50: Chapter 37: Block a Bullet!
50: Chapter 37: Block a Bullet!
The iron hooves of the black horse gently tapped on the ground, unhurriedly, producing a clear rhythmic sound.
Dressed in a White Robe, and astride a black horse, all eyes were on the elderly man slowly walking through the center of the village.
Bian Feng, a White Robe of the Flame Shrine, was one of the most powerful men in the Lingyang District.
The black horse halted behind the formation of the Flame Army.
Bian Feng, looking at Tang Fei surrounded by the crowd and targeted by hundreds of gun barrels, asked, “Are you Tang Fei?”
“Yes,” Tang Fei replied cheerfully.
“Which one of you is the master of Divine Breath realm?” Bian Feng’s gaze fell upon Phoenix; clearly, he could tell that this girl’s appearance and demeanor were not like those who grew up in the Old Land.
Perhaps before the great catastrophe that would have been possible, but after, the Old Land no longer bore girls with such ethereal beauty and exceptional demeanor.
On the Old Land, everyone struggled to survive, inevitably harboring some anxiety and ferocity.
“It’s, it’s her,” Tang Fei followed Bian Feng’s gaze and said cheerfully.
Does this guy have any integrity at all?
Always betraying his teammates ?
What, you want me to draw fire again?
As expected, Bian Feng’s gaze settled on Phoenix.
After observing her thoughtfully for a moment, he asked, “Did you kill Bian Zhenxin?”
“Who is Bian Zhenxin?” asked Phoenix.
After falling to the Old Land, she had killed many.
However, she never remembered anyone’s name.
“Bian Zhenxin was a Black Robe of our Flame Shrine, and also my son,” said Bian Feng.
So it was that pervert…” Phoenix nodded and said, “Yes, I killed him.”
Bian Feng didn’t like hearing that.
Although his son was already dead, after all, he was still his son.
From the first moment he saw Phoenix, he had a good idea why his son was killed.
He wasn’t new to this sort of thing, but he didn’t expect that this time he had kicked an iron plate and provoked a woman who was a master of the Divine Breath realm.
“I don’t care why you killed, I just need to confirm that it was you who did it,” Bian Feng said.
“So you mean to say, he can kill and arson freely, commit all kinds of evil, but if you resist…
or kill him, then you have to take responsibility?” Phoenix looked at Bian Feng sarcastically and said, “Is this the doctrine of the Flame Shrine?
What a filthy organization.”
Bian Feng’s expression was cold, but his voice was extremely calm, “You can be angry, you can lose your temper…
but this is the law of survival in the Old Land.
The law of the jungle, it is only natural.”
“Why kill someone else?
So, you and your friends…
I will use your heads to commemorate Bian Zhenxin…”
“I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you,” Phoenix sneered and said, “If you miss him so much, I can send you to meet him.”
Bian Feng looked at Phoenix puzzled and asked, “Now, do you think you still have a chance to escape?”
He was indeed puzzled; the woman showed no sign of fear?
Although she was a master of the Divine Breath realm, they had the Flame Army, the Predators, and Cultivators dispatched from Lingyang District…
It could be said that all the military power of the Henshan Human Gathering Area and most of Lingyang were gathered here.
Thinking that a single Divine Breath realm master could break through their encirclement?
“Why not try and see?”
“Sir, that young man is also a master,” Blood Hand pointed out Tang Fei and said, “He is at the Divine Breath realm too.”
He had witnessed Tang Fei and Phoenix fighting their way out just now.
Tang Fei’s method of wielding chi to command his blade was memorably crisp and efficient.
Blood Hand was an assassin.
Assassins are ruthless people.
Yet, when he saw how Tang Fei killed, he still experienced a tingling sensation on his scalp.
This boy was a notable figure!
Much more ruthless than himself.
“Is that so?” Bian Feng looked at Tang Fei with interest and asked, “As far as I know, you are a resident of the Old Land?”
I am from this Henshan Gathering Area,” said Tang Fei.
There was nothing much to hide about this; with the power of the Flame Shrine, a little investigation would uncover all there was to know about his background, clear and plain.
“When did the Old Land start producing such figures?” Bian Feng asked.
“The day I was born, I suppose.”
“That was a good day indeed,” Bian Feng said, calculating the combat power of both sides in his mind.
There were unexpectedly two Divine Breath realm masters on their side, something he had not anticipated before.
The woman came from New Land; that much was understandable.
But where did this boy jump out from?
How did he end up with that woman?
The most baffling question was, on this barren and perilous land, how could he have cultivated to the Divine Breath realm?
Bian Zhenxin had failed to grasp such crucial information and report it to the Lingyang District, which was a severe dereliction of duty.
“Today is a good day too,” Tang Fei said cheerfully.
“Yes, today is also a good day,” Bian Feng nodded.
Today was a good day to commemorate his son.
Bian Feng’s eyes were dark, while Tang Fei’s smile was gentle.
They stopped talking to each other, and the great battle was imminent.
At that moment, an elderly voice called out, “Sir…
“It’s the scholar,” Tang Fei said.
“Scholar?” Phoenix asked, unaware of who the scholar was.
“The scholar is the most educated person in our village.
He has many books at home.
The ‘Contrarian Scales’ I read was borrowed from him,” Tang Fei explained.
The scholar loved books and enjoyed discussing them with others.
Whenever someone visited him, he would eagerly share stories from the books.
