Revenge Requires Blood, Eradicating Weeds Means Removing Roots

He Lian Zheng was furious, his hand forming a sword seal while the other held the Three-Eyed Firearm, his face grim as he stared at Chen Shi.

Now, eleven corpses lay on the ground in the temple.

Besides the two of them, no one else was standing.

Chen Shi also faced He Lian Zheng, slowly loosening his grip. The corpse of Young Master Zhao Rui slid slowly down the wall.

He Lian Zheng stood at an extremely clever distance, precisely around ten feet.

This distance was within Chen Shi's killing range.

If the distance were any further, it would be difficult for him to strike instantaneously.

—Although he had refined his true blood and his body was much stronger than before, beyond ten feet, his speed wasn't as fast, easily giving the enemy an opening. Therefore, within ten feet was the optimal combat distance.

The distance He Lian Zheng stood at made him vigilant, involuntarily reminding him of another person, Zhuge Jian.

When Shuinui County's Recorder, Zhuge Jian, had tested him, he had also stood at this distance, able to attack or retreat.

He Lian Zheng's combat experience was rich, and he roughly estimated Chen Shi's attack range.

The fat divine manifestation laughed heartily, shouting, "Didn't I say so! He'll kill you, he'll kill all of you! He's a malevolent god! A malevolent god escaped from the Underworld!"

He Lian Zheng couldn't hear, and Chen Shi turned a deaf ear.

The two stared at each other.

Just then, several Imperial Guards rushed into the dilapidated temple. Upon seeing the pools of blood and corpses, they were startled and were about to act when He Lian Zheng coldly said, "Don't come in!"

The Imperial Guards paused and retracted their steps from the temple entrance.

Chen Shi inwardly lamented, thinking that if these Imperial Guards had entered, He Lian Zheng would have been hesitant to use magic spells, and his strength would have been diminished.

The ancient temple was too small; the more people who entered, the greater Chen Shi's chances of winning.

If it were just the two of them, Chen Shi would be in danger!

The two observed the positions of the corpses and bloodstains under their feet, subtly shifting their steps and regulating their breathing.

Suddenly, He Lian Zheng roared and took a step forward, gliding ten feet towards Chen Shi with a gust of wind beneath his feet. The other hand wielded the Three-Eyed Firearm, smashing it towards Chen Shi's forehead!

The Jia Ma Talisman on his leg was still potent, granting him swift speed. Coupled with his large build, his speed was no less than Chen Shi's!

In this attack, he unleashed his strength to its absolute limit. The Three-Eyed Firearm smashed down, creating a whistling wind, incredibly heavy.

As Chen Shi was about to dodge, he suddenly saw He Lian Zheng's left hand, which was forming a sword seal, move slightly. A sense of alarm struck him, and he immediately raised his hand to meet the Three-Eyed Firearm.

An invisible sword qi slashed down from his side, striking the ground and cleaving the flagstones!

If Chen Shi had dodged, he would have run straight into this sword qi.

Chen Shi caught the Three-Eyed Firearm, his palm nearly fracturing from the impact. The immense force pressed down on his shoulder before he could fully absorb the blow.

"Boom!"

The Three-Eyed Firearm exploded on his shoulder. Thunderclap pellets shot out, blasting a large hole in the wall behind him. The flying debris and fragments of pellets struck his back, leaving bloody gashes!

Although the shot missed Chen Shi, the "Three Yang Thunder Sound" emanating from the firearm made his eardrums ring, rendering him deafunable to hear anything.

Chen Shi tried to grab the firearm, but He Lian Zheng let go, allowing him to take it.

Chen Shi suddenly felt an extreme sense of danger. He raised the firearm to block in front of him. With a swish, the Three-Eyed Firearm was severed by an invisible sword qi!

Chen Shi retreated, wielding the two halves of the firearm like snowflakes. Swish, swish sounds continued as the two halves of the firearm were cut to pieces.

Suddenly, the invisible sword qi struck his body. Despite Chen Shi's rapid movements within the dilapidated temple, he was repeatedly struck. His arms, legs, back, chest, neck, and face all bore sword marks, and blood soon flowed from these wounds!

He Lian Zheng followed closely, his hands forming sword seals to control the sword qi. The invisible sword qi flew from the shrine, and the Divine Embryo seated within the shrine also formed the same sword seals with its hands, mimicking He Lian Zheng's movements.

"Dual-handed sword qi!"

Although Chen Shi couldn't see the direction of the sword qi, he sensed that the magic spell He Lian Zheng was using was different from the Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword in the Heavenly Heart Righteous Qi Art.

The Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword had six forms, and the six sword moves were simple: thrust, slash, sweep, parry, cloud, and chop. Though simple, their power was immense, capable of flying twenty feet and still cutting down trees that required two people to embrace.

The magic spell He Lian Zheng was using was also swordplay, but its power was not strong, though the sword technique was extremely refined.

