Chapter Twenty-Four: Too Scared to Dare

Hearing the commotion, Zhang He finally opened his eyes. Having just used the Clear Breeze Technique, he had restored his stamina and endurance completely. Most importantly, he had managed to lure Dao Xing Tianxia out by this method.

Zhang He’s guess had been correct; Dao Xing Tianxia was indeed the top disciple of Qingcheng Sect after his second advancement, but his level was not particularly high—only second advancement, level forty-one.

In terms of strength, Dao Xing Tianxia was not much superior to Zhang He. Even if he could defeat Zhang He, it would be a pyrrhic victory, risking a disastrous setback. Most crucially, a second advancement disciple would never be as careless as the two brothers Dog Ignore, making it almost impossible to trick him. So Zhang He remained seated calmly, unmoving.

Dao Xing Tianxia was startled when he heard Zhang He’s shout. His movements had been so covert, yet the other detected him—surely an inner sect master of exceptional talent. Such acute perception would only belong to someone of fourth advancement or higher.

Only when he leapt down from the treetop did Dao Xing Tianxia truly take fright. The corpses of Dog Ignore and his brother still lay on the ground, not yet vanished. Less than ten minutes had passed since the pursuit began, and two first advancement disciples had already been eliminated. Even Dao Xing Tianxia had trouble dealing with the Dog Ignore brothers, yet Zhang He had managed to defeat them both single-handedly.

Looking closer, Dao Xing Tianxia was horrified to see that both fatal wounds were at their throats, with no other injuries on their bodies—a single sword sealed their fate. This sword technique… Wasn’t he an inner sect master? Could his swordplay also be so fierce and domineering? Dao Xing Tianxia dared not think further.

At this moment, Zhang He suddenly tossed the brocade box in front of him and said coldly, “The red goods are right here. Come and take them.”

A cold gleam flashed in Dao Xing Tianxia’s eyes, sharp as a blade, as he stared at Zhang He. He was no longer the suave, eloquent figure he had been before. Words were useless now, but he dared not approach rashly; the opponent’s true strength was unknown. If he died, it was inconsequential, but if he died and the red goods escaped, it would be a huge loss.

This shipment of red goods escorted by Wei Yuan Security Bureau was personally led by their deputy chief, Dragon City Tyrant. He was a fourth advancement expert, wielding a pair of formidable twin swords. To ambush this cargo, Qingcheng Sect secretly dispatched three fourth advancement altar masters. After a fierce battle in the Purple Bamboo Forest, the entire Wei Yuan party of twenty-eight was annihilated, but all four altar masters perished as well. Dao Xing Tianxia and his companions, surviving to the end, were meant to sweep up the battlefield, only to be blindsided by an unexpected interloper who snatched the red goods by sheer chance.

Originally, Qingcheng Sect could have sent even greater experts to take Wei Yuan Security Bureau in one fell swoop. However, Qingcheng had not yet chosen a sect leader, and the highest rank was the “Four Beauties of Qingcheng.” Advancement from protector onward required chivalry points, and if they acted, their promotion prospects would become ever more distant. Thus, the operation unfolded in this way, a scenario no one had anticipated.

Messenger pigeons had already been sent; the batch of senior brothers recalled to Dongling County would arrive within an hour. Dao Xing Tianxia could not let the red goods slip from his grasp.

Time to test who you really are, Dao Xing Tianxia resolved, lifting his left hand to release a cloud of black smoke.

“Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!”

His Green Peak Nails were clearly superior to Dog Ignore’s; five were launched at once, forming a square and enveloping Zhang He in a wide area, making them extremely hard to evade.

“Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!”

Sword light flashed, sparks flew, and all five Green Peak Nails were struck aside.

Dao Xing Tianxia was appalled. Such powerful internal energy and strength! My master-level Green Peak Nails are powerless against him. Where did this expert come from?

He didn’t realize Zhang He was acting. The moment the five nails were launched, Zhang He was prepared, rapidly activating his Withered to Flourishing technique to forcefully strike the hidden weapons. The Green Peak Nails were barely deflected, but Zhang He’s grip went numb, and his Blue Frost Sword nearly slipped from his hands. If Dao Xing Tianxia attacked again, Zhang He would be exposed and forced to surrender. Yet outwardly, Zhang He showed no sign of weakness, sitting steadily with the demeanor of a grandmaster, calm and poised.

At this moment, Dog Ignore finally understood completely. This bastard, Might Recapture Taiwan, was definitely not some high-level expert, probably just barely at first advancement. The logic was simple: if he were fourth or fifth advancement, would he need such elaborate schemes and acting? He could simply cut everyone down with one sword.

Now Dog Ignore felt genuine admiration for Zhang He—Oscar for Best Actor and Best Director, if you don’t get it, who deserves it?

Dog Ignore was anxious, hoping to return to the city and send a pigeon message to Senior Dao, writing only one sentence: “Brother, this guy’s a fraud—kill him, damn it!”

His hopes were high, but reality was cruel. Zhang He slowly stood up, knowing his time for performance was limited—just a few more minutes. If he didn’t scare off the opponent now, he’d be playing with fire.

