NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 250-253
Chapter 250: What are you doing?
Wen Dabao had charged against the door with all his might. He struck the door with such speed and accuracy.
This could be seen from the trickle of blood from his forehead.
Even though Wen Dabao was just planning to ride his time out in the Mountain Breaking Army, he was not weak. After all, he was the heir to a ministerial post.
If not, he would not have bled from the impact.
Ping Yang looked at the unconscious Wen Dabao suspiciously, then back at Fang Zhengzhi
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing much. I just told him truthfully that the door was the exit. As long as he charged it, he would be doing something great for the empire!” Fang Zhengzhi said truthfully.
“He believed you?” Ping Yang asked incredulously.
“Of course not, but what if she had said it?” Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Chi Guyan.
“You’re… really shameless!”
“Thank you!”
“What now?” Ping Yang pointed at the unconscious Wen Dabao and the blood stained stone door. She was clearly saying that the path was wrong.
“What do you mean?”
“The stone door is a fake!”
“What do you mean by fake? I just made a tiny calculation error.” Fang Zhengzhi said calmly.
“Tiny error?!” Ping Yang was doubtful. You call this a tiny error? It nearly cost someone his life! Although I don’t really care about that guy’s life…
“The door is the real one.” Chi Guyan spoke up.
“Why is Sister Yan taking his side?” Ping Yang said unwillingly.
“Look at the bloodstain on the door.” Chi Guyan pointed to the spot where Wen Dabao’s head had crashed against the door.
Ping Yang’s eyes widened. Then, her expression of suspicion turned into one of joy, almost as if she had just been fed honey.
She saw a crack, a crack which was hidden by the blood.
The crack was small.
However, this was a crack that wasn’t there before. No matter how intense the battle got, the throne room did not give.
However, Wen Dabao had cracked the wall.
The result was obvious.
“In order to break the stone door, one must be powerful enough. This is simple logic. Sometimes, smart people like me miss out the simplest of details.” Fang Zhengzhi lamented.
“Humph!” Ping Yang snorted, but her hands did not stop.
The Blazing Qilin Spear trembled as its flame shot skyward, a golden light flickering in the air.
Ability wise, Ping Yang may not be Fang Zhengzhi’s match. However, with the Blazing Qiling Spear in hand, there were few who could match her offensive prowess.
“Boom!” A loud sound echoed out.
In the sea of fire, a golden light homed in on the stone door. Then, it exploded, sending light flooding in from outside.
It shone on the ground, revealing a black tunnel.
“Oh, it doesn’t lead straight out?” Ping Yang was shocked to see the black tunnel.
“I said that there are two possibilities. The first is that there is another throne room within this one. The second one is that the altar is the throne room.” Fang Zhengzhi replied.
“I thought you said the first option was impossible?”
“Stop harping on the small details. All roads lead to Rome. Do not be too concerned with the insignificant details.” Fang Zhengzhi waved Ping Yang off.
“Oh please!” Ping Yang huffed, then looked at the pitch black tunnel. “Now that we have found the door, should we send someone to scout ahead?”
“Isn’t there someone already?”
“Really? You?”
“Of course not!” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head and glanced at Wen Dabao. “The path is clear for you to see. If you continue to play dead, you will not have the chance to make your contribution!”
When the prone Wen Dabao heard Fang Zhengzhi, he shot up immediately, almost like a monkey.
Ping Yang was in disbelief.
Chi Guyan was calm and composed, almost as if she had expected this from the start.
“I had a dream just now. I dreamt that a golden armored heavenly general descended from the heavens. He said that I was a deputy, and that I was to protect princess Ping Yang and princess Guyan. He ordered me…” Wen Dabao began to narrate.
“Enough rubbish! The color of blood in the blood bag on your forehead is a little faded. When you get back, make sure to make it a little darker. That would make it a little more believable. Understand?” Fang Zhengzhi waved him off.
Wen Dabao was stunned, but he quickly recovered, smiling sheepishly. “Your honor, it is no wonder you are the top scorer in the imperial examinations. Your keen eye and mental acuity…”
“Get down!”
“Yes yes yes, I am on my way!” Wen Dabao leapt into the tunnel before his voice had travelled to the group.
“How dare you scam me? I am a princess! You should be killed! The Mountain Breaking Army is an army of courageous soldiers. Why do we have to find such a timid guy?” Ping Yang raged as she stared down at Wen Dabao.
“Everyone has their strengths. Wen Dabao is afraid of death. As such, he will be much more cautious and observant than a courageous man!” Fang Zhengzhi smiled.
“As if!” Ping Yang cocked her head to one side.
When Chi Guyan heard what Fang Zhengzhi said, her eyes brightened. This was something that her father had taught her.
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
The best general is not one who can lead an elite army, but one who can best accentuate the strengths of everyone that he had.
How does someone who grew up in a mountain village understand this concept?
Is this really Heaven’s will?
“Your highness, princess, Sword Envoy, it is safe down here!” Wen Daobao’s voice rang out from inside the tunnel.
This time, Wen Dabao specially addressed the Sword Envoy as well.
“Take Ping Yang with you first. Uncle Xing and I will be closely behind!” Chi Guyan’s figure disappeared as she shot towards Xing Yuanguo.
“Sister Yan!” Ping Yang looked at Chi Guyan anxiously.