He controlled the sword qi with both hands. The sword qi was at most a little over a foot long, staying within a few feet of his body, reaching a maximum of about ten feet. However, it was controlled with his will, able to fly up and down freely.

This type of magic spell seemed designed specifically for close combat, intended to deal with someone like him who had great strength but thin skin!

Suddenly, Chen Shi kicked a corpse towards He Lian Zheng. He Lian Zheng shifted his feet, dodging to the side. Simultaneously, the invisible sword qi, under his precise control, also avoided the corpse without harming it in the slightest.

When he turned around, Chen Shi was nowhere to be seen.

"He escaped through the hole in the wall!" the fat divine manifestation said gleefully.

He Lian Zheng's face grew grim. He rushed out through the hole. Although he hadn't heard the fat divine manifestation's words, he could tell that Chen Shi had used the corpse to block his vision and escape the temple through the hole.

Outside, he heard hurried shouts, indicating Chen Shi was clashing with the Imperial Guards along the way.

He Lian Zheng hurriedly pursued and reached a corner, where he saw a corpse lying on the ground. It was one of his Imperial Guards, his chest caved in, ribs piercing his heart and lungs. He had likely been struck forcefully, with someone kneeling on his chest, crushing him to death.

He Lian Zheng continued to chase forward and saw another person by the roadside with a broken neck.

This person had been choked, his throat bones snapped, and then his neck bones broken with a punch!

Enraged, he continued his pursuit. After chasing out of the village, he saw three more corpses along the way.

Outside the village, one by one, the Imperial Guards activated their Jia Ma Talismans, their strides becoming as swift as flight, as they raced along the post road towards Chen Shi.

Ahead of them, Chen Shi was running at full speed. He hadn't used a Jia Ma Talisman, yet his speed was still a few points faster!

"No need to chase!"

He Lian Zheng called out to everyone. After a moment, the Imperial Guards turned back, all looking at He Lian Zheng. Some were terrified, some uneasy, and more were extremely angry.

He Lian Zheng seemed to have aged several years in an instant. He shook his head and said, "No need to chase. Brothers, you can all go. Heh heh, we failed in our guard duties. The third young master and the other six Zhao family disciples died here. What's the point of chasing now? Even if we catch him, will it absolve us of our crimes?"

One Imperial Guard said angrily, "Sir! This brat killed our employer's six young masters and ladies, and killed so many of our brothers. Are we just going to let it go like this? This blood debt must be repaid with blood!"

"How much silver does the employer give you per month?" He Lian Zheng asked.

The Imperial Guard replied, "Seven taels."

"Heh, seven taels a month. Your life is only worth that much?"

He Lian Zheng slumped, waved his hand, and said, "Even if the employer gave me thirty taels a month, I'd still leave. What about you all? Disperse, everyone go your own way."

The crowd hesitated, then gradually came to their senses, and slowly dispersed.

He Lian Zheng did not linger. After discerning the direction, he also left.

The Zhao family had lost six young rising stars this time, and they would surely be furious. These Imperial Guards had failed to protect them. Punishment would be the least of it; they might even lose their lives.

Even if they could catch Chen Shi, they couldn't escape their culpability.

Let alone not being able to catch Chen Shi.

Therefore, leaving was the best option.

He Lian Zheng walked on, lost in thought. Suddenly, he stopped, looked around, a look of confusion on his face, and then continued walking.

A moment later, he stopped again and chuckled, "Is that young Talisman Master Chen Shi? You've been tracking me for a long time, why not show yourself?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Shi emerged from behind a large tree behind him.

He Lian Zheng cupped his hands from a distance and said with a smile, "Young brother, with so many Imperial Guards and masters in the temple, you were still able to kill eleven of them and escape from my grasp. I am extremely impressed by your skill. May I ask why you are tracking me?"

"Revenge," Chen Shi replied.

He Lian Zheng frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "Young brother, we have never had any enmity. I was hired by the Provincial City's Zhao family to protect the safety of the Zhao family disciples. It was my duty. If I offended you earlier, please forgive me. However, I am no longer working for the Zhao family, and I no longer have this responsibility. Our grievances should be settled."

"Clang."

Chen Shi threw over a heavy object. It rolled a few times on the ground and stopped at He Lian Zheng's feet.

"To avenge him," Chen Shi said.

He Lian Zheng looked closely and saw the muzzle of a Three-Eyed Firearm.

He was puzzled. Seeing the bloodstains on the muzzle, he suddenly remembered the farmer whose skull he had crushed with two hammers. His heart grew cold, and he said, "Are you perhaps here to avenge that farmer? Young brother, he was just an illiterate country bumpkin. Why would you risk coming to kill me? Is he your relative? Friend? Or did he owe you a favor?"

Chen Shi shook his head, "Not a relative, nor a friend, no favors owed. I just saw him."

