Chapter 622: Pacifying Sibao County (Twenty-Four) [Still in the Yang Realm]
Xun Ding had imagined the scene of his long-awaited reunion with his biological father, but it certainly wouldn't be like this. His pupils dilated in shock, while his father's eyes held a mixture of doubt, confusion, unfamiliarity, and a thoughtful, inquisitive gaze…
The next moment, he raised his hand and cast a spell on Shen Tang.
As a target, he was nearly cleaved off the city wall by a single sword strike.
She looked up and met Shen Tang's eyes, which seemed to be smiling but not smiling.
It seems to be saying—
A gentleman takes his revenge, no matter when.
Xun Ding: "..."
He admitted that he had run away from home for many years. As time went by, he grew up, and his cultivation improved, his facial features and appearance changed quite a bit from his youthful days. But surely his appearance shouldn't have changed so much that his own father wouldn't recognize him at a glance?
Actually, it's not surprising that Xun Zhen didn't recognize him at first glance.
In his memory, his son was a handsome and refined young man, mostly obedient and well-behaved, occasionally throwing a tantrum, and dressed in the style of a well-behaved baby. In the words of his lord, his son was like a deer glimpsed in the depths of the forest—pure, clean, innocent, and naive, untouched by worldly filth, possessing a purity akin to that of a newborn child.
In contrast, what about Xun Ding today?
He wasn't mistaken for a bandit, thanks to his parents' stable genes. His appearance was still the same, and he was indeed refined and handsome, but the large animal skin covering half his body, the light green beard on his face, combined with his overall demeanor, created a strange sense of incongruity—like a mountain bandit dressed as a scholar, or a burly man dancing on tiptoe…
Therefore, Xun Zhen's first impression of the young man was that he looked familiar, and he didn't immediately connect him with his own eldest son who had abandoned his empty-nest father. A second glance, and he looked familiar; a third glance… Xun Ding had already been struck by his lord and was forced against the wall.
With another strike, most of the giant insect hide was shaved off, revealing the concealed martial armor and the Martial Tiger Talisman at the waist.
Xun Zhen: "..."
Young martial artist = runaway son?
The instant the equation flashed through his mind, Shen Tang had already carved a bloody path through the enemy lines, his sword flashing like a rainbow, his swordsmanship light and agile, aimed directly at Xun Ding. He saw his son grinning wickedly, even taunting him: "You actually dare to come up here, you really have guts! But—if I were to reveal your identity here, even you wouldn't be able to guarantee a safe escape, would you?"
If a leader of a faction ventures into the enemy's camp without absolute confidence, he is essentially handing the enemy a free ride.
Shen Tang smiled confidently, revealing her white teeth.
"You can give it a try."
As is well known, the higher the level of martial courage a martial artist possesses, the wider the range of impact and the stronger the destructive power during combat.
In the midst of a chaotic battle, once the generals from both sides meet, they will tacitly move to a relatively sparsely populated and open area to restrain each other. Shen Tang brought Xun Zhen here not so much to kill as many enemies, since the scales of victory in this siege had already tipped in her favor. She was more interested in seeing Xun Ding's performance and letting him experience the long-lost "fatherly love like a landslide" from his old father.
Before she could even enjoy the spectacle, she caught the word "My Lord" amidst the chaos. Without hesitation, she threw her longsword, aiming it straight at the source of the sound. However, the attack was too hasty, and Qiu Cheng's men weren't entirely incompetent; no one was injured. Xun Ding, a beat slower, realized her target was Qiu Cheng and hastily tried to remedy the situation.
Just as Qiu Cheng had never seen Shen Tang, Shen Tang also didn't know what this guy looked like. He didn't expect Qiu Cheng to be watching the battle from the city wall today. He thought that this guy was hiding somewhere with the main force, just watching and getting anxious. Thinking about it made him feel a little relieved.
In fact, Qiu Cheng's appearance here was also to stabilize the morale of the army and boost morale as much as possible, but he couldn't withstand the two crushing defeats in the duels and the city's defenses were full of loopholes, which directly led to the collapse of the front line and allowed more and more enemies to successfully scale the city...
While the territory wouldn't immediately fall, this place was certainly unsafe. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Qiu Cheng had no choice but to retreat under the protection of the others. But then, an unexpected complication arose: a long sword shot straight towards their location.
The longsword pierced through three barriers of literary energy and came to a stop.
Seeing the sword tip pointing straight at his head, Qiu Cheng's eyelids twitched violently, and at the same time, endless rage burned within him. Although this sword was far from threatening his life, such an experience was an ominous sign to him.
"My lord, let's go quickly."
Miao Shu lowered her beautiful eyes and urged him again. With the protection of martial arts experts and scholars, and Qiu Cheng's own abilities, escaping safely would not be difficult. Moreover, Xun Ding would intercept them, helping to buy more time for their retreat.
Qiu Cheng left without looking back, leaving behind a mess.
As for what will happen to Xun Ding, whom he hired with money, what will happen to the dwindling number of guards on the city wall, or even what will happen to the common people of Linshan County who have lost the protection of the city wall... none of these things can be compared to his life and fortune.
Even after descending the city wall, reinforcements could still be seen continuously heading towards the city tower, while a large number of enemy soldiers were already present in the inner city alleyways. They were entering the city by breaching the barbican, and their battle lines were advancing fiercely, while their own defenders were in disarray...
Various colors of martial energy shone brightly inside and outside the city.
The colors are interwoven, dazzling and spectacular.
Little did they know that beauty was merely a facade they used to disguise themselves; killing, violence, bloodshed, and plunder were their true core.
Shen Tang frowned: "Xun Ding, don't stop me!"
"No, you have to do something to help people who are paid to do something wrong."
Xun Ding still possessed a strong sense of integrity and commitment.
Do whatever is written on the contract.
certainly--
Whether or not one has the ability to do it is another matter entirely.
With a flick of her finger, Shen Tang sent the sword flying back into her palm. Her eyes were icy as she said, "That depends on whether you have the ability!"
"Of course..."
Before he could finish speaking, the sword was already thrusting at him.
However, it wasn't Shen Tang's sword.
Xun Ding: "..."
Xun Zhen, holding his sword, said, "My lord, give it to Zhen."
Shen Tang, who was just angry, instantly lost her temper. She had no intention of letting Xun Zhen roll up his sleeves and beat his son up. After all, a scholar and a warrior would be too reckless to do something like that without a stroke within ten years...
Well, except for her.
Most importantly—Xun Zhen wanted to deal with her eldest son, but if she used her ultimate move, her savings would be severely depleted!
Xun Zhen seemed to read Shen Tang's mind and said directly, "My lord, there is no need to worry. Someone will naturally pay for it."
Xun Ding: "..."
His dad is planning to spend money to beat him up?
Shen Tang: "..."
Which sucker would pay for this?
Xun Zhen looked at her son, her good mood plummeting from its peak to its lowest point that evening: "You said 'If you take money, you'll solve problems for others'? I suppose you've solved quite a few problems for others over the years..."
The implication is that using the money you received to beat you up is just what I need!
"Blinded by a leaf!"
Xun Ding: "..."
He understands his father.
When he was broke, he was just a third-rate scholar.
When he had money, he was like the King of Heaven.
_(:з」∠)_
Sigh, I've tested positive for COVID-19. It's been five days now. For the first three days, my temperature was consistently high. For the last two days, it was normal during the day but spiked at 8 PM sharp. I also had a cough and sore throat. Today, I discovered blisters on my tongue, and eating feels like torture... Sigh, this postpartum period has been... It's like I'm going through a tribulation.
(End of this chapter)
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