NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 254-259
Chapter 254: Purple Blood
Qin Xuelian did not speak, but she stood by Fang Houde’s side. This was her way of supporting her husband, and her willingness to take responsibility for her son’s actions.
The general squinted as he scanned the two figures. He looked at them condescendingly.
Even though he knew that Fang Zhengzhi’s parents were villagers, he expected them to have some special background. They should at least look well read, but these two were just normal villagers.
How could these two people nurture a talent which could stun the Great Xia Dynasty.
Even though the black faced general did not believe it, he knew that he had nothing to worry about. These two were just ordinary villagers.
“You are Fang Zhengzhi’s parents?” The general queried.
“Yes!” Fang Houde replied.
“Take them!” The general commanded.
The moment the three deputies heard the command, their expressions changed. They hesitated – they had heard about how Fang Zhengzhi killed off two soldiers.
Those two soldiers had been killed because they insulted his parents.
Fang Zhengzhi’s parents were his greatest weakness, but they were also the most likely to cause Fang Zhengzhi to go berserk.
“General, I think we should…”
“Why? Do you want me to do it myself?” The general would not want to antagonize Fang Zhengzhi if he had the choice. After all, Fang Zhengzhi was quite the popular person.
The top scorer in both the provincial and state examinations.
He was already in the Heavenly Reflection State at 15 years old. Furthermore, his relationship with that Divine Constabulary talent was unknown.
Even though the results of the imperial examinations were not out yet, Fang Zhengzhi’s potential was clear for all to see.
But, did he have a choice?
From the moment he accepted this mission and entered the Northern Mountain Village, he knew that there was only one way this would end.
Either he or Fang Zhengzhi had to die.
So what if he was a talent? Unrealized potential was meaningless. Even the person with the most potential was nothing compared to someone who had already made it.
Why did he have to go an antagonize someone he couldn’t?
“Yes sir!” All three deputies grit their teeth when they heard the command. They may have hesitated, but they knew that there was no retreat from the moment they accepted this mission.
Capturing these two people was the only way to stop Fang Zhengzhi from resisting.
The moment Fang Zhengzhi was restrained, they would kill him. All they had to do was pin a charge on him and the higher ups would support it.
“You can forget about harming uncle Houde!” Zhang Li stood between the deputies and the two figures.
“Scram!” The deputy advanced.
The other two deputies also dismounted. They drew their blades, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
“Over my dead body!”
“Then go to hell!” The deputy swung his sword quickly. His sword tip glowed icily as it flew towards Zhang Li’s throat.
Zhang Li had experienced battle during his hunting trips. Even though he was not as powerful as the deputy, he was not completely incompetent.
The moment he saw the blade, he tumbled to the side. However, the deputy’s blade was too quick and it still nicked his shoulder.
“Fight it out with them!”
“Without the Fang family, we would not have what we have today!”
“Zhengzhi had got into trouble because of our village. We should take responsibility for it! Fight it out with them!”
“Exactly, nothing can happen to the Fang family. If not, we will be letting Zhengzhi down!”
When the villagers saw the deputies spring into action, they exploded. They all began to attack with everything they had.
They threw spades, pickaxes, forkes, poles, stones…
The three deputies were in disbelief. How dare an entire village rebel?
“Are you all trying to rebel? I would like to see who here dares to do it!” The deputy who injured Zhang Li fumed. He swung his blade and cut a one meter hole in the ground.
“His power was stunning.”
“Smack!”
Just as all the villagers were recovering from the shock, a crisp sound rang out as a reply to him.
The deputy looked down in disbelief. There was a splatter of mud on his chest. Someone had just thrown mud at him.
The villagers actually dare to go against the army?!
The deputy was infuriated. He looked at the crowd and realized that their gazes were concentrated at a corner.
“Tian Wazi!”
“It’s… Tian Wazi!”
There was a three year old kid holding a wooden bow glaring at the deputy. She wore a pair of loose pants and snot was dripping from her nose.
“Baddie!” The three year old kid bellowed. She was fearless as she waved the wooden slingshot in her hand contentedly.
“I hit him, I hit him!”
All of the villagers went silent when they heard Tian Wazi’s excited screams.
Even though there were only four opponents, the hundreds of villagers were no match for them.
They were just acting it out. No one had actually thought of attacking the generals.
“Hit him!”
“Hit them!”
However, Tian Wazi’s hit had invigorated the other kids. Within moments, a storm of mud and rocks were hurled towards the furious deputy.
Many of the kids in the villages played with slingshots. The youngest was not even two years old and the oldest were just seven.
“Pitter patter!” The sounds continued to ring out on the square.
Stones were aimed at the three deputies.
The infuriated generals could not take it any longer. The villagers’ resistance was sufficient for them to accuse the villagers of rebelling.
“Kill!” The black faced general commanded. The only way to quell the riot was to begin killing.
The moment he finished giving the command, two black swords appeared in his hand. One was humongous whilst the other one was fine. They gave him both power and precision.
“Woosh!” He swung his blade at the crowd.
In an instant, four to five villagers were injured.
As the general guarding the perimeter of Cang Ling Mountain, the general was already in the advanced Heavenly Reflection State. Of his three deputies, one was in the nascent Heavenly Reflection State whilst the other two were in the Star Conglomerate State. The villagers were simply no match for them.
“Ah! It hurts!”
“They’re killing us!”
“Fight it out with them!”
The villagers did not run. It may have been a stupid decision, but their resolve was strengthened.
If they ran now, there was no turning back.
“Such dumb scum!” The black faced general’s face darkened. He had planned on using a single strike to suppress the villagers. Little did he expect it to rile them up.
Some of the villagers drew their hunting bows.
“Fire!”
The hunting party always had their bows on hand. Within moments, over 30 sharp arrows rained down on the four generals.
“How audacious!” The black faced general bellowed when he saw the rain of arrows. A wave of red exploded from his body, turning into a sea of fire as it reached the villagers.
Territory of Fire.
The arrows burned and cracked as they went through the fire. The fins were incinerated, causing the arrows to fall limply to the ground.
“I will massacre every last one of you audacious scum!” The black faced general began to swing his sword as he used the fire to suppress the villagers. Many were caught in the sea of fire.
“Ah ah ah…”
“Extinguish it, quickly!”
“Water, water…”
The frantic villagers had never experienced such a battle before. They knew that the black faced general was powerful, but they never expected him to be this powerful.
Is this the power of an influential person?
“He is a cultivator!”
“Is this the power of the Dao of All Creation?!”
The villagers had all heard of it, but few had ever seen it in action.
“Stop!” Just as the villagers were panicking, a voice rang out. Then, an academic stepped out.
“General, you are in the Heavenly Reflection State, how dare you bully untrained villagers?!”
“Who are you?” The black faced general was wary when he saw the middle aged man.
“I am Wang Anhua, a teacher in the school of Dao here. I am under orders from the Divine Constabulary!” The middle aged man replied solemnly.
“Under orders from the Divine Constabulary?”
“Yes!”
“Kill!” The black faced general was solemn. He would not be afraid of the other villagers. However, he had to be cautious around a teacher reporting to the Divine Constabulary.
The other three deputies rushed towards Wang Anhua, understanding the general’s intentions instantly.
“You are a bully!” Wang Anhua’s expression changed. He had no intention of courting trouble, but he could not stand by and watch the villagers be bullied.
“Scum! Aren’t you just trying to capture us to threaten our son? I will make sure you do not have the chance!” Fang Houde was loyal, but he was being pushed to the brink.
He put a sword to his throat.
A stream of blood flowed from his throat. He had already pierced the skin.
Qin Xuelian also held a dagger in her hand. The tip was pointed straight at her heart. All she had to do was press down on it.
“You two… hold on!” The black faced general was worried.
If he could capture them both, he could definitely apprehend Fang Zhengzhi. But, what if they were dead?
Capturing Fang Zhengzhi would no longer be as easy.
What if Fang Zhengzhi decided not to show up? What if he went back to the capital and announced their deeds here? The consequences could be dire. He had to get rid of Fang Zhengzhi here before such a talent was let loose.
