Trash Will Always Be Trash

"Han Zheng! You're courting death!"

Shen Conghai's eyes brimmed with killing intent.

The past few days had been anything but pleasant for him.

The elders of the Cangshan Sword Sect had looked down on him, unwilling even to accept him into the outer sect.

Outside, people were spreading word that aside from Shen Congyun, every member of the Shen Family's younger generation was trash.

Even quite a few servants within the Shen Family had been wagging their tongues, saying Shen Conghai was far inferior to his brother and that spending so many resources on him was simply a waste.

Those rumors had left Shen Conghai deeply vexed. He had come out to drown his sorrows, and Pang Feiyan had specifically come to console him.

Yet now, Han Zheng—a complete nobody—actually dared to act so presumptuously before him. Did he really think Shen Conghai was easy to bully?

Taking a step forward, Shen Conghai overturned heaven with a single palm. Surging palm force crashed down toward Han Zheng's head!

Within that mighty palm force, inner strength roared like a tide, seemingly flecked with starlight, as deep and boundless as a vast starry sky.

The Shen Family's three ultimate arts—the Seven Stars Profound Origin Skill, the Six Harmonies Heaven Overturning Palm, and the Five Elements Wind Chasing Sword—were all Innate Realm techniques.

Han Zheng pushed the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill to its limit. As his foot came down, it was like a giant elephant stamping upon the earth, his lower body as steady as a mountain.

His White Ape Through-Arm Fist met the attack. He swung his arm and smashed out a punch, instantly stirring up howling winds with the momentum of rushing thunder.

White Ape Rides Elephant!

Han Zheng had cultivated both the White Ape Through-Arm Fist and the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill to their utmost limits. The two techniques complemented each other flawlessly.

Especially the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill.

The Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill was not merely an internal cultivation technique. In Han Zheng's view, its Martial Intent even contained applications for martial arts techniques, allowing it to amplify the power of any martial art it was paired with.

Shen Conghai's Six Harmonies Heaven Overturning Palm descended, erupting with a dull, thunderous boom.

A tremendous force struck him, and Shen Conghai was sent flying backward!

He felt as though that palm had struck a small mountain.

His opponent remained unmoving as a mountain, while he himself was blasted away by the rebounding force.

Shen Conghai stared at Han Zheng in utter disbelief.

He could accept being inferior to his brother Shen Congyun. After all, Shen Congyun was a genius the Shen Family produced only once in several centuries.

He could also accept being inferior to Song Tianqing and Lin Qing. Who told them to be born with such excellent innate talent and bones?

But what the hell was Han Zheng?

A martial arts academy disciple from a commoner background, someone the Shen Family would have to pick and choose before accepting as a manor guard—yet he had actually forced Shen Conghai back?

At that instant, Shen Conghai felt as though he had suffered the greatest humiliation. With an enraged roar, his blood, qi, and inner strength surged explosively. His Six Harmonies Heaven Overturning Palm opened and closed in grand movements as it pressed down upon Han Zheng.

The Shen Family's Seven Stars Profound Origin Skill drew upon the power of starlight for cultivation. Cultivation at night was even faster than during the day, and its inner strength was like a river of stars—vast and mighty.

But when it encountered the even more vast, mighty, and incomparably powerful Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, it was suppressed completely.

The Six Harmonies Heaven Overturning Palm was grand and forceful, but Shen Conghai's understanding of this palm technique was clearly shallow.

He had only struck with its form, not its spirit. Han Zheng's White Ape Through-Arm Fist battered him back step by step.

A greenhouse flower was still a greenhouse flower. In Han Zheng's eyes, Shen Conghai's combat strength was not even comparable to the heavily injured Gao Kaiyuan.

Forming a fist seal with his hand, Han Zheng's inner strength suddenly erupted.

Vajra Wrath, Demon Subduing!

As the Vajra Demon Subduing Seal smashed down with a boom, Shen Conghai was sent flying and crashed to the ground in a miserable heap.

"Brother Hai!"

Pang Feiyan's face was filled with disbelief, heartache, and panic.

She had originally thought Shen Conghai would dispose of a nobody like Han Zheng in no time at all.

