565 - 571
Chapter 565: The Asura Moves
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Just as Yu ManLou was pondering how to extricate himself from this mess, the rumors started to fly around, just like a blanket wrapping up the entire world within it. At this time, Yu ManLou made up his mind! Others might not know, but he who was looking from the outside knew exactly what the rumors indicated.
After giving out the command, he walked heavily towards his window, gazing at the clouds high up in the South, as a sense of urgency took over his heart.
Ling Tian had returned to Sky Bearing! The perpetrator behind all these schemes was definitely him!
And this news meant…
His greatest enemy had actually escaped from the death clutches of Justice!
To think that the person he was afraid to face actually could not manage to kill his greatest enemy today!
Justice, the Martial Order Medallion owner and number one expert, actually failed to kill a child less than twenty years old who hadn't finished growing his hair. This was supposed to be a joke, but this joke actually turned into reality!
All the news items were filtered at once through Yu ManLou's mind. They converged into an arrow whose head was pointed towards a certain direction, the south!
Ling Tian was ready to take action on Southern Zheng!
The previous command was the counter-attack from Yu ManLou!
The latter sighed. What was a good scheme? It was to be able to destroy a person without the use of any force! Just by this blanket of rumors that were spread out, Southern Zheng would already have no choice but to be pressured down! Southern Zheng probably would not last much longer, thus to prevent Ling Tian from conquering it, the Yu Family would have to first take over the Western Han to hold the advantage in their hands!
A cold ray reflected off Yu ManLou's eyes, and the hand that was gripping his chair subconsciously exerted its strength, and with a 'kacha' sound the wood was ground to bits in his palm….
During that same time, within the Ling Family Courtyard, everything was proceeding in a methodical and organized manner.
The surrounding cities around Li City still continued to send in intelligence from time to time, their content virtually the same. After Ling Chen received the news, she sent down the order for them to go undercover and not send any more reports, and instead to wait for the next command. As for the Crystal Pavilion, their news still continued to flow uninterrupted into the Ling Family Courtyard. There were two news items that caught her attention.
On the nineteenth night, Xiao FengYang's army secretly shifted around 1.5km, setting up camp near a forest. During the night, there were no movements, not even lights. The spy suspected foul play yet was unable to see anything strange and found it odd.
On the twentieth morning, while the Xiao Army started to cook their food, tens of thousands of soldiers squared up and went through their military drills, their movements extremely powerful. After that, they returned to camp and began to check their horses and supplies. However, following the practice, the Xiao Army shifted once again from the right to the left, leaving the extreme right side of theirs empty, and separating from the path and the forest.
These two bits of news seemed to have no important message or make any sense, but after filtering, the news was immediately caught by Meng LiGe and Ling Tian.
"Indeed not out of advisor's expectations. It seems like the Xiao Family has begun to move, and it seems like we have calculated correctly." Ling Tian smiled as he looked at Meng LiGe in admiration.
"That's right. Making camp near or within a forest as always been a taboo for an army. One reason would be the fear of a fire, and another would be the fear of spies. Thus, Xiao FengYang only camped there for a night before quickly leaving." Meng LiGe laughed, "However, one night's time would be enough to allow an army of ten thousand men to break up into tiny sections, filtering out of the main force and shifting to another location by borrowing the trees as cover. When they merge together in the end, they would then be able to perform a lightning-quick attack!"
He smiled serenely. "If a person was not familiar with how Xiao FengYan acted, then they would have been blinded from the truth even with these two pieces of information. The separated group would definitely be elites, and would not consist of too many. After slipping into Sky Bearing, they would definitely have a rendezvous point. What we should do now is to uncover their meeting spot, apply direct force, and crush them. That would be the best scenario!"
Ling Chen and Ling Tian nodded. Since they were aware that these people were coming to Sky Bearing, then finding them would not be a difficult matter.
"This group should have a strength of above one thousand but below five thousand. However, if they wish to rely on this group to throw Sky Bearing into chaos, that is not enough, thus there should be an additional element inside this plan. I believe that when they act, Xiao FengYang's army would definitely also coordinate with a feint so as to accommodate them. Maybe all three of their armed forces would actually strike! This is also why he disabled the intelligence from Li City, which is the only obstacle between him and Sky Bearing, but not the other three cities. He also wishes to use the erroneous reports from the other three cities to mislead us while he does his feint, to divert our attention, allowing the infiltrators to achieve the greatest success!"
Meng LiGe frowned as he continued, "Solving this matter is of paramount importance. After all, the Xiao Family can make a move at any time, and the initiative is not with us. We have to ferret out those infiltrators before they can activate their feint, turning from passive to the active party! There is a certain difficulty to this, but there should be indications of their tracks. Since Xiao FengYang took down Li City, then the elite troops would definitely come from the gate closest to that! Following down this route, it will not be too difficult to dig them out, since Sky Bearing is, in the end, our territory."
Ling Tian stood up as he smirked, "It's not just 'not too difficult', but rather as easy as flipping a hand! Mister has planned this meticulously this time, covering all possible loopholes. Now it's our turn to tie up the loose ends!"
Meng LiGe only waved his hands, a twinkling laughter in his eyes, "I'm just limited as a scholar, only able to use my mouth. Young Noble is the one possessing real capabilities, and LiGe here will congratulate you beforehand on your success."
Ling Tian chuckled merrily, but thick killing intent had already begun to gather on his expression.
Since they had the audacity to come to this noble's territory to start a fight, then they had better be prepared to leave their lives behind!
That night, Ling Tian, Jian, and Chi gathered 500 elites without the slightest bit of notice, silently slipping out of the Ling Family Courtyard and heading east.
The galloping horses sounded like a torrential downpour, and as the Asura moved, he carried a sky full of killing intent.
"In front of us is Tai City." Ling Jian brandished his horsewhip, as he chuckled, "If anyone from the Xiao Family wishes to enter Sky Bearing from Li City, this place cannot be avoided. While Tai City is small, it exists as a strategic fortress, with a mountain pass around 10km away from the East gates. It is flanked by two mountains, so unless the Xiao Family chooses not to enter from the direction of Li City, they will eventually end up in this place."
Ling Tian sat straight on his horse. Even with the strong winds lashing across his face, his eyes were wide open, the steel within gleaming. "Aren't there any guards standing by the entrance of Tai City? If a few thousand people from the Xiao Family were to pass by, how could they even hide from us?"
Ling Jian replied, "Based on the secret elites of the Xiao Family, to eliminate some soldiers would be nothing difficult." Even if they were to control the entire fortress's soldiers, I would not find it surprising."
"Moron! Why can't you think one layer deeper!" Ling Tian glared. "The Xiao Family's objective is Sky Bearing, which includes either the Ling Residence or the Ling Family Courtyard. If they wantonly kill people here, there will be some news no matter how they do it. My side will immediately receive the news at the latest in a day, and by then, how could they perform their mission? Xiao FengYang's plan would thus die before having the chance to surface. For him to meticulously go to great lengths to plan this expedition, how could he make a blunder at this critical juncture?"
"Young Noble is saying, that inside the fortress, there is already an undercover agent belonging to the Xiao Family?" Ling Jian's brain clicked and he blurted out.
Ling Tian's face was placid like water, but a trace of thick killing intent flashed through his eyes. "Not only such a person, but their rank must also be quite high. This is however within my expectations. To have drooled for Sky Bearing for such a long time, if they do not have any spies within the place, then that would be odd. However, after this matter, all those undercover personnel in the Ling Family that belong to the Xiaos will all turn into ashes and bones."
On the side, Ling Chi chased up with his horse, running alongside the two of them with a look of excitement on his face. Before this, the kid had been assigned by Ling Chen to guard beside Shui QianHuan, causing him to be stifled badly. Now that he had the chance to go out, and to even follow alongside Ling Tian and Jian, his idol and respected senior, he became even more energetic and excited. Right now, after the long journey, even Ling Tian started to feel the itch and abrasions on his legs and butt, but Ling Chi was still bouncy and vivacious, lively beyond measure.
"Look at this, our little Chi is so energetic. Ah'Jian, compared to him, we're like old men." Ling Tian smiled as he looked at Ling Chi, before turning to talk to Ling Jian.
Hearing this, Ling Jian nearly fell from his horse. Old? Even if he was older than Ling Tian, he was only nineteen! How was he old?! Besides, even though Ling Chi was called young, he was already sixteen years old. It was just that Ling Tian implied that Ling Jian was older than Ling Chi by many years. How could that be? And to think that Ling Tian called him childish a few days ago, and now he turns around and says that he was old, so what exactly was he…..?
No matter what, he had to cope with the Young Noble's words. Facing the wind, Ling Jian let out an unrestrained laugh, "That goes without saying. Right now, Little Chi is facing his springtime. Having a little beauty beside him for company every day, his days would of course be spent in bliss."
Ling Chi's ears immediately turned red, and he pretended to be angry, "Brother Jian, what nonsense are you spouting? Since when do I have a beauty by my side?"
