35: Chapter 35 Acquiring the Cultivation Technique "Iron Body"

In this world, most people want to live.

Zhu Ang, this Protector General, was born into the powerful Zhu Family.

His Family even had a Ninth-Grade Mortal Immortal presiding over it, its power immense, bringing fortune to his descendants.

Zhu Ang's life, for the most part, had been one of joy and ease.

He was naturally even more reluctant to part with all of this; how could he be willing to die like this?

But what use was that now?

Li Yuan's long blade was already raised. Compared to Zhu Xu's strength, there was already a world of difference between them.

His personal guard, Zhu Xu, at the peak of the seventh grade, was dead. How could he hope to survive?

"Esteemed One, we have no grievance or enmity. Why must you be so absolute..."

Zhu Ang had now completely figured it out.

Including being discovered, it was all Li Yuan's doing on purpose.

It wasn't that they had discovered Li Yuan at all, but rather that Li Yuan had intentionally led them to this dead end.

Li Yuan looked at Zhu Ang, a trace of seriousness appearing on his Face as well.

"The reason is actually not complicated. It's because there are too many people like you in the Da Shun Dynasty, making the entire country somewhat... filthy.

The upright and principled are forced to compromise, and the common folk at the bottom can only wait for death.

With people like you, the more who die, the better it is for the country."

Li Yuan spoke in reply, these words completely unexpected by Zhu Ang.

He had thought it was some conflict of interest between families.

"Even if you kill me, the Da Shun Dynasty won't change.

It will remain exactly as it is.

The Da Shun royal Family is just like that. Powerful families like ours are merely following the path they've arranged..."

As Zhu Ang spoke to this point, there seemed to be a hint of mockery in his tone.

He was mocking Li Yuan's idealism, believing it to be nothing but fanciful daydreams.

Hearing this, Li Yuan remained calm. "If the Da Shun royal Family is the root of these problems, then they can be cut down along with the rest."

As the words fell, Li Yuan's long blade fell as well.

This Protector General, who had been willing to send the soldiers of Yingyang Pass to their deaths, thus met his end.

Looking at the five corpses around him, Li Yuan did not hesitate, immediately using the Corpse Looting Technique on them.

[Corpse Looting Technique (Level 4): Acquired Zhu Ang's martial arts experience, twenty years of martial Internal Energy, Cultivation Technique 'Eight Directions Divine Leg', Cultivation Technique 'Cloud Dragon Palm', 'Zhu Family Secret Records']

[Corpse Looting Technique (Level 4): Acquired Zhu Xu's martial arts experience, fifty years of martial Internal Energy, Cultivation Technique 'Eight Directions Divine Leg', Cultivation Technique 'Iron Armor Body', Cultivation Technique 'Cloud-Piercing Nine Swords']

The remaining three personal guards, only at the fifth-grade Perfection level, yielded no significant gains.

Through this Corpse Looting Technique, the only real harvest came from Zhu Xu.

The others, especially this Zhu Ang, were outwardly strong but inwardly weak, quite pathetic.

His so-called twenty years of martial Internal Energy was truly just a tiny thread.

However, with tonight's gains, Li Yuan felt the martial Internal Energy he had accumulated was nearing the ninth grade.

Once he truly touched the edge of the ninth grade, he might need to find an opportunity to break through and advance.

Between the eighth and ninth grades, it seemed like only a single grade's difference.

But within that single grade lay a world of difference.

Just like in the fight with Zhu Xu tonight, even though he himself cultivated the legendary 'Tai Xuan Divine Art'.

Zhu Xu still managed to offer some resistance.

But if he were at the ninth-grade level and Zhu Xu at the eighth, he could have subdued him in a single move.

Li Yuan had clearly seen this point in the martial arts experiences he had looted from others.

The ninth grade was that of an Immortal of the Mortal Realm. The single character 'Immortal' highlighted the difference from Mortals.

Below the ninth grade, all were Mortals.

