Zhang Mang

Chapter 3: Zhang Mang

Mount Qi.

An open space.

A bonfire burned, its flames dispelling the darkness.

Zhang Mang and his group had stopped here to rest.

Two guards set up simple wooden frames to roast the meat from their hunt. Six other guards, in pairs, each led a hunting dog and kept watch around the perimeter.

Zhang Mang sat by the bonfire with the two elders.

Zhang Mang's face was grim, and he cursed non-stop. "That damnable Lu Jinlin, why couldn't he have died sooner? He had to hide in Mount Qi, making my feet blister."

He thought of Zhang Yuan. "That Zhang Yuan is also useless. I sent him to find Lu Zhaojin with Little Flower, and they haven't returned all afternoon. Did they get lazy after seeing him die? Damn that thing, when he gets back, I'll flay him alive."

If it were any other day, he would already be drinking and chatting with friends at the Drunken Spring Pavilion, with beauties serving him, living comfortably. Why did he have to suffer like this?

Thinking of beauties, Zhang Mang suddenly glanced up the mountain, his expression subtle, yet tinged with apprehension. He quickly averted his gaze, looking at the roaring bonfire.

Elder Gu saw through Zhang Mang's thoughts and frowned, saying sternly, "Second Young Master, do not forget the Family Head's orders. The priority now is to find and eliminate Lu Jinlin as quickly as possible. Please set aside other thoughts for now."

Zhang Mang impatiently replied, "I know, I know, stop nagging."

Elder Gu's face darkened, but he said nothing.

Elder Shi was accustomed to Zhang Mang's attitude and chose not to speak. After all, Zhang Mang wasn't his own kin. Speaking too much might only provoke him and delay their important task.

Zhang Mang looked at the two guards roasting the meat and raised his voice, annoyed. "Hurry up, are you done yet? I've been hungry for ages."

The two guards jumped in fright. Before they could reply, the three hunting dogs caught a different scent. Their eyes glinted fiercely, and they bared their teeth, barking ferociously towards the woods.

There was a rustling in the bushes, and a figure suddenly burst out, covered in blood, his face filled with terror, as if he had seen a ghost.

Upon seeing Zhang Mang, he cried out in fear, "Young Master, bad news! Lu Zhaojin has turned into a ghost and is coming!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a dull thud of a blade piercing flesh. A sword tip emerged from the man's chest, like a young lotus just beginning to bloom.

The iron sword was pulled out.

[Killed an Unranked Martial Artist, EXP +10]

The man's life force extinguished, and he fell backward, revealing the figure behind him.

This person was Lu Zhaojin.

On the way up the mountain, he had encountered people and dogs from the Zhang family and dealt with them.

His experience points had once again surpassed a thousand.

[EXP: 1014]

Lu Zhaojin flicked the blood from his iron sword and looked up at Zhang Mang and his group. Especially when he saw Zhang Mang's astonished face, his heart churned restlessly, like a wild beast struggling to break free from its cage, eager to tear this man apart and devour him.

This emotion was beyond his control; it was the lingering obsession of the original host influencing him. However, Lu Zhaojin didn't care. What he was about to do was to harvest experience points, indirectly fulfilling the original host's obsession, which was beneficial to him.

Zhang Mang met Lu Zhaojin's indifferent gaze and trembled inexplicably. He said in disbelief, "Impossible! I saw my eldest brother stab him with my own eyes! He was gravely wounded and jumped into the river, a dead end. How could he still be alive!"

What he found even harder to accept was that Lu Zhaojin not only showed no signs of injury but also seemed to have become powerful.

It felt like, "We were both trash, and I could still bully you. But you got lucky and became stronger. Not only did you not leave me in the pit, but now you've come back to kill me"—a feeling of being wronged and furious.

The pale moonlight shone down on him from high above. Blood stained his face and clothes, and his iron sword dripped blood onto the ground. He was like a cold god of death, striking fear into Zhang Mang's heart.

However.

Zhang Mang quietly took a step back, looking at the two elders in front of him.

Even if Lu Zhaojin was somehow still alive, he was no match for them. Elder Gu and Elder Shi were both at the early stage of Eighth Rank, and with several guards here, Lu Zhaojin had walked right into a trap.

Moreover, if they captured Lu Zhaojin and spread the news, they wouldn't have to worry about Lu Jinlin not showing up.

Thinking this, Zhang Mang felt that Lu Zhaojin's appearance now was a godsend, helping him succeed in eliminating Lu Jinlin. Then, he could claim credit before his father and perhaps receive more rewards.