On the other side, Feng Mo had silently arrived. He chortled out in laughter, before holding his nose and doing his best imitation of someone as he weirdly pouted, "…. Little Chi… I'm going to make mincemeat out of you… quickly… come here…" Then he reverted to his old voice, hoarsely laughed as he continued, "That day, I heard these two sentences and this old man's bones went soft immediately. Young Noble, you have to reward me for this, if it wasn't for this Old Feng taking care of him, I'm afraid our little brother Ling Chi would have gotten his flower 'plucked' by that Miss Die'er. Oh, wait… based off of Lady Li Xue, it should be having his 'grass' eaten…" 1
Chapter 566: Dense Forest at Night
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Everybody present burst into raucous laughter, animatedly waving their hands. A few even fell off their horses from laughter. Ling Chi's face turned crimson from anger, and he tried to explain, but no one was already listening to him. Even Ling Tian was pointing at Feng Mo while chortling, "Old Feng, for that lass Li Xue to joke like this means nothing, but to see someone as old as you behaving like this, I never thought that a big bloke like you could imitate a shy young lady to perfection! It's been hard on you."
Feng Mo laughed as well, "Young Master might not know it, but even if I were to learn from little brother Ling Chi here and speak out, even that Miss Die'er would not be able to recognize the difference."
"Oh? There's such a thing?" Ling Tian stared at Feng Mo with interest.
Feng Mo sniggered, "I still remember exactly the two sentences little brother Ling Chi spoke to Miss Die'er last night…" He then cleared his throat, ready for another round of performance.
Ling Chi's face seemed to turn into the red of pig's blood. While nobody could see it in the dark, everyone could feel the embarrassment radiating off him in waves. He begged, "Big brother Feng… Uncle Feng… Great Mister Feng, I'm begging you…"
Ling Jian smiled so widely, his eyes narrowed into slits, "Old Feng, ignore him. Just do it!"
Feng Mo coughed twice, before pinching his nose and impersonating, "… Little Die'er, come over, let your Brother Chi here kiss you a little… wahahaha!!" Ling Tian and Ling Jian both let out howls of laughter, and the breath they held in suspense came rushing out. Ling Tian even slipped off from his horse, rolling a few time before finally flipping back up.
Ling Chi's neck also turned red now as he screamed, "Bullsh*t, I didn't say that! I said that…" and he stopped short.
"What did you say?" On the side, another blood iron warrior sidling up with shifty eyes and a gossipy smile.
"I didn't say anything. Scram!" Upon realizing that he had almost been tricked, Ling Chi would naturally not continue talking. He viciously glared at that blood iron warrior, before huffily riding his horse away.
"Haha, to think that the stoic and cool Ling Chi would actually be a romantic saint, quietly deceiving a little lady into your hands. This is really too powerful of you, indeed you're a 'little grass'!" Ling Tian raucously called out.
Ling Jian kept on his brilliant smile as he looked at Ling Chi, "No wonder why this kid has been laughing to himself recently. So, his springtime has arrived! Congratulations!"
"No… it's not the case… what little grass, what springtime?! Why are young noble and Brother Jian joining in with Feng Mo to tease me, I'm not that kind…" Ling Chi had a red face as he stuttered, vehemently denying.
"Hahaha… what kind are you talking about…" A wave of laughter rippled through, immediately pushing off the exhaustion in that group of riders.
...
A few hundred armored riders continued on, shattering the silence of the night. In front of them, a black clump appeared and the fresh smell of leaves assailed their noses. No doubt they had arrived before a forest.
All of a sudden, Ling Tian let out a clear sound, and the well-built horse below him let out a corresponding neigh, rushing out another thirty feet before abruptly stopping. At the same time, Ling Tian's right hand raised up high, making a gesture.
Everyone immediately slowed down and stopped, and in an instant, silence overwhelmed the area.
Ling Jian's actions were the fastest. He immediately flipped down from his horse and approached Ling Tian, "Young Noble, the forest feels a little weird."
Ling Tian's eyes were like stars as they stared within the pitch-black forest. He slowly replied, "You felt it too? There are at least ten different people hiding within. Just now, I saw the flash of a torch, but it's gone now."
This forest was still within Sky Bearing Empire's area of influence, thus if there were people acting stealthily within the forest, it would be that they were not people from the Empire. If they were people from Sky Bearing, then it would not be a cause for concern, but if they weren't, such secretive tracks would mean that they were definitely enemies, or at least strangers harboring evil thoughts!
The two of them exchanged a glance, and Ling Jian's eyes lit up as he whispered, "Young Noble, do you think that they are from the Xiao Family or the Above Heavens Sect?"
Ling Tian furrowed his brows as he thought. But soon after, he shook his head, saying, "It will not be such a coincidence. I believe the Xiao Family wouldn't have arrived so fast, nor would their numbers be so few. It's just that, if these strangers aren't from the Xiao Family, then who do they belong to in order for them to appear here?"
The forest was devoid of sound, and with Ling Tian and his group galloping over previously, even the smallest noise made would travel far, let alone their disorderly hoof beats. The other party must have been aware of their arrival, and taken the precaution to cover up.
Ling Tian cautiously looked towards the front, before waving his hands as he softly warned, "All are to dismount and conceal yourselves. Right now, the enemy is in the light while we are in the dark, so we cannot rashly move. Ling Jian, follow me inside to take a look. Safety comes first."
Soundlessly, all hundred of them simultaneously flipped down from their horses. Ling Jian moved and disappeared within the night. He found a huge boulder, and leaned against it, ready to take action at any time. Just as he wanted to take bearings on where the young noble was hidden, he discovered to his astonishment that even Ling Tian's shadow had disappeared…
Ling Tian naturally put to full use his own unique techniques, blending into the pitch black forest as he borrowed the protection from the night, his figure appearing at times like a boulder, a little tree, the tall grass, or even air itself. Without anybody noticing, he had already soared past 400 to 500 meters, completely infiltrating into the forest. He was even faster than Ling Jian who had acted the moment he gave the orders!
Behind him, Ling Jian stared with mouth agape when he saw Ling Tian soar forward. Thinking of the method he was using to infiltrate, he could not help but feel ashamed.
What a distance between them!
However, Ling Jian's movements had all been recorded inside Ling Tian's eyes, and he was still pretty satisfied with them. Right now, there was an obvious increase in the skill of Ling Jian's movement techniques compared with the life and death battle at Northern Wei or when he was sparring against Li Xue. Be it nimbleness or ingenuity, there was a marked improvement. It looks like Ling Jian really 'needed a beating'! Ling Tian laughed to himself, his figure never slowing down as he transitioned from branch to branch without even disturbing a blade of grass along the way, quietly and noiselessly.
In front of him, there was a small open space. Ling Tian directed his gaze towards there, and saw the smoldering embers of a freshly extinguished bonfire, still letting out a black smoke and a disgusting smell. However, there was not a single shadow to be seen. It seemed like these group of people were actually quite careful, extinguishing their fire the moment they heard the hoof beats and immediately hiding. Furthermore, their hiding spots were actually quite good, so that even with Ling Tian's eyesight he temporarily could not find where they were!
Ling Tian closed his eyes, spreading out his sixth sense, his divine sense moving like mercury as it covered every single spot in a wide area around him. At the same time, the sounds of countless breathing entered his ears. While a person could hide and reduce their presence, they couldn't possibly hide their breathing, right?
From behind him came a minute movement. Ling Jian had also appeared on the tree to the right of him. The two of them shared a glance, and Ling Tian stretched out a hand, lifting up a finger as he gestured to the left and right respectively. This meant that there were at least a hundred people present!
Ling Jian's right hand chopped at the empty air, as a hint of killing intent surfaced in his eyes. His meaning was clear: Do we kill all of them? Ling Tian thought for a moment, before pressing his palm in the air, signaling him to not be impatient.
Just as they were signaling to each other, there came a slight rustling from below them, and two men stood up huffily. One of them whispered in as he gasped for breath, "Dammit, which troops have arrived out there? Why is there no more sound coming from them? This daddy here nearly stifled himself to death!"
The other person hurriedly spoke, "Shut your mouth! What are you babbling about? This place is within the territory of Sky Bearing, and not only are we conspicuous, we're surrounded by enemies! It's better to be cautious."
The man who spoke previously spat on the ground, before lowly replying, "Who's to say that the people outside are from the Ling Family? Right now, the Ling Family's powers are fully spread out across all eight directions, so why would they have the time to pay attention to this place? Furthermore, our actions have been so secretive, could it be that you're afraid of our plans being leaked?"
"The young noble has already gone to fetch our allies, and before he left, he told us to not get spotted by any influence. Did you not remember this? If young noble knows that you behaved so carelessly, he'll skin you alive!"
That person chuckled in embarrassment, as though pretty scared of the said young noble, but then he grumbled again, "This group of soldiers is really weird, traveling in the night. That's still fine, but since we've already retreated, then you can just go ahead and cross. We're not even looking for you, but why are you guys stopping at the edge of the forest and not proceeding further? Isn't this just torturing us? Even if they were to enter and start fighting with us, that's still better than our current condition."
As the two of them were conversing, the grass continuously rustled as silhouettes walked out from the darkness one after another. Their heavy breaths mixed together into one sound. One could see how exceedingly cautious this group was, to hide and hold their breaths the moment Ling Tian and his troops passed by, silently waiting for them to pass.
If it was another troop that passed by, they would probably not even notice the presence of over a hundred men hidden within the dense forest. Regrettably, they just had to meet Ling Tian! From the time when Ling Tian had suddenly stopped outside the forest, they had held their breaths. This was no ordinary feat, as not everyone would be XianTian realm experts, able to hold their breaths for a long period of time. However, other than a select few conversing, everyone remained silent. Even those who were conversing did so in a low voice, extremely cautiously.
