Unstoppable

Foreword:

With a sharp sword in his hand, a single strike brought the corpse to a standstill.

--Cao Zhi

[Part 1: Verbal sparring]

An uninvited guest suddenly appeared in the courtyard of the government office. Several distinguished guests reacted differently and dared not make any rash moves.

Magistrate Wu Cheng Zhang was once a eunuch in the Capital City and had seen many imperial guards and instructors of the Imperial Guards. To be able to kill the guard dog in the county government office without making a sound with his bare hands, this man's skills were extraordinary. The dogs in the Zhu Prefecture County Office were not cheap dogs picked up from the roadside; they were all ferocious beasts bred by coyotes from the surrounding towns and villages.

The Yu Zhen the Taoist Yuzhen stared in astonishment at the visitor's knuckles, his heart churning with turmoil.

--Such strong finger strength!

Although the guard dog's belly was soft, it was not something an ordinary person could cut open with their bare hands.

Did he use his true essence? Did he use his spiritual power?

No! I can't feel it at all!

The man walked along with seemingly unsteady steps, his breathing was no different from that of an ordinary person, and his chest and lungs rose and fell like those of a pale-faced scholar. Even the farmers working in the fields seemed to have more strength than him.

But the dog in his arms couldn't even utter a pitiful howl before it died!

However, the magistrate's godson was still unclear about the situation and seemed to be completely unaware of what was going on.

Wu Xiuwen only knew that a foreigner (an outsider who crossed the ocean from Xiantai Port) had come in carrying the county government's guard dog. The kid was slow to realize what was happening and hadn't quite caught on yet.

"How dare you! You dare kill the magistrate's dog?!"

Jiang Xueming didn't want to immediately break off relations, so he used the dog in his hand as a warning. There were also three dead dogs outside the door, and he had the trembling yamen runners gather them together.

He tossed aside the wolfhound's carcass, leisurely took out new gloves from his doctor's bag, and casually replied.

'I came to Zhuzhou to obtain a travel permit, intending to go to the capital. On the way, I happened to hear of two wounded men whose fingers had been chopped off, so naturally I had to treat them and save them.'

Before Jiang Xueming could finish speaking, Wu Xiuwen immediately started cursing.

"You son of a bitch! What did you say?!"

"I'm saying, if this finger gets into an animal's stomach," Jiang Xueming said gently, "It will rot and become unusable, and things will get worse. We have to take it out while it's still warm—otherwise it'll be unusable."

Wu Xiuwen wanted to speak, but his godfather held his son's arm tightly.

"Godfather." Wu Xiuwen finally realized what was happening, and when he saw the look in his godfather's eyes, he finally shut his mouth.

Jiang Xueming then asked, "Are you a prefectural magistrate or a county magistrate?"

Wu Cheng Zhang replied, "I am a prefect appointed by the imperial court, and a county magistrate appointed by the governor. I am both a county magistrate and a prefectural magistrate."

"You hold multiple positions; you've worked very hard." Jiang Xueming had neither the habit of bowing nor the intention of kneeling to acknowledge an official position. "My name is Zhang Congfeng, from the Nine Realms..."

Wu Xiuwen was still concerned about his godfather's reputation, so he whispered a reminder: "Why don't you kneel before an official of the imperial court!"

Xue Ming took out his medical license and academic credentials from his doctor's bag.

"In the Great Xia, you would be considered a scholar of the Hanlin Academy. Treating the illnesses of the generals of the Nine Realms is also considered being Imperial Physician. According to your official system, you, a eunuch dispatched from the capital to the region, should kneel down before me and kowtow three times."

Upon hearing this, Wu Cheng Zhang lost face. His cheeks flushed and his head spun. He was furious, his face turning red with anger—what nonsense was this foreigner spouting? Did he think he could humiliate me with just a few pieces of paper?

But the old eunuch held back. He was a shrewd man. If he could find out the foreigner's background and know his capabilities, he could kill him in Zhuzhou City and no one would know.

"Oh"

Thinking this through, Wu Cheng Zhang gave a casual reply without giving a direct response, deciding to pass this difficult problem to Yu Zhen Yuzhen.

