Chapter 118

  The sun slowly sets, casting a fiery glow across the sky, like a goddess's colorful dress, with sleeves and ribbons fluttering, as ethereal as clouds. In the distance, the sea of flowers accompanies the gentle evening breeze, rustling softly, filling the air with fragrance, both near and far, all enveloped in a blanket of floral scent. The towers and pavilions shine like jade, their emerald light flashing, rising and falling in harmony, mutually reflecting each other's beauty, full of mystery and wonder. The artificial hills and flowing water, the layout of the courtyard, all reveal the beauty and splendor of this paradise on earth.

  The Fengming Palace was dismantled and transformed into the Fengming Platform, radiant with golden light under the illumination of lanterns. The pond outside the palace was covered with a huge iron plate, instantly turning it into a flat ground. People pushed forward a multitude of peculiarly shaped instruments, some as large as houses, others small like tables and chairs, with shapes that were bizarre and inexplicable, yet their purposes could not be discerned.

  Thousands of villagers gathered on the high platform, with heads crowded together, looking up at the sky. The giant bell and drum sounded in unison, playing a majestic and solemn melody, as birds flew overhead, cheering and chirping, flowers were scattered all over the Phoenix Platform, Tan Su Jing wore a snow-white long shirt, standing on the high platform, elegant and refined, extraordinary and otherworldly, like a fairy in a dream, with an ethereal and pure aura.

  A woman in a fiery red dress was about to hand over the golden key representing the authority of Penglai Fairy Valley to Miss Tan, when suddenly a loud shout rang out. Everyone turned their heads at once and looked towards the source of the sound.

  "Wait!"

  His clothes fluttered lightly, his wide sleeves slightly raised, a purple-robed man with long hair scattered, his face as white as jade, his eyes like silk, his lips like red tassels, a blue-green silk belt around his waist loosely tied his robe, revealing half of his chest, sitting cross-legged on the ground, his long hair hanging down to the ground, his right hand holding a wine jug made of celadon, he had just called out and then tilted his head back to take a big gulp of wine, his demeanor was elegant and unrestrained. Seeing everyone staring at him, he smiled lazily and said: "Miss, is this what it means to take over as the Lord of the Valley?"

  Miss Tan was taken aback, furrowed her brow and asked in puzzlement: "Yes, who are you? And why do you want to interrupt the memorial service?"

  The man in the purple robe burst out laughing, took another swig of wine and said: "I am Zhu Yunqing, Consul of Beigu's Machinery Department. I think it's not suitable for you to be the leader."

  A burst of angry murmurs suddenly arose, and before Miss Tan could speak, Mr. Mu, standing beside her, shouted loudly: "How dare you! You little consul, daring to spout nonsense at the Ministry's meeting, if you can't explain yourself clearly, don't think about leaving peacefully!"

  Qing Xia's eyebrows slightly furrowed as she heard the words. Logically, in such a situation, it would be best to directly expel him from the scene. However, Mu Xiansheng hastily responded, seemingly to defend Tang Miss, but actually giving this man an opportunity to speak. She raised her slender eyebrows and looked at Chu Zhen, who was sitting on one side of the high platform with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth and a calm expression, and couldn't help but worry about this kind-hearted Tang Miss.

  As soon as Mr. Mu's words fell, Miss Tan's beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed and turned to look at Mr. Mu.

  Mr. Mu's face turned red, and he bowed to Miss Tan, saying: "Please forgive me for taking the liberty, but this man is talking nonsense. If we don't let him finish speaking, it would seem that we are afraid of something. It's better to hear what he has to say, so as to show your noble character."

  Miss Tan slightly frowned and nodded, saying softly: "Alright, you tell me, why don't you obey me as the Lord of the Valley?"

  The man in the purple robe lazily raised his ink-black hair and slowly stood up from the ground, looking at Miss Tan and saying: "Firstly, I want to ask Mr. Lu, is it true that the master of Penglai Valley can only be inherited by the direct descendants of the valley's masters, and no one else can intervene?"

  An old man with a yellow beard stepped out from beside Miss Tan and said, "Sir, before Jianwu was established, there was a rule that the Tan family would inherit the position of Valley Master for generations to come. For thousands of years, whether Peng Lai Valley prospered or declined, this rule has never been disrupted. Why do you ask again?"

  "That's it!" Yu Qinglang laughed and said: "In that case, Miss taking over as the Valley Master is absolutely impossible."

