Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha
Chapter 71 Start Your Performance

Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Start Your Performance

Feng Xiaonian is dead, and the highest-ranking officer in this cavalry troop is the Deputy General up front wearing dark iron armor, who looks to be in his forties, with dark skin, as if he has been sunbathed too much by the seaside.

He gave Nezha a cupped-hand salute, his expression far from pleasant, and said solemnly, "I am Xue Tao, Deputy General of the Fei Yu Camp at Chentang Pass. I did not expect this Feng Xiaonian to be the culprit who secretly harmed my fellow townspeople of Chentang Pass. Third Young Master is benevolent and righteous, taking action to eliminate him. Xue Tao admires you. However, if the brothers were to pass by without acting, I’m afraid it would be difficult to explain when we reach Sanshan Pass."

Nezha furrowed his brows slightly and said coldly, "If you want to fight, why not urge the troops to come forward?"

The black horse under Xue Tao shuffled its steps, seemingly restless; actually, Xue Tao on the horse was even more anxious. He gave Nezha a meaningful glance, unsure whether the latter understood his silent communication.

He said, "I have long heard of the Third Young Master’s divine power. Why create more slaughter? Though Xue Tao is but a mediocre general on horseback, I am skilled in foot combat, with twenty years of saber technique that I would like to learn from the Third Young Master. Even if I lose, at least there will be an explanation."

Xue Tao dismounted and walked to the front, taking down a grey bundle from his back with a solemn face and unwrapping the silk cloth around the saber layer by layer as he crouched down.

The group of Armored Soldiers behind him looked at his not-so-broad back, now feeling their anger replaced by emotion and admiration.

Everyone knew he could not win.

That was why they admired his courage.

But from this angle, there were some things they couldn’t see, while Nezha could.

From the front where the generals and soldiers could not see, Xue Tao was looking up at Nezha, constantly winking, with a frequency so high as if his eyes were confused by the wind blowing.

Nezha naturally understood his meaning; the old folks were also from Chentang Pass, and hearing Feng Xiaonian had harmed their fellow villagers, they hated him too.

But after all, being in the army and having families to worry about, they needed to cherish their lives. Thus, all the winking essentially meant that he didn’t truly want to compete with the Third Young Master over winning or losing. It was all for getting an explanation.

Since Nezha understood, he didn’t mind playing along with this act, but he couldn’t help thinking that this Xue Tao was quite the character, with so much foreplay and excellent acting skills, it was really a pity for him to be fighting in the military.

"Please," Nezha said.

Nezha flicked his wrist, shaking the fresh blood off his sword, his face cold and indifferent, resembling frost, which, in the eyes of those soldiers who grew up in Chentang Pass, seemed like an extraordinary bearing.

They thought, with such a demeanor and grace, he is truly worthy to be the Third Young Master of the Li Family, indeed the descendant of an Immortal.

Xue Tao clenched his teeth, shouted lowly, and charged forward with his saber, the blade’s light rolling close to his body, forming a silvery whirl that seemed impenetrable, continuous and relentless. It clashed with Nezha’s sword, and for a moment, they appeared evenly matched, eliciting continuous cheers from the soldiers behind him.

Nezha, while fighting, slowly retreated, his whole body enveloped in the blade’s light, appearing to be in constant danger. However, he did not feel that Xue Tao’s saber technique was genuinely as he claimed, honed with twenty years’ skill.

In less than twenty exchanges, defending without attacking, Nezha spotted seven or eight vulnerabilities that could be fatal if exploited.

In the midst of the intense battle, Nezha thrust his sword toward the hilt of Xue Tao’s saber, lightly tapping it. Xue Tao’s treasured saber almost flew out of his hand, abruptly awakening him from the exhilarating sensation of continuous slashing.

Xue Tao immediately understood that Nezha was reminding him that it was about time to conclude.

Next, Nezha changed his moves, and Xue Tao cooperated accordingly, allowing the sword to slice a shallow cut on his arm, making it seem like a serious bleed, when in reality it was merely a thin break in the skin.

Nezha sheathed his sword and stood with his hands behind his back.