Ling Tian quietly rested on the big tree above him. Below him, some of the people who revealed themselves also leaned on the exact same tree as him, but none discovered that above them actually hid a death god!
As for Ling Tian on the tree, he was also astonished, for he recognized two of the people who were below him! Finally, Ling Tian realized why the Xiao Family was so confident about invading in secret!
Chapter 567: Shadow in the Forest
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
Of the men below, there were two who were the head guards of the Wang Family in Sky Bearing. In Ling Tian's memories, one of their martial arts weren't too bad. There were a few times where he had disguised himself as one of Wang Bo's followers to protect him in the brothels. Coincidentally, Wang Bo was with Ling Tian during those few times. Of course, this was when Ling Tian was still the number one profligate in Sky Bearing and this young noble Wang Bo was one of the three profligate young masters in Sky Bearing.
Up until now, Ling Tian could still remember that Wang Bo was always dressed in green robes like he was a walking bamboo stick. However, Ling Tian had never placed Wang Bo in his sights because Wang Bo was truly a profligate young master of a noble family. Thus, Ling Tian was truly shocked by how Wang Bo actually had a hidden identity.
Could it be that he was also feigning to be a pig to eat the tigers? Ling Tian was puzzled.
Ever since the Ling Family took over Sky Bearing, not many changes were made to the original officials. Thus, the Wang Family was still in their original post and Ling Tian was certain that the soldiers guarding Tai City were also under the Wang Family's command!
For these individuals to appear here at this moment, their motive was obvious!
Ling Tian clenched his teeth. So it turned out that the imperial tutor, Wang ZhiHong, was actually someone of the Xiao Family! Furthermore, they were in power for so many years already! Just when did the Xiao Family begin coveting Sky Bearing?
This matter was far too shocking!
Ling Tian was confident that he would be able to unify the continent and bring peace to the land. However, when he was scheming against others, weren't others also scheming against him? He previously made a bet with Yu ManLou with the world as the stakes, and now there was a mole of the Xiao Family holding such a high position in Sky Bearing! To think that the Xiao Family that he had never placed within his sights actually had such deep planning!
Did he truly look down too much on the heroes of the world?! This truth had undeniably set off the alarm bells in Ling Tian's head!
I must use this incident as a warning. If I want to rule over the world, I must not look down on any enemy. Be it the Yu, Shui or Xiao Families! Since they are able to stay alive for a thousand years, they must definitely have their means of survival. From now on, I must definitely be more careful! The lucky star would not be shining on me all the time!
Hearing the conversation of the two individuals, it seems like Wang Bo had already gone on ahead to receive their 'allied forces'. Those allied forces were without a doubt forces from the Xiao Family! In just an instant, a light bulb lit up in Ling Tian's head and he decided on a brilliant plan.
Looking in Ling Jian's direction, Ling Tian signaled to Ling Jian to kill everyone present. He then placed a finger on his lips to remind Ling Jian to not make a huge commotion!
In just a moment, these people who just came out from hiding were going to face the biggest nightmare of their lives!
Ling Jian's figure slipped down from the tree silently and he landed without making a single sound. Beneath the tree, three burly men took their last breath without even letting out a groan. With another step forward, four small dots could be seen on another four necks as they collapsed onto the ground.
On Ling Tian's side, his figure darted around in the shadows like a ghost and under the cover of the darkness, more than ten people had their lives reaped by him. The two of them had split up the work extremely clearly, with one taking the left and the other taking the right. Their figures darted around like a bolt of lightning and they were undetectable like spirits. Before anyone noticed anything, more than thirty people had already taken a step into the underworld.
In the air, a bloody smell gradually became thicker. In the middle of a clearing, someone rubbed his nose and asked with doubt, "What is this smell? Why is it so fishy? Is anyone injured?"
The moment he mentioned it, a few others also realized that something wasn't right and the one in the lead immediately let out a roar, "Gather immediately! There is something strange going on!"
Flurried footsteps could be heard and the burly men who were spread out in all directions gathered towards the clearing. The leader who was in charge of them was immediately dumbfounded upon seeing all of his men. Of his hundred and twenty men, less than 70 were able to make it back to his side!
Where did the rest go?!
There wasn't a single groan nor was there the shadow of a blade. Before they even managed to spot where the enemy was, almost half of his men were killed! Just what was going on?! Could there be a ghost?!
In the darkness, the vague outline of a dozen people could be seen leaning on the tree motionlessly in a weird posture after the order to gather was given. At the same time, the fishy smell of blood floated over in the breeze.
This wasn't their first time out in the pugilistic world and they all understood that their brothers had met with an accident!
"Old Four Wang! Old Four Wang….dammit, where are you?" The leader could not believe in what he was seeing and shouted out for his partner's name while holding on to the last bit of hope in his heart. The anxiousness and panic in his voice could not be concealed at all. However, his question was greeted by the silence of the night and the drifting fog, making the forest even more eerie.
Everyone could feel that something wasn't right and they all broke out into a cold sweat, shuffling on the spot with their palms drenched in sweat. The surroundings were completely silent but there seemed to be ferocious beasts lurking behind the fog, biding their time to launch a sure kill attack! The atmosphere of the forest was filled with death and this atmosphere made the hearts of the burly men palpitate in fear!
A series of clanging sounds could be heard and the burly men had all unsheathed their weapons as they raised their guards and watched the surroundings carefully. Their weapons reflected the light of the moon and when this light was reflected onto the faces of the burly men, all of their expressions were extremely pale without any exceptions!
In a state of extreme fear, someone's teeth began chattering and this usually inaudible sound was like thunder in the silent forest.
"Du Qi, go and take a look at Old Four Wang and see what is wrong with him." The leader grabbed onto his sword and ordered. His face was filled completely with perspiration but he did not dare to even wipe the perspiration off his face.
A black-robed man acknowledged the order as he walked forward prepared to give up his life! He held onto his blade carefully and walked towards Old Four Wang slowly with a rustling sound. For some reason, in the ears of these extremely frightened individuals, this rustling sound sounded like the rhythm of death!
Seeing Du Qi approach Old Four Wang, everyone stared at him intently without daring to even blink. Du Qi finally plucked up his courage and walked up to Old Four Wang's body. Taking a look down, he saw that Old Four Wang had a strange smile on his face with his eyes wide open. At the same time, a thin red mark could be seen on his neck and he had obviously stopped breathing for a long time already.
In a state of shock, Du Qi took a step back by reflex and felt like his throat was filled with sand. Just as he turned around and was about to say something, he heard the gasp of his fellow comrades.
Old Four Wang who was originally a dead man suddenly stood up with a weird smile on his face and pounced towards Du Qi!
Du Qi felt his soul leave his body in fright and he actually forgot to swing out his own weapon. He then felt a sharp pain in his chest and a long sword was quickly retracted back into the darkness.
The wound was small and while the sword had penetrated through his chest and reaped his life, Du Qi's blood could not spray out but could only gather into his abdomen. Du Qi felt a wave of warmth and comfort spread throughout his body and during this moment before death, Du Qi felt as though his feeling of death was different from what others had experienced. This is because Du Qi actually felt happiness! 1
In the eyes of the others, they saw that Old Four Wang who was supposed to be dead had suddenly jumped up and pounced towards Du Qi. They then collapsed without making any noise and during this period of time, Du Qi actually did not even bother retaliating. Instead, it seemed as though he was excitedly embracing death and filled with satisfaction and happiness!
This scene was far too weird, abnormal and baffling!
A person who was already dead killed someone who was there to check on him, and the person who was killed was actually filled with satisfaction and happiness!
This was just too frightening!
For such a scene to occur in the already eerie forest, everyone felt their hair stand up on edge as though something was about to explode! They felt their backs turn cold and a chilly sensation by their ears as though someone was blowing wind into their ears. Everyone present had an identical reaction. Their eyes spun around in fear but their bodies seemed to weigh a ton and they were completely incapable of making a single movement.
Extreme fear ruined the mental capacity of everyone present! None of them realized that during the moment they went still, two shadows flashed past the ten or more people at the rear and they silently collapsed onto the ground.
When the last person collapsed onto the ground, the soft thud snapped everyone back to their senses. Their comrade who was standing alive and well before them previously was now on the ground lifelessly! Everyone was filled with incredulity!
It was just too strange! Just how did they die?
Could there truly be spirits playing them like a fool?!
Looking at the sight of their comrades' death, someone couldn't take it any longer and bent down while puking profusely.
Everyone seemed to have woken up from a nightmare as they let out a miserable scream. Their leader was drenched in sweat as his voice tremored, "…Charge… charge out… charge out first before anything…"
Chapter 568: Laying a Trap
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
In the frightening forest, more than half of the 120 people had perished with less than sixty of them left alive. Even those who were usually the bolder ones among the remaining did not have the courage to remain in the forest.
They could not be bothered about their horses and rushed out towards the exit of the forest. There seemed to be a frightening demon within the forest and they all wanted to escape from this vile demon! As for the corpses of their comrades, none of them could be concerned at all.
All of a sudden, a chilly light flashed past and the heads of the few people charging at the front flew up in the air. Countless headless corpses continued running forward before they finally collapsed onto the ground.
A wave of shrieks sounded and everyone immediately stopped running. Before they could even make another sound, the sound of bodies collapsing onto the ground could be heard behind them and the last six to seven people in the group collapsed onto the ground. There was actually not a single trace of injury on their bodies but only extreme fear on their faces.
