Chapter 275: Master Shang (Part 3)

A sharp clash echoed as sword met arrow, sparks flying from the impact. Despite Bai Yifei's considerable strength, he couldn't help but be pushed back several steps by Daniel's powerful strike. If one looked closely, they might even notice a slight tremor in Bai Yifei's wrist as he held his red sword.

Yan Lingji seized the opportunity to escape, swiftly moving away and disappearing into the dense forest after casting a quick glance back at Daniel.

"Should I finish him off now?" Daniel hesitated, pondering whether to kill Bai Yifei on the spot. It wasn't that he didn't want to; rather, he was concerned about how Bai Yifei's death might affect Han Fei. After all, Han Fei was one of the characters he admired. Although Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei were Han Fei's enemies, their presence allowed Han Fei's Liusa to grow and develop. If they were eliminated, Han Fei's main adversary would become his fourth brother, Han Yu.

If Han Fei had the temperament of Ying Zheng, Han Yu would pose no threat to him. Unfortunately, Han Fei lacked the mindset required of a ruler. To truly shine, he would need to collaborate with Ying Zheng, but due to his background, such a partnership was impossible.

While Daniel's mind raced, his actions did not cease. Arrow after arrow flew toward Bai Yifei, who soon found himself in a dire situation. The once pristine white of his blood-red robe was now stained with his own blood. The saying "He who steals life with a single blow; his robe soaked in blood" originally referred to Bai Yifei's victims, but now the blood was his own. Even his once immaculate white hair was disheveled by Daniel's relentless arrows.

"I've overthought this," Daniel mused, finally making a decision. He would spare Bai Yifei for now. If this were the world of *Hunter x Hunter* or *One Piece*, he would have killed him without hesitation. But given the connections to Han Fei, Liusa, and Ying Zheng, he decided to hold back.

Once his mind was made up, Daniel moved with blinding speed, using Soru to instantly appear beside Bai Yifei. Caught off guard, Bai Yifei's expression shifted to one of fear as Daniel shattered his right shoulder with a single strike, reducing the bone to fragments.

Bai Yifei grunted in pain, his body trembling from the intense agony. Without hesitation, Daniel broke Bai Yifei's right arm and both legs, leaving him incapacitated on the ground. For someone like Bai Yifei, who had killed countless innocents, particularly young women, Daniel showed no mercy. The only reason he didn't kill him outright was his curiosity about the training methods for Bai Yifei's White Armored Soldiers.

"These swords are quite nice," Daniel remarked, catching Bai Yifei's red and white swords as they fell. The craftsmanship of the blades was exquisite, but they now belonged to him.

With one hand holding the twin swords and the other dragging Bai Yifei by his right leg like a defeated dog, Daniel began walking away. On his way, he glanced up at the cliff where Han Fei and Wei Zhuang stood watching.

"Who would have thought?" Han Fei muttered, clearly surprised by the sight of Bai Yifei being dragged away by Daniel. However, neither he nor Wei Zhuang made any move to intervene. Bai Yifei's downfall was beneficial to Han Fei, as it weakened Ji Wuye's Nightfall faction.

"I never expected the mighty Bai Yifei to fall here," Zhang Liang remarked when he met up with Han Fei and Wei Zhuang on their way back. After hearing what had transpired, he couldn't help but sigh.

"This is both a blessing and a curse for us," Zhang Liang quickly added, frowning.

"What do you mean?" Han Fei asked, intrigued. Although Zhang Liang was later known as the "Sage of Strategy," at this time, he was still a step behind Han Fei. Even in later years, much of Zhang Liang's work would be inspired by Han Fei.

"With one less member in the Nightfall Four, Ji Wuye's power has significantly weakened. But the threat posed by the Hundred Yue Clan to Korea has greatly increased."

"They may not be from the Hundred Yue Clan," Han Fei suddenly interjected.

"If they're not from the Hundred Yue Clan, then a third party must be involved," Zhang Liang responded quickly, though Han Fei chose not to elaborate further.

With the Crown Prince safe, Han Fei was credited for his efforts. Bai Yifei's capture, while causing a stir in the Korean court, didn't garner much attention. Other than Ji Wuye's displeased glare at Han Fei, most of the court seemed indifferent to the Blood-Clothed Marquis's fate.

