Chapter 62: Leader
The sounds of magpies and doves gradually faded away. Wen Rensu's slender fingers picked up the wine glass and shook it, staring at the ripples on the sake, lost in memories.
At the beginning, Ling Zheng left Wanjun Sect and traveled all the way west to the Western Regions in order to find out which suspicious people had bought the Bi Ri San.
Some may think it's like looking for a needle in a haystack, but in fact, this rare poison powder is not a common commodity found everywhere, but has a special supply channel.
As a Gu Master, Ling Zheng was also an expert in using poisons, so he must have some knowledge of the subject. Even so, he still encountered obstacles in other areas.
It was difficult to find a supply channel, but the other party was a big trading company that was doing a niche business, so it was impossible for them to let strangers check their account books.
Ling Zheng planned to use his old trick again, using the control Gu to kill the shopkeeper. He waited for several days, hoping to find a chance to strike. However, man's plans are not as good as fate. On the day of the execution, he was caught by the boss who returned for some reason.
Although he finally escaped, he also created a grudge.
It seemed the only solution was brute force. With this in mind, Ling Zheng temporarily settled in the Western Regions, secretly building up his power and gradually encroaching on his rival's territory. Through a concerted effort, he ultimately succeeded in changing the ownership of this large trading company.
When he found out the whereabouts of the Sun-Blocking Gu, Ling Zheng was not in a hurry to seek revenge, probably out of fear of the enemy's identity. Instead, he kept a low profile and secretly accumulated strength.
Coincidentally, this large trading company became a solid backing for Ling Zheng's development of power, and it also helped him embark on the path of becoming the leader of the Demon Cult.
Smoke rose up everywhere, the flames of the burning city made the sky scarlet, and the broken walls and ruins were filled with wailing.
At that time, Ling Zheng was growing stronger and more powerful, and Yue Tu, the leader of the Demon Cult, could not let him continue like this, so he bribed a confidant of Ling Zheng and set up a series of killing traps to encircle and suppress Ling Zheng.
But what shocked everyone was that Ling Zheng and his few remaining loyal men had been fighting with the enemy for seven days and seven nights amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and there was still no end in sight.
He was dressed in silk clothes, and his blood was so thick that it gathered into drops and fell to the ground. Some of it was his own, but more of it was from his enemies.
The enemy troops fought one after another, dyeing the blood-stained clothes red again and again, almost turning them black.
The post-war scene was a hellish one. The enemies were still alive and no one was collecting their bodies. Broken limbs were everywhere, and groans of pain continued. The thick smell of blood lingered in the air and took a long time to dissipate. Black flocks of crows were either circling in the air or pecking at the carrion.
After this battle, Ling Zheng became known as the Blood-robed Yama, who could stop children from crying in the Western Regions and even the Central Plains.
However, what everyone didn't know was that Ling Zheng was also at the end of his strength at that time.
On the seventh day of the fighting, Wen Rensu rushed to the battlefield after hearing the news. Ling Zheng was bloodthirsty and relied entirely on muscle memory to kill the enemies, trying his best to fight his way out.
“Puff——”
The Ziwu Yuanyang Yue was drawn out, warm blood spurted from the chest, and the enemy fell backwards.
Ling Zheng looked around, his eyes filled with devastation. The strength he'd held on to finally faded, and he collapsed to his knees. He held the Ziwu Yuanyang Axe in his hand, thrusting it three-tenths into the ground.
He looked around and listened carefully, but it seemed that there was really no one around...
His eyelids drooped limply, his body tilted, and he fell to the ground holding the Ziwu Yuanyang Yue, which was also stained with blood.
His face was covered in dirt and blood, and there was a shallow scratch on the right side of his cheek, which had already scabbed over. His furrowed brow still retained a solemn and uneasy look.
As for why he could describe it so clearly, it was naturally because Wen Rensu, who was hiding in the dark, saw Ling Zheng unconscious and rushed forward to catch him, and then observed him.
A barely perceptible trace of pity flashed across Wen Rensu's indifferent eyes.
When Wen Rensu received the news that Ling Zheng was surrounded, he rushed over without hesitation. After he hugged Ling Zheng, he found that his hands were shaking.
He rode quickly, holding Ling Zheng's lower back with one hand and the reins with the other, and found a dilapidated and deserted temple. He went in and treated Ling Zheng's wounds.
After a calm and swift operation, Ling Zheng's chest was wrapped with several layers of gauze. Wen Rensu checked and found that fortunately, there was no damage to the lungs.
After stopping Ling Zheng's bleeding, he was given a high-quality Huiyuan Pill. Ling Zheng's cracked lips became visibly redder.
Seeing this, Wen Rensu took off the gourd bottle tied to the hook belt around his waist, poured out some water, and slightly moistened his lips.
It takes more than ten days to travel from the Central Plains to the Western Regions even by riding a Ferghana horse. How could Wen Rensu arrive in such a short time?
Ever since Ling Zheng went to the Western Regions, Wen Rensu had left the Wanjun Sect. Nominally, he was going to travel the world with his sword, but in reality, he often frequented the Longyou area and secretly sent people to gather information about Ling Zheng's situation. This came in handy now.
Wen Rensu's chest was heaving as he breathed. He sat on the haystack, resting his legs casually, his thoughts drifting away.
His travels and attempts to win over various factions were similar to Ling Zheng's attempts to annex the surrounding sects in the Central Plains.
As his fame grew, he and Ling Zheng became the leaders of the good and evil sects respectively, and a battle seemed inevitable, destined to be incompatible. How could the world guess that they once had a close relationship.
"Water... I want to drink water..."
Ling Zheng, lying on the haystack, was mumbling with his mouth moving. He had not yet fully regained consciousness and was only acting out of instinct.
Wen Rensu squatted down, took out the gourd bottle again, pulled out the cork, lifted Ling Zheng's head, and poured the water to him bit by bit, concentrating fully.
Ling Zheng's Adam's apple rolled, and he drank half of the pot from the pot's mouth until the water overflowed from the corners of his mouth. After hearing the complaint, he put Ling Zheng back to his original place.
Wen Rensu paused, bowing his head. A ray of sunlight from the air vent shone squarely on Ling Zheng's face. Even though he looked haggard, it couldn't conceal his sharp, aggressive beauty. Now that he held great power, he felt even more oppressive.
I have really grown up.
The soft light made the fine hairs on Lingzheng's face clearly visible, floating with a lustrous luster. Wenren recalled the time when he first met Lingzheng. Several years had passed in a flash, and it really made him miss her a little.
His eyes lingered, and he used the excuse of keeping an eye on the Son of Heaven to come to the Western Regions every few months, secretly watching Ling Zheng without letting him notice. Only this time could he observe him without restraint.
Lost a lot of weight.
Seeing Ling Zheng's eyelashes tremble, Wen Rensu's expression became serious, and a look of helpless determination flashed across his eyes.
Can't stay any longer.
According to this situation, Ling Zheng will wake up soon. This encounter was not part of Wen Rensu's plan.
He was just trying to improve his favorability, but now he just had to wait for the situation to develop and Ling Zheng's heartbreaking index to rise again. If Ling Zheng found out that he had come to rescue someone secretly, the heartbreaking point would be ruined.
He placed the gourd with most of the water left beside Ling Zheng, thought for a moment, and took out a few bottles of healing pills from his collar. The pill pot was a style that can be seen everywhere and was placed next to the gourd.
Knowing Ling Zheng's suspicious nature, Wen Rensu forged a letter in the voice of a young girl, the gist of which is as follows:
My entire family was tragically murdered by the leader of a demonic cult, so I will do my utmost to help Master Lingzheng seize the position of leader and avenge my family. However, as a woman, I am afraid of bringing disaster upon myself, so I cannot meet you.
Out of caution, even though Wen Rensu could forge anyone's handwriting, he still used his undominant left hand to write in standard regular script that was so featureless that Ling Zheng would not be able to tell who wrote it.
Noticing Ling Zheng's breathing getting heavier, Wen Rensu looked back again and left the dilapidated temple without any reluctance.
When he arrived at the door of the dilapidated temple, he jumped up and flew silently onto the eaves of the temple.
If someone suspicious breaks in, Ling Zheng is powerless at the moment, so he should help him guard the place for a while longer. Wen Rensu thought expressionlessly.
He squatted on the eaves, looking inside through the gaps in the bricks and tiles, seemingly unaware that his behavior at the moment was suspicious.
After a quarter of an hour, Ling Zheng's eyelashes trembled even more violently, and then he slowly woke up, opened his eyes, and shook his neck slightly from side to side, looking confused.
He relaxed for a while, then propped himself up and stood up. During the process, his wound was affected and he sucked in a breath of cold air, sweating profusely.
He touched the bandages around his body, his expression dazed. Just a moment ago, he was still on the battlefield. How could he...
Did someone help him? But why didn't that person show up? What was his motive? Or was there a hidden cost that he needed to bear?
Ling Zheng gave a bitter smile and sighed, thinking that things would work out in the end.
His eyes wandered before he noticed the piece of letter beside him. He snatched it up and examined it, reading it quickly. His frown relaxed slightly, but his expression remained hesitant.
It's no wonder that he was so nervous. He was betrayed by his confidant just one foot, and then someone who did good deeds without leaving a name appeared. His scarce trust had already been in jeopardy.
Regardless, he accepted the letter for the time being. He carefully folded the letter in half, his long, thick eyelashes drooping, obscuring the bright spot in his pupils and revealing a beast-like ferocity.
The demonic cult leader Yue Tu wanted to take revenge, and he would remember this. He would also take the hatred of the people in the letter and kill him.
Ling Zheng gritted his teeth, his eyes glowing with a strange red light.
Seeing Ling Zheng regain his vitality, Wen Rensu smiled with satisfaction and turned to look outside the dilapidated temple not far away.
His own fast horse was drinking from a small pond. He spurred his foot, leaped onto its back, squeezed his legs together, and pulled the reins. As the horse reared up and neighed, he set off on his return journey.
My thoughts returned to the inn. The current situation is—
Yue Tu was killed and Ling Zheng succeeded him. He took drastic measures to eliminate small gangs and factions, and quickly subjugated most of the forces in the Western Regions, collectively known as the Demon Cult.
Even so, Ling Zheng was not content with staying in one corner, but headed ambitiously towards his birthplace - Nanman.
The Southern Barbarians were also as aggressive as before, but this time Ling Zheng had experience, military strength, and was familiar with the terrain.
With his assessment of the situation and decisiveness in killing, the Southern Barbarians were easily conquered.
The evil cult is already unstoppable.
As a result, Ling Zheng's fame spread throughout the world. Everyone knew that in addition to his supernatural martial arts and witchcraft, he also possessed outstanding decision-making and leadership abilities.
Wen Rensu raised his head and drank the sake in his hand. At this time, a messenger came running outside the door. He didn't even have time to comb his messy hair. His big toe stuck out from the front of his straw sandals:
"Oh no! Oh no! The Demon Cult leader Ling Zheng and his troops have set out from the Western Regions and the Southern Barbarians, and are now rushing to the Central Plains to reunite!"
Everyone present was silent, looking at each other in bewilderment. The next moment, a violent reaction broke out, and the sound waves almost blew the roof off.
"What! How could it be so sudden! How long will it take for them to arrive?" The man who had previously chatted with Wenren Su slammed the table and stood up.
The courier replied breathlessly, "According to the speed of foot, the large group will reach the border of the Central Plains within half a month."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the inn felt uneasy and had different expressions.
A shirtless burly man picked up a hammer and smashed the wooden table with it. The wooden table instantly broke into pieces and turned into debris. The people sitting at the table with him all moved away.
The veins under the biceps of the sturdy man were bulging and knotted, his eyebrows were thick and erect, and his voice trembled when he spoke, like a gorilla in combat mode:
"Ling Zheng, this scoundrel, has gone too far. What are you afraid of? When I meet him, I'll scare him so much that he'll kneel down and call me grandpa!"
On the second-floor corridor, the innkeeper pointed a fan at the burly man, her red lips angrily yelling, "Xu Ergou, I don't know if you can beat Ling Zheng, but you've destroyed my things so carelessly. How am I supposed to compensate you?"
Someone crossed his arms, uttered a "huh," and sneered at Xu Ergou, "Even if Ling Zheng is famous for nothing, defeating you is as easy as killing an ant, you big idiot with nothing but muscles."
Xu Ergou was originally trying to apologize to the shopkeeper, but upon hearing this, he immediately became unhappy and furious. He then smashed a chair and said, "What did you say? If you're brave enough, challenge me!"
"Ahhh, Xu Ergou!!"
Wen Rensu stopped listening to their dispute, picked up the sword leaning on the bench, and walked out of the inn.
It was only right and reasonable for him to rush back to Wanjun Sect to discuss countermeasures.
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The author has something to say: I posted this at the last minute of my promise. I will never waste time again.
The update time is shown on the 10th because in Xiuwen,
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