Who would have thought that Shen Conghai would be the one disposed of instead?

"Brother Hai, catch the sword!"

Pang Feiyan suddenly recalled something. She immediately ran upstairs and threw Shen Conghai a longsword with gemstones embedded in its hilt and a sharkskin scabbard.

Then Pang Feiyan leaped straight down from the second floor. A slender little sword emerged from her sleeve and stabbed directly toward Han Zheng's back.

"Courting death!"

A flash of killing intent appeared in Han Zheng's eyes.

If no weapons were used, it could only be called a conflict.

But once weapons were drawn, it became a fight to the death.

Did these young master and young miss truly think he did not dare kill?

Today, Zhang Tianyang of the Demon Extermination Division stood behind Han Zheng, which was why he had brazenly stormed into Autumn Moon Pavilion and attacked Shen Family disciples.

But even if the person standing behind Han Zheng were only Zhang Tianyang, an ordinary constable, Han Zheng would still dare to kill them if they struck with lethal intent.

At worst, he would roam the world as a fugitive rather than cower with his head tucked between his shoulders!

Han Zheng did not even turn his head. His White Ape Through-Arm Fist swept backward like an Iron Whip.

Pang Feiyan appeared to have opened at most eight meridians, barely reaching the Peak Acquired Stage.

That tiny sword was delicate and miniature. Anyone unaware of the situation might think she was holding a giant toothpick to pick Han Zheng's teeth.

An attack of that level could not even break Han Zheng's body, which had already attained Bronze Skin Iron Bones.

With a crisp metallic crack, Pang Feiyan's tiny sword exploded after being struck by Han Zheng's arm. She too was blasted flying, violently coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Han Zheng! You actually dared to hit me!? You're finished! I'll have my father kill you!"

Pang Feiyan clutched her chest and screamed madly.

Pang Heihu had gained a daughter in his old age. He cherished Pang Feiyan so dearly that he feared she would break if held in his palm and melt if kept in his mouth.

When had she ever suffered such humiliation all these years?

The killing intent in Shen Conghai's eyes surged as well. "Han Zheng! You are courting death!

"Forget Zhang Tianyang—even if the County Magistrate came, he still wouldn't be able to protect you!"

As his words fell, the longsword in Shen Conghai's hand had already thrust forth with chilling sharpness.

The sword moves were swift and fierce, aggressive as fire, sharp as metal, lingering as water, and defensive as a mountain.

Five Elements Sword Intent. Shen Conghai had already comprehended four of its essences, and his swordsmanship was stronger than his palm techniques.

A sinister, icy, bloody, and violent aura abruptly rose around Han Zheng.

The Wild Goose Feather Saber left its sheath, and its snow-bright blade seemed to carry a faint crimson stain.

Blood Fiend Power clung to the saber. As he slashed out, the savage blade momentum instantly engulfed Shen Conghai.

No matter how formidable Shen Conghai's sword intent was, Han Zheng's Blood Fiend Saber was entirely a life-for-life style. Every move was vicious, every slash fatal, forcing Shen Conghai to adopt a defensive stance.

Moreover, the Killing Intent on the blade seeped through the longsword and into his body, numbing Shen Conghai's arm. Even his inner strength was blocked by the Killing Intent, making him weaker the longer they fought.

Seeing Shen Conghai's sword momentum weaken, Han Zheng's Blood Fiend Power suddenly erupted. Blade Qi even faintly spread from the Wild Goose Feather Saber.

With a crisp ring like clashing metal, the costly longsword in Shen Conghai's hand was sliced apart by Han Zheng's slash!

Shen Conghai himself was sent flying. The clothes over his chest split apart, exposing a Golden Pattern Soft Armor.

Had the Golden Pattern Soft Armor not protected him, Han Zheng's strike would have cut open a bloody gash on Shen Conghai even if it did not kill him.

"Trash will always be trash. No wonder everyone says you're inferior to your brother."

Sheathing his saber, Han Zheng headed straight into Autumn Moon Pavilion.

If he caught members of the Incense Cult, Zhang Tianyang would naturally bear the consequences if anything went wrong.

