"Am I really that much of a pretty boy?" Daniel Davis couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed at being called a "pretty boy" by You Niaojuan. He turned to Shi Qingxuan and asked, while simultaneously summoning the Han Guang Sword into his right hand. As he spoke, dozens of sword lights flashed through the air.
"What the—" You Niaojuan, who had been swinging his one-legged bronze statue, suddenly felt his weapon lighten. Looking down, he realized that the massive statue had been cleanly sliced into dozens of pieces, which now lay neatly arranged on the ground not far from him.
This sight made You Niaojuan's face pale. Instantly, he threw the remaining bronze piece in his hand at Daniel and turned to flee. In his panic, he even forgot his usual habit of spouting threats before running away.
As one of the Eight Great Demonic Experts, You Niaojuan's martial arts might have been at the bottom of the list, but his strength as a Grandmaster was genuine. Even Shi Zhixuan couldn't have reduced his one-legged bronze statue to such a state in an instant.
Faced with such terrifying power, hesitation could mean death. In a life-or-death situation, there was no time for empty threats.
Not just You Niaojuan, but Ding Jiuzhong, Zhou Laotan, and Jin Huanzhen also turned to flee the moment they saw Daniel's strength. The four disciples of the Demonic Extreme Sect were cunning and treacherous. Earlier, the three had let You Niaojuan take the lead to test Daniel and Shi Qingxuan's strength.
Of course, You Niaojuan was no fool either. He had only taken the initiative because he was confident in his strength compared to the other three. However, none of them had expected Daniel's power to be so far beyond their imagination.
"Trying to run? Did you ask for my permission?"
Daniel naturally wouldn't let the four escape. With a wave of his left hand, green vines sprouted from the ground, entangling their feet and quickly spreading to their entire bodies. In moments, the four were wrapped up like green dumplings, much like the Xiang Yushan father and son from before.
Since Shi Qingxuan was present, Daniel didn't want to make the scene too bloody.
"Alright, it's done." Seeing the four struggling on the ground, Daniel turned to Shi Qingxuan and smiled.
Shi Qingxuan looked at the scene in astonishment. Although she had known Daniel was strong, she hadn't expected him to subdue the infamous four so easily. This was beyond her imagination.
"By the way, you still haven't answered my question. Do I really look like a pretty boy?" Seeing Shi Qingxuan silent in her surprise, Daniel asked again.
"You do look a bit like one," Shi Qingxuan said after sizing him up.
"Ah."
Daniel looked at Shi Qingxuan speechlessly. While his earlier question had been asked out of boredom, he hadn't expected her to answer so bluntly.
"Well, that's a shame. I could have relied on my looks, but instead, I have to rely on my strength," Daniel said with a laugh.
"Alright, now that this is settled, I should take my leave." With that, Daniel tied up You Niaojuan and the others, nodded to Shi Qingxuan, and leaped off the mountain peak.
While traveling with a beauty like Shi Qingxuan was a delightful experience—after all, her beauty was truly captivating—Daniel had his own matters to attend to. Dealing with the Demonic Extreme Sect's You Niaojuan and the others was just a side task. His main goals were to obtain the "Devil Seed Magic," a technique he had long heard of, and to rid the world of these scoundrels.
As the saying goes, pirates are pirates, and the same could be said for the demonic sects. While some of their infamy was due to slander from the so-called righteous sects, much of it was earned through their own actions.
Not every member of the demonic sects was like Shi Zhixuan, Zhu Yuyan, or Wan Wan, who had noble pursuits. Most were like You Niaojuan, Ding Jiuzhong, and Bian Bufu—ruthless and unrestrained. For such people, Daniel would show no mercy. The only exceptions were Shi Zhixuan, Wan Wan, and Zhu Yuyan, the latter only because she was Wan Wan's master.
---
"They hid in the Turkic territories beyond the Great Wall? That's quite far. Well, I guess I'll make the trip."
The reason You Niaojuan and the others had been so low-profile in the Central Plains for over two decades was partly due to the Demonic Emperor Xiang Yutian's orders and partly because they had been hiding in the Turkic territories.
