The Legend

15. The Phantom Seven

After leaving the branch city behind, Lin Fen rode hard toward the central region — three days and three nights without pause. Even the finest steed the Samsara Branch possessed was left breathless and exhausted. Only then did Lin Fen finally slow his pace.

 

As night fell, he planned to rest in Anyue City, a small town not far from his destination. But just as he neared the gates, the distant sound of shouting and clashing reached his ears.

 

It came from a small clearing with little cover. Lin Fen had no desire to get involved — saving Lao Yun was all that mattered. But the shouts were drawing closer, fast. He cursed under his breath and stepped back, hoping to remain unseen. He'd learned well from Gai You: first, protect yourself.

 

But fortune was not on his side. Moments later, a girl burst into the clearing, breathless. Spotting him, her eyes lit up. "Please — help me!"

 

Lin Fen sighed bitterly. Just my luck.

 

She looked young, her tunic torn, hair falling in disarray around her face. Her dark eyes pleaded with him, and beneath the smudges of dirt, her pale skin flushed with fear.

 

Before he could answer, her pursuers arrived — seven figures in total. Leading them was a burly, broad-chested man whose muscles bulged like twisted iron. His sharp, tiger-like gaze locked straight onto the girl hiding behind Lin Fen.

 

The others were just as striking: a slender man with delicate features, fanning himself slowly; a woman in a striking red robe — Hong Pao — carrying a longbow, her figure tall and graceful; a figure entirely concealed behind a mask; a short boy with both hands wrapped in thick bandages; another boy with his eyes covered by soft gauze; and finally, the most unexpected of all — a young man barely taller than Lin Fen himself, yet he carried a massive greatsword that dwarfed him completely.

 

Aside from the burly man, they were all roughly his age.

 

"Step aside, kid," the big man rumbled, voice like rolling thunder. "This doesn't concern you."

 

"Easy there, Kanbi," said the boy with the greatsword. He stepped forward, resting the blade's tip on the earth. He looked Lin Fen up and down, and a grin lit up his eyes — bright, wild, and clearly hungry for a fight. "Brother, this young lady here has something that belongs to us. Hand her over, and we'll part ways peacefully."

 

Lin Fen glanced down at the girl. She ducked her head, avoiding his gaze. A flash of irritation pricked him — she'd clearly gotten herself into trouble, and now he was tangled in it too. But she was trembling behind him, and he couldn't simply push her away.

 

"In principle, I'd love to walk away," Lin Fen said calmly. "But she's already behind me. Turning my back on someone in need... that doesn't sit right with me, don't you think?"

 

Kanbi roared with laughter. "Stubborn little fool! Our boss is being generous — don't be stupid!"

 

The greatsword boy held up a hand, silencing him. "Two choices. One — she returns what she took and apologizes. Or two..." His grin widened. "You fight me. Win, and we walk away empty-handed. Lose — you join us as my newest brother. Deal?"

 

"Boss, no! That item is far too important!" the others protested in alarm.

 

But he ignored them, his gaze fixed eagerly on Lin Fen.

 

Lin Fen suppressed a groan. Great. A battle-crazed lunatic. He really didn't have time for this. But then he looked at the girl shaking her head frantically, tears welling in her eyes — and he knew he couldn't back down.

 

"I choose option two," Lin Fen said, stepping forward. "Let's fight."

 

"Excellent!" The boy's eyes sparkled. "Fair play though — I won't use my Meridian Opening Realm cultivation. Just body, speed, and skill. If you can outfight me, I'll admit defeat honorably."

 

He set his massive sword aside, crouched low — and launched himself forward like a cannonball. Lin Fen didn't flinch; he stepped aside at the last moment, grabbed the boy's shoulder, and struck hard at his exposed back.

 

The boy ducked beneath the blow, spinning around with his hands clawed like an eagle, striking toward Lin Fen's chest.

 

They crashed together — no fancy skills, no cultivation, just raw, brutal strength and speed. The clearing echoed with the sound of flesh meeting flesh, the grass whipping around them as they moved.

 

"Whoa," whispered Hong Pao, her mouth hanging open. "Kanbi — has anyone ever matched the boss in pure strength before?"

 

"Never," Kanbi grunted, watching with wide-eyed excitement. "This kid... he's something else."

 

Fists collided again and again. Lin Fen's knuckles stung — this boy was solid rock beneath his clothes. But the boy looked equally surprised; Lin Fen had been tempered by years of hauling boulders up mountains, and his body was honed like iron.

 

Lin Fen feinted left, then cracked a fist against the boy's cheek. He blinked, pleased — only to catch a fist square in his own eye a heartbeat later.

 

"Haha!" the boy laughed, rubbing his jaw. "That was a good one! Feels like forever since someone actually landed a hit on me!"

 

They circled each other, both breathing hard, both sporting matching black eyes. The onlookers had completely forgotten the girl; they were mesmerized by the sheer intensity of the brawl.

 

Lin Fen swept low, kicking up a whirlwind of leaves, but the boy jumped clear, caught his leg mid-motion, and heaved. Lin Fen tumbled through the air and hit the ground hard, coughing softly, his tunic torn and scrapes stinging across his arms.

 

But he didn't stay down. A fierce determination burned in his chest. With a sudden burst, he lunged forward, grappling the boy to the earth, throwing punches that were more stubborn than skilled.

 

"You little wildcat!" the boy grunted, struggling beneath him. "Get off — I'm gonna flip you!"

 

They rolled across the dirt, wrestling like two farm boys at harvest time. The Phantom Seven stood frozen, staring in disbelief — their legendary boss, tangled in the grass, getting beaten up by a complete stranger?

 

Eventually, exhausted and gasping, they both pulled apart, standing at a safe distance, chests heaving in unison.

 

"Tell you what — let's call it a draw," the boy wheezed, grinning through a split lip. "She gives back what she took, we forget the whole thing, and you don't have to join us. Better yet — how about we be brothers instead?"

 

Lin Fen chuckled darkly in response. "Heh. Who said we were finished?"

 

Slowly, he unlaced his heavy boots and stripped off his outer robe, tossing them aside. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck, stepping forward with a lighter, leaner grace — suddenly feeling much more dangerous.