Chapter 1347: What is Martial Virtue? (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Luo San's face was covered in blood, but his eyes remained clear.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his hatred so intense he gritted his teeth.
"I admire your mother!"
Shen Tang stopped walking and sighed, "In the end, fights always end with insults directed at the other party's family, especially the one who is pregnant for ten months. Giving birth is hard enough, and when the child gets into a fight outside, whether they win or lose, they still get insulted."
Wei Cheng's eyes blazed with fury.
He grabbed Luo Tian's skull with one hand and hoisted him up like a claw machine: "Robert, do you really want to die?"
Only the winner has the right to possess the household registration certificate.
The household registration books of the losers will be sacrificed to the heavens.
Luo San sneered, and an extremely foul and pungent aura shot out like a cannonball, striking Wei Cheng squarely in the face. His armor on his back cracked, and countless vines spread wildly from his body. When the dust settled, Luo San was nowhere to be seen.
All that remained was a towering vine that was completely out of control.
Countless vines converged into a tidal wave, surging towards the same target. Wei Cheng was caught off guard at close range, but he was unharmed. However, the army of "corpse vines" brought back some unpleasant memories. No matter how he dodged, the vines could precisely wrap around him from any angle, displaying a relentless and desperate fighting spirit.
Wei Cheng: "..."
Looking down from above, it resembled a malignant tumor, like a small mountain, growing on the ground. This tumor frantically absorbed the flesh and blood of the earth and the energy of heaven and earth as its nourishment, growing noticeably larger with each contraction and expansion. Hmm—the psychological trauma seems to be getting worse.
This scene made him hallucinate Ji Mo Cong's actions from back then.
The tumor spread rapidly, reaching the main battlefield in the blink of an eye. Each vine, like a shark smelling blood, frantically split its tentacles, crawling towards the source of the carnage. The corpses it devoured were reduced to bones in just a few breaths.
After a hearty meal, vines sprouted from the bones.
He Shu attempted to suppress this evil creature with the righteous energy of thunder, but to little avail. The creature not only showed no fear of lightning but was instead driven even more insane by the stimulation. This thing could feed on flesh and blood; the more it consumed, the faster it grew. While food supplies on the granaries and battlefield were dwindling, corpses and flesh were plentiful. If it were allowed to spiral out of control, the losses would be unimaginable.
Wei Cheng was glad that he was not human.
If he were alive, he'd be so angry he'd vomit blood right now.
He had only pressed the other party to see if he was convinced of his submission, and Luo San not only insulted his mother but also pulled this stunt—the old man was now acting all aggrieved? Wei Cheng looked at the vine-like tumor in front of him and said ruthlessly, "There's no need to protect this person anymore."
With that kind of power, you could suppress the opponent for several rounds.
"...Hmph, just a useless, unstable Marquis Che. Kill him if you want, I'll find a way to bring one back for you later." In Wei Cheng's view, Shen Tang wanted to recruit Luo San for his own use, and he hadn't handled things well, repeatedly provoking the other party and ruining the situation. He should be held responsible for this. As compensation for this unexpected turn of events, he would bring back another one.
In such a vast area, you can always catch one.
Before Shen Tang could respond, Wei Cheng planned to dismember this malignant tumor. He didn't know where Luo San's true form was hiding, but he was certain it was inside this vine-like tumor. If he pulverized the tumor, Luo San would be doomed.
result--
Plans can't keep up with changes!
Just as the tumor was expanding again, a figure appeared, riding the [Wind Chaser] – at a time when everyone was trying to take refuge, this person's actions against the flow seemed particularly abrupt. The woman flicked her long sleeve, and several points of light flew out and struck the tumor.
The vine, which resembled a small mountain, stopped moving instantly.
A crimson light emerged from within, and several dark shadows could be vaguely seen writhing inside. This sudden change caused Wei Cheng to stop the killing move he was preparing in his palm, his life force fixed on the tumor. He keenly heard faint chewing and pupa-like sounds coming from inside the vines.
Puff puff puff puff—
One, two, three… more and more Corpse Vine sprouted from within the tumor, oozing thick, bloody liquid from the openings, with occasional glimpses of semi-congealed blood clots. In an instant, the air above the granary was filled with a stench.
Wei Cheng temporarily suppressed his murderous intent: "What's going on now?"
Gong Xichou said, "It's Lin Xiaoma's Corpse Vine."
