“Meng Jun ah…”
Lin Zhao said again earnestly, “Ling Xi Sword Saint, that title is terrifying. Are you going to handle it?”
“Mhm.”
Chen Mengjun nodded, “Can he be killed?”
“I don’t know if he can be killed.”
Lin Zhao said, “Capture him first, and then act according to my signals!”
“Understood.”
Chen Mengjun descended gracefully, holding her sword, and stood in the moonlight of the courtyard.
“…”
Zhang Lingxi frowned. He couldn’t discern the woman’s cultivation level, only that her sword intent was very profound, and she was beautiful. Dressed in a green dress, her slender jade legs were faintly visible. Having roamed the martial world for many years, Zhang Lingxi was experienced and did not act rashly. He cupped his fists and said, “I am Zhang Lingxi. May I ask what brings the immortal maiden to the Prefect’s mansion so late at night?”
Chen Mengjun pointed her sword tip directly at him, a wisp of sword energy at the tip held back yet ready to strike.
Beside her, Lin Zhao also descended and said, “We’re here for one reason: to ask Prefect Zhang about the case files of Governor Wang half a year ago, and whether he had any part in it.”
Instantly, Zhang Lingxi’s brow furrowed. “The Wang family’s matter has long been settled. It has the imperial seal, and there’s no possibility of an appeal anymore.”
“Let’s understand the reason first,”
Lin Zhao cupped his fists and said, “We wish to see Prefect Zhang, can you grant us passage?”
“No.”
After observing for a while, Zhang Lingxi finally understood. These two were likely bluffing. The woman was at most a fifth-realm Sword Cultivator, and the man was possibly a pathetic third-realm Sword Cultivator. Therefore, Zhang Lingxi gritted his teeth, licked his lips, and pointed his sword at Lin Zhao, saying, “You’ll soon be a corpse. As for you…”
He pointed his sword at Chen Mengjun and chuckled, “You’ll soon be a beautiful guest in my bed.”
“Alas…”
Lin Zhao sighed, clutching his forehead. He really couldn’t save someone determined to court death. He glanced at Chen Mengjun and said, “Now you can.”
“Swish!”
A beam of sword light surged from the sword tip. The moment Chen Mengjun drew her sword, the Lingxi Sword Saint found himself almost unable to move. His skull felt like it was about to be blown off. How could this be a fifth-realm Sword Cultivator? This woman’s sword intent and swordsmanship were likely at least in the upper fifth realm! However, this thought flashed by in an instant, and he had no further opportunity to ponder.
A head rolled. The Lingxi Sword Saint of Chen Commandery met his end so silently in the Prefect’s mansion.
…
The Prefect’s room.
A large bed occupied the vast room. Five people were lying on the bed. Among them, a middle-aged man with a potbelly lay in the center, embracing two women on each side. This man, intertwined with four women, lived a life that even immortals would envy. Seeing the Prefect’s face, Wang Yue’s eyes turned red. This man, whom she had called "Uncle Zhang" in the mansion, was one of the culprits who had caused the death of her parents!
Lin Zhao gently raised his hand, and instantly the flying sword Ming Yue pierced Zhang Taishou’s wrist with a “swish,” lifting his body and pinning him to the wall. The four women were splattered with blood, their faces drained of color. They hastily wrapped themselves in blankets and fled, using their clothes to cover themselves.
“All of you, get out. This has nothing to do with you,” Lin Zhao said indifferently.
Beside him, Chen Mengjun’s delicate brows furrowed. She said nothing, but nudged her sword tip, igniting the lamps in the room.
“Ahhhh!”
Zhang Taishou’s wrist was pierced by the flying sword, and half his body was suspended, pinned to the wall. His feet struggled on the ground, looking utterly pathetic. He glared at Lin Zhao and roared, “Who are you? Do you know the crime of trespassing into my official residence? Where is Zhang Lingxi? Zhang Lingxi!”
“Stop shouting.”
Lin Zhao said calmly, “I’ll ask you one question: did you frame and murder Governor Wang?”
“What business is it of yours?!”
Zhang Taishou’s face was contorted with rage. “If you know what’s good for you, release me immediately. Otherwise, no matter which mountain you cultivate on, you won’t escape the pursuit of my Great Shang cavalry!”
“Wang Yue.”
Lin Zhao gently raised his hand, enveloping Wang Yue in a wisp of spiritual energy. Instantly, Wang Yue stepped out of the void and appeared before Zhang Taishou, radiating a spectral aura. She gritted her teeth and said, “Uncle Zhang, you are so cruel! You caused the deaths of my parents and all twenty-odd members of my Wang family. Don’t you admit it?!”
“You… you…”
Zhang Taishou was so terrified that his soul nearly fled his body. “You’re not dead? Didn’t you die at the hands of the Northern Domain’s demons?”
“I am dead…”
Wang Yue’s face was devoid of color. She laughed vacantly, “So I’ve come to find you…”
“A ghost… a ghost…”
Zhang Taishou almost forgot his pain. At this moment, a ghost claiming his life was far more terrifying than any mountain Sword Cultivator.
He had indeed harmed Wang Yue’s family, and it was confirmed. There was no need to investigate further.
Lin Zhao raised his hand, pulled out Li Quan, and with a sweep of his sword, severed the man’s head. He wrapped it in a bedsheet and held it in his hand, saying, “Let’s go, we’ll find the graves of your parents.”
“Mhm…”
Wang Yue wept tears of sorrow. At this moment, half of her wish had been fulfilled.
…
Deep in the night.
There were still lights in the commandery city. In front of a tavern, a group of men in Great Shang cavalry armor and official attire were drinking. There were over a dozen of them. These were the last patrons of the tavern for the night. They were all heavily drunk, and it was clear that their lives were almost like this every day.
