One Less Corpse

Since Qi Shan said to fight however she pleased, Shen Tang naturally didn't hold back.

Her aura surged like a rainbow, and the "Kind Mother Sword" in her hand danced so tightly that no attack could get through. Sword light flashed, and even though the man in black used a spear, gaining an advantage with his weapon, he was forced into a desperate situation by her suffocatingly dense offensive rhythm, retreating repeatedly.

Dong--

A sword pierced the wall behind the man in black.

Taking advantage of the opening while Shen Tang was pulling her sword out, the man in black roared, abandoned his spear, and concentrated gray light in his fist, launching a punch towards her chest. The gray light was accompanied by a faint explosive sound.

Shen Tang didn't hesitate for even a moment, raising her hand to meet the attack.

Who would have thought that at this moment, the target would disappear into thin air!

Before she could retract her force, her punch smashed a large hole in the wall.

Shen Tang: "???"

Wait—

Where did the person go?

Qi Shan reminded her with a shallow smile.

"Young Master Shen, don't get distracted when facing an enemy."

"Did you move him just now?"

Before Qi Shan could answer, the man in black's expression became so grave it could drip water: "Military Formation Word Spirit, 'Steal the Peach'?"

To strengthen themselves and avoid being devoured, various feudal lords vigorously employed scholars and strategists skilled in military formations and Word Spirits. For over two hundred years, these Word Spirits have been twisted into all sorts of tricks by these wicked individuals, becoming a mandatory course for those who wish to enter or advance in officialdom.

However, cultivating the Literary Heart is far more difficult than the Martial Gall.

Firstly, it is difficult to control Word Spirits, and even if controlled, their application effects are uncertain. Secondly, each person's Word Spirit effect is slightly different, and battlefield situations are constantly changing, requiring strategies to be adapted on the fly. A single oversight can lead to utter defeat.

"I didn't expect this remote, backwater place to have someone who recognizes quality."

Qi Shan tacitly confirmed the man in black's judgment.

The man let out a cold, muffled laugh.

"In that case—you two definitely won't leave here alive!"

Clang!

Another deafening sound!

Qi Shan, who was about to have his face pierced by the spear, neither dodged nor flinched. A smile played on his lips as he leisurely watched the man in black, whose forehead veins bulged from exerting all his strength. The tip of his spear was only two feet away from Qi Shan; any closer might have taken his life.

But this small distance became an insurmountable chasm.

It could advance no further.

Shen Tang, who bore everything: "..."

She cursed internally in elegant C++, but gritted her teeth and said, "Qi Yuanliang, are you done yet? Are you just going to stand there like an idiot and not dodge?"

Qi Shan, of course, was not flustered.

Whether she wanted to or not, Young Master Shen would protect him unharmed. With this guarantee, he could (be very) (arrogant and) (show off) with peace of mind, occasionally helping Shen Tang share the pressure.

Overall, he was still just observing from the sidelines.

Engaging again, Shen Tang clearly felt the man in black was different from before. Setting aside his strength and speed, his very aura was vastly different. Even she felt her tiger's mouth go numb and her chest tighten, as if this person had undergone a complete metamorphosis in a short period.

At this moment, Qi Shan thoughtfully "explained" for her.

"Don't be surprised by his change; this is the most common trump card technique for martial artists. It allows them to force out all the potential of their Dantian and Martial Gall in a short time, granting them a significant boost. A fourth-rank official can even rival a fifth-rank Grand Official. Once the time is up, they become weak and vulnerable, at anyone's mercy. Just hold on a bit longer."

Shen Tang: "..."

Isn't this a suicidal move?!

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

The man in black was advancing ferociously, his killing intent soaring. If she hadn't known the situation and underestimated him, she could have been killed in the first exchange.

Qi Shan observed Shen Tang with a smile: "I saw that Young Master Shen grows stronger when facing stronger opponents and was handling it with ease. I was afraid speaking up would distract you."

He didn't take a mere fourth-rank official seriously at all; they weren't worth his attention. He was more curious about this mysterious Young Master Shen.

This person was too interesting!

Despite possessing a Literary Heart, she was rolling up her sleeves and exchanging blows with a brute, yet not falling behind. She could handle a fourth-rank official, and even withstand someone who used a secret technique to temporarily boost their Martial Gall to the level of a fifth-rank Grand Official.

