He Lian Zheng was beside himself with rage. Pinching a sword formula with one hand and holding the three-eyed firearm in the other, his expression was gloomy as he stared at Chen Shi.
Right now, eleven corpses lay on the ground inside the temple.
Aside from the two of them, not a single soul remained standing.
Chen Shi also faced He Lian Zheng, slowly relaxing his palm as Young Master Zhao Rui's corpse slid slowly down along the wall.
The distance He Lian Zheng stood at was exceedingly clever, positioned precisely around ten feet apart.
For Chen Shi, this distance approached his limit for a guaranteed kill.
If the distance were any greater, he would find it difficult to arrive in a flash.
Though he had forged true blood and his body was much stronger than before, exceeding a ten-foot distance meant his speed wasn't fast enough, easily giving the enemy an opportunity to exploit. Therefore, this distance within ten feet was the optimal combat range.
The distance He Lian Zheng chose made him alert, involuntarily bringing another person to mind: Zhuge Jian.
When Shuinui County Constable Zhuge Jian was probing him, he had also stood at this very distance, advancing to attack and retreating to defend.
He Lian Zheng possessed rich combat experience, roughly estimating his striking range.
The fat divine fortune-teller laughed out loud, shouting, "Was I right or not! He will kill you lot, he'll kill all of you! He is a fiend! A fiend escaped from the underworld!"
He Lian Zheng could not hear him, and Chen Shi turned a deaf ear.
Both men stared at each other.
At that moment, several Imperial Guards rushed into the ruined temple. Seeing the gore and corpses covering the floor, a shock ran through their hearts, and they were just about to make a move when He Lian Zheng said in a cold voice, "Do not come in!"
The several Imperial Guards startled, pulling back the steps they had just planted into the temple doors.
Chen Shi secretly cursed it a pity. If these Imperial Guards had entered, it would have made He Lian Zheng hesitate for fear of harming them, unable to unleash his spells, making his actual combat strength inferior to before.
The ancient temple was too small; the more people who entered, the greater Chen Shi's odds of winning.
If it were only the two of them instead, Chen Shi would actually fall into danger!
The two observed the corpses beneath their feet and the positions of the pools of blood, gently shifting their footing and regulating their breathing.
Suddenly, He Lian Zheng let out a furious roar, taking a step forward. He trod on the clear breeze to glide forward ten feet, heading straight for Chen Shi as his other hand waved the three-eyed firearm, smashing it down toward Chen Shi's forehead!
The power of the Jia Ma Talisman on his legs was still present, granting him swift speed. Coupled with his tall and sturdy build, his speed did not lose out to Chen Shi in the slightest!
With this move, he pushed his own strength to the absolute limit. The descending three-eyed firearm stirred up a whistling wind, exceptionally heavy.
Chen Shi was just about to dodge when he suddenly saw He Lian Zheng's left hand—which was pinching the sword formula—twitch slightly. A sense of alarm rose in his heart, and he immediately raised his hand to meet the three-eyed firearm.
An invisible sword Qi slashed down from his side, chopping into the ground and snapping the floor bricks!
If Chen Shi had dodged, he would have happened to crash right into this sword Qi.
Chen Shi raised a hand to catch the three-eyed firearm. His palm nearly suffered a fracture from the impact; the immense force pressed downward, reaching his shoulder before he finally caught the power of that hammer blow.
"Boom!"
The three-eyed firearm exploded on his shoulder, a Thunderbolt Pellet shooting out to blast a large hole in the wall behind him. The bouncing brick and pellet fragments struck his back, leaving behind trail after trail of bloody gashes!
Although this shot failed to hit Chen Shi, the Three-Sun Thunder Sound burst forth from the firearm, leaving his eardrums ringing with a buzzing sound and rendering him unable to hear anything at all.
Chen Shi attempted to grab the firearm, but He Lian Zheng released his grip, leaving him to snatch the weapon away.
An intensely strong sense of danger suddenly welled up within Chen Shi. Wielding the firearm to block before him, with a chi sound, the three-eyed firearm was sheared apart by a stream of invisible sword Qi!
