Chapter 62: The Death of Chen Zhengping
Chapter 62: Chapter 62: The Death of Chen Zhengping
"Fine."
Chen Li’s gaze lingered on Linglong’s face for a moment before he nodded.
Overjoyed, Linglong immediately stepped forward and struck several of Jing Hong’s major acupoints, sealing them. She then dragged her behind a nearby tree.
Before long, faint, intermittent gasps could be heard from behind the tree...
"Who... who in the world are you?"
A sound like a broken bellows rasped from Chen Zhengping’s throat. The intense pain made it difficult for him to even speak a complete sentence.
Although he had practiced martial arts for a few years in his youth and reached the Dark Force level, compared to experts like Chen Li and Linglong, he was worlds apart.
Linglong had severed the meridians in his four limbs with a single, clean move. Now, he lay crumpled on the ground like a pile of mud, unable to move.
Chen Li raised a hand and slowly removed the mask from his face.
"Zhengping, it’s time to end this."
The face revealed from under the mask made Chen Zhengping’s pupils shrink to pinpricks.
"Chen... Chen Li?! It’s... it’s you?!"
Chen Zhengping was both terrified and hateful, his words incoherent as his body trembled uncontrollably.
Chen Li’s eyes were ice-cold, devoid of any hesitation or pity.
The Iron Staff in his hand shot out like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, easily piercing through his heart.
Chen Zhengping’s body stiffened violently. His eyes flew wide open, and the terror, resentment, and venom within them quickly faded, dimmed, and finally lost all light. He collapsed limply, making no further sound.
...
「A short while later.」
The blush-inducing, amorous sounds from deep within the forest gradually fell silent.
Linglong’s clothes were slightly disheveled. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes glistened, adding to her seductive charm.
Carrying the half-dead, barely breathing Jing Hong, who was as limp as a pile of mud, she emerged from the shadows of the tree. She bowed gracefully to Chen Li. "Thank you for granting my wish, Senior."
"How did it go?" Chen Li asked.
Linglong reported respectfully, her voice tinged with irrepressible joy, "This servant has absorbed all of Jing Hong’s Power. This servant has now reached Qi Realm Perfection, my foundation is stable, and I can attempt a breakthrough to the Spirit Realm at any time."
Noticing Chen Li’s burning gaze fixed upon her, Linglong’s pretty face grew hot and flushed.
Instead of shying away, she boldly met his gaze. Her eyes danced with a smile and a hint of alluring provocation. "Senior, would you like to test it out with this servant? Both ’big sister’ Jing Hong and I are still virgins, you know."
"Dump her in the river."
Chen Li snorted coldly, unmoved. He picked up Chen Zhengping’s gradually cooling corpse and turned to leave.
...
A biting cold wind, laden with moisture, swept across the Jingshan County docks.
The usual hustle and bustle had been replaced by a scene of devastation and dead silence.
Broken planks, scattered cargo, dried, dark-brown bloodstains, and the lingering smell of smoke and gore filled the air.
「Three days prior.」
The Water Bandits created a diversion, increasing their activity in Lixian County.
The Riverway Government Office had transferred five hundred soldiers stationed at Mirror Mountain to reinforce Lixian County.
But the Water Bandits suddenly attacked the docks of Jingshan County Town.
The small number of soldiers and militia members stationed at the docks had almost no way to fight back and were slaughtered in an instant.
The docked cargo ships were plundered, dozens of boatloads of goods were stolen, and hundreds of innocent boatmen and laborers were brutally murdered, their bodies strewn everywhere.
This band of Water Bandits was as swift as the wind. After succeeding, they quickly vanished into the vast expanse of the Lishui River, leaving only devastation and cries of anguish in their wake.
When the news spread, Jingshan County was shaken to its core!
The common people were terrified, and trade routes were nearly severed.
In an instant, the various levels of Government Offices, from the State County to the Commandery, were enraged.
They issued orders to conscript Martial Artists to exterminate them.