“Uncle Houde, don’t do it!”
“Brother Houde, please don’t!”
“Fang family, don’t do anything stupid. If Zhengzhi sees this, none of us will be able to face him!”
Zhang Yangping and Zhang Li hollered when they saw Fang Houde raise the blade to his neck. The other villagers echoed the sentiments. Some of them who had been saved by Fang Zhengzhi before knelt down and pleaded.
“Today, you all came for Zhengzhi. I am Zhengzhi’s father. I will take responsibility for it. I cannot let you all suffer!” Fang Houde prepared to take his own life.
“You won’t dare! You know that I am going to use you to threaten Fang Zhengzhi. If you die, no one will walk out alive!” The black faced general added.
“You…” Fang Houde’s expression changed.
“Put down the sword and I can consider letting this go. I will personally go to my higher ups and plead his case. He may have killed two soldiers, but he does not deserve to die. As long as he surrenders himself, everything will be left to the military courts!” The black faced general reassured. The last thing he wanted was for Fang Houde to take his own life.
“Brother Houde, did you hear that? Zhengzhi will not die! He may just have to take a beating!”
“Yes, please put down the blade!”
“Uncle Houde, if you do this, Zhengzhi will blame us for life!”
All of the villagers advised Fang Houde against taking his own life.
“I, Fang Houde, have let you all down!” Fang Houde bellowed, dropping his sword to the ground, crumpling to his knees as he did so.
“Husband!” Qin Xuelian was heartbroken to see Fang Houde this way.
“Subdue them, quickly!” The black faced general commanded urgently when he saw the couple drop the blades.
The deputy bounded over to the couple and kicked the blades aside.
Then, he tied them both up with string before finally heaving a sigh of relief.
“Kill him!” The black faced general felt a load off his shoulders. He turned to look at Wang Anhua and gave the command to execute him.
“You… why are you soldiers so dishonest?!” Fang Houde was stunned to hear what the general said.
“Fang Zhengzhi had the audacity to kill soldiers! That is an unpardonable crime! Wang Anhua has an intention to rebel! We have come here with orders from the highest in the land, and we intend to execute those orders!” The black faced general chuckled as he looked at Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian.
Now that things were this way, how could he possibly leave a teacher from the Divine Constabulary alive!
Even Qin Xuelian and Fang Houde had to be killed once their usefulness was up!
“You soldiers are scum. You bully the citizens. If I have a chance at life, I will make sure you are all taken to task!” Even though Wang Anhua was a teacher, he was not a cultivator.
When he heard what the black faced general said, he knew that his time had come. However, he wanted to die with dignity.
“Well, you must first be alive to report it!” The black faced general snorted. He paid no attention to Wang Anhua as he swung his blade, the sea of fire roaring towards Wang Anhua.
Wang Anhua did not dodge. The blade was too quick. He shut his eyes, his expression pained as the blade neared.
“Boom!” A huge explosion echoed out.
A column of flames soared skyward, sending dust plumes flying in all directions.
“Am I dead? Where… where is this?” Wang Anhua opened his eyes. He had no idea if he was alive, but he felt no pain.
Was the blade too fast?
He had heard that a quick blade delivered death painlessly.
When the dust cleared, Wang Anhua was still seated on the ground. His gaze froze. He realized that he was not dead.
All of the villagers were staring at him.
The black faced general’s gaze also turned icy. The jaws of the three deputies dropped. The general’s swing was blocked?
“How fast!”
The three deputies did not get a clear view of what just happened. The ray of light which blocked the black faced general’s sword was too quick.
It was at least three times quicker than the black faced general.
“Who is it?!”
All three deputies were fearful and awed.
The black faced general was silent. He glanced coldly at a point about one meter from Wang Anhua. There was a sword there.
That sword had a purple stain!
A strange purple glow emanated from the blade, almost like a drop of purple blood oscillating on it. The drop of blood seemed to extend quickly down the length of the blade.
Chapter 255: Dismounted with a single blow
In the blink of an eye, the entire blade was covered in purple.
It was a strange sight.
At this point, a sound could be heard from the air. Soon after, a figure descended from the sky.
Within an instant, the Traceless Sword began to move, almost as if it had a connection with something in the surroundings. It began to hum…
Then, it flew towards the figure.
“Die!” A low, solemn voice could be heard from the figure. Then, a silver waterfall seemed to link up with the sky.
In the middle of the silver waterfall was a purple glow.
Mountains and rivers.
The deputy had just secured Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian. He paled when he saw what was crashing towards him.
He could feel how sharp that strange purple glow was. It felt as if that purple glow could penetrate anything in the world. He felt a shiver down his spine.
Subconsciously, he wanted to retreat…
However, he felt as if there was something strangling his movements. There was also a terrifying, powerful suppressive force above him, rooting him in place. It was almost as if he was standing underneath a humongous waterfall.
“Oh god!” The deputy screamed. Then, he felt his forehead being pierced by something.
The world around him began to turn blurry.
He seemed to see a youth dressed in hide walk over. The youth was holding a sword in his hand, a completely purple sword.
“Fang… Fang Zhengzhi?!”
Fang Zhengzhi stopped beside the deputy. He ignored the deputy’s last words as he fell to his knees.
He faced Qin Xuelian and Fang Houde, “Dad, mom… I have let you down!”
…
Dawn broke over the Northern Mountain Village. It tinted the entire village gold, but there were splashes of red spread throughout.
That was blood, blood stained mud.
All of the villagers were stunned when they saw Fang Zhengzhi fall to his knees. Everything had happened too quickly.
From the moment the black faced general drew his sword…
To the block, and the waterfall, and a fallen deputy with a deep gash in his forehead.
“He’s dead?!”
All of the villagers, including Zhang Yangping, were in disbelief. They had fought with this deputy, and this was the deputy which created the cavity in the ground.
Such a powerful person was dead?
Awe, loss…
The emotions quickly changed to surprise, joy, and anxiety.
They were surprised that Fang Zhengzhi could kill such a powerful person. However, they were anxious to see how much more Fang Zhengzhi could achieve.
They really wanted the best for him.
That was the family spirit within the Northern Mountain Village!
“Zhengzhi, go! They have set up an ambush!”
“There are many soldiers outside! They have surrounded the entire village.”
“Zhengzhi, don’t bother about us! We are okay with dying! You are immensely outnumbered, run!”
When all of the villagers recovered, they began to holler out their concerns. In their minds, Zhengzhi’s return was less favorable.
Wang Anhua’s expression darkened.
He still remembered his first meeting with Fang Zhengzhi eight years ago. At that time, Fang Zhengzhi was still a willful child, but Wang Anhua knew that this child had a bright future.
However, he began to see less of Fang Zhengzhi after Fang Zhengzhi was given the boot from the Southern Mountain Village. His loyalties laid there, so he could not leave.
However, he heard about many of Fang Zhengzhi’s hunting exploits.
At that time, Wang Anhua sighed to himself. He felt that such a talent was wasted in the woods. It was a pity he would never learn the “Law of Dao”.
That was until Fang Zhengzhi stunned the world by topping the Huai An County examinations.
Then, he proceeded to destroy his competition at the River of Trust Province Examinations.
Wang Anhua was stunned and envious. How could a person who spent his time in the woods be so powerful? How talented is this child?
As times changed, Wang Anhua’s school was moved to the Northern Mountain Village.
When he was finally reunited with Fang Zhengzhi eight years later, he realized that the youth standing in front of him was a soaring eagle.
He was determined to settle down here and teach. He would be part of the Northern Mountain Village family and spread word about the pride of the village.
Afterwards, news of Fang Zhengzhi’s breakthrough into the Heavenly Reflection State reached his ears.
On that day, Wang Anhua was over the moon. He drank a lot that night, stumbling as he walked around the village announcing the news to anyone he saw.
It was a pity…
The Northern Mountain villagers had no idea what a 15 year old Heavenly Reflection State cultivator meant. They looked at him, lost.
“Sensei, what is Heavenly Reflection?”
