Chapter 110: The Visitor (Part IV)

Ning Zining turned around, almost simultaneously with Qian Ye, while Wei Potian looked bewildered. It was only when he noticed the grave expressions on both of their faces that he, too, peered out into the courtyard.

In the empty and featureless yard, a figure had appeared at some unknown time. He was of medium height, with a rugged outline as if carved from stone. Just standing there, his imposing presence filled the entire space, suffocating everyone.

Qian Ye slowly stood up, meeting the gaze of the man, and felt a flash of white light, like a bolt of lightning, distort his vision.

Yet, Qian Ye stubbornly endured the momentary blindness, standing straight and speaking in a deep voice, “Wu Zhengnan!”

“If I’m not mistaken, we met for the first time two days ago. It seems you’ve been thinking about me for quite a while,” Wu Zhengnan’s tone did not match his intimidating presence. His words were said in a calm and unassuming manner, as if he were chatting with an old friend.

Wu Zhengnan walked forward slowly, each step silent, yet the very air of the courtyard trembled, as if a hill was approaching.

He stopped just before the corridor, the light from the open door illuminating him. He was still wearing the general’s uniform of the expeditionary army, but all the insignias on the cuffs, collar, and shoulders had been removed.

Ning Zining’s eyes flickered slightly upon seeing Wu Zhengnan in a uniform without insignias, while Qian Ye felt a growing unease.

Wei Potian, however, had fewer reservations. He jumped to his feet, shouting, “What are you here for?!”

Wu Zhengnan smiled, “Prince Wei, your temper is as fiery as ever. I just came to see my young friend Qian Ye, and I didn’t expect you to be here as well.”

As he spoke, Wu Zhengnan glanced at Ning Zining, with a hint of curiosity, “I wonder who this gentleman might be?”

“I am the seventh son of the Song family from Gao Ling,” Ning Zining replied simply. Such a straightforward introduction could only come from a direct descendant of the main Song family, with the branch families required to use a different designation.

Qian Ye’s unease intensified. He knew Ning Zining well, and such a direct mention of the Song family name meant they were at a point where they needed to leverage their influence.

Wu Zhengnan was slightly surprised, then nodded in acknowledgment, “So, you are the Seventh Prince of the Song family.”

Wei Potian suddenly bellowed, “Wu Zhengnan! How did you get in here? What about the people I left outside?”

“Outside people?” Wu Zhengnan’s smile grew vague, “I didn’t see any living beings outside, only corpses.”

Wei Potian’s face darkened, his voice cold, “So you killed them all? How dare you! What about Elder Chen?”

Qian Ye’s gaze fell on Wu Zhengnan’s left hand, hanging awkwardly by his side as if it were a prosthetic. A thin trickle of blood was seeping from his sleeve, running down his hand to his fingertips, then dripping onto the ground.

The blood continued to flow, soon covering most of his palm. It was unclear if it was Wu Zhengnan’s blood, or someone else’s, or perhaps both.

Qian Ye finally realized something he had overlooked. Under the oppressive presence of Wu Zhengnan, he hadn’t noticed the thick, metallic scent of blood in the air.

A few deaths couldn’t produce such a heavy stench; only on a battlefield with over a thousand people had Qian Ye smelled such a potent blood aura. Now, the smell seemed to emanate from Wu Zhengnan’s uniform, as if he were drenched in blood.

Qian Ye suddenly looked up at the dark night sky. The street was eerily quiet, with no trace of even the smallest noise, not even the wind seemed to move.

Wu Zhengnan sighed, “Prince Wei, you really are a bore. Revealing such things ruins the fun. I don’t know any Elder Chen, but I did find something outside that might interest you.”

With that, Wu Zhengnan raised his right hand, revealing a dark, indistinct object, which he casually tossed to Wei Potian.

Wei Potian instinctively caught it, and his anger flared instantly, “Elder Chen!”

It was unmistakably a head, belonging to the elder who had accompanied Wei Potian, a powerful warrior, silently killed by Wu Zhengnan.

Wei Potian’s anger suddenly dissipated, replaced by a calm, stern voice, “General Wu, I thought I had given you a way out, though it wasn’t my intention. But now, you have killed one of my Wei family’s guardians. Do you think the higher-ups in the expeditionary army will protect you to the end?”

Wu Zhengnan stared at Wei Potian, noticing that despite his imposing presence, Wei Potian showed no fear. It wasn’t a forced calm, but genuine bravery. He couldn’t help but praise, “Prince Wei truly is a dragon among men. If my son had half your talent, he wouldn’t have died so young.”

Turning to Qian Ye, Wu Zhengnan asked, “If I’m not wrong, that worthless son of mine died at your hands, didn’t he?”

