Blade of the Discarded — Chapter 4

SHAKING OFF THE SHANDONG AK FAMILY MIGHT NOT BE SO DIFFICULT.

I'LL BUILD UP MY INTERNAL ENERGY WITH ELIXIRS,

THEN CATCH THEM OFF GUARD AND ESCAPE.

BUT WHAT THEN?

WILL COME AFTER ME SINCE THEY SOLD ME TO THEM.

UNLESS I SHAKE OFF MANBUDONG TOO, I'LL HAVE A HARD TIME SURVIVING.

IF I WANT TO SURVIVE THE CLUTCHES OF THE SHANDONG AK FAMILY AND MANBUDONG...

I CAN'T JUST STRUGGLE ON THE BOARD THEY'VE LAID OUT FOR ME.

I HAVE TO OVERTURN THE BOARD ITSELF.

I'LL HAVE TO BECOME A VARIABLE THEY'D NEVER ANTICIPATE,

ALWAYS ONE MOVE BEYOND ANYTHING THEY COULD IMAGINE.

THAT'S MY ONLY WAY OUT.

BESIDES THE ELIXIR PILLS,

THERE'S ONE MORE THING I NEED.

BRING ME THE SHANDONG AK FAMILY'S MARTIAL ARTS.

...WHAT?

HAS THIS LUNATIC LOST HIS MIND?

THAT'S MY CONDITION FOR THE DEAL.

GIVE ME THE SHANDONG AK FAMILY'S MARTIAL ARTS.

A-ARE YOU INSANE?!!

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR?!!

IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, WE CAN STOP RIGHT HERE,

BUT THEN YOU'LL NEVER BECOME THE FAMILY HEAD.

M-MARTIAL MANUALS ARE INCOMPARABLY MORE DANGEROUS THAN ELIXIRS...!!

LEAKING A MARTIAL MANUAL WOULD MEAN RISKING MY OWN LIFE!

I CAN'T TAKE THAT KIND OF RISK JUST TO HELP YOU ESCAPE.

YOUR ESCAPE WOULD PUT MY BROTHER IN A DIFFICULT POSITION,

BUT THAT ALONE WOULDN'T MAKE ME THE FAMILY HEAD.

WHAT CAN YOU OFFER ME

THAT'S WORTH RISKING MY LIFE FOR?

AS LONG AS YOUR BROTHER LIVES, YOU'LL NEVER BECOME THE FAMILY HEAD.

SO THEN,

FOR YOU,

I'LL WIPE HIM OFF THE BOARD.

HE...

HE'S GOING TO KILL MY BROTHER?!

WHAT'S YOUR DECISION?

IS HE SERIOUS...?!

HE'LL KILL MY BROTHER FOR ME?

OR IS HE JUST SPOUTING WHATEVER HE CAN TO STAY ALIVE?

...NO, I HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE.

IF HE FAILS AND DIES, IT'LL BE AS IF NONE OF THIS EVER HAPPENED...

IF HE SUCCEEDS, THEN I CAN DEFINITELY BECOME THE FAMILY HEAD.

...FINE,

WE HAVE A DEAL.

THIS IS THE SHANDONG AK FAMILY'S SECRET ELIXIR,

THE EXPLOSIVE FLAME PILL.

IT WASN'T EASY SNEAKING THIS OUT ALONG WITH THE MANUAL.

IT'S SO POTENT, I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN HANDLE IT.

NORMALLY, THE PROPER METHOD IS TO HAVE A GUARDIAN HELP REGULATE YOUR QI FROM THE OUTSIDE.

OTHERWISE, THE BACKFLOW OF QI CAN EASILY CAUSE QI DEVIATION.

BUT I DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF FINDING A GUARDIAN HERE.

HNNG...!!

I'LL COMBINE THE NAMGUNG FAMILY'S INTERNAL ENERGY I LEARNED AT MANBUDONG

WITH THE SHANDONG AK FAMILY'S INTERNAL CULTIVATION METHOD THAT AK SOMI GAVE ME

USING SHARP QI AND HEAVY QI,

ENERGIES WITH OPPOSING NATURES.