Since this foreigner is here to cause trouble, claiming he wants to cure illnesses and save lives, and is after these few fingers, let's see how Yu Zhen the Taoist deals with him.

The old eunuch's mind worked much faster than his godson's; he immediately turned his head and asked a question.

"Daoist Master? Do you recognize the Nine Realms' approval document? Forgive my ignorance, but I am not familiar with the design and signing authority of this certificate—if there is any misunderstanding, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to the Hongfa Temple Ministry of Rites of Foreign Affairs."

The Yu Zhen the Taoist Yuzhen was immediately drenched in sweat, wondering what the old magistrate was up to.

--The man was someone the magistrate wanted to arrest, and the bear was someone the magistrate's godson wanted to embezzle. The girls in Yingchun House were all bought by this father and son, and the charge of rape was pinned on the Zhao Brothers. How did it all fall on Yu Zhen's head when a Foreign Doctor came along?

"Oh." Yuzhen the Immortal hesitated for a moment, then forced himself to continue. After all, he had come to Zhuzhou for the human flesh trade, and he was hanging out with Wu Xiuwen because Wu Cheng Zhang had no weaknesses.

The old eunuch had reached the end of his career in the capital, and was eventually exiled to a peninsula like Zhuzhou to serve as a county magistrate. With no children or family, he was a very easy tool for the Xia emperor to control.

Wu Cheng Zhang has no hobbies or obvious weaknesses. If you try to talk about human relationships and gratitude from the perspective of wine, women, wealth, and power, it would be difficult to close the deal with the human flesh business. The only thing he has is his godson as leverage, which is the connection that Master Yu Zhen values.

"Doctor..." Yu Zhen the Taoist naturally couldn't accept these documents. If he made a definitive statement, Wu Cheng Zhang might actually lead everyone in the yamen courtyard to kowtow to this foreigner, which was too ridiculous. So he went straight to the point. "Did the Zhao Brothers ask you to treat their illness?"

"No, I came of my own accord." Jiang Xueming immediately replied, "I heard it outside the door just now. Immortal Master, you are right, it's all about morality. As a doctor, healing and saving lives is my duty. I can't refuse to treat patients just because they don't ask for help—don't you agree?"

"Hehehe," Yu Zhen replied awkwardly, but her heart was filled with increasing curiosity.

--What exactly is this Foreign Doctor here for? Is he here to make fun of me? To ridicule me?

Morality? Who would believe such a thing? It sounds nice, and it's just a way to curry favor with the magistrate. Does he really think that way?

"The doctor killed a dog belonging to the magistrate just to treat the Zhao Brothers' injuries?"

Jiang Xueming: "Four dogs. Not one."

Wu Xiuwen shouted in a fit of rage, "Kill them all?!"

Jiang Xueming: "Hmm."

Wu Xiuwen strode forward, intending to take the long cane from the rack to beat the man, but stopped halfway there.

The boy noticed that the Yu Zhen the Taoist had stopped laughing, as if he couldn't laugh anymore.

Seeing that the immortal showed no intention of moving or helping him catch the culprit, the ever-burning lamp behind the gate of the mansion cast a long Foreign Doctor shadow, resembling a fierce tiger.

At this moment, Wu Xiuwen dared not move. His whole body felt as if it had been plunged into icy well water, his hands and feet were stiff with cold, and his bones were chilled. His breathing became rapid, and his eyes turned red in an instant, with blood vessels creeping into the pupils, as if he had entered the territory of a ferocious beast and was within its attack range.

"Foreign Doctor, please keep these documents safe." After pondering for a while, Yuzhen the Immortal adopted a cold and stern expression, uttering a few chilling words. "The magistrate doesn't want to see them, nor does he want to hear them."

Jiang Xueming: "I think so too. You definitely can't reason with them."

Yuzhen the Immortal continued, "Do you know that the Zhao Brothers are serious criminals who raped women?"

Jiang Xueming: "Have you confessed? Do you have any evidence to prove your guilt?"

Yuzhen the Immortal: "You want to take this to court? You mean the county magistrate abused his power and framed the Zhao Brothers? You want to sue the officials? Do you know that in Xia Bang, those who sue officials are punished the same as the officials themselves?"

