Book 4: Chapter 26: The Girl We Both Chased After
The merchant-like Internal Affairs Sector high official’s clothes were completely drenched in cold sweat.
Only now did he completely understand what was happening. Respected Cangyue wanted to get rid of Nanshan Mu, Nanshan Mu also found out about this ahead of time. Meanwhile, he himself just happened to have arrived in Shuren City at this time. Nanshan Mu just happened to have jumped over this wall, something he wanted to do decades ago, ultimately dragging him into this storm.
Everyone momentarily forgot about him.
“You know too much, and you were never someone who could truly be considered a general.” Ghost Advisor said while looking at Nanshan Mu, his gaze calm and cold. As the sky darkened, the scar on his face became a bit pale, making him really look like a malicious spirit.
Nanshan Mu released a bitter laugh, saying, “Even though this reply is shameless, it is indeed quite true, matching the respected general’s way of doing this. However, what you know might perhaps be more than me, are you not scared that you might meet a similar end as me in the future?”
Ghost Advisor gave Nanshan Mu a look, the expression on his face a bit strange, like a smile, yet not a smile. With a bit of overcast feeling, he said, “General Nanshan, there is no need for you to try to plant something within my mind. I’ve saved the respected general’s life, and I am different from you, my glory will always be in the respected general’s achievements. The higher his achievements, the greater my own value will appear. He is like a great mountain that I piled up with everything I have… Also, the respected general has ambition, but he isn’t mistrustful. He also understands me extremely well.”
Nanshan Mu shook his head with a sigh, saying, “You and the respected general really are a perfect match.”
Ghost Advisor said, “Since you already knew about this, by not running, that is the same as helping the respected general with his aims, wishing to pass on peacefully?”
Nanshan Mu said, “With the respected general’s methods, even if I want to run, where would I be able to go?”
Ghost Advisor remained silent for a moment, He looked at Nanshan Mu and said, “Since general doesn’t wish for there to be too many matters… I can also let you depart a bit more honorably.”
He turned around to give the merchant whose silver clothes were completely drenched in sweat a look. “In addition, for the sake of expressing my thanks to the general, I can help general complete a long-cherished wish, have General Manager Luo accompany General Nanshan on his way.”
Nanshan Mu revealed a smile free of worry, giving Ghost Advisor a bow of respect, saying, “I must thank you for this matter.”
“This is a matter between you all, why do I have to be involved?” The merchant already understood that Ghost Advisor didn’t wish for him to leave this place alive. However, he who understood the terrors of Ghost Advisor and Respected Cangyue didn’t dare reveal the slightest bit of anger, instead saying with a pleading voice, “Advisor Liu, you should also understand that even if I did commit a capital offense, the military still has no authority to punish me, that I have to be escorted to the Judicial Sector’s Heaven’s Peak Court to establish a final verdict. If I die here, it will be difficult for you all to get away from these crimes.”
Ghost Advisor narrowed his eyes, his eyes shifting to the red maple tree in this courtyard, still not replying.
Nanshan Mu pulled back his sleeves a bit. He took a deep breath, actually speaking with a bit of pitying tone. “Have you forgotten that my official rank is higher than yours… I believe you should also understand that in certain situations, the military doesn’t need to report to the Judicial Sector, able to directly cut down criminals.”
“Rebellious soldiers…” The merchant’s eyes suddenly went completely wide, unable to hold back a cry of alarm, taking a step back.
“You all… for the sake of dealing with him, you all actually dare purposely falsify mutiny?!” After taking a step back, as if he was still in disbelief, he reached out a fat white shaking finger, screaming while pointing at Ghost Advisor.
“For the respected general, one achievement results in the remains of ten thousand. How much can so few lives amount to?” When he saw his current appearance, a bit of a pleased expression appeared in Nanshan Mu’s eyes. “The fact that they still came even after I jumped into this courtyard proves that they really don’t care just how great the disturbance becomes this time. Letting you get caught up in it, for them, might make the results even better.”
“Luo Li.” While looking at this merchant whose silver robes became even more drenched in sweat, a bleak and chilly expression appeared on Nanshan Mu’s face. “What you said is indeed correct. Back then, the reason why I didn’t jump over the wall was because my cultivation and strength weren’t necessarily higher than yours… However, after all these years passed, I want to see if you’ve slacked off at all with your cultivation.”
“You… Nanshan Mu, you are too malicious!” When he thought about how Nanshan Mu easily dragged him into this affair by jumping over this wall, about how he enjoyed a high position and great wealth in this city, as well as his several wives and their children, the merchant finally couldn’t control his emotions anymore, starting to scream out hysterically.
“I am malicious?”
Nanshan Mu took a deep breath, a flame that hadn’t burned for a long time igniting from the depths of his heart. He thought about that girl who had two beautiful dimples when she smiled, but told him that she liked someone else that night. However, this person she liked, for the sake of brighter prospects, purposely allowed an influential official to encounter this girl, ultimately causing this pretty flower to perish.
The night he learned about some of the truth, he stood outside this deep alley courtyard, but couldn’t jump over this wall in the end.
