Following One's Heart

A figure appeared in the wide-open palace doors. Several disciples from various sects serving inside the hall hurried over to stop him, only to see the formation protecting the Deliberation Hall open by itself before the man. Stunned, they all halted.

The man wore a scholar's robes, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes. It was Zhang Sheng. At the sight of him, some of the deliberators were astonished, some disdainful, and some remained impassive.

Zhang Sheng's face still bore an unusual pallor, yet the moment he stood there, every deliberator felt a faint stinging, burning sensation on their skin. Their hearts were instantly filled with alarm!

The elderly cultivator tested the waters. "Junior Brother Zhang, I had heard that your Dao Power had yet to recover. I never expected it to be fully restored already. Truly, congratulations."

Zhang Sheng said blandly, "Only after recovering my Dao Power could I come and meet all you demons and monsters."

The old Confucian was fiery by nature. How could he endure such barbed insinuations? His brows shot upright as he shouted, "Insolence—"

Before he could finish, Zhang Sheng casually flicked his left hand. A crisp slap rang out, and the old Confucian was solidly struck across the face from thin air, blood flowing from his nose and mouth!

The entire hall was shocked!

"I did not permit you to speak," Zhang Sheng said flatly.

The middle-aged Confucian flew into a rage, springing to his feet and pointing at Zhang Sheng. Before he could even open his mouth, another slap rang out, and he too received a blow across the face!

"Neither did I permit you to speak."

The Deliberation Hall erupted in uproar. The two Confucians were both highly accomplished cultivators of Four Saints Academy—how had they been unable to offer even the slightest resistance? Enraged, the two men's magical power surged as they were about to attack!

Zhang Sheng raised his snow-white, slender index finger before his brow. A streak of green light suddenly drifted from its tip, and in an instant, a hazy rain began to fall throughout the deliberation hall. The rain was like mist, like silk, carrying a languid warmth like spring rain in the south of the river. Yet within the rain, the deliberators felt as if mountains were pressing down upon them, leaving them utterly unable to move!

The bones throughout the two Confucians' bodies crackled chaotically. Their magical power scattered, and they collapsed back into their chairs, unable to lift even a finger.

At this point, aside from Daoist Fu Feng, who could still move freely, all the other deliberators were struggling bitterly against the rain threads' eroding, suppressive force. They could not even speak. Only now did they understand Zhang Sheng's terror—by himself, he had forcibly suppressed five deliberators!

Not only that, their Dao Foundations were constantly trembling and crying out as though they feared the rain threads immensely.

Those with broad knowledge immediately recalled a legendary Dao Foundation: the immortal sword, Green Silk Rain!

This sword was soft to the utmost and hard to the utmost. Its most formidable quality was that it could shave away Dao Foundations. If one was struck by it several times, even the grade of one's Dao Foundation would decline. This was no laughing matter; if things went badly, one's Dao Path would be severed. Thus, no one dared let even a single thread of rain fall upon them.

Zhang Sheng slowly walked to the center of the hall before saying, "Everyone, do not overthink it. I merely wish to speak a few words peacefully."

The deliberators cursed inwardly. With an immortal sword hanging over their heads, he called this peaceful? Yet they only dared say it in their hearts. They did not dare let their expressions show the slightest impropriety, or the rain threads would turn into Sword Qi, and hundreds of holes would immediately appear in their bodies.

Hearing Zhang Sheng's words, the monk hurriedly said, "Senior Brother, please speak freely!"

Though the deliberators could not move, all their gazes focused on the monk. They were shocked. This fellow can actually speak?

Seeing everyone's stares, the monk also realized something was wrong and hurriedly grabbed a piece of fruit and stuffed it into his mouth.

Hm? He could still move? A dangerous glint flashed through Zhang Sheng's eyes, and another immortal sword vaguely appeared deep within his pupils.

The monk was terrified. Sweat beaded on his bald head as he immediately watched his nose with his eyes, his mouth with his nose, and his heart with his mouth, entering meditation and wandering in spirit.

Only after cowing the entire hall did Zhang Sheng say, "I know that the unified examinations have always had matters exceeding the rules, but I never imagined that you would dare act so wantonly, casually suppressing scores with trumped-up reasons! Those two slaps just now were on behalf of my disciple. If you two are dissatisfied, once I withdraw the immortal sword, come challenge me in spell combat as you please!"

