20demayo Page 7
Page 7
"You heard me? I don't want to kill anyone, I just want to escape Qinghe County. Aren't you the old steward? Why are you in charge of killing me?"
"If you lead us back and trick us into opening the Zhang mansion gate so we can get close to Master Zhang, I will naturally release you. If you don't, I'll chop you down right now!!!"
"I'll do it, I'll do it!!!"
Seeing the sharp blade of the steel knife hanging over his neck, the old steward was terrified and hurriedly agreed.
Pan Jinlian quickly bought a cart from a neighbor, put Wu Dalang inside, and then threw the forty taels of silver and several hundred copper coins that her husband had robbed in the past few days onto it as travel expenses. She also took all the remaining unsold steamed buns with her to eat on the way.
Liu Hong then reassembled the broadsword, carefully wiping away the bloodstains with the soldier's white robe. He then picked up another soldier's waist knife, hanging one knife on his own waist and the other for Pan Jinlian's self-defense. He also placed a shield on each side of Wu Dalang's body in case of emergency. He also drew the strings and loaded the arrows into two crossbows, one for each of them, ready to fire.
After shooting at the wall twice, Liu Hong grasped the key points. All he had to do was point the crossbow at the enemy and pull the trigger to fire; it was very simple.
Even though this was the least lethal wooden crossbow in the Song army, its destructive power was still quite considerable.
After everything was prepared, Pan Jinlian pushed Wu Dalang and Liu Hong took the old steward hostage and left the house, heading straight for the Zhang residence in the dark.
Liu Hong didn't feel anything about the house he had only rented for a few days, but Pan Jinlian was somewhat reluctant to leave. She looked back several times before leaving without looking back, as if she had made up her mind or was saying goodbye to her past life.
"The Zhang residence is said to be very large. Do you know exactly where Master Zhang lives? Could this old steward be trying to trick us?"
As Liu Hong spoke, the two of them walked into the dark streets and ran towards the Zhang residence, like a pair of desperate lovers on the run.
“My lord, there’s no need to worry. I grew up in the Zhang family and I can find him even with my eyes closed.”
Pan Jinlian swayed her two fox tails, her eyes now completely cold.
"At this hour, that guy should be asleep in his room. After my husband killed the old Taoist, his only personal guards were Zhang Zhao and Zhang Ming. One of them was a thin, small natural psychic, and the other was a burly, bear-like warrior."
"Speaking of which, that Zhang Zhao wasn't a good person either. He was originally a servant like me, someone who was bullied by everyone. But when his spiritual power awakened and he was appreciated by the master as a henchman, he quickly trampled on the heads of other servants and acted arrogantly. I'll deal with him. I'm a fox demon with extremely high magic resistance."
"No need, he's already dead. This afternoon, this guy tried to cripple me like he crippled Wu Dalang, but I killed him with my own hands. It seems that Master Zhang only has one soldier, Zhang Ming, left by his side, which increases our chances of winning."
Liu Hong spoke calmly, which made Pan Jinlian's eyes light up.
"In that case, the difficulty has been reduced considerably. Husband, come with me."
Pan Jinlian led Liu Hong forward, and after passing through several streets, a magnificent mansion came into Liu Hong's view. The mansion faced south and occupied a large area. The walls were four meters high and were made entirely of large bluestone blocks. The stone surfaces were polished smooth and flat, and the blocks were stacked tightly together, making it look like a whole, as solid as a copper wall and an iron wall.
Above the wall, neatly arranged blue tiles are laid out, and under the eaves are decorated a large number of auspicious beasts of various shapes, baring their teeth and claws, majestic and awe-inspiring, as if guarding the house.
Behind the four, the faint sounds of footsteps, shouts, and calls for capture could be heard. Presumably, the fleeing Song soldiers had led reinforcements to their home and, finding no one there, were now searching the entire city.
There's no turning back now!
Liu Hong released the old steward, letting him knock on the door, while he followed behind, carrying a broadsword in his left hand and a wooden crossbow in his right, the tip of the crossbow always poked at the steward's back. If he dared to cause trouble, he would pull the trigger and pierce the heart with an arrow!
Left with no other choice, driven by his survival instinct, the old butler had no choice but to knock on the two vermilion doors.
"Open the door! I'm back from doing errands for the master, and the matter is settled!"
Hearing the old butler's voice, the two vermilion doors slowly opened, and two burly thugs came forward to greet them.
