Chapter 307 - 283 Settlement, Part 1

"..." Zhang Rongfang’s expression froze. "So they are still two female generals..."

"Sir, there’s no need to treat us as women. Since we were ten, we’ve undergone the Ritual of Severing Yin." Qiu Rushuang replied.

The Ritual of Severing Yin...

Zhang Rongfang had read about it in a book. It is a medicinal process that artificially stops a woman’s menstruation.

By preventing the monthly loss of blood, it certainly eliminates the weakness women experience each month.

But it also results in permanent loss of reproductive ability.

"Is the lord feeling sorry for us?" Xia Lian’Er chuckled. "Actually, we are quite satisfied with this. Our family has other siblings to carry on the family line. We can serve the purpose of guarding security, which is already very good."

"How... old are you?" Zhang Rongfang opened his mouth, changing his intended words.

"I’m fifteen, and Sister Shuang is sixteen," Xia Lian’Er replied. "If it weren’t for General Shangguan saving us back then, we probably wouldn’t have lived this long."

Only fifteen and sixteen...

Zhang Rongfang suddenly felt a strange sensation in his heart, not knowing what to say.

Hearing Xia Lian’Er’s words.

So, that fierce-looking Shangguan Lianyue has a bit of kindness in her?

"You are all good kids..." He paused in silence and managed to say something.

"...."

"..."

These two probably hadn’t been praised like this before. For a moment, they didn’t know how to respond.

Boom!!

Just then, a broken blade flew out horizontally, passing over their heads.

"Dog official! Meet your fate!!!"

Qin Xianghong charged forward, holding two soldiers’ corpses in front of her, slashing at Zhang Rongfang with a knife.

"How bold!!"

Xia Lian’Er and Qiu Rushuang simultaneously raised their shields.

Two black tower shields, each one and a half meters tall and one meter wide, were neatly positioned in front of Zhang Rongfang.

Clang!!

The knife clashed with the shields.

The immense impact sent both of them sprawling, unable to rise again.

Qin Xianghong’s face was covered in blood, with a huge gash on her neck where silver lines flowed, clearly gravely injured.

But her expression was ferocious, not caring at all, still slashing at Zhang Rongfang with her knife.

Crossbow arrows rained down, and bullets from gunpowder weapons pelted the armored corpses in front of her, all blocked.

Swish!

The knife light cut through the gap between the corpses, like lightning, striking down towards Zhang Rongfang’s forehead.

Zhang Rongfang’s eyes were indifferent, his right arm gathering strength, ready to block at any moment.

But once he blocked this attack, his concealed strength would inevitably be exposed.

It was widely believed that he only had the power of a Super Grade External Medicine, which would soon be broken without anyone attacking it.

A mere External Medicine could never block an all-out strike from a Three Emptiness Spiritual Veins.

Furthermore, with both being Three Emptiness Spiritual Veins, how could Shangguan Lianyue not be able to block it?

Zhang Rongfang’s mind raced, his pupils fixed on the approaching knife light.

The knife light came closer, and closer...

Thunk!

Then, abruptly stopped, suspended in midair.

Qin Xianghong looked shocked, not having time to react before feeling a pain in the back of her neck.

A large black shadow leaped past her from behind, grabbing her by the neck and dragging her away, knife and all.

Whoosh.

The large black shadow, along with Qin Xianghong, shot toward the distance like a cannonball, disappearing into the forest in the blink of an eye.

Amidst the gasps of surprise around them.

Zhang Rongfang gazed towards the direction the two disappeared, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Others couldn’t see clearly in the night.

But he was different.

In the dim light vision of the earlier scene, he clearly saw that the person who took away the attacker had a silhouette and appearance very similar to the Sect Leader of the Thousand Stone Sect, Zuo Han.

"Such speed... such power...."

He was certain that whether it was Zuo Han or that crazy woman just now, both their speed and strength exceeded his current level.

Especially Zuo Han, who far surpassed it.

He was already at the genetic limit of the human body. The only ones who could surpass him were likely the Divine Martial Artists...

After a Divine Blessing, the human body receives a substantial boost.

People with average talent become able to match those with top talent.

And those with top talent would likely break through limits, reaching a level unimaginable for humans.

Sometimes, Zhang Rongfang wondered on what basis the Imperial Tutor of the Eastern Sect, Damir, managed to maintain his position as the number one expert under the heavens.

After all, if not Blessed by the Divine, relying solely on the human body, he couldn’t imagine how to contend with a Divine Martial Artist.

"My lord... this subordinate has failed to protect properly, please punish!" Shangguan Lianyue, now holding a short knife and covered in blood, kneeled on one knee, asking for forgiveness.

In the darkness, Zhang Rongfang looked down at him.

Both were Three Emptiness Spiritual Veins, and this person only returned after that woman had made a move.

This distance, with their reaction speed and body technique, could be covered in the blink of an eye.....

And from the attack to when that woman was taken away, at least three seconds had passed.

Thus, this person’s intentions were... clear as day.

"Lord Shangguan fought bravely to kill the enemy, what fault is there? It’s just that the enemy was too cunning and powerful. Otherwise, with your abilities, such mistakes wouldn’t have occurred."

Zhang Rongfang suppressed his thoughts, showing a hint of a smile as he replied.

As for whether these words were true, only he knew.

"Thank you for your lordship’s understanding. Fortunately, nothing happened to you; otherwise, this subordinate truly wouldn’t know what to do," Shangguan Lianyue said with ’fear’.