Zhang Mang's shock turned to joy. As if envisioning his future days of pleasure, he shouted at Elder Gu and the others, "What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and capture him for me! Remember, bring him back alive."

The guards snapped back to reality, releasing the leashes. The three hunting dogs charged forward without hesitation, seeing Lu Zhaojin, an outsider, and lunging to tear him apart.

The guards also swarmed forward.

The hunting dogs were a diversion; their lives were irrelevant. They were the main force meant to capture Lu Zhaojin.

However, Lu Zhaojin casually swung his sword, killing the hunting dogs, their bodies falling apart.

Facing these guards of varying strengths, He moved with ease, weaving through the crowd. Sword light flashed horizontally and vertically. Only screams could be heard, and bodies fell one after another, blood flowing, the air filled with the metallic scent of rust.

[Killed an Unranked Martial Artist, EXP +10]

[Killed a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +100]

[……]

"Heart-Piercing Palm."

Just as Lu Zhaojin pulled his iron sword from the flesh and blood, Elder Shi suddenly appeared from the flank and struck towards Lu Zhaojin's chest with a palm.

If this palm strike had landed, with its explosive force, Elder Shi was confident he could shatter the opponent's heart.

This palm technique was his signature skill; countless people had died by its hand, even several mid-stage Eighth-Rank cultivators. Although it was a sneak attack, as long as the objective was achieved, he didn't care about a bad reputation.

It was a pity it didn't go as he wished this time.

With the Brute Ox Stance and his sword art both reaching the Perfected realm, not only was his foundation solid, but his senses had also sharpened, and his reaction speed had improved by leaps and bounds.

Lu Zhaojin gripped his sword with both hands, holding it horizontally in front of his chest, his muscles tensed as he blocked the incoming force.

Elder Shi was astonished. His palm strike failed, and he wanted to retreat.

How could Lu Zhaojin allow him to do that? He instantly drew his sword, three beams of sword light slashing out from above and from the sides, forming a triangle.

Elder Shi hadn't expected Lu Zhaojin to be so decisive. He hastily dodged, but only managed to evade two of the strikes.

The last sword light, with its tricky angle and incredible speed, was like a gale-force storm, almost impossible to avoid.

Thus, this sword strike, from bottom to top, left a wound across his body from his left abdomen to his right chest, blood seeping from the injury.

Before Elder Shi could catch his breath, Lu Zhaojin followed up with another sword strike.

This was a fatal blow, swift as lightning, aimed directly at the opponent's neck. The blade sliced through flesh and bone as easily as cutting through a water curtain.

[Killed Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +500]

Elder Gu noticed something strange about Lu Zhaojin. That sword art, as fast as a phantom, even he found it somewhat troublesome and difficult to defend against. It was clearly cultivated to an extremely high level.

An Eighth-Rank fighting a Ninth-Rank, the advantage in cultivation was indeed present, so he hadn't been too worried.

But seeing Elder Shi's sneak attack fail and him being steadily pushed back, his expression shifted slightly, and he wanted to step forward to help.

However, Elder Shi died too quickly; it was simply too late.

At this moment, as Lu Zhaojin's gaze fell upon him, Elder Gu felt a surge of panic. Filled with dread, he didn't dare to linger and turned to flee.

After killing Elder Shi, Lu Zhaojin also gained some understanding of his own strength.

An early-stage Eighth-Rank was no match for him. If he went all out and used the Perfected Gale Sword Art, he could even fight against a mid-stage Eighth-Rank.

Therefore.

When Elder Gu exposed his back to him, Lu Zhaojin threw his iron sword with all his might, like an arrow shot from a fully drawn bow, piercing through Elder Gu's back and chest, pinning him to the ground.

Wails and pleas for mercy echoed in the air.

Lu Zhaojin walked forward, pulled out the iron sword, and gave him a quick end with a single strike.

[Killed Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +500]

He looked at Zhang Mang, saying nothing, just offering a faint smile as he slowly walked over.

Elder Shi's head had been severed before his eyes, blood gushing like a fountain. Zhang Mang couldn't stop retching, his dinner from last night threatening to come up.

Now that Elder Gu had also been killed by the opponent, Zhang Mang was terrified beyond measure. His legs were trembling, and a foul odor suddenly filled the air.

He had wet himself from fear.

Zhang Mang didn't want to die. His survival instinct made him think frantically, and he felt he had found a bargaining chip to stay alive. "Don't kill me, I know where your father is!"