Chapter 42: I thought you were going to blow your top!

It lasted until dusk, when dark clouds swept across the sky and a light drizzle began to fall.

The chief of White Cherry Mountain Villa, Zhuxia Jian, finally returned.

He had just returned from Ten Thousand Void County, which was the most prosperous county under Luo River City and also one of the planned sites.

Along the way he passed through three counties, all confirming the plan was correct.

He was already daydreaming about the plan's success, gradually swallowing Yongning Prefecture and the Martial Dynasty.

Suddenly, he furrowed his brow.

"Where are the gate guards today? Running off again to shirk duty? Looks like I'll have to punish them properly."

"How could we let up at such a critical moment?"

Perhaps it was the joy of good news lifting his spirits, for a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he spoke.

Upon entering White Cherry Mountain Villa, he gradually sensed something was off.

Quiet—too quiet.

All he could hear was the soft rustle of the fine rain.

His nostrils twitched—he smelled blood and burnt flesh.

Zhuxia Jian's face changed abruptly.

"No! The warehouse!"

He lifted his foot and ran toward the warehouse.

Gradually his steps slowed, for he saw the ground littered with broken corpses; looking ahead, not a single intact body could be seen, and fresh blood flowed like a small river.

And the warehouse he had been obsessing over had been completely burned to ruins.

Zhuxia Jian dropped to his knees, his eyes going blank.

"Are you Zhuxia Jian?"

Zhuxia Jian's numb head turned toward the voice, and he saw a sight that shocked him even more.

He saw dozens of mangled corpses piled into a small hill in front of the warehouse gate, while Shen Qing, clad in a blood‑stained silver robe and holding a black oil‑paper umbrella, sat silently atop the mound.

A bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating Shen Qing's stern face.

Zhuxia Jian's eyes remained vacant.

"Who are you?"

Shen Qing lowered his oil‑paper umbrella to the side, rose, and drew the Azure River deeply embedded in a corpse, sending a spray of blood flying.

"Let me introduce myself: I am Shen Qing, Captain of the Luo River City Garrison."

A spark of anger flared in Zhuxia Jian's eyes: "Did you kill all my people?"

Shen Qing's eyes showed some displeasure.

"You don't seem very passionate, do you?"

"That's right—I killed them all, and it felt great; I've never felt this good."

Zhuxia Jian rose, clenched his teeth, burning with rage: "You deserve to die!"

Shen Qing laughed louder and more wantonly: "Exactly, exactly, exactly—I deserve to die!"

"Your subordinates are truly loyal, each throwing themselves at me without regard for their lives."

"Oh, right! They called your name even as they died, fighting bloody battles—where were you then, chief of White Cherry Mountain Villa?"

Zhuxia Jian could bear it no longer, let out a roar, and lunged at Shen Qing.

But just as he charged onto the corpse mound, Shen Qing lifted his foot and, with casual ease, kicked Zhuxia Jian flying, sending him rolling through the blood‑water.

Shen Qing nodded approvingly: "You've got spirit, but it's not enough—I'll give you a little extra."

"What about Shanben Jinyi and Songxia Zhu? You're on good terms with them, right?"

Zhuxia Jian rose, wiped the blood from his face, his voice trembling: "What did you do to my second and third brothers?"

Shen Qing pointed to his right; there on the wall was a corpse pressed into it, charred black.

"That's your third brother, Songxia Zhu—well, he's a bit over‑cooked, you might not recognize him."

"As for Shanben Jinyi? He's in the Embroidered Uniform Guard's great prison, probably wishing he were dead."

Zhuxia Jian trembled uncontrollably, scene after scene flashing through his mind.

Songxia Zhu and Shanben Jinyi were his sworn brothers; the three had come to the Martial Dynasty together, their bond far beyond ordinary.

"How could this be..."

"Aren't you going to avenge them?"

"Avenge? Yes, avenge."

Zhuxia Jian lifted his head, reignited his fury, and charged at Shen Qing, bursting forth with the greatest speed of his life, even producing afterimages; the faces of his second and third brothers flashed repeatedly in his mind, and he faintly felt his power had reached its peak.

He howled madly.

"Second brother, third brother! Watch big brother avenge you!"

