"I wouldn’t dare." Zhang Mingrui hurriedly bowed:
"Please wait a mont, it will be ready soon."
He returned to his room, changed into his Daoist robe, thought for a mont, then picked up the Magic-Slaying Sword beside him. After preparing himself, he boarded the carriage prepared by the Governntal Officials.
"Creak... creak..."
The wheels ground against the road, slowly advancing.
Not long after.
Zhang Mingrui frowned, lifted the curtain, and looked outside. The starlight was dim, and he could only vaguely see the courtyards on both sides of the road.
"This doesn’t seem to be the way to the Governnt Office?"
"Who told you we’re going to the Governnt Office?" the carriage driver said indifferently:
"The Lord from the Governor just arrived at the post station outside the city. Lord County Magistrate went ahead to et him. We will go directly to the station to give them our report."
He added:
"Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t ask."
"Understood."
Zhang Mingrui nodded:
"It was my mistake to speak out of turn."
The carriage continued forward, traveling south for the ti it took two incense sticks to burn after leaving the city gate. The vehicle started to jolt and had already deviated from the official road.
"Gentlen."
Zhang Mingrui frowned deeply, unable to resist asking:
"This doesn’t seem to be the road to the post station?"
"Where we’re going, it’s all the sa." The carriage driver chuckled lightly and suddenly turned and cracked the whip. The whip lashed into the carriage like a viper.
"Snap!"
The sharp crack of the whip sent Zhang Mingrui flying out of the carriage.
Another person dismounted, holding a saber. His arm shook lightly, the bones in his joints crackled like a string of firecrackers exploding.
Crackling bones! A series of whip sounds!
This was the sign of a Three Blood Martial Artist.
At the sa ti, he launched forward, slicing wildly with his long saber, like a violent storm which instantly enveloped Zhang Mingrui.
"Clang, clang..."
"Puff!"
All covered in blood, Zhang Mingrui rushed out from the flashing blades, his clothes torn, his Daoist robe soaked in blood, his eyes filled with terror.
"How dare you!"
His body trembled, and he gritted his teeth, angrily saying:
"I am an officially registered Daoist, the Observatory Master of the Three Purities Temple, on par with a County Magistrate. Do you not fear the Imperial Court’s reprisals for killing ?"
"Heh!" The whip-wielding official sneered:
"Do you think it’s still like six hundred years ago at the start of the dynasty, when a local Daoist Temple Master was on par with a County Magistrate? Now, you’re nothing!"
"Why?" Zhang Mingrui glared at the two n, retreating step by step:
"I have never wronged anyone, why do you want to kill ?"
"Still thinking of casting spells?" The saber-wielding official lunged forward, interrupting Zhang Mingrui’s covert spell-casting actions, and shouted amid the flashing blade:
"We respect Daoist Zhang, but..."
"Bla yourself for sticking your nose into things. The South Dam breached and Minister of Water Wang Biao committed suicide out of fear; you will join him on this journey!"
"Puff!"
The blade glead, leaving a trail of blood.
Zhang Mingrui, who had practiced martial arts and possessed cultivation close to the Second Blood, was skilled in spells rather than close combat.
Moreover,
the opponent was a Three Blood Martial Artist, and he found himself covered in wounds in the blink of an eye.
If it weren’t for so minor tricks he had as a Warlock, he would have already collapsed.
"The South Dam breached?"
At this mont, Zhang Mingrui seed to forget his wounds, staring blankly, incredulously, and roared furiously:
"Impossible?"
"Lord Yan had already gathered the silver to reinforce the dam, and it hasn’t even rained heavily these past few days. How could the dam suddenly fail?"
"Naive!" The whip-wielding official laughed coldly, cracking his long whip with a loud snap:
"That twenty thousand taels of silver are for Lord Yan to grease palms. You really thought it was to reinforce the dam? I rember the Daoist even donated five hundred taels."
"Daoist, saving up five hundred taels must have taken quite so ti, a pity... it can’t save anyone."
"Greasing palms?" Zhang Mingrui’s eyes were vacant:
"The South Dam breach will flood several counties, and most of Zhaonan Prefecture will be impacted. Countless commoners will lose their hos."
"Yes." The whip-wielding official nodded nonchalantly:
"And so what?"
"It’s none of Lord Yan’s business; it was Minister of Water Wang Biao’s incompetence and embezzlent of the funds from the Imperial Court. He has already committed suicide out of guilt."
"How could this be? It shouldn’t be like this?" Zhang Mingrui stumbled and rolled on the ground under the whip’s lash, his blood blending with the mud in an instant, mumbling:
"This affects tens of thousands of commoners; how could they... how would they..."
He ground his teeth angrily and said:
"I will report this to the Governor’s Office!"
"I knew it would co to this." The saber-wielding official shook his head:
"Daoist, you’ve always been so perceptive. Why now do you choose stubbornness? If it weren’t for this, Lord Yan wouldn’t have had us send you on your way."
"Alas!"
He sighed softly:
"Daoist, have a safe journey!"
Zhang Mingrui breathed heavily, his body trembling. He wasn’t naive nor ignorant about the world; quite the contrary, he understood it very well.
He understood that human nature is inherently selfish.
But,
one remains human because there’s still goodness.
Throughout history, countless sages and philosophers have written to suppress human greed and evil thoughts, allowing this world a bit more clarity.
Zhang Mingrui is equally aware: the Imperial Court officials protect each other, and wealthy rchants are intertwined like an invisible giant net covering the heavens, scraping the fat of the land.
But,
there should always be a bottom line.
"Dang..."
Straining with all his might to wield the Magic-Slaying Sword, the giant force struck the sword, causing his body to tremble violently, and his consciousness beca blurry and vague.
The Dao Heart cultivated over decades seed to completely collapse.
"Puh!"
"Pa!"
The blade cut through flesh, the long whip lashed the body, yet it was not as painful as the distorted consciousness, which made Zhang Mingrui’s expression even more ferocious.
"Dang..."
Blade and sword collided.
The Spiritual Light flashed on the Magic-Slaying Sword, and the sound, like a bronze bell and a great drum, echoed around, waking the dazed Zhang Mingrui.
"Keep one’s original aspiration to reach the end."
He lowered his head to look at the Magic-Slaying Sword, grinned, and it was strangely clear though weak, like the thought purified in his heart:
"Slay demons and monsters, protect all living beings..."
"Master!"
"You have been painstaking, but your disciple is foolish, only now have I finally had an awakening, in vain I have cultivated for years and was unable to awaken as if having never heard the sutra."
The two Governntal Officials glanced at each other, their expressions turning grave, not understanding what happened, but the aura suddenly emanating from Zhang Mingrui made them wary.
Sothing is wrong!
"He’s about to break through!" The knife-wielding Official’s eyes widened, he roared and charged forward:
"Kill!"
The Official charged forward like a tiger descending a mountain, with simple lunges, flips, and snips, perfectly executing the Tiger Form.
The Long Saber fell, faintly bringing out the sound of a tiger’s roar.
"Dang..."
The sound of collision rang out once more.
The knife-wielding Official’s eyes contracted, and his face showed shock, while the whip-wielding Official following closely behind displayed terror, instinctively stepping back.
A long sword floated in midair, blocking the Long Saber.
No one seed to be holding the sword hilt, yet the sword stood firm and immovable.
The blade and sword collided, and the blackened sword body was stripped of its veneer, shedding iron flakes one after another from the Magic-Slaying Sword.
In the blink of an eye.
A brand new, slender long sword appeared in the scene.
"Zheng!"
An excited, thrilling, piercing cry echoed in the room, as if the Magic Sword had a spirituality of its own, free from bindings emitting a joyful sword cry.
"Swish!"
The sword light swirled, encircling in midair.
The knife-wielding Official’s body stiffened, the gleam in his eyes dimd, and a faint blood line appeared around his neck, encircling it.
"Thud!"
The head fell to the ground.
The headless body followed in succession.
"Ah!"
The whip-wielding person scread hoarsely, turned, and attempted to escape.
"Swish!"
The sword light flashed again.
The Magic Sword pierced the heart of the whip-wielding Official from behind, erging from the chest, drawing a line of blood, and the Official fell headlong to the ground.
The sword light returned, dropping into the sheath on its own.
Zhang Mingrui stood in the room, grasping the Sword Technique with one hand, his body swaying, and soon his knees weakened, dropping directly to the ground.
"Pa!"
"Pa-pa!"
At this mont, a crisp applause sounded:
"Great enlightennt, fully comprehending the Dao, Daoist Zhang is truly a man of transparent wisdom, able to achieve the realm of Mage at the brink of life and death."
"Admire!"
"Admire!"
In the darkness, a figure walked forward.
"It’s you." Zhang Mingrui raised his head, looking at the newcor with a serious expression:
"Mr. Shan!"
"Indeed." The man appeared dressed as a Scholar, surprisingly Mr. Shan beside Lord Yan, he looked at Zhang Mingrui and nodded lightly:
"Mr. Shan ca along just in case, never expected such an accident to occur."
"Several years ago, Yuanxing of Cien Temple thoroughly comprehended the Buddhist Skill, attaining Arhat enlightennt in a single day; tonight, Daoist Zhang suddenly realized and stepped into Mage, Gu’an County truly nurtures outstanding individuals."
Enlightened progress is distinct from gradual cultivation, such individuals have far greater potential, as long as they survive, their future achievents are limitless.
He then sighed lightly:
"It’s a pity!"
"The Daoist is destined to encounter a catastrophe, and the Lord also cannot tolerate you, so let Mr. Shan send you off."
"Wait a mont."
At this ti, another person appeared.
"Apologies."
Fang Zheng gave a cupped hand salute:
"I’m a bit late, but luckily not too late, Daoist, are you unhard since we last t?"
Seeing this.
Zhang Mingrui’s eyes relaxed.
Mr. Shan’s expression darkened.
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