This defied all logic.

Could she even contend with someone even stronger?

A young master who possessed the National Seal, had a special Literary Heart, whose frontal combat strength was not inferior to any fifth-rank Grand Official, and was also closely associated with the Gong Clan, which had been annihilated. All these factors made him unable to suppress the urge to investigate and uncover the truth.

After a hundred exchanges, the man in black's aura plummeted. Shen Tang cleanly impaled him on the wall with her sword, rendering him unable to move.

"We got him alive."

Qi Shan said, "No, he's already dead."

Shen Tang paused her sword-retracting motion.

"Dead? How could he be dead..."

Her gaze shifted to the man in black. He lowered his head, dark, turbid blood spilling from his mouth.

He was truly out of Qi!

Qi Shan said, "This man isn't a bandit, he's a death warrior. The mission failed, and there's only death! Suicide offers a quick end, but living might not be so simple."

Looking at the situation, his previous judgment was wrong.

The man in black wasn't with the second-rank official from before.

It's likely the latter were the real bandits, intending to rob and kill, but the man in black got there first, and they unfortunately ran into the two of them.

"A death warrior? Who were they trying to assassinate? Could it be A Yan?"

Qi Shan said listlessly, "Perhaps."

"Why would anyone want to kill a foolish, mentally disabled child? What's the point?"

"Young Master Shen doesn't have much experience and naturally doesn't understand the wickedness of the world. How can you be sure this mental disability is real? Perhaps the child is cunning and knows how to hide his abilities at a young age, using his foolishness to protect himself from harm... There are many examples of enduring hardship."

"This..."

Qi Shan continued, "Earlier, when Young Master Shen gave him three pieces of candy, he refused to eat them and insisted you eat one first. How can you be sure his actions weren't a test, trying to get you to help him test for poison?"

Shen Tang: "..."

She felt uneasy. "But he's at most six years old..."

Qi Shan said, "If circumstances force them, let alone six years old, even two or one-year-olds will use their wits to protect themselves."

Shen Tang: "..."

If a six-year-old child could be this calculating, how could she, a homebody with mild social anxiety, survive?

She said, "If that's the case, A Yan's background must be extraordinary."

They sent a fourth-rank death warrior just to kill a child.

What a display!

Reason told Qi Shan that things should stop here. Whether A Yan lived or died was none of his concern. He should leave quickly to avoid getting involved in any trouble. However, Young Master Shen lacked his foresight and wanted to help the souls in this manor collect their bodies.

One by one, they were found and dragged to the main hall.

Touching the bodies' temperatures, Shen Tang judged that these people had likely died not long after A Yan went missing, around the time the Village Chief of Qian Family Village called people to search.

"Sigh, eleven lives, just like that..."

Qi Shan said expressionlessly, "Human lives are the cheapest in this world. It's like this now, and it will be the same in the future."

Shen Tang shook her head. "That's not right. If the situation were stable and the laws orderly, those who kill without cause would pay with their lives."

Qi Shan chuckled at her words.

"In this land of four directions, there has never been a 'stable situation'."

It wasn't stable now, and it never would be.

Shen Tang was choked by his words and couldn't help but retort.

"Mr. Qi, with all your skills, you haven't thought of assisting someone to pacify the world? You just make sarcastic remarks..."

Qi Shan smiled and remained silent.

Shen Tang was about to gather firewood to deal with the bodies when she suddenly stopped, her gaze shifting to the hands of these corpses.

She looked around.

"Something's not right."

Qi Shan asked, "What's not right?"

"A body is missing."

"You mean A Yan? He might still be alive..."

Shen Tang said, "Not A Yan, someone else."

There was one more person missing!

(:з"∠) I even made a pained emoji while revising this chapter.

Can you guess who is missing?

There were clues earlier.

Oh, right, I'm also advertising for a friend, Bao Bao Zi. If you're interested, you can check out her new book -- The Trash Starts Fighting Back Today. The trash today is also working hard to fight back.

And also, I was fortunate enough to participate in the King of Glory's Wonderful Brushwork Project. A story about Gongsun Li, created by Xiang Gu, will be released on August 2nd. You can collect it in advance.

PS: If there are any Gongsun Li fans, please be gentle with your criticism.