In the air, Lin Zhao and Chen Mengjun were flying on their swords. As they passed this place, Lin Zhao suddenly stopped. He recognized some of these people.
“What?”
Chen Mengjun asked in surprise.
“Wang Yue’s enemies are among this group.”
Lin Zhao frowned and said telepathically, “Let’s wait for a moment. Since we’ve encountered them, let’s settle the score. I’ll cross-reference them first to ensure we don’t kill the wrong people.”
“Mhm.”
In the wind, Lin Zhao downloaded several previously recorded video clips of Wang Yue being insulted. He then used the system tools to compare the facial features of the Great Shang cavalrymen and officials before him, ensuring he wouldn’t mistake anyone. Beside him, Wang Yue watched, her tears flowing freely. She recognized these people and knew what Lin Zhao intended to do.
Meanwhile, these men, blissfully unaware that someone was watching them from above, were drunk to their senses. One official chuckled smugly, “What’s so interesting about the women in Zui Feng Lou? Humph, when we raided the Wang family, I was the first to charge in and find that young lady. Heh heh… you brothers all saw it, but I was the first to have my way! Tsk tsk, she truly is the prefect’s daughter, and the first course at that. You’ll probably never experience such a taste in your lives.”
“Brother Liu is truly impressive!”
A drunken cavalryman laughed, “We didn’t have such good fortune. We just escorted the sacrificial sheep north and enjoyed the prefect’s daughter with Commander Zhu Qiong. It’s a pity, she was already in no condition, and it was over before we could properly enjoy her.”
“Hahahaha~~~”
Another cavalryman said, “I also had my way with her. The taste was indeed different, tsk tsk…”
…
In the air, Wang Yue listened to their words, her teeth grinding in hatred. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her anger and resentment surged, almost turning her into a vengeful spirit.
“Wang Yue.”
At this moment, Lin Zhao gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Calm yourself, I’m here.”
Wang Yue’s tears flowed uncontrollably. “Brother Lin Zhao…”
“I know what to do.”
Lin Zhao descended gracefully and said telepathically to Chen Mengjun, “Meng Jun, lend me a hand later. I’ll drag out a few irrelevant people, and you kill the rest. Not a single one will be wrongly accused.”
“Mhm.”
Chen Mengjun nodded.
The next moment, Lin Zhao landed and threw punches. “Boom, boom, boom!” He sent the four unrelated people at the wine table flying. Then, he lunged forward and said, “Meng Jun!”
“Coming!”
A second later, a radiant sword energy bloomed over the wine table. Chen Mengjun also understood what had happened. This was something she hated to the bone, so she showed no mercy. When the sword energy erupted, the cavalrymen and officials barely had time to cry for help before they were instantly chopped into pieces by the chaotic and violent sword energy. After Chen Mengjun’s sword energy exploded, not a single person present remained intact. However, the shop assistant not far away was completely unharmed. Looking at the pile of corpses, the shop assistant’s face turned pale, and his legs gave way, causing him to fall to the ground.
“Let’s go.”
After killing them, Lin Zhao rode his sword into the sky and left the city with Chen Mengjun and Wang Yue.
…
Outside the city.
The twenty-one corpses of the Wang family had been collected and buried by kindhearted people in the mountains not far from the mass grave, all buried together. A tombstone had been erected. As the east began to turn white and dawn approached, Lin Zhao bought fruits, incense, and paper money. He took Wang Yue and knelt on one knee before the Wang family’s tomb. While burning paper, he said softly, “Uncle, Aunt, don’t worry. Wang Yue is now at the Peak Villa in Xue Yu Tian Chi. Although she has died, I will definitely arrange for her soul to be well taken care of. She may be able to walk the Great Dao in the future and live a good life.”
Wang Yue knelt beside him, tears streaming down her face.
Chen Mengjun took a deep breath, unsure of what to say, and simply watched from a distance.
“When I came, I met a friend, a Taoist priest named Xu Ming’an. It’s a shame he’s not here, otherwise, he could have helped to transmigrate your souls. But it doesn’t matter.”
Lin Zhao smiled and said, “Wang Yue will be well by my side. If your spirits in heaven can see this, then rest in peace.”
“Daddy, Mommy…”
Wang Yue’s eyes were blurry with tears.
At this moment, dots of golden light flickered above the tomb, coalescing into the figures of a man and a woman. The man was a middle-aged person dressed as a scholar, and the woman was a lady from a scholarly family. Although they did not speak, the man bowed to Lin Zhao, and the woman nodded to him, as if saying, “Please.”
Instantly, Wang Yue’s tears burst forth. “Daddy, Mommy!”
In the darkness, the two figures slowly rose. They waved gently to Wang Yue, their eyes filled with longing and reluctance. Even without a Taoist priest to transmigrate them, now that they knew their daughter had a place to go, they could finally rest in peace.
“Go in peace!”
Lin Zhao stood up and bowed his fists towards the two elders.
…
Thus, Wang Yue’s wish was finally fulfilled. Looking at the figures of her parents dissipating into the air, she revealed a smile.
Lin Zhao stood tall and straight. “Speech need not be believed, actions need not be carried out, only righteousness matters.” He had always adhered to this principle on his journey south. Every action he took, he tried his best to follow these four words. Now that Wang Yue’s wish was fulfilled, Lin Zhao’s inner turmoil was also completely resolved. He felt as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from his heart. At the same time, a cracking sound of a porcelain bottle echoed from the depths of Lingxu. He had experienced an epiphany, and as his state of mind opened, he also broke through his cultivation.
As he let out a sigh of relief, he looked into the distance at the dawn that was about to break through the clouds.
He was now a ninth-realm Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator!