Kou Yangzhou once again stepped into the territory of Qingzhou and mocked,
“I’m here again, come fight me…”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Pingfeng’s figure teleported in front of him. Dressed in white, he extended his palm towards Kou Yangzhou’s chest.
He really dares to up close… Kou Yangzhou joined his palms like a sabre and struck fiercely.
One of them stood in the boundary of Yongzhou, the other in that of Qingzhou; palm and sabre clashed head-on.
Bang!
It was like a cannon exploding, the air ripple spread like water waves, the surrounding ground was lifted, just as if a black stain had appeared on a face.
Kou Yangzhou did not seize the opportunity to close in, a continuous flurry that could kill a physically frail second rank arcanist. It was not that he did not want to, but that he couldn’t.
Thud thud thud… Kou Yangzhou retreated several steps, each footfall causing a mild tremor.
He has the power of all beings within Qingzhou’s borders, the plan to forcibly level Qingzhou City indeed will not work.
Kou Yangzhou narrowed his eyes, giving up on the idea of fighting all the way to Qingzhou.
When they made the plan earlier, the old man had patted his chest and boasted that no matter how fearsome Xu Pingfeng was, he could single-handedly turn Qingzhou upside down.
He had displayed the full confidence of a second rank martial artist.
But now he had to admit, Xu Qi’an had not deceived him. A peak second rank arcanist who had refined the territory of an entire province and could wield the power of all beings, he truly could not defeat such a foe.
Although the power of all beings here was far inferior to that of Xu Qi’an.
…
Zhuo Haoran?
I’ve seen Zhuo Haoran!
Xu Xinnian gripped the Huntian Divine Mirror, his eyes fixed on Zhuo Haoran’s face, savouring the pleasure of release. His heart thudded several times, then a surge of excitement and exhilaration rushed in.
It had come without any effort at all!
He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and asked coolly,
“Where is this person?”
The Huntian Divine Mirror replied,
“Sixty li southwest. Besides him, I’ve also found many scenes of males mating and males bathing. If you like, I can display them all one by one.”
The tone was strange, containing a hint of “so you’re just like your elder brother, why pretend” mockery.
“Can you lock on to him?”
Xu Erlang recalled the instructions his elder brother had given about using the Huntian Divine Mirror.
Anyone the mirror had captured before could be marked by it, then locked onto at will within its ability range.
“Of course I can.”
With this confirmation, Xu Xinnian breathed a sigh of relief and said immediately,
“Raise the view, I want a bird’s eye view of the area.”
He became very calm, just like a seasoned commander.
The vision from the mirror instantly soared, giving the view from over the top of a military tent, then rows upon rows of well-ordered military tents, with sentries standing guard or soldiers patrolling.
Xu Erlang casually glanced around and, based on experience, estimated the army size at between three and five thousand.
“Continue!”
He gave a command.
The view continued to rise. When the army camp became fuzzy “little squares”, another enemy army appeared in the mirror, vast in number, its camp several times larger than Zhuo Haoran’s force.
The two camps were about five li apart.
This is a main force of the Yunzhou army. Zhuo Haoran leads the vanguard.
Xu Xinnian made his assessment.
Generally speaking, ahead of the main army, there would always be a vanguard or two to scout the way and buy time for the main force to get ready in case of a large enemy attack.
It took time for an army to go from a loose state to battle readiness.
The more troops, the more time needed for assembly.
Back when he fought in the northern border, the allied army of Yao, barbarians and the Great Feng had once been scattered by Jing’s iron cavalry, mainly due to not having enough time to get into formation.
Dozens or hundreds were easy to gather, thousands were difficult, and tens of thousands even harder.
Therefore, anyone who boasted “the more the merrier” when ordering soldiers was either an ignorant fool or a genius strategist.
Holding the Huntian Divine Mirror, Xu Erlang looked at Hengyuan, who was riding alongside, and said,
“Master Hengyuan, please contact the members of the Heaven and Earth Society for me, and tell them I am going to hunt Zhuo Haoran.”
Hengyuan was startled for a moment, his gentle eyes lighting up. He clasped his hands together and smiled,
“Please wait a moment, Benefactor Xu!”
