Chapter Sixty-Five: Dead Already?

“Duan Xiu, Can Gang?” Who are they? Du Gu Ming wondered.

Suddenly, Du Gu Ming felt a fierce gust of wind slam against his face—a massive fist was hurtling toward him at incredible speed. He could barely make out the direction it came from; relying solely on a remarkable sixth sense, he instinctively bent low, narrowly dodging the blow. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Even with his body already at the fifth level of cultivation, one punch from that fist would have left him gravely wounded. Who on earth are Duan Xiu and Can Gang, possessing such formidable skills? It seemed that the land of Huaxia truly harbored hidden dragons and crouching tigers, masters who shunned the world yet were everywhere.

But why did these two want him dead? He pondered. He had only been in China for less than half a year; how could so many troubles have arisen? He had no real enemies here, except perhaps the one now sprawled on the ground, terrified out of his wits—Xi Men Xiao Kun. Yet from the looks of it, Xi Men Xiao Kun didn’t even know these two. How strange.

“Not bad, young man. You really are the successor of the Xuanyuan Divine Sword. You’ve got some skills. I like it,” the fair-skinned, flamboyantly dressed woman said.

“What? Xuanyuan Divine Sword?” Du Gu Ming exclaimed, shocked. How did they know?

“Duan Xiu, focus on the task at hand. If you want men, I’ll find you ten or eight later. Let’s finish off this kid first,” said the burly, dark-skinned man, radiating masculine vigor.

“Can Gang, you promise? And you’d better find ten men as strong and tough as you. After all these years on Mars, I’m nearly mad with longing for men. Hehe, hehe, hehe.” The “woman” laughed, sending chills up Du Gu Ming’s spine.

“All right, all right, I know,” Duan Xiu replied impatiently. “Let’s shed these cumbersome human skins; I can’t move freely. Otherwise, that surprise punch wouldn’t have missed him.”

“I know, I know,” Duan Xiu said, annoyed. “I’ll take it off right now.” With that, both Duan Xiu and Can Gang reached for their chests, their sharp nails digging deep into their skin. Then, with a forceful yank, blood welled from their chests.

Du Gu Ming was still grappling with how they knew about the Xuanyuan Divine Sword when he witnessed this terrifying scene, leaving him stupefied. What on earth were these two doing?

From the gaping wounds on their chests, another pair of bloody hands emerged, prying the flesh apart. A head pushed through the newly opened fissure. Du Gu Ming gasped, sucking in a cold breath. He could see clearly through the torn flesh—ribs, heart, lungs, intestines.

Xi Men Xiao Kun had already lost half his soul, sitting dazed on the floor like an idiot.

From inside the chest, a body squirmed and crawled out. They had purple hair, pointed ears, even their eyes were violet. If not for the blood covering them, Du Gu Ming would have thought they were elves straight out of a fairy tale.

Elves, my foot! Was this even human? No matter how skilled a cultivator, no one could do this. This was pure sorcery—monsters, not men. But wait, now both were male, whereas before they were a man and a woman. What was going on?

“What are you staring at? I knew this look wouldn’t suit me. It’s all Can Gang’s fault, insisting I take off my human skin. How am I supposed to seduce men now?” complained Duan Xiu, the paler-skinned one, stamping his foot.

Du Gu Ming nearly vomited. The people he hated most in life were fakes—men pretending to be women, the so-called “second chair.” If he saw one on the street, he’d beat him up. You’ve got a body, born and raised by your mother, and all you want is to be violated? A man should stand tall, if not for the people, at least for himself. All you do is act coy and show off? Just looking at them filled Du Gu Ming with rage.

“Enough talk, Duan Xiu—attack!” Can Gang shouted, charging at Du Gu Ming.

The two split left and right, aiming to flank him. Seeing their ferocity, Du Gu Ming knew he had to fight with all his might.

He shouted, “When paths collide, the brave win! I don’t care if you’re monsters or men—if you’re gods, you’ll still have to bow before me.” He charged forward as well. Du Gu Ming was a man who never backed down. He believed that human will could conquer fate; his strength would change destiny. As long as his heart remained undying, who would dare deny him life?

Can Gang’s fist came at Du Gu Ming’s brow with astonishing speed. Du Gu Ming unleashed his potential to the fullest, using sound and intuition to deflect the blow with the skill of shifting force with minimal effort. He punched back with his left hand, but Duan Xiu was already there, blocking his fist, then preparing to strike Du Gu Ming’s chest with a palm. Du Gu Ming bent his upper body and, in that moment, lifted his right leg to attack Can Gang’s lower body, but Can Gang dodged.

The three separated instantly; everything happened in a flash.

Can Gang slammed his fists together in frustration. “Damn, it’s this cursed Earth! The energy here is so scarce, I can’t even use half my strength.”

Beside him, Duan Xiu coquettishly ran a hand through his hair. “Exactly. Otherwise, I’d have finished him by now and could go play with men.”

Just then, Xi Men Xiao Kun, sneaking behind Can Gang and Duan Xiu, had used the chaos of the fight to edge toward the door, trying to escape.

Du Gu Ming shouted, “Don’t run!” He prepared to kill Xi Men Xiao Kun, knowing their enmity was irreconcilable. His own brothers’ fates were uncertain, so he needed this man’s head as an offering. If Xi Men Xiao Kun lived, who knew what trouble he might cause in the future?

But Can Gang spun around and with a single punch, blasted Xi Men Xiao Kun’s head apart. The infamous scoundrel was dead for good—so dead that even his brains spilled out like tofu pudding. Not even the legendary healer Hua Tuo or the greatest immortal could save him now.

“What? He’s dead? Xi Men Xiao Kun is just... dead?” Du Gu Ming stood there dumbfounded, caught between laughter and tears. Was this really happening? The man he’d wanted to carve into a thousand pieces was gone just like that? What a joke—how utterly absurd.

Duan Xiu glanced back at the mangled corpse, shrugged helplessly, and said, “Poor fellow. You should have known that Can Gang hates people standing behind him. He says it makes him feel unsafe. Ah, you really were unlucky.”

And so, the pitiable Xi Men Xiao Kun met a tragic end at Can Gang’s fist. Alas.