Xue Ming had no intention of confronting Xia Bang Law head-on; instead, he took a roundabout route.

Who cut off the fingers of the two Zhao brothers?

Yuzhen the Immortal immediately said, "It's me."

Xue Ming then asked, "Are you a constable from the county government?"

Yuzhen the Immortal immediately retorted, "Zhao Jianying and Zhao Jianxiong refuse to confess. The two are burly and vicious. I was ordered to rid the people of this scourge in a time of crisis. The magistrate entrusted me with the task of enforcing the law. What is wrong with that?"

"You're going to feed their fingers to the dogs?" Jiang Xueming continued to ask.

Yuzhen the Immortal grew impatient. "Such a wicked person! Even being thrown into the Mist River to feed the fish is accumulating merit and good deeds! I am doing a good deed."

"Then if I were to treat their illnesses and set their bones, which law of Xia Bang Laws would I be violating?" Jiang Xueming continued to ask.

This time, Yuzhen the Immortal couldn't hold back any longer.

"Are you courting death? You're going to kill the yamen's dogs for two criminals?"

"You want to fight me for the sake of the government's dogs?" Jiang Xueming retorted. "You want to fight me?"

"Immortal Master!" Wu Xiuwen immediately shouted, "Why waste words with this unreasonable foreigner! Are you afraid of him?!"

Upon uttering these words, Yuzhen the Immortal had essentially lost his mind completely.

Afraid of him?

I am the chief advisor to Hundred Eyes Great King! Do you think I'd be afraid of an unarmed Foreign Doctor?

Isn't this just waiting for your godfather's explanation?!

"If this doctor is willing to spar with the immortal master," Wu Cheng Zhang chuckled, "I would be willing to cede even a tiny bit of my humble courtyard, but I fear the immortal master would find it difficult to unleash his full power."

"I want twenty boys and thirty girls," Yu Zhen said directly, "To help you deal with this blind foreigner. The boys don't have to be from tenant farmers' homes; they've been doing farm work since they were little, and their flesh is smelly."

Wu Cheng Zhang didn't respond, but continued with a chuckle, "Then it depends on Xiuwen's arrangements. Xiuwen is handling all the crucial matters like sacrificial rites and offerings. I'm getting senile; if I were younger and had the help of immortals, my career path would be much smoother. Hehehehehe."

The old eunuch didn't want to offend anyone, so he pushed all the blame onto his godson.

[Part ②: The Six-Armed Asura]

With the verbal promise made, Yu Zhen no longer hid anything and took out a sword box from her robe.

When the long box made of Dark Wood was opened, it revealed a clear, water-like sword light—six swords of varying lengths were displayed inside.

"Excuse me, Foreign Doctor, it's not that I'm going to take your life today, it's just that you don't know what's good for you."

"Your Honor!" Jiang Xueming suddenly shouted at the magistrate, "Does this immortal mean he's going to kill me?"

Even now, Wu Cheng Zhang is still trying to evade the issue. "It's just a friendly spar, nothing more. Doctor, you're overthinking it. But swords have no eyes. If you could back down and everyone could give way, you wouldn't need to think about the Zhao Brothers' matter so much. Sigh."

Before he finished speaking, Yuzhen the Immortal kicked a flash of cold light from his sword case and launched a fierce attack!

"Take this!"

Yu Zhen thought to herself—this dazed and confused face resembled a foolish deer oblivious to its own mortality. No matter how skilled you were, or how strong your internal cultivation, how could you possibly withstand this Fine Steel Blade with your bare hands?

Don't accuse me of being unsportsmanlike and launching a sneak attack! Foreign Doctor! I told you to watch your sword!

What a pity for your unfocused, lifeless, and chaotic eyes! Can you even see my sword?!

In an instant, cold light flashed, and metal clashed!

Yu Zhen's tiger's mouth trembled violently, and in the instant her eyes went unfocused, she felt a piercing pain in her sword-wielding hand.

Then a ghostly black shadow passed by. The figure, dressed in a black robe, seemed like a dragon on the ground. In just a few steps, the foreigner knocked the weapon in the man's hand two feet to the side, causing him to lose his strength.