“Sensei, can you show us what Heavenly Reflection is like?”
Wang Anhua could only smile bitterly. Show you? I have not even entered Dao despite studying all my life. How can I possibly demonstrate Heavenly Reflection to you?
Today, Wang Anhua finally saw what Heavenly Reflection meant.
That powerful waterfall and its aura was like a masterpiece. Even so, Wang Anhua was rather saddened. Fang Zhengzhi had intervened because of him.
“Zhengzhi, run! That black faced general is also in the Heavenly Reflection State!” Wang Anhua lunged himself at the black faced general mid-sentence.
He would be willing to give up his life if it bought Fang Zhengzhi time to save his parents and run.
Wang Anhua thought to himself, Even if Fang Zhengzhi is in the Heavenly Reflection State, he should only be in the nascent stages. How can he possibly match up to a battle hardened general?
The black faced general’s expression darkened.
He had never expected Fang Zhengzhi to kill his deputy in such a blatant and swift way.
More importantly, he wasn’t running away?
And now…
An academic is trying to challenge his authority? He could not possibly allow himself to be humiliated this way. His grip on his sword tightened and a column of flames shot skyward. It morphed into a lion, its jaw wide open.
“Go to hell!” The black faced general knew that Fang Zhengzhi had managed to kill his deputy because of the difference in their cultivation levels and the element of surprise.
Now, he was going to use his own abilities to teach Fang Zhengzhi a lesson.
The lion made from fire was powerful, its red fangs targeted at Wang Anhua’s throat.
At this point, a bright moon appeared in the sky as a silver white blade stopped the lion in its tracks.
There was a strange tint of purple as it penetrated the lion.
It struck first despite being launched later.
It flew straight at the black faced general without losing any momentum.
The general was stunned. His reflexes used the find blade to defend himself.
“Boom!” A huge crash echoed out, accompanied by the whinnying of a horse. Then, a large figure crashed to the ground.
Dismounted with one strike!
The black faced general was in disbelief. He stared at his broken sword, fury building in his chest as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
“How… how is this possible?!” The black faced general was in disbelief.
He knew that Fang Zhengzhi was in the Heavenly Reflection State, but he did not know about Fang Zhengzhi’s exploits at the imperial examinations. He also did not know that Fang Zhengzhi was wielding the Traceless Sword, Meng Tian’s sword.
No matter how talented Fang Zhengzhi was, he was still in the nascent stages of the Heavenly Reflection State. As an advanced Heavenly Reflection State cultivator, he should be able to defeat Fang Zhengzhi easily.
But now…
Everything that was happening seemed to be telling him that this was not just a student. His opponent was a ferocious tiger, with icy sharp fangs.
He had not expected this.
The top scorer of the examinations!
He really does live up to his name!
No one had expected this to happen. The other two deputies and the entire Northern Mountain Village were stunned when they saw the battle unfold.
“What’s going on?!”
“Is that man not a general?”
“How can a general be dismounted with a single hit from Fang Zhengzhi? This… this is unbelievable!”
“How powerful!”
All of the villagers struggled to regain their senses. They were happy to see Fang Zhengzhi improve and be powerful. But, isn’t this kind of power a little too ridiculous?
How can a kid defeat a battle hardened general?
Wang Anhua was rooted to the ground. He was prepared to die, but what he just saw gave him a sliver of hope.
It was a surprise, but he simply could not understand how this was possible.
“My son!”
“Son, you…”
Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian stared blankly at Fang Zhengzhi. Even as parents, they had no idea that their son was this powerful.
“Dad, mom!” Fang Zhengzhi ignored the black faced general and walked quickly towards Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian. He knelt down and placed the Traceless Sword on the ground. Then, he kowtowed.
He did not use the blade to remove the rope tying them down. He carefully undid each knot with his hand.
At this very moment…
All of the villagers were touched by what they saw.
With a son like that, what more could one ask for?
The black faced general did not disturb Fang Zhengzhi. He quickly glanced at the two remaining deputies. The Star Conglomerate State deputy saw the glance and instantly understood what it meant.
He turned and ran out of the village.
The Heavenly Reflection State deputy strode to the side of the general. He helped him up, tightening the grip on his blade as he did so.
“Son, go quickly! They still have an army, you… you can’t beat them. Furthermore, the army is at their back, don’t do something stupid!” Qin Xuelian released herself from the ropes. She wanted to hug Fang Zhengzhi, but Fang Houde held her back.
“Mom!” Fang Zhengzhi fell to his knees. He saw the crow feet at the edges of his mom’s eyes and the tears in her eyes. For the first time, he could see age catching up with her.
He knew what his parents were thinking. However, if he left today, every achievement of his would mean nothing.
His stellar showing at the exams, the talent he was supposed to have, the Sword Envoy position he was conferred. If he couldn’t save his parents, nothing else mattered!
“Today, anyone who has the audacity to step on a blade of grass in my village and harm my people will die!” Fang Zhengzhi raised his sword, glaring at the general as he did so.
The strange purple blood like stain began to spread across the blade. It soon covered the entire blade.
At the same time, there was a subtle purple glow in Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes.
It was the same shade of purple.
After leaving the stone house, he had no idea if he had escaped The Vast World. Nonetheless, he rushed in the direction of the Northern Mountain Village.
It was already dawn.
He had no mood to explore Cang Ling Mountain. His biggest worry was his village. He rushed over as quickly as he could.
Even so, he was still greeted by a stunning sight.
The entire village was surrounded by soldiers.
He knew what this meant. He rushed inside without hesitation.
When he entered the village, his fury became uncontainable.
The square was bloody with villagers howling from their wounds. He saw a general bullying his villagers.
More importantly, he saw his parents tied up and Zhang Yangping in a foetal position, his clothes stained with blood.
He could feel Fang Houde’s helplessness, Qin Xuelian’s fury, and Zhang Yangping’s exasperation.
As such…
He had no reason not to kill!
“Kaboom!” A thunderous explosion echoed out.
Chapter 256: Monstrous killing aura
“Fang Zhengzhi, since you have showed yourself, you will die today!” THe black faced general’s voice turned icy.
He knew that he had passed the point of no return.
Activating his troops was his last resort.
However, it was either his life or Fang Zhengzhi’s. What choice did he have?
Right now, he had a few deputies and a thousand soldiers behind him. No matter how powerful Fang Zhengzhi was, he could not go up against an army.
The result was final!
When the villagers heard the ‘boom’, their expression changed. They knew that this was from the soldiers surrounding the village.
How could one man face off against an army?
“Zhengzhi, bring Houde and Xuelian with you. Leave the rest to us!” Zhang Yangping stood up and straightened his back.
There was no retreat for them.
“Leave them to us!”
“And me!”
“Me too!”
All of the villagers were riled up after hearing Zhang Yangping’s words. They gripped their homemade weapons tightly.
This time, they were all prepared to shed blood.
The black faced general squinted as he felt increasingly unsettled.
The deputy next to him was all the more nervous. Even though the army was strong, that did not mean that they could do whatever they wanted. The Great Xia Dynasty was a lawful society.
Massacre an entire village?!
That was something that was completely unheard of.
Even the robbers who roamed the woods would not dare to commit such a heinous act. Massacring a village would alert the highest in the land. By then, even their backer will not be able to save them.
“General, this…” The deputy retreated subconsciously when he saw the riled up villagers.
“With things as they are, only the death of Fang Zhengzhi can quell this rebellion!” The general knew that this all started with Fang Zhengzhi, and it had to end with him.
“Yes sir!” The deputy nodded. He had been trained to follow orders, and the general had just given him one. Furthermore, he had no better option.
The black faced general wanted to kill Fang Zhengzhi as quickly as possible. Fang Zhengzhi wanted to do the same. He would never let the villagers get hurt.
Fang Zhengzhi leapt into action.
There was some distance between the square and the entrance. This distance was his best chance.
He lifted the traceless sword, its purple light glowing radiantly. A tsunami appeared above Fang Zhengzhi’s head, converging on the Traceless Blade.
Hum!
The sword began to hum constantly.
“Watch the Yellow River descend from heaven. It converges with the vast sea and never returns!” Fang Zhengzhi murmured as he swung the Traceless Sword.
This was the second move he had learnt on the ice wall.
“Unending Flow!”
The first technique concentrated all his power into a single point, and was ideal for a sneak attack. On the other hand, his second technique was continuous.
It was perfect for this scenario.
“Together!” The black faced general was still reeling from his previous engagement with Fang Zhengzhi. He threw chivalry aside as he commanded his deputy to join forces with him.
The deputy was stunned to hear that. Even though the general had gotten the shorter end of the stick previously, he had attributed it to Fang Zhengzhi’s sudden burst of power.
Even if the advanced Heavenly Reflection State general could not wreck Fang Zhengzhi, he should not need to combine forces to subdue him.
He may have been taken aback, but he did not hesitate. Neither did he underestimate his opponent.
Every battle hardened soldier knew the dangers of a battle.
He raised his sword and a humongous mountain appeared in mid air. He was the only deputy to be in the Heavenly Reflection State.
Since Fang Zhengzhi had used the water element, he decided to use the mountains. As wood, he could ensure stability and aid fire.
The black faced general had partnered with this deputy for many years. He knew exactly what his deputy was trying to do. He planned to combine their attacks.
He had been using the fire lion on the battlefield for many years.
For the deputy, choosing wood was the natural choice.
“Woosh!”
His blade swept through the air and a column of flames shot skyward. As it interacted with the mountains, its intensity and power was augmented. It grew to a size many times larger than when it had faced Fang Zhengzhi before.
“Go to hell!” The black faced general chopped down. The lion roared maniacally and lunged towards the tsunami.
All the villagers were captivated as they watched the battle unfold. Where else could they watch such an intense battle? It looked like two ferocious beasts engaging in a duel to the death. In fact, it was probably even more intense and terrifying.
All of the villagers were anxious to see the result.
No one knew who would emerge victorious.
Their eyes were fixated on that tsunami and the ferocious fire lion. Then, the two attacks clashed.
“Boom!”
Within moments, the lion was absorbed by the tsunami. It struggled in the water, its flames on the brink of being extinguished.
The black faced general flushed. He felt as if he had been hit in the chest by a tsunami. He spat out a mouthful of blood uncontrollably.
The deputy suffered a worse fate. He looked like a broken kite as he was sent flying by the impact. He paled as blood spewed from his mouth. He simply could not control his body anymore.
“Plonk!” The deputy fell to the ground, making a huge crater as he did so.
A ray of purple light shot out from Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes. The Traceless Sword’s purple aura rose, morphing into a dragon like creature. It danced on the tip of the sword.
A powerful force gushed out from the blade and entered Fang Zhengzhi’s body. The hatred within him grew as his killing intent was augmented. The world was now purple through his eyes.
“Kill!”
He chopped down and the purple glow morphed into a white crashing wave as it approached the general.
The general was paralyzed by fear. He had expected Fang Zhengzhi to be powerful, but he never thought that Fang Zhengzhi would be this ridiculously powerful.
How can this man be a nascent stage Heavenly Reflection cultivator?
He is clearly a death god sent to reap our souls…
The black faced general felt that Fang Zhengzhi was just like the devil. Fang Zhengzhi’s attacks were too powerful, almost ridiculously powerful.
“Run!” Without any hesitation, the black faced general ran towards the exit of the village. A sea of flames enveloped him. In this crucial moment, he no longer held back.
All he had to do was survive till his army came. There was no way Fang Zhengzhi could defeat an army.
The purple glow still managed to catch up with him.
It split the sea of fire in two and the radiant purple light sliced through the general’s body.
“Ah!” The general screamed in pain as one of his limbs was sent flying. Blood spewed from the open wound as the color drained from his face.
All of the villagers were stunned.
“How powerful!”
“Oh my god… he’s too good!”
“I had no idea Zhengzhi was so powerful! He is much more powerful than the general! He beat them both using a couple of attacks!”
All of the villagers got excited as they unconsciously tightened the grips on their weapons. They had a sliver of hope to cling onto now.
Even though it was just a sliver of hope, it made a huge difference to their morale and attitude.
Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian looked at each other. They were comforted and impressed by their son’s abilities.
Zhang Pingyang was also overjoyed. Fang Zhengzhi’s power had instilled hope in his heart.
“They may just survive after all!”
Wang Anhua’s jaw dropped so much that one could possibly stuff two ducks into it at this point. He knew that this was a battle between two Heavenly Reflection State cultivators. He also knew that Fang Zhengzhi had just broken through a few months ago.
How did he become so powerful in such a short time?
He had taken on the two men so effortlessly, defeating one of them within the first round and chopping of the limb of the general in the next!
This was no duel, this was suppression!
Wang Anhua could not believe his eyes.
In fact, Fang Zhengzhi himself could not believe it. He gripped the Traceless Sword tightly. He could still feel waves of power rushing into his body.
He could even feel the Traceless Sword’s excitement. It was excited to draw blood, excited to kill.
He had no idea what was happening.
However, when he thought of what these men had done to his family and the helplessness he saw in his parents’ eyes, the hate inside his heart became unsuppressable. It exploded outwards in an instant.
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
The voices rang inside his ears. The world around him turned from faint purple to deep purple. There were also flickerings of red.
Everyone who bullied a Northern Mountain villager must die!
Dad, mom, I will take revenge for you! I will kill them all, every last one of them!
“Ah!” Fang Zhengzhi screamed in rage, his voice echoing throughout the village and beyond.
“Die, you must all die! None of you will be spared!” Fang Zhengzhi repeated to himself, the purple glow from his sword radiating outwards.
The circling purple gas doubled, almost like two intertwined dragons, circling and dancing at the tip of the blade….
“General!”
A fearful shout rang out. There were traces of disbelief mashed into the fear.
Then, the approach of the thousand strong army could be heard. Plumes of dust were kicked up as they charged, spears lowered.
This was the general’s elite squad.
Even though they were no match for the Red Pinion Squad, they were still the elites of the army. About 20% of them were cultivators, and they knew how to fight as a unit.
There were more than 20,000 troops stationed in various camps around Cang Ling Mountain. In order to ensure the quickest response times, the general had handpicked this squad to be by his side.
This ensured that he could respond to every eventuality.
And now…
This elite squad was about to taste their first battle in a month. However, they were going up against poorly equipped villagers.
Of course, there was a youth taking point on the opposing side.
The strange purple glow continued to shine from the youth’s sword as his killing aura spread outwards. His eyes glowed a strange shade of purple.
“Fang Zhengzhi is intent on rebelling and the villagers have rioted! Kill them all!” The general looked at Fang Zhengzhi in aghast.
This was the first time he had felt such fear after decades on the battlefield. He felt a chill down his spine, but, he could not stop now.
If Fang Zhengzhi did not die, he would die.
“General, we came to capture Fang Zhengzhi, these villagers…” One of the deputies said in aghast when he heard the order.
He was not shocked by Fang Zhengzhi. He was taken aback by the general’s orders.
“Kill them! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!” The general flashed his black military token. It represented his authority.
“All of you listen up. Get in formation and charge!” The deputy grit his teeth when he saw the token. He hollered the command to his men.
“Yes sir!” The army responded in unison.
They got into formation within moments.
They set up a phalanx, with five riders on point. Cavalry guarded the flanks whilst spearmen held the center.
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
Their voices echoed throughout the mountain.
All of the villagers subconsciously retreated when they saw this. Fear consumed them all.
These were truly the elites of the army. They could feel the killing aura keenly.
“Anyone who dares invade the Northern Mountain Village shall die!” An icy voice that sounded like it came right out of hell rang out. Then, a figure charged the phalanx.
All of the soldiers were stunned by what they saw.
They never expected Fang Zhengzhi to strike first in the face of an army!
Chapter 257: Dao of Massacre
Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had attacked without any hesitation whatsoever. It felt like Fang Zhengzhi was a lone wolf attacking a herd of sheep.
But…
Were soldiers helpless lambs?
