I’m Definitely Taking This Power-Fantasy Protagonist Role! Chapter 79

No matter what kind of schemes and tricks there are, as long as there is absolute power, everything can be crushed by force and turned into dust. The life of a cultivator is tough; that person had their neck snapped but didn’t immediately kick the bucket. It was just that their cultivation was lacking, and a critical hit to a vital area meant that death was just around the corner. Their eyes quickly filled with blood, their body convulsed and twitched, and their shattered throat couldn’t produce coherent sounds, only letting out a couple of broken whimpers before they breathed their last.

The loyal subordinates on either side were horrified and charged at Jiang Baiyu with their lives on the line. They threw themselves forward recklessly, but the heavy pressure caused them to crash to the ground, unable to get back up. After a moment of struggling, they actually chose to self-destruct without hesitation. Such fierce decisiveness truly moved the heavens and showcased the bond between master and servant.

The self-detonation was interrupted by a burst of starlight, not even causing a ripple. Jiang Baiyu wouldn’t give them the chance to drag him down with them; a sense of crisis surged in his heart, and he instantly reacted to eliminate the threat. The self-explosion failed, but the damage to themselves was not erased. The two of them spat out old blood, heavily injured, their cultivation reduced to nothing. This outcome made them want to tear their eyes out in rage, but deep within their hatred lay a profound fear, causing their entire bodies to tremble unconsciously.

The left subordinate shouted, “Who are you? Why are you helping the Feng family?” The right subordinate added, “You killed our master; you will never have a moment of peace from now on! We will not rest until you are dead!” It was a classic case of the younger generation taking on the older generation, a traditional skill in the cultivation world.

Jiang Baiyu casually cast a buff on Feng Qingshuo while asking, “Then may I ask which esteemed master your young master is a disciple of? Let me hear it, I’d like to broaden my horizons.” “Our master’s master is the Ziyang Zhenren!” Jiang Baiyu replied, “Oh, I’ve never heard of him.”

The dazzling and beautiful starlight was extremely dangerous, swiftly claiming lives within the area. The enemies were decreasing at a visible rate, completely one-sided in the crushing. When the gap in strength reaches a certain level, numbers become just a statistic; it’s like an ant trying to shake a tree—completely useless.

The new faction’s blockade of cultivators swept through the surrounding family forces like autumn winds sweeping away leaves. At this moment, they had become fish on the chopping block, truly a case of the wheel of fortune turning. The left protector exclaimed, “Where did this young brat come from, that he hasn’t even heard of the Ziyang Zhenren’s name…” He gasped for breath, his eyes revealing a venomous look and endless rage. “You killed our master; his master will definitely not let you go. He will skin you alive, extract your tendons, and refine your soul, making you suffer the most brutal punishments in the world, with no hope of escape!”

As he uttered his curse, he spat out a mouthful of blood and died, his eyes still glaring at Jiang Baiyu, as if the malicious gaze from the abyss was telling of his future fate, that he would watch Jiang Baiyu endure all of this. The right protector added, “The family sect behind you will be implicated because of today’s events. You will regret provoking our master!”

As the curse fell, he too spat out a mouthful of old blood and died, his eyes fixed on Jiang Baiyu. Jiang Baiyu remained unmoved, not shaken by the curses of the two. However, he did have a bit of insight into the terror of that Ziyang Zhenren. The fact that they chose such a decisive self-termination showed that falling into the hands of the other side was more terrifying than death itself; it was better to give themselves a quick end.

With their master dead, they could not survive. The Ziyang Zhenren would not let them off easily; he would definitely punish them for their incompetence, and the consequences were simply too terrifying. Compared to being unable to seek life or death, following their master’s footsteps might still earn them the treatment of loyal servants.

Jiang Baiyu cut the rope binding Feng Qingshuo. This rope was exceptionally tough, not an ordinary item, but a binding rope for immortals, which could prevent cultivators from using their spiritual power once bound, leaving them weak all over. With the buff’s enhancement, Feng Qingshuo quickly regained health and energy, escaping danger. His dazed eyes regained focus, and the scene before him left him utterly shocked.

To be honest, after falling into the enemy’s hands, he hadn’t thought he would survive. After a life-and-death struggle, the Feng family suffered heavy losses, and the enemy’s experts were truly formidable. He had no complaints about dying for his family; he only worried about the safety of Quxianze and whether his younger siblings in the Cuiming Mountain Manor could escape disaster.

Then a miraculous thing happened; at the brink of life and death, he was saved by his brother’s friend. The one-sided crushing demonstrated the enemy’s strength. This level of power was actually a student from the Immortal Ascension Academy??? Which big shot was pretending to be a newbie and bullying the weak?? He wanted to say, well done!

The terrifying starlight gathered towards the enemies, and once touched, their bodies would be eroded by an invisible force, turning into starlight and disappearing. The scene was not only not bloody but also had a kind of stunning visual appeal. They wanted to escape the encirclement of the area, but stars surrounded them from all sides. This expanse of starlit sky before the gates of Zhengyang City was their burial ground.

After the wails and screams, the scene fell into dead silence. The captives who had been captured and kneeling on the ground were no longer bound; the ropes had turned into stars and vanished. The luxurious seats placed before the city gate naturally became Jiang Baiyu’s spoils of war. He sat on them, gazing at the setting sun, and sighed, “The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it’s close to dusk.”

The fiery clouds in the sky were extremely gorgeous, dyeing half the sky red. This beautiful scene wouldn’t last long; it would soon disappear with the sinking sunlight. Thud, thud, the heads of the various family heads who regained their freedom knelt down in front of Jiang Baiyu, making dull sounds. Leading them were the heads of the Zhao and Zheng families. The strength of these two families was far inferior to that of the Feng family, but among the captured families, they could be considered strong.

