Chapter 184: Forgetting the Sword to Find the Sword, The Plague Harmonia Envoy
The wind picked up, swirling the fallen leaves around them.
Huang Facai, following the trail of corpses, reached Tu Baoquan’s body, a sword protruding from his chest, and saw the blood-soaked young man standing over him, his aura radiating power and menace.
But Huang Facai was a seasoned martial artist. He knew the young man was stalling, trying to recover his strength.
He roared, unleashing a wave of demonic energy.
The black energy, like a solid wall, surged towards Shi Hao, propelled by his fist.
Shi Hao flickered, rolling to his left, grabbing a branch as he moved, and then, with a swift, fluid motion, thrust it towards Huang Facai’s ribs.
He was using the branch as a sword, its tip radiating a sharp, icy energy.
With intent as his guide, anything could become a sword.
Huang Facai dodged and counterattacked.
Shi Hao, using the Soul Chasing Locking Steps, stayed close, always to his left.
Huang Facai’s left arm had been severed by the Parting Hook.
He was a palm fighter, his forearms protected by hidden metal bracers.
He hadn’t yet adjusted to fighting with one arm.
And for Shi Hao, this was a weakness to exploit.
Huang Facai, not wanting to engage in a prolonged exchange of techniques, used his Absolute Defense, his body enveloped in a swirling black aura, like a demonic flame, as he lunged towards Shi Hao.
Shi Hao, however, his branch a blur, unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one targeting a gap in Huang Facai’s defenses, his movements precise and controlled as he circled him, retreating step by step.
Having forgotten the sword, he had found it again.
Huang Facai was inwardly shocked… This young man’s swordsmanship had improved dramatically since their last encounter in the Ba Mountains.
His simple branch, wielded with such skill and precision, neutralized Huang Facai’s overwhelming power.
Despite his strength, Huang Facai was constantly on the defensive, his attacks easily deflected, like a giant trying to swat a mosquito.
With a crash, a tree shattered under his fist, and he kicked the broken trunk towards Shi Hao.
Shi Hao leaped back, narrowly avoiding it.
But even as he retreated, the branch in his hand still radiated a faint sword intent, aimed at Huang Facai’s left side, a constant, subtle pressure.
The broken tree trunk, spinning through the air, shattered two more trees before landing with a thud, the grass around it withering instantly.
Shi Hao landed gracefully, the branch in his hand whistling softly, its aura sharp and menacing.
Both Tu Baoquan and Huang Facai were stronger than him.
And they had many men with them.
But from the beginning, Shi Hao had used his knowledge of tactics and strategy to negate their advantage in numbers.
He had used the blood poison impurities to weaken Tu Baoquan, preventing him from using his full power.
And now, against Huang Facai, although enraged, he had targeted his opponent’s weakness, forcing him to constantly adjust, his powerful techniques ineffective.
“Huang Facai” wasn’t his real name. He had held a high position within the Poisonous Sunflower Sect, entrusted with this mission of infiltrating the Hanyang Gang and expanding their influence in the Ba Mountains and the Hanyang River region.
However, having failed to conquer the Ba Mountains, his status within the sect had declined.
In the demonic sects, only results mattered. He had used a significant amount of the sect’s resources without achieving his objective. He was now on the periphery.
That’s why he hadn’t been able to properly recover from his injury… In these turbulent times, any delay meant missed opportunities.
And now, having returned to the jianghu, he had encountered this young man again.
He couldn’t retreat. So many lives lost, a fifth-rank expert sacrificed, and he had nothing to show for it. Returning to the sect empty-handed would be disastrous.
He had to capture this young man and retrieve the Demonic Qilin Blood Poison.
Seeing another attack coming, the branch aimed at his left ribs, he dodged slightly and lunged towards Shi Hao.
The branch pierced his side, grazing a rib, the wound, although painful, not fatal.
As the branch shattered, he struck out with his palm, a surge of demonic energy aimed at Shi Hao.
Shi Hao, having anticipated this desperate attack, didn’t try to block it.
He leaped back, his right hand reaching out, grabbing the sword embedded in Tu Baoquan’s chest.
Huang Facai’s demonic energy surged, a wall of force pressing down on him – the Life Severance technique.