Even Ji Wuye's attempts to pin the blame on Han Fei were deftly deflected by Han Yu. For Han Yu, Bai Yifei's downfall was a welcome development, as it meant a vacant position commanding ten thousand soldiers. If he played his cards right, Han Yu might not gain full control of the troops, but he could secure a significant portion.

Everyone present understood the importance of military power. King Han An had ascended the throne by seizing control of the military, using it to overthrow the crown prince and become the current king.

The loss of such a key ally left Ji Wuye furious. His mood soured even further when he learned upon returning to his temporary headquarters that the Crown Prince's carriage had accidentally fallen into a river, resulting in the prince's drowning.

This was a more significant blow than Bai Yifei's capture. The Crown Prince had been a crucial part of Ji Wuye's faction. With his death, the position was now up for grabs, and Han Yu held a distinct advantage.

As the eldest son of King Han An, the Crown Prince's status was a birthright. Even if he was inept, he was still the prince. King Han An had many concubines, and thus many children. Han Yu, the fourth son, was now the likely successor, especially with the second and third sons already deceased. Han Yu had garnered significant support throughout Korea, making him the obvious choice.

However, in the battle for the throne, nothing is certain until the very end.

"To think they would go this far... why?" Han Fei clenched his fists tightly upon hearing the news in the Zilan Pavilion.

Fratricide was the last thing Han Fei wanted to see, but it had come to pass. If Han Fei had possessed Han Yu's ruthlessness, he could have orchestrated events to eliminate both the Crown Prince and Han Yu, using his intelligence to turn the situation to his advantage.

Wei Zhuang had seen such an opportunity and had even pointed it out to Han Fei. But while Han Fei understood the logic, he couldn't bring himself to act. He knew what needed to be done, but he couldn't take the necessary steps.

"Could this guy really be the Bat King?" Back at his estate, Daniel had learned much from interrogating Bai Yifei, including the secrets of his martial arts. Bai Yifei's techniques, more accurately described as sorcery, required constant blood intake to increase power and maintain youth.

However, the technique had significant drawbacks. If Bai Yifei didn't replenish his blood supply within a specific timeframe, his powers would wane, and his appearance would rapidly deteriorate.

Given Bai Yifei's current age and strength, the number of women he had killed was terrifying. Knowing this, Daniel felt that a quick death would be too merciful.

"True to form, Bai Yifei remains defiant even now."

Aside from the initial shock upon seeing Daniel's true face, Bai Yifei had remained silent, even when Daniel resorted to torture.

Daniel's methods were not particularly gruesome. He avoided the many historical forms of brutal torture that could make one's skin crawl. Instead, he focused on psychological torment, attacking Bai Yifei's mind rather than his body.

For instance, Daniel crippled Bai Yifei's meridians, causing his appearance to age rapidly. This also allowed Daniel to study the internal chakra points, using Bai Yifei as a rare and valuable subject.

Bai Yifei's silence likely stemmed from despair after seeing his own withered face.

From Bai Yifei, Daniel also learned the true nature of the so-called Hundred Yue treasure. It wasn't the treasure of the Fire Rain Villa, but the royal treasure of the Hundred Yue Kingdom.

The Fire Rain Villa had been renowned for its craftsmen, who were said to have helped construct the hidden location of the treasure. When the Hundred Yue royal family was swiftly defeated, those who knew the treasure's location, including the previous Hundred Yue King, were killed. Even Tianze, the prince at the time, was unaware of these secrets.

Initially, the treasure hunters had targeted the wealth of the Fire Rain Villa, but after Jiu Jiu's resurrection and tireless investigation, they uncovered information about the Hundred Yue royal treasure.

This treasure was meant to fund the Hundred Yue royal family's efforts to reclaim their kingdom. But even now, the true nature of the treasure remained unknown, even to Tianze.

"To think they believed the Azure Dragon Seven Lodges were merely a treasure," Bai Yifei had heard of the Azure Dragon Seven Lodges, but to him, they were nothing more than a hoard of riches.

While this theory wasn't entirely wrong—wealth could indeed be a source of power—it didn't align with what Daniel knew. He found it hard to believe that the Yin-Yang Clan would pursue something that was merely

 a treasure.

