"Old Yue."

Suddenly, a figure cloaked in a black cape and wearing a pure black mask appeared five meters away on the narrow path, almost as if flickering into existence.

The path happened to be in the direction Yue Dewen was returning to the Great Capital, and he was blocked by the newcomer's sudden appearance.

"You should know why we are here." Even with a cloak, the newcomer couldn't hide the solemn Daoist cadence in their voice.

Within religious circles, Daoists and monks, over time, develop a mysterious and unique aura.

This aura, as soon as they speak, with every gesture, reveals them.

But this person didn't seem to mind whether or not they were exposed.

"Other than you, Zhenyunzi of Zhenyi, who else has such a distinctive voice? And are you alone? What? You think I'm nothing now because I'm old, just like a big fat pig in its pen, waiting for you to cut meat?" Yue Dewen carelessly flicked the dirt from his nose.

"Who else is there? Come out already."

He could sense the presence of three others, but even with just these three, trying to completely surround and kill him would cost them dearly.

Even if he was old, his body was not one that this group of defeated foes could easily humiliate.

"Heh, quite a temper." Zhenyunzi applauded lightly from under his cloak. "There aren't many in the world today that I can admire, but you, Old Yue, are definitely one. It's just a pity..."

"It's a pity he has to die now." Another tall and burly figure in a black cape swiftly dashed from the distant grass, their body technique far surpassing a Grandmaster's.

The distance of a hundred meters was crossed in a flash; such an exaggerated speed, yet eerily without stirring the slightest breeze.

"Thousand Teachings Alliance?" Yue Dewen frowned, "Your body technique is still so stupid, silent but leaving a scent, like pulling down your pants to fart, completely unnecessary."

"You can only be so stubborn now. Old Man Yue, today's the day to repay the debt of our previous entrapment," the newcomer said coldly.

"Why waste so much breath on him? Why not just take action?"

By the side of the small lake opposite them, two more towering figures appeared.

These two were of different heights; just approaching them, one could smell a strong scent of sandalwood and women's perfume on the breeze.

"I was wondering who it was, turns out it's two bald monks from the Western Sect. What? Your master allowed you out to bark freely?" Yue Dewen kept up his verbal defiance, but in his heart, he felt a weight.

He could handle three, but now... four!

There weren't many high monks of the Yuan generation from the Western Sect, only a handful.

Though generally looked down upon, the indiscriminate recruitment of Western Sect's True Buddha Temple resulted in formidable strength.

Apart from being easily countered, the Western Sect's rapid rise was closely tied to this strategy.

"I can hold off one," a silent elder from the Snow Rainbow Pavilion emerged slowly beside Yue Dewen, whispering.

"Thanks. I'll treat you to a drink afterward!" Yue Dewen felt somewhat relieved. If it were only three, he had some confidence.

"Hmm." The elder nodded slightly.

"Then..." Yue Dewen turned around, looking at the enemies coming from the other three directions.

"Are you all ready to end the era that belongs to me?"

He opened his Daoist robe, revealing his muscular upper body.

If they wanted to kill him, this old and immortal one, they had better be ready for a counterattack.

"Your era never began, so how can it end?" Zhenyunzi smiled slightly.

He took a step closer.

"Did you really think that when you fought us back then, no one recognized you? Or do you think your old flames just died off without reason?"

He stretched out a finger.

"Let me count, one, two, three, four, five, six... those caught, those who weren't, altogether more than fifty, right?"

Yue Dewen's face changed dramatically.

If there was anything in this world that was his weakness, those women he once loved were certainly among them.

"So, it was you who acted!?"

"And we have two left. It just depends on whether you're willing to save them..." Zhenyunzi clapped his hands lightly.

Not far behind him, two haggard women with graying hair were being slowly brought over.

With a thud, the two were thrown to the ground, unconscious.

After dropping them, Zhenyunzi voluntarily retreated a bit, seeming not to care about their reunion.

Yue Dewen slowly approached and squatted down, carefully examining the familiar old faces.

"I..."

Bang!

The two women struck simultaneously, aiming for his chest.

At the same time, Yue Dewen quickly reached out, grabbing their claw-like hands reaching for him. He swung them back, using their bodies to block the two Western Sect figures charging from behind.

"Want to kill me!? Trade your lives for it!!!"

Yue Dewen's entire body swelled rapidly, skin turning black, countless dark red veins crawling over his body like worms.

His once aged form transformed, more than doubling in size in an instant.

A fearsome three-meter-tall figure swung his arm, smashing toward the assailants rushing in.

Boom!!

In an instant, all sound ceased.

Yue Dewen stood dazed in place. A fist-sized hole had been punched through his chest from behind.

Behind him, the silent elder of the Snow Rainbow Pavilion, charged with his safety, quietly withdrew a giant sword.

Swish!!

At that moment, the four surrounding figures moved like scissors, slicing through him.

In the sunlight, Yue Dewen's body was abruptly torn into several pieces, scattering to the ground.

*

*

*

The night was hazy, mist enveloping the scene.

Ze Province, Yuping Road.

On a hillock-like ink-colored slope.

Special dwarf pine trees, no more than five meters tall, formed the unique scenery of this mountainous area.