Before leaving, Li Yuan searched their bodies once more.

He took all the relevant Medicinal Pills they carried on them.

Improving his Physique and constitution still required the aid of Medicinal Pills.

After rummaging, Li Yuan left with five bottles of Medicinal Pills.

At the same time, he was probably already marked by that secret art of Zhu Ang's.

As long as members of the Zhu Family came, they would definitely be able to tell through their Family's secret art that Li Yuan had touched Zhu Ang.

But so what?

Li Yuan, as a Corpse Collector, would certainly have to touch these corpses.

The Zhu Family likewise couldn't suspect Li Yuan.

With everything handled, he turned and returned to his own tent.

After learning the 'Langhe Breath-Hiding Art', moving around the Military Camp had become much, much easier for Li Yuan.

Of course, from his perspective, the sentry posts and patrols of the Military Camp were actually quite weak.

Once inside the camp, Li Yuan pretended to be getting up at night to relieve himself, returning to his bed with perfect naturalness.

The sky brightened again. Today, there was a combat mission.

The soldiers in the army were all prepared early.

The more prepared they were, the greater their chance of survival.

Everyone also sensed that this newly arrived Protector General simply didn't care about their lives.

If they wanted to stay alive on the battlefield, they had to rely more on themselves.

The cooks distributed breakfast.

Today's breakfast was far more sumptuous than usual.

It was hard to say whether they would live to eat a second meal after this battle.

At the second quarter of the Chen hour, the soldiers assembled in front of the Military Camp.

As the generals leading the troops at Yingyang Pass, City Lord Liu and the others still had to make an appearance.

They had already opposed these plans in advance, but it was useless.

They dared not disobey the orders of Zhu Ang, this Protector General.

With Shu Fanzheng having just died not long ago, if they didn't obey the general sent by the court now...

The court would surely suspect Yingyang Pass of planning a rebellion.

Standing on the high platform, City Lord Liu gave a motivational speech; he still had to encourage the officers and soldiers under his command.

Words of negativity and despondency would only lead to more casualties for the army in this battle.

Halfway through his speech, suddenly, Deputy General Wang Jiuxing rushed onto the high platform.

He leaned close to City Lord Liu's ear and whispered.

Wang Jiuxing's expression was grave. For him to interrupt on such an occasion, it must be a major event.

Sure enough, after hearing this, City Lord Liu stopped speaking.

He followed Wang Jiuxing, quickly heading outside the Military Camp.

Li Yuan knew it must be because this morning's patrol had discovered the bodies of Zhu Ang and the others.

Today's combat plan had been entirely arranged by Zhu Ang.

Now that he was dead, the plan was naturally suspended.

For City Lord Liu, the top priority now was how to deal with the deaths of Zhu Ang and his men.

Zhu Ang was a member of the Zhu Family, a top-tier Family of the Da Shun Dynasty.

Even the Da Shun royal Family had to give Face to their Zhu Family.

Yet Zhu Ang had died here at the Yingyang Pass front line.

City Lord Liu had also heard that Zhu Ang was well-liked by the Family elders.

Although he didn't have much talent in the martial Dao, he was very skilled in the art of officialdom and even better at pleasing the Family elders.

Given time, he was set to take over some real power within the Zhu Family.

But he had to die here at Yingyang Pass...

Within half a quarter of an hour, City Lord Liu had reached the spot where Zhu Ang and the others' bodies lay scattered.

He began searching everywhere for clues.

Soon, some traces of footsteps were discovered.

"The lightness skill footwork of the Langhe River..."

Seeing these traces, City Lord Liu and the others believed they had found the real culprit.

This was the Jin Kingdom's revenge.

Previously, the two assassins sent by the Langhe River had both died in front of Yingyang Pass.

During this period, under Zhu Ang's command, Yingyang Pass had carried out various attacks and raids.

How could the Jin Kingdom endure it, always suffering losses?

Their deaths were the settling of both old and new grudges...