Chapter 1234: This is too insane (Part 2) [Requesting monthly votes]

[Knowing my identity, you still dare to throw your life away. Your courage is commendable, but it is also truly foolish!] Luo Yuan instantly approached the Skeleton General, and a dazzling light gathered in his palm at some unknown time.

The palm strike descended from above, aiming directly at the enemy's crown chakra.

The Skeleton General had anticipated this.

His understanding of Luo Yuan far exceeded the latter's expectations.

This is all thanks to Wei Cheng.

Although the Wei brothers were said to be imprisoned and sealed, in reality, no one from the Kang Kingdom had been sent to guard them. Whether they were imprisoned or not, whether they were free or not, depended entirely on their own resolve. In fact, the two were more likely living in seclusion within the Kang Kingdom.

Those who live in Kangguo should also pay some poll tax to Kangguo.

Shen Tang didn't ask for much, only instructing the Skeleton General, Gong Shuwu, to visit him during his days off. There were very few records of how Gong Shuwu, in his current state, cultivated and broke through his bottlenecks. If he could learn from Wei Cheng's experience, he could avoid many detours on his martial arts path. Wei Cheng was initially reluctant to engage with Gong Shuwu, also feeling that the other's talent was somewhat unsatisfactory.

Taking on apprentices is out of the question, and I have little interest in giving guidance.

"If it weren't for your exceptionally good martial arts luck, with your aptitude, you'd only ever reach the thirteenth rank at best." Even Wei Cheng couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at this. Gong Shu's martial arts talent was indeed not outstanding; he couldn't even be called a genius. But his martial arts luck was simply too good. Following Shen Tang in his campaigns, he never lacked military merits, nor did he lack national fortune, receiving abundant cultivation resources.

They forcefully used the nation's destiny to level the gap in talent.

Gong Shuwu possessed both ambition and unwavering will, coupled with good fortune, allowing him to completely transcend the limitations of his mortal body and attain his current form. Despite being unlike a living person, his cultivation speed far surpasses that of countless martial arts geniuses. Ordinary martial artists cultivate by extracting the energy of heaven and earth or accumulating national fortune; Gong Shuwu cultivates using death energy and national fortune. Can you see the difference?

No matter how abundant the energy of heaven and earth is, there will always be many people vying for it.

In contrast, the deathly aura...

How many people actually use this thing for cultivation?

It's practically like throwing a mouse into a mountain of rice! There's no need to fight over it, and no need to worry about running out of cultivation resources. Gong Shuwu's lifespan is still long in this state; as long as he doesn't suffer a fatal injury, theoretically he can sleep every day and slowly climb to the twentieth level of the Chehou realm while lying down. Wei Cheng is so jealous that he doesn't even feel comfortable looking at him.

Gong Shuwu's greatest strength was his composure.

Despite being turned away several times by Wei Cheng, he remained unperturbed, continuing to visit and seek advice as usual, showing none of the arrogance expected of a great general. Wei Cheng, unable to maintain his haughty demeanor indefinitely, gradually softened his stance.

As time went on, the two had more to talk about.

Occasionally, we'll chat about topics other than the confusion surrounding cultivation.

Wei Cheng had mentioned Luo Yuan to Gong Shuwu by chance.

At that time, Gong Shuwu spoke at length about the martial artists of the world, all of whom had made a name for themselves in the last twenty years and possessed considerable strength. This drew several sneers from Wei Cheng: "When the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king. What heroes and valiant men? They're nothing but empty-headed good-for-nothings!"

Gong Shuwu disagreed with Wei Cheng's contemptuous tone.

Wei Cheng sat atop the ruins of the underground city, a small flame flickering from his eye sockets, burning away the liquid in his wine cup. The flames danced rhythmically, seemingly with a hint of intoxicated enjoyment: "You're still not happy with what I've said? Heh heh heh, you're still too inexperienced, or rather, Kang Kingdom's journey has been too smooth. If you've ever seen the vastness of the sky, you'll know how many ants there are in this world. The term 'dragon among men' isn't something just anyone can shamelessly claim..."