“Chi Guyan?!” Fang Zhengzhi stared at Chi Guyan’s back. He did not care for her elegance as she killed her way towards Xing Yuanguo.
Why would the princess of the Divine Constabulary, the top ranked youth in the empire rush out at this time?
The exit was right in front of her.
If what Ping Yang said was true, and the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet could really make one a sage, then why did Chi Guyan not seem to care? Did she not care, or was she doing this for the country…
Fang Zhengzhi did not say much. He had seen too many people in the previous world who were fiercely loyal to the country and incredibly filial.
These people rarely died of natural causes.
Were they right or wrong?
Fang Zhengzhi was in no position to judge. He simply led his life the way he wanted to. He would eat what he wanted, do what he wanted, and played with whatever he wanted.
“Let’s go!” Fang Zhengzhi picked Ping Yang up and entered the tunnel…
…
The sun rose slowly at the break of dawn. The sky turned white and dew hung from the blades of grass.
This was good weather. It was not too hot or cold; perfect weather for the villagers who started laboring early in the day.
However, no one from the Northern Mountain Village went to the fields today.
All of the villagers were gathered on the square. Zhang Yangping stood right at the front, his wrinkled face expressionless. However, it was clear that he was waiting on something.
Clouds of dust could be seen at the entrance of the Northern Mountain Village.
That was a thousand men strong army. Each soldier wore gleaming armor, their expressions solemn. Their spears shone in the son.
“General, we are here!”
“Mm! Deputy General Li!”
“Yes sir!”
“Pass the order, seal all the entrances and exits to the Northern Mountain Village! Not even a bird should be able to fly out!”
“Yes sir!”
“Deputy Zhang, Deputy Chen, Deputy Wang, follow me into the village!”
“General, if the intelligence is to be believed, Fang Zhengzhi is in the Heavenly Reflection State. If only three of us enter the village, will we…” One of the deputy generals was clearly worried.
“What are you afraid of? Do you really think Fang Zhengzhi is rebelling? Will he ignore the lives of the hundred of families here? I have been authorized by the military to do this. Fang Zhengzhi has no other choice but to surrender!”
“Yes sir!”
“Enter the village!”
…
The tunnel was much longer than they had expected. Fang Zhengzhi, Ping Yang, and Wen Dabao took almost 15 minutes to get out.
Fang Zhengzhi was stunned by what he saw.
The Heaven Dao Sage Tablet… was not a tablet!
Fang Zhengzhi finally understood what that meant. However, he could not describe what the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet was. He was in a utopia.
The place was spotless, even the ground was impeccably cleaned.
The entire world was way too clean. The grass was jade green, the woods were luscious, and there was a lake.
The lake was so clear one could see the bottom.
One would expect to see fishes in the lake, but there were none to be seen.
A field, woods, lake…
Other than these, there were only four words, “Heaven Dao Sage Tablet”.
These four words were not imprinted on the ground or in the woods. They were not floating on the water or engraved into a rock. There wasn’t even a rock to be seen.
Fang Zhengzhi did not know why he thought of the four words, but he knew that this was it from the moment he stepped onto the field.
The field, the woods, the lake… this was the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet.
“Have you seen it?” Ping Yang asked after recovering from her shock.
“Clean!” Fang Zhengzhi said.
“Silence?” [1]
“No I said clean!”
“Oh, so what are we supposed to do now?” Ping Yang continued.
“Break the cleanliness!”
“You want to destroy the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?” Ping Yang was stunned when she heard Fang Zhengzhi’s plan.
“If we don’t break the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet, how do we break The Vast World?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.
“But this is utopia. Can you really bring yourself to… and, and… the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet is a gift from heaven. There are only 36 of them, how can you destroy them?” Ping Yang said fearfully.
“There are so many? 36?” Fang Zhengzhi was taken aback.
“Yes, there are 36 Heaven Dao Sage Tablets. Each one contains and embodies a Heavenly Dao. Anyone who can understand it will become a saint!”
“Has anyone done so?” Fang Zhengzhi pressed.
“Of course! The “Spiritual Sage” understood the 20th one which represented the Dao of constant change. The “Heavenly Barbarian Sage” understood the 28th one which represented the Dao of adversity…”
“And how many more do we have?” Fang Zhengzhi interrupted Ping Yang.
“You’re not wrong, but we can excavate this clean space and bring it back to the capital. That way…”
“How are you going to bring it away if you can’t get out?” Fang Zhengzhi reiterated.
“You still can’t destroy it! I… I don’t agree!” Ping Yang pouted adamantly.
“Don’t accuse me of bullying you. We will decide this in a fair manner. There are three of us here, majority wins. Any objection?” Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Wen Dabao.
When Wen Dabao heard this, he began to sweat profusely. Fang Zhengzhi was not bullying Ping Yang, he was bullying Wen Dabao!
“Okay!” Ping Yang grit her teeth and nodded. She turned to Wen Dabao, “Tell us, whose side will you take? Mine, or this shameless fella!”
“In reply to your highness. I am just a lowly soldier, I will follow your orders!” Wen Dabao replied instantly.
.
“Did you hear that?” Ping Yang raised her head haughtily when she heard Wen Dabao’s reply.
“However…” Wen Dabao spoke up once again, “However, because I know that you’re the princess, you cannot remain trapped here. It would be horrible for the lands. As such… I… I have to side with the Sword Envoy. This Heaven Dao Sage Tablet must be destroyed!”