“You are a famed disciple of Qingcheng Sect, but I am not. You have your sect’s unique weapons, I have none. You possess Qingcheng’s exclusive martial arts, but I do not,” Zhang He said unhurriedly. “If you have the guts to come finish me now, I have nothing more to say.”

With each sentence, Zhang He moved a step closer to Dao Xing Tianxia, while Dao Xing Tianxia retreated, his face pale. Each step Zhang He took, with his steady aura and cold tone, caused Dao Xing Tianxia’s heart to sink further.

Zhang He suddenly halted, shouting sharply, “Too bad you don’t have the guts—I knew you wouldn’t. Prepare to die!”

His final words were shouted as he raised his sword. Dao Xing Tianxia instantly retreated into the depths of the forest. Of course he had to retreat—he couldn’t risk himself now. He needed to keep moving nearby, avoiding death until his senior brothers arrived.

But as he fled, Dog Ignore was left speechless, torn between laughter and tears. If he hadn’t witnessed it himself, he’d never believe it. At least, he finally vanished in a flash of light.

Zhang He took a deep breath, sheathed his sword, and slowly turned to retrace his steps.

He reckoned it would take no more than five minutes before Dao Xing Tianxia realized he’d been duped and returned.

But as long as he kept calm and slipped away quietly, Dao Xing Tianxia would not be able to sense his direction, unless he was a Shaolin Divine Monk.

With that thought, Zhang He confidently headed back to Return Horse Town. He believed the Qingcheng Sect would never expect him to dare return to the city.

But Zhang He had not anticipated how swift Qingcheng Sect’s response would be—it was completely beyond his imagination.

Return Horse Town was still bustling, but at the gate stood five or six Qingcheng disciples. A wanted notice had been posted on the gate, with a portrait of Zhang He’s face. Below, in bold script, it read: “Might Conquer All—anyone who discovers this man’s whereabouts will receive a reward of one hundred silver taels. Collect your reward at Yizhou Qingcheng Sect, ‘Strange Hero’ office.”

From afar, Zhang He pondered what treasure lay within the brocade box, worth such a massive search by Qingcheng Sect. Return Horse Town was now off-limits, and having killed two Qingcheng disciples, he had thoroughly offended the sect. His prospects were anything but bright.

After some thought, Zhang He gritted his teeth and headed back toward Youming Mountain. He was truly at his wits’ end—at worst, he’d log off for a few days.

Zhang He was always rational; once he made up his mind, his anxiety faded. He quietly headed up the mountain, hoping to avoid detection.

Youming Mountain near Return Horse Town was similar to Qingluan Peak near Rainflower Village, a winding range, but Zhang He was unfamiliar with its terrain. Whether fighting or exploring, one needed timing, geography, and people. Now, in an unfamiliar land, he could only wander blindly. One thing he could guess: the Purple Bamboo Forest at the mountain’s base must be swarming with Qingcheng Sect members, searching for him everywhere.

“Dead and gone, never die, never gone!” Zhang He muttered as he wandered halfway up the mountain. The sky gradually darkened. After slaying several wild boars, his ears perked up—deep within the grass behind him came a faint rustling, at first sounding like footsteps, but upon closer listening, Zhang He realized the situation was dire. He regretted killing the boars, which had exposed him. The newcomer surely possessed masterful lightness skills.

In Dynasty, there were many types of lightness skills, but all required powerful internal energy, movement and mind techniques to master.

Sure enough, a dark figure swept through the grass, legs moving, but toes never touching the ground, instead stepping atop grass blades, soaring upward.

At last, the figure sprang from the grass tips, flipping through the air and landing steadily before Zhang He.

The man wore purple robes and wielded a golden blade, tall and imposing, his voice thunderous: “Hand over the brocade box.”

Zhang He replied coldly, “Who are you?”

The man in purple declared, “Yizhou Wei Yuan Security Bureau, Deputy Chief Fantasia Smoke. Friend, leave the box, and I promise not to trouble you.”

Damn, he hadn’t met any Qingcheng Sect members, but the victim had come knocking.

Seeing the other had mastered Grass-Step Flying and similar skills, Zhang He knew he had almost no chance of victory, yet he disliked Fantasia Smoke’s commanding tone.

“And if I don’t?” Zhang He asked.

“Then you’ll leave your life.” As Fantasia Smoke spoke, a purple-gold fish scale blade flashed out.

True to his skills, Fantasia Smoke did not strike directly, but slashed at an angle—a casual blow to test Zhang He. But Zhang He did not retreat or block as Fantasia Smoke expected. Instead, he walked straight toward the blow, as if to meet it with his chest—something Fantasia Smoke had never imagined.

But as Zhang He stepped forward, his Blue Frost Sword thrust straight for Fantasia Smoke’s wrist. If Fantasia Smoke insisted on completing the slash, his wrist would surely be injured and his weapon might be forced from his grasp, failing to strike Zhang He.

Fantasia Smoke was startled, quickly retracting his move to avoid the strange attack.

A new week had arrived. Brothers, please show your support—I long to see my name rise in the rankings, and it all depends on your energy. Every vote, every plea counts.