Chapter 220: I Count to Three; Those Who Do Not Act, Die!

Over the next ten or so days, the world trembled.

It was the Northern Liang Wangfu situated on Mount Qingliang; a few days ago, for unknown reasons, two tremendous booms sounded in succession, causing more than half of the vast mansion to collapse, with untold casualties.

Word spread that Northern Liang Prince Xu Xiao had apparently suffered grave injuries and was near death, and also that the Northern Liang heir apparent nicknamed Xu Caobao had been brutally murdered.

The world instantly seethed with hidden currents, and all factions found it hard to believe it was true.

This was because the Northern Liang Wangfu, the Imperial Martial City, and the Wu Family Sword Tomb were together known as the Three Great Forbidden Lands.

The Imperial Martial City housed an ancient monster that had suppressed the world for sixty years; the Wu Family Sword Tomb held countless sword practitioners who were permitted only to wield, or even merely touch, a sword their whole lives, and it was a place where Sword Immortals were born in abundance.

The Northern Liang Wangfu, both inside and out, possessed countless fierce soldiers of the army, as well as innumerable reclusive masters hidden in the shadows.

In the past, Xu Xiao, acting on the order of the Li Yang Emperor, rode forth into the jianghu and took the opportunity to move half of the world's martial arts secret manuals into his own mansion; for this purpose he specially built a Listening Tide Pavilion.

Thereafter, countless jianghu folk came to steal the manuals, but they were like moths flying into flames; moreover, a great number of martial enthusiasts willingly entered the Listening Tide Pavilion, willing to serve the Northern Liang Prince as guardians of the estate.

Besides this, since Xu Xiao joined the army, from a lowly soldier to a prince of different surname who overshadowed the lord, he had retained countless retainers, strategists, knights, and assassins.

During his campaign across the jianghu, he had the Northern Liang cavalry and the army's masters hone a strategy specifically designed to kill jianghu masters.

Even now, if Wang Xianzhi himself were to appear, how many of the Northern Liang iron cavalry could he slay?

Thus, upon hearing of the Northern Liang Wangfu incident, all factions refused to believe it was true—how could the Northern Liang Prince, who commanded three hundred thousand iron cavalry, have his lair taken for no reason and himself end up with an uncertain fate?

Afterwards, a bounty order spread like thunder across the world.

It was the Northern Liang Wangfu declaring that whoever brought the head of a sixteen-year-old youth named Zhuang Buran could peruse all six layers of martial arts secret manuals within the Listening Tide Pavilion, and also receive gold, silver, jewels, authority, and status.

From the highest powers of the world down to lowly martial men of the jianghu, everyone inquired who this person could be, capable of making the Northern Liang Wangfu move with such great force—could he be the very culprit who caused the mansion's collapse?

Investigation finally revealed that he was a poor farmer's child from a small county in the Li Yang southeast, his parents deceased early.

This left everyone astonished: a poor boy who tilled the fields to feed himself, and a different-surname prince who governed the three northwestern prefectures and commanded three hundred thousand troops.

Between them, one was as humble as an ant, the other as illustrious as a dragon; truly, most people could not imagine how a lowly peasant child could be the culprit who toppled the Northern Liang Wangfu.

Yet this could not stop batch after batch of jianghu wanderers from coming to a small county named Ping'an.

That day.

A boy in grey hemp clothing emerged from a narrow lane, walking unhurriedly toward the outside of the county.

At some point, more and more people gathered not far from the boy, each brandishing swords and knives, holding various weapons.

When the grey-clad boy stepped out of the county and arrived at a relatively open space, another large group of unknown jianghu wanderers appeared ahead, blocking the road.

A knife-wielder in the crowd suddenly cursed:

"Damn it, I've observed this brat for three or five days; he clearly has not a trace of internal energy or true qi, just a poor country bumpkin—how did he provoke the Northern Liang Wangfu?"

A cold-faced swordsman said:

"It doesn't matter what the reason is; lacking martial skill makes it easier to take his head and claim the reward from the Northern Liang Wangfu."

The grey-clad boy let out a helpless sigh:

"Judging by your posture, you're all here to cause trouble, while I'm merely a poor fellow scratching a living from the mud—how could I have provoked you lofty jianghu folk?"

"An ordinary poor boy wouldn't have your gall; knowing great disaster looms, you still remain calm and unhurried." A middle-aged burly man spoke meaningfully:

"No matter what hidden tricks you may have, and regardless of whether you're truly a farmer's son, you have become a treasure that can be exchanged for divine arts secret manuals, wealth, honor, and authority."

He paused slightly, then raised his voice to the surroundings:

"Everyone, first kill this boy, then we can discuss other matters."

Upon saying that, everyone present immediately agreed, and they found the grey-clad boy increasingly strange the more they looked at him.

In recent days, many had noticed that although someone lurked in the dark to assassinate him, the attacks always stopped abruptly, the victim's meridians would go haywire, true qi would rebel, and they would end up dying miserably with blood streaming from their seven orifices.

Some even planned to poison him in his sleep, hoping to kill this fellow who did nothing but sleep all day, yet discovered he seemed immune to all poisons—no matter how deadly the toxin, it was utterly ineffective.

"Heh heh, such a familiar scene; I never imagined I would one day become a human-shaped treasure myself."

Zhuang Buran gave a low chuckle:

"The highest cultivation among you is at most the Diamond Realm, most are merely Minor Master Realm—wouldn't it be better to live out your mediocre, useless lives in peace?"

"Why are you so obstinate as to come provoke me? Don't you know the Northern Liang Wangfu bounty order has already made things clear?"

At that moment, a fierce wind rose, the sky instantly darkened, yet it was overcast with thick clouds, rain falling like beads of a curtain, pattering softly.

Moreover, a solemn qi pressure descended, making everyone present tremble, their spines chilled.

A white-haired elder spoke hoarsely:

"This is the Celestial Phenomenon Realm?"

A sinister middle-aged man frowned tightly:

"Impossible—this boy shows not the slightest trace of martial training or true qi fluctuation; how could he be a Celestial Phenomenon Realm master?"

"Could it be that someone stands behind him, giving him such confidence?" A thirty-something knife-wielder shouted loudly:

"Senior, as the saying goes, the ignorant are blameless, the unknowing fearless; please forgive my junior's dull eyes for disturbing Junior Brother Zhuang's tranquility—I'll take my leave now."

He was about to leap away to escape the trouble, when suddenly thunder boomed, splitting open a deep pit before him.

"You think you can come and go as you please—don't you show any disrespect to my Junior Brother Zhuang?"

Zhuang Buran smiled faintly:

"Leave one arm, and I will let your so-called senior go free with a path to live."

His gaze swept across the crowd:

"You too—if you wish not to be split into ashes by heavenly thunder, then chop off your own arm."

Instantly, the field fell silent.

"I will count to three; those who do not move, die!"

Zhuang Buran said calmly:

"Three!"

As the words fell, a thunderous "Boom—" rang out; hundreds of bolts of lightning shot down swiftly, and the unprepared crowd was instantly reduced to flying ash, unable to offer the slightest resistance.

A youth in gray hemp clothing stood with his hands behind his back, speaking lightly:

"The appetizers have already been eaten by Zhuang Mou; shouldn't the main course also come out now?"

Immediately, two groups of people emerged from the nearby woods.

One group included a servant‑garbed knife‑wielding old man, a delicate yet cold‑faced spear‑wielding woman, a one‑eyed‑dragon‑like man, and others.

The other group consisted of a youth leading a black‑robed figure with white hair and silver threads, with five odd armored individuals following behind them.

(End of chapter)