Under normal circumstances, traveling there to obtain the "Devil Seed Magic" would take at least a month round trip. But with Daniel's sword flight technique, it took less than a day.
"Speaking of the Turkic territories, there are quite a few familiar faces there."
After flying to the border between the Eastern and Western Turkic territories and successfully obtaining the "Devil Seed Magic," Daniel glanced around and shook his head. He then flew back to the Central Plains without bothering to deal with the likes of Bi Xuan, Jieli, Tuli, or the Great Ming Cult. While he could have single-handedly wiped out the Eastern and Western Turks, as well as Goguryeo, governing a nation wasn't something one could do alone.
As for the Great Ming Cult, Daniel had considered eliminating them, but he had no idea where they were currently hiding. Searching for them would have taken too much time.
"This truly is a remarkable technique. Han Bai was really lucky."
Looking at the "Devil Seed Magic" in his hands, Daniel shook his head. This technique was incredibly powerful, capable of leading one to shatter the void at its peak. However, it was also extremely dangerous and required a long time to master.
Xiang Yutian had lingered from the "Edge of the World" era until now not because he didn't want to shatter the void, but because it was only in this era that his "Devil Seed Magic" had finally reached its peak.
There were three methods to master the "Devil Seed Magic." The first was the orthodox method, used by Xiang Yutian and Long Ying. However, Long Ying had been far luckier and achieved mastery in a much shorter time, while Xiang Yutian had to grind it out over the years.
The second method involved using a cauldron. Pang Ban was a ruthless man—no, more like a wolf, even more ruthless than the average person. Daniel certainly wouldn't have been able to do what he did.
The third method was sheer luck, where the seed-planter sacrificed themselves to empower the cauldron. This was why Daniel envied Han Bai, who went from an ordinary person to a potential void-shattering expert overnight. Of course, given Han Bai's personality, it was unlikely he would ever reach that level.
Still, Han Bai's rise was impressive. Compared to the countless dangers the Twin Dragons faced on their journey, Han Bai's path was relatively smooth.
"Sorry, Pang Ban, but you should thank me. At least you won't have a green meadow growing on your head this time. If you even show up later, that is."
From Pang Ban's acquisition of the "Devil Seed Magic," it was likely that the technique had ended up in the hands of Zhao Deyan, one of the Eight Great Demonic Experts and a current official in the Eastern Turks. But now, he would never get the chance.
After briefly reviewing the "Devil Seed Magic," Daniel stored it away. While he had no intention of practicing it, it was still a rare technique worth keeping.
With the "Devil Seed Magic" obtained, You Niaojuan and the others were no longer of use. Daniel disposed of them, burying them properly as a gesture of gratitude for leading him to the technique.
---
"The Twin Dragons are really going at it with the Haisha Gang."
As Daniel made his way toward Yangzhou, he overheard news about the Twin Dragons in a tavern. For some reason, the Twin Dragons had allied with the Jukun Gang and clashed with the Haisha Gang on the water, resulting in heavy losses.
It seemed that ever since encountering the Twin Dragons, the Yuwen Clan and the Haisha Gang had been plagued by misfortune. This battle had put the Haisha Gang, once one of the Eight Great Gangs and Ten Great Societies, at risk of being wiped out.
"These two are really making a name for themselves," Daniel muttered with a light laugh after learning more about the situation.
Originally, the Twin Dragons had nothing to do with this conflict. The Haisha Gang, or rather the Yuwen Clan, had wanted to take over the Jukun Gang. The Jukun Gang had always been in the business of gathering intelligence, and in an era of competing for supremacy, intelligence was invaluable. Since the Jukun Gang was aligned with the Dugu Clan and at odds with the Yuwen Clan, the Yuwen Clan saw this as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
However, they had run into the Twin Dragons. Thanks to Daniel's training, the two had grown significantly stronger. Working together, they nearly captured the so-called Dragon King, Han Gaitian.
