones... the bones in my hand are shattered!"
With them doubled over, even Li Daoxuan, despite his abysmal "fighting technique," could easily land a hit. He unleashed both fists, simultaneously slamming them into each bandit's face.
This time, both their facial bones shattered, and they collapsed backward, instantly silenced.
The remaining bandits all watched, dumbfounded.
Xu Chenglong also froze, utterly baffled. The man before him was clearly a rookie; his movements were stiff, his joints rigid, completely devoid of the aura of a trained fighter. He looked exactly like a scholar who couldn't even tie a chicken.
How could he possibly be so formidable in a fight?
"He's a tough opponent!"
"Send in more men!"
Four more bandits surged forward at once.
This time, they coordinated their attack, with two charging from the front and two from the rear.
The two in front aimed punches at Li Daoxuan's face, while one from behind struck at his back. The fourth was even more insidious, launching a low kick directly at Li Daoxuan's groin.
Surrounded by four assailants in the narrow alley, even a genuinely trained martial artist would have found themselves in a bind. Li Daoxuan, however, had absolutely no room to dodge.
A chorus of four dull thuds resonated as all four of the bandits' attacks struck home.
Immediately, all four attackers cried out in unison, their hand bones fractured, their foot bones shattered, howling in agony.
Only then did Li Daoxuan begin to retaliate.
After all, waiting for your enemies to be injured was the best way to ensure every hit landed perfectly.
"Thud! Thud!" Two swift punches sent the pair of bandits before him sprawling.
Turning swiftly, he delivered a kick that sent the man who'd struck his back flying.
Finally, he looked down at the one lying before him, clutching his foot and shrieking, the man who'd dared to kick his groin. Li Daoxuan shook his head. "You, my friend, are far too devious."
With that, he delivered a swift kick, striking the man precisely in the groin.
A sickening *crack*...
The distinct sound of something shattering!
Everyone nearby covered their faces. The sight was too brutal; no one dared to watch.
Li Daoxuan turned away as well, facing the six remaining bandits. "Well, well, only six left. I've just now realized there were twelve of you."
Xu Chenglong was utterly terrified. "This... this fellow... he's mastered the Golden Bell Shield, Iron Cloth Shirt, the Thirteen Grand Protectors' Horizontal Training..."
Li Daoxuan shrugged his hero's robe, a subtle tremor running through the fabric. "Otherwise, what makes you think I'd be qualified to wear this? Only those with a certain caliber can don such attire, wouldn't you agree?"
Xu Chenglong, fuming with frustrated rage, bellowed, "Draw your blades! We don't necessarily need him alive anymore; dead will suffice!"
*Swish, swish, swish!* The remaining six men all drew their curved waist-knives.
Li Daoxuan reached out, patting himself down. "Oh dear, no weapon," he muttered with mock distress.
Just then, two bandits charged him head-on, their curved blades simultaneously slashing at his neck. From behind, three more rushed forward, their weapons chopping down at his back.
All five thought the same thing: *No matter how formidable his hardened body technique, surely a sharp blade couldn't be withstood once it cut into his flesh, could it?*
As this thought crossed their minds, the fastest bandit's blade had already sliced into Li Daoxuan's raised, blocking arm.
The keen edge effortlessly cut through the outermost hero's robe, then through the silicone surface. But swiftly, it met with an unyielding resistance: steel bones. *Clang!* A crisp, metallic ring echoed through the alley.
The bandit paused, slightly bewildered, then roared, "This fellow's got iron armguards hidden under his clothes!"
Indeed, with the hero's robe obscuring his view, the bandit hadn't seen his blade slice through Li Daoxuan's silicone skin. He genuinely believed Li Daoxuan was merely wearing an iron armguard beneath his hero's attire.
The three attacking from behind experienced the same phenomenon. *Clink, clink, clink!* Three blades struck Li Daoxuan's back, only to bounce off. All three simultaneously shouted, "He's wearing iron armor!"
In the brief span it took for those words to be uttered, Li Daoxuan's hand seized the opportunity. He lunged, snatched one of the bandit's waist-knives, and with a surge of power, wrenched it free.
The man stared, utterly bewildered, as Li Daoxuan's "flesh palm" grasped the blade without a drop of blood. This couldn't be explained by mere iron armor or armguards. He fixed his gaze, examining it closely, and only then realized the opponent's palm *had* indeed been cut by the blade, yet...
No blood flowed from the wound on that palm. Instead, there was a smooth, clean cut, and faintly visible beneath it, a piece of iron bone.
The bandit gasped in utter shock, opening his mouth to cry out a warning, but Li Daoxuan's reverse thrust plunged the blade directly into his gut.
Not a single word of warning escaped the bandit's lips. He managed only a choked gasp before collapsing.
In the same instant, Li Daoxuan spun around, felling another bandit with a single kick.
Xu Chenglong took one look at the unfolding chaos and instantly knew his men were no match for Li Daoxuan. He bellowed frantically, "Run! Everyone, run!"
With that, he was the first to turn and sprint away.
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