novelhk Page 8
Page 8
Liu Hong's eyes widened in surprise. These chaotic tentacles were supposed to last for thirty seconds, but only one second had passed, and the burly man had already torn several holes in them, as if they were trying to break free!
With only two points of spiritual energy remaining, Liu Hong took a deep breath and decided to gamble everything on his next attack. Despite his hands bleeding from his tiger's mouth and trembling, he swung his broadsword and used the Heavenly Gang Slash of the Hero.
In an instant, the wind and clouds surged, and the blood droplets from Liu Hong's split tiger's mouth floated in mid-air. Two points of spiritual energy exploded into starlight deep in his pupils, and the entire broadsword suddenly emitted a trembling sound like a dragon's roar. A total of one hundred and eight dim stars emerged from the spine of the blade, twinkling and forming a magnificent and beautiful galaxy. Strands of starlight traveled along the veins of the blade, like a dream.
Liu Hong quickly circled around and, taking advantage of Zhang Ming's inability to break free of the chaotic tentacles, ran behind him. Zhang Ming was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, struggled frantically, and screamed wildly. He almost broke free of the tentacles' entanglement, but it was too late.
"go to hell!!!"
Liu Hong roared, his arm muscles tensed, and he swung his broadsword fiercely, transforming his last two spiritual energy points into the [Heavenly Gang Slash], and slashed out with all his might!
In an instant, a massive blade of light, carrying one hundred and eight stars, shot into the sky. The blade of light was crescent-shaped, with its edges shimmering with broken starlight, like a dazzling galaxy wrapped around the blade. The celestial blade of light tore through clothes, shattered flesh, and severed ribs. Under the dazzling starry sky, it slashed a terrifying wound on Zhang Ming's back, from his shoulder to his waist, deep enough to expose the bone.
The torn flesh, the tattered sweater, and the splattered blood were all intertwined, with wisps of eerie blue starlight still remaining.
"Wow!!!"
Zhang Ming, who had been almost cleaved in two diagonally, coughed up blood. Countless pieces of blood and internal organs gushed from his mouth. He was seriously injured by the slash and coughed up blood, and his struggling movements stopped for a moment.
Even so, he did not die and continued to struggle! However, his strength was greatly reduced in his near-death state, and he could no longer break free from the shattered chaotic tentacles.
Liu Hong was still shaken by the sight of the terrifyingly strong man. Without hesitation, he brandished his broadsword and, taking advantage of the man's immobility due to being entangled by the chaotic tentacles, slashed at his neck three times.
The first cut caused blood to splatter everywhere, and flesh flew off one side.
The second cut shattered the cervical vertebra, making a loud clanging sound.
The third cut sent the head flying, the bones broken but still connected.
The enormous head drooped down to the abdomen, with only a narrow strip of skin connecting it to the shoulder. Blood gushed from the headless severed neck, as spectacular and cruel as a volcanic eruption, splattering Liu Hong with blood all over his body.
Liu Hong grabbed Zhang Ming's head and ripped off the last bit of skin holding it together, leaving his lifeless head in his hand. He then untied the turban from Zhang Ming's head, let his hair down, and used it as a rope to tie to his own belt, attaching the heads of Zhang's two henchmen to his own belt.
Blood gushed from the severed neck, soaking his legs and shoes, a blood-red stain of hell.
Master Zhang, who was watching all this, was completely dumbfounded.
Chapter Thirteen: Birds Flying and Fish Leaping from Zhang Mansion
Seeing Zhang Ming's head being cut off, Master Zhang was so frightened that he turned and ran, wanting to reunite with his sleeping servant.
It's okay, that man is still some distance away from me, I can run away!
Master Zhang ran for his life. He had tried the imperial examinations in his early years, but he took over the family business and went into commerce halfway through. Therefore, although he had the rank of a Confucian scholar and the ability to cast spells, he had neglected his skills for many years because he was too busy with business and had too many henchmen to use. He had long forgotten how to fight.
At that moment, Pan Jinlian appeared like a ghost, suddenly appearing from the side of the Winter Snow Pavilion. Her snow-white fox tail extended from one meter to three meters, drawing a beautiful silver curve in the air. She tripped Zhang Yuanwai, causing him to fall flat on his face. His obese body crashed to the ground with a thud, his triple chin slamming heavily against the pavilion steps, leaving him a bloody mess.
"who!"
Master Zhang's obese body trembled as he tried to get up, but a sweeping silver fox tail tripped him and sent him sprawling to the ground a second time. Only then did he see the alluring silver light, and only then did he see Pan Jinlian's murderous expression.
"Golden...Golden Lotus?!"
