On an official road in Huanglong Prefecture.
The once-clean official road now ran slick with fresh blood, and dozens of bodies lay strewn across the ground.
The corpse of a Daoist was particularly conspicuous among them.
A young man slowly sheathed his long saber.
He glanced at the bodies on the ground.
’He had served his purpose. It was ti for him to die.’
’All things considered, he’d let this Daoist live an extra month.’
’Fa Zhen Taoist really should have been thanking him.’
Bai Yuan smiled faintly.
The current stalemate between the Lingzhou Army and the Demon Sect in Huanglong Prefecture was largely his doing.
For the Divine Mansion Sect, the ideal situation was for the Lingzhou Army and the Demon Sect to remain deadlocked.
So Bai Yuan had led the Divine Mansion Army’s elite to act as a human scale, killing whichever side gained an advantage.
Of course, the Lingzhou Army units that had previously participated in besieging the Divine Mansion Sect received "special treatnt."
Ouyang Hua’s long stay on Shenfu Mountain hadn’t been for naught. He had long since identified all the Lingzhou Army troops who were stationed there.
That list had beco the Divine Mansion Army’s hit list.
Now, aside from Yan Dong who was hiding in Longevity Palace, Bai Yuan had killed all his other enemies.
He had promised Ruan Xiuluan and the others revenge, and he couldn’t go back on his word. Besides, when it ca to killing, Bai Yuan was always the most enthusiastic.
Just then, a troop of riders erged from the woods beside the official road.
Yu Hui looked at Fa Zhen Taoist’s corpse on the ground, his shock boundless.
Although Fa Zhen Taoist had only barely broken through to the Sensing realm at seventy and was among the weakest of his rank, he was a Sensing Powerhouse nonetheless. Yet Bai Yuan had cut him down in just three strikes as if slaughtering a dog. It was simply terrifying.
"Sect Leader, it’s all cleaned up."
He could no longer suppress his smile.
The ambush on Fa Zhen Taoist had been a deliberate setup, designed to ensure he had no chance of escape.
The hundred-odd Lingzhou Army elites led by Fa Zhen Taoist had all been eliminated, including the Daoist himself.
With their great enemy vanquished, he was naturally exhilarated.
After that one night, the Divine Mansion Sect had been hounded by the Lingzhou Army like stray dogs. Now, the tables had completely turned.
And it was all because of the young Sect Leader standing before him.
He had single-handedly slain four of the top masters in the land. It was a terrifyingly impressive feat.
Bai Yuan said coolly, "Let’s go."
With Fa Zhen dead, the entire Ling Province would likely be thrown into chaos for quite so ti.
It’s always easier to build sothing than to defend it. In the past, the Divine Mansion Sect had been forced to defend its territory, allowing the Lingzhou Army to lead them by the nose and leaving them constantly on the defensive.
But now, their enemies were exposed while they operated from the shadows. It was Ling Province’s turn to taste what it was like to be plotted against from the dark.
Bai Yuan’s thods were always more effective from the shadows, and the current chaos gave him ample room to maneuver.
Even if the Prefect and the Longevity Palace Master ca themselves, they wouldn’t be able to corner him in the wilderness.
’Play dirty?’
’When it ca to that, he was the old bastard’s ancestor.’
...
Bai Yuan looked at his status panel, a smile touching his lips.
’As expected. Progress is fastest in tis of chaos.’
In just one month, his Rolling Blood Saber was already showing signs of a breakthrough.
’Add points!’
[In your 713th year of practicing the Rolling Blood Saber, your technique has hit a bottleneck.]
...
[In your 835th year of practicing the Rolling Blood Saber, your technique has hit a bottleneck.]
...
[In your 915th year of practicing the Rolling Blood Saber, you have comprehended the second form of the saber technique: Blood Rupture!]
...
[Na: Bai Yuan]
[Class: Demon Hunter, Sword Ghost, Boxer, Spirit Cooker, Skin Painter]
[Skills: Rolling Blood Saber (Master), Broken River Saber (Legendary), Mountain Return (Legendary), Demon Qi Lure (Legendary), Thousand Faces Technique (Legendary)...]
