Red Heart Patrols the Sky

"Right," before departing, Zhang Linchuan suddenly looked at Tang Dun, "Your name is Tang Dun?"

"That's what I'm called," Tang Dun replied.

Zhang Linchuan smiled, "Dun means steadfast, sincere. That's a good name."

Tang Dun scratched his head, "Our school teacher named me when I was young."

"Oh?" Zhang Linchuan inquired.

"Our town, Tang She Town, is poor and couldn't afford the school fees; few hunting families care about whether their children can read or not. It was the teacher who came all the way to us and taught us for three years. But after three years, he left to continue his journey. He liked me the most and said I was some kind of jade."

With that explanation, things made sense.

The practice of wandering scholars was esteemed by the people, and disciples from all backgrounds existed.

Such as Confucianist Gate disciples, who believe in reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles, many of whom travel between countries. Some do it to broaden their horizons, while others do so to peddle their skills.

Similarly, Mo Gate disciples travel the world, experiencing everything personally. However, if they had encountered Tang Dun, they would probably have taught him some martial arts or even imparted some basic mechanical techniques, rather than how to read and write.

Zhuang Country, with its Taoist Sect as the state religion, did not reject disciples from other schools too much. Tang Dun's experiences were no cause for concern.

Jiang Wang then said, "Since you have read books, it's a bit of a waste to remain a constable here. Once you've taken care of Niuer's affairs, if you have no other encumbrances, you might consider taking the external examinations of Fenglin City's Dao Academy."

This was because he saw the simple and honest nature of the man and felt a slight desire to cherish talent, but after all, it was up to Tang Dun to decide.

Leaving Tang She Town and heading straight south along the official road, one would be on the way back to Fenglin City.

Due to the corresponding Array Patterns carved, there were no wild beasts on the official road.

The horse's hooves were not in a hurry, and seated on horseback Zhang Linchuan's voice was equally measured, "Do you know how many resources the Court has to invest every year to maintain the official roads within Zhuang Country's borders?"

Jiang Wang shook his head; he indeed knew little about these matters.

"It's an astronomical figure," Zhang Linchuan said. "Moreover, these Array Patterns can only drive away low-level monsters. The more powerful fierce beasts still require strong individuals to clear them. The Court invests enormous manpower and resources annually to keep everywhere accessible. They also invest resources into the Dao Academy without regard for cost. What we can do is grow as quickly as possible to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities."

"I stand enlightened," Jiang Wang replied.

"Then let me ask you this, why doesn't the Court let everyone gather in the big cities for protection by the large formations?"

"I suppose there are two reasons," Jiang Wang pondered before speaking. "First, even big cities have their limits and cannot meet everyone's needs for survival. Second, each city affects only a limited area; the Court needs these official roads to extend in all directions, using towns as nodes, because that represents actual territory. And the land is a resource."

"You see it very clearly. The formations in each town and village cannot be as safe as those in the large cities, but villages and towns have irreplaceable roles. Just like Tang She Town, as long as it exists, Fenglin City can harvest the resources from Qi Chang Mountain Range without end. If one day Tang She Town is gone, the Qi Chang Mountain Range will no longer concern our Zhuang Country."

"The residents of Tang She Town dare to hunt in the Qi Chang Mountain Range, so of course, they have their own experts. That demon hid himself when the Procuratorate came, and there were no other disturbances when we were not there. But he chose to strike precisely when we arrived..."

As he said this, Zhang Linchuan turned his head, looking at Jiang Wang with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Junior Brother Jiang, do you have something on you that attracts them?"

Jiang Wang could not answer.

He certainly had secrets on him, but they were solely the legacy of the key to the Taixu that he inherited from Zuo Guanglie. All the changes took place within the Taixu Illusion Realm, and they presumably had not been detected in reality. However, if this was unrelated, the first time he was attacked by that demon seemed to be after he entered the Taixu Illusion Realm.

He was considering how to obfuscate the truth, when Zhang Linchuan suddenly raised a hand, three fingers pointing straight at Jiang Wang, his middle and ring fingers bent, the others extended.

And lightning leaped from the tips of the raised fingers, coalescing into a thunderbolt that sped straight toward Jiang Wang!

Jiang Wang didn't even have time to react before the lightning bolt whizzed past his ear, striking a poison arrow tinged with dark green and shattering it to pieces.

Only then did Jiang Wang hear the sharp whistling of the poison arrow as it hastily accelerated, and he smelled the scorched scent of the hair brushed by the lightning.