Master Zhang stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Wu Sanlang, that idiot, suddenly returned to normal, selling steamed buns and killing the three strongest thugs in my mansion in succession. This is already outrageous.
How could Pan Jinlian, a mere servant, dare to lay a hand on her master? Is that reasonable?
My plan is flawless. They are currently imprisoned by the government troops, and I will soon be able to make Pan Jinlian submit to my penis.
But why are they not only not in jail, but have come to my doorstep instead?
Where exactly did my flawless plan go wrong?
"You old pig! Since you won't let me live in peace, then you won't live in peace either!!!"
Pan Jinlian hated Zhang Yuanwai to the core at this moment. Her silver fox tail suddenly wrapped around Zhang Yuanwai's right foot, trying to lift him into the air, but he was too heavy and she failed.
Helpless, Pan Jinlian unfurled her second tail, and the two silver fox tails wrapped around Zhang Yuanwai's feet at the same time. With a strong pull, she lifted him into the air and then slammed him down, venting her anger.
"You servile dog! How dare you attack your master?!"
Master Zhang was in pain from the fall and roared, but was immediately lifted high into the air a second time by the two fox tails and slammed heavily to the ground a second time!
"Ouch! Stop, Jinlian, I order you to stop!"
After being thrown twice, Master Zhang's angry tone softened somewhat, but he could not quell Pan Jinlian's rage.
"Grandma, spare me!!!"
When Pan Jinlian threw him for the third time, Zhang Yuanwai was covered in bruises, his bones were broken, and two of his front teeth were knocked out. He was groaning in pain, and his arrogant demeanor had completely disappeared. He could only scream and beg for mercy.
Under Pan Jinlian's revenge, all his desires, greed, anger, and ignorance turned into screams like a pig being slaughtered!
Seeing that Pan Jinlian had captured Master Zhang and completed her plan, Liu Hong breathed a sigh of relief. He examined the spoils of war on Zhang Ming's body and found two strange items. One was this iron rod, which was 1.2 meters long in the middle and 40 centimeters long at each end, and was made of pure iron. No wonder it hurt so much when it hit people. The fact that such an illegal weapon could appear openly in Zhang's mansion showed how deep the collusion between officials and merchants was.
【镔铁齐眉棍】（绿色）：长200cm，攻击造成12~26点破甲伤害。（+3~17基础伤害，+5轰击，+4刘洪双手力量）
(Enchantment: Bombardment): Armor penetration damage +5.
The damage enhancement is simple and unpretentious. My own broadsword only deals 7~17 damage, while this big iron rod deals 12~26 damage, which is even more exaggerated than the broadsword. It also hurts when you hit it, and it has armor-piercing properties. This kind of blunt weapon is one of the choices for penetrating armor in this era.
Liu Hong lifted the stick and swung it a few times. The stick was a bit heavy, probably weighing thirty pounds. He could lift it without much effort, but after swinging it for a while, his arms started to ache.
The burly man was able to wield this thing so skillfully that it was impossible to move, and even spun it so fast that it could deflect crossbow bolts. Is this the difference between 20 strength and 16 strength?
Forget it, it's too heavy to use. I'll just use a broadsword instead. I can control this thing with [Mind Control] to smash people with it; it'll definitely hurt a lot.
The second item radiated a blue glow, possessing even greater magical energy than the green item.
[Giant Spirit Ring] (Blue): The damage dealt by your two-handed weapons is no longer a normal 1.5x strength bonus, but a 2x strength bonus.
Liu Hong's eyes lit up, and he immediately took off the ring and put it on his right index finger. A terrifying power surged through his body. As long as he held the broadsword with both hands, the damage would increase from 7-17 to 9-19 physical damage with the double power bonus.
Just as Liu Hong finished collecting his spoils, a flurry of footsteps sounded outside the Winter Snow Pavilion. It was Zhang Yuanwai's alarm, which had summoned the five-man night watch team. Lights in the other rooms of the Zhang residence also came on, indicating that reinforcements were likely on their way.
"What kind of petty thief are you! Surrender!"
"Release the wealthy man!!!"
"Wait, is this... a golden lotus???"
"Hey? This girl's got some guts! She's come back for revenge after being bullied?"
Five burly thugs approached Pan Jinlian step by step, trying to save Master Zhang. They showed no fear whatsoever, and no one took Pan Jinlian seriously.
But the next second, the five men saw Liu Hong, his spiritual energy depleted and covered in blood, carrying a broadsword in his right hand, an iron rod in his left, and two severed heads tied to his waist, walking over with murderous intent. This bloody god of war appearance immediately stunned the five guards.
