Predicament, Part 2

Soon, the two rushed up a small hill. One of them quickly took out a Signal Flare stick, Unveiling the tinderbox, blew on the flame, and lit it.

Hiss.

The Signal Flare immediately ignited, sending up wisps of red smoke that drifted into the distance.

"How long will it take to get here from over there?" one person asked in a deep voice.

"It shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes!"

"A bit slow."

"It's alright. As long as we confirm the situation, Zhang Ying can't just disappear with his men. As long as he can't bring himself to kill Zhang Xuan and the others immediately, our goal will be achieved."

Their goal was to undermine the relationship between Daozi, Yue Dewen, and the imperial power.

"Be careful, that Zhang Ying is extremely powerful. If we are discovered, neither of us will escape death!"

"Know!"

Who are you people?!

Just then, on the other side of the hill, two men dressed in the same night clothes spotted the two people on this side.

These two men came to the vicinity with Zhang Rongfang and were sentries responsible for scouting and patrolling the area.

Zhang Rongfang's movements were too fast, so they hadn't been able to keep up before. They only caught up now, only to find that there were other people sneaking around causing trouble! The two immediately shouted out.

The two men wearing black masks exchanged glances and pounced on Zhang Rongfang's two subordinates.

"Quickly finish this and leave immediately!"

"Good!"

The moment the four clashed, Zhang Rongfang's two men were struck dumb.

The difference in strength is too great.

The two retreated repeatedly, and after only a few moves, their faces turned red, and mouthfuls of blood gushed from their mouths.

One of them was a Seventh Grade, and the other was Eighth Grade expert; both were top-tier masters recruited by Wushan Prefecture.

He is also one of the top masters in Pine Crane Temple.

But at this moment, unexpectedly, two random black-masked figures appeared, and they were much stronger than them.

Thud! A muffled sound rang out, and a person was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground and dying instantly.

A dignified Seventh Grade master couldn't even last five moves against his opponent.

The other man also staggered backward, struggling to defend himself, his face as white as paper, and he was on the verge of death.

In an instant, a Shadow suddenly appeared beside him and reached out to stop him.

Clang! The black-masked man's blade struck the Shadow's arm squarely.

It actually produced a sound like metal clashing.

The person who came was Zhang Rongfang.

At this moment, he glanced at the two men he had brought with him, and a chill ran through his eyes.

His right arm lashed forward with lightning speed.

The Eagle Claw Skill, which had been unused for a long time, reappeared, and a sharp tearing sound reverberated in the air, as if an eagle was swooping down to hunt its prey.

Even before the sharp airflow got close, it made the man in the black mask feel a dull ache in his chest.

He tried to back away and dodge, but the attack was too fast.

So much so that he had no way to dodge.

"Spare their lives!!" Suddenly, a deep voice rang out from afar.

The sound actually preceded Zhang Rongfang's attack, but at this very moment... bang!

Zhang Rongfang's expression remained unchanged. With a move of Eagle Claw Skill, he fiercely grabbed down from the black-masked man's chest.

With a tearing sound, immense force combined with explosive speed, along with his now incredibly hard and sharp five fingers.

He ripped open the other man's chest in one swift motion, pulling out his internal organs and scattering them all over the ground.

"Not Worship God?" He was slightly taken aback, then casually looked at the other black mask.

"You killed my men, and you still dare to beg me to spare their lives?"

He didn't look at the trembling black mask, but instead looked up into the distance behind it.

Who do you think you are!?

In the darkness of night, a tall, cloaked figure wearing Gold-rimmed Black Mask floated over and landed swiftly on an open ground twenty meters away, looking at him.

The man glanced at one of the black-masked figures lying dead on the ground, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes.

"Very well! As expected of Yue Dewen's apprentice! Both of you are equally arrogant! Zhou Lingsong, if you don't give me an explanation for this matter, I will take it all the way to Great Capital!"