In these times, cultural knowledge was worthless and not considered a survival skill or a means of protection.
So, even though the scholar was well-read, told great stories, and wrote beautifully, his family still went hungry.
Tang Fei was an excellent hunter; he always came back with game whenever he went into the mountains.
Thus, he would often visit the scholar to borrow a book, listen to a story, or practice calligraphy, and on leaving, he would drop off a pheasant or the hind legs of a Red-eyed Rabbit as a token of thanks.
The scholar appreciated Tang Fei’s kindness and taught him with great dedication.
Although neither of them explicitly said it, their relationship resembled the master-apprentice bond before the great disaster.
A lean, elderly man in a thick robe approached Bian Feng directly but was stopped by the Flame Army.
The old man handed over the wine gourd he was carrying and said with a smile, “Lord Divine Envoy, you have traveled from afar, and our village has failed in courtesy for not greeting you at a distance…
This gourd contains fruit wine I made in my spare time, and now I offer it to you, Lord Divine Envoy, as an apology.
Please accept it with a smile.”
Bian Feng looked at the scholar, thought for a moment, and said, “I’ll accept the wine, you can go now.”
The scholar didn’t move but instead looked around pretentiously and asked, “May I know what significant matter the Divine Envoy has come to deal with?”
“Old man, scram and don’t force us to force you to drink,” someone shouted abusively.
“Scholar, hurry back,” Tang Fei also shouted.
He guessed that the scholar wanted to reason with the Flame Shrine, but not all deities are willing to reason with humans.
Tang Fei and his group had shattered the door and rushed out, aiming to break through the siege rather than being trapped in a courtyard.
It would be better to attack first.
But now, with the scholar showing up, hadn’t he turned himself into a hostage for the Flame Army?
He knew the scholar was worried about their safety, but this was not offering warmth; this was delivering one’s head on a platter.
Instead, it put them in a passive situation where they hesitated to act.
The scholar smiled at Tang Fei, then looked up at Bian Feng and said, “Lord Divine Envoy, as far as I know, the Flame Shrine worships the great Flame God, and its purpose is to ignite the flame, seek the light…
and help the helpless find hope in life.”
“But what I don’t understand is, why today has this great army come…
to deal with a few children?
Which of the Flame Shrine’s laws and doctrines have they violated to deserve such harsh and severe punishment?”
“They killed a member of the Flame Shrine’s Black Robe,” Bian Feng said.
“Then, the old man must ask, why did they kill the Black Robe of the Flame Shrine?
If the Flame Shrine is to act on behalf of heaven, shouldn’t you convince people with reason?”
Bian Feng couldn’t answer this question and didn’t want to either.
“Old man, scram before I chop off your head.”
“Take him away, get him out of here.”
“Are you tired of living?
Be careful, I might kill your whole family.”
The members of the Grey Robe cursed as they drove him away; they knew why Tang Fei had killed the Black Robe, but they could pretend they didn’t.
And they even tried to make excuses for Bian Feng.
Such a high-ranking figure, you also dare to kill?
The scholar laughed and said, “You can chop off my head with a sword or shoot me dead with a gun, no big deal.
But in the place illuminated by divine light, isn’t there even a place for reasoning?
If this kind of thing spreads, wouldn’t it tarnish the reputation of Lord Divine Envoy?”
“Such a thing…” Bian Feng looked at the scholar, these people were really naive.
“Yes, it won’t spread.
Everyone will be dead, so where can it spread to?” the scholar sighed.
“This is the way of this world, this Old Land…
No one reasons, no one is willing to listen to reasoning…”
“But, the old man has read a few books and realized some truths…
Letting me hide behind a door panel and watch the Flame Shrine harm innocent children…
I cannot do it, nor am I willing to.
I feel, eventually, I must stand up and say something…”
we’ll be alright…” Tang Fei urgently shouted.
He understood the scholar’s intentions and knew his thoughts.
The scholar thought Tang Fei was just an ordinary hunter, powerless against the slaughter by the Flame Shrine.
He stood up to reason with the people of the Flame Shrine…
But, one can’t reason with these people.
Without turning back to look at Tang Fei, the scholar, with his frail body, resolutely stood in front of the Flame Army’s guns and said, “I am old, I can’t do much, just block a few bullets for you.”
By blocking one more bullet, one less bullet would head your way.
“I’ll block a bullet too,” a young voice said.
It was the scholar’s younger son, who often studied and wrote with Tang Fei.
He didn’t talk much, but he was straightforward.
“I’ll block a bullet too.”
This time it was the scholar’s elder son, who walked with a limp.
He had injured himself hunting, breaking his shinbone, which also contributed to the frequent hunger in the scholar’s family.
This time Ironsmith Zhao opened the door.
The Predator Organization had kidnapped Zhao’s son, forcing his family to supply them with weapons.
By chance, Tang Fei and Little Fatty had helped rescue his son.
Since then, Tang Fei’s dagger and Little Fatty’s hammer were specially supplied by Ironsmith Zhao.
This time it was Granny Hua, already very old, as if a gentle wind could blow her down.
Tang Fei and Little Fatty both liked meat, so the old man took the cassava and sweet potatoes from his home to give away to others.
House by house, household by household.
Countless closed courtyard doors opened, and everyone came out with their families.
They gathered beside the scholar and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
We can’t do much, but we can help block a bullet.