But if he failed to catch anyone, then everything he had done today would amount to nothing but a blatant provocation and humiliation of the Shen Family.

"Stop!"

Shen Conghai's expression suddenly changed.

He had just tried to rise when he abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Han Zheng's previous slash had driven Killing Intent into his body. Though he bore no visible wounds, his internal organs had already suffered grave injuries.

"Bang!"

An explosive crash suddenly sounded from both sides of Drunken Moon Tower.

Two figures burst through the windows on either side.

The Killing Intent around Han Zheng abruptly erupted, and he directly threw the Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand.

At such close range, the Wild Goose Feather Saber slashed straight through one of the man's legs, instantly cutting off his lower leg and drawing out a miserable scream.

Li Sancheng, who had been guarding that side, immediately rushed over and subdued him.

At the same time, Han Zheng charged toward the other man. His inner strength and blood qi erupted to the limit, and he caught up in only three steps.

The man turned and threw a punch, but Han Zheng brought down a Vajra Demon Subduing Seal, directly shattering one of his arms.

Han Zheng grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him up. A smile immediately appeared at the corner of his lips.

"I didn't expect an old acquaintance. Do you still want me to let you drain fragrant blood?"

The man Han Zheng held up like a chick was precisely the Incense Cult follower who had exchanged a move with him outside Black Stone County last time.

He looked at Han Zheng in utter horror, unable to believe what stood before his eyes.

That young martial artist who had not dared completely fall out with them before, when the two sides had at most been evenly matched—how had he now broken through to the Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm and become capable of killing him as easily as slaughtering a chicken?

"Watch him. Don't let him escape."

Han Zheng casually threw the man to Chen Zhao, then walked inside and gave Shen Conghai a cold smile. "Young Master Shen, colluding with the Incense Cult—you truly have a lot of nerve. It seems you'll have to make a trip to the yamen as well."

"My Shen Family has enjoyed wealth and honor in Black Stone County for a century, and a direct descendant has entered the Tiangang Sect. Why would we be so full from eating that we'd collude with the Incense Cult?"

An aged voice sounded as Shen Chengshan, the Shen Family's old ancestor, walked into Autumn Moon Pavilion.

"Ancestor!"

Shen Conghai had barely called out once before Shen Chengshan slapped him to the ground.

"Shut up!"

Shen Chengshan turned to Han Zheng and said in a deep voice, "I recall that you are Li Jingzhong's disciple. Over the years, Li Jingzhong has taught many disciples. You should be the most outstanding among them. Not bad, very good.

"When Li Jingzhong first came to Black Stone County, he visited me as well. Even the residence occupied by the Zhenwei Martial Arts School used to be property of my Shen Family. Our relationship could be considered quite good.

"Shen Conghai has been spoiled rotten and has a somewhat violent temper. Let today's matter be considered a misunderstanding.

"Take the Incense Cult members back to Zhang Tianyang and report your success. Let this matter end here. Do not make things so ugly that no one can save face."

Han Zheng said nothing. He merely silently sensed Shen Chengshan's aura.

Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm Perfected, Water-Fire Immortal Robe at great completion.

His aura had already fused into a unified whole. He needed only one more step to transform true qi into True Essence, release gang qi, and enter the Profound Gang Realm.

In a head-on clash, Han Zheng was absolutely no match for him.

Moreover, this Shen Family old ancestor was not a brainless, arrogant fool like Shen Conghai.

By neither yielding nor pressing too hard, he had brought up Li Jingzhong's past relationship with the Shen Family to tell Han Zheng something.

When your master first came to Black Stone County, he had to pay respects at the Shen Family's dock before he was qualified to gain a foothold in Black Stone County.

If they truly tore their faces apart, Han Zheng would not be able to survive in Black Stone County!

"Old Master Shen, you make that sound awfully easy. You aren't me, so how do you know that handing over two Incense Cult demons is enough for me to report back?"

Zhang Tianyang strode into Autumn Moon Pavilion, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Shen Chengshan.

"Shen Conghai colluded with the Incense Cult. If I don't take him away, there's no way to report back!"