  "Who is this rascal coming here and making such a racket?! Miss is the only bloodline of Old Master Gu, with the Tang family's learning flowing through her veins. Why can't she take over as the master of the valley? You dare to spout nonsense again, I won't spare you!"

  "Master Mu, don't be angry for now, I'm just worried. As a young lady with no brothers or sisters, who will take over as the head of the valley after a hundred years?"

  Mr. Mu said in a low voice: "Of course, it's up to Miss's descendants to take over, or are you going to lead the way?"

  As soon as the words fell, the crowd below burst into laughter. Zhuo Yuanqing was not annoyed, and still smiled and said: "That's natural, but I don't know, what is the surname of the young lady's child? Is it Tan? Is the blood flowing in her body that of the Tan family?"

  As soon as the words fell, the crowd suddenly became silent. Mr. Mu sank into thought for a moment and said in a low voice: "We had already thought of this point, but it was God's will that the old master only had one bloodline in his lifetime, and this is also an expedient measure."

  Yu Qing smiled and said, "That's to say, the next host of the valley won't be a member of the Tan family? The rules of the valley will be broken, and outsiders will have the opportunity to become the host in the future?"

  Although he had a smile on his face, his words were sharp and his tone was clever. As soon as he said this, the crowd fell silent, and only Mr. Mu thought for a moment before gritting his teeth and saying, "Exactly."

  "Haha!" Yu Qing suddenly burst out laughing, and with a swift motion, he jumped onto the high platform. Walking to the center of the stage with an air of leisure, he declared in a loud voice: "Since rules are bound to be broken sooner or later, why not break the old and establish new ones today? Since outsiders will eventually take over this valley anyway, what's the point of being so particular about today or tomorrow?"

  Tan Sheng, who was standing beside him, became enraged upon hearing this and shouted: "Fine! So you've been beating around the bush all along, wanting to lay your hands on one of the Valley Masters!"

  "Then what's wrong with that? In the Penglai Valley, there are seventeen surnames, and Tan is the most respected. Mu, Lu, Yao, Huang, Xie are above, while Lu, Song, Bai, Li, Zhang, Zhao, Xu, Liang, Sun, Ji, Zhu are below. Unfortunately, after thousands of years, the valley's population has dwindled to just one person, Miss. Even if we continue to pass it down, it will eventually be extinct. Why not revise the valley rules today and let those with virtue reside here? The Penglai Valley has over 2,000 people, thanks to the wise and unparalleled protection of our lord, mastering countless skills, crafts, firearms, and classics. If we use people improperly, the valley will fall into chaos, attracting outsiders' attention and destroying our ancestors' centuries-old foundation. What face would we have to meet our ancestors in the underworld?"

  As soon as the words were spoken, the four of them fell silent. Tan Sheng glared at them with anger and said: "You surnamed Zhu! Can't Miss take on the role of Gu Zhu, but you can?"

  Yu Qing smiled and said: "Good brother's eyesight, I was just thinking of this."

  Tan Sheng was furious and laughed, rushed forward, drew out the precious sword from his waist, and said in a deep voice: "Good, let me try your weight, see what you have the ability to boast here!"

  Yuanyu Qing dodged to the side, laughing loudly: "Wonderful! Wonderful! So Brother Tan also wants to come and fight for the position of Valley Master? Well, let's have a good exchange then."

  Tan Sheng glared at him with anger in his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I didn't want to fight for the position of Valley Master, I just wanted to teach you a lesson, you arrogant and self-important guy. Miss is the only blood relative of the old Valley Master, taking over as Valley Master is undisputed, if you know what's good for you, you'll retreat quietly, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless and hurting your lazy body."

  "Haha, I'm so foolish, Brother Tan naturally wouldn't care about this Valley Master position, you must be wanting to become the old Valley Master instead!"

  "What nonsense are you talking about?"

  Yu Qing smiled and said, "Old Master Gu was childless in his old age, so to prevent the family line from being cut off after a hundred years, he took you in as an adopted son of the Tan family and changed your name to Tan Sheng. The purpose was that in the future, when you marry Miss, the children born would still be surnamed Tan, and could continue to inherit the family business smoothly. Unfortunately, a wild chicken is always just a wild chicken, and can never become a phoenix. Moreover, whether or not Miss will follow Old Master Gu's orders and marry you is another matter altogether. Your calculations are a bit too hasty."

  "You!" Tan Sheng's eyes were bloodshot and nearly bursting, as if he was on the verge of madness.