Luo San's Martial Courage Totem is also related to the Corpse Vine; they are essentially two branches that mutated from the same ancestor. Lin Feng just planted a large number of Corpse Vine spores inside the tumor. These spores, in a nutrient-rich environment, will grow and multiply wildly, competing with Luo San's Martial Courage Totem for nutrients. He temporarily won by using sheer numbers and a swarm of spores.
That's all the nutrients we have.
If one side gains more, the other side gains less.
The smaller party will stop developing when its living space is compressed.
After an unknown amount of time, the venomous vines were reduced to a thin outer layer, beneath which lay a jelly-like substance. Gong Xichou poked it with his halberd, and with a soft "poof," the outer layer burst open, nearly spraying him with putrid, viscous fluid...
One by one, skeletons rolled out.
Undeterred by the filth, Wei Cheng waded through the corpse-filled water, searching everywhere until he finally found a strangely shaped white cocoon with black patterns. Inside the cocoon lay Luo San, whose fate was unknown. Without hesitation, he peeled open the cocoon, and Luo San opened his weak eyes to meet his gaze.
"You brat, are you convinced now?"
Luo San: "..."
He closed his eyes slightly and weakly turned his head: "Whatever you say."
He didn't really remember that part of the story, but based on his previous experience, he probably hadn't yet committed a grave mistake. The strongest evidence was that the skull in front of him was still in the mood to ask him if he submitted, instead of cutting off his head.
Wei Cheng felt a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton.
He kicked Luo San in the shoulder, sending him flying seven or eight times.
Several skeletal ghost soldiers swarmed forward and bound Luo San tightly. Even more chillingly, the ghost soldiers binding Luo San were dressed in the uniforms of the Shanyong County garrison. Wei Cheng chuckled, his skeletal fingers spread wide, a wisp of ghostly energy emanating from his palm. He ordered the ghost soldiers to open Luo San's body, and with a sharp crack, his hand plunged into Luo San's abdomen. Blood gushed from the wound, and Luo San only groaned.
After stirring for a while, Wei Cheng withdrew his hand.
Shen Tang said, "I don't tolerate the mistreatment of prisoners here."
Wei Cheng flicked the blood off the bone: "You have no conscience at all! I was just afraid he would cause trouble again, so I added something to his dantian to temporarily suppress his martial arts. Do you think a rank 20 Marquis would stay put and not run away just because he was captured?"
Shen Tang: "..."
She's well-read; don't think you can fool her.
Who would dare to block the alchemy of a family and try to reach into someone else's stomach?
Considering Wei Cheng was the top contributor, she didn't hold a grudge and ordered the unconscious Luo San to be taken away, while the other prisoners were guarded in shifts. The battle truly ended just as dawn broke, with their side having lost 20% of their garrison and all their grain depots.
Luo San's men suffered 50% casualties, and the rest were all wounded.
"...originally, we could have saved a few."
Xiahou Yu looked at the charred ruins of more than twenty granaries, his heart aching beyond measure. In truth, the outermost granaries could have been saved; they were far from the center of the battlefield and had reinforcements. However, the range of the heavenly lightning was too vast. The soldiers, enhanced by the lightning, were so excited and agitated that they had only one thought: destruction. Enemies blocking their path would be killed, and buildings in their way would be demolished. The heavenly lightning, however, had no eyes.
Some landing sites were too close to the surrounding grain warehouses.
It's easy to imagine that it was a truly explosive event.
The food shortage crisis in Shanyong County escalated gradually, but they, on the other hand, achieved in one fell swoop, covering in a single night what others took half a year to accomplish. Xiahou Yu couldn't help but wonder, was this battle truly worthwhile?
No matter how you look at it, it's a huge loss.
He Shu showed no remorse whatsoever.
"Blame me?" If he didn't deal with the enemy first, even if his own granaries were overflowing, they might end up being enjoyed by the enemy, leaving nothing for him. If given another chance, he would still choose to kill the enemy first. The granaries being destroyed was fine; as long as he didn't starve, that was enough.
Xiahou Yu sighed deeply, deciding not to contend with him.
"I had no such intention."
Now is not the time to escalate the conflict.
He used what little he had left to have his soldiers cook and prepare food, hoping to take advantage of the weakened military presence in Sugina County and seize the territory to make up for some of his losses. He said, "We only have two days' worth of rations left. We'll send them by express courier. Hopefully, it will arrive in time."
Adhering to the principle of having multiple burrows, the Chentang branch company, though small in size, had three granaries. One was located near the front lines to facilitate support for the troops and reduce transportation losses, while the other two were located far in the rear, requiring time to arrive.
He Shudao said, "There's no need to worry about the food."
He saw that Lin Feng, who was on a mission to Qu Kingdom, was here, and the delegation should be here as well. If the soldiers were still going hungry with this kind of setup, then the delegation led by Lin Feng was definitely slacking off.
Xiahou Yu: "..."
Cleaning up the battlefield is no easy task.
It took two days for the overwhelming stench to barely fade.
When Xiahou Yu led his troops to Shanyong County, he found that most of the city walls had collapsed, and the city's defenses were almost nonexistent. The army marched straight in without encountering any significant resistance. The county was desolate, and more than half of the common people had fled on the very day they received word of the attack.
The only surprise was that Prefect Suginaga, leading over a hundred soldiers from his prefecture, defended the last line of defense. Even after being captured and having his arms and legs broken, he was still cursing. One moment he was cursing the thieves for their wolfish ambitions, the next he was cursing Luo San for being a useless piece of trash, making one want to cut out his tongue.
"Keep swearing?"
Lin Feng couldn't stand those swear words.
The prefect, kicked, cried out in pain, looking utterly pathetic. Unable to move his limbs, he used his chin to drag himself closer to Lin Feng, his eyes filled with hatred, his chin bleeding but he didn't utter a sound. He spat blood onto her shoe: "This scoundrel deserves to be killed by everyone!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng felt a certain admiration for the person.
I heard he had a bad relationship with Luo San and was sharp-tongued. I thought he'd be a coward, but surprisingly, he managed to show some backbone. There are countless sycophants in the world, but few with integrity. How important is integrity? Let's put it this way: when it comes to the final judgment, having some integrity can lessen one's punishment.
"Keep him under guard and await further instructions, but don't let him die."
The prefect was thrown into a dungeon that looked somewhat familiar.
This time, on his second visit to the jail, his next-door neighbor turned out to be Luo San. He struggled to turn over, scraping against the railing as he barely managed to get to his feet: "Robert? Robert? Uncle, have you checked if he's dead?"
"He's still breathing, but he must be unconscious."
The prefect was furious at his incompetence: "This old geezer was usually so capable, but one trip and he's a prisoner. He's utterly useless. It's better to be dead than alive to be a prisoner!"
His uncle neither confirmed nor denied this.
That's just how chaotic times are.
Today he sits in a high hall, tomorrow a prisoner; who can remain undefeated forever? He closed his eyes, intending to conserve his energy and await the final fate of the uncle and nephew. Instead of the expected outcome, he was greeted by a man supposedly a military doctor who gave Prefect Sugyong a simple set of bones and bandages. He then glanced at the wound on Luo San's abdomen next door.
It doesn't seem like a medical consultation.
What kind of doctor would lewdly touch a patient's stomach during a consultation?
The prefect, filled with shame and indignation, declared: "A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated!"
The other person rattled off a bunch of things: "How did I insult him? I was just curious about his physique... This physique, this self-healing ability is simply amazing... If only he could come to the medical center to be a test subject for drugs..."
The man who came with the military doctor said regretfully, "I'm afraid they won't be willing."
According to rumors, this prisoner caused considerable trouble for their side on the battlefield. Despite appearing to be only at the eleventh level of the Right Guard Realm, his physical resilience rivals that of a Marquis within the Pass/Marquis of Che. He's practically the perfect test subject for the Medical Department's drugs, impervious to poisoning.
Look at that waist and abdomen, that muscle definition, that blood circulation...
The most perfect one I've ever seen in my military medical career.
The prefect was furious.
The thieves were even more ruthless than expected.
The dungeon was dark, so the prefect could only judge the time by his body's reactions. About two more days passed before Luo San next door finally awoke. He wasn't surprised by his surroundings, but when he tried to break the dungeon's wooden pillars, he found his limbs weak and powerless; it seemed as if there were shackles within his Danfu controlling his strength. Every time he had the thought of mobilizing his power, the martial hall of his Danfu would churn violently.
Shen Tang immediately brought up Luo San.
If we can recruit them, that would be best; if not, we'll have to deal with it in another way.
Luo San's first question was—
"Did I massacre the city that day when things went out of control?"
"A massacre of the city?" Shen Tang shook his head. "No."
Luo San's heavy brows relaxed a bit: "That's good."
Shen Tang sensed something else: "You've massacred a city before?"
Luo San narrowed his eyes slightly as he recalled the past, and calmly said, "I lost control once. When I regained consciousness, it felt like I was in hell on earth. Someone like me has no value in recruiting, so Your Majesty should think of other ways to deal with me."