"Oh, old steward, you're finally back! The master is waiting for you at the Winter Snow Pavilion. Go and tell him the good news. And who are these two?"
"Ah, them, they are..."
The old butler originally wanted to use a coded message to let the two thugs know that something was wrong and that he was in danger.
But then he thought, Pan Jinlian is one of our people too! She can understand the code! So he paused for a moment, and the two thugs also became suspicious because of the old steward's pause.
In the midst of this awkward silence, Liu Hong suddenly launched an attack, raising his wooden crossbow sharply and pressing it against the throat of the first servant, pulling the trigger at almost zero distance.
In the blink of an eye, a thick crossbow bolt shattered the darkness like thunder and streaked across the sky like a meteor, directly tearing apart his neck, severing his tendons, and shattering his cervical vertebrae, causing two piercing, terrifying jets of warm blood to spurt from his neck.
The moment Liu Hong pulled the trigger, he threw away the wooden crossbow, gripped the broadsword with both hands, and unleashed a deadly arc in the air. The cold blade, carrying terrifying strength and deep hatred, struck the second thug's neck hard, causing countless spurts of warm blood to gush from the wound on the gatekeeper's neck, splattering Liu Hong all over.
Liu Hong seemed to have stumbled upon the right way to use the knife by accident. The thug's head was severed by the knife and rolled to the ground. Blood gushed out from the cut on his neck like a mountain spring or a volcanic eruption, turning the old steward and Liu Hong into the color of hell.
"What are you doing? Murder on the spot! The authorities will send people to put you in jail on the death row!"
The old steward was horrified when he saw the two corpses. His body trembled like a leaf, and he instinctively brought up the government office to intimidate people.
But the next second, he realized that the person in front of him was not a commoner whom he could bully, but a demon. He had already killed two soldiers, one of whom was even a captain in charge of a hundred men.
"I'm doing this for your own good, old man. Now, no one knows that you let us in. Just take me to the vicinity of Master Zhang, I'll knock you out, and you can pretend to be a victim."
"And after we leave, you, sir, can still live a prosperous and peaceful life in the Zhang family mansion."
Liu Hong's voice at this moment was so cold that it was devoid of any emotion.
“But if you encounter someone again and you're still stammering and unable to explain yourself clearly, then I'll have no choice but to kill you as well.”
The old steward was terrified and understood the veiled threat in Liu Hong's words.
There's a reason for every wrong, and a reason for every debt. Perhaps this murderer really only wants to kidnap Master Zhang and escape from Qinghe County. He still has a way to survive, so naturally he won't go too far.
If I obediently lead the way, even if Master Zhang is taken hostage or killed, I can pretend to be the victim and continue to manage the Zhang family mansion with the lady, continuing to lord it over everyone in Qinghe County.
However, if I continue to cause trouble like this, and drive this killer into a corner, he will resort to desperate measures and kill me!
Thinking of this, the old steward nodded repeatedly, trembling, no longer daring to have any other thoughts, and led the two to the perimeter of the courtyard.
Master Zhang certainly knew how to enjoy life. His mansion had four small gardens, each filled with flowers that bloomed in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
In the Spring Warm Pavilion, he planted peonies; in the Summer Courtyard, he planted lotus flowers; in the Autumn Moon Pavilion, he planted chrysanthemums; and in the Winter Snow Pavilion, he cultivated plum blossoms. Throughout the year, he could switch between courtyards and enjoy drinking and merrymaking while admiring the flowers in the pavilion.
The four of them walked past the Spring, Summer, and Autumn Pavilions, each covered with withered branches, before finally arriving at the Winter Snow Pavilion. With a short distance to go, a wonderful fragrance wafted towards them.
Liu Hong looked closely and saw that on countless branches with sparse shadows, red plum blossoms were blooming proudly against the snow and frost. As the cold wind blew, thousands of beautiful plum blossoms bloomed proudly in the wind and snow, making a rustling sound, like a red ocean suspended in the air, rippling with blood-red waves in the wind.
A magnificent and elegant redwood pavilion with upturned eaves stands amidst a sea of flowers in the courtyard. From a distance, one can see a portly merchant and a burly man with broad shoulders and a waist as thick as a mountain of flesh drinking wine and admiring plum blossoms in the pavilion.
"Then, that must be the wealthy man. Good sir, please spare me."