Of course not! They were the elites of the Great Xia Dynasty, brave warriors who charged into battle. How could they possibly stand being belittled by a youth?
“Kill!” Came the thunderous reply. 1000 soldiers moved in synchronisation as they charged towards Fang Zhengzhi. The first 500 lowered their spears, the sharp tips glimmering in the sun.
“Go to hell!” Fang Zhengzhi swung his sword. A crescent shaped purple glow crashed into the advancing soldiers, sending blood spewing skywards.
The five horsemen taking point immediately fell to the ground.
All of the soldiers froze in their spots.
They had heard of Fang Zhengzhi and knew that he was in the Heavenly Reflection State. However, they did not expect him to be this powerful.
Blood stained the ground.
Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes turned a deep maroon color, the glow of blood flickering in his eyes. His hate was reaching a maniacal level.
“Die! Die! All of you invaders must die!”
Fang Zhengzhi only had one thought on his mind. All those who had bullief the villagers must be killed. All of the scum within the army must be eradicated.
Even so, none of the soldiers stopped their charge despite the prowess Fang Zhengzhi just displayed. After taking in a deep breath, they extended their line.
Within moments, Fang Zhengzhi was surrounded.
“Kill!” Another round of shouting rang out. More than a dozen horses whinnied and their riders lowered their spears.
They would trample and stab him to death.
This was clearly a well trained army. All of the horses charged towards Fang Zhengzhi and there was not a single spear out of place.
Fang Zhengzhi’s gaze turned icy as he waved the Traceless Sword high above his head. The tsunami rushed out from his body, a purple glow flickering within it.
“Die!” He hollered. The purple glow morphed into a dozen swords and clashed with the cavalry and spearmen.
Within moments, the cavalry were dismounted.
However, the moment he defeated one wave, a second wave of men took their place. They charged in the same manner.
This was a similar concept to the tactics adopted by the maniples of the Roman Empire.
This was the benefit of outnumbering one’s opponents. Even though they were significantly weaker, they kept charging with fresh troops in an attempt to tire Fang Zhengzhi out.
They wanted him to spend all his energy repelling each wave of soldiers. When he was sufficiently tired out, they would go in for the kill.
Little did they expect…
Fang Zhengzhi’s sword was much too sharp. Each wave of soldiers was sent crashing to the ground, never to rise again.
This was absolute carnage.
No matter how well trained they were, fear eventually consumed them all. Fang Zhengzhi was too powerful, more powerful than they had ever imagined.
“Die!”
“Go to hell!”
“All of you can go meet your maker!”
He bellowed repeatedly, almost as if he was possessed by the devil. With each battle cry, dozens of lives were taken. Even their stallions were not spared.
The purple light killed indiscriminately.
All of the fallen stallions whinnied pitifully.
Fang Zhengzhi stood in the middle of the soldiers but his expression revealed no fear. He was consumed by a boundless intention to kill.
Wave after wave of soldiers gave up their lives. This caused the others to feel chills down their spines.
They may be brave, but they still feared death. Their advance slowed to a crawl in the face of Fang Zhengzhi’s blade of death.
Despite this, Fang Zhengzhi’s sword seemed to get sharper with every moment. He showed no signs of slowing down. Instead, with every fallen soldier, the purple glow became more radiant.
More importantly, Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes were completely purple.
It was a strange tint of purple, and it was stained subtly with red.
Fang Zhengzhi swung the Traceless Sword continuously. He had no idea how many people he had killed. With every life he took, the hate and rage in his heart was fuelled and he showed no signs of slowing down.
He was growing more and more powerful by the second. He was in the zone, and nothing was going to break him out of it.
In that instant, Fang Zhengzhi felt something strange happening. Inside his pocket dimension, there seemed to be another fruit forming on the large tree.
It was a purple fruit, and it was marked with red lines.
He was slightly taken aback. Fruits had stopped forming in his pocket dimension for quite some time now. What was this fruit?
The Dao of Massacre?
Fang Zhengzhi had no idea. However, as he continued to take lives, he felt that fruit become stronger and stronger.
The hate and fury in his heart had also reached a maniacal stage.
The purple gas at the tip of the Traceless Blade also began to swirl around Fang Zhengzhi. It crept up his arm and began to circle his body.
“Go to hell, all of you!”
Fang Zhengzhi’s tone was icy as he glared at the black faced general, who was clutching his wound.
The general looked at Fang Zhengzhi ferociously, but it was laced with traces of fear.
The general had never felt such pure, unadulterated killing aura in his decades on the battlefield. He felt as if his entire army was going to be swallowed by it.
He was on the verge of panicking. However, he could not stop now. As such, he continued to command his soldiers forward.
“Kill!” Fang Zhengzhi’s voice rang out once again. This time, his target was the general.
The Traceless Blade morphed into a ray of purple light, flying out of his hands and towards the general.
The general, who was supervising the battle, was stunned. Fang Zhengzhi would throw his weapon in the heat of battle?!
He instinctively used his large blade to block the blow.
Then, something strange happened. The Traceless Sword, which was aimed at his chest, stopped in the air. Then, it accelerated towards his throat.
“Sh*t!” Blood spewed from the open wound in his throat.
The general’s eyes widened in disbelief. He could not believe that he would die to Fang Zhengzhi despite being guarded by a thousand soldiers.
He wanted to say something, but his time was up.
His energy left his body in an instant.
“He… he is not… not human…” That was the parting thoughts of the general. He simply could not believe that a nascent Heavenly Reflection State cultivator could have such abilities.
This was not even the power of a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator. Even cultivators in the Supernatural State would not be guaranteed victory.
Fang Zhengzhi is in the Supernatural State?!
No!
No way!
That’s impossible!
The general glared at Fang Zhengzhi. However, as the life slipped from him, his body crumpled to the ground.
Dead!
In that moment, the intense battle halted and a silence consumed the battlefield.
A gust of wind blew past, bringing with it the stench of blood.
All of the soldiers looked at Fang Zhengzhi in fear. The sword returned to his hand. By now, the entire blade was purple.
All of the soldiers who were getting ready to charge halted. Their horses also stopped in their tracks. They could all feel Fang Zhengzhi’s killing aura.
Even the horses sensed danger.
The villagers looked on, mouths agape and eyes widened. They could feel the power coming from Fang Zhengzhi, who was enveloped by the purple gas.
They all felt a wave of emotion come over them.
Even though Fang Zhengzhi’s killing aura was so dense, they did not feel any fear. No matter what happened, Fang Zhengzhi was trying to protect them.
This was the boy they had taken care of since young.
“Is this Zhengzhi’s power?!”
“He’s so powerful!”
“This is bordering on ridiculous! It is no wonder he aced the River of Trust Province Examinations. I would not be surprised if he tops the imperial examinations as well!”
“Exactly, as long as Zhengzhi is around, the Northern Mountain Village would not be bullied ever again!”
In that instant, all of the villagers felt a sense of security. They had no idea how powerful some of the best in the empire were. They only knew that Fang Zhengzhi was so powerful that he could stop a thousand strong army in its tracks.
They did not care that Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes were glowing a strange shade of purple.
Fang Zhengzhi scanned the soldiers surrounding him. Then, his gaze rested on the deputy who had gave the orders. The purple glow flickered.
“Kill!”
“Fight to the bitter end. Our general gave his life to quell this rebellion! Capture the rebel!” The deputy felt the iciness in Fang Zhengzhi’s gaze. He panicked when he felt that devilish aura.
“Hiss!” A horse whinnied.
A ray of purple had arrived in front of him.
He could not even react.
“Ah!” The deputy screamed in pain as he fell of his horse. Blood spewed upwards like a geyser from the open wound in his heart.
He had taken out both the leaders despite being surrounded by a thousand men.
This was the crowning achievement.
The soldiers in the army felt helpless in the face of Fang Zhengzhi. If they gave it their all, they may win a pyrrhic victory.
But…
Who would want to do that?
There were courageous ones in the group. However, that did not mean that all of them were courageous. A significant number panicked when they saw the general and the deputy fall.