A faintly discernible figure then appeared in front of everyone like an illusion and a thin glowing light could be seen in his hands. His cold sharp gaze then sliced through the night sky and landed coldly on all the burly men. Anyone who met his eyes felt as though they were stabbed in the chest by a sharp sword and instinctively turned away, not daring to meet his gaze.
There were a few who took a few steps back with their bodies trembling and just when they were about to turn around to flee, a black-robed figure drifted in mid-air and revealed a bright smile to those turning around. He even waved his hands and cheerfully greeted, "Hello! Hello everyone, good evening!" His tone was actually extremely amiable!
Good evening?! The fellow who killed them without a trace in this pitch black darkness was actually floating in mid-air and giving them such a warm greeting?!
All of a sudden, two of the individuals who turned around let out a groan and their faces turned purplish before they collapsed weakly onto the ground without any signs of breathing! They had actually died from shock!
Right when everyone was in a state of panic and shock, Ling Tian and Ling Jian unleashed their attacks again. With one from the front and the other the rear, the two of them reaped the lives of the remaining individuals like they were hardworking farmers collecting their harvest.
From beginning to the end, less than ten groans could be heard from the more than fifty individuals as they went on to their afterlives!
Not a single one of them remained alive!
Clang! Ling Jian sheathed his sword and said with a tinge of pity, "I lost to young noble by one."
Ling Tian chuckled and said with a carefree tone, "Your performance was splendid. In this world, you are the only one capable of competing with me in terms of killing speed. Even Justice would be incomparable to me in killing speed."
Ling Jian's eyes lit up before he was dejected again. "However, young noble did not even use a weapon but I used all my strength." Ling Tian patted Ling Jian on the shoulders and encouraged, "Don't be discouraged, Ah'Jian. In terms of killing speed, you are number two in the world! I dare to say that even Justice wouldn't be a match for you. However, you are not going to be competing with him on killing speed in the future." Ling Tian then turned around and walked off with his arms folded. He had already given Ling Jian a hint but whether or not Ling Jian was able to comprehend it was up to him.
Ling Tian liked to use such a method to guide Ling Jian and the rest. Ling Tian had always believed that something that they comprehend themselves was far better than just hearing it from the mouth of their master. The results had also shown that his method of education was pretty effective. At the very least, it was effective with Ling Jian and the rest.
Sending out a signal, Ling Chi and Feng Mo led their troops and entered the forest. Seeing the corpses littered all over the forest, even these fellows who were used to seeing blood could not help but be startled. None of them expected Ling Jian and Ling Tian to complete a one-sided massacre in this short amount of time. Not a single one of the more than a hundred people were left alive! At the same time, they could only hear one or two miserable shrieks from the outside of the forest and the battle was settled!
In a short few minutes, the five hundred elites that Ling Tian had brought had entered the forest. They gathered the corpses to the side and buried them underground. After that, they laid down an ambush about half a mile from where the clearing was!
Ling Tian's ambush was at a completely different level than the Shui Family's ambush. This was a truly killing trap and the lethality of it was something that the spoiled brats of the Shui Family would never be able to understand!
Since Wang Bo was personally receiving the Xiao Family's troops, his direction would definitely be the exact opposite of Ling Tian's and would definitely return here again. If not, it would be pointless for him to arrange for manpower to be stationed at this clearing. If that's the case, Ling Tian felt that he would be letting down the 'goodwill' of his old buddy if he did not lay an ambush here.
He would be an idiot if he didn't enjoy the meat placed beside his mouth!
The reason why Ling Tian decided to lay the ambush half a mile away was out of the consideration of the lingering bloody smell. If the lingering smell of blood were to reveal their plan, their ambush wouldn't be perfect. While the clearing was a more suitable place to set up an ambush, Ling Tian still decided to be careful and change the location of the ambush.
Ling Chi led a hundred men up the trees and the weapons which they carried were all smeared with poison. Feng Mo led two hundred men and positioned himself at the right while the other Blood Iron Guard, Wang Ji, also led two hundred men and positioned himself at the left. Ling Jian was in charge of sealing their enemy's retreat and Ling Tian was in charge of the killing zone. In the center of the killing zone, Ling Tian scattered bags of poisonous powder that would take effect as long as one breathed it in. The moment a fight broke out, the powder on the ground would be kicked up and in the darkness, plenty of people would definitely fall prey!
Ling Tian had even made use of the vines in the tree to create traps.
In just a short hour, Ling Tian's arrangements made Ling Jian who was standing off to the side gasp in shock! In Ling Jian's eyes, Ling Tian had made use of practically everything in the forest that was of use! However, Ling Tian still seemed to be dissatisfied and unsheathed his sword to make an incision on the branches of the trees.
Ling Jian could imagine that the moment the martial arts experts enter the forest and realize that there is an ambush, they would jump up to avoid the attacks before grabbing onto the branches to observe the situation around them. If the branches were to give way at this moment, what kind of a pitiful situation would await these experts?
The way Ling Jian saw it, Ling Tian's ambush was akin to a form of art!
However, he did not know that if Li Xue was here, she would definitely remark that Ling Tian's trap laying skills had deteriorated. Even if there wasn't enough time, Ling Tian should come up with something better! At the very least, he should smear poison or line up needles and hidden weapons at the branches and vines!
After Ling Tian finally finished his preparations, he shook his head and sighed, "Our preparations aren't very sufficient but this will have to do. I hope that they will be of some use." Ling Jian and the others who heard Ling Tian say this had their jaws wide open in shock. In Ling Jian's eyes, such an elaborate setup was sufficient to even kill Justice! But Ling Tian still wasn't satisfied?
Ling Tian grunted and looked at Ling Jian as though he saw through Ling Jian's thoughts. "The trap that I used against Justice was at least three times as frightening as the traps here! However, it was only sufficient to delay him slightly. Ling Jian, when facing a true expert and in front of absolute strength, there isn't such a thing as an assassination. You can only fight head on! Regardless of when you launch an attack, the other party will definitely find out and be prepared. This is the difference between an expert and novice. When facing such an expert, do not ever think that you have the upper hand because you are in the dark. If you have such a thought, even if you are the number one assassin in the world, you will only be a sparring partner for the enemy!"
Ling Jian nodded his head seriously and committed what Ling Tian had said to his memory before asking, "Young noble, in your eyes, how many of such experts are there in the world?"
Ling Tian thought carefully before saying, "From the people who I have met, apart from Yu ManLou who I just mentioned, there should be three more. In actual fact, Yu ManLou only has deep cultivation but may not have achieved the state that I mentioned! As for the three others, Justice is undoubtedly the number one!"
Ling Jian's eyes flashed, "As for the other two, young noble should be one of them right. Then who is the last person? Shui WuBo from the Shui Family? Young noble met him before?!"
Ling Tian smiled, "Ah'Jian, you think too highly of the number one experts of those thousand-year-old families. I have never seen Shui WuBo before but he would be at Yu ManLou's level at the most and cannot be compared to the three people in my list. As for the third person… Ah'Jian, who did you just lose to?"
"Li Xue?!" Ling Jian eyes widened with incredulity, "Could it be that her accomplishments are so fantastic? Even the Family Head of a thousand-year-old family, Yu ManLou, cannot be compared to her?"
Chapter 569: Forest Ambush
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Ling Tian muttered irresolutely, "We can't compare like this. While Yu ManLou's martial arts are indeed deep and profound, they are also extremely crafty. Not only is his cultivation above Li Xue and mine's, he probably practices another sort of demonic martial arts which has a high strength and killing power! However, what I'm referring to is not just purely martial skills, but rather referring to people who are not afraid to get assassinated. In this point, only Justice who has reached the epitome of martial arts is unafraid of any sort of assassination attempts that might come his way! Yu ManLou might possess great martial strength but he is unable to reach the same state as Justice. However, if you were to try to assassinate him, even with careful planning you're likely to be the one buried instead! This is also the reason why I'm not allowing you to do so, understand? In contrast, Li Xue has another advantage compared to Yu ManLou that allows her to be unafraid of assassinations while he might be."
"What sort of advantage?" Ling Jian pressed on. He found it impossible to believe that the little lass that looked like some frail chick could actually possess martial skill to this extent!
Ling Tian had a meaningful smile on his face as he slowly said, "She has two millennia worth of experience that Yu ManLou does not have, maybe more." Finishing this weird sentence which had no head nor tail, Ling Tian laughed at Ling Jian's puzzled expression, flashing away in an instant.
"Extra two millennia of experience?! What does he mean? She's not even as old as me, what more experience?" Ling Jian shook his head, repeating Ling Tian's sentence, before melding into the darkness with a mind full of doubts.
Right now, Wang Bo, or Great Noble Wang, had a belly full of repressed anger.
Having fought to be able to welcome the pinnacle experts from the Above Heavens, furthermore a peak expert said only to exist in legends, this Great Noble Wang had long ago planned and schemed in his heart how to utilize the hard work that he had contributed to his family to be able to be accepted under the master's tutelage. Let's not talk just about cultivating, but allowing him to go out and snatch a few ladies to play with in the future should be as easy as waving a hand, right? Right now, his body constitution wouldn't even allow him to carry a bucket of water without needing to rest for half a day. He had heard that an expert could just transfer ten years worth of cultivation to you as though they were giving out chump change, but this would allow him to become a first-rate expert!
