Yang Shen had absolute confidence in the situation. Without confidence, it was impossible to become strong in this world, to say nothing of becoming a big shot in the world of warriors. He was someone who had gathered many people to form the Twin Dragon Mountains, which was a force of considerable power.
The formation of countless golden swords was indeed terrifying, but because of it, he concluded that Zu An was better at long-range attacks. Now that they were up close and he had a hostage right in his grasp, that sword formation was useless.
When he saw so many people around him holding back their attacks out of fear, Yang Shen couldn't help but feel a bit proud. He thought to himself, In the future, I’ll be able to boast about this for sure!
‘This old one returned with a hostage after being surrounded by an enormous army, something practically no one has accomplished. Not a single one of those damned officials was able to stop me!’
Hmph, wait. I can’t brag about this myself; that’ll lower my status. I can make my subordinates spread some rumors first. That way, if someone else asks about it, I can act a bit more humble.
Just then, however, a strange bird seemingly appeared before him. Immediately afterward, a shrill, ear-piercing noise instantly made his mind go blank. Then, a tremendous suction force manifested in front of him. Yang Shen couldn't react as Xie Daoyun was sucked right out of his hands, leaving him horrified.
Yang Shen instinctively reached forward, but he discovered that his hostage was already in Zu An’s hands. Zu An stared back at him coldly, and his heart sank. He knew everything was over now.
However, he was still a valiant individual. Now that he knew that it was meaningless to run, he brandished his blade directly at Zu An. It seemed that Zu An was a long-range fighter, so perhaps he would have a chance in close quarters combat. As it was a matter of life and death, his blade brought out all of his potential.
As he unleashed a massive shining blade that seemed capable of splitting heaven and earth, he suddenly gained enlightenment. He made sure to take note of the feeling so he could properly digest it in the future and become even stronger.
This pretty boy might have higher cultivation than me, but he underestimated me too much, and he probably wanted to show off in front of that woman. Look at that arm that’s still wrapped around her waist! He won’t even be able to fight properly like that.
I’ll send both of them to the Yellow Springs of the underworld with this blade. They’ll at least have that to be grateful for.
Just then, Zu An moved. He drew his sword in one hand.
A hint of disdain appeared in Yang Shen’s eyes. We’re so close and my attack is already about to reach you. Do you really think you still have time?
In the next second, however, he could no longer see. A streak of golden light suddenly appeared; at that instant, it was as if he were standing right next to a sun. His blade appeared dull in comparison as it melted. Then, he felt an intense pain suffuse his entire body. He fell to the ground like a broken sack.
What a formidable sword!
That was the only thought in his mind. At the same time, he was curious as to why Zu An hadn’t killed him. With the power of that sword, there was no reason for the enemy to spare him.
The Armed Escort Guards’ jaws practically fell to the floor. Many of them hadn’t seen Zu An’s sword formation that forced back thousands, and had only heard about it from their colleagues. They had been skeptical, but now, they were fully overcome by shock. They had never seen such a gorgeous sword. There weren’t many more formidable combatants in the whole army, right?
Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang both dripped with sweat. When they recalled how they had treated Zu An, they realized that they really had been dancing around their own graves then!
Thank goodness Sir Zu is magnanimous and didn’t stoop to our level…
Xie Daoyun’s eyes shone brilliantly. They had been fellow students before, and if it had just been another fellow student who surpassed her, perhaps she would have been unhappy and tried to catch up to them. However, her big brother Zu was different. His current strength only made her feel a deep sense of admiration, mixed with a hint of adoration.
Which young lady wouldn’t like such an outstanding hero? Furthermore, his arm was around her, and he could only fight with one hand… When she felt the heat from Zu An’s arm seemingly entering the depths of her body, her heart beat so quickly it felt as if it would burst out of her chest.
…
Zu An didn’t know what the others were thinking. Instead, he stared at Yang Shen and said, “Speak! Why did you take such a huge risk to capture her?”
Previously, he had thought that it was only because Yang Shen thought highly of Xie Daoyun’s abilities as a runemaster, and thought that it would greatly increase the strength of the Twin Dragon Mountain army. Now, however, that suspicion had been overturned. After all, no matter how precious a runemaster was, it wasn’t worth such a risk. There was definitely something else going on.
However, that wasn’t what the onlookers were thinking. They all stared at Xie Daoyun in Zu An’s arms. They all looked as if they were watching some really interesting drama.
This rebel army leader could have offended anyone else, but he just had to touch our general’s woman.
