ALL NOVEL Chapter 12
“Zongzi, you sure have a good eye.”
【Ding, not bad at all!】
Ye Junlin shrugged; after all, he was getting a bit moldy from staying on the mountain for so long. Perfect time to head out and take that cheap disciple with him.
“Yeah, I think the root of the issue lies in Wei Kingdom.”
Xu Yonian nodded.
“Master, how about I go personally and resolve this matter?”
Ye Junlin spoke up.
Shua!
All eyes in the hall turned to Ye Junlin.
Xu Yonian stroked his beard and smiled, “Still, Ye Shizhi is more direct. If it’s you going, I’m sure this will be resolved quickly.”
“Alright, see you later.”
Ye Junlin left the great hall.
Watching his retreating figure, the Master of Cangjian Peak looked somewhat worried and said, “Um, can Ye Shizhi really handle this?”
“You wooden-headed fool, what in this little Arid Province could stump a Transformation Stage expert?” Tianxiang Peak Master rolled his eyes.
In Arid Province, being at the Transformation Stage meant invincibility!
“If even he can’t handle it, then this place really is doomed.” Xu Yonian’s smile gradually faded as he said sternly, “Everyone, focus on your training. Don’t think too much about anything else; let’s not disappoint Ye Shizhi’s expectations of us!”
“Yes!”
Everyone echoed in response.
……
In the Eastern Domain, Arid Province was quite small, and due to its remote location, it was referred to by other provinces’ cultivators as a backwater place.
But!
That was the opinion of the cultivation world.
In the eyes of mortals, Arid Province seemed boundless; moving from one kingdom to another, even with strenuous travel, it would take at least two to three months, and in further cases, one might never reach their destination in a lifetime.
The sky was swirling with clouds.
Two figures stood on flying swords, moving ahead one after the other.
Ye Junlin hummed a tune, appreciating the magnificent landscapes ahead.
Hong Qianye stared intently at the figure in front, recalling all sorts of things from Mysterious Peak, feeling increasingly frustrated inside.
“Forget it, there will be plenty of opportunities on the road!”
“Just wait till I get my hands on you; I’ll make you see stars!”
Ye Junlin held a faint smile, clearly sensing the other person was filled with resentment.
“Hehe, seems there’s quite a bit of discontent, huh?”
“Since that’s the case, I’ll take my time to teach you a lesson.”
Not long after.
They arrived over the Great Wei Dynasty.
As far as the eye could see, cities of all sizes were scattered about.
The common folk resembled ants, appearing very small.
From the moment one is born, fate is nearly determined; some are born into wealth and grandeur, while others struggle in poverty, living off scraps, and some toil to the brink of death…
In this world, only through cultivating can one overturn their fate!
“Hmm? Seems like something’s happening down there.”
Ye Junlin squinted his eyes.
Hong Qianye looked over and nonchalantly remarked, “Oh, looks like a band of horse bandits is robbing a village.”
He’d seen plenty of this before.
“Oh, really? Let’s go check it out.”
With that, Ye Junlin’s expression changed, and he sped down on his flying sword towards the village.
“Boring.”
Hong Qianye pouted and followed behind.
At this moment.
Peach Blossom Village.
Flames shot into the sky, and smoke filled the air.
Many villagers, like livestock, were herded into the central area of the village.
Those who didn’t comply or tried to escape were viciously slashed by the bloodthirsty bandits!
Crying voices, shouts, and pleas for mercy filled this once peaceful village.
“Heroes, our village is a famously poor place. We only have some chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep. If you want any, please take them all, but don’t hurt the innocent villagers!”
The village chief, his hair white as snow, approached with a cane to plead.
“Get lost!”
One of the bandits impatiently kicked, sending the chief crashing to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
This gang of bandits numbered around a hundred, their faces fierce, wielding sharp knives as they herded the several hundred villagers together.
The villagers trembled in fear, men and women alike filled with terror.
“Zhaizhu, they’re all here.”
A lackey reported respectfully.
The leader of Heifeng Zhai rode a tall steed, casually stepping out from the ranks.
