Chapter 1693 : A Manor's Stand Against Tyranny

Willowbloom Manor Lord shook his head, then looked at a general before him and said, "General Liu, my Willow Catkin Manor has always lived in seclusion, avoiding worldly strife. Why have you brought your army to our gates today?"

"Hmph."

That General Liu sneered coldly before speaking. "In these troubled times, with rebels plaguing the land, the imperial court is short on funds to quell the unrest."

"We have come under orders, hoping that Patriarch Bai might contribute some silver and grain."

The Willowbloom Manor Lord furrowed his brow slightly, then replied, "If it is merely a matter of silver, that can be discussed. How much does the General require?"

General Liu gave a sly grin and stated bluntly, "One hundred thousand taels of silver, plus three thousand Dan-volume [one Dan-volume equals one hundred liters] of grain will suffice."

The Willowbloom Manor Lord's expression shifted. "Even with a century of accumulation, my manor cannot produce such a sum. Could the General perhaps show some leniency?"

"Leniency?"

General Liu leered, his voice turning sinister. "Well, there might be a way. I have long heard that the Miss Bai of Willow Catkin Manor is renowned as the foremost beauty of the Northern Martial Continent."

"If you offer her to me, I shall halve the demanded tribute." Official source: audio-novel dot com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

"Impossible."

The Willowbloom Manor Lord's expression instantly turned icy as he spoke, "It seems the General truly has no desire for further discussion."

The General Liu had anticipated this reaction from the Willowbloom Manor Lord. He continued, "As an Innate Grandmaster [a supreme martial artist who has awakened their innate potential], Patriarch Bai ranks among the Ten Great Innates of the Northern Martial Continent, a peerless powerhouse in this world."

"Naturally, I came prepared today."

As his words fell, General Liu gave the order. Dozens of massive crossbow bolts shot forth.

These projectiles were nearly one Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] long—more akin to spears than arrows. Even the Innate Protective Aura [a defensive energy field generated by an Innate Grandmaster] of an Innate Grandmaster could not withstand them.

"Seeking death."

In that instant, the Willowbloom Manor Lord's face chilled. He transformed into several afterimages, darting forward and miraculously weaving through the hail of bolts.

Not only did he evade them, but in the space of a breath after dodging the volley, the Willowbloom Manor Lord shot through the air like an arrow, plunging deep into the heart of the army. In mere moments, he had cut down over ten men.

"The Willow Catkin Drifting with the Wind Movement Technique [a legendary, ethereal movement art]. Truly, Valerius."

Witnessing this scene, General Liu let out a sigh of admiration, then clapped his hands with a laugh. "Come now," he said, "let Patriarch Bai test the mettle of my Heaven's Net [a formidable trapping formation]."

As his words fell, with another wave of his hand, a vast, sky-shrouding net descended, its shadow falling upon Willowbloom Manor Lord.

The Willowbloom Manor Lord sought to twist free and retreat, but in that same instant, dozens of crossbow bolts tore through the air, completely cutting off his path of escape.

"Disaster."

The heart of Willowbloom Manor Lord sank with a thud, a profound sense of foreboding washing over him.

Yet, in that very same breath, a figure stepped forward, interposing itself between him and the oncoming storm of bolts.

"Zhulang!"

"Zhulang!"

In that shared moment of terror, both Bianca Bai and Willowbloom Manor Lord cried out in alarm, their eyes squeezing shut, unable to bear the sight.

But a mere heartbeat later, a series of sharp, metallic *clangs* rang out. When the onlookers dared to look, they found Xander Chen standing there, utterly still and unharmed, with dozens of shattered crossbow bolts scattered on the ground around him.

"How is this possible?"

General Liu exclaimed, his face etched with disbelief.

Willowbloom Manor Lord also breathed a sigh of relief and could not help but speak, "The Indestructible Diamond Divine Art [a legendary body-refining technique said to render the practitioner's flesh as hard as diamond]?"

"No, even the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art should not be able to withstand so many Protective Aura Piercing Crossbow Bolts [specially enchanted projectiles designed to penetrate defensive spiritual energies]."

At that very moment, Xander Chen turned calmly, his gaze icy as it fell upon General Liu.

In all his life until now, no one had ever stirred such profound killing intent within him. Even when besieged by several Heavenly Immortal Paragon [the pinnacle realm of immortal cultivation] in the past, he had felt only disdain, never this overwhelming urge to destroy. This content originates from audio novel.com. Please respect copyright.