“You…” Ping Yang’s expression darkened.
“Okay then, since majority agree to destroy the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet, I shall begin!” Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang and began to undress.
“Ah! You… you shameless b*stard, what are you doing?!” Ping Yang’s jaw dropped when Fang Zhengzhi began to undress.
[1] In Mandarin, the words ‘silence’ and ‘clean’ have similar pronunciations.
Chapter 251: Heaven is watching
“I’m destroying the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?” Fang Zhengzhi replied flatly.
“If you’re destroying the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet, why… why are you undressing?” Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi’s beast hide t-shirt on the floor, her face flushed.
“Don’t you need to take of your clothes when you shower?” Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang as he continued to strip. His Heart Protection Mirror was quickly came into view. It was held to his chest by a leather strap.
Other than this, he only wore a pair of black undergarments.
“Ba… bathe!” Ping Yang was completely stunned. Just as she was about to accuse him of being shameless and barbaric, she saw the Heart Protection Mirror on Fang Zhengzhi’s chest.
That was a silver colored Heart Protection Mirror, and it shone faintly in the light.
“This Heart Protection Mirror looks familiar… why does it look just like Sister Yan’s “Watertight Mirror”? Could it be…”
Ping Yang immediately thought of something, but dismissed it just as quickly. The Watertight Mirror is one of the Divine Constabulary’s seven greatest treasures. Why would it be in this shameless fella’s possessions.
“Plonk!”
Before Ping Yang could think of anything else, Fang Zhengzhi leapt into the lake. He began swimming around like a fish taking to water.
Wen Dabao was wide-eyed with awe as he looked at Fang Zhengzhi. “The Sword Envoy is really a hero. You are bathing in the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet and in front of the princess? No one else in this world has your courage!”
After swimming around in the lake, Fang Zhengzhi found that the temperature was perfect. It was not where as good as a hot spring, but it was quite comfortable.
He found it rather calming and enjoyable.
He called out to Wen Dabao to join him.
Wen Dabao paled when he heard it. Stripping in front of Ping Yang was unimaginable. Furthermore, he could not take the responsibility of breaking the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet.
He refused to go into the lake.
Without any other option, Fang Zhengzhi asked Ping Yang to join him.
“Ew! Shameless!” Ping Yang rolled her eyes at Fang Zhengzhi, then ran off into the woods to enjoy the ‘scenery’.
After being rejected by both people, Fang Zhengzhi could only smile resignedly. The view was great and the water was comfortable. It was a pity they didn’t know how to enjoy it.
“I shall wash off all the dust from this trip!” After swimming around happily, he began to scrub his back, humming as he did so.
It was just the tune that he was humming when he met Chi Guyan in the woods.
“Hit the drums and the gongs, stop the beat and hear me sing. All gossip can be made into song, hear me sing the 18…”
His emotions began to go a little out of control. He was being hugged by the water, soothed by the warmth, and his voice grew louder and louder.
His voice reverberated throughout the entire Heaven Dao Sage Tablet
Ping Yang kept humming to herself, “Shameless, shameless, shameless…”
Wen Dabao’s eyes were glimmering. He wanted to kneel down to Fang Zhengzhi. He had always thought of himself as a lawless rebel. However, now that he had seen Fang Zhengzhi, he knew that he was still a far cry from Fang Zhengzhi.
This man was peerlessly shameless.
There was a saying, shameless people would be dealt with by heaven!
Fang Zhengzhi was humming away happily, scrubbing and splashing around in the lake. He caused ripples in the otherwise calm lake…
But he forgot…
He forgot that this was the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet. It represented the Dao of Heaven and was incredibly powerful. The heavens were closest to humans here.
Fang Zhengzhi never believed any of this.
He had always dismissed talk of ghosts and gods. However, today… at this moment! He had no other choice but to believe it.
He felt the water beginning to act strangely.
None of this was the result of his own actions. It had happened autonomously. In an instant, the tiny ripples on the surface became a terrifying whirlpool.
With the lake as its epicenter, the waves picked up the humming Fang Zhengzhi, still in his underpants.
“Boom!”
Fang Zhengzhi was in shock. He did not even have a chance to react.
He had never expected that the initially calm Heaven Dao Sage Tablet would become so ferocious in the blink of an eye. It was going for his life!
Lightning!
Ordinarily, lightning was simply static discharge. However, this lightning was different. It looked like a black crack, and it was headed straight for Fang Zhengzhi’s head.
“What the f*ck?!”
Fang Zhengzhi only managed to say these three words before being sucked into the crack by an immense force.
“Could it be that I solved the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?”
Fang Zhengzhi was not a pessimist. Even if he was, he could not be right now. If he was pessimistic, being dragged into a different space could only mean one thing – death…
His only option was to remain optimistic.
“I am going to become a sage!”
…
Wen Dabao, who was standing on the banks of the lake, saw Fang Zhengzhi being sucked in by the black crack. However, he did not move.
Firstly, he was too far away.
Secondly, he did not have a death wish.
“Sword Envoy, your honor!” Wen Dabao knelt to the ground, tears flowing from his eyes as he pounded the ground with his fists.
Ping Yang, who was enjoying the ‘scenery’, also saw the scene unfold before her eyes.
Her crystal clear eyes filled with shock, then fear, complete, spirit sucking fear. She experienced it all within the blink of an eye.