  Yu Qing turned around and said loudly: "My fellow brothers, we have been living in this deep valley for over a thousand years, serving the Tan family as slaves, treated like oxen and horses. Now, outside is war-torn, people are displaced, and the wars between nations have lasted for over three hundred years. We possess the most advanced weapon technology of our time, with sufficient money and food. As long as we emerge from this valley, sell our goods, rally our troops, and buy horses, why worry that we won't achieve great things? In the future, everyone will be enfeoffed, become high-ranking officials, bring glory to our ancestors, and have a multitude of chariots! Why must we live in hiding, like a turtle with its head withdrawn, never having a chance to emerge?"

  His words were extremely provocative, and the young people in the valley all applauded with enthusiasm. The sound of applause was endless. Miss Tan's face turned pale, her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes looked at Chu Zheng in the corner with a frightened expression. However, she saw that Chu Zheng's expression was calm, and he just smiled slightly at himself before turning away.

  "What a load of nonsense!" Tan Sheng shouted: "The ancestors of Penglai came here to escape the war, and the master left behind the secret art of camp construction, also to let us have the ability to protect ourselves. Now that there are soldiers and knives outside, you actually want to go out of the valley and join the army? It's simply absurd!"

  "Brother Tan said it well, but this is one time and that was another. Our ancestors retreated from the world in turmoil because they had no weapons and no skills to stand on their own in a chaotic world. Now we have strong ice guns and various arts that are renowned throughout the world. We master the manufacture of gunpowder, which can resist thousands of troops and horses. A great man born into this world has things he must do and things he will not do. The heavenly mandate has given me a great responsibility, which is to break with the old and establish the new, unite the four directions, and stop the war. Now that the time, place, people, and harmony are all on our side, I would rather die as a heroic outlaw in a chaotic world than live as a mediocre mouse who sits in a well and looks at the sky with short-sighted eyes!"

  "Ousi Saintess, as the ceremonial officer of this term, you are well aware of the situation outside and should know that what I am about to say is not empty words."

  A charming woman in a red cloak smiled faintly and said, "As Lord Zhuo said, today the world is divided into four parts, with countless small countries, and all sides are in turmoil. The internal affairs of each country are chaotic, it's a great opportunity to officially start. Each department leader has dominated one side, only the Gong Department has been guarding its own territory, respecting Mr.'s legacy, and staying in this Penglai Valley."

  "Earlier, I received a flying letter from the head of the Cui family of Qian Department. It seems that all parties are eager to make their move and plot something big."

  Everyone heard this and responded with a loud cheer, their voices growing louder and louder as they became more and more agitated.

  Yu Qinglang said in a clear voice: "We are not immortals from Penglai Mountain, nor are we immortals. Must we really stay hidden in this crack waiting for the day of ascension? Now that we have mastered gunpowder technology, as long as Miss opens up the Construction Bureau and hands over the construction secrets, when the time comes, even if the world is vast, we will be invincible like a broken bamboo, and if the world is all a happy land, why must we be confined to this tiny piece of land?"

  Tan Sheng saw the young people under the stage excited, several parents also nodded frequently. He thought of what they had done today on their own initiative, and it seemed like they had discussed it beforehand, one after another, forming this situation. He was so angry that he was about to retort, when his wrist was suddenly grabbed by someone.

  Miss Tan's expression was calm and serene, she took two slow steps forward and said in a low voice: "It is not that I covet the position of Valley Master, but rather it is the will of our ancestors from years past. Unless Mr. Qian summons us, we will never leave the valley. Now that a thousand years have passed, Mr. Qian has long since passed away, and the outside world is in chaos, we should even more follow the will of our ancestors and live in the valley, not participating in external affairs. The objects controlled by the valley, no matter what kind, if they were to be leaked out, would cause great death and war. The Qian Department and other departments are hidden in the city, unable to escape. Our Gong Department has lived in the valley for generations, it is indeed not suitable to call it a chaotic world."

  "Not so, not so!" Zhu Yuanqing laughed and said: "For anything that exists in the world, there must be a reason and a way. Since we have created this thing, we should let it spread throughout the world. Otherwise, what is the meaning of our hard work and experimentation? Moreover, with wars and chaos frequenting the world, my going out is only to plant the seeds of war as soon as possible, to pacify the world, and to risk my life in water and fire, which is a good deed."

  Tan Sheng was furious and sarcastically said: "You think you can? You have never taken a step out of the valley, just sitting in a well watching the sky and thinking you can recruit soldiers and horses, command the world?"