They looked at Zhang Ming's stick, at the old Taoist's clothes, and then at the two heads tied around Liu Hong's waist. They were terrified out of their wits. The two strongest men in the Zhang family had been killed? Who the hell would dare to fight him?!
"You bunch of useless trash, get them! Whoever saves me and kills these two petty thieves will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver!!!"
Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, Master Zhang's hope was rekindled. Instead of begging for mercy, he let out a mournful wail. Tempted by the large sum of money, the five men hesitantly moved forward.
Liu Hong sneered, picked up his broadsword and assumed a fighting stance, pointing smugly at the two heads at his waist.
"Do you also want to try my broadsword, just like them, and see if it's sharp?"
As soon as he spoke, the flickering candlelight in Dongxue Pavilion cast his tall figure's shadow, like a nightmare, onto the five servants. The five servants shuddered. The two strongest men in the Zhang family were dead. If we rushed in, we'd just be throwing our lives away! We can't win this battle!
However, out of a sense of responsibility and loyalty to the wealthy man, the five men dared not advance, nor did they dare retreat.
Liu Hong snorted coldly, wielded the iron rod, and charged forward with his broadsword in both hands. His ferocious killing god appearance terrified the five men. The most timid of them screamed and ran away!
The other four also breathed a sigh of relief. Anyway, I wasn't the one who ran first. They then turned around and ran as well, wishing they had more legs. They ran as far away from Liu Hong as possible!
"Come back! Come back!!!"
Master Zhang let out a miserable howl like a pig being slaughtered, and was then flung high into the sky by Pan Jinlian's two fox tails before falling heavily to the ground!
"Hero, spare my life! Hero, spare my life! I'll never dare to do it again! I see you're a psychic, so... this soft turban of mine, would you even want it? Not just the turban, I'll give you anything you want, just please spare my life!!!"
Seeing no hope of escape, Master Zhang was in despair. After being thrown to the ground again, he knelt down and frantically kowtowed to Pan Jinlian, his former servant, begging for his life.
A mocking smile appeared on Pan Jinlian's face. The man who used to be so high and mighty, who used to bully me so arbitrarily, is now kowtowing to me.
So that's how it is. The strong prey on the weak, and the winner takes all. That's the true nature of the world.
My constant compromise, humiliation, and retreat will not bring me a peaceful life. Only by hurting my enemy will he stop out of fear.
Liu Hong glanced at the soft turban. This hat, which was worn by ordinary people in the Song Dynasty, was actually a purple-quality magical item, and it looked even more outstanding than the blue one.
[Intelligence Turban] (Purple): +6 Intelligence.
Liu Hong immediately picked up the turban and put it on his head. Instantly, his mind became incredibly clear. With the help of this thing, his intelligence jumped from 16 to 22, and his thinking ability was greatly enhanced. Even his spiritual energy limit increased from 8 to 9. It seems that the higher the intelligence, the stronger the spiritual energy.
"I can spare your life, but you have to answer one question for me: with all the money you've spent and the people you've supported over the years, do you think you can get the government to open the city gates at night?"
Without saying a word, Liu Hong put the knife to Zhang Yuanwai's neck.
"Yes, sir, of course! Sanlang, I was blind to your greatness before, I will never dare to do that again!"
Master Zhang's obese body trembled like a leaf in front of Liu Hong.
“Then give me a carriage! A coachman! Fill it with oil—no, fill it with horse feed! We’ll hide inside together! You, personally call for the city gate to open for me. As long as we leave the walls of Qinghe County and escape for another thirty miles, I’ll release you and let you go home.”
Liu Hong spoke with absolute certainty, leaving no room for negotiation.
"If you dare refuse, or try to sabotage me halfway through, I'll kill you first! Then I'll fight the others to the death!!!"
"Hero, spare my life! Hero, spare my life! I promise you everything, I promise you everything!!!"
Having finally grasped a glimmer of hope, Master Zhang immediately kowtowed repeatedly. Pan Jinlian pushed the cart while Liu Hong, holding Master Zhang hostage, quickly went to the stable, selected two fine horses, and harnessed them to the shaft of a carriage.
Wu Dalang sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do. He had broken one of his legs and offended Master Zhang, so he couldn't stay there any longer. He would go with his younger brother and sister-in-law.
As the group loaded all their equipment, silver, and food onto the carriage, half of the Zhang mansion was alerted by their actions. A group of thugs and servants, brandishing knives and clubs, surrounded them, numbering as many as forty, looking fierce and ready to attack. These were likely the elite thugs Pan Jinlian had mentioned earlier.
However, when everyone saw the two heads on Liu Hong's waist, they were terrified and their hearts pounded with fear. No one dared to take a step forward.