He sighed, "Kill me or imprison me, it doesn't matter."
His good temper doesn't mean he's inherently good-tempered.
However, if he loses control of his temper, the Martial Spirit Totem will seize control, and he won't be able to control what kind of trouble it will cause.
Shen Tang: "...Luo Hou is really special."
Luo San scrutinized Shen Tang: "Am I special?"
"Among all the Cherhou I've encountered, he is unique."
Luo San scoffed: "How many Marquises has the Queen met?"
“A whole bunch of them, they’re a real headache. They’re either thinking about how to kill me or how to kill the world. If there’s a mental hospital in the world, they should all be put in there.” Shen Tang said helplessly, “Luo Hou’s mental state is already considered healthy.”
Luo San: "..."
Although he had no intention of submitting, he felt that the recruitment process shouldn't be like this. Was the queen's words a compliment?
Well, that's definitely a compliment for Shen Tang.
As it was approaching lunchtime, Shen Tang had someone bring Luo San his lunch, the table overflowing with food. Luo San immediately recognized that the bowls were filled with new rice, but food was scarce in Shan Yong County. Let alone new rice, they could barely scrape together any old rice from previous years; Shen Tang's granary had also been destroyed by him. Where did this new rice come from? Not only was there new rice, but the bowls also contained stewed meat saturated with oil…
Luo San was silent for a moment: "This meat..."
Shen Tang asked, "Are you worried about human flesh?"
Luo San pursed his lips, clearly thinking the same thing.
"Don't worry, it's not human flesh, it's pork from my own farm." It's a long-standing habit of Shen Tang's army's logistics team to always have a batch of pigs. These pigs walk tens of thousands of steps a day, their muscles firm and succulent. They're used to reward the troops and improve their meals after victories…
Luo San: "..."
He still didn't touch his chopsticks.
This clearly indicates that there are doubts about Shen Tang's character.
Shen Tang wasn't angry: "Is it possible to cure Luo Hou's condition completely? I'd like to kill you, but killing surrendered prisoners and captives would ruin one's reputation and completely destroy one's foundation. Locking you up isn't as simple as adding another pair of chopsticks; it could also easily damage one's reputation. Releasing you isn't out of the question, as long as you don't cause me any trouble. However, Luo Hou's physical condition is special. Can you guarantee that he won't lose control again?"
She actually wanted to have a forced marriage.
However, there is a major premise to forcibly seizing or plundering.
The forced party has no ability to resist!
The resistance and struggle of the weak only add to the drama, which is the greatest allure of cunning and forceful acquisition—the superiors can completely control the inferiors, and even if the noose around the inferiors' necks is untied, the inferiors cannot escape their grasp. Luo San is clearly not among them.
Forcing him is pointless and could easily backfire.
Luo San countered, "What if I could guarantee that?"
Shen Tang: "Then there's no need to send someone to keep an eye on you."
Luo San found it absurd.
"You really intend to set me free?"
“I can release you, but I can’t give you true freedom. As you yourself said, you once went out of control and massacred a city. I don’t know which city you massacred or how many people you killed. That’s all in the past, and I’m not the victim. I can’t use that to settle scores with you. But if you go out of control on my turf, then that’s my business, and I can’t just sit idly by.”
"If you can't guarantee that, what will you do?"
"Then we can only place him under house arrest, and release him once he's recovered."
Luo San thought his tinnitus was cured: "Is it cured?"
"Has Lord Luo heard of the Medical Masters of the Medical World? The most skilled medical masters in the world are under my command. If Lord Luo is willing to cooperate with them, I believe they will be happy to help you solve your problems. Even if there is no certainty, it is better than no hope at all."
What are you after?
Those in positions of power always expect something in return for bestowing favors.
They are willing to be loyal, serve, and even risk their lives.
He didn't believe that Shen Tang was the accident.
Shen Tang's answer was simple: "If Tu Luo Hou doesn't cause trouble, and like Wei Cheng, doesn't become an enemy, then we should be grateful."
If direct recruitment fails, retreat is the best strategy.
"Wei Cheng? That skeleton?"
"Yes, it's him."
For some reason, Luo San felt sorry for the skeleton.
"Wasn't he risking his life for you that day?"
No, after all this effort, are you still considered a nuisance?
Shen Tang: "..."
|ω`)
Another part is to supplement what was previously included.
The additional parts after the update are free of charge.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
