102: Chapter 102 Chaotic World

That phrase, "a clear conscience," seemed to be spoken for the two sisters to hear, but also for himself.

The wind blew, swirling the smell of blood from the ground and mixing it with the burnt stench wafting from the village, making one feel nauseous.

Chen Fan no longer looked at the corpses on the ground, nor did he look at the villagers poking their heads out from behind the ruins, their eyes a mix of fear and gratitude.

He flipped onto his horse, his movements crisp and neat.

"Let's go."

A single word, without any extra explanation.

Hong Shao and Qing Luo exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of complex emotion in the other's eyes. They silently urged their horses to follow; the originally lighthearted atmosphere had long since vanished.

The sound of horse hooves rang out again, but it felt heavy and oppressive.

Killing the Yellow Robe Army had indeed vented his temporary anger.

But what then?

Chen Fan knew very well that what he had killed was nothing more than an insignificant spark flying out from a prairie fire.

The rot of the entire Shu Province was not something he could excise with a single person and a single sword.

This feeling was one of utter helplessness.

It was just like in his previous life, watching those injustices in the news; aside from typing a few angry words on a keyboard, he couldn't change anything.

Now, he held power that could easily decide life and death, yet he found that what he could do was still limited.

His mood for traveling the Jianghu had been washed completely clean by this harsh reality.

For the rest of the journey, the three of them grew increasingly silent.

Hong Shao no longer approached him with a charming smile to act spoiled, and Qing Luo also tucked away her maidenly shyness, simply following silently behind. Both of their pretty Faces carried an unshakeable worry.

They were worried that by provoking a behemoth like the Yellow Robe Army, the road ahead would be filled with unknown dangers.

After traveling for two more days, a checkpoint appeared on the official road ahead.

Dozens of government soldiers wearing standard armor and holding long spears blocked the way.

Unlike those sallow and emaciated disaster victims, these soldiers each had ruddy complexions and were full of energy, their waist-mounted sabers polished to a shine.

In front of the checkpoint, a long line had formed, mostly consisting of merchants and wealthy households wanting to flee Shu Province.

"Stop! Toll fee, one tael of silver per person!" A thuggish soldier with a Face full of scars roughly blocked a carriage with his spear shaft.

The driver was an honest-looking middle-aged man who, upon hearing this, pleaded with a bitter Face.

"Officer, please have mercy. Our entire carriage of goods isn't even worth a few taels of silver. We really can't produce that much..."

"Can't produce it?" The soldier's eyes widened, and he gave a sinister laugh. "If you can't produce it, then get back! Or, leave this carriage of goods behind, and you people can pass!"

"Officer, this... this is the money our whole family needs to survive!"

"I don't give a damn if you die!"

The soldier cursed and grumbled, raising his foot to kick the driver.

Atop her horse, Hong Shao's elegant brows furrowed once again.

"These people... how are they the same as those Yellow Turban rebels!" she couldn't help but complain in a low voice.

"They are different," Chen Fan spoke calmly.

"How are they different?"

"They want money, but they don't want lives."

Chen Fan's voice was very faint.

This was the difference.

The Yellow Robe Army were locusts; wherever they passed, not a blade of grass remained.

And these soldiers were maggots attached to the bone; they sucked the marrow, but they would let you live a gasping existence so that they could keep sucking.

The rot had reached the very roots.

But in the end, a sliver of survival was left.

He did not make a move.

Killing a few thuggish soldiers was easy, but what after killing them? It would attract more soldiers, or even the encirclement and suppression of a large army.

By then, he would be a rebel officially designated by the imperial court.

For the sake of this small injustice, dragging himself into the quagmire of rebellion was not worth it.

In Luo Hengsheng's memories, there was only disgust for the imperial court, but he had never thought of becoming its enemy. Because he knew that individual martial power was laughably tiny in the Face of a true grand trend.

Just then, behind the checkpoint, a man wearing captain's armor who looked like the leader noticed the three of them.

That captain was about thirty years old with a lean, capable Face and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. They lingered on the mask on Chen Fan's Face for a moment before he quickly walked over.