Wei Cheng said in a mocking tone: "I was bored the other day, so I created this Eternal Life Cult for amusement. Some young punk, unaware of his own limitations, came to my door wanting to displease me. Hehehe, so I taught him a lesson and made him a senior member of the cult. Guess what his strength and cultivation level were? He was an eighteenth-rank Grand Chancellor at the time, and soon after joining the cult, he broke through to the nineteenth-rank Marquis within the Pass."

Even a small organization like the Eternal Life Cult has such terrifying resources.

Even if you turn the Kang Kingdom's court upside down, how many can you find?

Gong Shuwu, having plenty of time, continued the conversation out of curiosity: "An eighteenth-rank Grand Chancellor? This level of strength shouldn't belong to an unknown figure."

He made a special trip to learn about the famous generals of the Southwest mainland over the past century.

"What does it matter if you're famous or unknown? When you die, you'll all turn to dust, unlike us who are immortal..." Wei Cheng's words carried a hint of smugness. "Luo Yuan is truly pathetic, a waste of his talent."

Wei Cheng's opinion of Luo Yuan was really not high.

Indeed, after all, he was a defeated opponent.

Gong Shuwu initially thought it was for this reason, but Wei Cheng shook his head and denied it: "...I look down on him because of his past experiences. There's an old story of someone killing their wife to become a general; although he didn't kill his wife, he still gave away a woman to become an apprentice."

Gong Shuwu: 【...Huh?】

The flames in Wei Cheng's eyes flickered strangely, and Gong Shuwu suspected he was rolling his eyes: "[It's said that after he sent the woman away, he mastered his skills, then returned to her, maintaining a lingering relationship, and even gave his 'mentor' two sons… This remained unknown until he was recruited and faced his 'mentor' in battle. Seeing he couldn't defeat him, he actually exposed the affair in front of the entire army, causing turmoil…]"

The battle was won, but a grudge was formed.

Luo Yuandong went into hiding for many years and was forced to change his name.

Gong Shuwu: [...]

Why is it that the martial artists he knows are either steadfastly solitary, devoid of thoughts of men/women, their swordsmanship effortless, or utterly love-struck like Wei Shou? He's almost never heard of such convoluted and outlandish gossip. Is it because he's too inexperienced, or is the outside world too vast? With a large forest, all sorts of martial artists can be found?

After a long pause, Gong Shuwu finally managed to utter: "This action is undeniably despicable."

Wei Cheng sneered: "See? I told you young people of your generation are too well protected. Let alone going back a hundred years, even seventy or eighty years, there were countless instances of people behaving inhumanely. Strength is the foundation of survival. If you can't even guarantee your livelihood, where do you find the leisure to concern yourself with morality and ethics? If you can't protect your woman, she has the right to demand that another, stronger man protect her. If you truly care for the other person, you should be sensible and give them up. The same applies to women, and to the nation..."

Gong Shuwu naturally disagreed.

But he also understood that Wei Cheng wouldn't easily change his mind. These old fogies' values ​​were enough to open his eyes.

"So you're saying he's a coward?"

Wei Cheng said: "Isn't it cowardly to be sneaking around like this?"

If he were Luo Yuan from back then, and had openly and honorably killed his so-called "mentor" and taken back the woman and child, he wouldn't be being hunted down by his "mentor" and his descendants like Luo Yuan. It's too shameful that even the descendants of his two sons are chasing him!

Gong Shuwu: [...]

He vaguely understood what Wei Cheng meant.

According to Wei Cheng's logic, Luo Yuan, in order to advance further, openly and honorably cuckolded himself. After achieving mastery, he should also openly and honorably return the cuckolded status, instead of secretly giving someone a child—that would be unheroic. True heroes dare to think, act, and admit their mistakes; those who think and act but dare not admit it are cowards.

