Chapter 70: Chapter 62: Murder Comes Naturally When All Is Ready
Du Chengfeng once thought about how he would duel He Xiqing.
Perhaps it would be a battle that astonishes the heavens and makes ghosts weep, with both sides fighting with all their might, leaving wound after wound on each other, swinging their sabers with their last ounce of strength... Of course, in the end, one side would still prevail, with a cut that brings the opponent down.
Perhaps it would be him, perhaps it would be He Xiqing, but there would always be one person who survives to spread word of the battle.
However, imagination is ultimately just that — imagination.
When it came to the actual confrontation, Du Chengfeng realized that such a scenario was absolutely impossible. Facing this mortal enemy, he couldn’t possibly charge forward like in storybooks, foolishly raising his saber for a direct clash.
He would first weaken the opponent, with attack after attack disrupting their everyday life, making them sleepless at night. He would demoralize his opponent, wearing them down until they can’t eat in peace — and during this process, he would never force himself to accomplish impossible tasks. Not only that, he even had time to relocate the men from the Yang Family Fort to various bandit encampments, clearing his last worries.
After everything was completed, he casually chose a sunny afternoon and rode into Jizhen City.
Killing with great fanfare might not truly achieve anything; hidden beneath the grand momentum is uncertainty about the future.
The real killing comes naturally after everything is ready.
"Let me play some music from your hometown for you."
While galloping toward Jizhen City, Du Chengfeng continued to beat the war drum in his hand.
Just a random beating, not even qualifying as a rhythm, but right now Du Chengfeng didn’t need rhythm — he needed the effect of the war drum itself. And as the war drum, stained with dark red blood stains, was struck once more, shouting and killing sounds erupted fiercely within the city walls.
He Xiqing’s soldiers had sufficient confidence in themselves; they wouldn’t seek out a Wizard to quell the Evil Qi, but would continuously accumulate it, considering it a part of their power, akin to a knife in hand.
However, a blade can become blunt and also break.
This Evil Qi also has its unreliable moments.
"Not enough, not enough, let me further enhance your excitement!"
Putting the war drum back on the horseback, Du Chengfeng picked up the old horn.
The deep horn sound was desolate and distant, evoking images of the vast, endless prairie.
Under the homely sound from the prairie, the shouting and killing from within the city intensified.
In the end, He Xiqing’s soldiers were only using reason to maintain their consciousness, suppressing the madness brought by the Evil Qi — just like Du Chengfeng himself, who could indeed act like a normal person on regular days, but that didn’t mean the Evil Qi truly didn’t exist. For example, when facing those Wizards before, the Evil Qi on him was triggered, and he fell for it too.
Of course, now, it was his turn to use the same methods to teach others.
"He Xiqing? You’ve come just at the right time!"
Seeing the figure with two sabers leaping from the city wall, Du Chengfeng immediately blew his horn.
He Xiqing, who was seemingly still intending to confront him, suddenly lost control of himself, with eyes turning crimson as he charged toward Du Chengfeng.
Meanwhile, Du Chengfeng’s right-hand big saber was long ready.
As they say, killing is the culmination of all preparations leading to inevitable success.
"Zheng—"
Just then, Du Chengfeng suddenly heard the clamor of metal.
He saw He Xiqing below the horse, whose eyes had not known when they had regained clarity, and his pair of curved sabers tightly blocked the heavy fiery blade’s slash.
"Thinking of using a Wizard’s method to kill me? You’re not worthy."
"Hmm?"
It was the first time Du Chengfeng saw someone physically stop this fierce fiery blade.
With that pair of curved sabers emitting a bloody glow, Du Chengfeng felt something familiar.
Yes, he could find a suitable outlet for the Evil Qi, so how could He Xiqing possibly not achieve the same?
"Ha!"
With a loud shout, the cross blood-light formed by the dual blades forcibly pushed the blazing fiery blade back.
But just as He Xiqing raised his dual sabers like an eagle spreading its wings, preparing to retaliate, another pointy cold glint suddenly struck toward his face.
Dragon and Tiger style, Flying Dragon Saber variation, direct face thrust.