Some of the other deputies were also panicking.
They knew that they should step up to the plate at this moment. However, after seeing the fate of the general and that deputy, who dared to step up?
No one wanted to die, and no one was willing to take the lead.
None of them were willing to try defending against Fang Zhengzhi’s attacks. They did not speak, subconsciously looking in the direction of the village’s exit.
“Die, all of you must die!”
Even after the soldiers stopped attacking, Fang Zhengzhi did not. His blade swung once again as it swept through the ranks, cutting swathes of red.
“Ah!”
“Ah…”
Pitiful screams echoed out as the soldiers looked at Fang Zhengzhi fearfully. The battle horses ran amok within the ranks.
The disciplined army had been routed.
“Die! All of you must die!”
“No!”
Just as Fang Zhengzhi prepared to swing once again, a scream pierced through the air. A figure lunged towards Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi instinctively raised his blade.
“Die!” An icy voice rang out from his mouth. Just as he prepared to strike, he realized that the approaching figure was familiar.
The figure looked purple and blurry through his eyes.
However, he knew that it was someone precious to him.
He felt pain in his heart, almost as if someone had stabbed him. He hesitated and did not strike.
Just at that moment, he was overwhelmed by a wave of warmth. He felt a strange sense of calm as he was hugged by this figure.
All of the hate gushed out of his body in that instant.
His vision cleared and he finally realized who was hugging him.
“Mother!”
“Don’t kill anymore. Son, you are my son, not a mass murderer. They have retreated, stop killing!” Qin Xuelian hugged her son tightly, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Fang Zhengzhi shuddered.
Kill?
Not a mass murderer…
Have I killed people?
“Son, put down the sword. Listen to me please, put it down and stop killin!” Qin Xuelian grabbed at Fang Zhengzhi’s sword as she spoke.
“Hum!” The Traceless Sword hummed and glowed purple.
“What are you doing!” Fang Zhengzhi was stunned as he bellowed.
The glow of the Traceless Blade dimmed and it calmed down.
“Clang!” Fang Zhengzhi’s grip on the sword released and it fell straight to the ground.
In that moment, Fang Zhengzhi’s vision cleared. All of the purple disappeared and the hate and fury disappeared from his heart.
“He dropped his blade! Kill him! Kill him! Spearmen, launch your spears!” Just at this moment, a voice rang out. Then, a rain of spears blocked out the sun.
Chapter 258: Execute them all
All of the villagers were stunned.
They had thought that the army had been defeated. The deputies were all wetting themselves after the battle. Little did they expect that the army would take advantage of the situation when they saw Fang Zhengzhi drop his sword.
The villagers simply could not understand.
However, Fang Zhengzhi understood. This was a last ditch attempt by the deputies. If he did not die, they would still be dealt with harshly by the military even if they lived.
Furthermore, soldiers lived and died by the orders they got.
Even though they were afraid of Fang Zhengzhi, they had to respect and obey the orders of their superiors. Soldiers still launched their spears.
Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had killed many of their comrades. These were their brothers in arms, people that they had a real connection with.
After all, they had shared a camp for many years.
Qin Xuelian paled as she saw the rain of spears. In that instant, she wanted to shield Fang Zhengzhi with her body.
Fang Zhengzhi could guess what Qin Xuelian would try to do. From the moment he saw the spears launch, he knew exactly what she would think.
Because…
Qin Xuelian was his mother.
Even before Qin Xuelian could stand in front of him, he already took Qin Xuelian into his arms.
Qin Xuelian’s fear was unrestrained. Sweat poured from her forehead. She realized that she had made a mistake. She should have never rushed out like that. No matter how many soldiers he killed, Fang Zhengzhi was still her son.
Her only son.
Fang Zhengzhi looked at Qin Xuelian, his back towards the rain of spears. Waves crashed overhead – that was his shield.
He knew that in the face of a thousand spears, a stone wall would be best. But, here was he going to find sand to make into stone in such a hurry?
As such, he could only try to use the water to slow down the spears. Even so, it was unlikely that the spears would miss their mark.
Was he going to die?!
Fang Zhengzhi was quite sad to leave this all behind. The villagers here cared for him, and he had a warm family.
“Boom boom boom…”
Sounds echoed from behind him.
Fang Zhengzhi felt that the spears should have already landed. However, his area of control had not been hit. Where were the sounds coming from?
Just as he was thinking about it…
He turned around subconsciously.
He saw something stunning. There was a green sword ray in the middle of the rain of spears…
No.
It was countless sword rays.
The sword rays intertwined with each other like a spider web. The rays moved quickly, defending him from the spears.
The moment the spears hit the web of light, the sword rays would explode into smaller and finer sword rays. Those rays would intertwine once again.
“Dao is endless and constantly changing. The rules governing the world are Dao!” A crisp voice rang out next to him. Then, a figure dressed in black shot through the air like a meteor.
Within moments, the figure landed next to Fang Zhengzhi.
She wore a tight fitting leather suit and had a branded belt around her waist. This accentuated her great figure. She also wore a leather cap which covered her forehead.
Under the cap, a pair of bright starry eyes stared at the soldiers and the bloody bodies of the fallen. She frowned.
“Chi Guyan?” Fang Zhengzhi was shocked to see the figure next to him. He had not figured out how he escaped The Vast World, but he knew it had something to do with the black crack.
How did Chi Guyan manage to escape?
“Dao is endless and constantly changing. The rules governing the world are Dao!”
Fang Zhengzhi knew what this cryptic sentence meant.
This was an interpretation of Dao. It stated that Dao was represented by constant changes in physical properties. This change was known as ‘gasification’. It also said that the gasification was not random. It followed a strict set of rules, and these rules are Dao.
The physical properties referred to Ying and Yang, as well as the five elements (gold, wood, water, fire, earth). Everything was formed from these basic building blocks, and were just representations of Dao.
But, why would she say something like this now?
Fang Zhengzhi glanced at the green web of sword lights above his head. He suddenly understood what Chi Guyan meant!
Dao would give rise to one. One would become two, two becomes three, and it would keep going on!
He finally understood!
Chi Guyan could produce an infinite amount of sword rays with a single one. Whenever one was shattered, it would reproduce itself. This was a cycle that would continue unbroken.
It was one of the most powerful defensive techniques around.
“Is the difference between our abilities really that great?” Fang Zhengzhi had a strong understanding of the theories. However, he did not have the practical experience.
Chi Guyan was far more well versed in that aspect.
She had managed to defend against the storm of spears effortlessly. All of the soldiers were stunned by what they saw.
This was clearly the work of a Heavenly Reflection State individual. However, there were only a few who had such control over their territories.
As for ladies…
A name appeared in the minds of the soldiers. They simply could not believe it. That’s impossible! Why would she appear in such a tiny village?
All of the deputies paled instantly.
Their eyes widened as they looked at the figure who had defended against their attacks so effortlessly. They were at a loss.
At this point, a young voice could be heard from afar.
“Sister Yan, you’re walking too quickly, Ping Yang can’t catch up!” Before long, a flaming red figure jumped from the top of a house.
Her Red Flame Flower Armor glowed in the sun and she held a bright red spear in her hand. There was a flickering golden light at the tip of the spear.
When the soldiers saw this figure and heard the name Ping Yang, shivers were sent straight down their spines.
“Ping Yang!”
“The most favored princess of the empire, Ping Yang!”
All of the soldiers did not want to believe that this was happening. However, the Red Flame Flower Armor was clear for all to see. Furthermore, that spear…
My god…
That was the Blazing Qilin Spear, one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty.
“Sister Yan?”
“Ping Yang called this lady Sister Yan?!”
“There is only one person who Ping Yang calls Sister Yan. That is the top ranking individual on two of the dragon rolls. She is the heir to the Divine Constabulary. She only answers to one person, and even the emperor has to accord her due respect! She is none other than Chi Guyan!”
“It really is Chi Guyan!”
In that instant, all of the soldiers retreated. Then, they all fell to their knees, the deputies included.
“Greetings your highness, greetings princess Chi!”
“Your highness?!”