“Shameless… b*stard… don’t… don’t die!”
…
Inside the throne room, the battle was almost white hot.
Xing Yuanguo had stopped attacking as ferociously. However, the purple glow continued to flicker around his body, almost as if it was locking his life within him.
Bai Xing had paled considerably. If not for the fact that he had used the silver thread to protect himself constantly, he would have lost his life by now.
The Stabilisation Constabulary rose to its position through its battle spirit. Their people had boundless battle spirit, and Xing Yuanguo was the living embodiment of that.
Xing Yuanguo was by far the most powerful leader of any of the 13 constabularies.
Even Chi Hou of the Divine Constabulary would not dare face off against Xing Yuanguo.
Even though Xing Yuanguo was holding back now, that maniacal battle spirit continued to crash towards Bai Xing like a wave. It caused Bai Xing to sweat profusely, drenching his clothes. His arms were injured in no less than five different places, and each gash was deep.
The worst wound was at the back of his waist.
That wound had injured his internal organs. A strike that could injure the organs from the back of the waist had to be incredibly deep and vicious.
The nine black robed men were also thoroughly exhausted.
They were all Supernatural State cultivators and could heal themselves every time they got injured. However, the energy required to do so was an astronomical amount.
The deeper wounds required both effort and time.
All the nine of them made a unified decision. Each of their green demon eyes turned black.
They absorbed all the energy from their demon eye, determined to fight to the bitter end.
In actual fact, from the moment the masked black robed men appeared in the throne room, everyone’s fate was decided.
The throne room was the final path of retreat from The Vast World. As long as it wasn’t affected by The Vast World, they could still escape.
The initial plan was to have the army of beasts destroy the Stabilisation Constabulary if they ever entered the throne room.
When Bai Xing absorbed the energy of The Vast World into the throne room, the masked black robed men descended. This represented the demons will to massacre the Red Pinion Squad and Mountain Breaking Army.
This also represented them sealing the only escape path.
Everyone would die.
Since there was no way out, they saw no point in preserving the energy in their demon eyes. They would go down fighting!
“Uncle Xing!” A ray of light appeared beside Xing Yuanguo just as a crisp voice rang out.
“Guyan, what are you doing here? Our only hope is if you solve the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet! You… should go find it, quickly!”
“Uncle Xing, I know what you’re thinking. You want to kill as many of them as possible, leaving a few of us to find the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet.” Chi Guyan looked at Xing Yuanguo.
As compared to Bai Xing, Xing Yuanguo looked a lot healthier. However, he was still injured in many places. Bai Xing’s techniques were strange and unpredictable.
It was impossible for Xing Yuanguo to dodge them all. He too had no less than five wounds on his body. Each wound was thin, but they cut to the bone.
“…” Xing Yuanguo did not speak. Silence was his admittance.
“But how can I watch on as you battle yourself to death? Furthermore, you know that even I am not guaranteed to solve the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet!”
“The future of the Great Xia Dynasty cannot end here!”
“What if it’s not me?”
“Guyan, don’t be silly! I knew you would say this. However, whether it is you or not is not up to you to decide. This is heaven’s will. If you have such thoughts, you are going against heaven’s will! You are showing complete and utter disregard for the future of the Great Xia Dynasty and the human race!”
“Uncle Xing!”
“Enough, I know about what happened in the Heaven Dao Pavillion. I also know what you’re going to do after you descend the mountain. Furthermore, I know that you’ve been suppressing your powers. Since I am about to die, why don’t you let me see your powers?”
“Your niece… will obey your orders!” Chi Guyan did not say anything else. She nodded lightly. The Divine Constabulary and the Stabilisation Constabulary had the closest relationship amongst the 13.
This was something known to everyone.
However, even though they were incredibly close, there was never a marriage between the two constabularies.
No one knew why.
The truth was, even without a marriage, the two constabularies remained incredibly close, never once clashing with one another.
…
On the square of the Northern Mountain Village.
The four men rode leisurely into the village. Dust was kicked up by their stallions as they moved. The man on point glared, his face dark as charcoal.
“General, it seems like they are waiting for us?” One of the deputies was shocked to see the gathered villagers.
“Mm, I guess our mission will be easily completed!” The leading middle aged man nodded slightly, his gaze icy.
“When you say mission, you mean?” The deputy was slightly confused.
“Do you think that killing two soldiers is a grave crime?”
“About that…”
“Just tell me the truth!”
“Yes, killing two soldiers in an audacious act. However, according to my investigations, these soldiers took money from the army’s coffers but never paid it out to the villagers. They forced the villagers to provide them food and alcohol. Fang Zhengzhi’s actions are borderline martial law, but, Fang Zhengzhi is not in the army, so his actions…”
“What if the soldiers had insulted Fang Zhengzhi’s parents?”
“According to martial law, bullying and abuse of one’s power are punishable by death!”
“It’s good that you know that. I have no feud with Fang Zhengzhi. Why would I antagonize him over two useless b*stards who deserved to die anyways?”
“I understand now!”
“If my guess is correct, Fang Zhengzhi should be in hiding!”
“Do you want to search the village?”
“If I did, would I only bring three of you along?”
“Sir, are you going to…”
“He can hide, but there’s someone who cannot hide!” The general’s glare settled on Zhang Yangping.