The thuggish soldier behind him, seeing the captain approach, immediately stopped his extortion and stood up straight.

"Is this the Jade-Faced Asura before me?" The captain stopped three paces away and cupped his fists in greeting. His posture was very low, yet did not appear fawning.

Chen Fan did not respond, only looking at him calmly.

The captain didn't mind either, saying to himself, "I am Zhou Jian, a captain of the Brave Loyalty Battalion. I have long heard that Senior defeated all rivals at the Tianchi Mountain Sword Testing Conference to take the top spot on the hero ranking list. Seeing you today, your bearing is indeed extraordinary."

His words caused the merchants in line and the fleeing commoners to cast astonished glances over.

Jade-Faced Asura? Top of the hero ranking list?

This title carried immense weight in the Jianghu.

The soldier who had been arrogant and domineering earlier now shrunk his neck, not even daring to breathe loudly.

"Something the matter?" Chen Fan finally squeezed three words from his throat.

A smile appeared on Zhou Jian's Face as he got straight to the point.

"To be honest with Senior, we are under orders to suppress the Yellow Robe rebels here. Unfortunately, the thieves are powerful and our forces are insufficient, leading to repeated defeats. My General has always respected heroes of the Jianghu. If Senior is willing to lend a hand, after the matter is settled, the General will surely request rewards from the court for Senior. Granting an official post or benefits for your descendants would not be difficult!"

His words were spoken earnestly.

It could be seen that he truly wanted to suppress the rebellion.

Unfortunately, he had found the wrong person.

There wasn't a single ripple in Chen Fan's heart.

Granting an official post or benefits for descendants?

To someone who could change identities and live a new life at any time, these worldly fames and riches held zero attraction.

Moreover, this broken ship called the Great Shang was about to sink. Jumping on now was nothing more than drowning along with it.

"Not interested."

He refused crisply and neatly, leaving no room for negotiation.

The smile on Chiliarch Zhou Tong's Face stiffened slightly.

He clearly hadn't expected the other party to refuse so thoroughly.

A lieutenant beside him couldn't help but speak up with a hint of pride.

"Senior Luo, wiping out rebels is a matter of great righteousness for the country and the people! As a member of the Martial Forest with extraordinary skills, how can you just sit by and watch?"

Chen Fan slowly turned his head. From behind the mask, those emotionless eyes landed on the lieutenant.

The lieutenant only felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. The words that followed were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single syllable.

Zhou Tong hurriedly smoothed things over, cupping his fists again.

"It was Zhou who was presumptuous. Since Senior has important matters to attend to, we do not dare to force you to stay."

He waved his hand.

"Let them through!"

The soldiers blocking the way immediately opened a path.

Chen Fan lightly squeezed the horse's belly with his legs and, without a word, passed straight through them.

From beginning to end, he didn't give those soldiers a second look.

It wasn't until the three figures disappeared at the end of the official road that the lieutenant let out a long breath, his back already cold with sweat.

"Boss, this Jade-Faced Asura gives no Face at all! The court tries to recruit him, and he dares to..."

"Shut up!" Zhou Tong barked, interrupting him.

He looked in the direction Chen Fan had left, lost in thought.

"The Jade-Faced Asura is a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist with an eccentric personality who doesn't wish to be bothered by worldly affairs; this is normal. Pass down the order: if you see this person in the future, do not make things difficult for him."

"Yes..."

...

Leaving the checkpoint, they traveled for another three days.

The scenery of Shu Province was still one of devastation, devoid of any vitality.

Chen Fan's mood was also oppressed to the extreme.

Just as his thoughts were in disarray, a group of people and horses appeared at the corner of the mountain path ahead.

There were about twenty or thirty people in that group, each strong and sturdy, holding weapons, and in a neat formation—completely different from the rebels and government soldiers they had encountered before.

They just stood there in the middle of the road like a wall, blocking the way.

In the center of the group, a flag fluttered in the wind.

The color of that flag was a piercing earthy yellow.

The Yellow Robe Army!