The man turned his head to look at the shadowy side on the other side.

"Explain? You started the killing first, what do you want us to explain?" In the darkness, a somewhat thin man in a Daoist robe slowly walked out of the shadows.

This man had a long, gray beard, a handsome face, and upturned eyes, which suggested he must have been a dashing figure in his youth.

"It is true that we made the first move, but how can a mere mortal of a certain rank compare to a Super Grade cultivator from our Daoist Sect?! Besides, this matter involves your Daozi colluding with the Rebel Alliance Army, which has nothing to do with us, right? In fact, we actually helped you out." The Gold-rimmed Black Mask chuckled coldly.

How many rebel armies did the Jade Void Palace the Great Dao Sect suppress, and how many high-ranking experts of the Rebel Alliance did it kill? The two sides have long been irreconcilable enemies.

Under Yue Dewen's leadership, the Great Dao Sect was essentially a staunch supporter of the emperor.

But now it has been discovered that Daozi was colluding with rebel forces.

If this gets out, Yue Dewen will have to react, regardless of the circumstances, for the sake of his relationship with the imperial power.

Zhou Lingsong also looked grim. He was arranged by Yue Dewen to be the general manager in charge of all sect affairs in Shan Province.

Upon hearing this, his expression immediately changed.

"What do you mean? Colluding with rebel forces!?"

Immediately, the man in the Gold-rimmed Black Mask recounted Zhang Rongfang's meeting with Zhang Xuan and the others.

Everyone knows that the Great Dao Sect is a staunch Royalist.

At this sensitive time, if news of Daozi's collusion with the Rebel Alliance were to spread, Yue Dewen would definitely have to take corresponding measures and reiterate his stance. At the same time, he would certainly force Zhang Ying to also state his position.

The simplest way to demonstrate one's stance is to have them directly target the Rebel Alliance.

That's fine.

The more troublesome issue right now is the most important question: how exactly did Zhang Ying Daozi acquire such formidable strength? Is he still Zhang Ying? Zhou Lingsong's presence here plays a crucial role.

Zhang Rongfang's martial arts skills are so high that killing the recent Super Grade in Internal Method cultivation was as easy as killing a chicken. Everyone saw it.

Such martial arts skills could never possibly be possessed by Zhang Ying or Zhang Rongfang.

In this way.

Anyone with a normal mind would suspect that Zhang Ying had likely been replaced long ago. "Zhou Lingsong, don't blame me for not warning you, but this Zhang Ying has probably already been replaced by someone from the Rebel Alliance. If you're not careful, the future will be... hehe." The man in the Gold-rimmed Black Mask sneered.

Zhou Lingsong looked at Zhang Rongfang, his eyes revealing a hesitation and indecisiveness.

From any perspective, neither Zhang Ying nor Zhang Rongfang could possess martial arts skills of this level.

Only those old guys who have cultivated themselves for many years, or those Worship God Experts, can possess such power.

So the situation is quite obvious.

Who exactly is Zhang Ying?

Zhou Lingsong's expression showed hesitation and indecision.

"Daozi, the most important thing right now is for you to prove your identity."

"How can you prove it?" Zhang Rongfang recognized the other party at this moment; it was none other than the Great Dao Sect in Shan Province. He felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that things were not going well.

Regardless, he had only come to find out what was going on, and he hadn't expected the other party to act so quickly and ruthlessly, luring this person over immediately.

"Identity Token! Just provide the identity Token you carry with you. Your Token can verify authenticity," Zhou Lingsong said in a deep voice.

Zhang Rongfang fell silent.

If it were another method, he could still find a way.

But the Token wasn't actually with him at that moment.

Moreover, his Civilian Skill had already reached the Refining Spirit Perfection Token. If the token were to detect this, even without the Token, his Civilian Skill Cultivation would have attracted the Blood God Statue and the Wish Maiden to cause trouble.