While retreating, Chen Shi brandished the two halves of the firearm, whirling them like snowflakes, yet he heard an unceasing succession of chi chi sounds as the two sections of the firearm were actually severed inch by inch.
Suddenly, the invisible sword Qi reached his body. Even though Chen Shi moved at high speed within the ruined temple, he was still struck by swords one after another. His arms, legs, back, chest, neck, and cheeks all bore sword marks, and fresh blood quickly began to flow from these cuts!
He Lian Zheng doggedly matched his movements, tightly trailing his figure with both hands pinching sword formulas to control the swords. The invisible sword Qi flew out from the divine shrine, and the divine embryo sitting squarely within the shrine also pinched identical sword formulas with both hands, executing the exact same motions as He Lian Zheng.
"Two-handed sword Qi!"
Though Chen Shi could not clearly see the position of the sword Qi, he still perceived that the spell He Lian Zheng was executing was different from the Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword in the Heavenly Heart Righteous Qi Art.
The Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword totaled six forms. The six sword moves were very simple: thrust, slash, wipe, lift, coil, and chop. Simple though they were, their power was immense, capable of flying out twenty paces and still severing a large tree that required two people to embrace.
Yet the spell executed by He Lian Zheng was likewise swordsmanship, but its power was not strong, yet the swordsmanship itself was exceedingly exquisite.
He used both hands to control the swords. The sword Qi was at most a foot or so in length, never leaving the vicinity of his body, and could reach a maximum distance of roughly ten feet. Yet his control was guided by his mind, able to flutter up and down and move entirely as he pleased!
This kind of spell should have been born specifically for close combat, designed precisely to deal with someone like him who possessed great strength and tough skin!
Suddenly, Chen Shi kicked up a corpse with one foot, hurling it toward He Lian Zheng. He Lian Zheng shifted his footing, dodging to the side while streams of invisible sword Qi, under his precise control, also bypassed the corpse without harming it in the slightest.
By the time he turned around, Chen Shi's figure was already nowhere to be seen.
"He escaped through the hole in the wall!" said the fat divine fortune-teller with gloating delight.
He Lian Zheng's expression was gloomy as he rushed out from the hole. Although he hadn't heard the fat divine fortune-teller's words, he could tell that Chen Shi had used that corpse to block his line of sight, escaping the temple through the hole.
Once outside, only the unceasing sounds of hurried shouts could be heard; it was Chen Shi clashing with the Imperial Guards stationed along the way.
He Lian Zheng hastily gave chase, rushing to a corner to find a corpse lying on the ground—none other than an Imperial Guard under his command. Its chest was caved in, and a row of ribs had punctured its heart and lungs. It must have been struck with heavy force, with knees directly kneeling into its chest to smash the life out of it.
He Lian Zheng continued forward in pursuit, only to see another person lying dead by the roadside with a broken neck.
This person's throat had been locked and the laryngeal cartilage crushed before a single punch snapped their cervical vertebrae!
Consumed by blazing anger, he continued his pursuit. By the time he chased out of the village, he actually spotted three corpses along the way.
Outside the village, one Imperial Guard after another continuously activated their Jia Ma Talisman, striding like the wind as they galloped along the post road, rushing to launch a raid on Chen Shi.
As for Chen Shi ahead of them, he was running at full tilt. Without using a Jia Ma Talisman, his speed was actually several fractions faster than the talismans!
"No need to chase!"
He Lian Zheng called the group to a halt. After a moment, the crowd of Imperial Guards turned back, one after another gazing toward He Lian Zheng. Some were panicked, some uneasy, and the vast majority were extremely furious.
He Lian Zheng looked as though he had suddenly aged several years, shaking his head as he said, "No need to chase. My brothers, leave. Heh, we failed in our protection, and the Third Young Master and six other Zhao family scions died right here. What is the use in chasing? Even if we catch him, can it exempt us from our culpability?"
An Imperial Guard spoke angrily, "My lord! This brat killed the master's six young masters and misses, and also slaughtered so many of our brothers. Are we just going to let it go like this? This blood debt must be paid in blood!"
