The clouds at the horizon gradually turned crimson, and a city emerged faintly amidst the morning light and mist, resembling a mirage. This was Fengcheng, the fiefdom of the Gongyang family.
Standing atop a hill, Meng Qi gazed at Fengcheng, his Qingyuan Dao robe instantly turned deathly pale, transforming into mourning attire.
He inhaled deeply, took out a white cloth strip, let it float before him, and then pricked his fingertip, using the blood to write characters one by one.
Next, he tied the blood-written cloth around his forehead as a mourning band. The blood on it was fresh and seemed to move on its own, brimming with spirituality and solemnity, creating a shocking sight, with only three blood-red words dominating the view:
“Annihilate the Unrighteous!”
Meng Qi’s body slowly lifted into the air and flew solemnly toward Fengcheng without concealing himself. His white robe and mourning band were highly visible, and the blood-written words “Annihilate the Unrighteous” seized people’s attention.
Gongyang Deng, the governor of Fengcheng, was an expert of the Outer Scene. Though not the strongest, he was among the family’s elite warriors and thus appointed to this post to guard the fiefdom. Sensing an approaching Outer Scene presence, he wasted no time, sounded the war drum, assembled the troops, activated the formation, and himself ascended into the sky, half-meeting and half-questioning:
“Who approaches?”
Meng Qi witnessed all of this but showed no urgency or resistance. Instead, he advanced in a grand and righteous manner, hovering outside the Golden Light Formation, and suddenly roared:
“The Gongyang family harbors wolfish ambitions, murders the sovereign, and imprisons the royal family in the Upper Camp—a great injustice!”
“I am Su Mo, wielding Heaven’s Will Blade, to exterminate the unrighteous!”
His voice echoed like thunder, awakening those still asleep and startling the common folk beginning their morning labors.
Su Mo?
Did the Gongyang family really assassinate King Chen?
As they were shaken by this, Meng Qi spoke again, his voice rolling like thunder:
“I am Su Mo, wielding the Heaven’s Blade, to exterminate the unrighteous!”
Upon hearing this, Gongyang Deng was first startled, then laughed heartily, evading the accusation: “Our lord has been seeking you. Have you come to trap yourself?”
With the fiefdom’s formation, the military array, and his own Outer Scene strength, even a Zongshi expert would struggle to break through quickly. What merit did Su Mo possess to make such a bold claim?
Although the formation blocked clear sight, he had been chasing Meng Qi for a day, and all the fiefdoms had received reports. He was confident in identifying Meng Qi’s aura correctly.
Yet, for reasons unknown, Gongyang Deng felt a slight unease. Su Mo, clad in mourning attire, exuded an indescribable solemnity. The blood-written mourning band and the three characters “Annihilate the Unrighteous” seemed to carry a tangible will, oppressing the soul, making him feel as if gazing at heaven and earth, and realizing his own insignificance.
For a moment, he felt the sky darken and clouds gather, as if facing divine punishment.
They said Su Mo was a great talent, possibly a sage incarnate, his strength immeasurable. Was this the feeling of confronting a “sage”? Gongyang Deng shivered, his mind unable to remain calm. In direct combat, he felt he couldn’t unleash his full strength. Fortunately, he was inside the city, protected by the formation and the military array. He only needed to hold off Su Mo and urgently report to the Upper Camp.
If even an Outer Scene expert felt this way, the soldiers within the array were even worse. Panic stirred subtly among them, but the formation quickly stabilized them, though their previous fighting spirit was gone.
Meng Qi raised the “Heaven’s Wound,” solemnly declaring: “I act on Heaven’s behalf to punish the unrighteous. You are not guilty; do not assist the wicked!”
As he spoke, dark clouds gathered over Fengcheng, covering the sky, with green lightning flashing within, carrying the aura of divine punishment, high and righteous, chilling the bones.
Suddenly, his voice rose:
“Retreat now!”
His thunderous shout startled everyone, and ripples formed in the Golden Light Formation.
Boom!
With the slash of his blade, five thick bolts of lightning descended, merging with the blade’s aura and lightning, striking the formation with a terrifying force.
Gongyang Deng dared not slacken, fully activating the formation to resist this divine punishment slash!
Bang!
The green lightning blade struck the formation, causing no ripples, as if an Awakened expert were using a Fashen technique improperly!
This… Gongyang Deng’s eyes froze, shocked and bewildered.
At that moment, a figure appeared nearby, clad in white, wearing a blood-written mourning band:
“Annihilate the Unrighteous!”
Flesh with spirit, using hair to create a clone to draw attention, while he himself took advantage of Gongyang Deng’s momentary awareness, slipping into the city as the formation opened slightly, waiting for the right moment to strike!
Meng Qi, surrounded by a faint golden glow, charged into the training ground, heading straight for Gongyang Deng’s residence. His long blade entwined with purple lightning, he swung it, unleashing a sky filled with purple lightning shaped like blades, attacking Gongyang Deng.
The soldiers were a beat late, already mostly overrun by Meng Qi, but they were seasoned warriors, not panicking. They took positions in the array and activated their respective techniques.
The training ground flared with red flames, from which countless fire crows flew out, burning the earth, melting metal and stone, and flying toward Meng Qi in a sky-darkening swarm.
Puuu! One after another, fire crows struck Meng Qi, extinguishing and vanishing.
Yet Meng Qi remained unscathed, only the golden glow flickering slightly, his flying speed unchanged, engaging Gongyang Deng in close combat, who had just barely blocked the previous slash.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Purple lightning crisscrossed, blade qi raged, Meng Qi seemed like a thunder god incarnate, using a fierce and domineering blade style to suppress Gongyang Deng tightly. The scattered blade lights also acted with their own will, linking together.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blade and sword clashed repeatedly. Gongyang Deng felt as if he were trapped in an ocean of thunder, surrounded from all directions, even breathing becoming difficult, let alone using secret treasures, barely managing to hold on.
