Stranger Danger

Feng Qingyou did not react to the incoming white tiger. It was almost as if she couldn’t see it.

The next moment, a humanoid figure descended from the sky and stepped on the white tiger’s head, crushing it in an instant.

After destroying the white tiger, the humanoid figure rode the wind and charged toward Kui Pingshan.

His run was grandiose and unmissable like the sun and moon appearing on the same sky, or a sea of stars filling the night sky.

THUNK!!!

The humanoid figure made contact with Kui Pingshan, and both were pushed back dozens of meters away from each other. By the time they stood still, the earth was shaking violently like an earthquake.

“The Qian Armor?”

Kui Pingshan glared at the humanoid figure standing a fair distance away from him with a dark expression.

“Meng Clan remnant!” He growled.

Enraged as if Feng Qingyou had just touched his reverse scale, Kui Pingshan roared, “You are courting death!”

In fact, Feng Qingyou’s remark was Kui Pingshan’s reverse scale. To be more accurate, it was the one memory he never wanted to dredge up for as long as he lived.

Kui Pingshan was born into a famous clan, but he was willfully ignorant and incompetent and so were loathed by everyone. On the other hand, his older brother was naturally talented and took to the family business from a young age. His future was bright and limitless.

Despite Kui Pingshan’s character, his older brother loved him and showered him with care and affection. Unfortunately, not only were his feelings not reciprocated, Kui Pingshan had coveted his wife for a long time. One time, Kui Pingshan tried to rape his sister-in-law while she was intoxicated. When he was discovered, Kui Pingshan flew into a rage and slaughtered not just his brother, but the entire clan. He ran away the very same night and eventually became a bandit.

Although fortune favored Kui Pingshan despite his atrocious acts, and he eventually grew from a mere bandit to a great general with an entire army at his beck and call, his crime remained a thorn in his heart and a major stain in his reputation he could never remove. He was often ridiculed and insulted for what he did, and even in the Nanjiang Pacification Army, he was scorned by most of the officers.

That was why Kui Pingshan was extremely cagey about this particular past of his. Feng Qingyou’s direct and scathing retort might as well be a knife plunged deep into his reverse scale and nerves.

Eyes red with wrath, Kui Pingshan tried to attack Feng Qingyou only to be stopped by the Qian Armor.

Kui Pingshan was a Half Sage, and the martial art he used, “White Tiger Evil Suppressing Halberd”, was a world famous martial art. Well known for its deadliness, it boasted broad techniques that could crush mountains and split rivers; repel evil and suppress demons. Combined with the fact that he possessed the bloodline of the Evil Suppressing White Tiger, the martial art was more potent than ever.

Unfortunately, his opponent was the Qian Armor. Not only was the Qian Armor capable of controlling the sun, the moon, and the stars, it was exceedingly fast thanks to its ability to ride the wind and traverse through space. As a result, Kui Pingshan was unable to break through the Qian Armor and reach Feng Qingyou at all.

But of course, the Qian Armor lacked the power to kill Kui Pingshan earlier. In fact, if Kui Pingshan had not wasted the Heaven Destroying Jar on breaking out of the Spirit Altar Space Mirror, then he absolutely could have dealt the Qian Armor a grievous blow.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The Qian Armor might be an Ancient-class Strange Artifact, but it was absolutely incomparable to the Heaven Destroying Jar in terms of sheer destructiveness.

Legend had it that the Heaven Destroying Jar was created by the legendary Heaven Destroying Emperor using the corpse of the God Demon You Xuan. As such, the Heaven Destroying Jar possessed the power of You Xuan and could supposedly blow the celestial bodies out of the sky and dry rivers, lakes and seas with a single wisp of dark wind. That was why the Heaven Destroying Jar was also called the You Xuan Jar.

Unfortunately, the Heaven Destroying Emperor passed away, and the Heaven Destroying Jar went missing for a time. When it finally reappeared, its power was a shadow of its former self—not even a-tenth of what it was during its prime—and its use conditions had become much more stringent than before.

First, using the Heaven Destroying Jar required human sacrifice. Each activation required the sacrifice of three hundred humans at least. The more people were sacrificed, the greater its power.

Second, the Heaven Destroying Jar could only be used once per three days.

Finally, the more the Heaven Destroying Jar was used, the higher the chance that it would turn against its user and devour them.

Of course, despite the stringent conditions, the Heaven Destroying Jar remained an extremely powerful Strange Artifact.

Although it could no longer blow the sun, moon and stars from the sky or dry entire rivers, lakes and seas like it used to during its prime, it could still kill an ordinary Sage with a single wisp of dark wind.

As strong as the Qian Armor and Kun Armor were, even they could suffer massive damage if the attack hit them, much less Feng Qingyou.

Therefore, the first thing one should do before dealing with Kui Pingshan was to eliminate the threat represented by the Heaven Destroying Jar.

So, how should she pull this off?

The obvious and best way was, of course, to kill Kui Pingshan before he could even use the Heaven Destroying Jar.

It was a method that only existed in one’s dreams though. It was hardly easy to kill a Half Sage like Kui Pingshan, much less end him so quickly that he couldn’t even activate the Heaven Destroying Jar.

The ancients said that if you could not block a river, then you should divert it. If she could neither kill Kui Pingshan nor block an attack from the Heaven Destroying Jar, then how about she forced him to waste it on something else? This way, he would not be able to use it again until three days later.

That was why she trapped Kui Pingshan using the Spirit Altar Space Mirror.

Not only that, she intentionally allowed Kui Pingshan to listen to the battle between the Kun Armor and his Barbarian Slayer Army precisely to agitate him and provoke him into using the Heaven Destroying Jar.

Although the Spirit Altar Space Mirror possessed the power to trap someone, it was just a Disaster-class Strange Artifact. Considering how strong Kui Pingshan was, he could have found a flaw in the mirror and break out given enough time and patience.

Luckily, Kui Pingshan was violent and irritable. A bit of excitement was all it took to provoke him into using the Heaven Destroying Jar.

Now that the threat of the Heaven Destroying Jar was gone, the Qian Armor and the Kun Armor were enough to delay the Barbarian Slayer Army. It could also bait King Slayer and Wildland Suppression into coming to Barbarian Slayer’s rescue and lay down the groundwork for their future plans.

In any case, things went more or less exactly as Feng Qingyou predicted. Kui Pingshan and Barbarian Slayer were no longer a threat.

Now, it was time to deal with Wildland Suppression and King Slayer.

Feng Qingyou cast Kui Pingshan and the Qian Armor one last look. Then, she gradually disappeared with a smile.

……

“The Heaven Destroying Jar? Kui Pingshan used the Heaven Destroying Jar? Did they run into some sort of danger?”

Inside a thick forest, Wildland Suppression was marching at high speed when suddenly, they came to a stop. The great general of Wildland Suppression, Du Nanhai turned his head and stared into the distance as if he was sensing something.

He did. He could feel the shockwaves of Kui Pingshan fighting against a formidable opponent.

“Did something happen to Barbarian Slayer, general?”

The left battalion commander of Wildland Suppression, Du Yicheng, was also Du Nanhai’s son. He too felt the shockwaves.

“I think so,” Du Nanhai said solemnly.

“What should we do?” Du Yicheng asked.

“We go to their aid!” Du Nanhai replied without hesitation.

“But why?” Du Yicheng couldn’t understand. His father, Du Nanhai, was never on good terms with Kui Pingshan. Their poor relationship inevitably caused the Wildland Suppression Army and the Barbarian Slayer Army to act around each other like cats and dogs. In the past, Barbarian Slayer would be thanking their lucky stars if Du Nanhai chose not to add salt to their injury, much less ride to their rescue. But now, Du Nanhai was going against his usual decision and choosing the unthinkable option. It was no wonder Du Yicheng was confused.

“The grudge between Kui Pingshan and me is strictly personal, and a personal grudge can never be bigger than national interest.”

Du Nanhai seemingly guessed Du Yicheng’s thoughts and said, “Remember, Yicheng. As a superior, you may be selfish, but you must never allow your selfishness to overtake impartialness, much less affect your nation’s interest.”

“This operation to wipe out the Nanijang Royal Court is something in the culmination for over a century. Therefore, every part of the operation must go smoothly. Right now, Kui Pingshan is under attack. If we ignore their plight and, as a result, cause a chink in Chu’s grand plan, then we may not atone for the crime even if with a million deaths. Do you understand?”

“I will remember, general,” Du Yicheng replied with a salute.

“Good.” Du Nanhai nodded in satisfaction before ordering, “Send the order that we are changing our course to the southeast.”

“At once!”

The next moment, the Wildland Suppression Army changed course and marched toward the Barbarian Slayer Army.