With that, he pulled out an Earth Book fragment at top speed, released the reins and quickly sent a message:
【SIX: Benefactor Xu asked this humble monk to inform everyone that he is going to hunt Zhuo Haoran.】
The fledgling phoenix replied first:
【TWO: I also want to hunt Zhuo Haoran, but first we have to find him.】
【FOUR: No rush, we will cross swords with him sooner or later.】
【TWO: But like this, no one can guarantee a second massacre of a city will not happen. The Yunzhou army is clearly determined to turn Yongzhou into scorched earth.】
【SIX: Do not worry, Benefactor Xu has already tracked down Zhuo Haoran.】
The Earth Book chat group fell suddenly silent, then came a message from Chu Yuanzhen:
【You have encountered Zhuo Haoran? What is the situation, any danger? Where are you? I will fly over at once.】
Li Miaozhen and Li Lingsu both sent messages: some eager to kill Zhuo Haoran, others worrying about Xu Erlang’s safety.
【SIX: No need to worry, we have not encountered Zhuo Haoran. Benefactor Xu locked onto his position using a treasure that can see across a thousand li.】
Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen paused for a moment, not immediately understanding; Li Lingsu, however, immediately guessed it was the Huntian Divine Mirror, as he had once owned this magic artifact.
【SEVEN: Heh, that Bastard Xu Ningyan, he really cares about this cousin.】
“Bastard Xu Ningyan” was an unspoken nickname for Xu Qi’an among the Heaven and Earth Society, initially spread from Yang Qianhuan, and later picked up by Li Lingsu and introduced to the society.
Next, through Hengyuan, Xu Xinnian told Chu Yuanzhen and the others the locations of Zhuo Haoran, his vanguard, and the main force to the rear.
【SIX: The action is scheduled for dusk. The decapitation strike must be fast, there may be fourth ranks among the vanguard, and the main force behind has even more top experts. Five li, for a fourth rank, that is only a dozen or so breaths.
【So we must work out a detailed plan.】
…
At dusk, Zhuo Haoran fastened his trousers and climbed down from bed. He cast a glance at the frail, pretty youth whose intestines were torn and gasping his last few breaths. Clearly, he would not survive, but with some rare medicinal herbs and elixirs, he could be saved.
However, it was not worth wasting herbs and elixirs on a mere captured prisoner.
There were many youths with looks like that in the camp.
Besides, while Zhuo Haoran was not picky, usually he preferred women. Only when he got bored would he switch taste.
Pretty youths, in his eyes, were nothing but playthings to be tossed aside after a single use.
“Useless, not even as good as a woman.”
Zhuo Haoran hung his sabre at his waist and spat.
At least women were not ruined after just one night.
Seeing the frail body of the youth on the bed, Zhuo Haoran could not help thinking of Xu Qi’an’s younger cousin, the handsome youth who had made him suffer a great loss, nearly costing him a military execution.
Red lips and white teeth, a spirited face, and skin even better than most of the women he had seen.
“Heh, if I get the chance, I really would like a taste of him. Tsk tsk, to humiliate Xu Qi’an’s cousin, that is even more satisfying than sleeping with Xu Qi’an’s women.”
After taking Songshan County, Zhuo Haoran had avenged himself and no longer hated Xu Xinnian quite so much.
With his desire for revenge gone, desire for lust surfaced.
He reckoned that capturing Xu Xinnian alive would be far more useful than killing him, there were plenty of officers in the army who liked young men, and they would be delighted to enjoy Xu Qi’an’s cousin.
Zhuo Haoran walked to the table and downed a pot of strong liquor in one go, suddenly feeling completely refreshed.
In thirteen days, the Xu brat would have no grave to be buried in. When the Yunzhou army took Yongzhou, then the Yunzhou conquest of the Central Plains would be inevitable.
Oh, and that female Emperor, when the army entered the capital, she would surely become the prize everyone scrambled for.
“Which city shall I slaughter next?”
Zhuo Haoran gazed at the map on the stand, deep in thought.
At that moment, in the tent, there was a flash of clear light, and six figures appeared like ghosts.
In the centre was a white-clad figure, his back to Zhuo Haoran, the teleportation array slowly shrinking under his feet. On the left was a young woman in light armour and a scarlet cloak, and a young man in Daoist robes, handsome beyond compare.
To the right was a swordsman in an azure robe with a streak of white hair at his brow, a handsome youth holding a bronze mirror, and a burly, hard-faced middle-aged monk.
Yang Qianhuan, Chu Yuanzhen, Li Miaozhen, Li Lingsu… Zhuo Haoran’s pupils shrank as he recalled their portraits and dossiers.
Apart from Xu Xinnian and the unfamiliar bald monk, all these were fourth ranks.
How could they have managed such a precise teleportation…? Without any hesitation, Zhuo Haoran’s legs moved in a blur, shooting towards the exit of the tent while shouting,
“Enem—”
The shout was cut off as his collar tightened around his neck, and his sabre leapt from its scabbard to slash at its master.