When Liu Hong brandished his broadsword, pretending to be about to kill, the servants who had surrounded him were terrified and scattered! No one was willing to risk their life for the dying Master Zhang. Only one coachman, under Liu Hong's roar, shakily walked over and helped drive the carriage.
Meanwhile, Master Zhang could only watch helplessly as Liu Hongzhen, holding him hostage, stormed out of the Zhang residence and headed straight for the gates of Qinghe County.
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Author's note: I'm 11 more monthly votes away from 300 for a bonus chapter!
Chapter Fourteen: The Demise of Qinghe, a Vast and Boundless Sky (Bonus Chapter for 300 Monthly Tickets!)
Seeing that he had finally escaped from the Zhang mansion by kidnapping Master Zhang and completed the first stage of his goal, Liu Hong finally breathed a sigh of relief. Inside the carriage, he tied Master Zhang's hands behind his back and gave Pan Jinlian a knife, instructing her to keep an eye on the hostage.
He then got out of the carriage, gave the coachman a tael of silver to reassure him, and then gave him a brief lesson on how to drive the carriage.
Once I've learned it, I'll give you another tael of silver, then let you go. Today's events have nothing to do with you.
After overcoming his initial panic, Master Zhang finally came to his senses and roughly understood Liu Hong's plan and where he had failed.
This time, I used most of my network of connections. My people are everywhere—in the workshops, in the government offices, and in the prisons. Logically, Liu Hong shouldn't be able to fight me.
But who would have thought that after this kid's mental illness was cured, his fighting ability was astonishing? The conventional procedures wouldn't work, so he directly used force to overturn the table and break into my house! He caught me completely off guard!
But it doesn't matter. Master Zhang's eyes lit up and he came up with another plan. Since I can't beat him, I'll drag him into our game and use our rules to torment him.
"Third Master! Your kung fu is truly amazing! You killed three of my henchmen. All three of them combined were no match for you! In the entire Qinghe County, there is probably no one more powerful than you."
Master Zhang fawned over Liu Hong, even addressing him as Third Master.
"But are you really going to take me hostage and flee? Have you thought this through? It's not difficult to take me out of Qinghe County; I'm just a merchant with no strength to even kill a chicken. But what will you do after we leave Qinghe County?"
Even if you kill that villain, the authorities won't let it go. They will surely send officials to post notices and draw your portrait throughout Enzhou, and even the whole of Hebei, to hunt you down. Do you intend to be a fugitive with your wife and brother for the rest of your lives?
"Third Master, you wouldn't want your wife to live a life of hardship, hiding from soldiers and constantly fearing capture by the Song army, would you? The world may be vast, but it can no longer accommodate you!"
Liu Hong remained silent, patiently learning the basic skills of driving a carriage from the coachman. With the blessing of the Intelligence Turban, his Intelligence 22 even surpassed that of ordinary people, making him extremely intelligent and quick to master the skills.
Seeing that Liu Hong remained silent, Master Zhang became even more emboldened.
"But it doesn't matter, you have another option now! I am willing to hire you as the head instructor of the Zhang family, to teach my other servants martial arts. I will give you and your wife a large room, serve you good wine and food every day, and provide you with twenty taels of silver every month. If you need to do some difficult things, there will be extra rewards!"
Not only that, but I'll take care of all the crimes you've committed and the people you've killed! From now on, you and your wife can do whatever you want in Qinghe County! Even the head constable of the county government will have to be afraid of you!
There's nothing in this world that money can't solve. If there is, then pay double the amount, and no matter what law you break, I'll get it under control!
Master Zhang said anxiously.
"If you don't believe me, look at my personal bodyguard, Zhang Ming. He's also a murderer, but I got him out of the government's clutches! Since then, he's been living like a fish in water in my mansion. All the bandits and convicts in Qinghe County treat him like they're seeing me. I can even protect a murderer, so what are you afraid of, Third Master? Are you afraid I'll do something to your wife again?"
"I swear, I will never lay a hand on your wife again! I will treat you all as my elder brothers and sisters! Jinlian, don't you like jewelry? As an apology, I will have a complete set of gold jewelry made for you from head to toe!"
Hearing what Master Zhang said, Pan Jinlian wavered. She originally thought she had no other choice but to fight to the end, but she did not expect that the former master would bring out such tempting bargaining chips again.
She hesitated for a moment, but dared not trust Master Zhang. Finally, she looked at Liu Hong outside the carriage and thought, "Forget it, I'm really a bit slow-witted. I can't understand these complicated things. I haven't studied much either. I'll just listen to my husband."