After all these years passed, his cultivation and official rank reached higher and higher, but the other side’s official rank and supporters also became greater and greater… However, today, he could finally deal with this matter that had always tugged at his heart, but he was never able to complete out of fear of involving too many people.
This was perhaps a type of mysterious retribution of karma.
A rather cruel smile began to spread across his face. He looked at the merchant who already seemed to have lost his mind, saying quietly, “Luo Li, back then, did you think the one she liked was me? … Has she ever told you that the one she liked, was actually you?”
“What did you say?!” Luo Li’s entire body shook. He took another step back, his originally pale face immediately becoming even more pale.
“It seems like you really didn’t know.” Nanshan Mu looked at Luo Li with a cold smile, saying, “The one she always liked was you… that is why when she found out the truth, she definitely suffered even more. Meanwhile now, it is precisely the time for you to repay this type of suffering.”
“Impossible… she was clearly always with you… how is this possible?!”
Luo Li screamed out, completely losing his mind.
“Ahhhhh!!” He finally went crazy, screaming out. His hands were like tiger claws, clawing towards Nanshan Mu.
…
The wind in the courtyard immediately became scattered and chaotic.
The air between Luo Li’s ten fingers was instantly crushed, forming visible rapid streams of air and shrill noises.
This Internal Affairs Sector high official who looked like a wealthy merchant, was actually one of this world’s rarely seen powerful cultivators!
Nanshan Mu’s fist smashed out.
His decades of hatred, decades of bitterness and resentment, were concentrated in this fist.
A crazy gale immediately took form in front of his fist, blasting the red maple tree behind Luo Li to the point of instantly stripping it of its leaves, scattering them into the air.
Pa!
A fist encountered a claw, easily smashing through the claw’s tremendous aura and power.
Luo Li’s eyes instantly widened; in his eyes, Nanshan Mu’s fist gradually became larger and larger. His left hand immediately shrunk back, grabbing this fist, but still couldn’t stop its advance.
Bang!
This fist crushed down on his hands, all the way until it reached his face.
One fist, together with the backs of two hands, smashed into his face.
This side of Luo Li’s fattened face immediately caved in. Following a miserable cry, a mouthful of blood mixed with snow-white teeth spurted out.
This was a liberating and uninhibited fist.
“This fist, was for A’yue.”
Nanshan Mu drew back his right fist, but his left fist already smashed outwards. “This fist is from me.”
Ahhhhh!!
However, his fist didn’t actually hit Luo Li. The instant a mouthful of blood and teeth flew out, he already completely lacked the spirit to fight Nanshan Mu.
This fist shattered his hysteria, and it also completely shattered his ability to reason.
All of his strength was concentrated on his legs. The rock tiles below his feet were all crushed into powder, his entire figure shooting backwards, going beyond the tall courtyard walls, wishing to escape.
Ghost Advisor reached out a hand, and then clenched it into a fist.
The sky outside the courtyard immediately became black.
Several dozen arrows and black spears shot out with astonishing power, all of them smashing into Luo Li’s body.
…
Luo Li’s body released dazzling yellow light, the tremendous soul force even making all of the surrounding air become a bit sticky.
However, these arrows and black spears all rigidly rammed into his body, some even piercing into his body.
Several streaks of terrifying green blade radiance slashed out from behind the wall, hacking down on his body.
Pu!
The hands he reached out to defend himself with were chopped off at the elbows, blood spurting out from his mouth once more.
Another expanse of black enveloped him.
Blood gushed out like a spring from many areas of his body, his hedgehog-like body landed on the ground.
Luo Li’s eyes were completely round as they looked into the sky, lacking the slightest trace of vitality. Blood was still dripping from his mouth. Arrows pierced through his cheeks and forehead, this scene rather sinister.
A cultivator of his level was already rarely seen in this world… In reality, even ordinary cultivators were uncommon. However, because of the will of the awe inspiring respected great general, who knew just how many cultivators now surrounded this small courtyard. Before the power the respected great general grasped, this powerful cultivator was completely powerless to retaliate, instantly becoming a corpse that was gradually becoming ice-cold.
Nanshan Mu’s fist was extended into the air… this fist that was for himself, in the end, didn’t land on Luo Li’s face. However, the other party’s miserable death instead gradually dispersed the resentment winded about his heart all these years.
He retracted his fist, closing his eyes. He thought about that girl’s face, her two beautiful dimples when she smiled, thought about the many things he experienced in this life… He quietly closed his eyes and waited for death.
One of the Sky Wolf Guards behind him moved, preparing to end this general’s life.
However, right at this time, a wave of thick bloodiness quickly spread inwards from outside the courtyard.
The back of Ghost Advisor’s hand became a bit wet, it was as if it was raining. However, when he lowered his hand, he saw that what landed on the back of his hand was a fine drop of blood, a drop that was a bit sticky.
“Nanshan Mu, do you understand what you are doing?” His brows furrowed deeply, saying this extremely coldly.
Nanshan Mu who already closed his eyes, resigned to his fate, opened his eyes in shock. The moment that warm and sticky bloodiness spread over, he sensed that this alley… didn’t seem to have any auras left. This wave of foul wind and bloody rain, for him, was also too familiar, but right now, he had no idea what exactly was happening outside.