The moment the sword's momentum faded, Yu Zhen was almost terrified.

--Where did the weapons come from?

Xue Ming now held a small knife, a fighting knife made from leftover materials by Berloberg. He had already taken in Yu Zhen's improved assassination attempt in the first round, and had made a preliminary assessment of its speed and power.

He held the knife with both hands and struck the spine of the sword near the blade. He calculated the distance precisely. This cold weapon was like a large hammer. The farther away from his hands, the more difficult it was to maintain balance. He simply used a lever to pry open the blade, using both hands to use the short weapon to overcome the long weapon.

Without a moment's hesitation, the instant Yu Zhen and Xue Ming slipped away from the sword encirclement, they immediately drew their swords and attacked again.

The stance of the sword thrust to kill the throat was perfect— Xue Ming thought to herself, continuing to dodge with her waist, not wanting to repeat the same trick. It was too strenuous to deal with such a blood-receiving unit with just her bare hands, and she needed to conserve her energy to complete the slaughtering process.

Three more sword strikes were still ineffective. Yu Zhen took a step forward to slash at the hand, then the throat, and finally struck the legs that were difficult to dodge. After shifting her position, she had already circled half a circle.

The blade couldn't land properly, and his heart sank to the bottom. He switched to using both hands to wield the sword in an attempt to achieve faster sword speed.

During the brief moment of switching hands, Xue Ming's eyes almost never left Yu Zhen's brow.

--Judging from neural reflexes, the elemental composition of this Blood-giving Monster is excellent.

He's switched to wielding weapons with both hands now? Is he afraid?

"Ah!--"

Yu Zhen exhaled a breath of anger and charged forward with a shout of encouragement. The clear, cold sword shadow seemed to be shrouded in a layer of thick, dark clouds!

In a short while, two people were seen chasing each other in the courtyard. The dark figures moved their divine robes back and forth between the welcoming pine and the courtyard wall. Yu Zhen used both hands to stab with her sword. She was caught between advancing and retreating and occasionally lost her way with messy steps. Her center of gravity was all on the midline of her body, so she could not run fast.

The sword flashed, creating crackling marks on tree trunks and slicing deep wounds in walls, yet it couldn't even touch the shadow of the enemy!

Finally, after circling around in a big circle, the fallen leaves scattered on the ground were blown into the air by the cold wind, and the two people chasing each other back and forth rose and fell.

Yu Zhen was increasingly astonished as the fight progressed; his prized swift sword couldn't even scratch the Foreign Doctor's skin! It seemed unable to even cut through his clothes!

He shifted his feet slightly, his richly patterned cloth boots stepping on the bluestone bricks. As he moved slightly, he saw the Foreign Doctor almost telepathically move his heels to the side, following his steps.

Does he know what I'm thinking? -- Yu Zhen doesn't understand, she doesn't understand at all.

This intuitive ability to read minds and interpret things has far surpassed his martial arts skills!

Even when sparring with the Hundred-eyed Immortal Venerable in his sect, he had never felt such immense pressure. The person before him was definitely a master swordsman! During the first few exchanges, he could hear the man's rapid breathing several times, but as the chase progressed, he could no longer hear the strange man's breathing rhythm at all!

If the two were to fight with swords drawn, Yu Zhen couldn't imagine what she would look like now.

--Has it probably turned into pieces of meat scattered here and there by now?

The immortal felt his cheeks burning, a mixture of shame and anger. This foreign barbarian seemed to have no intention of attacking, only playing around and running away. The county magistrate had seen this and kept it in mind. If this human flesh deal fell through, how could he face the immortal master when he returned to his sect?

"Waaaaah! Waaaaah! I'm so angry! I'm so angry!"

As a chilling wind blew, Yuzhen the Immortal began chanting incantations and making hand seals. Suddenly, four crimson arms shot out from the elegant yellow robes of the wise swordsman!

The human skin on her shoulders and armpits suddenly split open, revealing Yu Zhen form. Her white hair on her head suddenly parted in the middle, and from her youthful and adorable face grew a ferocious and terrifying monster with eight eyes, fangs, and a protruding mouth!

Jiang Xueming is still waiting, a wait that has lasted for almost eight or nine years.

