Chapter 1693 : A Manor's Stand Against Tyranny

The Lord of Willow Catkin Manor 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 let out a cold laugh before speaking. "In these troubled times, with rebels plaguing the land, the imperial court requires funds to quell the unrest."

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

The Lord of Willow Catkin Manor 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 Lord of Willow Catkin Manor's expression shifted. "Even with a century of accumulation, my Willow Catkin 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 greatest beauty in all the Northern Martial Continent."

"If you offer her to me, I shall halve the demanded tribute." This chapter is provided by audio~novel.com. Support the original.

"Impossible."

The expression of Lord of Willow Catkin Manor instantly turned icy, and he spoke immediately, "It seems the General truly has no desire to negotiate."

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

"Naturally, I came prepared today."

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

These bolts were nearly one Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] long, resembling spears more than arrows. Even the Innate protective energy [a defensive aura of pure energy] of an Innate Grandmaster could not withstand them.

"Seeking death."

In that instant, Lord of Willow Catkin Manor's expression chilled. He transformed into several afterimages, darting forth and miraculously weaving through the barrage of bolts.

Not only that, but after evading the volley in the space of a Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time], Lord of Willow Catkin Manor shot through the air like an arrow, charging deep into the heart of the army. In mere moments, he had slain over ten men.

"The Willow Catkin Drifting with the Wind Movement Technique [a legendary, graceful, and unpredictable movement art], truly Extraordinary."

Witnessing this scene, General Liu let out a sigh of admiration, then clapped his hands with a laugh. "Come now, let Master Bai test the strength of my Heaven and Earth Net [a trapping formation that mimics the encompassing nature of heaven and earth]."

As his words fell, with another wave of his hand, a vast, sky-shrouding net descended, aiming to ensnare Lord of Willow Catkin Manor.

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

"Disaster."

The heart of Lord of Willow Catkin Manor sank. A profound sense of impending doom washed over him.

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

"Zhu'er!"

"Zhu-lang!"

In that heartbeat, both Pure White and Lord of Willow Catkin Manor cried out in alarm, their eyes squeezing shut, unable to bear the sight.

A moment later, a series of sharp *clangs* and *clatters* rang out. When the others looked, they found Worthy Pursuit Chen standing there, utterly still and unharmed, with dozens of crossbow bolts scattered on the ground around him.

"How is this possible?"

General Liu exclaimed, his face etched with disbelief.

Lord of Willow Catkin Manor also let out a sigh of relief and could not help but say, "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 Armor-Piercing Crossbow Bolts."

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

In all his life until now, no one had ever stirred such profound Slaughter Intent [a palpable, murderous aura born of extreme rage] within him. Even when besieged by several Celestial Immortal Great Power [powerful beings who have ascended to the Celestial Immortal realm] in the past, he had felt only disdain, never this overwhelming urge to kill. This novel is serialized on audio-novel.com. Visit for updates.

For in this life, the only one he truly cared for was Pure White. 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], Worthy Pursuit Chen struck. Wielding a simple iron staff, he smashed forward. A few soldiers tried to block him, only to be sent flying along with over ten others.

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

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

However, the soldiers were already terrified and dared not stand against Worthy Pursuit Chen. They began to flee in disarray. Grasping his iron staff, Worthy Pursuit Chen carved a bloody path through their ranks, ultimately striking down General Liu not far away.

The battle lasted a mere half a Ke-time [fifteen minutes]. Of the three thousand troops, over one thousand were slain by Worthy Pursuit Chen; the rest scattered and fled in complete rout.

Afterwards, Lord of Willow Catkin Manor marveled, unable to contain his awe. "Your fleshly body is like indestructible diamond," he evaluated. "I fear even a Divine Ability Venerable [a cultivator who has mastered divine abilities] might not be your match."

Worthy Pursuit Chen offered no lengthy reply. He held Pure White close, comforting her for a long while, before stating 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 suffering."

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

Lord of Willow Catkin Manor remained silent for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "You bear the dragon's mark. You must be a True Dragon [a being of immense power and nobility in mythology] descended to the mortal realm. It is only fitting you accomplish great deeds."

Worthy Pursuit Chen shook his head. The imperial authority of this Mortal Dust [the mortal world] realm was utterly insignificant to him. His motivation was genuine—he had simply found himself in this situation and wished to find a thread of hope for the suffering masses.

Yet he offered no explanation. Instead, using the funds and grain supplies from Willow Catkin Manor, he began recruiting soldiers.

With the support of Willow Catkin Manor's resources, Worthy Pursuit Chen soon assembled a force of eight hundred men. Leading these eight hundred soldiers, he campaigned in all directions, always charging at the forefront of every battle.

In every great battle, none could withstand his Slaughter [a divine ability focused on overwhelming, destructive force]. In a mere three months, he conquered the entire East Yan Province.

Then, turning his army eastward, he achieved a feat that would be sung of for ages: with a force of three thousand, he shattered an army of three hundred thousand.

In that clash, he alone carved through the enemy ranks, personally felling over ten thousand warriors and single-handedly breaking the spirit of the vast host, sending them into a panicked rout.

After this battle, the various lords trembled in terror. Wherever his banners advanced thereafter, countless city garrisons and armies surrendered without a fight, their will broken by his fearsome reputation.

Moreover, his soldiers passed through the lands without committing the slightest offense against the common people. Thus, the hearts of the populace were wholly won over. In the span of just three years, the Northern Martial Continent was unified under his rule.

After unifying the continent, Worthy Pursuit Chen abolished forced labor, reduced taxes, and allowed the people to rest and rebuild. For the first time in generations, the common folk enjoyed a rare and precious peace.

Later, Worthy Pursuit Chen abdicated the imperial throne in favor of Lord of Willow Catkin Manor, then retired with Pure White to live in seclusion atop the Willow Catkin Manor.

Thus, decades of time flowed quietly by.

"Husband."

Within the Willow Catkin Manor, Pure White's hair was snowy white, her face aged and gaunt. Gazing at Worthy Pursuit Chen, she could not hold back the tears that welled in her eyes.

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

"I am here."

Worthy Pursuit Chen spoke, unable to bear the sight, he turned his head away.

The fleeting passage of decades, witnessing a beloved one age bit by bit while being utterly powerless to stop it, filled him with a heart-wrenching, suffocating agony.

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

"Seventy years, yet your youth remains."

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

"I..."

Worthy Pursuit Chen was struck speechless, at a loss for how to explain.

Pure White 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."

"No matter what trials this life brings, meeting you has been the greatest blessing of my existence."

"If there is a next life, will fate allow me to find you again?"

"I am so afraid... terrified that I will never see you again..." Join our community of readers at https://audio-novel.com.