  "Of course not relying on me." Zhuo Yuanqing suddenly said seriously: "Our children in the valley have been living in the valley for thousands of years, and we have no understanding of external worldly affairs or national situations. Without foundation or basis, wanting to dominate the world is simply a joke."

  Tan Sheng let out a cold snort and said: "You still have some self-awareness, in that case, get lost!"

  "Wait a minute," said Yu Qing with a smile, "I haven't finished yet."

  At this, Zhuo Qing suddenly turned around and said loudly: "The time is chaotic, the people are suffering, you are a great talent at that time, with a heart for the world, and you must be unable to bear the loneliness of the people in the nine springs below. Otherwise, how could this divine land have coincidentally given birth to such a talented person as Chu Gongzi? Chu Gongzi, as the crown prince of Southern Chu, is kind and gentle, but was plotted against by a certain villain and lost his position. The people of Southern Chu are now suffering under the cruel rule of the violent king, eagerly awaiting the return of Chu Gongzi to their hometown, to overthrow the violent government. This is an opportunity given to us by heaven. Now that the violent king has set foot in the valley, he will definitely die in the belly of a fierce beast outside the valley within half a day. As long as we follow Chu Gongzi and return to the mainland with him, raise the flag of righteousness, why worry that great things cannot be accomplished?

  Having said that, he suddenly turned around and bowed his head to Chu Zhuang, saying loudly: "Zhù Mǒu is not talented, willing to follow the young master, in front of the saddle and behind the horse, willing to be driven."

  Everyone was stunned and looked at Chu Zhuang together, only to see his calm face, noble and dignified, with a sacred and inviolable imperial aura.

  The people of Penglai Valley have been in the valley for thousands of years. The younger generation is proud and has long wanted to leave the valley to gain experience and show off their skills, but they have had no opportunity. Now that Zhuo Yuanchen has spoken, they are excited and immediately kneel down, saying loudly: "We are willing to follow you, Master, and be at your beck and call!"

  Chu Zheng hadn't spoken yet, but Mr. Mu had already let out a long sigh and said in a low voice: "The people's hopes are all pinned on him, it seems that this is the will of heaven." After saying this, he gave a signal to the other elderly men with his eyes, then knelt down on the ground.

  In an instant, the thousands of people in the arena, except for Miss Tan's few guards, all knelt at Chu Zheng's feet. Chu Zheng smiled faintly, as if it had nothing to do with her, and said lightly: "What are you all doing? I'm just an outsider, I don't dare to accept such high hopes."

  "No," Zhu Yuanqing said, "If my sister can take Miss's place and become the master of the valley, why can't you take our place? The world is like this, those with virtue will occupy it. With your talent, you should be the one to take the position."

  "Sir, don't decline," Mr. Mu said in a low voice. "Your words have awakened someone from their dream. Heaven's will has brought you here for this very purpose today. I believe even the young lady wouldn't object."

  Ou Si Sheng Nu said with a smile: "I observed the celestial phenomena last night and saw a new star shining brightly in the south, I thought it was another extraordinary person emerging from the south, but unexpectedly it corresponds to today's situation."

  Miss Tan's personality is cold, but she's not stupid. Seeing the people around her pushing Chu Zhuang to the position of Valley Master, isolated and helpless, alone and unaided, with no one asking about her, she suddenly understood. A thread of sorrow slowly rose in her heart, her bright eyes misty, staring straight at the man who had been by her side for two years, feeling that his calm and handsome face was so unfamiliar. Two years together, yet she had never really known him. Suddenly, the world seemed vast, she felt alone, with no one to rely on.

  "Since public opinion is like this, then please hand over the key and the secret of the camp to the trusted valley owner."

  Miss Tan stared blankly at Chu Zheng, silent and not uttering a word. Chu Zheng saw this, smiled and stood up, softly saying: "Su Jing, are you unhappy? If you're unhappy, I won't be the valley master, I'll leave tomorrow."

  Miss Tan, dressed in white, shook her head slightly and said faintly: "Actually, if you want this valley master position, just tell me, I'll give it to you, no need to go around in such a big circle."

  Chu Zheng did not expect that this woman, who was usually gentle and mild-mannered, would suddenly say something like that. He was taken aback for a moment, and awkwardly said: "I didn't think of becoming the master of the valley, it's just that I couldn't refuse your kindness..."