"No wonder this powerful unit disappeared," Daniel thought, having learned from Bai Yifei how the White Armored Soldiers were trained. He had been intrigued by this unit but lost interest after discovering the rigorous training regimen.

It wasn't that the White Armored Soldiers weren't powerful—they were—but maintaining them required immense resources. Daniel could afford the cost, but he saw little point. The money required to build such a unit could be better spent on other military forces, which could train far more soldiers.

To put it bluntly, it would be more practical to train a unit of Wei Wu Soldiers. While the White Armored Soldiers were formidable, they were highly specialized. They excelled at long-range combat but were vulnerable in close quarters.

In contrast, the Wei Wu Soldiers were versatile—a modern-day equivalent of special forces.

Bai Yifei's White Armored Soldiers were designed to complement his sorcery, creating an environment that played to his strengths. Daniel had no need for such a specialized unit.

The Wei Wu Soldiers, on the other hand, were easier to manage. The Pijia Gong internal martial art was now in Daniel's possession. When the Wei Wu Soldiers had once dominated the battlefield, the Pijia Sect had enjoyed great fame. Many had sought to replicate the Wei Wu Soldiers by obtaining the sect's martial arts.

But while the techniques were acquired, no other state could recreate the Wei Wu Soldiers, as the cost was prohibitive. A ruler had to consider the bigger picture and couldn't afford to pour all resources into a single unit.

When the state of Wei was at its peak, it had fielded an invincible army of Wei Wu Soldiers. But now, the unit had dwindled to a shadow of its former self.

Today, Pijia Gong was no longer rare, but few practiced it. The costs were simply too high. Wealth was needed to train in martial arts—no different from modern times.

Daniel decided to put his plans on hold. He had the wealth to create any military unit he desired, but with no intention of conquest, there was little point in building such forces.

"If I'm going to build an army, it should be the best." But what was the best army? Opinions varied, and no consensus had ever been reached. However, Daniel had a plan.

He would create an army of mechanized beasts. The Gongshu Clan's Earth-Rending Three Wolves and the Mohist Clan's Mechanical White Tiger were among the most formidable mechanized beasts.

The Earth-Rending Three Wolves were designed for siege warfare, while the Mechanical White Tiger was swift and agile. With the addition of the Mechanical Vermilion Bird, such a mechanized army would greatly strengthen the Qin Empire.

"You certainly know how to relax," Han Fei remarked as he strolled into Daniel's estate, finding him lounging in a garden chair. Han Fei took a seat in a nearby chair, smiling as he reclined.

"It's a surprise to see you here instead of at the Zilan Pavilion. There aren't any beautiful women around here," Daniel replied, genuinely surprised by Han Fei's visit.

"Oh, I've heard there's a certain fire-wielding beauty here recently," Han Fei teased.

"You mean Yan Lingji? If you have something to say, just say it," Daniel cut to the chase, preferring plain speech over riddles. He wasn't one for cryptic conversations; he preferred straightforward communication.

"What's your connection to the Hundred Yue?" Han Fei asked bluntly.

"None at all. I just despise Bai Yifei. His martial arts are too abhorrent, so I intervened," Daniel replied. Since Han Fei already knew it was him, there was no point in denying it. Daniel even went on to explain Bai Yifei's techniques.

"What's your relationship with Qin?" Han Fei pressed further.

"Why assume that coming from the West means I came from Qin? I come from even farther west. Before arriving here, I traveled the world, even to the Four Extremities. You, of all people, with your talent, confining your ambitions to this small piece of land in the Central Plains... This world is vast. Have you ever wondered just how vast? Have you ever ventured to the Four Extremities?"

The concept of the Four Extremities was based on the ancient Chinese belief in a flat Earth, with the East, West, South, and North Extremities marking the boundaries of the world.

Daniel's words left Han Fei momentarily stunned. He had never considered such a perspective.

"The Central Plains is just a tiny part of the world?" Han Fei latched onto one particular phrase, struggling to reconcile it with the commonly held belief that the Central Plains was the center of the world. In an era where the Central Plains was considered the heart of civilization, Daniel's perspective was difficult to accept.

"You see the Central Plains as the center, but to me, it's just a small place. I've traveled to the Four Extremities and seen a military formation unlike any you've ever imagined. Would you be interested in witnessing it?" Daniel asked, piquing Han Fei's curiosity even further.

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