[Enhancent Points: 0]
After nearly a thousand years of simulated practice, Bai Yuan had finally comprehended the second form, and his Rolling Blood Saber had instantly broken through to the Master level.
’Blood Rupture...’
’As the second form of the Rolling Blood Saber, its power was naturally imnse.’
After comprehending Blood Rupture, every saber strike Bai Yuan made would carry the Blood Rupture effect.
Blood Rupture used one’s saber intent to affect the opponent’s Qi and Blood, throwing it into chaos and greatly reducing their strength. Against a weaker foe, they might be unable to control the surging Qi and Blood in their bodies and simply explode before Bai Yuan’s saber even landed.
The effect was incredibly potent.
Combined with his Blood Burn effect—one a buff and the other a debuff—his opponent would be weakened by thirty percent before the fight even began. It gave him an overwhelming advantage.
Bai Yuan was quite satisfied with the effect of Blood Rupture.
It was just a sha the Lingzhou Army was almost wiped out. It was getting difficult to find soone to test his new saber technique on.
...
Elsewhere.
Liu Kanshan’s expression was terrifyingly grim.
Fa Zhen Taoist’s body had already been transported back to Huanglong Prefecture.
Chunyuan Zhenren, who had been away fighting, had rushed back. He looked at Fa Zhen Taoist’s body, made a Daoist hand sign, his face etched with grief.
Liu Kanshan said in a low voice, "It was those vermin from the Divine Mansion Sect."
Experienced mountain folk knew that the greatest dangers were not the wolves and tigers, but the unseen venomous insects.
The hidden Divine Mansion Sect were those venomous insects.
He had personally planned the vicious tactics Ling Province had used against Huanglong Prefecture back in the day. He never thought they would now be turned back on him.
The attacker from the Divine Mansion Sect was clearly a master; their thods were so refined that they left no trace.
Barring a massive effort to scour the mountains, there was almost no way to counter them.
But given the current situation in Ling Province, it was impossible to mobilize so many people to search for the Divine Mansion Sect.
Chunyuan Zhenren recited a few lines from the Supre Suffering Relief Scripture, performing a rite to guide his junior brother’s soul.
He actually did not approve of getting too involved with Ling Province.
Although Longevity Palace had close ties to the Imperial Court, for a thousand years it had followed a path of tranquility and non-interference.
Unfortunately, his Palace Master senior brother was determined to have his own way, and he could only follow along helplessly.
But now, with Fa Zhen Taoist’s death in battle, he couldn’t help but feel utterly disheartened.
It was just a pity that, with the current situation, it was almost impossible for Longevity Palace to extricate itself, and his Palace Master senior brother would not back down.
"Everything is fate."
Chunyuan Zhenren sighed deeply.
The little Daoist, Yin Xi, found a clean cloth to wrap Fa Zhen Taoist’s body. At Chunyuan Zhenren’s instruction, he was to take it to Longevity Palace.
The Daoists of Longevity Palace were to be buried within the palace grounds. It had always been their tradition.
Yin Xi shouldered Fa Zhen’s corpse and left Huanglong Prefecture without looking back.
’My senior brother was right,’ he thought. ’The Jianghu truly is a treacherous place.’
’He had originally co south to avenge Kaiyang Taoist, but what was the point of revenge now? Even his Martial Uncle Fa Zhen had been cut down. If he tried anything, he would just be walking to his own death.’
’Right now, all Yin Xi wanted was to hide in Longevity Palace and never set foot outside again for the rest of his life.’
’Better to be a lazy Daoist than a dead one.’
Bai Yuan would never have guessed that he had also unintentionally shattered a young man’s Daoist spirit.
...
「Winter of the 40th year of Yuanding」
The snows in the Northern Territory ca earlier than in previous years.
The Demon Sect’s offensive didn’t let up because of the wind and snow; in fact, it grew even more intense.
A piece of terrible news reached Ling Province.
Lingzhou General Lu Xiao had encountered a powerful foe and was slain by a Demon Sect expert. His Majesty the Emperor, in recognition of his sacrifice for the nation, posthumously granted him the title of Uncle Yongzhuang, to be passed down through the Lu Family for generations.