Although Du Chengfeng never quite understood why the Broken Horse Long Saber liked to use such fanciful names for moves, he figured since it liked them, he might as well indulge it.
After all, they already trusted each other completely.
"Buzz—"
Although the Broken Horse Long Saber was just over five feet long, at this moment, even with a slash across the air from a distance of more than a dozen feet, He Xiqing’s face still got cut.
This couldn’t help but make Du Chengfeng lament silently; it’s awkward not having seriously practiced long spears, classic but off-target.
However, this was no big deal, He Xiqing, who was about to move, was ultimately interrupted by his backup weapon.
So everything should be over.
"Anyway, nice to meet you for the first time."
As Du Chengfeng retracted the Broken Horse Long Saber with his left hand, the blazing fire blade in his right hand was already raised.
"No need to meet again."
As the fire blade swung down, Du Chengfeng’s face remained expressionless.
Killing, after all, is the culmination of all preparations.
The charred He Xiqing was sent flying, and this man, originally like a War God, couldn’t withstand a single slash from him—this was also within Du Chengfeng’s expectations. After all, this was what He Xiqing had done to Liu Yanran, the military governor of Jizhen City. Taking advantage of his weakness and attacking unexpectedly, this may seem despicable, but it’s indeed effective.
Of course, He Xiqing wouldn’t just die like this; that charred figure got up on the spot and fled back into the city like a whirlwind—this too was within Du Chengfeng’s expectations. If he were He Xiqing, he would also have prepared some means to save his life for emergencies.
But luckily, everything was under control.
With a squeeze of his legs against the horse’s sides, Du Chengfeng slashed through the barely repaired city gate, charging directly into the city.
In Jizhen City, the grassland warriors who had initially gathered here had already gone completely mad. Their eyes, once bloodshot, had already reached a breaking point with the evil qi, and after the stimulation of horns and war drums, the already weak balance could no longer be maintained.
And now, all that remained in the city were these red-eyed humanoid monsters, bloodthirsty and hunting any living creature indiscriminately killing everything in their path.
But for Du Chengfeng, it held no significance.
Dismounting from his horse, Du Chengfeng left his warhorse at the city gate. Even the warhorse would be terrified by the thick air of battle in the city—so, simply wielding two sabers, Du Chengfeng entered the city.
The red-eyed monsters swarmed toward Du Chengfeng, but before they could close in, they were already shredded into pieces by invisible blades.
The Broken Horse Long Saber buzzed in his hand, its aura flickering as if it was very happy.
"There will be even more enjoyable things."
With the saber on his shoulder, Du Chengfeng walked toward the city center.
That was the direction He Xiqing fled. It seemed the small bit of luck on the Unlucky Curved Saber started to take effect, at least when he came over, those grassland warriors turned monsters did delay a bit, giving He Xiqing a chance to escape.
But it didn’t matter, everything was still under his control.
After all, he still remembered the blacksmith who made this Unlucky Curved Saber, the blacksmith who escaped death nine times consecutively, was ultimately slain by him with one slash.
This is a contest of wills, a test of faith.
When he was ready for everything but found that He Xiqing wasn’t prepared at all, he already knew that the War God-like He Xiqing, and an ordinary grassland blacksmith, essentially had no difference between them.
Neither of them had the ability to defy death, neither dared face death, nor had the courage to die willingly.
This couldn’t help but make Du Chengfeng a bit sentimental.
"Thinking about it, although you’re my enemy, I’ve always admired you because you are indeed formidable."
Walking towards the governor’s residence, Du Chengfeng muttered to himself.
It seemed like he was speaking to He Xiqing, or perhaps just talking to himself.
"Unfortunately, now I finally understand, you’re just a mortal, you get hungry, you get thirsty, you get scared, you get angry... you’re no different from me, and there’s no need for me to see you as something insurmountable."
Saying this, Du Chengfeng looked up, gazing at the governor’s residence of Jizhen City.
"So, everything should end... Hmm?"
Du Chengfeng’s brow suddenly furrowed.
He suddenly smelled a scent of blood.
A thick, almost unbreakable iron-rust-like bloody scent.