And right in the depths of this pine-covered slope, in Songshan Town, a small town not bustling with people.

A group of officials from the Great Spirit's Black Armor Army had already surrounded this town.

Most of the buildings in the town were set ablaze, the flames soaring high, casting a blood-red glow all around.

Zhang Rongfang followed Shangguan Feihua and three others, walking slowly into the town.

The surrounding buildings were burning, and in the undamaged structures far away, soldiers wearing iron masks covering their faces dragged one living person after another outside and slit their throats.

There was no anger, no mercy; the entire town resembled a slaughterhouse, with soldiers executing the procedure of dragging out livestock and slaughtering them one by one.

Thud!

Suddenly, a crossbow arrow shot out from the darkness, hitting the outside of Shangguan Feihua's arm.

With a clang, the arrow struck the armor, making a crisp sound, and fell to the ground.

Shangguan Feihua didn't even glance at the attacker; naturally, a figure behind him dashed into the darkness, and shortly after, a scream was heard.

"Is this entire Songshan Town of 110,000 people all rebels?" Zhang Rongfang couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, they all are," Ning Hongli replied calmly. "Our men killed several rebel leaders here, but each time, they met their demise. It was only after investigations that we discovered the whole town was sheltering the rebels."

She looked gently at Zhang Rongfang.

"Don't feel sorry. Who will pity those they harmed if someone pities them?"

Zhang Rongfang nodded, his gaze pausing at the entrance of a small building.

Two Black Armor soldiers cut down the fleeing weak women with several slashes.

Two teenagers tried to rescue them but were also mercilessly beheaded.

They didn't look like rebels, but in such times and circumstances, whether they were or weren't, it no longer mattered.

Soon, all the experts in the town were cleared out.

A small half of the hundred men Shangguan Feihua brought with him were left behind, and the rest continued to follow them to the next target.

The next morning, after resting until afternoon, they arrived at the second county town once again.

Then the third, fourth…

Shangguan Feihua barely spoke to him, only moving forward in silence.

Anyone daring to block his way was casually crushed and tossed aside.

Even Zhang Rongfang and the other two Grandmasters could only occasionally witness his terrifying speed and power burst.

There was no technique, just a simple move, stop. It resolved all attempts; even Zhang Rongfang couldn't see clearly the terrifying bursts of strength.

Zhang Rongfang had no objections to the town's sweep; after all, he knew he didn't understand the situation.

This massacre continued for five days.

On the sixth day, the team was reduced to only twenty-odd people, with the others left behind to oversee the towns they passed.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Feihua gave everyone a break to rest and adjust their state.

In a county town called Mianqiu, they waited for instructions.

Standing under the inn's eaves, Zhang Rongfang watched the bustling streets filled with streams of people.

He couldn't help but recall the continuous slaughter of the past few days.

Shangguan Feihua and the other Grandmasters seemed accustomed to it, clearly not their first time doing so.

The rivers of blood before, and the bustling streets under the autumn sun now.

The stark contrast between bloodthirsty savagery and harmonious peace.

Zhang Rongfang let out a light sigh; he could accept killing, could accept people needing to be killed.

But absolutely could not accept wanton slaughter.

In his view, it wasn't necessary for the majority of the towns before.

Thinking this, he sighed in his heart.

He started to slowly leave the inn, following the pedestrian path, and moved forward with the flow amid the surrounding noise.

'The aristocratic families and the commoners' rebel army, two entirely different factions, opposite factions. At this moment, I find myself standing on the side of the aristocratic families.'

He, a commoner born barbarian scholar, found himself in such a bizarre situation.

With this strange feeling, Zhang Rongfang wandered continuously through the streets and alleys.

"Feeling uneasy in your heart?" Ning Hongli's voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"No, just... a bit puzzled," Zhang Rongfang shook his head. "This slaughter only breeds hatred, rashly using it is meaningless."

"How could it be meaningless?" Ning Hongli smiled, now dressed in a pink waist-length skirt, looking like a beautiful girl of seventeen or eighteen, stunning and charming.

"The commoners, the wretches, believe that as long as they overthrow the experts in the yamen and the governor's offices, they can succeed."

"But when they wield pitchforks and axes, breaking down the yamen and governor's offices, and arduously killing every Spirit People noble and official, they suddenly find those they slew rising from the ground to continue slaughtering them."

"And no matter how many times they kill, their foes always rise, slaughtering the attackers."

"By then, they despair. They'll become more obedient, joining the various sects."

Ning Hongli said calmly.

"That's what we need to do. When rebellion and chaos cannot succeed, they can no longer operate and rebel."

"Because they understand there is no hope."

Zhang Rongfang pondered silently, thinking over the implications of these words.

"You must remember, as someone in a position of power, to sever the link between the lower classes and us as much as possible, so the ceiling they see is low enough."

Ning Hongli continued.

"In this way, regardless of how you exploit them, when they decide to resist, what they see and touch by jumping up is merely a facade we set."

"When the facade is revealed, inside is a force they could never know how to defeat. Hope turns into despair. Then everything becomes more stable, and our foundation becomes stronger."

It seemed as though Ning Hongli was imparting some piece of knowledge.

"You, as a Daoist, should understand, must understand. This is the unwritten rule all sects commonly use today."