'Why was Ling Tian so outstanding? Wasn't it because he paid respects to a good teacher? That expert must have passed a lot of cultivation to Ling Tian. If not, he would still be like Daddy Wang here, a profligate! So long as I, Wang Bo, manage to cling on to the leg of a good teacher, would I still lose out to Ling Tian in any way?'
His own family had gone through years of fear and difficulty, helping the Xiao Family so much. To ask such a thing should not be too overwhelming, right?
To fulfill this beautiful dream of his, the young noble Wang Bo had been pestering his father non-stop to allow him to undertake this task on his own. He even swore a military vow that he would complete his task perfectly. Wang TaiBo, upon seeing his son's incessant pestering, finally relented in a helpless manner.
However, the 200 kilometers they traveled on horseback already filled this young noble Wang with so much pain that he was beginning to regret it. The bleak and miserable conditions of eating and sleeping in the wilds filled this young noble with much bitterness. However, when young noble Wang finally met with the fabled expert from the Above Heavens, his heart was totally frozen.
That Above Heavens leader and top expert, Meng RuoYun, had stared at our Young Noble Wang as though he was nothing more than a turd or a heap of rubbish. He didn't even bother to speak with him, let alone give him the opportunity to get into his good graces. The rest naturally followed in the lead of their Grand Elder Meng and treated Wang Bo like a slave.
This made the originally proud and lofty, arrogant and domineering Wang Bo to have a belly full of anger! This daddy here must be really cheap to you, having run out here tens of kilometers just to fetch you, and you actually treat me like so! If not for this daddy and his father, who would help you pieces of trash successfully get past the Sky Bearing checkpoints to this place?! F**k! A bunch of ungrateful trash! What bullsh*t!
On the way back, Wang Bo constantly pulled his hair, even forgetting about the matter of paying respects to a teacher. His only wish was to settle this bunch of mongrels before rushing back home, as his poor legs were already screaming in pain now. Dammit, he didn't even have a chance to make out yet with the little beauty he had just snatched, but how was he going to do anything in this condition?
He could already see the edges of the forest in front of him. Just a little more, and it would be his followers… Even if the number wasn't large, at least they all listened to him. Wang Bo spat out a mouth of turbid air, looking at the line of troops snaking behind him as he smiled to himself. When he had gathered all the men under him, he would then wave good riddance to this group of riff-raff. What sort of people did they think they were?!
As he hatefully scolded inside himself, he respectfully led one of the three great experts of Above Heaven, Meng RuoYun, into the forest.
In order to ensure that their sneak attack would be a success this time, the Above Heavens sect really paid out in blood. Not only did they employ the Xiao Family's secret troops, 3000 of the Violent Dragon Guardians, but they also brought out twelve inner disciples from their sect, as well as a hundred outer sect disciples! Other than those who were deployed to Bright Jade City, this group of people comprised about half of their total fighting force, and their prowess was not to be underestimated. From the words of the Sect Master Meng PoTian, other than the Yu Family inside the Heavenly Star Continent, there was no other force that couldn't be defeated within two hours. As such, it was a guaranteed success against the Sky Bearing's Ling Family!
The troop of men and horses slowly pierced into the forest, and Wang Bo estimated that in another few hundred meters they would reach the clearing designated by their men. That large clearing should be enough for this group of people to pitch their tents, right? Then his mission would also be considered completed and he would bolt at the first chance, going back to Sky Bearing to play.
Walking at the very front was Meng RuoYun, his white robes billowing around him as he carried this elegant demeanor, walking into the forest like an otherworldly immortal. His eyes were half closed, occasionally opening to survey his surroundings. The group consisting of over a thousand tracked into the forest in perfect order.
"Stop! Everyone stop moving!" Suddenly, Meng RuoYun felt something amiss. This was a warrior's intuition. How was it that, even after so many people had entered the forest, they had not frightened off any birds along the way? This was out of common sense. Heightening his awareness, Meng RuoYun's divine sense immediately became extremely cautious!
"This forest is a little strange! Why is it reeking of blood? What sort of bloody smell is this? Sniffing repeatedly, Meng RuoYun suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed Wang Bo's neck, his expression turning stern. "Kid, what sort of mischief are you up to?!" He did not even put the noble imperial tutor Wang in his heart, as though he was the Xiao Family's guard dog. In his eyes, maybe they weren't even akin to dogs!
Wang Bo had long been used to living a carefree life, so how would he understand what the smell meant? He stared blankly, but before he had the chance to answer, there came the sound of wind whooshing. From all directions the vines on the trees shot out huge arrows, with the arrowheads on them having been sharpened to the point they resembled arrows used by the Gods and Devils of the Ninth Heavens. In that instant they skewered through the group of Above Heavens troops. The arrow shafts, which were in fact logs, were no light twigs, and if rammed into someone at that speed would certianly result in said person ending up with broken bones. A direct hit meant death, and even a graze would cause injuries! Every arrow's momentum did not stop even after piercing through the first person, continuing to pierce through person after person behind like a kebab!
Simultaneously, screams of misery filled the entire forest and fresh blood inundated the entire area, turning it into a scene from hell. Limbs and organs flew all over the place and the horses stampeded around in a panic. Just the first round of 'arrows' already caused three to four hundred casualties!
The offensive brought about by the huge logs had yet to end when 'sou sou' sounds were heard as the sky was blanketed by a multitude of arrows! The life-reaping arrows heartlessly pierced into the bodies and hearts of the troops present, and under the frantic stampede of everyone scrambling to run away, a grayish fog was stirred up from the ground.
Putong Putong… Those lucky ones who survived the assault from the huge logs now mysteriously fell on the ground after breathing in the fog! It was as though their legs had turned into jelly…
"Everyone is to hold their breath! This fog is a little strange!" Meng RuoYun held onto Wang Bo's skinny body as he twirled it around like a windmill, using him as a shield. In seconds, our young noble Wang had sadly turned into a human-sized porcupine! The rain of arrows however ceaselessly poured down, and the enemies hidden within the darkness had yet to reveal themselves, yet the Above Heavens had already suffered losses of near a third!
Meng RuoYun let out a long shout, his figure lifting off the ground as he threw away his human shield. His right hand shook and a resplendent sword appeared in his hand. At the same time, a few others from the Above Heavens Sect also followed his actions, rising from the ground. While the arrows were sharp, they couldn't do much harm to someone of Meng RuoYun's level.
Since there was a poison fog on the ground, then they could only choose to perch in the trees in order to avoid the land and air pincer attack. This thought appeared in everyone's minds and they immediately flew up without any discussion.
The sounds of metal clashing sounded all over as the Above Heavens Sect pulled out their swords and deflected the arrows headed towards them. The other hand reached towards the nearest sturdy branch on the trees above them. So long as they were to pull themselves up, then they would be able to get out of their current scenario!
Chapter 570: Kill Without Mercy
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
"Kacha kacha…" The sound of branches breaking could be heard the moment these experts came into contact with the tree branches. These strong looking branches were suddenly as soft as tofu and broke apart without much force applied to them.
Being caught off guard, these top-notch experts weren't any different from ordinary people. With their balance lost, they all pitifully collapsed back onto the ground. The inner qi that they used to dodge the arrows had already been expended and they fell back onto the ground without a chance to catch their breaths. All of these experts who were usually haughty and arrogant were now falling onto the ground like pancakes.
The Ling Family warriors who were already prepared let out another volley of arrows and the sharp arrows sliced through the night sky like they were locusts! The sound of arrows piercing through human bodies could be heard all around and countless miserable and desperate groans sounded through the forest!
Despite the experts of Above Heavens being skilled in martial arts, at least half of them were wiped out by the rain of arrows! Of those left alive, every one of them were riddled with injuries and the arrows that they usually disdained were now the cry of the death god!
The instant the branch snapped, Meng RuoYun knew that the situation was dire. Without a second of hesitation, he used his vitality and decades of inner qi to spit out a faint red gas. At the risk of internal injury, his figure shot up almost ten feet into the air despite not having a platform to propel himself up. After landing unsteadily on a tree as though he had avoided this calamity, a powerful sword qi came roaring towards him from above. The powerful gust of wind brought about by the sword qi made his whole body turn cold.
An expert! A powerful expert!
Dangerous! Extremely dangerous!
Meng RuoYun did not have the chance to even catch his breath. He hurriedly jumped off the tree and before he found a place to land, he could already feel the cold sword blade touching his skin. Exhausting even more inner qi, Meng RuoYun avoided the attack and jumped sideways three times. However, the ambushing expert did not let go of him and followed closely behind him like a venomous snake.
Meng RuoYun, who was one of the three great experts in Above Heavens, was actually chased to the point he did not even have a chance to turn around! With an enraged roar, Meng RuoYun's figure shot forward like an arrow and he was finally able to get away from his opponent's bone-piercing inner qi. However, Meng RuoYun still did not have the time to catch his breath. The first thing he did was to turn around and spit out a mouthful of blood which had a semi-liquid gaseous substance mixed within it.
In order to get away from his opponent's pursuit, Meng RuoYun had already burnt his life essence and despite looking as though he was alright on the surface, his internal organs were already heavily injured and he would not be able to fight for long. The semi-liquid red substance was completely different from the faint red gas previously. While the latter harmed his vitality, as long as he nursed his vitality back carefully with the aid of spiritual herbs, he would be able to recover fully. However, the semi-liquid red substance was Meng RuoYun's life essence! The moment it was expended, he would never be able to recover it. Furthermore, it was extremely harmful to his body and even if he nursed his health back, at least three years of his life would be lost!
