Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 256 - 247: How could I, Zhang San, not give you guys a chance?

Chapter 256: Chapter 247: How could I, Zhang San, not give you guys a chance?

Upon hearing Chen Fei mention that surrender was not out of the question, at this moment, Zhang San felt his worldview had been shaken.

How could even the villains surrender?

Aren’t you the villain?

What happened to the resolution to resist to the end, to follow the path of certain death?

If you’re not resisting now, how am I supposed to kill you?

However, Zhang San’s face still revealed a relieved smile.

"If Governor Chen and County Magistrate Chen are willing to surrender, then that would be most ideal. However, I am curious, if both of you and the brothers behind you wish to surrender, what conditions will you need? Surely it’s not unconditional surrender."

Chen Fei, observing Zhang San’s expression, felt that Zhang San was indeed hoping they would surrender.

After all, there were over a hundred martial artists on their side, and the Town Martial Office had also brought just over a hundred people—matching their numbers and overall combat power was comparable.

If there was no need to fight, then indeed, there was no necessity for a confrontation.

"Despite your young age, to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the aged military chief beside you, you must be the famous Zhang San Military Chief from the Chuan-Yu Road who has been making waves recently," Chen Fei addressed.

Zhang San gave a slight smile, not expecting that he had been recognized by the other party.

"Although we brothers come from humble beginnings, we have always aspired to the martial path. However, the unpredictability of life with its great ups and downs—who can truly make sense of it?"

"If Military Chief Zhang does not mind, we brothers could even feign death in this incident and then join the Town Martial Office. Even with our strength, being a military chief would not be possible, but serving as pawns under Military Chief Zhang should pose no problem."

Zhang San smiled coldly and asked, "What about the terms of the deal? You can’t possibly have no demands, right?"

Chen Fei gave a slight smile, his expression becoming somewhat smug.

Clearly, he believed that Zhang San was truly starting to consider absorbing them into the Town Martial Office.

Although the benefits of joining the Town Martial Office might seem to be less, this was only a superficial appearance.

After serving as a governor for so long, Chen Fei naturally understood that as long as you held power, you would not lack wealth.

"Right now, we brothers are actually not lacking in money. What we’re missing is a career. If Military Chief Zhang does not disdain us, you can just offer us the standard compensation for martial artists in the Town Martial Office. We brothers will definitely lead these men under us to handle any task Military Chief Zhang assigns with impeccable results!"

At this point, Zhang San nodded.

How could someone who achieved the rank of Fourth Rank governor so easily give up his original glory and wealth to become a martial artist in the Town Martial Office?

Either there was a bigger plot at play, or there was deception involved.

Zhang San glanced at Xu. Although Xu said nothing, Zhang San could see from Xu’s eyes the disdain he had for a person like Chen Fei.

Clearly, it was impossible for someone like Chen Fei to join the Town Martial Office.

Moreover, their mission this time was to capture them and escort them back to the Capital. Reporting them dead and then allowing them to join the Town Martial Office under assumed names would only cause trouble for themselves.

Zhang San smiled at Chen Fei and said, "Actually, when I first joined the Town Martial Office, I was willing to reason with others."

"But later I discovered that, in this world, many people, many times, when they can assert their strength to you, they stop reasoning with you. I don’t think that’s right. So... I have become such a person!"

Zhang San suddenly changed his tone, catching Chen Fei and Chen Yue completely off guard.

And in the next instant, Zhang San abruptly drew his Horizontal Blade and slashed out.

With a loud bang.

Blade Gang with Blade Intent was entwined with Thunder Method, turning into an attack that raced wildly.

At the same time, the Town Martial Office faction, which had been ready to take action, struck first.

Chen Fei and others, who originally thought that a battle wouldn’t erupt, were caught off guard. Not only did they lose the advantage of striking first, but many of them lost their lives on the spot.

Especially Chen Fei’s brother, Chen Yue, who never expected Zhang San to suddenly make a move.

Directly impacted by Zhang San’s Blade Intent, half of his body was torn apart by the Blade Intent, leaving only the lower half of his corpse standing in place. After a short while, it slowly fell to the ground.

The martial artists behind him, upon seeing this situation, many chose to flee at the first opportunity.

But with Zhang San taking action, how could there not be preparations made in the surroundings? Everyone attacked together, beginning to besiege the remaining seventy to eighty martial artists on Chen Fei’s side.

If they had faced each other head-on from the start, Chen Fei and his followers might not necessarily have been defeated. At the very least, successfully escaping with the majority wouldn’t have been a problem.

But the sudden ambush, coupled with the trap set by the mindful against the mindless, directly shattered the martial artists’ will to resist.

Enraged, Chen Fei roared at Zhang San, "We already said we would surrender, why must you exterminate us to the last!?"

Zhang San coldly looked at Chen Fei and drew another Horizontal Blade with his other hand.

"Sometimes I don’t quite understand why good people, who are honest and humble, who don’t covet what doesn’t belong to them, who just want what they deserve, end up being squeezed dry of even their last drop of blood to nourish the mud under the feet of the wicked."

"Yet for those without morals, without bottom lines, without conscience, those who have committed such heinous acts, they can still rely on family, background, connections to escape judgment, to evade punishment."

"Some say this is justice delayed. I disagree. I believe that good people should also have the power to maintain the order of goodness. When encountering evil, they should exterminate it. When faced with a tyrant, they should be more tyrannical than the tyrant!"

The next moment, Zhang San held dual blades as the sound of thunder and the crackle of fire mingled in the blade wind.

Chen Fei, grinding his teeth, charged at Zhang San.

Over the years, Chen Fei had always been stuck in the final phase of the True Core Realm, True Core to the Sea, because he believed the world needed strength, but it also needed power. He spent money on buying positions, finding backers within the Imperial Court, thinking he could lead a carefree and joyful life thereafter.

But he never imagined that today would be the day that required strength.

However, Chen Fei, who had not practiced much over the years, had wielded a blade fewer times than he had touched a woman’s buttocks.

Even though he was two stages higher than Zhang San, how could he possibly be Zhang San’s match?

After a brief exchange, Zhang San cut off his head.

The many martial artists on him were quickly slain by the people from the Town Martial Office.

As the battle concluded, Zhang San had Luo Liangfeng lead the seventy-two Maoshan living dead to revive the villagers’ souls.

Then, Zhang San glanced at everyone present and said in a cold voice, "Today, Governor Chen Fei and County Magistrate Chen Yue, relying on the strength and power of their numerous martial artists, defied the Town Martial Office and openly disobeyed the imperial edict. They were killed by us. I, Zhang San, don’t want any credit for this exploit. If anything happens in the future, I, Zhang San, will bear it alone."

The surrounding crowd immediately clasped their fists and thanked Zhang San.

Xu watched Zhang San’s face, now filled with calm and indifference, and knew that Zhang San had embarked on a path different from that of the jovial youth he used to be.

Whether it was a path of survival or destruction, Xu wasn’t sure.

But what Xu knew was that with the death of a Governor and a County Magistrate at Zhang San’s hands, Zhang San’s name would become a focus of attention for everyone at the Great Sui Dynasty Court, no matter whether the remaining officials were safely escorted to the Capital or