Chapter 147: Bandits Pass Like a Comb, Soldiers Pass Like a Fine-Tooth Comb

Inside the room, Zheng Jian’s expression was relaxed as never before, and the entire world was plunged into absolute silence.

"The Mental Art of Transforming Heaven and Striking Earth truly did not disappoint me. Now, I can be considered to have achieved initial mastery of my state of mind..."

Zheng Jian felt an extreme sense of joy welling up in his heart, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. Although a vast amount of internal energy had been depleted within his body, his spirit was in exceptionally high condition.

"Master Bashiba’s Mental Art of Transforming Heaven and Striking Earth can drag a person into past lives when cultivated to the deepest realms. For now, I have only caught a glimpse of my past life, and the road ahead is long and arduous..."

With a soft sigh, Zheng Jian ceased his wild thoughts and began to regulate his breath, recovering the massive amount of internal energy he had expended.

After an unknown passage of time, Zheng Jian's complexion regained its rosy glow. When he opened his eyes once more, his pupils were profound and deep.

"Now that my grievance points have been scattered in one go, only a few hundred remain... Still, it was worth every bit!"

Zheng Jian chuckled, stood up, and after freshening up, finally opened the cabin door.

"Young Master Zheng, you have emerged from seclusion?" The moment he stepped outside, he ran straight into the Eastern Sea Mistress, Shan Meixian.

Hearing this, Zheng Jian nodded. "How many days have passed?"

Shan Meixian smiled and said, "On the very day you entered seclusion, this concubine returned. More than half a month has already passed by."

Half a month?

Zheng Jian was slightly stunned, truly not expecting that this session would take so long. "Having delayed the Mistress for so much time, Zheng really feels rather embarrassed."

Shan Meixian replied gently, "Young Master is too polite. There hasn't been anything pressing lately, so there's no talk of delay." As she looked at Zheng Jian, she felt that compared to half a month ago, his temperament had undergone an ineffable transformation.

"Big Brother Zheng, you... you're out of seclusion?" Shan Wanjing had long since heard Zheng Jian's voice and eagerly rushed out from her cabin at that moment.

"Mn, I'm out," Zheng Jian answered. "Having intruded for so long, it is time for me to leave."

Upon hearing this, Shan Meixian nodded gently.

"Mother, then may I also... also follow Big Brother Zheng?" Shan Wanjing lowered her head, speaking with a hint of shyness.

Zheng Jian naturally had no objections. Shan Wanjing had contributed immensely to his ability to acquire the Mental Art of Transforming Heaven and Striking Earth so quickly—she was a thoroughly qualified tool character!

***

Departing from the Fragrance, Zheng Jian took Shan Wanjing and traveled leisurely all the way from Yuhang toward the inland.

By this time, what Zheng Jian saw and heard along the way finally made him truly comprehend the devastation brought by the raging fires of war across the Great Sui.

Rebel soldiers were everywhere, and tragic events were omnipresent. People exchanging their children to eat them, and splitting bones to use as firewood—when these horrors truly unfolded right before the eyes of Zheng Jian and Shan Wanjing, their moods inevitably grew heavy.

Even Zheng Jian, usually hailed as the king of trolls, had lost all mood to tease Shan Wanjing just to harvest grievance points...

On this particular day, the two were walking along a hillside when Shan Wanjing suddenly pointed toward the sky ahead, "Big Brother Zheng, look quickly!"

Hearing this, Zheng Jian raised his head and looked. He saw a red glow flickering in the sky ahead and said with a solemn expression, "That's a fire! Let's go take a look."

The two quickened their paces and sprinted all the way down the hillside.

As they approached, they realized this was a village, but at present, it was ablaze with fire and had long since been reduced to ashes.

Walking through the village, they saw charred and broken walls everywhere, along with the blackened bones of humans and livestock. Such a gruesome sight was truly shocking to the heart.

Shan Wanjing’s face turned pale as paper. Although she had witnessed the misery of refugees along the way, a catastrophe of this scale was still difficult for her to accept.