Gong Shuwu felt that it was a complicated matter.

"Now that he's a 19th-rank Marquis within the Pass, what is there to fear?" Leaving aside how many of his old enemies are still alive, even if they were, the power a 19th-rank Marquis within the Pass can wield could easily deal with several minor secular families. Luo Yuan no longer needs to hide.

Wei Cheng said, "Who told him to be so blind as to offend me?"

The Cult of Immortality is just for fun.

Wei Cheng didn't have time to manage things; his uncle would occasionally keep an eye on things, but most of the time the elders were in charge. No matter how unwilling Luo Yuan was, he couldn't beat Wei Cheng, so he could only obediently accept his fate and couldn't cause any trouble.

Furthermore—

Wei Cheng added, "Luo Yuan's enemies also have a background."

Gong Shuwu: [...What's your background?]

Wei Cheng gazed at the vast ruins of the underground city below: [A puppet supported by the inner society of the Gods' Guild, but that's all ancient history. Ever since… the inner society collapsed and its members scattered, completely wiped out. Without the inner society's control, the outer society is in complete chaos.]

If his enemy's backer hadn't fallen, Luo Yuan wouldn't have dared to show his face.

Besides Luo Yuan, Gong Shuwu also learned a lot of old gossip from Wei Cheng, mostly from his defeated rivals or old friends from his era. The central theme was the same: there are always people more capable than you, and the world is full of surprises; this continent is far more complex than you think.

Even the deepest waters can't harbor a hundred or two hundred marquises, can they?

If that's the case, you should just wash up and go to bed as soon as possible.

Wei Cheng was speechless: "[That's not true... When I followed the late lord in his conquests, I only encountered five or six troublesome old men, and they all met their demise back then. As far as I know, there are only six or seven Marquises of the twentieth rank in the world today, five of whom were old comrades from back then, all of whom were schemed against by the despicable villains of the Gongxi clan... The most hateful one is Ji Mo Cong...]"

He spoke angrily when this woman was mentioned.

It took a long time to calm my turbulent emotions.

Then, casually, he said, "As for those below the twentieth rank of Marquis, aren't they all just a bunch of useless trash? How could they possibly lose?"

Those under twenty are like ants; those over twenty are one for one.

Gong Shuwu: [...]

Haha, he'd really lose if he ran into them.

The thought of Wei Cheng's casual tone, in which he said that anyone below the rank of Marquis of the twentieth grade was trash, filled Gong Shuwu with resentment.

Listen to this, is this even human language?

Even a 19th-rank Marquis within the Pass could drive you to the heavens and the earth!

Luo Yuan was also very familiar with Gong Shuwu's weaknesses in this state, and his moves were all targeted, making Gong Shuwu suffer in silence.

He silently regulated his surging energy.

Fine cracks appeared on the pink hand bones under the armpit.

The stagnant air flowed, and the cracks were slowly healing, but the healing speed could not keep up with the speed at which they were formed. In some places, there were still comminuted fractures, and fine, powdery bone fragments would occasionally fall down.

The disparity in their abilities made the situation very unfavorable for Gong Shuwu.

He had no choice but to resort to other means of interference.

For example--

Ask Luo Yuan about the current situation of his enemies. If they weren't weakened, why would they let a coward like him, who had been hiding for decades, show his face? Gong Shuwu's words were calm, yet they still shocked Luo Yuan. The three white eyes beneath the mask widened.

How did you know?

You can tell from their tone that they've broken down.

The killing intent intensified in the next instant, and Gong Shuwu cried out in despair.

He continued relentlessly: "Lord Luo wants to kill me to silence me? He had the audacity to commit so many shameful acts back then, yet now he forbids outsiders from mentioning them. What kind of logic is this? A dignified Marquis of Guannei, daring to do it but not daring to admit it? Or perhaps, at an age where one foot is already in the coffin, he's finally learned to care about his reputation?"