  "Never mind, don't say anything more." Miss Tan waved her hand and said to the crowd below in a low voice: "You want me to give up my position as Valley Master, I have nothing to say. But if you want me to hand over the secret art of camp construction, hand over the key to the Camp Construction Department, hand over the gunpowder formula, it is absolutely impossible. Although I have never left the valley and do not understand external affairs, I also know that once this thing is released, it will cause chaos and harm many lives. You can discuss slowly, I'll leave first."

  Having said that, he turned around and was about to leave.

  "Hold on! Zhuo Yuanqing suddenly blocked Miss Tan's path, her eyes deep and solemn, saying in a low voice: 'The people's will is like this, the crowd's expectation is to return, Miss has already tacitly agreed, why must you cling to the treasure and not let go? The emperor takes turns, today it's my family's turn, the Tan family has enjoyed the benefits for so many years, today it's also time to yield a bit.'"

  Tan Sheng's eyebrows rose, and with a sudden movement, he drew out his treasured sword, flashing forward, and angrily shouted: "You surnamed Zhu, what are you saying! If it weren't for the ancestors of the Tan family, your ancestors would have been beheaded a thousand years ago, how could you have reached this day to make a racket here! Now that Old Master Gu is not around, do you want to lose all sense of decency and bully Miss here?

  "Tang Sheng brothers, why make such a big fuss? I just think that since it's already been confirmed to establish Chu Gongzi as the valley master, we should naturally hand over the important ten Wu in the valley to the new valley master for safekeeping, that's all."

  As soon as the words fell, the crowd below suddenly shouted in a mess: "What Zuo Lingshu said is right! It should be handed over to Xin Gu's master!" "Yes, it's not worthy of being the valley master anymore, what's the point of occupying the secret art?" "If the name is not correct, then the words are smooth, Tan's family should also give way a bit!"

  Tan Sheng's eyebrows were tightly locked, and he turned his head to look at the family heads. Mr. Mu looked slightly embarrassed, cleared his throat, and said in a low voice: "I also think that Zhu Ling's words are reasonable."

  Miss Tan stood still, her eyes scanning the faces of the elderly men, only to see them all looking embarrassed, not even daring to lift their heads to meet her gaze. Suddenly, the crowd below Fengming Pavilion knelt down and shouted in unison: "Please, Miss, hand over the treasure and let the new Lord of the Valley take care of it!"

  The news spread like wildfire, and Miss Tan's face turned pale, her eyes as black as ink, shining brightly towards Chu Zhuang.

  Tan Sheng turned his head and said to Chu Zheng: "Chu Gongzi, the old master and the young lady have all treated you with great kindness. You must speak up! We can't let them bully the young lady like this!"

  Chu Zhen's eyebrows slightly furrowed as she walked slowly towards Miss Tan, seemingly hesitant. After a moment of thought, she said: "Su Jing, I know you're unwilling. But today everyone is being so supportive, it's really hard to refuse their kindness. How about this? You hand the thing over to me first, and after discussing with everyone later, I'll return it to you for safekeeping. What do you think?"

  Tan Sheng's face turned red with rage, and he shouted in a stern voice: "You surname Chu! I've long known you're not up to any good. On that day, the old master of the valley sacrificed his life to save yours, and for two years, Miss has taken care of you meticulously. The entire Penglai Valley has treated you with courtesy, yet it's nurtured a shameless ingrate like you!"

  "Dare!" Zhuo Yuanqing shouted angrily, saying in a deep voice: "How dare you be disrespectful to the new Lord of Xingyue! Are you trying to go to Wan Su Cave?"

  Several robust men with broad shoulders and strong waists stepped forward, Miss Tan's eyebrows furrowed, her slender hand gestured to block Tang Sheng in front of him, saying in a deep voice: "Halt! As long as I haven't handed over the secret manual, I'm still the master of this valley. I'd like to see who has the guts!"

  Miss Tan was gentle and unassuming, but after all, she had been in a high position for a long time, and her prestige still lingered. This outburst of anger was also full of momentum, and the crowd below did not dare to make another move.

  Miss Tan slowly took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "The Secret Art of Dan Shu, the formula book, only half is in my hands, the other half is with Qing Shu in the Crafts Department, I still need to discuss it with him."

  "No need to discuss it anymore!" Zhuo Yuanqing burst out laughing and pointed at someone below, saying loudly: "All 800 craftsmen from the Craftsman Department agree that Qing Shu is now down there."