At this moment, the raging fire had gradually subsided, leaving only billowing black smoke and a few remaining houses still burning, resembling a realm of ghosts.

The two traversed the village, already speechless in each other's presence.

Arriving at the other end of the village, corpses were strewn haphazardly. Men and women, young and old, of all ages were present. Some had their heads chopped off, others were dismembered; the corpses of young women were exposed, their lower bodies stained with blood, and there were even the bodies of very young children.

Shan Wanjing was already terrified to the point of speechlessness, tears streaming down her face.

Zheng Jian watched, his gaze ice-cold.

Suddenly, Zheng Jian’s ears twitched. He heard the sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels moving away, carried on the wind, mingled with the sounds of weeping and shouting.

Zheng Jian said coldly, "Wanjing, chase them!"

Shan Wanjing was startled, but seeing that Zheng Jian had already drawn his sword and dashed forward, she dared not delay and hurriedly followed.

Passing through a grove of trees, upon the imperial road ahead, there were hundreds of soldiers who had cast away their armor and helmets, completely routed. Judging by their tattered and tilted banners, they were unmistakably regular soldiers of the Great Sui, though clearly a defeated army.

Following behind them was a line of mule carts laden with various supplies, moving very slowly. The weeping and shouting came precisely from these mule carts.

Just at that moment, a roar of wild laughter erupted from one of the mule carts, and immediately afterward, a naked woman was thrown down from the cart. Blood splattered in the air, and the woman landed on the ground without moving, promptly run over by the carts trailing behind, clearly dead long before.

A terrifying killing intent erupted from Zheng Jian's entire body. He was enraged to the extreme!

Although Zheng Jian was long accustomed to life and death, this was the first time he had ever witnessed such a tragic spectacle of defeated troops passing through and massacring a village!

Without a second word, Zheng Jian directly brandished his Tear-Stained Sword, leaped into the air, and hurtled toward the mule carts.

Shan Wanjing was likewise too furious to speak. Seeing Zheng Jian charge forward, she also leaped up to follow.

On the mule cart, a soldier who had just tortured a woman to death was boastfully showing off to the soldier beside him about how many women he had killed, when he suddenly noticed his companion's eyes wide open.

While the unnamed soldier was still bewildered, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then realized his head was actually flying into the air.

Looking downward, he abruptly saw a headless body violently collapsing...

At this moment, a volcanic eruption of fury raged within Zheng Jian's chest. Without uttering a word, holding his Tear-Stained Sword, he plunged into the midst of the routed troops and began a furious slaughter.

When an avalanche falls, not a single snowflake is innocent.

Not a single one of these defeated soldiers could be considered innocent.

Judging merely by the horrifying scene back in the village, it was obvious they were seasoned at this. Such human scum—whenever Zheng Jian laid eyes upon them, the only option was death!

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!

Shan Wanjing's eyes had also turned red by now. Snatching a saber from the hands of a defeated soldier, she charged and killed her way forward right behind Zheng Jian.

The two of them, one in front and one behind, unexpectedly possessed an unstoppable momentum like a bamboo split open!

By now, the commotion in the rear had also been noticed by the hundreds of soldiers in the front. They swarmed toward Zheng Jian and Shan Wanjing from all directions. The Sui general leading them saw there were only two people and began laughing maniacally as he commanded his subordinates to surround and slaughter them.

In a fraction of a second, Zheng Jian’s green robe was stained crimson with blood. His eyes were bloodshot from killing, and he no longer cared about anything else.

There was only a single objective: to slaughter every last one of these human scums!

The netherworld is empty, and the demons are walking the earth!

In just a short moment, dozens out of the hundreds of soldiers had already been slain by Zheng Jian!

However, Shan Wanjing was physically weak after all, and before long, she was surrounded by the chaotic mob, falling into perilous circumstances.

Seeing this, Zheng Jian let out a fierce roar, whipped out his finishing-blow axe, and charged toward Shan Wanjing. "Wanjing, come toward my side!"

From not far away, the Sui general caught sight of Shan Wanjing's appearance and burst into loud laughter. "Don't hurt that girl! I want her alive!"