"I've been waiting for you!" Zhang Linchuan leapt from the horseback, his free right hand forming a strange finger gesture and raising upward as a whip of lightning coalesced out of thin air.

"To death with me!"

Wielding the whip of lightning as if he were a diving eagle, he charged toward the attacker concealed in the woods to the left of the official road.

It turned out he had been prepared all along and was multitasking, secretly forming a hand sign, readying two Dao Techniques in advance to counterattack the moment the attack occurred.

Jiang Wang's gap with such an experienced senior brother was still vast.

Then a voice came from the forest on the right, "Too risky, split up and retreat!"

Jiang Wang, who was about to follow Zhang Linchuan, suddenly turned back!

How could he not recognize that voice? In the room of that little girl in Tang She Town, although there were only a few short sentences, they were enough to imprint deeply in his mind!

A Path Origin within Tongtian Palace erupted silently, and Jiang Wang, without hesitation, charged decisively toward the direction the voice had come from.

Living in Zhuang Country, almost every commoner remembers the first thing before leaving home—never stray from the official road.

Outside the range of human towns and the main roads, all belongs to wildlands. These are the territories where wild beasts, monsters, and even fiercer beasts roam freely.

Zhang Linchuan was strong enough, so he disregarded it.

Jiang Wang wanted to kill, so he also disregarded it.

He had witnessed bloodshed, witnessed cruelty, but even the vilest outlaw on the western mountains wouldn't swing his blade at a child. The little girl had just begun to know this world—innocent, naive, radiant. How could she be so innocent?

Jiang Wang's sword trembled in its scabbard. It seemed to be excited, as if it too knew that it was about to shine its brightest light in its life.

Ten years to sharpen a sword, its frosty blade never tested. Today I present it to thee, who has grievances unaddressed?

Clang clang clang clang clang.

In the instant the longsword leaped forth, it struck the scabbard five times before it freed itself!

The sword like a shooting star, the man like a Jiao Dragon.

A great tree moaned as it fell, and the heretical fiend hidden among its branches leapt back in haste.

In the rush, his face was obscured and unclear, only his ghastly pale complexion could be seen beneath the disheveled hair.

Within the Tongtian Palace, one Path Origin after another exploded.

Jiang Wang had never been so wastefully extravagant, feeling his entire body brimming with strength.

Before forming a Dao Coil, every spent Path Origin is a setback in cultivation.

But this was the only way to kill.

He had to cut down this monster, so his pent-up rage might find an outlet, so his spirit could find peace.

The Purple Qi Eastward sword, the second style of the killing technique, brought forth a sweep of frost light.

The ashen-faced monster, retreating too hastily to form incantations, his right arm rapidly swelling, muscles bulging, veins popping, unleashed a furious punch towards the frost light.

Sword and this demonic arm clashed over ten times in an instant.

It was only then that Jiang Wang suddenly realized—he had misjudged! His opponent was strong, much stronger than him! This was not someone who simply relied on prepared defenses or someone just stronger in cultivation.

In other words, if this ashen-faced monster had unleashed his full strength back in Tang House Town, Jiang Wang doubted he could have survived.

But retreat did not exist in his heart. His sword vibrated again, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

Purple Qi Eastward sword technique, the third style of the killing method!

As the light shifted, the monstrously transformed right arm was completely severed and sent flying!

"Damn it!!"

The ashen-faced fiend roared. He hadn't expected to be pushed to a dead end by the young man fighting desperately without paying attention.

He suddenly stamped his back foot onto a great tree mid-flight, knowing he could not retreat further—retreat meant death. Survival sprang from the fight for life.

From the point of contact with his back foot, the entire large tree withered in an instant.

Then, from his howling mouth, a grey mist sprayed out, filled with an intense rotting smell and a pungent stench.

Manipulating the power of life and death—this was a Dao Technique of the Underworld!

The sword light surged.

Path Origin propelled the sword light, the sword light cut through the grey mist, and Jiang Wang emerged from it, leaping forth!

Purple Qi Eastward sword technique, the fourth style of the killing method!

In Tang House Town, he let this monster escape; he was caught off guard, without a plan.

But at least now, at this moment, he had to give that little girl named Niuer an explanation!

That was his responsibility to the civilians as a cultivator.

It was the responsibility of an adult towards a child!

Jiang Wang's figure, leaping through the air, broke through the grey mist and appeared in the eyes of the ashen-faced fiend.

And in his eyes, widening with terror, filled with shock, a dazzling sword light descended from above.

That was the last light he saw before eternal darkness.