...
Seven days later, another upheaval struck Ling Province.
The several provinces in the Northern Territory had all gradually quelled the Demon Sect’s chaos, while Ling Province alone showed signs of things getting worse.
The political enemies of Ling Province’s Lord Governor naturally wouldn’t let this opportunity go.
A young Imperial Censor from the Imperial Inspection Office seized the opportunity, submitting a morial that went straight to His Majesty the Emperor.
If it were just this one Imperial Censor, His Majesty the Emperor naturally wouldn’t have taken it seriously.
But to everyone’s surprise, Xu Dingchun, the Minister of War, made a rare appearance to second the morial.
His Majesty the Emperor already felt indebted to the forr Grand General of the North, so he imdiately had the Prefect of Lingzhou demoted and transferred to Lingnan.
If Lu Xiao were still alive, his fate would certainly not have been much better than his old rival’s.
Such was the life of an official. One’s rise and fall could depend on a single sentence from one person.
This was also the reason why the previous Prefects and Generals had been hesitant to move against the Divine Mansion Sect.
The previous Prefect of Lingzhou had been confident he could eliminate the Divine Mansion Sect without bloodshed, but the resulting backlash cost him his official post.
The new Prefect of Lingzhou was soon appointed and took up his post.
And as it happened, the new Prefect was none other than Jiang Yan’s father.
...
"Sister Jiang, congratulations."
Lu Shanshan forced a smile as she looked at Jiang Yan. She had co to offer her congratulations the mont she heard the news.
"Sister Jiang..."
Lu Yu was about to offer his congratulations.
But under Jiang Yan’s withering glare, he could only say sheepishly, "Jiang Baihu, congratulations."
Jiang Yan already held a high position in the Jiang Family. Now that her father was the Prefect of Lingzhou, she could practically do as she pleased anywhere in the province.
Compared to the previous Prefect of Lingzhou, Jiang Yan’s father’s thods were much gentler.
Of course, this was mainly because the Jiang Family’s background was powerful enough.
The debt of gratitude owed by the old Minister of War alone was enough to ensure that the newly appointed Prefect Jiang wouldn’t be easily unseated by his political rivals.
In truth, the previous Prefect of Lingzhou had been dealt with rather unjustly.
If the Minister of War, Xu Dingchun, hadn’t spoken up, the Prefect would have, at most, been fined a portion of his salary. He certainly wouldn’t have been demoted.
Now, everyone in the Capital City was guessing who could have persuaded Grand General Xu to speak out.
After all, Xu Dingchun had spent years defending the Northern Territory and rarely engaged in factional politics, which made the situation all the more curious.
Jiang Yan squeezed Lu Shanshan’s small hand. "Little Sister Lu, my condolences."
Lu Shanshan pursed her lips. "Sister Jiang, I am returning to Ling Province tomorrow. Will you be traveling with ?"
Jiang Yan shook her head. "My father wants to stay in Huanglong Prefecture."
She had originally co to Huanglong Prefecture for the Divine Mansion, but she had been searching for months now and still had no clues.
Her father was having her stay in Huanglong Prefecture not to continue searching for the Divine Mansion, but because Ling Province was too close to the Northern Plains battlefield. By comparison, Huanglong Prefecture was safer.
Envy showed in the eyes of both Lu Yu and Lu Shanshan.
They ca from the Lu Family, and although it couldn’t compare to a family like the Jiang Family that had produced a Second-Grade Official, it wasn’t a poor standing.
But the warmth of the Jiang Family made the two of them feel a pang of bitterness.
In the Lu Family, interests were placed above all else. Whether a child was legitimate or not, once they were deed useless, they would be discarded by General Lu without a second thought.
In contrast, Jiang Yan’s father was letting his own daughter stay safely behind in the rear.
The comparison made the Lu Family’s cold-bloodedness even more apparent.
This was especially true for Lu Yu, an illegitimate son.
So when Lu Xiao died in battle, he and Lu Shanshan actually didn’t feel much sadness.
Lu Yu put his cheeky grin back on and looked at Jiang Yan.
"I wonder if Jiang Baihu would be interested in eting my Brother Bai?"
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