The old steward knelt on the ground, pleading desperately, but Liu Hong ignored him. Following the choreography from TV dramas, he raised the hilt of his broadsword and, with all his might, smashed it down on the back of the steward's head. The old steward's eyes widened in shock, and he collapsed to the ground. It was unclear whether he was knocked unconscious or killed, but a clear dent was left in his skull, from which blood continued to flow.
Liu Hong ignored him and instead looked at the burly man from afar. It turned out that Master Zhang was a first-class Confucian scholar. Apart from being highly intelligent, he had no fighting ability. It seemed that he had no interest in practicing martial arts and was more interested in doing business.
That burly man, however, was indeed a bit troublesome.
Zhang Ming (human)
Level 3 (Level 3 Warrior)
Life 40, Psychic 0
Strength 18, Agility 18, Constitution 18
Intelligence 8, Perception 8, Charisma 8
This burly man is a bit scary. His three mental attributes are very poor, but his strength, agility, and physique are all excellent! In today's terms, he's on par with Shaquille O'Neal or Mike Tyson!
Faced with such a monster that is close to the limits of human capability, my strength of 16 and physical constitution are somewhat insufficient.
The author says:
Author's note: Bonus chapter for 200 monthly votes, and more bonus chapters for 300!
Chapter Twelve: The Heavenly Generals Slay the Stars in Arrangement
Such a strong man can only be outmaneuvered by strategy, not by force.
Liu Hong waved his hand, signaling Pan Jinlian to put down Wu Dalang's cart first. The two of them then took out their wooden crossbows, aimed at the strong man's vital points, and prepared to launch a sneak attack and kill him.
Pan Jinlian hadn't killed anyone yet, and she was a little scared at this moment, but when she thought that she had no way out, her hands stopped trembling, and her eyes turned as cold as a wild beast.
Hidden among the plum trees, the two men simultaneously pulled the triggers, aiming at Zhang Ming's broad and easily hit chest. In an instant, two crossbow bolts shot out like lightning!
"who!!!"
The two-meter-tall, burly man immediately alerted upon hearing the sound of the crossbow string being fired. He immediately shielded Master Zhang, wielding a staff made of peach wood in the middle and forged from wrought iron at both ends with dazzling and impressive skill, deflecting both crossbow bolts with a powerful and impenetrable display!
"I'll deal with this burly man! You go and arrest Master Zhang!"
Seeing that things were not going well, Liu Hong used his arm strength to pull back the crossbow string and reload it, while stepping forward to attract Zhang Ming's attention.
Meanwhile, Pan Jinlian, from the side, quietly circled around and attacked her former master.
After Zhang Ming blocked the arrow, he immediately looked towards the plum grove. He saw a burly man, a size smaller than himself and half a head shorter, walking out of the dense plum grove by pushing aside the bright red plum branches.
Zhang Ming immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes showing not a trace of panic.
For a fighter, physique represents strength, and height represents reach. Even in modern boxing, a difference of a few pounds in weight will result in a different weight class, which is a natural difference brought about by physical attributes.
He's so much thinner and smaller than me, so he must not be as strong as me—unless he's a psychic who doesn't need physical abilities.
The wealthy man remained calm and composed, sipping his tea while leisurely watching Liu Hong in the distance, as if he were looking at an ant.
"Where did this petty thief come from! How dare you mess with your Grandpa Zhang! Prepare to die!!!"
Zhang Ming scoffed, but as he drew closer, he discovered that Liu Hong was wearing a blood-stained Taoist robe, carrying a sharp broadsword on his back, wielding a Song army wooden crossbow, and had a human head hanging from his waist...
Isn't that the old Taoist priest's clothes and head?
Zhang Ming's arrogance was instantly extinguished by the head, his face filled with astonishment and fear.
Master Zhang finally recognized the familiar Taoist robe. He couldn't sit still any longer. His face paled in shock, and his hands trembled, causing the teacup to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.
I initially thought he was just a petty thief, but it turns out he's a master. He even has the head of my strongest Taoist priest hanging on his waist!
"Take, Takesaburo?"
Master Zhang said in disbelief, so frightened that he tried to run away on the spot.
"Master, don't go! There were two arrows just now, and there's a thief lurking in the shadows! Sound the alarm first!!!"
Before Zhang Ming even started fighting, he was already a little intimidated and hurriedly called out to the Zhang family mansion owner who was about to run away. The mansion owner calmed himself down and immediately took out a jade pendant from his pocket. As he gently stroked it, a series of disturbing screams echoed throughout the Zhang mansion! It was likely that everyone in the entire mansion was awakened!