"Luckily, at the crucial moment, a righteous hero stepped in to save the day, otherwise...sigh," Zhang Rongfang lamented.

Since it was clear that Shangguan Lianyue had his own agendas, he naturally wouldn’t truly believe him.

"It’s just that the escaping bandits need to be dealt with, and I’ll have to trouble you, Lord Shangguan,"

"Don’t worry about that, Daoist!" Shangguan Lianyue declared resolutely, "I will personally oversee this matter!"

"Thanks a lot, Lord Shangguan," Zhang Rongfang replied warmly.

If it weren’t for Zhang Yunqi and Uncle Zhang bringing experts from the Rebel Sect to intercept nearby, he would be worried that the group from the Thousand Teachings Alliance might escape.

Now it seems that the Thousand Stone Sect has shown sincerity, with Zuo Han personally taking action to capture the Three Emptiness Spiritual Veins.

It looks like I’ll have to properly thank the Thousand Stone Sect later...

Listening to the distant sporadic cries of agony, he suddenly felt a bit weary.

Originally, he thought he might need to act himself, but now it seems...

"Feeling a bit tired, I’ll leave this place to you, General, and return to the Dao Palace to rest,"

"Rest assured, My Lord, I will not fail you!" Shangguan Lianyue spoke loudly.

Zhang Rongfang squinted at him and refrained from responding, turning to leave with several internal officers guarding the sect.

This was the first time he wielded his current power and prestige to suppress others.

From start to finish, after confirming the target, the elite force of the Thousand Teachings Alliance under the Three Emptiness Spiritual Veins didn’t even force him to act, and they were utterly defeated.

In other words, even if he did not go out to investigate but stayed securely within the Agarwood Palace, no one could do anything to him.

Even if he didn’t possess martial arts and only had the cultivation of literature, he could ensure his safety.

*

*

*

Bang!!

The dense spiritual lines exploded, sweeping across the wooded area within a radius of dozens of meters.

Countless spiritual lines pierced and swung madly, like slender silver worms, slicing through the air, emitting sharp whistles.

"Meaningless."

Within the range of the spiritual line attack stood a tall and burly figure, as motionless as a rock.

The skin on his body also displayed a faint silver hue.

A large number of silver threads gathered under his skin, precisely blocking the incoming silver lines.

The figure’s face was grotesque, scarred with burn marks. His head was smooth with no hair.

It was precisely Zuo Han from the Thousand Stone Sect, who had just left Zhang Rongfang’s location after capturing someone.

"Using these methods that aim at ordinary people on me is simply laughable."

Boom!!!

The ground exploded with dirt and stone fragments.

Zuo Han extended his right arm, breaking through the dancing spiritual lines, reaching straight for the corpse of Qin Xianghong in the center.

Countless spiritual lines tried to stab into his hand, but it was useless.

He himself had a large number of silver spiritual lines under his skin facing them.

The two forces clashed continuously, emitting crisp metallic noises.

Swish.

At that moment, all silver lines suddenly retracted, converging and burrowing into Qin Xianghong’s body at the center.

Her entire body inflated like being puffed up. Her skin turned red, veins bulged, the corners of her eyes cracked, and her once black pupils had a faint silver flow.

"Kill!!!"

She roared wildly, gripping a knife with both hands.

The single-edged heavy knife turned into a phantom in the night, slicing a crescent-like slash.

Strangely, the knife shadow was still violently trembling in mid-air as if filled with some special force.

"An overlap of Extreme State and Limit-Breaking Skill?"

"Stone Pool," Zuo Han raised his hand; his right arm’s muscles suddenly swelled, compressed, and then he pinched downward with five fingers.

Pop!!

The knife shadow seemed to flutter into his palm automatically and was clamped tightly by great force.

Qin Xianghong’s muscles surged and trembled, with the ground behind her being constantly dug by her feet.

She put all her strength into the knife to deliver this strike.

But.....

"Sensing Sect!!? Why are you involving yourself in the matters of the Thousand Teachings Alliance!!?" At this point, she could tell the opponent’s tactic and shouted angrily.

"Why?" Zuo Han’s five fingers shuddered; a tremendous twisting force flung the single-edged knife away, embedding it firmly in a tree trunk.

"I have no obligation to explain to you. If the Demon Hawk had come personally, I might have held some apprehension. But as for someone like you...."

Zuo Han’s figure suddenly lunged forward, reaching towards his opponent’s neck, but Qin Xianghong blocked it with her palm.

"Reverse Flow!"

Zuo Han’s upper body muscles swiftly swelled, releasing enormous force. With a crack, he forcibly snapped her arm and continued pushing.

Then he pressed down on Qin Xianghong’s face, smashing downward.

Boom!!

The ground shook.

Qin Xianghong was held by her head, dragged along the ground, creating a trench-like mark.

Zuo Han continued with each step, not fast, but each step seemed to shake the ground like a heavy beast, advancing towards the target.

Pressing down on Qin Xianghong, he finally rammed hard into the base of a large tree.

Boom!

The tree trunk vibrated, recessed, cracked, and dropped a large number of branches and leaves.

Everything gradually returned to calm.

Zuo Han slowly released his hand. He never looked at Qin Xianghong on the ground again, turning away.

Qin Xianghong’s body, by that time, had somehow dried and withered, resembling a dried corpse long deprived of water, hollow inside.

It seemed to lack internal organs and a large amount of flesh and blood.

That was the state a deified Martial Artist reached after completely losing the spiritual lines.