103: Chapter 103 Killing a Sixth-Rank Rank

The earth-yellow flag snapped in the mountain wind, like a huge scar plastered across the bleak landscape.

The leader slowly rode out from the formation.

He did not wear a yellow turban, but was instead clad in heavily worn iron armor, the style of which was clearly standard issue from the Great Shang Dynasty.

His face lacked the brutality and numbness of common rebel soldiers; instead, it exuded the ruggedness and cold sternness peculiar to a soldier.

This person was different.

Chen Fan made this judgment instantly in his heart.

"Jade-Faced Asura, Luo Hengsheng." The armored man spoke. His voice was steady and full of vigor, not sounding like a confrontation, but rather like confirming a fact.

Hong Shao and Qing Luo, standing behind him, both felt their hearts tighten.

The opponent had actually called out Luo Hengsheng's name directly; clearly, they had come prepared.

Chen Fan did not speak, only sitting quietly on horseback, his masked face turned toward the other party like a lifeless statue.

The armored man seemed to have expected this reaction and didn't mind, continuing, "My name is County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng, formerly a captain in the Shu Province Guard. Now, I am a vanguard under General Tiangong."

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over Chen Fan, as if wanting to pierce through that mask to see the expression beneath.

"A few days ago, Your Excellency killed a squad of our brothers at Wang Family Village, including a centurion. The General is already aware of this matter."

Hong Shao and Qing Luo's hearts sank to the bottom.

They were indeed here for revenge!

County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng changed the subject, a hint of approval actually appearing on his face.

"However, the General is not angry. He said that squad had poor discipline and bullied the common people, so they deserved to die. Your Excellency's actions helped our Yellow Robe Army clear out the scum."

These words were spoken with a veneer of righteousness.

Chen Fan sneered inwardly.

Clear out the scum? If he hadn't happened to pass by, the entire village would likely have become wronged souls under their banner of "Acting on Behalf of Heaven."

"The General also said that an expert like Your Excellency should not be drifting with the tide in these chaotic times."

"Get lost."

A cold word squeezed out from Chen Fan's throat, rudely interrupting County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's long-winded speech.

The smile on County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's face froze instantly.

The elites of the Yellow Robe Army behind him also showed angry expressions, gripping the weapons in their hands.

The air seemed to freeze at this moment.

County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng stared fixedly at Chen Fan, saying word by word, "Luo Hengsheng, I am advising you kindly out of respect for your cultivation. General Tiangong cherishes talent and is willing to grant you the position of Deputy Commander, equal to me, to conspire together for a great cause. If you surrender, you and I shall rule half the sky of Shu Province together!"

"If you do not comply..."

His hand slowly pressed onto the hilt of the blade at his waist.

It was a heavy military Dao, with dried bloodstains still remaining on the scabbard.

"Today, this mountain pass shall be your burial ground!"

Before the words had even faded, a fierce and unparalleled Aura erupted from County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng.

A Sixth-Rank Martial Artist!

And a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist who had fought on the battlefield for years, crawling out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

His Aura was countless times more solid and sharp than that of Nie Shu from the Duan Shui Sect!

"Sister..." Qing Luo's voice trembled slightly as she subconsciously leaned toward Hong Shao.

Hong Shao's pretty face was also deathly pale, but she forced herself to remain calm and whispered, "Don't be afraid!"

Chen Fan still did not Move.

He only slowly raised his hand, pointing at the large earth-yellow flag behind County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng.

"Acting on Behalf of Heaven?"

There was a trace of faint mockery in his voice.

"Just by relying on a group of things like you who are worse than beasts?"

"You are worthy?"

The last two words were like two heavy hammers, smashing fiercely into the hearts of every member of the Yellow Robe Army.

County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's patience finally reached its limit.

"You have a death wish!"

He roared, violently drawing the Dao from his waist, clamping his legs against the horse's belly, and shot toward Chen Fan like a cannonball fired from a chamber!

"Kill!"

The twenty or thirty elites behind him also roared in unison, forming a battle formation and flanking from both sides.

The blade light instantly illuminated this gloomy mountain path.

County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's blade was as fast as a thunderbolt.

It was a pure military killing technique, wide-open and sweeping; every stroke stirred up violent winds of Protective Aura, intending to split everything in front of him in two.

However, the moment he struck, Chen Fan's figure vanished from the horse's back.

County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's powerful and heavy strike only hit the afterimage Chen Fan had left behind.

"Where is he!" County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng was shocked and whipped his head around.

A ghostly figure had appeared on the flank of his battle formation without anyone knowing when.

Chen Fan did not draw his sword.

He simply held his fingers like a sword, strolling leisurely within that airtight battle formation.

Every time he struck, an elite of the Yellow Robe Army would clutch their throat and fall silently.

Their faces still bore the ferocity of their charge, yet they hadn't even been able to touch the corner of their opponent's clothing.