  Miss Tan was shocked to hear that, the eight hundred workers had always lived in the inner valley and rarely interacted with outsiders. The servants of the Ke family were loyal and devoted for generations, she couldn't believe that they would also appear here today, and her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

  "Sorry, miss," said the thin and hunched old man slowly: "I, I really just want to see what use those things have outside. I'm not greedy for wealth and glory, as long as you let me take a look, even if I die, I can close my eyes in peace."

  Miss Tan painfully closed her eyes tightly and turned her head to one side, her body trembling slightly.

  Yu Qing's face turned stern as he said, "Miss, please hand over the secret formula!"

  "Please hand over the secret formula, miss!"

  Everyone shouted in unison, Miss Tan's eyes widened in horror, her eye sockets turned red. Tan Sheng saw this and became furious, suddenly letting out a loud roar, wielding his treasured sword and charging towards Zhu Yuanqing. Who would have thought that the seemingly lazy and carefree Zhu Yuanqing would suddenly burst into laughter, with a wave of his sleeve, a flash of silver light, and a trail of blood shot up into the sky. Tan Sheng's body continued to charge forward, all the way to the edge of the stage, before crashing down with a loud thud, his body twitching twice, his throat stained with blood, his eyes wide open in shock, before finally collapsing to the ground, dead.

  "Tan Sheng!" Miss Tan suddenly shrieked and rushed down from the stage.

  But then Zhu Yuanqing suddenly raised his hand and grasped Miss Tan's sleeve, laughing as he said: "Miss is leaving? Then please hand over the secret formula first, and you can leave safely afterwards."

  "Tan Sheng!" Miss Tan burst into tears, wailing and struggling, but unfortunately these people were all as still as stones, their eyes fixed on her like ferocious wolves, as if they had all gone mad. Looking at Tan Sheng's body, Miss Tan, who was experiencing a huge change for the first time, finally sat down on the ground with a thud, covering her face with her hands and bursting into tears.

  "Bring up that captured Southern Chu officer, today we'll use him to sacrifice to our Peng Lai banner. From now on, I swear to follow Young Master to the death and never betray my oath!"

  A loud shout thundered, Miss Tan's whole body trembled, a pair of tearful eyes looked at the one she had fantasized about too many times in her life, and her heart was almost shattered.

  Chu Zheng smiled faintly and stood up, saying loudly: "Thanks to the kindness of all of you, Chu will not forget the kindness of each of you. When he ascends to the throne, he will share this world with all of you! Penglai is out, who can compete with him!"

  "Penglai emerges, who can rival its splendor!"

  In the midst of a thunderous roar, a man in green clothes was suddenly thrown onto the high platform, his black cloth mask ripped off. Lin Mu Bai abruptly shouted at Chu Zhuang: "Ungrateful and disloyal! Treacherous minister and traitorous son! The million-strong elite army of Southern Chu is waiting with bated breath to take your head as an offering to the spirit of our deceased emperor!"

  Chu Zheng smiled and said: "You'd better go to the underworld and meet your ancestors, soon he will also go find you."

  The executioner raised his long knife at the same time, suspended high above Lin Mubai's head. The stiff neck rose in a sour and hard manner, looking disdainfully at Chu Zheng. He didn't even close his eyes, gritting his teeth and shouting: "Let me wait with my eyes open, see how you will end up!"

  Chu Zheng coldly laughed and said in a deep voice: "Behead!"

  A sharp blade flashed down instantly! In the blink of an eye, a white light suddenly shot out from the crowd, piercing through layers of people, and with a "whoosh" sound, it chopped down on the arm of that axe-wielding man.

  A shrill cry suddenly rang out, the long knife fell to the ground, only an inch away from Lin Mubai's neck, and a bloody severed hand dropped, splashing a large piece of blood!

  "Ah!" The big man held his severed hand, lay on the ground and let out a loud, mournful cry, his voice piercing, like a ghost wailing. Everyone was shocked, these people had lived in comfortable environments for too long, when had they ever seen such a bloody scene? Each person's face turned pale, without any blood color.

  "With just this bit of ability, you still want to go on the battlefield and kill enemies, achieve merits and establish achievements? It's simply a toad wanting to eat swan meat, a wild and fanciful idea!"

  A clear and cold voice like snow suddenly rang out, everyone was stunned, and they all turned their heads to look in the direction of the sound.

  In the midst of a dense crowd, a petite woman with a beautiful face and clear eyes stood out, wearing black clothes. A hint of arrogant mockery and cold smile played on her lips as she gazed at the people around her.