Who would have thought that an ambush would force a top-notch expert to such dire straits?! Before he could even see who his enemy was, he had already suffered life-threatening injuries!
However, Meng RuoYun had no choice but to make that choice. From the very first attack of his opponent, Meng RuoYun knew that his opponent was a top-notch assassin in the world. When facing such an opponent, if Meng RuoYun was unable to turn the situation around and kept his back facing the opponent, he would be asking for death!
Losing a few years of his life was better than dying on the spot!
Even though his vitality was harmed and innards injured, he still had some confidence when facing the opponent head-on. At the very least he would be able to retaliate and not just escape for his life.
However, what was completely out of Meng RuoYun's expectations was that the top-notch assassin in front of him was actually a 16 to 17-year-old teen! His cold face and frosty gaze coupled with a gleaming long sword in his hand. If not for the dense killing intent being emanated from this teen, Meng RuoYun would have thought that he was dreaming!
How could a young teen who had not even grown hair yet actually force him to such a state? How was this possible?!
The black-robed teen did not say a thing as his body drifted up and charged at Meng RuoYun without restraint. At the same time, the black-robed teen brandished his sword and his sword shot forward like a venomous viper.
"Kill!" At this moment, a loud roar sounded, shaking the leaves off the trees!
"KILLLLL!" Following that, hundreds of people echoed back and killing intent burst forward like a tsunami! Rows of black-robed men dashed out from the shadows and pounced towards the allied forces of Above Heavens and the Xiao Family. Countless blades glowed under the moonlight and a small river of blood was formed. The two to three hundred people who had barely got into the trees were immediately slashed back down.
In just the blink of an eye, Meng RuoYun had already exchanged tens of moves with the black-robed man. The teen was extremely experienced in battle and every move of his was vicious. The exquisiteness of his swordplay was also far out of Meng RuoYun's expectations. Even if it was only tens of moves, Meng RuoYun no longer dared to underestimate the enemy and treated his opponent as an equal.
Amid this business, he looked down at the battlefield and was devastated!
The black-robed men of unknown origins were all martial arts experts and every attack of theirs was extremely vicious. Facing his brothers who completely did not have the ability to retaliate, the black-robed men fought valiantly with every strike of theirs aiming to kill. In just a couple of breaths, the densely cluttered forest was much more spacious than before and the number of corpses on the forest floor became more and more!
Meng RuoYun could not take it any longer and let out a loud roar. Exhausting even more vitality, he launched a couple of attacks to frantically force back the black-robed teen in front of him. Meng RuoYun's face had already turned completely pale. Making a back-flip in the air, he landed on the ground and roared, "Everyone listen up! Follow this old man and kill a path out!" He then raised his sword and charged out like a frenzied tiger. If he couldn't create a path of escape for his men, all of his more than 3000 men would perish in this forest!
Since he brought them out, he must bring them back! Even if he had to die, he would have no hesitations!
Meng RuoYun was putting his life on the line!
The rear of the troops suddenly broke out into chaos and a human figure stormed through them like a ferocious dragon. Everywhere he went, a rain of blood would follow and he was like a gigantic ship breaking the still surface of the waters. Following his advance, the men to his left and right collapsed onto the ground and became a sea of corpses. All of their throats were spewing out blood and they were completely unable to hinder the maniacal advancement of that human figure! Behind him, there were only corpses. There weren't any survivors, nor were there any just injured.
Just this person alone was like a corpse creating machine and he had truly killed a bloody path!
With a single glance, Meng RuoYun knew that he definitely wasn't a match for that human figure. Not to mention the current him who was heavily injured, even in his prime he wouldn't be a match for this person! Thus, he turned around and charged away!
The young assassin behind him seemed to have disappeared and the path behind him was empty already. Meng RuoYun was elated in his heart. With the few men around him, he tried to break out of the encirclement and gather the other forces towards the depths of the forest!
Since their exit was blocked, he could only charge forward! Even if what lay in front of him was an unknown mountain of blades, this was the only road left for them!
Along the way, more and more Above Heavens expert joined him on the ground. Everyone knew that this direction was the only path of survival for them!
After a short ten minutes of killing, less than 800 men were able to follow Meng RuoYun to charge out! On top of that, most of them had injuries! Almost 80% of their troops were defeated in this short period of time!
Meng RuoYun's heart turned cold. He no longer had the time to think about the cause of this tragedy and where the slip-up occurred. The only thought he had now was to charge out with all of his remaining men! They would only be able to find a shred of survival if they could charge out of this dense forest! However, it would only be a shred of survival. But when they were charging out, the black-robed experts only put up a halfhearted fight before allowing them to easily charge out!
This is far too strange!
There is definitely a more frightening ambush ahead!
This odd reaction allowed Meng RuoYun to make the above conclusion. But despite knowing that, Meng RuoYun had no choice but to make his final struggle because what lay ahead was his only hope for survival!
All of Meng RuoYun's thoughts were finally interrupted by an incoming bolt of lightning!
That familiar green ray made Meng RuoYun gasp out in extreme fear before his death, "Heaven Splitter!"
Right after these words left his mouth, Meng RuoYun was hacked into two parts, a clean slice through the middle from the head to his toes!
Meng RuoYun, one of the three top-notch experts of Above Heavens and the younger brother of the martial fanatic Meng RuoXu, was cleaved in two by the Heaven Splitter before being able to display his strength! He did not even have the time to retaliate or react!
Spinning around like a top, the Heaven Splitter swept out laterally and a green ray swept pass the surroundings. Within a thirty feet radius, all of Ling Tian's enemies were sliced in two. While some were sliced at the waist and others the back or shoulders, their deaths were equally miserable!
The ground was covered in corpses with their eyes dilated in shock!
Their forward momentum was immediately halted! Extreme fear could be seen in all of their eyes!
Ling Tian drifted backward before ordering calmly, "Kill them all! Leave no one alive!" The calmness of his voice was as though he was a nobleman ordering his servants to clean up the mansion.
Chapter 571 Inner Thoughts of an Assassin
Translator: chuchutrain | Editor: DavidT /Rock
Ling Jian and Chi moved simultaneously, both of their swords cleaving open the blood rain that filled the sky! This was closely followed by Feng Mo, who brought numerous warriors as they violently shouted out, engaging into the fray once more! For the enemies who already had their courage stolen, they were akin to a bunch of lambs, bleating out their final wails. They had already lost all thoughts of resistance!
It was akin to a tsunami sweeping across the remnant enemies. On the ground, other than Ling Tian's forces, there was no other living being!
A complete wipe-out!
On the other side, Ling Jian pointed at Ling Chi as he spoke, "Go over to where the battle started. There are still a lot of wounded on the ground. Finish them off with a stab, make sure that there are none left alive."
...
The winds of autumn screamed around Ling Tian while he and his horse stood at the mountain pass, his hands clutching a falcon's messenger tube. From his vantage point, he could see the war flags of the Xiao Family from afar. His face remained indifferent, as though wishing to see how the Xiao Family would live up to their fantasies of charging into Sky Bearing Empire like a hot knife through butter!
Behind him stood row after row of knights, their rough and weathered expressions giving off a sense of sturdiness as well as unconcealed battle intent.
Farther back, in a pool of blood, lay more than ten bodies cut in two. Those were the original leaders of the soldiers stationed here.
After successfully resolving the problem with the Xiao Family's elite troops, Ling Tian's first action was to continuously slaughter his way until he reached this particular location. The mountain pass defense of a country, who dared to look down on it? Since they knew the existence of a traitor, then eliminating the dissident would be the natural course of action to take. In regards to dealing with them, he was even impatient about it, creating a whirlwind of blood the moment he arrived. In just minutes the leaders of the Wang family had already been mercilessly purged by him.
"Feng Mo, send out two people to return to the Ling Family Courtyard at the fastest speed and relay my command. The Imperial Tutor of the dynasty, Wang ZhiHong, has betrayed the country. This is an unpardonable crime, and all his family members are to be beheaded without a single one remaining! All those related to the Wang Family, be they officials or generals, are all to cease their current roles and be captured to await judgment in Sky Bearing. Any who resist will be killed without mercy! As for the vacated roles, the Ling Family Courtyard will deploy a substitute within one day at the latest without fail." Ling Tian's mouth and hand moved non-stop, as he speedily also wrote a letter for Feng Mo to pass on.
"Understood!" Feng Mo's huge face remained impassive and he signaled to his men to take the notice. Both of them received the command, flipping up onto their horses and disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Ling Tian gazed at the huge military camp of the Xiao Family, a thought of annihilating every last one of them surfacing inside his mind.
Only when you truly saw the elite bearings of the Xiao Family troops, the rigor of Xiao FengYang in training his soldiers, that you would understand that they surpassed whatever reputation they had! Even at such a far distance, one would coldly shiver at the solemn majesty of the army. One could imagine what sort of force they would be during a battle.
