Fusang Sword Heart Diagram

Chapter 53: Total Annihilation
As the distant scene came into view, Zhong Feiyan gasped and frowned deeply.

All the trees within a ten-mile radius were destroyed, and the ground was riddled with craters of varying sizes, as if struck by a meteorite, with small pools of blood pooling around them. The blood, flesh, and soil were mixed together, blurry and nauseating to look at.

Even Zhong Feiyan, a rogue cultivator who made a living by robbing, couldn't help but be moved by the horrific scene before him.

He thought to himself, "The battle between experts at the fourth level is indeed terrifying."

But this only strengthened Zhong Feiyan's resolve to rob people!
Zhong Feiyan had opportunities in his early years, cultivating all the way to the third level. Among rogue cultivators, he belonged to the group with very good luck and strength. However, after reaching the third level, he lacked cultivation resources and was unable to advance to the next level. His cultivation has stagnated for seven or eight years.

If I manage to rob this place, breaking through to a minor realm will definitely be a piece of cake.

Thinking of this, Zhong Feiyan smiled contemptuously to himself. "So what if it's the Southern Star Sword Sect? After we finish this robbery, at worst, my brothers and I will leave Yuling Prefecture to lay low for a while. No matter how far the Southern Star Sword Sect's reach is, it can't extend to the other prefectures. Besides, they're just a few mermaids and outer disciples. What do they amount to to the Southern Star Sword Sect?"

"Sometimes I think, this world is really unfair! The tiny bit of meat that can be squeezed out by the major sects is an opportunity that we rogue cultivators might not be able to obtain even if we risk our lives."

"But who can blame them for having the bigger fist? Rules are made by the strong, and we rogue cultivators can only act cautiously within those rules. Just like the vast majority of cultivation resources in the world are controlled by sects, and outsiders can't even take a peek. If we don't break the rules, how can we get any resources from the righteous path?"

"They need to cultivate themselves, and so do we, the independent cultivators!"

So, are rogue cultivators wrong for murdering, arson, and robbing for profit? It was the righteous sects who first cut off their path of cultivation. Their robbing was merely a means to survive in the cracks.

Zhong Feiyan assessed the situation and instructed his four brothers: "After we've taken the goods, we'll leave Xiaofeng Town and Yuling Prefecture, and go to Yangchi Prefecture in the west to lay low for a while before coming back."

The group, their faces masked, flew away and landed on the blood-soaked ground. Ah Quan, his face filled with panic, demanded, "What do you want?"

She made a hand seal with her hands, warning, "Don't come any closer, or I won't be polite!"

The fifth brother, his face covered except for his eyes, sneered, "Mermaids aren't good at fighting. Who are you trying to scare?"

"Brother, should we slit the throats of these guys?"

Zhong Feiyan glanced around at the several seriously injured and unconscious disciples of the Nanxing Sword Sect beside Aquan, but no murderous intent appeared in his eyes.

He changed his voice and said to the others, "You guys search the storage bags and treasures left behind on the battlefield first."

The second brother exclaimed "Hey!" and reached into the blood pool to stir it, but found nothing. He quickly moved to another blood pit and continued his search.

Zhong Feiyan placed his five fingers on the scabbard and said in a cold voice, "Take off the storage bags from their waists and throw them to me, and I'll spare your lives."

He was unwilling to offend the Southern Star Sword Sect too much unless absolutely necessary.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Ah Quan still stepped in front and mustered his courage to say, "No, the storage bag isn't mine, I can't agree to that."

The blade was revealed an inch, and A-Quan trembled, gritting his teeth as he said, "They are disciples of the Southern Star Sword Sect, you can't kill them."

“I know that rogue cultivators rob for money, and kill only to avoid being targeted by their enemies, so they simply want to end it all. But they are already unconscious, and you are all masked. After you finish picking up the storage bags left on the battlefield, leave as soon as possible. Isn’t that enough?”

A-Quan's voice trembled slightly, her heart pounding wildly. What the other party said was true; merfolk were not good at fighting. If a fight really broke out, she had no confidence at all.

She could only gamble that the other party would be wary of the power of the Southern Star Sword Sect, and that Yang could return in time.

"Big brother, I found a storage bag!" the third brother's voice rang out. Zhong Feiyan slowly released the hilt of his knife, turned around, and suddenly, his body stiffened. Blood inexplicably seeped from between his eyebrows and flowed down his nose. His body collapsed to the ground with a thud.

he died.

"Witch, what have you done to my brother?!"

Witnessing this, the fifth brother shouted angrily and raised his knife to slash at Ah Quan.

Ding!
A flash of light deflected the blade, producing a crisp sound.

Ah Quan narrowly escaped death, and his palms and heart were ice-cold.

She looked up and saw Yang Ruo and Ning Fusang, one after the other, landing on the battlefield. The girl had changed out of her tattered blue clothes and was now dressed in a light sky-blue outfit, without a trace of blood. She was beautiful, elegant, and radiant, showing no trace of the ruthlessness she had displayed when killing.

When Ning Fusang put on her disguise, her appearance was very deceptive.

After experiencing this brutal battle, Yang Ruo's heart had become cold. He looked at the corpses of the rogue cultivators at his feet and said nothing.

Ning Fusang reminded him, "Senior brother, there are still four rats to deal with."

Yang Ruo nodded, and with a flick of his sleeve, spiritual energy swept over, suppressing the four people. They stared wide-eyed in horror, realizing they couldn't move.

"Is this kid human or a demon?" the second brother asked in alarm.

"Senior, please spare our worthless lives! Take whatever you want from us, just please let us go!" The third brother, who valued his life the most, cried out in anguish.

Yang Ruo's face showed emotion, but Ning Fusang immediately grabbed his hand: "If Senior Brother is unwilling to kill, Junior Sister can do it in his place and become that killing sword."

Ning Fusang bent down, pulled off the storage bag from Zhong Feiyan's body, and then felt around on him, finding another storage bag hidden in the lining of his clothes.

She straightened up and smiled, saying, "May I borrow your sword, Senior Brother?"

Yang Ruo did not refuse. Ning Fusang drew her sword, the snow-white blade flashing. Yang Ruo looked at her and squeezed out a question: "Junior Sister Ning, do you have some kind of homicidal fetish?"

Although it wasn't very polite, he couldn't help but ask.

Ning Fusang raised her eyes to meet his gaze, her peach blossom eyes devoid of any emotion: "Is Senior Brother telling me some lame joke?"

"A sword is a weapon of destruction, not an ornament."

What's the point of her learning swordsmanship that doesn't kill?
Yang Ruo closed his eyes, tacitly approving Ning Fusang's attempt to eliminate the threat completely.

An endless cycle of revenge should be avoided from the outset, so any opportunity for revenge to continue should be eliminated.

If people are dead, what is the point of endless cycles of revenge?

After dealing with the four rogue cultivators, Ning Fusang returned the sword to Yang Ruo. She waved her storage bag in front of him and said, "Shared among the people, I'll give one to my senior brother?"

(End of this chapter)