There were two figures behind Zhang Yangping. One was Fang Houde, the other was Qin Xuelian.
“Fang Zhengzhi, you can only blame yourself for antagonizing someone you shouldn’t have. Now, you have destroyed your bright future!”
The general looked in the direction of the capital, his right hand gripping the black military token. His expression turned icy.
The morning breeze released a few dead leaves from their branches, sending them tossing and turning as they fell to the ground.
Zhang Yangping stood quietly on the square. His gaze scanned the four riding men, then he shivered.
He had been hunting for dozens of years.
Even though Zhang Yangping was not extremely adept at reading expressions, he knew what a killing aura felt like. In his dealings with beasts, this feeling was no stranger to him.
He felt that aura from the four men.
Even though they were only four strong, Zhang Yangping felt that they were even more scary than a thousand men. Four of them meant that whatever they did here would not be known by anyone else..
…
Chapter 252: Growth and life
Fang Zhengzhi had a dream to view the mountains and rivers from a height. Then, he would break through the air and leave behind a wonderful legacy.
Right now…
His dream seemed to be coming true.
Fang Zhengzhi looked down and saw luscious green woods. It was a mountain, and there were tall trees, large rocks, creeks, flora, and fauna…
He could see the valley.
He did not know if he was seeing it all in one glance, but he could feel the life in every flower, every blade of grass, and every beast.
The flowers were in full bloom, the grass was growing healthily, and the beasts roamed the woods.
“Cang Ling Mountain?!”
Fang Zhengzhi knew that this was definitely Cang Ling Mountain. Even though he had never viewed it from such a height, he recognized the layout.
Furthermore, he felt things that he had never felt before. He could feel the entire lives of the living things below him. He felt the lives of the flowers, the grass, and the beasts.
This was a strange feeling. It felt as if everything was being returned to its original state.
He felt a little empty inside.
Fang Zhengzhi was intoxicated. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Was he really going to become a sage? He wasn’t ready yet, isn’t this all a little too fast?
Just as he was thinking about it, Fang Zhengzhi saw a pair of eyes.
The eyes slowly, almost as if waking up from a deep sleep. However, when they looked towards Fang Zhengzhi…
Fang Zhengzhi felt impending danger. His heart trembled for the first time as he felt an overwhelming sense of loss.
Iciness, arrogance, power, master…
Fang Zhengzhi had no idea why these phrases were popping up in his mind, but there they were.
He thought about those words when that pair of golden eyes stared at him.
“Kaboom!”
A loud boom caused the entire mountain to tremble.
A peerlessly large figure rose from the ground following the tremors. He could not see the appearance of the figure. It was constantly shrouded by a black screen.
The only thing he could see were the pair of golden eyes. There was a faint glow around the eyes, almost like the reflection from one’s armor.
Then, a bolt of black lightning shot down from the sky, hitting Fang Zhengzhi on the head. It did not give him any chance to resist.
“F*ck… me! Again?!”
Fang Zhengzhi’s patience was wearing thin. How can you strike me with lightning so many times?
I thought I was supposed to be a sage?
Everything should revolve around me and blossom in my presence.
Why am I being struck by lightning twice?
Just as Fang Zhengzhi was about to curse, he swallowed his words. Once again, he felt as if he was in the air once again. However, this time, there was nothing supporting him.
Gravity caused his body to plummet downwards.
“There is no lake below?!”
Fang Zhengzhi was trying to figure out what was happening. However, there was no lake below, there were only rocks on a mountain.
“Boom!”
…
Ordinarily, free falling from such a height would cause one to break their limbs at the very least.
However, this was no ordinary incident.
“Liar!” Fang Zhengzhi rubbed his buttocks as he looked at the crater he had created. He was infuriated.
He had clearly been travelling in the air. He had clearly seen the mountains and the rivers. However, when he opened his eyes, he realized that he was back at the same spot.
No one could have accepted that!
Where was the trust between people? How was he going to make friends in the future?
“I think I have improved?” Fang Zhengzhi recalled his connection to the myriad of items during his travel. That was a mysterious feeling, almost as if he had touched something.
However, once he fell, the only feeling he felt was pain. He had completely forgotten about the connection.
“Oh?”
Fang Zhengzhi suddenly saw a small stone house by the side. If not for the fact that he had landed here, he would not have seen it.
A stone house.
It was all too common in the mountains.
All of the villages around here lived off the land. Each village had their own hunting squad, and these squads scaled the mountain frequently. A simple stone house was a necessity.
It was used as a resting spot for the hunters. After all, no one could guarantee that the hunting squad would not meet with any difficulties. There could be torrential rain, snow, landslides…
Ordinarily, each village would only use the stone houses they constructed. They would only enter another stone house under some extenuating circumstances.
That was the tacit understanding between villages.
However, this was clearly not the time to honor such an understanding. Even if Fang Zhengzhi had left the lake, he should still be in The Vast World.
The Vast World had absorbed Cang Ling Mountain.
This position…
Was clearly at the base of Cang Ling Mountain!
“I’ve come out of The Vast World?”
“Or is this just another place?”
Fang Zhengzhi was not too sure of where he was. As such, he decided to investigate.
The stone house ahead was naturally his first objective. After all, maybe he could find some ointment inside the house to treat his aches after the fall!
“Is there anyone home?”
“If you’re doing unspeakable things inside, just call out!”