"Young Noble, since in reality the Xiao Family is already in control of this area, why don't they occupy it, but rather stand there and guard the area instead of going on the offensive? Isn't that a waste of manpower? If they really brought all their armies in to occupy this area, I'm afraid it wouldn't be as easy for us to take it back!" Feng Mo walked up two steps, staring warily at the scene opposite him as he spoke his thoughts, "Even though the Xiao Family has unrivaled financial power, money should never be wasted like this. This subordinate cannot even predict their thoughts as it doesn't go with logic and common sense!"
Feng Mo was originally under the command of Ling Xiao and was someone who had been through many wars. Of course, he had a certain understanding towards military and war strategy. However, even so, this was what boosted his suspicions in his heart about the Xiao Family's performance.
"Waste? Where is this a waste?! How is this a waste?!" Ling Tian coldly smiled in return. "The current Xiao Family's actions are more than treacherous! Stationing their soldiers here, yet not moving forward, what country would not be worried about a 200,000 strong army staring covetously at you? This is as good as them choking our necks, making us uncomfortable! Right now, Shen RuHu in the East is tied up, not daring to move, and my father in the South also doesn't dare to shift his armies for fear that the situation will collapse. Thus, the Xiao army here actually has sufficient place to showcase their abilities, and since the so-called impregnable fortress was actually filled with their men, it would be a piece of cake to enter. However, they do not do so, for it will remove all their advantages!"
"The moment they move they will suffer the greatest losses as well. Other than revealing the truth about their spies, they would also induce us to gather our elites to wipe out all their spies in the shortest time! Furthermore, this would also allow Eastern Zhao and Southern Zheng to look for opportunities to exploit. After all, this would allow them to expel the thorn in their bosom. Since they can threaten us without moving, then naturally they would be unwilling to destroy this balance. A war without guarantees would only give their enemies an opportunity. In addition, they still have a huge army southeast of here waiting for us."
"Thus, they have to maintain this deadlocked position, consuming vast amounts of resources on the backlines. With the wealth of the Xiao Family, I believe they will not pay much attention to it. However, for us at Sky Bearing, who are besieged on three sides, we have to be worried. Southern Zheng is furthermore pincered to both ends, possibly entering a state of annihilation at any given moment. As such, there will be a family that cannot take the pressure any longer and will initiate the war. Whichever family it is, it will definitely not be the Xiao Family. As the war grows and the casualties mount, there will come a day where one side can't hold on any longer, and it will be this time when the Xiao Family swoops in."
Ling Tian coldly laughed, "The scheme of the Xiao Family can be said to be beautifully planned, using hundreds of years of amassed resources to achieve the ultimate victory in the battlefield. This is their objective! Such a scheme is brilliant and furthermore feasible! And this plan, when compared against the rest of the world, is unfeasible because of the huge amount of resources required. Not even the Ling Family could afford it!"
"As such, war is about who's wealthier. If you have enough wealth, enough power, then you would have won half the battle!"
"In addition, even with such overwhelming odds of success, they still chose to launch such a contradictory method of a sneak attack. No matter from what viewpoint we can see that their plans were deliberately and methodically laid out! To the point of ensuring not a single loss while enjoying the best piece of meat, they're really dreaming to the point they blur fantasy with reality."
"But…. since Young Noble knows about all this, then why don't you…" Feng Mo wanted to ask, why did Ling Tian still choose to deploy his soldiers? Was this not creating a chance for the enemy? However, he realized that it was out of his authority to question, and immediately clamped his mouth shut.
But Ling Tian laughed in a depressed manner.
"Boor!" Ling Jian coldly looked at Feng Mo, as he softly spat.
"You… you dumb f**k!" Feng Mo looked utterly discomfited. His hair bristled up as he shivered in anger. In the Ling Family Courtyard, other than a select few, everyone was afraid of Ling Jian. But it just so happened that one of the exceptions was Feng Mo!
Thinking about the time in the past, this little kid couldn't even keep up with them during their practices. Who knew that in a few years he would become an earth-shaking killer? However, one point did not change, and that was his deadpan expression that was still as stone cold as ever. Inside the Ling Family Courtyard, Feng Mo was the oldest Blood Iron Warrior leader present, and one of the few who wasn't scared of Ling Jian at all. However, he conveniently did not dare to mention the fact that he used to call him with the nickname of Little JianJian in the past.
"You… you dumb f**k!" As such, while he actually wanted to call him a "Little Lowly Thing" he, in the end, could not bear to say it. Ling Jian's body had started to exude cold killing intent, and even if the hardened veteran that was Feng Mo, he could not bear too much.
"YOU'RE the pig." Ling Jian replied without any sense of courtesy. "Why, are you unsatisfied? You've followed the Young Noble for close to a decade now from when he was a kid. When have you discovered a situation that would strangle the throat of Young Noble? You really possess the brain of a pig. Other than wasting resources, you're good for nothing."
"Are you any better? You brainless murderer, other than pretending to be a corpse the whole day and killing people, what else can you do? Whenever I see this dead face, I feel like puking! It's not like you understand the plans of our Young Noble, so on what grounds are you insulting me!" Feng Mo spat back.
"I admit that I don't know, but I don't need to know either. I just need to be able to carry out the Young Noble's actions. I'm unlike some others, who don't know and yet pretend that they understand, spewing out nonsense…" Ling Jian continued his tirade.
"That's enough." Ling Tian pinched his brows. "Every time you two meet you always quarrel. Even after placing you two in the Ling Family Courtyard to oppose each other day and night, you two still haven't had enough? This place is the battlefield, not your own backyard where you can argue freely!"
Feng Mo chuckled in embarrassment before using a reminiscing voice as he said, "Young Noble, you might not know it but I, Old Feng, especially cherish those memories from a decade ago. At that time, the moment I did not see eye to eye with a certain someone, I would just need to grab his leg, pull down his pants and give him a good spanking. That sort of sort, that crispness, that touch, really brings back fond memories! Now that the certain someone is old, he thinks he can bully me. Sigh, the time has gone by so fast!"
Ling Jian's face turned pale, and he glared at him. In the entire courtyard, those who could have said to have beat Ling Jian were practically nil, but this Old Feng just happened to always be an exception. Even without the "Little JianJian" nickname, there was still a lot of dirty linen he could bring up.
Ling Tian couldn't help but smile, looking at Ling Jian with interest as he pretended to ponder, "Hmm, Little JianJian's buttocks have also been smacked by me. At that time, the feeling was really quite splendid. Even now I still think about it now and then. The crisp sound boasts of so much appeal akin to what Confucius spoke about 'going three months without meat', that kind of feeling." Ling Tian stopped talking about the battlefield as though he decided that the Ling Family Courtyard was now in this place!
Ling Jian had a deep scowl on his face!
The reason why Ling Tian worked in tandem with Feng Mo wasn't just to purely poke fun at him, but also because he found out that Ling Jian had become colder and more eccentric after his battle with Li Xue. Other than talking with Ling Tian, Ling Chen and a few others, he put on a cold expression to everyone else and frequently sat in a corner with his sword, ignoring everyone. His sword had become quicker, his moves more ruthless.
If one were to talk about just becoming a peerless killer, it might not be a bad thing, but to be a good brother then it definitely wouldn't be good!
Ling Tian always had this worry that if Ling Jian was to continue developing down this line he would enter the path of a true cold-blooded sword murderer. When that time came, while his skills might take a quantitative and qualitative leap, he would also fully turn into a slaughterer without any emotions whatsoever!
While this would provide more help for Ling Tian, Ling Jian would end up being alone for the rest of his life, destined to only be a tool to be used for killing! Ling Tian aspired for Ling Jian to be a killer with emotions and feelings, to become a true brother which would share weal and woe, not a simple treasured sword meant to kill. Ling Tian was willing to see Ling Jian progress at a slower pace, progressively stepping up towards the peak of martial arts, rather than to see him use this sort of extreme method to ruin himself!
Thus, upon seeing this rare chance where Ling Jian spoke so much, Ling Tian took the chance to work together with Old Feng to poke fun at him.
Ling Tian's words made many of the Blood Iron Warriors recount the past, and as they looked at Ling Jian, they seemed to see that strict and severe little child of yesteryear. Everyone felt a stirring in their hearts, and crowded around Ling Jian, smiling and teasing him.
Walking into the circle, Ling Tian warmly stared at the red-faced Ling Jian as he gently said, "Ah'Jian, you're already nineteen, right? Do you have any lady in your heart that you fancy? Just look at our Ling Chi, he's almost at the home run stage now, but you as the big brother, how could you be behind him?"
Ling Jian did not expect the latter to suddenly bring out this question and could only hang his head down on embarrassment. It was only after a long time did he finally speak, "Young Noble, stop teasing Ling Jian. I've never considered this matter at all. To tell you the truth, Young Noble, I only need to have the sword in my hand to feel at ease. As for familial matters, I've never truly thought about it, I just wish to protect Young Noble for all my life!"
Ling Tian laughed, "Ah'Jian, please don't, your young noble here only likes ladies, and have no interest towards handsome guys. Please don't say you're going to accompany me for my whole life!"
Ling Jian's eyes shone, and his tone was unnaturally grave, "Young Noble should understand my meaning. Ling Jian has no regrets in this life!"
Ling Tian kept his smiling face, slowly breathing out as he heavily replied, "I thought so. In actual fact, when I left Sky Bearing, I could see that you had always followed what I said to you that year. To take yourself as a sword, a sword that belongs to only me. Isn't that so? If so, what do you actually think inside your heart?"