He was surrounded by the crushing force, with no escape.
At the last moment, Shi Hao raised his sword, creating a whirlwind that pulled at the demonic energy.
Then, he slashed downwards, and the world seemed to collapse inwards, the demonic energy, caught in the vortex, swirling towards his blade. He was using the Azure Sky Immortal Thunder Sword, fueled by the Unfettered Demon’s Boundless Art.
Huang Facai watched in disbelief as the world before him seemed to shrink, everything being drawn towards a single point.
Such a bizarre and inexplicable phenomenon, unlike anything he had ever seen.
Their figures crossed, a blur of motion.
Shi Hao stumbled, his hands on his knees, gasping for breath, then collapsed onto the grass, exhausted.
Behind him, Huang Facai, a sword protruding from his chest, swayed, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Impressive… swordsmanship,” he murmured.
A wry smile appeared on his face… no anger, no regret, just… acceptance.
He had been outmatched.
He collapsed, his body falling to the ground.
Shi Hao sat there, breathing heavily.
He was covered in blood, his body aching, exhausted.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, stood up with some effort, his sword in hand, and then searched Huang Facai’s body, finding a bundle of silver notes but nothing else of value.
Demonic cultivators rarely carried anything that could reveal their secrets or their affiliations.
He then searched Tu Baoquan’s body and found a jade talisman.
It was cold to the touch, a faint light emanating from within. A magical weapon.
As he walked out of the forest, he examined the talisman, using his Primordial Energy and his knowledge of such artifacts to discern its function.
—The “Plague Dispelling Talisman.”
—Containing the Divine Crystal: Plague Harmonia Envoy.
—Effect: Dispels plagues and diseases caused by the four Plague Stars: Eastern Plague, Southern Plague, Western Plague, and Northern Plague.
No wonder Tu Baoquan hadn’t used it. It wasn’t a combat-oriented weapon.
Most divine crystals granted abilities that weren’t directly useful in battle.
He wondered why Tu Baoquan had been carrying it.
The four Plague Stars had been used by the barbarian army three hundred years ago.
Emperor Lie Zunyi had infused four of his warriors with these divine crystals, creating the “Four Plague Generals.”
They had caused significant damage to the Chinese forces resisting the barbarian invasion.
Of course, after three hundred years, those Four Plague Generals were likely long dead, and the four Plague Stars hadn’t reappeared since.
Or perhaps they had, but were kept hidden. After all, such weapons, capable of causing widespread death and destruction, were dangerous to use.
The Plague Harmonia Envoy’s main function was to neutralize the effects of the four Plague Stars.
And there was another divine crystal, the Persuasion Benevolence Envoy, which could prevent plagues from occurring, but couldn’t cure existing ones, while the Plague Harmonia Envoy could cure plagues but couldn’t prevent them.
Unlike most magical weapons, the Plague Dispelling Talisman could be used twice a day, and it had thirty uses remaining, each use covering a fifty-li radius.
It seemed it had never been used.
Shi Hao examined it closely. It was pristine and new, clearly recently crafted.
As he emerged from the forest, he sensed someone approaching and quickly hid behind a tree… He was too exhausted to fight, even against a low-ranking opponent.
The approaching figure, a woman, also stopped, looking around.
Shi Hao, relieved, stepped out, “Branch Leader Sha.”
“Young Master,” Sha Lingshan, the woman in the green robe, exclaimed, “You’re injured?”
Shi Hao smiled, “I had a… disagreement with the Poisonous Sunflower Sect. I’m a bit bruised, but nothing serious.”
A small figure flew from behind Sha Lingshan, “Young Master!”
It was the Emerald Beauty.
Shi Hao nodded, “Let’s leave this place.”
Escorted by Sha Lingshan and the Emerald Beauty, they left the forest.
Along the way, Shi Hao washed the blood and grime from his body in a stream.
His internal energy, circulating continuously, was slowly returning.
He asked, “Do you know where Yuejiao is?”
Sha Lingshan waved her fan, “I was just about to tell you, Young Master. According to Dragon Girl, Miss Yuejiao, along with Hou Bomin and that Xiang Gu girl, have gone to Wu Gorge.”
Shi Hao turned, surprised, “Wu Gorge?”
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