IT'S LIKE PUTTING TWO SUNS IN THE SAME SKY.

ONE MISTAKE,

AND IT'S OVER.

GOOD.

I CAN FEEL SEVERAL TIMES MORE INTERNAL ENERGY SURGING THROUGH ME THAN BEFORE.

WITH THIS MUCH POWER...

AK WIGUN WILL BE NO MATCH FOR ME NOW.

...DID YOU REALLY ABSORB THE EXPLOSIVE FLAME PILL ALL BY YOURSELF?

YOU'RE A MONSTER...

THEN CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU INTEND TO KILL MY BROTHER NOW?

WOULDN'T YOU BE BETTER OFF NOT KNOWING?

NO, I NEED TO KNOW!!

EVEN I CAN'T HANDLE AN ELIXIR LIKE THE ONE YOU TOOK SO EASILY!!

THIS CAN ONLY SUCCEED IF YOU DON'T KNOW.

THE MOMENT YOU OPEN THAT LOOSE MOUTH OF YOURS, IT'LL ALL GO UP IN SMOKE.

THAT OBNOXIOUS BASTARD.

JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET IT RIGHT...!!

IF YOU FAIL, THIS PLACE WILL BE YOUR GRAVE!!

AK SOMI'S REQUEST IS SIMPLE, BUT CARRYING IT OUT IS ANYTHING BUT EASY.

A SINGLE MISTAKE WILL MEAN DEATH.

AK WIGUN,

HOW SHOULD I KILL YOU...

THREE MONTHS LATER

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING SO HARD ABOUT?

HOW TO BREAK THROUGH YOUR SPEAR.

NONSENSE! THAT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY.

THE AK FAMILY'S SPEAR COULD NEVER BE BREACHED!

SPLIT MOUNTAINS, CLEAVE SEAS!

THE IMPERIAL SWORD FORM...!

MY ARMS AND LEGS WON'T OBEY ME. IT'S LIKE I'M TRAPPED IN A SWAMP. IS THIS THE POWER OF THE IMPERIAL SWORD FORM?

HOWEVER...

I CAN ONLY FIND A COUNTER TO THE IMPERIAL SWORD FORM BY FACING IT HEAD-ON.

THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO BREAK IT!

I CAN SEE IT...!!

AN OPENING IN THE IMPERIAL SWORD FORM!!!

ALL MY EFFORTS..

HAVE FINALLY..!!!

LED ME TO AN OPENING

IN THE IMPERIAL SWORD FORM!!!!

AK WIGUN...

HOW SHOULD I KILL YOU...

IF AK WIGUN DIES DURING TRAINING, THE SHANDONG AK FAMILY WILL DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO KILL ME.

KILLING HIM MYSELF WOULD BE A POOR STRATEGY.

THE PERFECT ASSASSINATION...

WOULD LEAVE NO ONE WITH ANY REASON TO SUSPECT ME.

THE STRATAGEM OF KILLING WITH A BORROWED BLADE,

I NEED THE NAMGUNG FAMILY'S SWORD, TO BE EXACT.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DUELING GROUND, WITH EVERYONE WATCHING.

I'LL HAVE AK WIGUN CUT DOWN BY THE NAMGUNG FAMILY'S SWORD.

I'LL MAKE HIM BELIEVE HE'S FOUND A COUNTER TO THE IMPERIAL SWORD FORM.

THAT WILL BE WHAT KILLS HIM.

I...

I WON...

I WON!!!

I'VE SHATTERED THE IMPERIAL SWORD FORM!!!

I HAVE TO TELL THE FAMILY HEAD!!

I MUST BRING HIM THIS WONDERFUL NEWS!!

FAMILY HEAD...!!!

I'VE FINALLY BEATEN THE IMPERIAL SWORD FORM...!!!

HE'S TAKEN THE BAIT.