Chapter 157 - 94: A Storm Is Brewing, Undercurrents Surging

Chapter 157: Chapter 94: A Storm Is Brewing, Undercurrents Surging

He hadn’t even known how to properly hold a saber. Because his talent was unremarkable, Squad Leader Sun had only taught him for two days before giving up on him. Then came the story of Zheng Jun’s Divine Soul descending, whereupon he began using the ’Great Tao Martial Book’ to frantically extract power on credit.

But people always romanticize their memories. Squad Leader Sun had already embellished his own, so in his mind, Zheng Jun had always been a formidable Celestial Pride blessed by heaven from the very beginning.

After hearing this, Shen Yunyi froze in place. His ears BUZZED, rendering him completely deaf to whatever Squad Leader Sun said next. The only words that registered were, "chopped off Old Thief Yuan Yi’s head." These words echoed in his ears like a lingering nightmare. His expression was filled with shock and bewilderment. He simply couldn’t believe the news he had just heard, unable to calm down for a long time.

After a long while, Shen Yunyi finally snapped out of his daze amidst Squad Leader Sun’s endless bragging. "Are you saying Captain Zheng killed... killed True Man Yuan Yi, the Outer Gang Elder of the Vast Sea Sect?" he asked in astonishment.

"Yes." Squad Leader Sun hadn’t expected Shen Yunyi to ask this. He nodded and said excitedly, "That Old Thief Yuan Yi’s head has already been brought back to the Garrison Command’s Government Office. Commander Gu of the Garrison Command said he would personally carry the head to the Commandery city to claim merit for Captain Zheng!"

Upon hearing this confirmation, Shen Yunyi instantly felt an overwhelming sense of sheer terror surge from the depths of his heart.

"In that case... I must properly congratulate Third Master Zheng." Shen Yunyi forced a smile, his form of address smoothly transitioning from "Captain Zheng" to "Third Master Zheng" before trying to leave quickly.

But alas, his feet were rooted to the spot. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move an inch. It seemed the immense terror had thrown the meridians in his legs into chaos, making his True Qi unresponsive! Cold sweat streamed down Shen Yunyi’s forehead. He hastily channeled his Inner Power to smooth out his True Qi before finally taking a step, leading his plump, affluent-looking younger cousin out the door.

His affluent-looking cousin trailed behind him in silence, not uttering a single word. Although his martial arts strength was ordinary, he was still a Blood Refining Martial Artist. He naturally knew what kind of figure an Outer Gang expert was. That was a Martial Arts Realm only the head of a county could possess. Any Martial Artist who achieved the Outer Gang realm was a formidable powerhouse wherever they went. In Black Mountain County, they were akin to a blazing sun overhead. Even just getting close, one could easily be burned by the sun’s radiating heat if they weren’t careful.

It wasn’t until the two of them reached a secluded alleyway that Shen Yunyi stopped in his tracks.

"Second Brother, are we... still looking for someone?" After a long silence, the plump man asked in a low voice, "That Zheng Jun first killed Magistrate Meng, and now he’s killed this True Man Yuan Yi of the Vast Sea Sect. Can the Outer Gang Martial Artist you know defeat him?"

Hearing his cousin’s words, Shen Yunyi remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "Fifth Brother, is there anyone within our Shen family who truly agrees with Third Master Zheng’s policies?"

"Yes," the plump man replied. "Third Uncle’s son has read so many books he’s gone foolish. He is wholeheartedly devoted to the public good, saying he wants to distribute the land to those tenants and domestic servants so they can have fields to farm. He claims that’s the only way to truly pass down our family legacy."

"Alright, I understand," Shen Yunyi said. "It’s time to get going."

"Mhm." The plump man nodded. Just as he was about to head out, he suddenly saw the veins in Shen Yunyi’s arms bulge. A formidable surge of True Qi swept toward him with overwhelming force!

The plump man never expected his older cousin to suddenly attack him. He was momentarily terrified and tried to resist, but it was utterly useless. Unless the target was an Unparalleled Celestial Pride, launching a sneak attack with the power of Qi Storage against a Blood Refining Martial Artist could never fail. Thus, with a loud BANG, the plump man violently spewed blood from his mouth and collapsed to the ground. His eyes were filled with incomprehension and shock. He had absolutely no idea why his older cousin had suddenly attacked him.

Shen Yunyi let out a deep breath. He then stepped forward without hesitation. Hardening his heart, he abruptly exerted force with both arms and ripped his cousin’s head off. He swiftly stripped off the man’s clothes and wrapped them around the severed head. Carrying his gruesome prize, he headed toward the Military Department. His figure moved swiftly, his steps rapid!

* * *

Inside the Military Department, Zheng Jun and Cai Xun were sitting together.

"Sanlang possesses formidable strength," Cai Xun sighed in admiration, though the gaze he fixed on Zheng Jun was filled with fear. It was almost identical to the look in his eyes when Zheng Jun had killed Meng Xian. However, last time, that look had quickly dissipated after he learned that Meng Xian had already been heavily injured prior to the kill. This time, it was completely different.

Although True Man Yuan Yi’s True Essence had been somewhat depleted earlier, he had still been given three days to recover. He must have regained at least eighty percent of his original strength. And yet, in such a clash, he was killed by Zheng Jun. That was one thing, but the real issue was... Zheng Jun only had two saber wounds on him. Furthermore, they weren’t severe. With a few days of rest, he could fully recover by relying on the robust physique of a Qi Storage Martial Artist.

This spoke volumes. It proved one thing: when Zheng Jun killed True Man Yuan Yi, he had actually done so with ease and hadn’t truly been pushed to his absolute limit. Zheng Jun’s true combat strength in a life-and-death struggle was even higher!

Thinking of this, Cai Xun couldn’t help but feel a myriad of emotions. He felt that the Zheng Jun sitting before him was simply a heavenly god descended to the mortal realm, and that his own previous worries had been entirely unnecessary.