Exalted Toxin Lord - Chapter 2

Hua Yan slowly unsheathed his knife.

It was the one that he had been using to chop away at the Truewood Trees. It was by no means as long or as sharp as the bandit’s blade that looked like it was already quite attuned to the texture of blood.

It was but an ordinary knife that was used for carving wood. By no means was it a weapon of war.

Seeing Hua Yan’s action of taking it out, the bandit snickered.

“Hehe, boy, if you think you can harm me with that, you’re 100 years too early. Just leave your belongings behind, and I’ll let you off for today? How about it?”

If the bandit were anyone else, Hua Yan would’ve simply ignored his words. But since this man was after his life, and since he wasn’t in the best of moods, Hua Yan decided to say some words in response.

“Let me tell you something, fellow. You see this blade here? It looks dull and edgeless right?”

Hua Yan brandished his dagger as he spoke. Then, out of nowhere, he charged the bandit. The bandit was taken aback by the sudden attack, but quickly regained his senses and blocked the incoming knife with his blade.

Hearing the painful screech of metal on metal, the bandit grit his teeth.

He thought his attack would destroy that little knife in one shot.

Contrary to his expectations, however, it was his own sword that appeared to be a little… chipped around the edges.

“This blade may look ordinary and weak…”

Hua Yin continued his attack. There was a dangerous glimmer in his eyes.

The bandit was forced onto the retreat. A trace of fear appeared on his sweating face.

“But within it lies my hopes, my dreams, and my ambitions.”

Hua Yan never paused in his relentless assault. Wounds were quickly covering up the bandit’s body.

“It contains the fruits of my labour.”

Shraa!

The bandit’s mask was shredded off and his ugly mug within was exposed.

“The proof of my hardships.”

The bearded man let out a howl as one of his fingers was cut off cleanly.

“The records of my deeds.”

The man’s sword was too late to parry the knife that was coming for his thighs. He was crudely brought to his knees.

“This blade is heavy, stranger. It carries both your life and mine.”

Hua Yin got through the bandit’s guard and brushed his sword off to some faraway shrub in the distance, leaving the bandit unarmed.

“So you’d best not look down it.”

A flash of light appeared on the edge of his knife as he struck it towards the bandit’s throat.

“That would be unhealthy.”

And just like that, the bandit left the mortal world without another sound. His death was meaningless. He was hungry and desperate, and his haste had gotten the better of him, leading him to make the fatal mistake of choosing a stronger opponent for a target. His downfall was not an uncommon one in this world. Many often overestimated themselves while thinking that they were different from the rest.

Unfortunately for the bandit, he was no one special. He was unable to escape the curse of being shackled down to the dirt by the chains of fate. He was but a friend of fortune and a foe of hardship. He wasn’t one that could take matters into his own hands and control the direction of his life. He was just another ordinary man that could only be satisfied with his lot in life, or die trying to vie for a better one.

“I wonder if I can be special,” Hua Yan murmured to himself, staring into the distant skies above.