You're asking for it!

Gong Shuwu knew far too much inside information.

Every word he said was designed to provoke Luo Yuan.

Every taunt is a provocation that teeters on the edge of danger.

With a single blow, he shattered the broadsword in Gong Shuwu's hand, and said fiercely, "I'll tear your bones apart right now, and cook you into a soup!"

Buzz!

A sharp, explosive sound erupted between the two.

A silver sword aura streaked across the night sky, striking Luo Yuan and exploding into a shower of starlight. Countless sword energies seemed to subject Luo Yuan to a slow, agonizing death, severing several strands of his hair before he could react. A tall figure silently appeared before the formation, and Luo Yuan's face darkened instantly: [Another one?]

The only answer he received was the light of swords overhead, as dazzling as a constellation of stars.

[Ten steps, one kill!]

The sword's cry, carried by the night wind, pierced directly into his ear.

Luo Yuan narrowed his eyes dangerously, his disdain replaced by vigilance. As a seasoned battlefield veteran, he immediately created a ten-step distance between himself and the newcomer. Regardless of the incantation, its literal meaning must not be ignored. If it can kill one person in ten steps, then there must be an amplification within those ten steps!

Haha, his intuition was right.

As Shen Tang's strength improved, he gained a deeper understanding of the Word of Power he used to be familiar with. The previous "Kill one person in ten steps, leave no trace for a thousand miles" was simply an amplification of sword energy, making it more lethal and faster. Now, it also has the characteristic of close-range killing.

Once it gets close, its lethality increases several times over!

Luo Yuan could also suffer a great loss if he was careless.

[Braving all with courage, we will vanquish the demonic forces in one battle!]

Luo Yuan sensed something was wrong.

The flow of this incantation's energy seems to contradict that of a martial artist.

Are there other scholars lying in ambush nearby?

This thought flashed through his mind, and the black light emanating from Gong Shuwu, whom he had just dealt with, surged forth, as the deathly energy of heaven and earth rushed towards him, seeping into every crack in his bones. In an instant, the cracks disappeared, and his pink bones became clear and translucent, even harder than before!

Not only that, Gong Shuwu's aura was also forcibly elevated several notches!

The effect is comparable to the simultaneous activation of the five virtues of the [General's Martial Virtue]!

Gong Shuwu grinned, revealing his teeth: "What a powerful word!"

To experience the amplification of the Lord's words in one's lifetime is rarer than encountering a Rank 20 Marquis on the street! This is something that deserves to be written down, framed, and passed down to future generations!

Gong Shuwu, full of energy, blocked Luo Yuan's path.

A chant came from behind: "The bow shatters the tiger of the Southern Mountain!"

The silver arrow shot towards Luo Yuan and his companion like a meteor. Gong Shuwu, with perfect teamwork, delayed Luo Yuan until the very last moment, then vanished into a puff of green smoke just before the arrow's impact. The arrow, its force undiminished, pierced through the smoke and struck Luo Yuan's face, drawing blood.

[A white ape cries out, its arrow curved in a arc!]

Before Luo Yuan could land, another arrow came flying.

Seemingly finding Luo Yuan too agile, and unable to hit him even with Gong Shuwu's help, the attackers lost patience and drew their swords again to attack. Gong Shuwu voluntarily took a supporting role. Out of the corner of his eye, Luo Yuan saw flames rising near the granary, spreading rapidly.

He couldn't help but laugh in anger: "Is this what you're planning?"

The silver-armored swordsman spoke defiantly, his eyes clear and bright: "If you're not comfortable, go put out a fire. Don't you want to?"

The fire spread behind Luo Yuan, who said, "Today, the clouds and fog are so thick, do you know what it looks like—'the Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven'?"

(ノへ￣、)

I've been delivering monkey head takeout for the past few days...