Fang Zhengzhi politely announced his presence. The villagers may be backward, but some of them still engaged in activities that would be better unsaid.
For example, outdoor sex, cheating…
The stone houses in the mountains were the perfect place for an escapade like that.
Fang Zhengzhi knew this all too well. In order to prevent an embarrassing scenario, he had better announce his presence. There was no reply.
He pushed the door and tried to enter.
When he did push it…
He realized that the door was locked.
“There’s someone inside?” Fang Zhengzhi was stunned. He was sure that someone was inside. If not, why would the door be bolted?
But if there was someone, why didn’t they reply? Were they really doing unspeakable things inside?
Furthermore…
If this was still The Vast World, why would there be other people?
Fang Zhengzhi did not have the patience to think so much. He decided to give the occupants some time to put on their clothes. He was sure they would come out after.
He waited by the door for a few moments. However, there was no movement inside the stone house.
What is going on?
Fang Zhengzhi was infuriated. Even if you’re wearing your clothes, there should be some reply! You can’t simply ignore me! Do you really want to act like you’re not inside?
“If you don’t come out, I’m coming in!”
“Aiya? You really think that I won’t come in?”
“Boom!” A loud sound echoed out.
Fang Zhengzhi did not care about destroying the property. He kicked down the wooden door and sauntered in.
“Oh?” Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes glimmered the moment he entered the stone house. It was empty.
Furthermore, it was well furbished. There was a small bed and quite a few chairs. Of course, that was not the most important thing.
Most importantly, there was a black altar in the middle of the stone house.
A silver white square gemstone sat in the middle of the altar. It was crystal clear, but there were peerlessly complicated runes glowing inside the gemstone.
“What a treasure!” Fang Zhengzhi felt that he was in luck. He never expected to find such a treasure upon entering the stone house.
He did not know what it was.
However, he was sure that based on its appearance alone, it would fetch at least a few hundred silvers.
“I guess even heaven can’t prevent me from getting rich!” Fang Zhengzhi forgot all about his fall. He reached for the gemstone on the altar.
It was warm, almost as if he was grabbing onto a piece of jade.
But…
It was heavy.
It was so heavy that Fang Zhengzhi could not lift it up. It was almost as if it was being locked into place at the altar by a thousand kilogram weight. Fang Zhengzhi could not lift it despite his best efforts.
“What the hell is this? Why is it so heavy?” Fang Zhengzhi was stunned. This palm sized gemstone was as heavy as a mountain.
Fang Zhengzhi was the strongest person in a ten mile radius around Cang Ling Mountain.
If he couldn’t life up such a stone, who had put it here in the first place?
Fang Zhengzhi was getting suspicious.
More importantly, Fang Zhengzhi was discontented at his inability to take the gemstone away. It felt like he couldn’t get an erection even though there was a naked beauty on his bed.
How could he ever accept that?
Fang Zhengzhi had no idea what others would think, but he was not going to accept this result.
As such, he began to circle the altar. Success depended on the details. There must be a trick to lifting such a heavy gemstone.
If the hint could not be found on the gemstone, then the altar was his best bet.
Fang Zhengzhi was disappointed after circling the altar. After he felt everything there was to feel, he still did not find any catch.
Was it really the gemstone?
Fang Zhengzhi waltzed next to the gemstone and began examining it.
He quickly realized that… he didn’t recognize those runes.
They were not words, or pictures, or ancient scriptures. Each rune was incredibly complicated and tiny.
There did not seem to be any order.
“What the hell is this?” Fang Zhengzhi’s curiosity was piqued. He had tried finding a hint but to no avail.
Under such a circumstance, he had to try going head to head with it.
He was not going to take a blade to it. That was not going head to head. That was defacing an item of heaven.
Fang Zhengzhi’s method was simple. He grabbed onto the gemstone and forced it into his Heart Protection Mirror.
No matter how heavy it was, it would be his the moment he grabbed onto it.
Fang Zhengzhi consciously moved the gemstone into his Heart Protection Mirror.
He had done this many times before without incident. He had felt incredibly good each time, and the item was stored smoothly.
But this time…
It was clearly not as easy.
“Kaboom!” A loud sound echoed out. The gemstone seemed to roar as a result of Fang Zhengzhi’s efforts. It felt like something was going to pop out from the stone.
“Aiya, I can’t subdue you?” Fang Zhengzhi ignored the strange movement. He thought that some movement was better than no movement. He tried again.
“Kaboom!” An explosion rang out.
A third time!
A fourth time!
A fifth time…
…
Fang Zhengzhi was a principled man. He had always held on to one key principle – never waste anything! As such, he decided to try again.
On his ninth try.
The gemstone finally moved.
“Hum!”
The silver white gemstone glowed brightly, almost as if it had been encouraged by someone. The runes inside it began twirling like a small whirlpool.
Fang Zhengzhi was captivated by the gemstone. At this point, he had a very weird feeling. The gemstone was captivating.
This was a ridiculous attraction, but it did not affect him much.
The feeling was strange, but real.
Just as Fang Zhengzhi was preparing to pull again, the silver white gemstone dimmed, the runes disappearing completely.
The original silver white glow also disappeared.
The entire gemstone turned black.
It looked just like any ordinary stone.
“F*ck… me! Have I spoilt it?!” Fang Zhengzhi was getting worried. He unconsciously grabbed at the stone. Then, something strange happened.
