Chapter 84: Slaying the Invaders

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Morning, the light was bright.

Qingyu Town, a small village, dew clung to the leaves and branches by the roadside.

Several corpses lay sprawled in the fields, their blood soaking the earth beneath them, imbuing the land with a bloody stench.

They were early-rising farmers, out to work their fields, never expecting calamity to strike.

More than twenty pirates had charged up to the village, grinning viciously as they watched the disturbance their arrival had caused.

“These bastards bully us because our numbers are few and our strength weak, so they assigned us to this dump.”

“Stop complaining. They were assigned here too, no share of the fat spoils in the county.”

“Forget it, let’s not talk about these annoying matters. Let’s see who kills more people—how about it?”

“Alright, whoever wins gets the prettiest woman in the village.”

With just a few words, the pirates settled on a murderous competition.

Just then, the sound of hooves broke through, interrupting the impending carnage.

The pirates were momentarily stunned; the newcomer on horseback had already arrived, looking down upon them from above.

“Kid, who are you?”

“Boss, this kid’s got a horse—must be rich. Let’s kill him and take the horse.”

“Kill him, take his horse!”

The pirates snapped back to attention, shouting excitedly. A horse was a rare and valuable possession; ordinary folk could never afford one.

It was as if fortune had smiled on them—a fool had come right to their door.

The young man on horseback said nothing, silently observing the pirates, as if confirming their identities.

Once certain they were pirates, he drew the large blade from his back and leaped from the horse.

Moments later, the ground was littered with over twenty corpses.

They lay bleeding, their blood soaking the earth, no different from the farmers they had just slain.

Afterward, the young man glanced at the bewildered villagers, saying nothing more.

He leapt onto his horse with the grace of a bird, landing lightly in the saddle, and flicked the reins. The gray horse galloped onward, heading toward the town.

...

Fang Yue—

Merit: 8,696 points

Abilities: Deduction, Insight, Soul Capture

Martial Arts: Dao Comprehension Fist (Level Two), Basic Blade Technique (Level One), Iron Body (Level One), Flame Palm (Level One), Basic Lightness Skill (Level One)

Fang Yue rode on, checking his merit system as he traveled.

Of the three martial arts he’d deduced, Flame Palm and Basic Lightness Skill were complete, but the second level of Dao Comprehension Fist was still in progress.

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His merit points were plentiful now; even after spending several thousand, they were quickly replenished.

Whether slaying pirates or distributing their seized wealth to the victims, both earned him merit.

Now, what Fang Yue lacked were martial arts manuals, and time to study them.

With a horse, Fang Yue soon reached the town.

He dismounted and, after some thought, tied the horse to a roadside tree.

The horse had been a gift from the Ren family; that morning, Fang Yue had crossed the bay with it by boat to reach Qingyu Town.

Up ahead was a battle—riding in the town’s narrow streets would be inconvenient.

...

“Kid, you dare meddle in our affairs? Brothers, chop him up for me!”

A pirate leader, with two bloodied heads of young women hanging from his belt, brandished his blade and shouted at Fang Yue.

The two heads, judging by their faces, were quite beautiful, yet he had cut them down as trophies.

He was surrounded by three or four dozen pirates, all grinning at Fang Yue as though watching a clown.

What era was this, that a fool would step forward to play hero, alone and unafraid? Did he really think a few tricks would let him stand against their numbers?

But soon, their laughter ceased.

The young man struck once—just once.

Their chief’s head soared high through the air.

The pirate leader’s head landed on the ground, still frozen in shock and confusion.

For a fleeting moment, he was still conscious.

He saw his headless body, still standing, blood gushing forth.

At his waist, the two female heads stared up at him, their eyes full of blood and tears, as if fixing him with a deathly gaze...

...

The pirates were stunned, then clamorous, then furious.

To kill their chief before so many—what arrogance!

“Everyone, avenge the boss!”

With a shout, dozens of pirates surged forward, intent on hacking Fang Yue to pieces for revenge.

After severing the chief’s head, Fang Yue immediately withdrew, avoiding direct confrontation with the mob.

He used his newly learned lightness skill, escaping at a steady pace.

“He’s trying to run, don’t let him get away!”

Seeing him retreat, the pirates gave chase with even greater ferocity.

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After a bout of pursuit, the strongest and most skilled pirates were at the front, the rest lagging behind.

Suddenly Fang Yue halted, spun around, and charged the pursuing pirates.

His heavy blade swept sideways, catching the foremost pirates unawares—blood sprayed as they fell.

Without another word, Fang Yue pressed forward, his toes tapping the ground, closing the distance and sweeping his blade at those who hadn’t yet stopped.

After several rounds, most of the pirates lay dead.

The survivors were terrified, some turning to flee.

But these stragglers, already slow, had no chance of escaping Fang Yue’s relentless pursuit.

...

All along the streets and alleyways, corpses could be seen at every turn.

Qingyu Town had not been so fortunate as to have someone willing to stand alone, hold off the pirates, and rally a defense.

With no warning, hundreds of pirates stormed ashore, slaughtering the townsfolk almost unopposed.

Over the course of a day and night, most of the population was killed, their possessions plundered, countless homes set ablaze, leaving behind only charred ruins.

After seeing so many corpses, Fang Yue could no longer feel anger—only a nameless sorrow. Ordinary people, lacking strength, were truly as insignificant as grass.

...

After circling the town and dealing with the pirates, Fang Yue mounted his horse and rode to the surrounding villages, exterminating any scattered pirates.

By dusk, of the hundreds who had invaded Qingyu Town, the vast majority had perished at Fang Yue’s hand.

He did not linger in Qingyu Town, but rode to the seaside ferry.

There, a boat awaited. Besides the boatman and three armed servants, Fang Yue saw Yuan Zhixing standing at the bow.

Yuan Zhixing looked at Fang Yue, who held the horse at the shore, with a complicated expression. He acted for fame, wishing to follow his master, the Thunder Sword, and make his name known far and wide.

But what about Fang Yue? He was merely a scholar—what drove him to such toil?

“They are strangers to you. Why do you go to such lengths?”

“As much as I am able,” Fang Yue replied, lifting his gaze toward the county town and sighing softly.

That place was beyond his power.

If he got involved further, he would surely draw out the shadowy mastermind.

“Let’s cast off.”

With the horse in tow, Fang Yue boarded the boat, feeling somewhat weary and listless.