Qian Ye replied calmly, “He brought it upon himself. He should have known that after wiping out my friend’s entire family, he would die too.”

Wu Zhengnan burst into laughter, “So it was. Good, good, good! It seems my son deserved to die. Killed well!”

Wei Potian frowned, “General Wu, what do you mean? There was a way out, and you chose not to take it?”

Wu Zhengnan sneered, “A way out? Even if I survived, the Seventh Division would have a new commander. This division, this land, this city, and that base—my life’s work lies here. Without them, what’s the point of living? Like this uniform, once stripped of its rank, can it still be called a military uniform?”

Continuing, he said, “I only came to see the person who killed my son, evaded the Dark Blade, and stole my entire caravan. I didn’t expect to find Prince Wei and Lord Song. Quite an unexpected reunion, isn’t it?”

“You also killed the people in this area,” Qian Ye suddenly said, his eyes glowing with restrained fury.

Wu Zhengnan, somewhat surprised by Qian Ye’s sharp perception, remarked, “It seems my son’s death wasn’t entirely unjust. With such exceptional talents, a few more lives for the funeral wouldn’t hurt.”

Qian Ye’s heart sank. From Ning Zining and Wei Potian returning from the alley to Wu Zhengnan’s appearance, less than half an hour had passed, and he had already killed the nearby residents, Wei Potian’s guards, and the elder, without alerting anyone. This level of power was not that of an ordinary warrior.

Wei Potian, however, laughed instead of being angry, “Kill me, and none of your clan will survive!”

Wu Zhengnan replied coolly, “I’ve already killed members of your Wei family. One more won’t matter. In the vast Evernight, even the four great clans would find it hard to locate me. As for my family, well, they’ll accept their fate. No eggs remain unbroken in a shattered nest.”

Ning Zining suddenly interjected, “To sacrifice the Huaiyang Wu family is quite a bold move.”

Wu Zhengnan’s expression changed, but his demeanor was odd, neither fearful nor fully angry.

Before he could speak, Ning Zining continued, “General Wu, if I’m not mistaken, killing that Wei family warrior cost you a significant price. Using secret techniques to suppress your injuries can’t last long.”

Wu Zhengnan’s eyes flashed, staring at Ning Zining like a beast ready to pounce, “Lord Song, keen observation. But even injured, do you three juniors think you can fight me?”

The air between the corridor and the doorway grew heavy, as if a massive, invisible beast was approaching.

Unaffected, Ning Zining smiled, a faint green light flashing around him, causing a visual illusion of movement.

“Well, this has nothing to do with me. Can I leave now?” Ning Zining spread his hands, feigning innocence.

Wu Zhengnan, taken aback, hesitated, “If Lord Song wants to leave, go now. I can’t guarantee I won’t change my mind later.”

Ning Zining’s figure flickered, leaving behind a series of afterimages, then vanished.

Wu Zhengnan frowned at the spot where the last afterimage faded, then fixed his gaze on Qian Ye and Wei Potian. Realizing Ning Zining was the hardest to deal with, he decided to act quickly.

As Ning Zining declared his departure, Qian Ye whispered to Wei Potian, “You should leave too!”

Wu Zhengnan was a major general, not just any low-ranking warrior. Given their rank difference, even a severely injured Wu Zhengnan would be difficult to defeat. Stalling would give the others a chance to escape, especially since both Ning Zining and Wei Potian had their own guards and could return to safety.

The choice was clear.

Wei Potian, unusually calm, responded, “No need to worry. I’ll just give my life back to him.”

Before Qian Ye could say more, Ning Zining disappeared, and Wu Zhengnan let out a loud laugh, “It’s late. Let me finish you off!” A bright green light formed on his right palm, striking down with overwhelming force!

Even from a distance, the air seemed to solidify, a massive pressure pushing down, almost stopping their breaths.

Wei Potian roared like thunder, a blinding yellow light brighter than elemental flames, charging into the courtyard, launching his “Thousand Mountains” attack. However, in the overpowering green light, the yellow glow dimmed, flickering like a flame in the wind, on the verge of extinguishing.

Qian Ye suddenly appeared behind Wei Potian, reaching out to his waist. As “Thousand Mountains” faltered, Qian Ye sent a gentle force, propelling Wei Potian to the side.

Taking Wei Potian’s place, Qian Ye faced the encroaching green light, focusing all his attention on the elemental tide within him, driving the “Sword Strike” through twenty-eight cycles at his maximum speed. The sound of the tides rose, like distant thunder.

Qian Ye struck the engulfing green light with a fist, his heart calm. Since it began with him, it should end with him.