“Princess?!”
All of the villagers looked at each other, unable to figure out what was going on. However, the soldiers had already dropped to their knees.
“We the commoners extend our greetings to your highness and the princess!”
“Greetings your highness, greetings princess Chi!”
After some chaotic chatters, all of the villagers fell to their knees. When they saw Chi Guyan stand next to Fang Zhengzhi, they were all stunned.
They all remembered.
This girl was Guyan, the Guyan who had spent almost a month in the Northern Mountain Village.
She was a princess?!
“I, teacher Wang Anhua, extend my greetings to your highness and the princess!” Wang Anhua also rushed over and fell to his knees.
He did not attend the feast the previous night. Furthermore, he had not seen Chi Guyan in eight years. As such, he did not recognize her when she appeared.
When Chi Guyan had stayed in the Northern Mountain Village for a month, the school had yet to be moved over. As such, he was in the dark about that.
However, upon hearing the soldiers and taking a closer look, he realized that this was his master, the daughter of the Divine Constabulary, Chi Guyan.
All of them fell to their knees.
Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian felt their legs turn to jelly. All this while, they had thought of Chi Guyan as their daughter-in-law.
Now that they heard that she was a princess, how could they possibly still think about that?
“Son, kneel down quickly! Greet the two princesses!” Qin Xuelian pulled Fang Zhengzhi as she prepared to kneel. She had thought that Fang Zhengzhi did not know about this. Afterall, when Fang Zhengzhi had brought Chi Guyan back, they had met at the entrance to the village.
“Mom, get up! Dad, don’t kneel!” Fang Zhengzhi pulled Qin Xuelian upwards.
At this point, Chi Guyan also walked over and bent down. She held Qin Xuelian’s arms respectfully.
“Uncle, Auntie, please get up. I do not need you to kneel!” Chi Guyan made use of an invisible force to prevent Fang Houde from kneeling.
“Get up! Uncle Yang Ping, get everyone to recover! What’s there to kneel?” Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Ping Yang.
Ping Yang pouted instantly.
“Humph! I am a princess, why shouldn’t they kneel?” However, she immediately saw Fang Zhengzhi’s expression change. She added quickly, “All Northern Mountain villagers, please rise!”
Her intentions were simple. The soldiers were to keep on kneeling.
Upon hearing her words, all of the villagers looked at each other before standing up, their eyes filled with fear.
Ping Yang walked over to Fang Zhengzhi.
“Shameless fella, I… I thought you were dead! If not for the fact that Sister Yan insisted that you would come back here, I…” Ping Yang noticed the pile of spears on the ground. Her gaze turned icy as she looked at the soldiers.
“How dare you attack a rank four official of the imperial courts!”
All of the soldiers were stunned by what they heard. Rank four official? Who was a rank four official?
Could it be…
How is that possible?!
According to the dates, the imperial examinations would have just ended. Even if Fang Zhengzhi had passed, he could not possibly have been made an official. Even if he had, how could he be a rank four official?
Rank four?!
This was completely unprecedented.
When the deputies heard what Ping Yang said, they froze. They knew how difficult it was to climb the ranks in the courts.
When has there ever been someone who was promoted to rank four immediately after passing the imperial examinations?
However, this was said by Ping Yang. Ping Yang was the most favored princess of the empire! How could anything she said possibly be fake?
In an instant, the deputies felt that their worlds were turned upside down. They could not even stabilize themselves despite being on their knees.
All of the Northern Mountain villagers were wide eyed.
“Rank four official?!”
“Is she saying… that Zhengzhi is a rank four official?!”
“Zhengzhi is a rank four official?!”
The same thought flashed through all of the villagers’ minds. Their faces flushed in excitement. Afterall, Fang Zhengzhi was the only academic in their midst.
As such, Ping Yang had to be referring to Fang Zhengzhi.
All of the humiliation the villagers had endured were instantly forgotten when they heard the news. Tears of joy flowed down their cheeks.
Zhang Yangping’s eyes turned red. He murmured to himself, “Zhengzhi is a rank four official? Really a rank four official? The River of Trust Province Governor is only a rank five official. Zhengzhi is rank four?”
He was in disbelief.
The ones most in shock were Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian.
Fang Zhengzhi had told them about it. Furthermore, he even showed them the official seal of a rank four official. That being said, would they believe him then?
Definitely not.
However, now that Ping Yang said it herself, there was no way they could not believe it.
“My son is a rank four official! Hahaha… my son has made it!” Fang Houde hollered. He was overwhelmed by the news and momentarily forgot the presence of Ping Yang and Chi Guyan.
As for Qin Xuelian, she hugged Fang Zhengzhi tightly, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks and falling to the ground.
She did not say a single word. She hugged Fang Zhengzhi tightly. In all honesty, she did not want to let go.
“Sister Yan, these people have blatantly attacked an official of the imperial courts. That is akin to treason! Should we execute them all?” Ping Yang glanced at Fang Zhengzhi and Qin Xuelian. Then, her unrestrained icy gaze turned on the soldiers.
Chapter 259: Still as shameless
“Treason?”
“Executed?!”
The soldiers paled when they heard Ping Yang’s words. They feared for their lives. Ironically, they had planned to pin such crimes on Fang Zhengzhi less than 15 minutes ago.
But now…
These crimes were being pinned on them.
Treason!
This was a crime that would result in the execution of nine relations! [1]
All of the soldiers did not want to die. More importantly, they did not want to implicate their families. However, they were mere soldiers, and they were no longer masters of their fates.
“Mercy, your highness!”
“Your highness, please have mercy on us, we had no idea!”
“General Wang used the power and authority of the military token to command us to kill Fang Zhengzhi. We were just following orders! Please do not execute us and our families!”
All of the soldiers kowtowed and pleaded for mercy. Not a single one dared to look up at Ping Yang.
After all, this was Ping Yang, the most favored princess in the empire. She was the unofficial master of the capital. None of the officials, even the rank one officials, dared to antagonize her.
Chi Guyan saw the scene unfold before her eyes.
She did not answer Ping Yang’s question, neither did she stop the soldiers from pleading. Instead, she walked over to Zhang Yangping.
“Greetings village elder!”
“Ah… prince… princess! I hope you are well!” Zhang Yangping was nervous to see Chi Guyan.
As a northerner, how could he not know Chi Guyan? If Fang Zhengzhi was the pride of the Northern Mountain Village, Chi Guyan was the pride of the five northern constabularies.
“I would like to thank you for taking care of Zhengzhi all these years. I came a little late today and do not know what happened. Could you explain it to me?”
“Yes, yes I will!” Zhang Yangping nodded without hesitation.
Then, he began to recount the story. He told Chi Guyan about the general’s arrival and subsequent clashes.
Chi Guyan listened quietly without interrupting.
Fang Zhengzhi had helped Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian to the side. Then, he quickly arranged for the injured villagers to receive treatment. The rest of the soldiers continued to kneel anxiously on the ground.
When they heard of the general’s heinous deeds in the village, they were all taken aback. They never expected the general to harm innocent villagers so indiscriminately.
Zhang Yangping finished the story in moments.
Chi Guyan nodded and looked at the kneeling soldiers. Her mouth twitched as she contemplated.
“Military token?”
Chi Guyan was there when Fang Zhengzhi had killed the soldiers the night before. She did not stop him because it was within his power to do so.
The soldiers had bullied the villagers. As an official, he had a responsibility to guard their rights. He may be charged for killing people in the process, but it was not a death sentence.
However, if you add in the fact that the soldiers had insulted his parents, then the charge against them would be increased.
As a rank four official in the imperial courts, it was well within his rights to have the two soldiers executed.
However, today was different.
Almost a thousand soldiers had surrounded the village, harming the villagers in the process. Furthermore, they had a military token with them.
This was no small matter.
Last night, Fang Zhengzhi had already declared his position and status. Even if the army did not know his rank, they should have checked it out before charging into the village.
Even if they really wanted to activate the troops, they would only aim to capture Fang Zhengzhi. There was no reason for them to harm the villagers and attempt to massacre an entire village.