At the same time, the burly man mustered his courage and charged towards Liu Hong like a towering mountain of flesh!
His speed was extremely fast, and his muscular and fat-filled body instantly filled Liu Hong's field of vision, like a mountain of flesh charging forward with overwhelming force, creating a strong visual impact.
Liu Hong remained calm and pulled the trigger again. The bolt that flew out was still deflected by the burly man's flourish of his staff. The howling wind generated by the staff was like a dull knife in the cold winter, cutting Liu Hong's cheeks painfully.
Liu Hong took a deep breath, threw away the wooden crossbow, and swung his broadsword with both hands, smashing it hard against the burly man's staff!
"clang!!!"
The blade and the club clashed, sparks flying and clanging loudly. The burly and stout Zhang Ming did not retreat an inch, while Liu Hong was forced to take three steps back before regaining his footing. His entire broadsword and his hands trembled from the impact of the iron club, clearly showing the difference in their strength.
But it doesn't matter, this was just a feint. Liu Hong used the same trick again, attracting the mountain of flesh-like giants, and then used [Mind Control] once more, causing the crossbow bolt that had been knocked away and stuck in the snow to emit a terrifying blue aura, flying out of the snow and heading straight for Zhang Ming's back!
"A psionicist?"
The moment the crossbow bolt flew through the air, Zhang Ming's senses, sharp as a wild beast, detected danger once again.
This time, however, he completely ignored the crossbow bolts behind him, wielding his iron staff and smashing it directly at Liu Hong's head! This forced Liu Hong to raise his broadsword to block, but he was knocked back three steps again. The entire broadsword, along with the flesh and blood of his own arms, trembled violently from the iron staff and the burly man's monstrous strength.
What's even more troublesome is that the crossbow bolt that was suspended in mid-air has lost its eerie blue light and its psionic control, and it has fallen from the sky!
Liu Hong's expression changed slightly. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that whether he was stealing purses, throwing people into the air, or controlling flying knives to kill, he was always fully focused and no one had distracted him.
Within a 12-second time limit, one can concentrate fully and mentally control any object.
Just now, I was only distracted by parrying Zhang Ming's iron rod, and the crossbow bolt went out of control, wasting some spiritual energy. It seems that one cannot be distracted when using this spiritual energy.
I now have three points of psionic energy left.
"You're a newly awakened psychic, right? This type of control-based psychic energy requires the psychic to concentrate fully to manipulate. If I can distract you, I can break your attack!"
Zhang Ming gave Liu Hong a strange look.
"Although I'm not a psionicist, I'm quite adept at dealing with people like you. How did you, a weakling like you, manage to kill that old Taoist priest?!"
After realizing that his opponent seemed weak, Zhang Ming's confidence grew. He continued his fierce attack, wielding his iron rod. Liu Hong was flustered and could only parry, unable to retaliate. Although he could barely block, the monstrous force traveled through his broadsword to his limbs and bones, almost shattering his bones!
For a moment, the two clashed with their weapons in a dazzling display, with petals falling like raindrops. Plum blossoms on the branches were smashed by the blades and sticks, falling all over the snow-covered ground, creating a beautiful sight.
Liu Hong gritted his teeth; this man was the most troublesome of all the opponents he had ever fought.
He is stronger than me, faster than me, bigger than me, and his moves are more refined than mine. This is a complete crushing defeat in terms of physical fitness and tactical skills.
Even my frighteningly high magic resistance had no effect on this brute!
But it doesn't matter, I still have a psionic ability.
Liu Hong staggered back a few steps, raised his trembling left hand, and unleashed his third psionic power: [Chaos Tentacle].
In the blink of an eye, the soil cracked and the earth surged up, and a giant, dark blue octopus-like tendril burst forth from the ground! It was so enormous that it coiled around Zhang Ming's body like a giant python.
The chaotic tentacles tightly constricted his chest, as if trying to squeeze out every inch of air and crush every rib. Strings of sticky, wet suckers clung tightly to his muscles, leaving purplish-red marks. Zhang Ming's face turned red due to lack of oxygen, and his eyes even began to bulge outwards from being constricted!
This is the drawback of warriors. Although they are tough and have high damage output, their attack and defense methods are too limited, making them unable to handle many unexpected situations—such as unpredictable spells.
Zhang Ming let out a painful roar, desperately trying to break free of the cold and slippery tentacles with both hands. His strength was so great that he even tore several bloody cracks in the chaotic tentacles.