Various items in the tent clattered and flew at Zhuo Haoran.
In the next instant, all these random objects were swept aside by the aura of a fourth rank martial artist. Just as Zhuo Haoran was about to break out of the tent, Xu Erlang flicked his wrist and shone the Huntian Divine Mirror at Zhuo Haoran.
Zhuo Haoran’s reflection appeared in the bronze surface.
At once, his body turned rigid, unable to take another step.
Li Miaozhen and Li Lingsu’s Yin Spirits left their bodies. The senior and junior apprentice set out together towards this warrior notorious for his bloodthirst, extending their palms, pressing them against Zhuo Haoran’s chest.
They suddenly exerted their strength!
Zhuo Haoran’s primordial spirit was immediately shaken out of his body.
Next, Chu Yuanzhen’s flying sword unsheathed behind his back. With a “whoosh”, it pierced through Zhuo Haoran’s primordial spirit.
Heart sword!
Zhuo Haoran’s already half-illusory primordial spirit grew even dimmer.
After withstanding this strike, Zhuo Haoran’s primordial spirit immediately sank, trying to return to his body.
However, at this moment, a flash of golden light reached his physical form first. Master Hengyuan, his body covered in gold lacquer, stepped forward and twisted at the waist, raising his right arm, and threw a punch.
Bang!
Zhuo Haoran’s head immediately burst like a watermelon, bone and flesh flying everywhere.
His primordial spirit could no longer return to his body and could only rise rapidly, attempting to escape from the command tent.
But at that moment, Li Miaozhen and Li Lingsu’s Yin Spirits grabbed hold of Zhuo Haoran’s primordial spirit by both legs, preventing his escape.
For a fourth rank Daoist who specialised in cultivating the primordial spirit, a martial artist without a body was like an ant at their mercy.
Whoosh!
Chu Yuanzhen’s flying sword circled back and pierced Zhuo Haoran’s primordial spirit once again.
This fourth-rank martial artist gave a silent, shrill scream and then dissipated into smoke and nothingness.
The Heaven and Earth Society members worked seamlessly together, and with the help of magic treasures, the whole process took less than five breaths.
Yang Qianhuan said coolly,
“Let’s go!”
“Wait!”
Li Miaozhen quickly glanced at the nearly naked, gravely injured youth on the bed and said,
“Bring him along as well!”
Yang Qianhuan did not object. He stepped forward and activated the teleportation array, which enveloped everyone and whisked them away from the command tent.
A few seconds after they left, two armoured officers burst in, one holding a bronze hammer, the other a heavy sabre. Their gazes swept around and fell upon Zhuo Haoran’s headless corpse, as well as the scattered mess on the floor.
“He’s dead…”
The officer holding the bronze hammer said in a low voice,
“From the moment we realised something was wrong to now, only three breaths have passed. Zhuo Haoran did not have any chance to fight back.”
The two exchanged a glance, shock and fear rising in their hearts.
They asked themselves: if the attack had been aimed at either of them just now, the result would not have been any better than Zhuo Haoran’s.
The martial artist wielding the heavy sabre pondered for a moment and said,
“No need to panic. Report to the General at once.
“Tonight, we sleep next to each other. Do not act alone.
“Judging by their actions, these assassins were after Zhuo Haoran. It must be because he led the massacre of the city and incurred public anger.”
Hearing this, the officer holding the bronze hammer breathed a little easier,
“He was too cruel. I knew he would bring disaster upon himself sooner or later.”
…
In the evening glow, Yang Qianhuan led the group of five back to the cavalry camp commanded by Xu Erlang. Master Hengyuan received the healing pill and ointment thrown over by Li Miaozhen, walked over to the half-dead youth, and patiently applied the ointment to his “wounds”, then fed him the healing pill.
Li Lingsu, having slain a villain with his own hands, was full of excitement and suggested,
“Could we use the same trick to hunt down the commander-in-chief Qi Guangbo?”
Li Miaozhen was also all smiles and clearly refreshed, but she flatly rejected her senior brother’s idea and complained,
“If you want to die, go ahead, but don’t drag me along.”
Xu Erlang said,
“It doesn’t really matter how strong Qi Guangbo is, but as the commander of the Yunzhou army, there must be experts guarding him, likely quite a few. It would be extremely difficult for just a few of us to kill him. The best possible outcome is mutual destruction, but it’s much more likely we walk right into their trap and get ourselves killed.”
“Oh dear, what happened to this lad?”
Miao Youfang ran over to the young man’s side, tutting,
“You could fit an egg in there. Pitiful, truly pitiful!”
Mosang followed, the two of them poking and muttering as they commented.
“How cruel. Zhuo Haoran deserved to die a thousand times over.”
“Exactly. Such a twisted mind, we don’t see that sort of thing in the Southern Marches.”
“Come off it. You shaman clans from the Southern Marches don’t even spare beasts or corpses.”
“What’s that got to do with our Strength Gu tribe? Anyway, the men of our tribe like women. You Central Plains folk are perverts, a perfectly good lad, turned into this.”
“By the way, Silver Gong Xu practised Gu techniques, didn’t he? Do you think he’s just as twisted as your shaman clans?”
As Xu Erlang heard this, his heart suddenly sank, and he started to wonder if the Huntian Divine Mirror’s words might just have some truth to them.
Meanwhile, Li Lingsu thought to himself: Ah, that Miao Youfang, slandering that wretched Xu Ningyan behind his back. I’ll have to secretly tip off that wretch later and let him teach this disrespectful disciple a lesson.
…
Qi Guangbo had just received the news of Zhuo Haoran’s assassination while finishing his supper.
He continued eating his rice, his expression unchanged. “Zhuo Haoran was fierce and unstoppable when breaking through enemy lines, a rare and sharp blade. Pity.”
The adjutant by his side, waiting on him, echoed the sentiment, uneasily adding,
“Those assassins come and go unnoticed, killing in the blink of an eye. Now every officer in the army is nervous after what happened.”
Qi Guangbo said calmly,
“Pass down the order: all experts of fifth rank and above must operate in groups of three at all times, no exceptions. If we can withstand their instant-kill methods, the ones to die will be them.”
This was no great matter, and could be dealt with easily.
Qi Guangbo added,
“This war will not last much longer, thirteen days at most, and the outcome will be clear. Before Agaruka Bodhisattva and Baidi kill Xu Qi’an, I will claim Yang Gong’s head.”
…
Chuzhou.
A desolate plain. An immortal maiden in feather robes, holding a long sword, stood in the vast wilderness. She raised her eyes to gaze at the dark sky above.
Layers of black clouds rolled and churned, lit at times by blue-white flashes, as terrifying thunder gathered within.
The roiling chaos of the clouds resembled a raging river.
Within a hundred li, every living thing felt the end times had arrived, some cowered and trembled, others died on the spot.
Fortunately, Chuzhou was vast and sparsely populated, and the civilians of this area had already been evacuated earlier, ensuring not a single soul remained within a hundred li.
At the edge of the banked clouds, a fierce and awe-inspiring dragon’s head descended. Between the twin horns on its head, a “water thunder orb” was slowly forming: its core pitch-black, arcs of lightning flickering across its surface.
When the dragon’s head emerged, the orb was already complete.
“Boom!”
With a sonic boom, the water thunder orb shot across the sky in a streak of light, leaving dense arcs of lightning in its wake.
Luo Yuheng, her exquisitely carved features upturned, stared intently at the tribulation clouds above, utterly unmoved by the terrifying water thunder orb.
A figure robed in azure appeared out of thin air, emerging between the water thunder orb and Luo Yuheng. His arms opened slowly in an embracing gesture.
As he did so, power from all living things rushed towards him, merging into his body.
“Buzz!”
Xu Qi’an caught the water thunder orb between his palms. It shuddered fiercely, forcing him back.
A sharp light flashed in Xu Qi’an’s eyes. His shoulders and arms swelled several times larger, bursting through his sleeves. With a bang, he extinguished the thunder orb through raw force, though both his arms were pulverised by the impact, and his shoulders hung empty.
His bones swiftly regenerated, flesh and muscle regrowing in an instant.
Xu Qi’an shook his now fair and healthy arms and grinned:
“A strong’un that. What a thrill!”
Baidi’s voice rang out, grand and solemn,
“Compared to the Jianzheng, you’re still far away.”
Xu Qi’an replied with a grin,
“And compared to Desolation, you’re far behind as well. Why not come here in person?”
A visible emotional ripple passed through Baidi’s azure, vertical-slit pupils. He rumbled,
“You know who I am?”
Xu Qi’an stretched, smiling, calm and supremely confident.
“Oh, did I forget to tell you? I am the reincarnation of the Daoist Venerable.”
The reincarnation of the Daoist Venerable?!
Baidi’s eyes filled with utter shock.
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