In a way, this was also Daniel's doing. By killing Xiang Yushan and his father, as well as destroying the Baling Gang, he had left Yun Yuzhen's Jukun Gang without a backer, making it a target for the Yuwen Clan. In the original story, Yun Yuzhen had allied with Xiao Xian of the Baling Gang, which led to the Jukun Gang splitting, with most members joining Kou Zhong's Young Master Army.
In this era of competing warlords, reputation was crucial. Look at the Li Clan—even before they began their uprising, they had attracted numerous talents, including Li Jing. This was largely due to the Li Clan's longstanding good reputation.
In contrast, look at Du Fuwei's Jianghuai Army. Li Jing had initially joined them, only to quit soon after.
"These two guys... did they go back to smuggling salt?"
Daniel wondered why the Twin Dragons had happened to be present during the water battle. He guessed they might have been smuggling salt and stumbled upon the conflict.
The Twin Dragons had two obsessions, or rather, Kou Zhong had two obsessions. The first was visiting brothels, a dream he had harbored since his days as a street urchin.
The second was smuggling salt, a get-rich-quick scheme they had come up with shortly after obtaining the "Longevity Secret." However, just like their brothel visits, their salt-smuggling endeavors never went smoothly.
"Speaking of smuggling salt, it seems the Song Clan has been involved in this business for a long time. These aristocratic families are really undermining the state."
Smuggling salt was highly profitable, which was why the Haisha Gang had been so powerful—they were heavily involved in the trade.
---
As Daniel continued toward Yangzhou, he encountered numerous refugees fleeing the chaos. The scenes of suffering made him sigh inwardly. These people were fleeing because Du Fuwei's army had taken Liyang, while Li Zitong had seized Hailing, and Shen Faxing had occupied Piling, effectively surrounding Emperor Yang in Yangzhou.
With a major battle imminent, the common folk had no choice but to flee. Whether it was Du Fuwei's Jianghuai Army or the Sui forces in Yangzhou, neither side was benevolent. No matter who won, the common people would suffer.
As the saying goes, "When bandits pass, it's like a comb; when soldiers pass, it's like a sieve; when officials pass, it's like a razor." Those who could flee did so, leaving behind only those who had no other choice.
"When the nation prospers, the people suffer; when the nation falls, the people suffer."
"Help! Young master, please help!" Unable to bear the sight of the refugees, Daniel avoided the main roads and took a secluded path through a small forest. As he passed through, a stunningly beautiful woman in a yellow dress, barefoot, rushed out toward him.
"Little beauty, why are you running? This lord will take you to paradise," called out the seven or eight bandits chasing her, their faces twisted with lecherous grins as they brandished their weapons.
"This is quite the performance. If you're going to act, at least do it properly," Daniel thought, sighing inwardly as the yellow-dressed woman grabbed his arm, her expression pitiful and pleading.
He immediately recognized her. In the world of "Twin Dragons," there was only one person who went barefoot: Wan Wan, the fallen fairy.
To be fair, Wan Wan's expression was truly pitiable. Most men would have lost all sense of reason upon seeing such a beauty. Even if someone noticed something was off, they would likely rationalize it away.
After all, it was normal for someone being chased to lose their shoes. But in this dusty road, her bare feet remained spotlessly clean—a clear red flag. Only those blinded by lust would fail to notice. Unfortunately, the world was full of such people.
"Young master..." Seeing Daniel staring at her feet, Wan Wan, who was hiding behind him, flashed a cold glint in her eyes before quickly reverting to her pitiable expression.
With Wan Wan's intelligence, how could she not know her bare feet were a giveaway? But even knowing, she wouldn't change her ways.
Even in the original story, when Wan Wan deceived the master of some manor, she still went barefoot.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Daniel said gently, patting the hand Wan Wan had placed on his arm and giving her a warm smile.
"You little pretty boy, protect yourself first!" The leading bandit swung his guandao at Daniel's head.
"Am I really that much of a pretty boy?"
Having traveled through so many worlds without ever being called a pretty boy, Daniel had now been called one twice in this world. It was starting to get on his nerves. As he spoke, the Han Guang Sword appeared in his right hand. With a single stroke, he severed the bandit's guandao and, in the same motion, cut through his neck.
(End of Chapter)
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