"How much silver does the master give you a month?" He Lian Zheng asked.
That Imperial Guard replied, "Seven taels."
"Heh, seven taels of silver a month. Is your life only worth this little?"
He Lian Zheng slumped in discouragement, waving his hand as he said, "The master gives me thirty taels of silver a month, yet even I must leave, let alone the lot of you? Disperse, everyone go seek your own futures."
The crowd hesitated, gradually coming to their senses as well, and consequently began to scatter by degrees.
He Lian Zheng did not linger. Discerning the direction, he too took his leave.
This time, the Zhao family had lost six young prodigies, and they would undoubtedly fly into a towering rage. For Imperial Guards like them who had failed in their protective duties, punishment would be the least of it; they might even forfeit their lives.
Even if they could capture Chen Shi, they could not escape their guilt.
Let alone the fact that they couldn't catch Chen Shi.
Therefore, leaving was the optimal choice.
He Lian Zheng walked while mulling over his thoughts, suddenly halting his steps. Gazing all around, a look of bewilderment appeared on his face before he once again lifted his feet and marched forward.
After a moment, he stopped once more, smiling. "Is it little talisman master Chen Shi? Your Excellency has been tracking me for a long time. Why not show yourself?"
As his voice fell, Chen Shi stepped out from behind a large tree in his rear.
He Lian Zheng cupped his hands from afar, smiling. "Little brother, you and I have always been without grievances or enmity. I was hired by the provincial capital's Zhao family to safeguard the safety of the Zhao family's scions—it was my duty. If there was any offense just now, please forgive me. However, I am no longer employed by the Zhao family and no longer bear this responsibility, so the enmity between you and me should naturally be written off."
"Clang."
Chen Shi tossed over a heavy object that rolled across the ground for several turns before arriving at He Lian Zheng's feet.
"Avenge him," Chen Shi said.
He Lian Zheng peered closely at it. It turned out to be the gun head of the three-eyed firearm.
He was somewhat perplexed. Seeing the bloodstains on the firearm, he suddenly recalled the peasant whom he had beaten with two hammer blows until his brains splattered. A chill ran through his heart, and he said, "Could Your Excellency be looking to avenge that peasant? Little brother, that was merely an illiterate countryman. Why must you take risks to come and kill me? Is he a relative of yours? A friend? Or did he show you kindness?"
Chen Shi shook his head. "Not a relative, nor a friend, and there is no kindness. We merely met."
He Lian Zheng set his mind at ease, smiling. "Since you are strangers, why must you and I make things bitter? The jianghu is vast and distant; perhaps we will meet again in the future. How about this?"
He retrieved a lump of silver from his bosom—amounting to roughly ten taels—took a step back, raised his head to stare at Chen Shi, and slowly placed the silver on the ground.
With a solemn expression, He Lian Zheng said, "Please take this lump of silver back, little brother, and hand it over to the peasant's wife and children as my compensation. One human life, ten taels of silver. In the countryside, that is not a small sum."
He turned and walked forward. After merely ten steps, he stopped once more and looked back. Chen Shi was still following him, and that lump of silver on the ground remained right where it was.
He Lian Zheng could not help growing angry, sneering, "Little brother, do not think that I am afraid of you. You are merely a brat with a bit more strength; your skills are far inferior to mine. Killing you is as easy as turning over my hand!"
Chen Shi remained unmoved, saying, "I will keep following you. You will always have a time when you let down your guard. Even if you just take a nap, I can seize the opportunity to kill you."
He Lian Zheng shivered, continuing forward. Chen Shi walked forward as well. He Lian Zheng stopped, and Chen Shi stopped too.
This brat is like a lingering ghost. Just when is he going to follow me until?
He Lian Zheng swallowed his rage, mentally calculating to himself.
With Chen Shi's speed, he obviously couldn't catch up, so he could only wait for the split second when Chen Shi attacked to slay him with sword Qi!
However, Chen Shi was merely following him and hadn't made a move this entire time, evidently waiting for the moment when he let down his guard.