He Lian Zheng relaxed and smiled, "Since he was just a passerby, why should we make things difficult for each other? The road of life is long, and we may meet again in the future. How about this."

He took out a silver ingot from his huai, about ten taels. He took a step back, stared at Chen Shi, and slowly placed the silver on the ground.

He Lian Zheng's expression turned solemn. "Please take this silver ingot back, young brother, and give it to the farmer's wife and children as my compensation. Ten taels for a life. In the countryside, that's not a small amount."

He turned to leave. After walking a dozen steps, he stopped and looked back. Chen Shi was still following him, and the silver ingot was still on the ground.

He Lian Zheng couldn't help but get angry and sneered, "Young brother, don't think I'm afraid of you. You're just a brat with a bit more strength. Your skills are far inferior to mine. Killing you would be as easy as flipping my hand!"

Chen Shi remained unmoved. "I've been following you. You'll always let your guard down. Even if you doze off for a moment, I can seize the opportunity to kill you."

He Lian Zheng shivered and continued to walk forward. Chen Shi also walked forward. He Lian Zheng stopped, and Chen Shi stopped too.

"This brat is like a ghost, never leaving. How long is he going to follow me?"

He Lian Zheng suppressed his anger and pondered in his heart.

With Chen Shi's speed, he clearly couldn't catch up. Therefore, he could only wait for the moment Chen Shi attacked and kill him with sword energy!

However, Chen Shi was just following him and hadn't made a move, clearly waiting for him to let his guard down.

During this time, He Lian Zheng had been maintaining the shrine and the Divine Embryo, and his own true qi was constantly being consumed. If this continued, he might indeed become exhausted.

"This little thing is probably waiting for that moment!"

After walking for an unknown amount of time, He Lian Zheng hadn't eaten a single bite of food at noon and was now starving. He looked back and saw Chen Shi still following him, gritting his teeth.

"If this brat keeps following me, it'll be dark!"

He gritted his teeth and continued forward. Looking up, he saw the sky gradually turning red, and the sun becoming elongated.

The sky finally darkened.

The moonlight shone coldly upon the earth. Strange sounds echoed from the forest, like ghosts weeping.

At this moment, huge human heads slowly rose from the forest. As they ascended, they absorbed the moonlight and inflated like balloons.

The heads were of all ages, male and female. Some had sparse hair, some had their hair tied in knots, some had seductive eyes, some were bold and capable. They all wore strange smiles, their eyeballs rolling as they stared at the two people walking on the road.

"Heh heh," they chuckled, swaying as they drifted towards the two.

He Lian Zheng's scalp tingled. This was the most common type of evil spirit, called a Floating Skull. At night, the first evil spirit to appear was always a Floating Skull.

He was extremely nervous, walking forward quickly while scanning his surroundings to avoid being approached by a Floating Skull. At the same time, he kept looking back to observe Chen Shi's movements.

In just a short moment, he was covered in sweat and could barely hold on.

"Chen Shi is gone!"

His eyes widened, and he looked back, searching desperately. Chen Shi, who had been following him all along, had vanished without a trace!

As he was worrying, a Floating Skull silently appeared above him. It opened its mouth, and a long, slender, scarlet tongue hung down from it. The other end of the tongue automatically formed a noose, which then hooked onto the back of He Lian Zheng's head.

He Lian Zheng saw other Floating Skulls drifting towards them and quickly turned his head, intending to speed up. Suddenly, his neck tightened as the Floating Skull lifted him into the air, carrying him uncontrollably upwards!

He remained calm in the face of danger. He immediately grabbed the tongue of the Floating Skull, which was tightening around him, making it difficult to breathe.

A shrine on the back of his head began to glow brightly. Divine Light shone forth, and streaks of sword energy flew out, slashing at the tongue.

Just then, a figure flashed by like lightning, soaring upwards!

Chen Shi charged towards He Lian Zheng, who was suspended in mid-air!

"He used a Jia Ma Talisman, his speed is faster than I predicted!"

He Lian Zheng was startled. Just as he was about to unleash the last sword energy he had prepared, he felt a sharp pain in his crotch as Chen Shi kicked him hard in the groin.

Chen Shi raised his right hand, inserting two fingers into He Lian Zheng's eyes and bursting them. As he pulled his right hand back, he clenched his left fist and drove it forward in a straight line, shattering his throat bone.

Then, he grabbed He Lian Zheng's shoulder with his right hand, used the leverage to turn, and his palm, as thick and heavy as a bear's paw, swung backward with a whoosh, striking the back of his head and caving in his occipital bone!

His speed was too great, I didn't have time to react! He Lian Zheng thought.

Chen Shi dropped from behind him, landing lightly, and quickly departed before the Floating Skulls could surround him.

Three down, dead!

Of the twelve people in the ancient temple, all are dead.

Under the moonlight, the Floating Skulls chuckled, flying higher and higher, carrying He Lian Zheng's corpse to an unknown destination.