"Form up! Surround and kill him!" County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's eyes were split with rage as he turned his horse and charged forward, waving his blade again.

The remaining Yellow Robe Army soldiers reacted, quickly tightening their formation. More than a dozen long spears shot out like venomous snakes, sealing off all of Chen Fan's retreat paths from every direction.

Facing this inescapable death trap, Chen Fan finally drew the sword on his back.

It was not the prize made of hundred-refined steel, but the ordinary standard-issue steel blade that belonged to "Chen Jinzhong."

Clang!

A clear sword chime rang out.

The sword light flashed.

There were no earth-shattering Moves, just an arc of light, fast to the extreme, that swept across the forest of spears.

Clang, clang, clang!

A series of crisp sounds of metal breaking followed.

The spearheads of those dozen or so long spears were actually all severed at the same time!

Everyone was stunned.

The Yellow Robe Army soldiers holding the broken spears were even more dumbstruck, looking at the weapons in their hands in disbelief.

What terrifying sword technique was this!

And what a sharp sword!

Only Chen Fan himself knew that what he held was merely an ordinary iron blade.

To be able to sever the refined steel spearheads, he relied not on the blade, but on the vigorous Internal Energy of a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist poured into the blade.

"Protective Aura! This is Protective Aura!"

A Yellow Robe Army soldier's psychological defense completely collapsed; he let out a strange cry, dropped his broken spear, and turned to run.

Fear is contagious.

The remaining people followed suit, and the formation instantly collapsed.

"A bunch of trash!" County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng cursed in anger, but he also knew the situation was lost.

He did not hesitate, abandoning all his subordinates, urging his warhorse to bolt in another direction, fleeing for his life.

He knew very well that when facing a swordsman of this level, human-sea tactics had already lost their meaning.

However, while he wanted to leave, Chen Fan had no intention of letting him go.

A figure flashed a few times and had already caught up behind his horse.

County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng only felt a chill rise up his spine. Without looking back, he reversed his hand and slashed his blade fiercely behind him.

Chen Fan did not dodge or avoid, but flicked his left finger.

Clang!

A loud sound of metal clashing rang out.

County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng only felt an irresistible immense force coming from the blade; the webbing between his thumb and index finger instantly split, blood dripping, and the Dao in his hand almost flew out.

How is this possible!

He actually used his finger to deflect his full-force strike?

For the first time, an expression of extreme shock and horror appeared on County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's face.

This had already exceeded his understanding of martial arts!

Just at the moment he lost focus, that figure had already brushed past him.

A cold sensation flashed and vanished at his neck.

County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's forward-charging body suddenly stiffened; the warhorse beneath him ran another dozen or so yards before slowly coming to a halt.

He stiffly raised his hand, feeling his neck.

A thin line of blood appeared there.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only let out a wheezing, "Hah, hah" sound.

Immediately, his fine head slid off his neck and rolled into the dust.

In those eyes that refused to close even in death, a deep, lingering disbelief remained.

Chen Fan slowly sheathed his sword.

He didn't even look back at the headless corpse again.

The entire mountain path was deathly silent.

Only those few Yellow Robe Army soldiers who had luckily survived lay limp on the ground, soiling themselves, looking at the masked figure as if they were looking at a demon god who had walked out of the Nine-Nether Hell.

"Master Luo..."

Hong Shao and Qing Luo rode up, their pretty faces filled with the paleness and shock of having survived a disaster.

They knew Luo Hengsheng was strong, but they hadn't expected him to be strong to this extent.

That was a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist, and a battle formation formed by military elites!

Yet he... had slaughtered them all so easily.

Chen Fan ignored them. He walked to County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's corpse, bent down, and from the man's chest, pulled out a letter wrapped in oiled paper.

The letter was written to General Tiangong, detailing the movements and strength assessment of the "Jade-Faced Asura."

It was very clear that after the incident at Wang Family Village, the Yellow Robe Army had already set their sights on him.

This County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng had been sent to intercept and kill him.

It was just a pity that they had severely underestimated the strength of the "Jade-Faced Asura."

Chen Fan crushed the letter into powder and casually tossed it away.

He turned around, preparing to leave, but discovered that on the sleeve of his left arm, he didn't know when, a shallow scratch had appeared.

A trace of blood was seeping out from the scratch.

It was injured by the Protective Aura of the blade when he had deflected County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng's strike earlier.

A minor injury, of no consequence.

"You are injured!"

Qing Luo had sharp eyes; she exclaimed, immediately dismounted, and ran to his side, her face filled with worry and heartache.

Hong Shao also followed over, looking at the wound on his arm, her beautiful eyes filled with self-reproach.

"It's all our fault; we dragged you down."

Chen Fan shook his head, just about to say it was nothing.

A sudden wave of dizziness, however, violently rushed into his brain.

The wound on his arm, he didn't know when, had already turned a strange, pitch-black color.

The blade was poisoned.