Chapter 123: Fierce Battle with Madam Gao (Silver Patron Zhuo Xiao’s Bonus Update 6/50)

Madam Gao’s eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp, piercing light. Her aged appearance was always deceiving; in truth, she was well over four centuries old, and her combat prowess bore no relation to her seemingly frail exterior.

At first, she faced the two Black Widows barehanded. Then, as if by some magnetic force, a yellow cane flew into her withered right palm.

This time, she did not defend but launched herself proactively toward Natalia.

Adhering to the principle of combined attack, Yelena immediately struck at Madam Gao’s back. Unexpectedly, Madam Gao’s movement abruptly shifted.

In an astonishing reversal, she bent low and darted back toward Yelena.

This sudden change of rhythm caught the two Black Widows off guard.

Originally, Madam Gao had been on the defensive, maintaining the poised demeanor of a kimono-clad lady, her movements subtle and contained. Without warning, her motions grew expansive and forceful.

Her cane danced wildly, countless striking shadows raining down on the two Black Widows.

“Ah!”

“Ugh!”

Having never faced an expert of Eastern martial arts before, both Natalia and Yelena suffered from their lack of experience. Yelena fared worse, struck squarely in the chest by the tip of the cane. The impact fractured two ribs at once, and to make matters worse, the cane’s tip unexpectedly revealed a blade segment. Were it not for her remarkably fast reflexes after inheriting her skills, she might have been gutted right then.

Yelena rolled away in a sorry state, retreating to a distance.

Natalia was only slightly better off; she too had underestimated the cane’s true nature. Assuming it was merely wooden, she instinctively tried to parry with her twin daggers. Unfortunately, the fine steel of her blades was no match for the specially forged ironwood cane.

“Clang!” Both daggers snapped simultaneously. Natalia was then viciously kicked in the abdomen by Madam Gao.

The force felt as if she had been struck by a speeding car hurtling at over 200 miles per hour.

Though Natalia twisted at the last moment to avoid a direct hit, the blow still knocked the wind out of her. She was sent flying backward seven or eight meters, tumbling three full somersaults before landing unsteadily.

Displaying her true martial skill, Madam Gao had decisively overwhelmed the two Black Widows. A mocking smile crept onto her deeply wrinkled face.

“This is but a mere warning. So, shall we continue?”

Mei Mumu tilted her head, her expression growing colder as she curled her lip.

“Why not?”

Without any further formalities, a single glance between the two Black Widows caused them to retreat slightly. Yelena tended to her wounds, while Natalia circled behind Madam Gao, shielding the rear near the mountain base, wary of hidden passages.

Madam Gao had a different perspective.

“Hmph! Such naïve yet extraordinarily gifted young ladies. But my greatest mistake was not leaving sooner and instead waiting for a big one to show up. But truly, do you intend to fight me to the bitter end? Even if you cut off my hand, I wouldn’t think you a gentleman.”

She fixed her gaze playfully on Mei Mumu’s limp right hand.

Mei Mumu shrugged. “Sorry, back home, 'gentleman' is another word for pervert. Since you mention my right hand, fine. I won’t pretend anymore.”

Suddenly, a vibrant emerald light flared at Mei Mumu’s chest. Even through the fabric, the mysterious glow was palpable.

What followed left Madam Gao utterly horrified.

Having lived over four hundred years, Madam Gao’s keen insight detected the unusual nature of this enigmatic Soviet man before her—his crippled right hand and partially blind eye.

In battle, every weakness can be a fatal vulnerability.

Mei Mumu’s weaknesses were many.

Facing Madam Gao, he dared not be careless. His previous trip to Berlin had spared him from confronting Red Skull or other Hydra Lords. Madam Gao was the first truly formidable boss he’d encountered upon returning to this timeline.

This was no mere contest of wits with the void; Mei Mumu was prudent. Without overthinking, he activated the “Eye of Argomoto,” instantly restoring his arm and eye.

Natalia was left speechless at the sight.

Madam Gao grew even more wary.

“Hmph, this secret technique is truly... astounding! Who would have thought even Russia harbors warriors like you?” She crossed her cane horizontally before her chest. Her kimono seemed to burst apart along her legs, transforming into a qipao.

Clearly, Madam Gao was no conventional Japanese woman; beneath her kimono lay a Chinese-style training suit—quite formidable indeed.

Meanwhile, Mei Mumu conjured from the void a cross-shaped sword known as the “Song of the Azure Sky,” stunning the three women almost to the point of disbelief.

Where had this weapon come from?

Ignoring Madam Gao’s gaze, Mei Mumu assumed a proper T-stance, a footwork style common among medieval European knights, known for its agility.

Then...

“Human Immobilization Technique,” he announced.

Mei Mumu had been cautious but still underestimated this ancient witch. Madam Gao, once a Kunlun disciple, may have been exiled, but her Qi perception and mastery remained intact.

An ordinary fighter struck by such a mysterious power would be finished instantly. Yet, at a critical moment, Madam Gao reacted.

Her figure vanished from sight as the spell struck a mere afterimage, scattering dust into the air.

“Are you a sorcerer?” Madam Gao’s movements were uncanny—part frantic cat, part pouncing leopard. She covered over twenty meters in less than half a second, her seemingly ordinary cane slashing horizontally like a Japanese kendo draw cut.

“Whoosh—”

The rushing wind roared like a tempest.

A mere cane wielded with the force of a mighty battleship surging through the waves.

“Ha!”

Mei Mumu raised his sword in a diagonal slash. The mystically potent blade would clash with the cane within a tenth of a second.

But it became nothing more than a feint.

The domineering cane swept across the cross sword and seemingly “cut” through Mei Mumu’s waist.

Yet, one second later, the three heard Mei Mumu’s shout of “Ha!” and saw him still executing that seemingly defensive diagonal slash.

“What is this...?” Both Black Widows were stunned. They had never witnessed such a bizarre spectacle.

This was Mei Mumu’s “Permanent Phantom,” a high-level illusion that operated according to a script and could even hold conversations.

It resembled a holographic projection from the 21st century.