The gemstone was lifted off the altar.
It felt like he was holding onto an ordinary stone. Its weight was almost negligible.
“Oh man! Wasn’t this supposed to be a gemstone? Why did it become an ordinary stone in the blink of an eye? How can it be just like that? At least it should give me some sort of benefit?” Fang Zhengzhi shook the stone vigorously.
He realized…
That it was useless.
The stone had become just an ordinary rock, losing all of its shine and glow. No one would be able to discern it from any other rock in the woods.
“What the hell?!” Fang Zhengzhi threw the rock away. It sailed through the air, crashed into the wall, and landed in the corner.
Chapter 253: Breaking The Vast World
Nothing earth-shaking happened. There was no heavy impact. There was just a small mark from the impact of the stone.
Fang Zhengzhi circled the interior and found nothing special.
He was preparing to leave.
Just as he was about to get to the entrance, Fang Zhengzhi eyed the black stone on the floor. He thought about it, then kept it in his Heart Protection Mirror.
“I’ll use it as one of my secret weapons!”
…
Xing Yuanguo and Bai Xing were both shocked by what happened. Anyone would have been equally stunned by what happened.
How could they all have exited the world in the middle of the battle?
The throne room and altar had disappeared. The masked black robed men had followed suit. The entire space around them underwent a massive transformation in the blink of an eye.
They were back on Cang Ling Mountain in the blink of an eye.
An army camp was in front of them, a mountain of bodies at its entrance.
This was the army camp Xing Yuanguo was based at. Returning to it sent chills down his spine.
Bai Xing was lost.
However, he quickly recovered. His loss turned into awe, then fear. He realized that something impossible had just happened.
“The Vast World has been broken?!”
He had never expected this to happen. He knew that entering The Vast World was a one way trip.
He could not have done it. Xing Yuanguo could not have done it. Even the most powerful sages could not have achieved this.
There was only one possibility…
Someone moved the “energy stone” powering The Vast World.
However, how could the stone be moved? It was deep inside Cang Ling Mountain! Who had the power to move mountains within a hundred mile radius of this place?
“What just happened?” Bai Xing did not understand. However, he knew that there was a more pressing issue at hand. He took off.
His body turned into a ray of silver light as he summoned all his residual energy and fled the scene maniacally. He charged into the depths of Cang Ling Mountain.
Xing Yuanguo was equally confused.
However, he had a feeling that he had been released from The Vast World. This was not just because the masked black robed men had disappeared.
More importantly, the fiercely determined Bai Xing had just taken off.
Xing Yuanguo did not give chase. He did not know if this was just another one of Bai Xing’s ploys. Furthermore, his first order of business was to ensure the survival of his 2000 wounded soldiers.
Bai Xing may have ran, but the army of beasts had not.
“Hold your ground!”
The 2000 soldiers leapt into action upon hearing the command. They formed a humongous three layered protective circle, their spears pointed outwards. They looked like an enormous porcupine.
“Roar!”
“Aroo!”
The fury of the 4000 beasts turned completely on the 2000 soldiers. However, without a leader, these beasts could not break the defences of the soldiers.
The intense battle raged on, but it was clear that the end was near.
These beasts were all intelligent creatures. After realizing that they could not break the defences, they decided to give up. After all, they did not have an unresolvable feud with these soldiers.
Chi Guyan stood in the middle of the circle, her eyes scanning the area. She spotted a soldier guarding Ping Yang.
“Your highness, I, Wen Dabao is here to protect you! Any beast intent on harming you will only do so over my dead body!” Wen Daobao hollered, his spear lowered. He beat back an advancing beast.
“Where is that shameless one? Is he dead? Where did he go…” Ping Yang kept murmuring to herself, ignoring Wen Dabao.
Furthermore, she was wielding the Blazing Qilin Spear and wore the Red Flame Flower Armor. She was in no danger whatsoever.
“Ping Yang!” Chi Guyan’s body turned into a ray of light and she appeared right next to Ping Yang.
“Sister Yan… that… that shameless guy… is dead… dead!” Ping Yang’s eyes turned misty when she saw Chi Guyan.
“Don’t speak rubbish. That shameless thief is so lucky… how can he possibly be dead?!” Chi Guyan’s expression changed even whilst she comforted Ping Yang.
“He really is dead, I saw it myself! He was struck to death!”
“How… how is this possible?!” The initially calm Chi Guyan became increasingly anxious when she heard Ping Yang’s assertion.
She knew that Ping Yang would never lie to her.
…
A light mist covered the Northern Mountain Village at dawn. The villagers watched the four riding men anxiously. They could guess what was going to happen next.
However, none of their eyes showed any trace of fear.
The Northern Mountain Village was small, with only about 100 families. They had spent decades together. Even though their were small squabbles every now and then, they were always united when facing a foreign enemy.
They were all a family.
Furthermore, the enemy was looking for Fang Zhengzhi.
Eight years ago, when Zhang Pingyang brought Fang Zhengzhi into the village, the poor village had gone through tumultous changes. They were now one of the more influential villages.
In the past few years, the hunting squad had suffered no casualties. This was something unprecedented for the villagers.
All of them were extremely grateful towards Fang Zhengzhi and the Fang family. Even though Fang Zhengzhi was only 15 years old, Zhang Yangping wanted to make him the village elder.