Zhang Sheng looked at the old Confucian. "If three sword strikes fail to kill you, I will immediately reincarnate and cultivate anew!"

Then he looked at the middle-aged Confucian. "You are more troublesome. It will probably take four strikes."

Liu Sigu's old face flushed crimson, while the middle-aged Confucian's face turned alternately green and white. Neither spoke, nor could they speak. Their eyes darted around, but the others either stared at the sky or closed their eyes to look inward, refusing to meet their gazes. All the deliberators knew that every debt had its creditor; no one was willing to become entangled with the two Confucians at such a time. Besides, they had never gained the slightest benefit from them before, so why should they ward off disaster for them?

Zhang Sheng slowly withdrew the sword-qi rain threads. Looking at the two Confucians, he sneered. "The scores for the first two rounds cannot be changed. For this round, I will see how you score it! You may do whatever you please, but my immortal sword has a rather bad temper. If it sees something displeasing, it might just strike with a single slash! When that happens, I will return to Taichu Palace to accept punishment. As for trading my life for yours—ha! Are you worthy?"

Everyone's hearts turned cold. Only then did they understand Zhang Sheng's resolve.

The deliberators regained their freedom, and after breathing sighs of relief, they all looked toward the two Confucians. Just moments ago, the pair had looked as though their hair was standing on end in fury. Now that they could act, however, both became unmoved by the eight winds, their faces calm and unruffled as they focused on the Martial Assessment without mentioning what had just happened.

If not for the red swelling on half of Liu Sigu's face and the bruise at the middle-aged Confucian's mouth, those two slaps might never have happened at all.

Zhang Sheng waited for quite some time, but neither Confucian came to challenge him, not even offering a harsh word. His immortal sword hung in vain, leaving him feeling indescribably awkward.

Even Zhang Sheng had to admire such self-restraint in wiping one's face dry after being spat upon.

"You really can endure," Zhang Sheng could only sigh.

The two Confucians focused on the Martial Assessment and heard nothing.

The immortal sword had already been drawn, but its opponents had tucked in their necks. He could hardly drag their heads out and chop them off by force, could he? Zhang Sheng was not like the two Confucians; he could not quite bring himself to do such a thing.

The deliberators understood perfectly. For a genius like Zhang Sheng, even if he killed someone on the spot in the Deliberation Hall, would Taichu Palace truly make him pay life for life? At most, they would punish him to face the wall for a few decades, then discuss some arrangement with Four Saints Academy, offer a few ceremonial words, and compensate them with some Immortal Silver. In a few years, Zhang Sheng would be released, but the dead would truly be dead.

Everyone still had doubts. This Fengyuan Commandery unified examination was unusual. It was not merely the people in the Deliberation Hall—there had to be great powers from every sect watching from above. Yet Zhang Sheng had acted so brazenly, and none of those great powers had made the slightest move. Even the great powers of Four Saints Academy remained silent.

The Martial Assessment had been underway for some time, and the situation in the field was beginning to take shape.

The green and yellow teams each held the south and north. Both had already completed their reconnaissance of the terrain and the enemy's deployment. Throughout the process, neither side's scouts had suffered casualties, which counted as no small miracle.

Li Zhi's southern formation had originally been near the eastern mountains, but after the enemy scouts passed through, he moved it to the west.

At the northern central army stood a delicately made-up little girl. After Li Zhi's scouts finished their reconnaissance, she advanced the central army a hundred zhang and occupied a small rise near the central zone.

In the south, Li Zhi gazed northward as far as his eyes could see, but he could only vaguely make out the edge of the central zone. To his left stood a girl holding a jade tray, upon which over a hundred medicinal pills were arranged in neat rows. All the pills issued to the ordinary soldiers were on that tray.

Li Zhi said, "Soldiers should be elite, not numerous. I gathered these pills together so that each of the thirty elites in my personal guard can receive three. This way, my personal guard can fight from beginning to end!"

The girl looked up at Li Zhi with admiration. "Senior Brother Li truly commands troops like a god!"

PS: There will also be irregular updates.