Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Capital city.
On the three-mile-long street…
In the evening glow, the street was tainted blood red, as a cold and bleak atmosphere spread throughout.
Blood was destined to spill on this day. The citizens of the capital city had gone home early to hide.
The noble, aristocratic families—who were usually indifferent and intimidating and who saw themselves as tigers—were tragically screaming nonstop and bleeding.
Though the public wanted to vent out their anger, they were terribly afraid.
This resulted in an empty three-mile-long street.
The blood on Luo Cheng’s armor had not dried yet. Meanwhile, He Shou, who was carried by Luo Cheng in one hand, looked despaired.
On the other end of the long street, there was a massive army wearing full-body armor and carrying a shield on their left arm.
Although it was just a regular army, Luo Cheng was surprised that there was such a troop in the capital city.
Meanwhile, Nie Changqing was sitting quietly on the carriage while calmly looking at the massive army.
Ning Zhao and Yi Yue walked out of the carriage after the curtain had been lifted.
The soldiers smacked their heavy shields on the ground and jutted their long knives forward between their shields. Protected by a wall of long swords, they slowly advanced.
Behind the intimidating wall of long swords, a cold voice came.
“You slaughtered seventeen aristocratic families in the capital city and killed twenty-one ministers. You ruined the foundation of Great Zhou. You are sabotaging the world. That’s extremely evil.”
“The capital city is where the emperor lives. It is intolerable that thugs like you are committing crimes this way!”
“Now, we are under the prime minister’s order to catch you rebels! All rioters shall be killed!” a Confucian student announced loudly. Donning an azure robe, he was riding a red horse and pulling the reins.
“Kill!” the troop immediately shouted as one, their voice as loud as thunder.
It was an elite troop that Prime Minister Zhao Kuo had been secretly training.
Since there were more than 8,000 soldiers, they were densely packed in the long street.
Beiluo’s 500 armored horsemen versus 8,000.
The massive gap between the numbers on both troops in this battle could be compared to the battle on the Hidden Dragon Ridge, wherein the Overlord made a name for himself.
Next to the Confucian student, donning an azure robe, was a youngster who was wearing a wide crane cloak and sitting in a sedan chair lifted by six servants.
“Master Du.”
The Confucian student, wearing an azure rob, bowed to the youngster in a wide crane cloak.
This man was called Du Tao. He used to be a first-class martial arts practitioner in the Jianghu. He was not bad, but he was really nothing compared to the other talented people in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
However, he got an Immortal encounter by chance in the battle on the Hidden Dragon Ridge. He got a wisp of Spirit Qi in the Secret Realm. Ever since then, he found his strength and had improved quickly and significantly. He was even stronger than average Grandmasters. And with the wonderful effect of that wisp of Spirit Qi, he was invincible in the Jianghu of the capital city.
Later, Prime Minister Zhao Kuo recruited him in person. So he became a guest minister in the prime minister’s residence.
Du Tao’s ego got so big after joining the prime minister’s camp. Since thousands of people held him in high regard, he felt he was better than most people. Even the prime minister would treat him with respect every time they met.
Du Tao’s head was too big, so to speak, that he even imitated the Young Master from Beiluo, the greatest cultivator in the world. Du Tao thought that he would in no way walk when he could remain seated… So he got six servants to lift his sedan chair.
On this day, the prime minister asked him in person to lead 8,000 elite soldiers to defeat the 500 armored horsemen from Beiluo and Young Master Lu’s coachman and maids.
Du Tao turned him down in the first place because he knew himself well. He could deal with average martial arts practitioners, but he would definitely lose to cultivators, let alone cultivators under the command of Young Master Lu.
However, Du Tao was tempted by the prime minister’s insistent request.
With 8,000 elite soldiers armed with deadly weapons, he—a cultivator—and several martial arts Grandmasters might be able to defeat and catch Young Master Lu’s maids and coachman.
No risk, no gain.