--During the Age of Expedition, there were many Blood-giving Monster disguised in human skin, who initially practiced some human etiquette.

To paraphrase his favorite nonsensical literary style, once the facade is torn off, one can become shameless and start using the special combat skills of a blood-born freak.

The same applies to Yu Zhen the Taoist's current "second stage," where he unleashes his full power and is prepared to fight to the death.

Xue Ming is like a patient angler. The battle with the Blood-giving Monster is also like fishing. From the beginning of baiting and feeding, to the bite, the struggle of pulling the line and reeling in the fish, getting to know the fish's temperament and swimming habits, and finally gradually pulling it out of the water until it loses its strength, it is a process that is both short and long.

The briefness lies in the fact that, for both sides in a duel, there is often only one chance between life and death.

The long process is that the longer Xue Ming observes, the clearer the Gate of Death will become; patience is a warrior's strongest weapon.

Yuzhen the Immortal was no longer the immortal he once was. Each of his six arms held a sword. In Meteor's words, if his accuracy wasn't good enough, he would make up for it with attack speed. Since he couldn't hit anyone, he would try using all six swords at once. The simple hand-to-hand combat turned into a weeding session. This ferocious monster with six arms and six swords had become a bloodthirsty demon.

Jiang Xueming remained silent throughout, without even changing his expression.

The Wu family father and son were too frightened to utter a sound by the six-armed freakish form of the Yu Zhen the Taoist.

The six Fine Steel Blades of varying lengths became a meat grinder. This demon was proficient in ambidextrous fighting, and its coordination was nothing short of divine. Xue Ming couldn't help but marvel at it, thinking that if an ordinary person were to wield two swords, they might not be able to master such a high frequency of attacks.

Even with modern technology controlling six robotic arms to operate a meat chopper, there's no guarantee the CNC center won't overturn, and these arms might start fighting amongst themselves.

The gleaming "iron ball" hurtled towards Xue Ming, emitting strange creaking sounds, much like the sounds of arthropods' joints and carapaces pressing against each other at high speed.

Under the ever-burning lamp, terrifying bursts of flame erupted from the courtyard!

The scattered iron fragments flew like meteors, striking the pine wood of the courtyard wall and the plaque bearing the four characters for "Justice and Integrity." The iron pieces flew backward, their sword-like energy radiating outwards. The demon's arms and legs seemed to have been caught in a high-speed wire saw! They instantly disintegrated, becoming neatly cut pieces of meat!

With a "thud!", one of the Six-Armed Asura's palms suddenly lost its strength and fell onto his own forehead. The broken iron sword plunged into his brow and pierced his skull. He was filled with disbelief. His Inspiration, which had been clouded by anger and shame, finally returned to his side. When he saw the fine and tough "threads" all over the courtyard, he seemed to understand something.

Unfortunately, Yu Zhen could no longer make a sound; he could only see these strange nets, thin threads stained with pus and blood, like silk threads that could cut through gold and iron.

His right leg was cut into fourteen pieces of varying sizes, and his body fell forward, instantly turning into a pile of minced meat.

"Immortal Master!" Wu Xiuwen exclaimed in surprise.

Wu Cheng Zhang immediately grabbed his son's hair and shouted, "You bastard! Who are you calling?! Who are you calling an immortal?!"

A dazzling array of light and starlight filled the air. Fragrant, Fragrant Dream fur burst forth from all corners of the courtyard, shaking off the filth and bloodstains from the tiger's whiskers. It all returned to the Iron God Cat's armor, striking it with a sound like war drums.

Jiang Xueming asked the county magistrate, "May I treat the patient now?"

Wu Cheng Zhang immediately replied, "This is an immortal master."

"I've already told the county magistrate my name," Jiang Xueming emphasized. "I told him once, and the clerk also wrote my name on it, all in Chinese characters—I remember Xia Bang also used Chinese characters."

Wu Cheng Zhang immediately changed his address: "Lord Zhang Congfeng"

Before the county magistrate could even get up from his chair...

The corpse of Yuzhen the Immortal was finally completely scattered, with his face and torso broken into dozens of pieces.

He's completely dead.