Zhang Yangping knew that no one would object even though Fang Zhengzhi was only 15 years old!
Without Fang Zhengzhi, the Northern Mountain Village would not enjoy the successes it had. Who would ever agree to someone taking Fang Zhengzhi away?
The four men approached, the killing aura thick in the air.
“Good day villagers. Our general has heard that Young Master Fang is back in the village. We have come to pay him a visit, may we know where he is?” One of the deputies dismounted and looked at the villagers, smiling warmly as he did so.
“You four generals are here to see Zhengzhi?” Zhang Yangping stepped out upon hearing the deputies.
“Yes!” The deputy nodded.
“Since you’re here to find Zhengzhi, you are a guest of the Northern Mountain Village. We do not have much delicacies in the village. However, we do have some meat, and I have a wine that has been aged for 30 years. Would you like to come in and have a seat?” Zhang Yangping motioned to the villagers, asking them to prepare the tables.
“Hold on!” The general spoke up, “You are the village elder here?”
“Yes, my name is Zhang Yangping. I am the elder here. Please tell me any requests you have!” Zhang Yangping bowed.
“We have come to meet with Young Master Fang with regard to some military matters. Since you are the leader here, please ask him to come out.” The general waved Zhang Yangping away.
“General, you have come at the wrong time. He has already travelled towards the capital. You know that he is currently participating in the imperial examinations, so…”
“Smack!”
Before Zhang Yangping could finish, he was whipped. Even though he was tough, the 50 year old Zhang Yangping still fell to the ground.
“Don’t try any tricks with me! I have orders to find Fang Zhengzhi, anyone who tries to stymie me shall be dealt with severely!” The general held his whip in one hand as he flashed the black military token. He glared at every villager, almost like a death god.
The villagers who were all preparing to lay out the food and wine stopped. They all stared at the general with hatred.
Villagers are troublemakers.
Even though they may fear the might of the army, they would not simply look the other way if their leader was humiliated so blatantly.
“What are you looking at! Are you all really going to go against a military order? Stand out and let me see how tough you are!” One of the deputies hollered. He knew what he had to do.
He dismounted and strode towards the villager.
He wanted to antagonize and infuriate them. So long as one of them fought back, they had an excuse to punish them according to martial law.
By then, wouldn’t Fang Zhengzhi come out of hiding?
“General, Zhengzhi is young and immature. He may have antagonized the military, but it is my fault. I did not discipline him well enough. Why don’t you punish me instead, I will confess to all the charges!” Zhang Pingyang leapt up and walked to the deputy.
“Scram!” The deputy kicked Zhang Pingyang back on the floor.
Zhang Pingyang may be tough, but he was just an ordinary man. After being whipped and kicked, he paled and spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Sh*t!”
“Old man, old man, are you okay?!” A woman immediately fell to the ground and picked Zhang Pingyang up.
That was Zhang Pingyang’s wife.
Behind her stood a tall, hulking youth. He looked to be in his twenties, and he wore a shirt made from striped hide.
Upon seeing Zhang Pingyang pale, he fell to his knees.
“What a useless bunch of scum!” The deputy cursed as he saw Zhang Pingyang vomit blood. His expression changed as he glanced at the general.
The general was calm. He did not even look at Zhang Pingyang. He mounted his horse and slammed his whip. The crisp sound echoed out.
“Your leader has defied a direct order and is harboring a criminal! This is the consequence of his actions! If you all hand over Fang Zhengzhi, I will spare all of you. Else, you will all… die!”
“Die!”
His last word echoed throughout the entire village. The expressions of all the villagers changed instantly as they retreated.
The deputy realized that things were going to take a turn for the worse. He no longer held back.
Furthermore, they were under direct orders.
The general had only brought along three deputies. His motive was simple. There was only one thing left to do, kill!
They would kill one to scare the others. This was the way the military did things.
These were just a bunch of villagers, insignificant when compared to the might of the army. Whilst they could not massacre an entire village, they could definitely kill one or two.
“Hand over Fang Zhengzhi!” The deputy strode forward and prepared to kick Zhang Yangping’s wife away. Just as his leg extended, it was grabbed by a pair of arms.
“What?” The deputy was stunned. He shifted his weight about and kicked with all his might. A figure tumbled to the side.
“Don’t harm my father!” The figure quickly rose. He knelt on the grass. This was Zhang Pingyang’s son, Zhang Li.
“Brother Li, don’t do it!”
“Li, come back quickly!”
All of the villagers were getting anxious.
“Oh, you aren’t afraid to die. Okay then, I shall break a rule and accept your challenge. I will have my way with you!” The deputy smiled. He had found his target.
“Stop!” At this point, a voice rang out from the crowd.
A haggardly dressed man stepped out from the ground. He was determined, and furious.
One of this man’s arms was made completely from a white metal.
There was a lady standing next to him. She was not dressed very well, but she had an elegance about her.
“Uncle Houde! Auntie Xuelian!” Zhang Li was slightly nervous when he saw the couple. They were Fang Zhengzhi’s parents.
If this only affected the other villagers, it would not be as bad. However, if it implicated Fang Zhengzhi’s parents, this was going to get very ugly.
They knew Fang Zhengzhi’s character.
He would never let the attackers off.
But…
They were under direct orders from the military! How could one man go against the army?
“I will answer for my son’s crimes! Come at me!” Fang Houde looked at the general fearlessly.