If he were to come into contact with the Token again at this moment, he would already understand that from the time his master Zhang Xuan and the others were led here by the mysterious person, to the time when Zhou Lingsong and the other two appeared and made a fuss.

This was all a setup.

A scheme orchestrated by a third party.

He was caught off guard and is now in the game. He had been distracted by the Wish Woman and his attention was focused on her, but he didn't expect that there would be someone else who would suddenly come to plot against him.

Now he's in trouble. His master and the others have been poisoned, and he can't just ignore it. Things are alright here, though. If his identity Zhang Rongfang is exposed, he can still use the excuse of repaying his former master's kindness to get away with it.

But Zhou Lingsong needed to prove his identity, which was a real dilemma. "Daozi, could you show me your Token?" Zhou Lingsong's eyes also looked a little strange.

"The Token is not with me," Zhang Rongfang replied.

"You can send someone to fetch it."

Zhang Rongfang remained silent.

Once the deed is obtained, and his current Civilian Skill Cultivation is discovered, it means that Worship God may be inevitable. The other party, by sheer chance, has struck right at his crucial point.

"It seems you really are not Daozi." Zhou Lingsong finally sighed.

"Of course I am, Token is with me, but I have my reasons for not being able to talk about them." Zhang Rongfang shook his head slightly.

"What's troubling you!?" Zhou Lingsong stepped forward. "Once you get the Token, no one will be able to question whether you are truly Daozi! What are you worried about!?"

Zhang Rongfang silent.

"Alright, since you're in a difficult position, there's another way that can temporarily prove your innocence!" Zhou Lingsong continued.

"What method?!" Zhang Rongfang asked.

"It's simple. Kill those people from the Rebel Alliance!" Zhou Lingsong said decisively.

"Only by putting righteousness before family can you clear your name of any suspicions!" He approached step by step, his face solemn and stern.

"... Kill... them?" Zhang Rongfang's voice lowered.

"That's right! As long as you do that, you won't have the slightest bit of doubt." Zhou Lingsong said seriously.

Taking advantage of the darkness, Zhang Rongfang narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Gold-rimmed Black Masked Man, and then looking at Zhou Lingsong to his side.

"Kill them!"

"I'll kill you first!!!"

In an instant, his expression hardened, and he took a step forward, causing the ground to crack open and sending mud flying.

Under the enormous reaction force, the soil, like black rain, splashed high into the air, resembling a waterfall.

Whoosh! Right in the middle of the waterfall, a towering three-meter-tall figure with bulging veins and dark red skin burst out, unleashing a palm strike from above, like a canopy pressing down, aimed directly at Zhou Lingsong.

This is the ultimate move from the Flame Emperor Talisman — With the Heavens Overturning the Earth! Boom!!! Zhou Lingsong's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly raised his arms to block with all his might.

At the point of impact between the two, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and the sound of bones exploding echoed.

"Are you insane?! I am the Shan Province General Director of Provincial Dao Division!!" Zhou Lingsong, covered in blood, retreated at full speed, roaring angrily.

Call.

Zhang Rongfang stood still, raising one arm behind his back.

With a thud, it blocked a heavy punch from the old man in the Gold-rimmed Black Mask on the other side.

Black mud exploded beneath his feet, but his body only swayed slightly as he effortlessly blocked the opponent's deadly attack.

"You disguised yourself very well. Knowing that I could see through disguise techniques, you changed your bones and flesh, and really turned your face into Zhou Lingsong's face. I really didn't notice at first."

"But unfortunately," Zhang Rongfang looked up. Countless thread-like blood vessels, resembling nematodes, converged in the whites of his eyes, converging into his pupils.

You can't fool my eyes.

He opened his arms.

"Today, you will all die!"

Before he finished speaking, his entire body swelled up again, growing even larger, with another layer of Limit State added on top of him.

Countless white wisps of hot air rose from its body, resembling clouds and mist.