novelhk Chapter 509 The Battle Between Master and Disciple
Chapter 509 The Battle Between Master and Disciple
Chapter 509 The Battle Between Master and Disciple
Just as Rune rescued Barbara, two dark figures tore through the rain. Each collision between them produced a terrifying thud, sounding less like the interaction of flesh and blood and more like two stones colliding with each other.
Batman's every move is characterized by a cold, efficient precision, like that of a machine. His fists, elbows, knees, and legs—every part of his body can be a weapon.
This man learned a great deal of martial arts during his long wanderings and was constantly tempered by the terrible criminals in Gotham City. His fighting skills can be said to have reached the pinnacle of what humans can achieve. Even when facing Ms. Shiva, who is recognized as the number one assassin in the DC universe, he is not without a chance of winning.
Lei Xiaogu is also a martial artist who has lived for a long time. In addition, he is Batman's teacher and is more familiar with Batman's martial arts routines. With just a simple dark combat suit, he can show a rock-solid stability and composure in the face of Bruce's storm of attacks.
His parry and counterattack were perfectly timed; any more or less would have been futile. Yet Lei Xiaogu remained calm, his eyes even revealing a deep appreciation.
It was as if the battle itself was nothing more than a child's game, and he wasn't suppressed by Batman at all.
"Your strength, your skills, they are all growing at a terrifying rate. You've become stronger, Bruce." He tilted his head to avoid a punch powerful enough to shatter bricks, and his hand chopped like a viper toward Batman's throat, but the latter barely managed to block it with his forearm.
However, Lei Xiaogu did not care about this temporary setback. "But your anger is still so—vibrant, just like when we last met, even—more so."
Batman was furious. The League of Assassins had used an innocent child and desecrated his soul. And this child had just been his adopted son. How could Bruce not be furious?
Even so, Bruce's offensive remained steady, showing no signs of weakness.
He couldn't be bothered to reply to Lei Xiaogu's words. In terms of using language to disturb someone's mind, this old man who had lived for centuries was no match for a madman who had lived for decades.
With a low sweeping kick aimed straight at Lei Xiaogu's knee, the old man gracefully stepped back half a step, his boot sole drawing a half-arc on the slippery stone surface, skillfully neutralizing Batman's force.
This move shifted the battle from the Water Droplet's back to the rooftop platform of an abandoned office building nearby. The massive, rusty iron frame of the GG sign creaked and groaned in the wind and rain, while the neon tubes were long since broken, their filaments snapped.
Lei Xiaogu lightly touched the metal frame of the GG sign with his toe, and then his figure returned like a ghost. Then, the old man struck out with his palm, aiming directly at Batman's chest.
"Oh, can you tell me why you're so angry?" The old man's palm strike was fierce, forcing Batman to block it with his arm, producing a dull thud. "Is it because of that poor child, or—this city that belongs solely to you?"
Batman remained silent, which angered Rashomon.
"No! This is a festering sore from the very foundation! Look at it!" Lei Xiaogu roared. "The law is a tool for the rich to manipulate the poor, and order is merely a respite from atrocities. Every new life in Gotham is nothing more than a breeding ground for an even more corrupt city!"
Batman finally spoke, his voice as deep and hoarse as ever, "So, your solution is massacre?"
He grabbed Lei Xiaogu's wrist and attempted an over-the-shoulder throw, trying to slam him to the ground. But Lei Xiaogu twisted his body in mid-air in an incredible way, bracing himself with one hand, and then performed a smooth backflip, landing steadily.
"That's not slaughter, it's purification!" Lei Xiaogu roared in a low voice. He was extremely satisfied with Bruce. Bruce had excellent learning ability, outstanding martial arts skills, and most importantly, he also had his own principles.
As long as Bruce is willing to help him purify the city, even without actually taking any action, even just offering verbal support, Lei Xiaogu is willing to hand over the entire League of Assassins to Bruce.
He had such high expectations of Bruce that when Bruce distorted the purpose of his actions, portraying a sacred cleansing as a filthy massacre, it angered the old man.
He thought Batman would understand him and the cause of the League of Assassins, but the reality was quite the opposite.
"This city is terminally ill, and we have no choice but to undergo radical reform! Yes, this will kill some good people, but it is the least costly approach!" he hissed, his eyes burning with an almost fanatical flame.
"What the League of Assassins possesses is determination, the will to carry out ultimate justice! Not like you, Bruce, oh!"
Here, you are the embodiment of fear, you are the champion of justice, but—what's the point of all that you've done?
Lei Xiaogu posed a soul-searching question, "Look at your adopted son, Jason Todd. In Gotham, aren't there many others who have suffered like him? You are spreading these hateful children in Gotham en masse. You are pushing Gotham into the abyss with your own hands, but you are completely unaware of it—"
"You did stop me once, but what did you change? Blackgate is still overcrowded, and Arkham Asylum is a recurring farce of escape attempts. For every mob boss who dies, ten more ruthless replacements emerge. For every Joker who goes mad, the city breeds more monsters that feed on chaos!"
"Your existence, your no-kill policy, has even become a breeding ground for them! You've set a bottom line for them that they can never cross, allowing them to challenge you with impunity, because they know Batman won't kill!"
Lei Xiaogu finally stopped holding back, and his offensive suddenly became fierce. His punches and kicks were like a storm, and each strike contained the power to pierce metal and stone. Batman also kept fighting back.
The GG sign shook violently as the two men clashed with their ferocious power, the rusted bolts securing it screeching shrilly. Batman's fist slammed into Rashomon's crossed arms as he blocked.
Bruce couldn't answer the old man's question; he could only remain silent and attack, attacking even more fiercely, as if he wanted to shatter the words along with the speaker.
"Look at you!" Lei Xiaogu continued to roar in the gap, his breathing still steady, but his words were like poison. "Look at you dressed like a bat, you chose to conquer evil with fear, with pain, with the most primal power. You've turned yourself into a legend of the night, a ghost of the city."
"But—are you enjoying it, Bruce? Enjoying this chase? Enjoying the power to play God, deciding who should be punished, yet mercifully sparing lives?"
Bang!
A heavy hook punch pierced through Lei Xiaogu's defense, slamming solidly into his jaw. The sound of bones dislocating was clearly audible. Lei Xiaogu staggered back a few steps, his back slamming against the thick steel pillar of the GG brand behind him.
The terrifying force caused rain and rust to fall, but Lei Xiaogu did not retaliate. Leaning against the cold, peeling iron pillar, he raised his hand and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his fingers. A bright red stain stood out starkly against his pale fingers and the gray rain.
Yes, he is old. The Pool of Lazarus could certainly revive him, but there is something terrifying contained within it that makes him very wary.
He was afraid that one day, when he awoke from this pool again, he would truly become a ruthless and terrifying demon.
Lei Xiaogu looked at Bruce again, at the man in the Batman costume. He could have been his successor, he could have let him die in peace, he could have—
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
He sighed, and then made a final gesture that made Batman freeze in place.