For in this world, the only one he truly cared for was Bianca Bai. That this man before him dared to set his sights on her was nothing short of seeking his own doom.

"Die—!"

In a Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time], Xander Chen struck. Wielding a simple iron staff, he smashed forward. Several soldiers and officers tried to block him, only to be sent flying along with over ten others.

In mere moments, nearly a hundred men lay dead, every one of them—man and horse alike—utterly shattered.

General Liu's heart chilled with fear, and he immediately spoke out, "Stop him! He must have a weak point in his defenses."

Yet the soldiers were already terrified, utterly unwilling to stand against Xander Chen. They began to scatter and flee. Xander Chen, gripping his iron staff, carved a bloody path through them all, finally striking down General Liu not far away.

This battle lasted a mere half a Ke-time [fifteen minutes]. Of the three thousand troops, Xander Chen had slain over one thousand; the rest had all scattered and fled in disarray.

Afterwards, Willowbloom Manor Lord marveled, unable to help but remark, "Your Physical Body is like adamant, unbreakable. I fear even a Divine Ability Venerable might not be your match."

Xander Chen said little more. He held Bianca Bai close, comforting her for a long while, then spoke plainly: "These are troubled times, fraught with hardship. Natural disasters and man-made calamities follow one upon the other; the common people find no respite from their suffering."

"The natural disasters are beyond my control. But now, I wish to confront the man-made ones. To fight for a sliver of hope, a chance for survival, for the people of this land."

Willowbloom Manor Lord remained silent for a long moment, then nodded. "The dragon-mark upon your body surely means you are a True Dragon descended to the mortal realm. It is only fitting you achieve great deeds."

Xander Chen shook his head. The imperial authority of this Mortal Dust world was utterly insignificant to him. His true purpose was simply being here at this moment, wanting to find a single thread of hope for the common folk.

Yet he offered no explanation. Instead, using the funds and grain from Willow Catkin Manor, he recruited a band of soldiers.

With the support of Willow Catkin Manor's resources, Xander Chen soon gathered eight hundred warriors. Leading these eight hundred, he campaigned in all directions, always charging at the very forefront of every battle.

In every great battle, none could withstand his onslaught. Within a mere three months, he had seized the entire Eastern Yan Province.

Then, turning his armies eastward, he achieved a feat for the ages: with a force of three thousand, he shattered an army of three hundred thousand in a single engagement.

In that clash, he alone carved through the enemy ranks, personally felling over ten thousand men and single-handedly breaking their spirit and formation.

After this victory, the feudal lords trembled in terror. Wherever his banners advanced thereafter, countless cities and their garrisons surrendered without a fight.

Moreover, his soldiers passed through the lands without disturbing so much as a single autumn hair, winning the hearts of the people. Thus, in just three short years, the Northern Martial Continent was unified under his rule.

After unifying the continent, Xander Chen abolished forced labor, reduced taxes, and allowed the people to rest and recuperate. The common folk finally enjoyed a rare period of peace and prosperity.

Later, Xander Chen abdicated the throne in favor of the Willowbloom Manor Lord and retired with Bianca Bai to live in seclusion atop Willow Catkin Manor.

Thus, time flowed on, and several A Period of Ten Years passed in the blink of an eye.

"Husband."

Within Willow Catkin Manor, Bianca Bai's hair was snow-white, her face aged and gaunt. Gazing at Xander Chen, she could not hold back the tears that welled in her eyes.

Before her stood Xander Chen, clad in a long robe, his appearance unchanged for decades.

"I am here."

Xander Chen spoke, unable to bear the sight, and turned his head away.

The swift passage of several A Period of Ten Years [a decade], witnessing a beloved one age bit by bit while being utterly powerless, filled him with a heart-wrenching sense of suffocation.

Why, why did he meet her at the moment of his greatest powerlessness?

"Seventy years, yet youth remains."

Bianca Bai spoke slowly, her voice choked with emotion: "You are an Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality through cultivation], aren't you?"

"I..."

Xander Chen was struck speechless, at a loss for words.

Bianca Bai shook her head, a bitter smile touching her lips. "I know. A chasm lies between us—Immortal and mortal. We were never destined to walk together forever."

"Regardless of how this ends, to have met you in this life, Bianca Bai counts herself blessed for three lifetimes."

"If there is a next life... will I be able to meet you again?"

"I'm so afraid... so afraid I will never see you again..." Read, share, and discuss at http://www . audio-novel.com.