On the military training ground, the atmosphere was grim and heavy.
On the Jingshan County training ground, several hundred Martial Artists had gathered. Every one of them had sharp eyes and carried the faint scent of blood, clear signs they were ruthless characters who had been through life-or-death battles.
The weakest among them were experts at the Marrow Refining Realm, and there were even a few with profound, restrained auras, who were clearly at the Qi Realm of Cultivation.
A murderous intent permeated the air.
Chen Shouheng stood at the edge of the crowd, dressed in dark cyan martial attire, his posture as straight and tall as a pine tree.
The County Magistrate’s Office had required the Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall to send three people for this conscription, and Chen Shouheng had volunteered.
On the platform, a military officer was explaining the operation. "...The location of this mission is classified. You are all to simply follow us. The mission is to storm the Water Bandits’ lair with us and kill their leaders. The Government Office will offer handsome rewards. For each head taken: one hundred taels of silver for a major leader, fifty taels for a minor leader, and five taels for a common bandit. Merits will be calculated separately according to the law!"
A stir went through the crowd, and a bloodthirsty gleam appeared in many people’s eyes.
The silver rewards for suppressing bandits had always been generous.
This was the main way many people of the Jianghu made money.
Chen Shouheng took a deep breath. He had never been short on silver coins over the years, so he wasn’t particularly excited about the reward money.
Behind the high platform of the training ground.
A tall, slender woman dressed in a fiery red robe stood with a sword in her arms.
She had a tall, athletic build. Her long, black hair was tied back simply, revealing a smooth, high forehead and a beautiful, cold face.
The red-robed woman’s gaze swept through the crowd, and it suddenly paused when it passed over Chen Shouheng.
’That young face, the contours of his brow... they’re surprisingly familiar.’
Her heart stirred. She walked straight down from the high platform, passed through the crowd, and stopped in front of Chen Shouheng.
Her cool gaze lingered on his face for a moment, carrying a hint of inquiry and an imperceptible softness.
"What is your surname?" The red-robed woman’s voice was as clear as a spring.
Chen Shouheng was slightly taken aback by the question. He looked up to see a red-robed woman staring at him. He cupped his fist respectfully but without servility and said, "I am Chen Shouheng."
’It’s her?’
In that instant, a long-buried memory was unlocked.
Looking closely at the red robes and the heroic spirit in her brow, he realized she was the stunning figure he had seen on the main road several years ago.
That was the first time he had ever seen such a dashing and heroic woman of the Jianghu.
Her figure, whipping her horse onward, was as dazzling as a flame. Her laughter was clear and carefree, completely unlike the delicate demeanor of an ordinary woman. In the blink of an eye, she had vanished into the billowing dust at the end of the road.
The sight had once captivated his younger self, filling him with yearning.
A peculiar glint flashed in Mu Yuanying’s eyes as she carefully studied the face before her, which bore a striking resemblance to someone from her memory.
Then, the corners of her mouth curved into a faint smile. In a tone that brooked no refusal, yet lacked the harshness of a command, she said, "Hello, my name is Mu Yuanying. Chen Shouheng, I am now formally inviting you to join my squad."
Without a second thought, Chen Shouheng nodded readily and agreed. "Alright."
Mu Yuanying had already turned to a soldier in charge of assigning squads. "This man is assigned to my team."
The soldier seemed to hold Mu Yuanying in considerable awe and agreed immediately without asking a single question.
Chen Shouheng walked steadily over and stood behind Mu Yuanying, his gaze sweeping over the teammates he would soon be fighting alongside.
In their squad, Mu Yuanying had a Qi Realm Perfection Cultivation.
The other three members were a stout man who used a saber, a tall, thin man who used a Short Sword, and a taciturn middle-aged Swordsman. Their auras were no weaker than his, meaning they were all clearly in the Blood Refining Realm.
Before long, the squad assignments were complete.
After the officer finished explaining the relevant details, the squads left the training ground one after another to prepare for the upcoming mission.