That punch thundered out, even accompanied by bursts of sonic boom.

But the next moment, Shen Qing simply raised his palm and easily caught Zhuxia Jian's fist.

Shen Qing was very displeased; he suddenly gripped the fist, jerked it hard, flung Zhuxia Jian onto the corpse mound, then stepped on his chest with one foot and violently twisted with his left hand.

All that could be heard was the sound of flesh tearing, and Zhuxia Jian's right arm was wrenched clean off.

Shen Qing swung Zhuxia Jian's arm like a hammer and hurled him several meters away.

"All thunder, little rain! I thought you were going to blow your top!"

Zhuxia Jian struggled to his feet on the ground, his eyes full of bewilderment.

Is this really a person? He could sense that Shen Qing's cultivation was three levels below his own, yet this strength—

Back in Japan, he recalled his master praising him as a one‑in‑a‑million genius; among peers of the same realm he could be considered outstanding, yet just now he had unleashed his greatest speed and strongest power.

But he was still beaten like a dog by someone whose realm was lower than his.

Shen Qing slowly walked down the mountain of corpses, walking toward Zhuxia Jian.

"Is that all you can do? Like this, you still want to avenge your brothers? You still want to avenge your subordinates? You can't do anything, you can't protect anything, ah."

Zhuxia Jian glared viciously at Shen Qing.

"You devil, the Empire will not let you go; one day we will occupy Wu Chao, and you will become our slave!"

Shen Qing flicked his ear, then stepped with one foot onto Zhuxia Jian's chest.

"What a cliché harsh remark, ah, with no novelty at all."

"You're still thinking about your plan, right? Rest easy, I saw through it long ago; the Japanese pirates of Luo Shui City have all been locked up in prison by me."

Shen Qing lowered his head, his face full of mockery.

"Are you still feeling lucky, having made several preparations elsewhere, sending yellow beans?"

Zhuxia Jian's pupils suddenly contracted.

Shen Qing slowly took out his diary from his bosom.

"Sorry for the delay, I've read your diary; I know all the places recorded. As long as I bring the diary back to the Zhenfu Si, in less than half a day those Japanese pirates will all die!!!"

Zhuxia Jian completely collapsed, letting out a heart-rending scream.

"Ah..."

The next moment, his voice cut off abruptly; Shen Qing thoroughly trampled his chest, and a surge of domineering true qi burst forth, utterly exploding his corpse into blood mist.

"【You have slain an Innate Realm cultivator; congratulations on successfully looting the trait: Ninjutsu Heavenly Talent (Purple)】"

Shen Qing stuffed the diary back into his bosom, close to his body; at the moment he had just taken out the diary, Zhuxia Jian's emotions erupted completely, and under his innate six senses, no emotion could remain hidden—everything recorded in this diary is true.

Suddenly, the ground trembled faintly, and from outside the manor came a furious roar from Zhang Shan.

"Everyone, follow me into White Cherry Mountain Villa to support Shen Baihu and slaughter the Japanese pirates!"

Immediately afterward, hundreds of black cavalry charged into White Cherry Mountain Villa under the cover of dusk; instantly the shouts of killing shook the heavens, but gradually the shouts of killing faded away.

Because they discovered that their vigorous and heroic charge had rushed in, they had all prepared for battle, but nobody paid attention to them.

Soon they discovered the burning warehouse, and they came galloping up in a cloud of smoke.

Everyone was stunned.

Limbs lay scattered across the ground, blood flowed backward like a river; even the eighteen levels of hell would be no worse than this.

Zhang Shan looked at Shen Qing, asking in disbelief: "Finished killing?"

Shen Qing sheathed the Green River and opened his black oil-paper umbrella.

"Finished killing."

"You didn't even say you were coming; if I had known, I would have left two for you."

Zhang Shan swallowed a mouthful of saliva: "So we came for nothing?"

"Not for nothing; you can loot the place—who knows how much wealth this White Cherry Mountain Villa has accumulated over the years; we'll take it all back."

Fang Ming and the others surveyed the lavishly decorated manor; on the ground lay many silver ingots and banknotes blown loose from the Japanese pirates, and they had only one thought in mind.

This is a real New Year's celebration!