They knocked their heads hard, the sound making one feel a headache for them. However, not a single person cried out in pain. The atmosphere was heavy; one could say they were overly frightened or that the crisis had temporarily passed, but they felt no sense of safety. Their bodies were tense, their spirits reaching a breaking point, like startled birds; any slight movement could scare them into collapse. They held on to the last bit of their spirit and knelt down to Jiang Baiyu, knocking their heads.

“Thank you, senior, for saving our lives! Although my Zheng family is just a small family with no real power, I am willing to serve under you and do my utmost!” After saying this, he knocked his head down with a thud, the sound as if it would crack his skull.

“I, the Zhao family, am willing to be your loyal servant, serving you faithfully and never betraying you! If I go against this oath, may the heavens strike me with five thunders!” “I, the Qin family…” One by one, the family heads swore oaths, expressing their loyalty with the most sincere attitude, almost moving the heavens.

Feng Qingshuo was left dumbfounded, but after a moment of thought, he understood. With what had happened today, they clearly could no longer protect themselves. Without enough strength to safeguard themselves, they could be swept away by the tail of a typhoon, causing their families to collapse. The enemy had already proven their ruthlessness and malice with facts, and with the death of the Ziyang Zhenren’s disciple, this matter would definitely not end well.

They could only take a gamble; perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope. Not hugging a ready-made thigh and waiting for the next crisis to hit them all at once? The Ziyang Zhenren’s intervention would leave them no way to survive. At this moment, they didn’t even have time to consider whether Jiang Baiyu could take on the infamous Ziyang Zhenren, as there was simply no second choice.

If there were other thighs to hug, why wait until now? The Feng family was too busy to care for themselves, and they had been directly excluded. Unless absolutely necessary, they would never choose to rely on the Feng family at such a time.

Jiang Baiyu’s eyes remained like starlit skies as he withdrew his gaze from the sunset and focused on the family heads before him. “You all are being too polite; there’s no need for this. The bandits are rampant, using the name of the Emperor to commit heinous acts, harming innocent civilians, and poisoning loyal families. Such behavior is utterly detestable. How can we, as righteous individuals, sit idly by and allow these evil bandits to roam free and continue to wreak havoc on the world?”

“I ask you all to issue a proclamation to eradicate them, so that the world may understand the right and wrong of this matter and to prove clarity. If even you all are unwilling to speak out, who else can expose the true face of these vile bandits?”

“Words can forge gold, and accumulated slander can destroy bones; we must not allow the bandits to continue distorting the truth and turning black into white.” The scene fell into silence, and the faces of the family heads turned pale. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, causing Feng Qingshuo to involuntarily hold his breath.

After a moment, Jiang Baiyu stood up, “If heaven has feelings, it too will grow old; the righteous path in the world is full of hardships. In this world, there are ultimately more mediocre people who go with the flow. I understand your concerns; once you issue a proclamation to eradicate them, it means you are completely standing against the bandits. Having just experienced a disaster, narrowly escaping death, it is only natural to lack the courage to stand up and testify.”

“The bandits are vicious; wanting to protect oneself is not wrong. There are elders above and children below; sometimes giving up is also a choice.”

Seeing Jiang Baiyu about to leave, the head of the Zheng family suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly said, “Senior, wait! The bandits have destroyed my Zheng family; I will never coexist with them! Not to mention one proclamation to eradicate them, even a thousand or ten thousand, I am willing! I must expose the treacherous ministers and bandits who have tarnished the Emperor’s name in front of the world! I ask for the people’s signatures, seeking justice for the world!”

The Zhao family was a step slower but quickly followed, “How could the wise and martial Emperor issue such a heartless and inhumane order? We, as loyal families, should stand up and vow to defend the Emperor’s reputation and uphold the righteousness of the dynasty!”

Other family heads also opened their mouths, one after another, declaring their statements. Jiang Baiyu revealed a satisfied expression, “The Emperor is unparalleled in talent, a true hero of the world, with great wisdom and martial prowess. How could he be smeared by petty individuals?”

He glanced at Feng Qingshuo and said, “The Feng family is loyal to the Emperor and is a benevolent family; it must be because of this that the treacherous party harbors resentment and falsely accuses them.”

“Senior speaks truly!” “The treacherous party deserves to be punished!”

Seeing the situation develop to this point, Feng Qingshuo almost suffocated from holding his breath. Seizing the moment when the family heads were in high spirits, they tore off their clothes on the spot, bit their fingers to write the proclamation with their blood. Feng Qingshuo cautiously moved to the luxurious seat beside him and solemnly said, “The Ziyang Zhenren has a fearsome reputation and is not easy to deal with.”

Jiang Baiyu replied, “If he were easy to deal with, he wouldn’t have such a fearsome reputation.”

Feng Qingshuo choked for a moment and quietly asked, “How confident are you?”

Jiang Baiyu said, “If I say I have ten parts confidence, do you believe it or not?”

Feng Qingshuo was conflicted; he really couldn’t bring himself to say he believed it.

He heard a ripping sound beside his ear; a piece of his sleeve was missing, falling into Jiang Baiyu’s hands. The latter turned it back and stuffed it into his hands, urging, “Write a few words for me.”

Feng Qingshuo asked, “…What?”

Jiang Baiyu thought for a moment and said, “Just tell the Ziyang Zhenren that his disciple has turned into starlight and flown away.”

Feng Qingshuo: “…”

This wave was a face-slap in ridicule. If the Ziyang Zhenren didn’t explode, he would write the name backward!