This was a path of no return.
Someone must have directed this. The order could not have possibly come from General Wang.
So, who gave the order?
King Duan?
Chi Guyan found that rather unlikely. King Duan had control over the military. He would be the prime suspect whenever something like this happened.
For that same reason, he would never do such a thing.
King Duan was not that stupid. He would not send people to follow Fang Zhengzhi back in an attempt to kill Zhengzhi. Furthermore, he was not one to use such blunt force to achieve such a fine intent.
So…
Could it have been the Crown Prince?
He could potentially kill two birds with one stone. He would get rid of Fang Zhengzhi and pin it on King Duan?
It sounded like a good plan, but it had many problems. Firstly, this would be akin to declaring war with King Duan. King Duan had been in control of the military for so many years. This is not something that the arrival of Fang Zhengzhi could affect. Furthermore, if she could think of this, the emperor himself could too!
Not only would the crown prince fail to rock King Duan’s position in the army, he would risk the emperor’s displeasure. The crown prince loved stability.
He had to seem generous and forgiving.
Furthermore, the empire required balance. Even though he was of a higher rank than King Duan, he would not interfere in the affairs of the military unless King Duan made a grave mistake.
He would be the eventual winner as long as he did not make any unforced errors.
Else, his life would be in danger.
Furthermore, King Duan was carrying himself well in front of the Emperor.
It would not be likely that the crown prince would risk a direct conflict with him right now.
So, who was it?
“Who had given the orders?” Chi Guyan spoke after a long pause.
“We… we do not know. The messenger was dressed in black. He arrived at General Wang’s tent five days ago. At that time, the sky was dark and we could not see well. Then, he never left the camp. Last night, a soldier came to report that the garrison was chased out, with two soldiers killed in the process. General Wang immediately ordered us to come over at arrest the culprit.” One of the deputies replied slowly and deliberately.
“Five days ago?” Chi Guyan frowned slightly. They had chosen to set up a garrison at the Northern Mountain Village in advance. This could only mean one of two things. One, they were afraid that they would be spotted during the railing process. Two, there were other co-conspirators.
Arresting Fang Zhengzhi may have been an on-the-fly decision.
The situation was even more complicated now. If this was a last minute decision, how did they know that something like this would happen in the Northern Mountain Village?
Unless…
This was all pre planned. Were the soldiers ordered to take advantage of the villagers? This was one possibility. The other was that the person had other motives.
Was it for the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?
If it was for the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet, why didn’t they enter Cang Ling Mountain? Did they have links to the demons? Who had the power to command the entire army?
Questions flew by in Chi Guyan’s mind.
However, Chi Guyan did not ask any of them. The general was dead.
With the commotion at the Northern Mountain Village, the black robed man was likely to have left the camp. There was only one way to get to the bottom of this.
Bait him out.
In order to do so, they had to capture all of the soldiers and interrogate them individually.
That was the only way they could lure out the opponent.
“Even though you were under orders, you have harrassed the villagers. We will have to investigate the details! From this moment on, you are not to have any interactions with others. You are to await further orders here. Anyone who runs will be executed, along with all nine groups of your family!”
“Yes ma’am!” None of the soldiers dared to protest. Even though Chi Guyan did not have control of the military, she was being groomed to be the commander in chief.
Who in their right mind would protest?
“Sister Yan, they have done so much evil, why don’t we kill them all?” Ping Yang said unwillingly.
“The mastermind has yet to reveal himself! We will be helping him silence them if we execute them.” Chi Guyan explained patiently.
“I see. Then we will spare them for now! Sister Yan, how will we deal with them?”
“We will punish them lawfully!”
“So we are going to hand them over to the military courts?”
“No, at least not right now!” Chi Guyan shook her head.
“Then are we just going to make them kneel here all day?” Ping Yang sneered as she glanced at the kneeling soldiers.
“Yes, let them kneel! Someone will come and bring them away later!”
“Where will Sister Yan take them?”
“The Divine Constabulary!”
…
Within fifteen minutes, a grey armored middle aged man arrived by Chi Guyan’s side.
Fang Zhengzhi knew this man.
This was General Li, the same man who had accompanied Chi Guyan to the Southern Mountain Village. However, he had much more white hair than before.
“Greetings my lady! I have already brought 2000 men to the gates of the village. These are the medicine you asked for.”
“Good, leave the medicine here. Bring these men back to the Divine Constabulary. Ensure that they to not communicate with anyone along the way. Take them back separately and make sure they are well guarded. Interrogate them all individually back at the Divine Constabulary!”
“Yes ma’am!” General Li replied respectfully before leaving.
Within moments, all 1000 soldiers and the deputies were led away.
Fang Zhengzhi did not stay at the square. The moment Chi Guyan gave the orders, he already began leading his parents back to their home.
Ping Yang looked at the leaving General Li, as well as the thankful villagers. She smiled.
“Sister Yan, where are we going next?”
“We’re staying here!”
“But we haven’t had anything good to eat in so many days! You have no idea how horrible rations are. Why don’t we go to Huai An County? What’s there to eat here?”
“Oh, that’s where you are wrong. How can the food in Huai An County ever match up to the food here?” Chi Guyan ruffled Ping Yang’s hair. Then, she looked anxiously in the direction of Fang Zhengzhi’s house.
“There are delicacies here? Where at?”
“The shameless fella’s house.”
“What? What delicacy could he possibly offer us?”
“You will find out later! However, it will take some effort if you want to eat something yummy today!” Chi Guyan frowned slightly. Today’s events had already derailed her plans slightly.
An event as major as this would spread quickly throughout the empire. An investigator from the law ministry would be sent over very soon.
Massacring the soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Even a rank one official did not have that much power, much less a rank four official.
Even though Fang Zhengzhi’s actions were not unreasonable, killing nearly a hundred soldiers bordered on the ridiculous.
“What happened?” Chi Guyan was confused. Based on what she knew about Fang Zhengzhi, he would never have killed this many people even if he was just guarding his village.
She didn’t think much about it. All her questions would be answered when she saw Fang Zhengzhi. She guided Ping Yang towards Fang Zhengzhi’s residence.
“Sister Yan, do you think that he seems a little strange today?” Ping Yang asked as they walked.
“Why do you say so?”
“I feel like his gaze is much icier than before. Furthermore, he did not have an opinion as to how we should deal with the soldiers. Don’t you think that it’s slightly out of character?”
“Why don’t you ask him later?”
“Never! That being said, did he really grow up in this village? It’s so run down here! Furthermore, none of these villagers seemed to have entered Dao. How did he become so powerful?”
“Why don’t you ask him?”
“Not again! Sister Yan, you’re bullying me!”
…
Before long, they arrived at Fang Zhengzhi’s house.
Fang House and Qin Xuelian were sitting in the living room. When they saw Chi Guyan and Ping Yang, the welcomed them at the door.
“Greetings your highness and princess!”
“Uncle, auntie, I’ve said this before. Just take me as the Guyan you know. Else, I will not feel comfortable.” Chi Guyan immediately helped them up.
“So where will you stay…”
“We will have to trouble uncle and auntie!”
“No way!” Just at this moment, a voice rang out from inside the room. Then, a figure in a blue robe appeared at the door.
It was Fang Zhengzhi.
When Ping Yang heard it, she pouted and eyed Fang Zhengzhi discontentedly. “Fang Zhengzhi, you should be honored that I want to stay here! Furthermore, I saved your life today, shouldn’t you be grateful?”
“You can stay here, but you have to pay 100 silvers a night!” Fang Zhengzhi wagged his finger at Ping Yang.
“Sister Yan, I take back what I said just now. He is just as shameless as before!” Ping Yang raged.
“As for you, the treasured daughter of the Divine Constabulary, you should find someplace else to stay! I won’t accept any amount from you!” Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang and said to Chi Guyan assertively.
“Is that right? What if I offered you 10,000 silvers a night?” Chi Guyan smiled, not shocked by Fang Zhengzhi’s attitude at all.
[1] The punishment involved the execution of all relatives of an individual, which were categorized into nine groups