Chapter 154: Beyond Expectation

Stepping out from the field piled high with corpses, Zhou Qing walked onto a country dirt road, moving slowly beneath the moonlight. He continued onward, and as the night deepened, passing through a mountain hollow, two men clad in cloth armor suddenly burst from the woods, each wielding a blade. From their attire, it was clear they were not bandits but soldiers.

“Halt!” they shouted.

The two men stopped two yards from Zhou Qing, their voices loud and commanding. “Who are you, and why are you here in the dead of night?”

“I am but a wandering Daoist,” Zhou Qing replied, studying them closely. They were about his own age, and one of them, he noted, had a look of panic on his face.

This told Zhou Qing that the frightened one was likely inexperienced in battle. Men their age, had they lived in Tianyue, would be enjoying the days of marriage and children, free and happy. But here in the Great Tang, they were exiled from their homes, living on the edge every day.

He sighed softly, gazing at the two soldiers who were about his age.

“Don’t sigh at me! You say you’re a Daoist, but you don’t look like one in the least. Speak! Are you a spy, here to scout our lands?” barked the more aggressive soldier.

“This world is a beautiful place—there’s no need for such fury,” Zhou Qing answered gently. He had no intention of making trouble for these two; to him, their lives were hard enough.

“Beautiful? I’ll show you beautiful!” the hot-tempered soldier roared, brandishing his blade and lunging at Zhou Qing.

This act sparked Zhou Qing’s irritation. He hadn’t wanted to act, but now he had no choice. With a deft movement, Zhou Qing easily dodged the blade, then raised his foot and kicked the soldier in the waist. The man yelped in pain, collapsing to the ground.

At this, the panicked soldier pulled out a horn and blew a note that sounded like a cow’s lowing. Soon after, footsteps echoed from the forest.

“Why must it come to this?” Zhou Qing said, shaking his head. “I told you I am nothing but a passing Daoist, not a spy. Must you force my hand?”

The horn’s call had barely faded before a dozen soldiers emerged from the woods, blades in hand. On the road ahead and behind Zhou Qing, another ten soldiers appeared, all armed.

Now surrounded by nearly forty soldiers wielding weapons, Zhou Qing’s expression remained unruffled. He simply glanced at the men encircling him.

The two soldiers who had first appeared helped their wounded comrade away. Then a burly, imposing man in sturdy armor, about forty years old, shouted, “Seize him!”

Clearly, this man was a junior officer. At his command, the ring of soldiers raised their blades and charged at Zhou Qing.

“Hmph. You are all too domineering, unwilling even to let me explain,” Zhou Qing muttered, now fully angered. Raising his hand, he tapped his forehead, then strode toward the officer.

As he moved, Zhou Qing retrieved his blade, Ruthless, from the treasure pouch and gripped it tightly. The short, black knife was lethally sharp.

He ignored the soldiers’ attacks entirely. The ordinary weapons could not pierce his protective spell.

Blades struck the barrier, stopped outside his body. The soldiers, unable to see the shield of spiritual power, were baffled by the resistance, fear showing on their faces. Even the officer was stunned.

Wielding Ruthless, Zhou Qing cut through several swords in a single motion. Then, with a swift gesture, he grabbed the stunned officer and pulled him to his side.

The officer, realizing what was happening, drew a dagger from his belt and stabbed at Zhou Qing. Zhou Qing could have dodged but chose not to, letting the dagger strike his abdomen.

It was a common blade, and Zhou Qing paid it no mind. As he expected, the dagger was blocked by his calamity-avoiding robe.

The officer pressed the blade with all his strength, but no matter how hard he pushed, it could not pierce Zhou Qing’s flesh.

A clear metallic clang rang out as Zhou Qing sliced the officer’s dagger in two, then tripped him and brought Ruthless to his throat.

He subdued the officer instantly. The surrounding soldiers, seeing this, dared not approach, retreating and watching Zhou Qing warily.

“Now, can I speak with you in peace?” Zhou Qing asked, holding the officer in check.

“What do you want to say?” the officer replied, kneeling on the ground, trying to rise, but Zhou Qing stomped his leg, forcing him down.

“I am merely a passing Daoist, not a spy. You sought to kill me without a word—such conduct is infuriating.” Zhou Qing swept his gaze over the soldiers. “Luckily I have the power to defend myself; otherwise, would I not have died unjustly at your hands? Did you join the army merely to kill the innocent?”

His words fell, and silence reigned among the soldiers and the officer. Zhou Qing continued:

“I had no wish to trouble you, but you forced my hand. A small price must be paid.”

With that, Zhou Qing swung Ruthless, slicing past the officer’s ear. The man screamed in pain, and a bloodied ear fell to the ground. Zhou Qing put away Ruthless, kicked the officer down, and swept his gaze over the crowd, his voice cold.

“If anyone dares block my way, losing an ear will be the least of their worries.”

The soldiers quickly parted, clearing a path. Zhou Qing clasped his hands behind his back and strode out of the encirclement, continuing on his way.

Even Zhou Qing was surprised at what he had done. He had meant only to pass through, never intending to sever a man’s ear. Had this been two years prior, he would never have acted so. But after wandering from Tianyue to Great Tang, experiencing much along the way, his character had changed a great deal.