Once he succeeds, Du Tao might get some Immortal Cultivation method or simply get the cultivation methods from Young Master Lu’s maids and coachman.
Then he would be able to improve more.
This prospect greatly tempted Du Tao.
That’s why he was there, on the three-mile-long street.
In the carriage…
Ning Zhao waved her arm, and her Cicada Wing Sword slipped out of her sleeve.
“Spirit Qi. They have a cultivator…” Ning Zhao said, with her red lips slightly open.
“But… It’s pretty weak.”
“I almost couldn’t perceive it…”
Grasping the butcher knife, Nie Changqing got to his feet. “Should be a lucky guy who got an Immortal encounter by chance in the Immortal Palace of the Hidden Dragon Ridge.”
Ning Zhao suddenly burst out laughing.
“What is he up to?”
Nie Changqing turned his head. “Using the human wave attack to defeat us with 8,000 elite soldiers and getting cultivation methods from us…”
“It’s the first time a cultivator had the nerve to challenge the disciples of White Jade City…”
“Interesting.”
“What would Young Master do if he ran into such an ignorant cultivator?”
Rolling her long whip, Yi Yue said with a cold smile, “Whip him to death, of course.”
Ning Zhao and Nie Changqing were quite relaxed.
Compared to their relaxed demeanor, Luo Cheng was extremely nervous. He grasped the knife handle so tightly that the skin of his hand turned bluish. He was, after all, not a cultivator. 500 versus 8,000—this was a definite defeat for him.
Even a Seventh or Eighth Resonance Grandmaster would not be able to win a fight like this—not to mention Luo Cheng, a general, was only a first-class martial arts practitioner.
Clatter.
Nie Changqing jumped off the carriage and landed next to Luo Cheng. The general released his tight grip on the knife handle. Suddenly, Nie Changqing pressed his black butcher knife against He Shou’s throat.
“Aren’t you good at writing denunciations?”
“Curse Zhao Kuo. Curse him in front of the army here.”
Nie Changqing’s request sent shivers down He Shou’s spine.
Pushed by Nie Changqing, he took a few steps forward.
He was trembling. Opposite him, there were 8,000 elite soldiers, but it was a cold butcher knife pressed against his throat that he terribly feared.
So he started to curse.
As soon as he started, a sharp arrow flew over and pierced the right side of his chest…
He Shou widely opened his eyes. He lifted his head, unable to believe what had happened. Among the 8,000 elite soldiers, the one holding the bow was the Confucian student, wearing an azure robe, who was still on horseback. The bowstring was still shaking.
“You…”
Blood flowed from He Shou’s mouth, his face becoming even more unsightly.
With a sarcastic look, the Confucian student, wearing an azure rob, shot another arrow that pierced He Shou’s shoulder.
Nie Changqing moved the butcher knife away from He Shou’s throat.
He Shou looked insane. Suddenly, he stood up and ran forward, staggering…
Screaming in a loud voice, reluctant to accept reality.
A picture emerged before his eyes.
In this picture, he was high-spirited in the prime minister’s residence. He wrote the denunciation, and everyone cheered for him; he was so eloquent that all of the officials clapped their hands praising him…
Especially the prime minister who was sitting in the seat of honor, kind-faced, appreciating his talent.
Not until this moment did He Shou realize a cold-killing intent was hiding in Prime Minister Zhao Kuo’s kind smile.
One by one, arrows flew, turning He Shou into a hedgehog, with arrows sticking out of his body.
After the cunning hare was killed, the hound was boiled, because its task was done and it was not useful anymore.
He Shou was dead.
One after another, the arrows flew over He Shou’s dead body toward Nie Changqing and others.
Ning Zhao acted. She lifted her hand to release Spirit Pressure. In the peak of Qi Core Realm, her Spirit Pressure was extremely oppressive.
One by one, the arrows fell on the ground.
With six servants lifting his sedan chair, Du Tao, in his crane cloak, squinted. He was slightly shocked. They were strong.