This level of blade technique, this control over lightning, was comparable to a top expert who had integrated the principles of the Dao! Gongyang Deng suddenly realized!
He wanted to use secret treasures but couldn’t spare a moment’s focus. It seemed that the slightest mistake would result in being engulfed by electric blade qi!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Thousands of fire crows flew, flames raging toward Meng Qi, but he seemed oblivious, only slightly moving his left hand to deflect a few crows aimed at his vital points. His right hand wielding the long blade became even more urgent.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Before the soldiers noticed the problem, the linked lightning suddenly contracted, like a concentrated thunderball, and another green heavenly thunder descended from the sky!
Boom!
Blade qi and lightning flashed together, a figure flying backward, crashing into a rockery with a bang, destroying several courtyards nearby!
Who? The soldiers instinctively looked to the sky, seeing the white figure surrounded by golden light, unaffected by the flames, like a descending deity, the long blade pointing downward, the blood-written words clearly visible:
“Annihilate the Unrighteous!”
Clang! Clang! Clang! One by one, weapons fell. They no longer had the will to fight.
In the courtyard, Gongyang Deng was embedded in the ground, his body covered in blade wounds, charred and bloodless, his eyes wide with resentment!
Meng Qi retrieved Gongyang Deng’s storage bag and surveyed Fengcheng:
“The Gongyang family plotted rebellion. I have exterminated the unrighteous. Today, it was Gongyang Deng; tomorrow, it will be Gongyang Zeng and Gongyang Bo. Others, do not suffer due to the unrighteous deeds of your clan’s experts. Heaven’s Will loves all equally; I will not implicate the innocent!”
Having said that, he didn’t dare delay, fearing nearby top experts or Zongshi masters might sense the commotion and come chasing. Thus, he immediately fled, leaving behind in the minds of those who witnessed the battle an image of a powerful figure, lingering lightning, and the solemn impression of a white-robed, mourning-banded figure inscribed with “Annihilate the Unrighteous”!
…
“Su Mo appeared in Fengcheng and killed my seventh brother under the name of ‘Annihilate the Unrighteous’!” Even the cunning Gongyang Zeng couldn’t help but feel emotional upon hearing this.
Beside him, Gongyang Bo was even more shocked and furious, never expecting Su Mo to dare retaliate, treating the Golden Light Cave as nothing?
Zongshi, the red-faced master seated in the chair, smiled upon hearing this: “This is good. I was worried he might hide forever and become untraceable.”
He stood up, ready to pursue Meng Qi.
At this moment, Gongyang Zeng regained his composure and said solemnly: “Master Chixia, don’t rush. Su Mo’s bold appearance must have a purpose!”
Chixia, Gongyang Bo’s senior uncle, lightly nodded: “Trying to lure this old Taoist away?”
“Exactly, a ‘Tiger Leaving the Mountain’ strategy,” Gongyang Zeng replied. “He has already slipped out of the city. Facing the Golden Light Cave and our Chen Kingdom’s pursuit, he should flee to the ends of the earth. According to reason, he wouldn’t do anything reckless. Observing his past methods, he isn’t such a rash person. Could he really believe that mere hit-and-run tactics would leave us helpless? He should know that the world is full of strange treasures and similar supernatural abilities!”
“He risked appearing, certainly with a purpose. As for what that purpose is, seeing how he drew the pursuit to himself and various fiefdoms, it’s not hard to guess: he wants to rescue the captured Mohists, so he lured the experts out of the Upper Camp, then turned back to attack the prison suddenly, or perhaps his other companions couldn’t leave the city in time, and he wants us to end the city-wide search and blockade.”
Chixia pondered: “Regardless of his purpose, it’s best to lure him back. Whether his companions escaped or not, I don’t care.”
“Master’s words are wise. Actually, the city blockade can only last another day at most. Many merchants within the city have prominent backgrounds, some even nurtured by King Chu. How dare we block the city long enough to prevent their departure?” Gongyang Zeng deliberately complained in front of the Golden Light Cave Zongshi, then continued, “Even if Su Mo’s purpose is merely to let his companions escape, if we truly ‘fall for it,’ lifting the Upper Camp’s blockade, making things simple, wouldn’t he take the opportunity to rescue the captured Mohists?”
Meanwhile, he muttered inwardly that the Golden Light Cave’s target was actually Su Mo! And this Zongshi was reluctant to admit his inadequacy, reporting to the Golden Light Cave and sending more Zongshi with special supernatural abilities.
Regarding this point, he couldn’t possibly warn, or he would surely be resented!
Chixia nodded: “Indeed, then I’ll first create the illusion of pursuing him outward. You also pretend to fall for it, lift the Upper Camp’s blockade, and set traps at the prison!”
“Understood!” Gongyang Zeng and Gongyang Bo bowed together.
Revenge for Gongyang Deng’s death must be taken!
…
Removing the mourning band and wearing a black robe, Meng Qi gazed at the opened gates of the Upper Camp from afar, realizing his goal had been achieved.
He took a deep breath and strode toward the city gate!
The Mohists in the prison indeed needed rescuing, but he couldn’t go directly. Otherwise, in such an easily set trap location, he might encounter danger. He must first create chaos, making the enemy unable to judge his true purpose.
Therefore, he still needed to kill!
Assassinate Gongyang Bo, making them think his purpose was merely revenge!
Hmph, if you insist on battling me with words, governance, and subtlety, which aren’t my strengths, you force me to use my most proficient skills!
Possessing the Eighty-one Transformations, as long as his strength was sufficient, who could guard against an assassination?
At this moment, Meng Qi felt a bit “resigned to his fate”…
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