Ling Jian smiled thinly, and the expression on his face originally settled down as he replied, "Not entirely so. Of course, Young Noble has an ambition to surpass the heavens, as well as the ability to do so. In that case, Ling Jian is willing to be the sword that helps Young Noble to surpass the heavens, and this is also my lifetime's dream. However, in my many years of killing, I've immersed myself more and more in this feeling of grasping everyone's lives in my hands. With only the sword in my hands, with blood on the sword, will I then feel happy and will I then feel truly alive."
He took two steps forward, gazing on the void in the distance as an expression of solitude appeared on his face. "Ever since my family was wiped out, I've already lost my sense of direction. When I was at my lowest, you picked me up, gave me the strength to take my revenge! During that period of time, no matter how difficult it was, I held on so as not to betray your hopes and expectations of me and also to personally kill all my enemies. I did not dare to slack off one bit! However, the very instant where I reaped the lives of all 300 of my enemies, I suddenly felt a mysterious void, but strangely, a strange satisfaction within that sense of emptiness in my heart."
Ling Jian bitterly smiled, "It was as though, from the very beginning, I was thirsting to reap the lives of others. Seeing my sword let out a radiant shine from all the blood coated on it I truly felt alive, and with all my enemies dead, I was happy, I was inspired! This made me anticipate my next killing!"
"However, with each killing, after that momentarily rush of happiness, I could also feel my own heart getting colder. However, I never truly thought of wanting to change anything."
Ling Jian turned his head around to look at Ling Tian. In his eyes was a burning passion, "Others might follow their young nobles for honor and glory, or perhaps for a high post and generous salary. Some even follow to be written down in history's annals. However, I Ling Jian, follow my young noble only because I want to help my young noble settle some of his burdens. To purge all obstacles for my young noble, this and nothing more! Since young noble wishes to surpass the heavens, then killing cannot be avoided! Even without Ling Jian here, there will still be others who will step up to do such a matter rather than having yourself to do it. I have nothing to repay Young Noble with, so let me shoulder this crime of killing on my own!"
"Let me shoulder this crime of killing on my own!" Hearing this, Ling Tian was silent for a long time.
In the end, he could only lightly sigh as he faced Ling Jian, saying, "Ah'Jian, if not for me asking you, you would probably not say it even in your grave, right?"
Ling Jian lowered his head and did not answer. The autumn wind blew up his hair and robes, creating a rustling sound. At this moment, he seemed to have integrated into the cold wind, symbolizing desolation and solitude.
This was the first time since Ling Jian followed Ling Tian that he did not answer Ling Tian immediately!
"I remember telling you that day that I needed a sword, a sword that could cut through all my obstacles, kill all those who obstruct me." Ling Tian finally breathed out. "However, what happens after I conquer the entire world? Ah'Jian, to unite all under heavens, one needs a sword, one needs to kill. But in the end, there is a limit to killing, and we cannot continue like this forever. There will be one day where peace reigns and our time of slaughter will also have passed. We still have so many years ahead of us, and even if there are still wars and slaughter, that would be for the future generations to worry about, not us."
"Other than a sword, do you know what I lack the most right now, Ah'Jian?"
Ling Jian suddenly raised his head up.
Ling Tian shook his head as he bitterly laughed, "I, Ling Tian, can also be considered as a hegemon with authority and influence. With a wave of my hand, I can create rivers of blood that flow from ten thousand people! As for my confidante, I have Ling Chen, BingYan, and YanXue, all who are heaven-toppling beauties! For a family, my parents and grandparents are healthy and well, without ailment, and they treasure me dearly. Having reached this state, to the ordinary person, I'm practically flawless. Is that so? I'm still missing something. And this something, is similar to those I've stated above, that you cannot buy with money."
"Ah'Jian, do you know what I'm lacking?" Ling Tian warmly looked at Ling Jian. "Are you willing to give me that thing?"
"So long as Ling Jian has it, he will definitely provide it for Young Noble, without hesitation!" Ling Jian resolutely replied.
"Good! A gentleman never goes back on his word!" Ling Tian lightly shouted. His eyes narrowed as he smiled, "I'm still lacking a brother, a true brother who will go through heaven and hell for me. I lack a brother, who is willing to forge bonds of brotherhood with me. I lack a brother, who is willing to boast and talk crap with me during our free time, to share weal and woe. Such a brother cannot be replaced by any woman on earth. How is it? Didn't you say you would want to accompany me for a lifetime? I now ask you to accompany me, to chat, and to boast!"
Ling Jian's face turned green, "Young Noble, it's alright if you ask me to kill and to plunder. However, to chitchat and boast… I don't know how!"
Ling Tian smiled as he looked at him, "This is something every male is inborn with, how could you not know this? I'm very expectant of your reply, just like how you decisively replied me that year, to be my sword!"
Without waiting for Ling Jian to open his mouth, he suddenly laughed and continued, "I'll take your silence as consent then. When we return to Sky Bearing, I'll send out a command, giving you a matchmaking session."
"Ah?! Matchmaking?" Ling Jian was stunned silly. He was still absorbing what Ling Tian had said and did not fully understand the contents. What was it about a man being innately able to chitchat and boast, and suddenly having this bombshell dropped on him, he could not help but exclaim out loud.
"Yep, matchmaking. You're already nineteen and you're not of a young age anymore. You should have thoughts of forming a family. If you continue like this, I'm afraid you'll really become a cold-blooded sword!" Ling Tian chuckled. "And a woman is the best weapon to allow hundred times forged steel to become soft and supple!"
Ling Jian began to sweat, sweat buckets, sweat out a waterfall…
"Matchmaking? Even announcing to the entire world?! Ling Jian might be cold and unfeeling, but apparently, even a corpse could change its expression. "Young Noble… this, I can't do it…"
"What can't? Why can't you?!" Ling Tian rolled his eyes as he rejected, "Just look at me, I have three to four wives already, and they can even form a clique. You're still a bachelor so don't you feel envious?"
Ling Jian did not know whether to laugh or cry as he replied, "Young Noble, I'm not jealous… I've never thought of such a matter before. Besides, I also do not wish to be burdened by family matters."
"Never thought of it? No, this will not do! From now on I want you to think about it. I don't wish to have a bachelor on my side forever, that will not give me a sense of security!" Ling Tian tyrannically growled. "Ah'Jian, I might need you to kill for me, but I need you to be a normal person even more for me. Let's not talk about others, do you wish to let your family bloodline end in your generation?"
Ling Tian fell silent. There existed an ancient saying, 'There are three ways to be unfilial, of which not having descendants is the worst'. Especially since Ling Jian's family only had him left, the duty was even heavier. Ling Tian mentioning his point was to drive him into his grave.
In this particular era, to bear offspring was something everyone deemed a necessity!
Ling Tian laughed to himself as he stopped speaking. He did not need to continue. Ling Jian was a smart person, and saying too much would instead produce a negative effect. So long as he continued thinking down this line, he would naturally come to his senses. Instead, if he was thoroughly cornered, then he would instead reveal his stupidly loyal persona.
Feng Mo took this opportune time to say, "Young Noble, since Little JianJian scolded me for not having a brain, could you enlighten me and explain your plans?"
Ling Tian smiled as he spoke, "Actually, to break the scheme of the Xiao Family, it's simpler than one thinks. Just like the theory in martial arts, where the strongest part of a skill could actually also be its flaw, the most clever part of the Xiao Family's scheme is where it's crucial point lies!
Ling Jian and Feng Mo immediately caught on, "Young Noble is saying that within this entire setup, the Xiao Family could have easily obtained what they wanted, yet they kept themselves hidden behind an intricate set up. However, if this perfect set up were to be countered, then it would completely offset all their plans?!"
"That's right, Ah'Jian, look at the opposite. Can you think of a method that will drive the 200,000 strong army to retreat, and even vanish?"
"Young Noble, how about I'll bring the brothers down and charge for it? Trample them to bits! With our current strength, even if we don't succeed, to retreat without losses is not a problem!" Ling Jian narrowed his eyes, eager to try it out. Recalling the time when he charged together with Ling Tian into the 400,000 strong army, that arrogance, that power, made his blood boil. Right now, the 200,000 strong army seemed a little small in comparison!
"Trample?! Retreat safely?!" Ling Tian stared with wide eyes at Ling Jian, as he suddenly laughed. "My dear Ah'Jian, you can really fantasize. This is a 200,000 strong army that has pitched camp for a few days! How are you going to rush them?! I believe, even Heavenly Justice would not be able to retreat even if he were to rush them right now! With just your skills, you are merely seeking death!"
"The last time we rushed an army of 400,000 troops, yet we ended up fine!" Ling Jian grumbled, a little miffed.
"That was then, this is now. The last time, both parties were on a foreign battlefield, without preparation or traps. And we chose the most chaotic time when the armies clashed to rush in, thus we had an advantage." Ling Tian solemnly replied. "However, the Xiao Family has already pitched camp for over 10 days. How would they not take precautions against ambushes? Let's not speak of 200,000 people, even a company of 2,000 men who have pitched camp and dug their heels into the ground would be hard to overcome!"
"Even if we can't rush in, to blend in and set their items on fire is still possible, right?" Ling Jian pursed up his lips, coolly looking at the opposite armed forces.
"Setting fire…. Is indeed a good idea." Ling Tian's eyes lit up, and he commanded, "Let's go, we'll look for the nearby bandits to say hi to."