“Don’t use arrows. Use the human wave attack to defeat them!”
He knew the cultivators’ weakness well. Cultivators only had limited Spirit Qi. Once they were out of Spirit Qi, they wouldn’t be any stronger than average martial arts practitioners.
The Confucian student, donning an azure robe, gave the order with a wave of his hand.
As the prime minister said, only cultivators knew other cultivators’ weaknesses.
The troop stopped shooting arrows. Instead, they raised their shields and started to advance, waving their long swords at the same time.
The 8,000 elite soldiers were like a current of iron on the long street.
******
Lake Island, Beiluo.
A gentle breeze came, as Lu Fan’s hair blew in the wind.
The entire pavilion of White Jade City was very tranquil. Only the sound of a few birds flapping their wings could be heard.
Xiang Shaoyun looked at Lu Fan with enthusiasm when he had explained his intention.
Lv Dongxuan felt he had heard something he was not supposed to hear…
Leaning on the back of the wheelchair, Lu Fan looked at Xiang Shaoyun. Raising the bronze liquor cup in his hand, he said to Ni Yu, “Ni, I need a refill.”
“Yes.”
Ni Yu hurried to scoop some wine to refill the liquor cup.
Lu Fan took a sip. It was impossible to know from his facial expression, whether he was happy or angry.
“You kind of failed me…” Lu Fan said after a long pause.
Xiang Shaoyun’s face froze. He slightly frowned.
“Why did you say that, Young Master Lu?”
Holding the bronze liquor cup and leaning against the carved wooden rail, Lu Fan gazed at the foggy lake. He said indifferently, “You still haven’t understood what being a cultivator truly means.”
“I thought you had come to White Jade City to seek for the truth. What a pity. You really failed me.”
“North County has Mo Beike. South County has Sword Sect. Great Zhou has the Imperial Advisor Kong Xiu…”
“But neither Mo Beike nor the Imperial Advisor is a cultivator. They can only rely on schemes to take control of the world…”
“You are different, although without the help of Mo Beike or the Imperial Advisor. You are a cultivator… The Immortal imparted Spirit Qi to you. The Demon Lord transformed you. You are the Overlord of West County,” Lu Fan said and then drank his wine.
Xiang Shaoyun was shocked. How did Lu Fan know he sacrificed himself to demonify and was transformed by the Demon Lord?!
What Lu Fan had said made him ponder.
Lu Fan took another sip of the wine. He said indifferently, “You are a cultivator yourself. That’s your biggest advantage. It’s enough to make you defeat any schemes…”
“In this world, strength is what matters most.”
Xiang Shaoyun was shocked.
Lu Fan unhurriedly took a chess piece out of the box. He lifted it high and then put it on the Spirit Pressure Chessboard with a tapping sound. Suddenly, a splash of light appeared before those who were there.
Lu Fan focused. He was going to teach the Overlord a lesson on this day.
Almost 500 wisps of Spirit Qi in his body were suddenly activated.
Boom!
An invisible Spirit Pressure was released.
The water around the Lake Island sank several feet at once.
On White Jade City’s pavilion, a strong gale started. Lv Dongxuan instantly became extremely pale. The gold beaded necklace around his neck kept vibrating.
Xiang Shaoyun got to his feet at once. The nine wisps of Demonic Qi in him started to flow automatically to protect him.
However…
Facing Lu Fan’s Spirit Pressure…
His Demonic Qi dispersed immediately.
Xiang Shaoyun could hardly handle the dreadful pressure. He felt even his spine would break. He kept retreating until he was forced to kneel down on one knee…
Lu Fan was sitting in his wheelchair. With his hair blowing and his white robe fluttering, he looked like a fallen Immortal.
Showing up in an unreal atmosphere, he looked at Xiang Shaoyun indifferently.
“Besides, have you ever thought who in the world deserves Lu Ping’an’s help?”
“Do you deserve it?”