During this period, He Lian Zheng had continuously maintained the shrine and divine embryo, and his own true Qi was also constantly depleting. If things went on this way, he feared there truly would come a time when exhaustion set in.
What this little thing is waiting for is probably that exact moment!
Walking for who knew how long, He Lian Zheng hadn't eaten a single bite of rice at noon and was now rumbling with hunger. Turning his head, he saw that Chen Shi was still following behind him, causing him to grind his teeth.
If this brat keeps following me, it's going to get dark!
Clenching his teeth tight, he pushed onward. Raising his gaze, he saw the sky gradually flush red, the sun also slowly growing slender.
The daylight finally grew dim and murky.
The moonlight was cold and desolate, scattering across the mortal world. Strange sounds drifted from the mountain forests, resembling ghosts weeping.
At this moment, huge human heads rose slowly from the forest. As they rose, they absorbed the moonlight, expanding like inflating balloons.
There were old and young among the heads, men and women. Some had sparse hair numbering only two or three strands, some wore tufted buns, some had enchanting, seductive eyes, and some were bold and capable. They all wore strange smiles, rolling their eyeballs as they stared at the two people walking along the path.
"Hehehe," they laughed, drifting in a wobbling motion toward the pair.
He Lian Zheng's scalp went numb. This was the most common type of evil, named Floating Skull. Whenever night fell, the very first evil to emerge was invariably a Floating Skull.
Filled with nervous tension, he walked quickly forward while eyeing his surroundings to avoid being closed in upon by the Floating Skulls, all the while unable to stop turning his head to observe Chen Shi's movements.
A mere moment of this left him drenched in sweat, scarcely able to hold on.
Chen Shi is gone!
Staring wide-eyed, he turned his head to scan hard. Chen Shi, who had been following right behind him all this while, had vanished from sight at this moment!
While he was worrying, a Floating Skull quietly and silently arrived above him, opening its mouth to let a long tongue dangle down. The tongue was scarlet and slender, and its other end automatically tied itself into a running noose, hanging just like that behind He Lian Zheng's head.
Seeing other Floating Skulls drifting toward this side, He Lian Zheng hurriedly turned his head, just about to quicken his pace when his neck suddenly tightened. He was hoisted up by the Floating Skull's tongue, drifting uncontrollably into the upper air!
Meeting the crisis without panic, he immediately grabbed the tongue tied by the Floating Skull. The tongue tightened its stranglehold, leaving him unable to breathe.
The divine shrine behind his head blazed with brilliant light. Divine radiance illuminated the space as streams of sword Qi flew out, slashing toward the tongue.
Right at that moment, a figure galloped like lightning, leaping up into a sprint!
Chen Shi charged toward He Lian Zheng in mid-air!
He used a Jia Ma Talisman! His speed is even faster than I anticipated!
A shock ran through He Lian Zheng's heart. Just as he was about to unleash his final remaining strand of sword Qi, a sharp, agonizing pain erupted from his crotch as Chen Shi delivered a heavy kick straight to his groin.
Chen Shi raised his right hand, driving two fingers into He Lian Zheng's eyes to burst both of his eyeballs. As he withdrew his right hand, his left hand half-clenched into a fist, thrusting straight forward to shatter his laryngeal cartilage.
Following that, his right hand grabbed He Lian Zheng's shoulder, using the momentum to spin around. A thick, bear-paw-like palm sent out a whoosh as it struck backward, slamming into the back of He Lian Zheng's head and driving his occipital bone deep into his skull!
The speed is too fast! There's no time to react! He Lian Zheng thought to himself.
Chen Shi dropped down from behind him, landing lightly on his feet, and strode swiftly away before the Floating Skulls could close their encirclement.
The third on the right, dead!
All twelve people in the ancient temple were wiped out.
Beneath the moonlight, the Floating Skulls chuckled, flying higher and higher as they carried He Lian Zheng's corpse off toward an unknown destination.
—Thanks to Silver Grand Patron Duan Tianzun zhu for sponsoring the 44th alliance, the boss is mighty!
During the new book period, it's another four-thousand-word major chapter, quite generous of me, right? Seeking monthly votes~
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