Xue Tao staggered back three steps, clutching his arm. His figure wavered before he knelt on one knee, a bitter expression on his face as he spoke, "As expected of the Third Young Master, Xue Tao is no match for you. I will take my leave first with my men. However, General Feng does have official military orders to consider, so please reflect carefully on your future actions, Young Master."

With those words left hanging between them, the two exchanged a glance and gave a slight nod. Behind them, two soldiers dismounted and first bowed to Nezha before helping Xue Tao onto the horse and retrieving Feng Xiaonian’s decapitated corpse.

And thus, amidst the desolate autumn wind, an autumn rain washed away the bloodstains between the cobblestones on the street.

On this street stood Lin Jingge, the honored elder guest from the West Sea’s Purple Dragon Island, who raised his eyebrows slightly, clearly seeing through the ruse between Nezha and this mere mortal Deputy General. He chuckled dryly.

"Youth is indeed wonderful."

He was reminded of his own past, when he had left home in pursuit of immortality; his parents and sisters tearing up as they bid him farewell, along with the companions from his village with whom he had grown up. In the blink of an eye, nearly a thousand years had passed, and almost all of them had died.

Though Elder Lin was momentarily caught in a melancholic springtime sorrow, it did not impede his plans to acquire the Qiankun Bag in Nezha’s possession.

He had lived for over a millennium, his cultivation deep and renowned across the Four Seas, else he would not have been able to assume the position of an honored elder guest on Purple Dragon Island as a Loose Cultivator.

He always believed that a person of his seniority should maintain some dignity, refraining from openly demanding items from a child like Nezha purely on account of his cultivation.

What difference would there be from an outright robbery?

Should this come to light, he would lose all standing in the cultivation world.

Thus, he planned to steal in secret and eliminate any witnesses.

"Hehe, miserly Daoist, miserly Daoist, in my life I’ve only ever been miserly. If not for these Magic Treasures and elixirs, why would I deign to affiliate myself with Purple Dragon Island and be at the whim of others?"

Elder Lin sneered, hands in his sleeves as he continued to watch the unfolding scene. He looked at the palanquin on the street and murmured, "Handle-less flying swords, could it be those reckless Sword Cultivators from Taihang Mountain? No, it doesn’t seem quite right. Could it be that good-for-nothing old man has come as well?"

If Wang Hanwen knew that the revered master, whom he held in such esteem and supported with his family’s full capabilities, was being referred to as a ’good-for-nothing old man,’ he would surely summon all his rare courage to fight back fiercely.

However, Nezha turned around at that moment, and Elder Lin’s heart skipped a beat as he met Nezha’s pitch-black eyes.

"Who might you be?" inquired Nezha.

Wang Hanwen, his hands resting on his knees, felt his entire body go rigid. He wasn’t even able to summon his flying sword, let alone remember how to circulate the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

He coughed a few times and said, "Ahem, this gentleman, Young Master Nezha, I am Wang Hanwen, the eldest son of the Wang Family from Lingquan Town. I heard that someone died here yesterday and have come to take a look. It’s purely coincidental that I have encountered Young Master Nezha; I definitely didn’t come looking for trouble."

Nezha looked at him, a cold smile in his heart as he said chillingly, "You Gaolang, right? I killed him. What do you intend to do about it?"

Wang Hanwen became so nervous that he almost forgot how to speak, but once he started talking, he quickly returned to the domain he was most comfortable with.

Seeing that Nezha was not giving him any leeway, he knew that Nezha was deliberately provoking him. Although Wang Hanwen himself had come looking for trouble and was ready to vent his anger, he understood that he must not let Nezha find any fault with him now, or else Nezha would truly become infuriated.

He said, "Young Master Nezha is correct; it was indeed You Gaolang. I saw he had some martial prowess and skills, so I hired him as a guard for my house.

But who knew he would turn out to be a thief, stealing silver coins from my family time and again, and even colluding with bandits to harm traveling merchants!

I was planning on dealing with him, but now that I’ve heard he’s dead, I wanted to see who had killed him. I never expected that Young Master Nezha would take action to remove such a scourge. Truly a heroic youth, inspiring admiration in my heart!"

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