Zhang Zijiang thought to himself, I’ve already offended Sir Zu… Even though he said he didn’t mind, there’s no way he didn’t feel any offense.
Should I try to get on the madam’s good side? Maybe if I can please Miss Xie and make her happy, I’ll be able to get some benefits that way.
Yeah, Miss Xie looks like a cultured person. I have to find some gifts that such people like.
Wang Bolin had similar thoughts. However, an anxious look spread across his face. He felt that couldn't compare to Zhang Zijiang in that aspect. That guy was better at bootlicking than him!
My future prospects look bleak…
The other Armed Escort Army soldiers didn’t have such conflicted thoughts. They were more interested in Xie Daoyun’s looks, and all sized up their general’s future madam.
Xie Daoyun had always been pretty to begin with, but because of her temperament and how she dressed herself, she looked quite simple and elegant. But now that she was in Zu An’s arms and being stared at by so many people, her face had turned red, making her look extremely charming. She now looked even more beautiful than a rose.
Yang Shen released a deep sigh, saying, “I guess this is my fate. I didn’t expect her to have such a formidable man.”
When she heard those words, Xie Daoyun couldn't take it anymore. She buried her face straight into Zu An’s chest.
Zu An looked at Yang Shen and said, “You haven’t answered my question.”
Yang Shen roared with laughter, replying, “I, Scarface Yang Shen, am no unknown in this world of warriors. I‘ve always loathed the bullshit court and hate those traitors who defect to the court the most. Now that I’ve fallen into your hands, why would I wag my tail and beg for mercy? That would just make me a laughingstock to all the heroes of the world!”
After he laughed a few times, his entire body trembled and he took his last breath. Even in death, his head didn’t lower in the slightest. Before he passed away, however, many memories flashed before his eyes.
In truth, Yang Shen was the child of an official. In the past, his father had been a local county magistrate, but he was accused of misconduct, of being involved in a vile gang rape incident. After doing the deed, the culprits had even cruelly chopped off the woman’s feet. The court had been furious and ordered a thorough investigation, upon which the regional officials had arrived to carry it out.
The truth of the incident was that a girl from a wealthy family had gotten lost during a temple fair and been kidnapped by some local hoodlums. The next day, the family had found her again and told the world that she had only lost her shoes.
Meanwhile, the hoodlums responsible had already been killed for committing other crimes. As the culprits were already dead, if the matter was investigated thoroughly, the young lady’s reputation would be ruined. With how much her family cared about their reputation, she would have no choice but to die a meaningless death. In order to protect the young lady, her father had thought of a way to cover up the case.
However, that method had ended up becoming a political weapon. When the county learned the truth and went back to report it, the court hadn’t believed them. They had believed that the officials were just shielding each other, thus ordering the matter to be investigated further.
The county had had no choice but to send more people to investigate. In order to provide their higher-ups with an explanation, the new officials had forced Yang Shen’s father to pay bribes to purchase their peace and safety.
Yang Shen’s father had been an honest official, but with the way things were, he had been forced to borrow money. He lost his entire fortune while gathering a large sum to offer up; he thought it would end there, but soon afterward, another order came down. He was accused of wrongdoing and had his post stripped from him before being thrown into prison. As a proud man, he couldn’t accept the humiliation, and thus died in grief and indignation.
Yang Shen’s mother had then gathered evidence of all the letters that had come and gone. She had planned to report the county officials, but a good friend of Yang Shen’s father swindled her out of the evidence after being bribed by those same officials. Yang Shen’s mother thus perished in sorrow as well.
Yang Shen had witnessed the darkness of the court, planting a seed of hatred deep in his heart. Subsequently, he had wandered through the world of warriors and suffered untold bitterness. He had wandered near the gates of hell many times before eventually acquiring the skills he had today.
The first thing he had done after returning to his hometown was to get revenge. He had killed the officials who deceived his family, as well as his father’s treacherous friend. All the people related to the case were completely eradicated.
Naturally, an order had come down for Yang Shen’s arrest as a result. As events unfolded one after another, he had ended up becoming a bandit in the end. Still, he had always wanted to overthrow the court to fully purge the officialdom of its darkness.
Unfortunately, he couldn't do any of that anymore…
…
Zu An hadn’t expected Yang Shen to be so resolute, not even giving him the chance to negotiate. After a moment of silence, he ordered his subordinates, “Give him a proper burial and hand out an order that this matter is to be kept secret. Not even the slightest bit of information can be leaked.”
At the same time, he became more and more curious. Why would this man rather die than explain why he had captured Xie Daoyun?
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