To everyone’s surprise, this bandit leader didn’t look like a rough-and-tumble type; instead, he had a scholar-like demeanor, making him seem more like a tutor from a private academy at first glance.
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu swept his gaze over the gathered crowd, his expression calm as usual.
Among them, he spotted a young couple dressed in bright red, clearly about to enter their bridal chamber.
A cold smirk crossed Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu’s face as he pointed at the couple, ordering, “Drag them out for me.”
“Yes, Zhaizhu!”
Several lackeys stepped forward immediately.
“Don’t! Let go of me! Let go of me!”
The newlywed couple was pinned to the ground.
Their eyes were filled with fear as they worried about their fate.
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu dismounted and approached the bride, lifting her chin to gaze into her delicate, youthful face with a smirk, “You have quite the looks.”
“Pardon me, please.”
The girl trembled in fear.
“Let go of my wife! Don’t touch her!”
The man shouted, his anger igniting.
The villagers lowered their heads, unable to watch.
Who would have thought.
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu asked, “Do you love your man?”
The girl froze, not expecting this bandit leader to throw out such a question.
She nodded gently, “Yes.”
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu turned to the man, “And do you love her?”
The man, appearing earnest and honest, cried out passionately, “Of course I love her! We’ve been childhood sweethearts! Finally, I married her! I swear I’ll treat her well for the rest of my life!”
“Tie Zhu, bro~”
Xiao Mei’s eyes were brimming with tears as she choked out.
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu was silent for a moment before pointing to another villager.
His lackey caught on immediately, dragging that villager out before swiftly chopping off his head amidst countless horrified gazes.
Puchi!
Blood sprayed, staining the ground, the severed head rolling with a look of despair.
“Ah!”
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
The head’s eyes were wide open, unable to close even in death.
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu wore an amused smile, casually kicking the head towards the couple.
Xiao Mei was horrified, not daring to look at the decapitated head.
Tie Zhu’s face turned pale, his heart racing with fear.
“Now, I suddenly have a rather interesting idea.”
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu chuckled, “You two will play rock-paper-scissors. Winner lives, loser dies!”
“But, I’ll allow you to discuss it privately for half a stick of incense…”
Upon hearing this.
Tie Zhu and Xiao Mei exchanged glances, unsure why they had to do this.
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu’s smile turned cold, his tone suddenly sharp, “What? Don’t want to play? Then die together!”
“No, no, no, we’ll play!”
Tie Zhu quickly spoke up; losing one was better than losing both.
“Alright, let’s start.”
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu waved his hand.
Tie Zhu immediately squatted with Xiao Mei at a corner of the wall, earnestly saying, “Xiao Mei, I’ll throw a fist, you throw a cloth. You’ll live.”
Xiao Mei’s eyes turned red, tearfully saying, “Tie Zhu, don’t do this; I don’t want you to die.”
Tie Zhu smiled kindly, patting the girl’s head, “I told you, I’ll treat you well for life.”
“Tie Zhu, in our next life, let’s still be husband and wife…”
Xiao Mei cried sadly.
The two nestled against each other, savoring their fleeting peace.
Half a stick of incense later, a cold voice called out, “Time’s up, bring them over!”
“Yes!”
Tie Zhu and Xiao Mei were brought before Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu by several lackeys.
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu said calmly, “Ready? Let’s begin.”
“Wait!”
Tie Zhu fixed his gaze on the Middle-aged Man, summoning his courage to ask, “Are you sure the winner will live?”
“Bold! Daring to question our Zhaizhu!” One lackey shouted angrily.
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu chuckled, “Of course, I wouldn’t stoop to lying to you.”
“Good.”
Tie Zhu let out a heavy sigh of relief.
He turned to Xiao Mei earnestly, “Alright, let’s go.”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes.
The two began to play rock-paper-scissors.
When the result came out, Tie Zhu stood frozen in place.
Xiao Mei’s delicate face flashed with disbelief, and then she wailed, “I was wrong! Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!”
“HA HA HA HA!”
Heifeng Zhai Zhaizhu laughed heartily, to the point of tears, his laughter laced with endless mockery.
As per their earlier agreement, Tie Zhu indeed threw a rock.
But Xiao Mei threw scissors…