Strongest War Emperor

’It’s over! It’s all over! I fell right into this brat’s trap!’

While Ji Fengyun was green with regret, Shen Lang took two steps forward and kicked Lei Hongyun in the neck with the tip of his boot.

CLICK!

With that faint sound, Lei Hongyun suddenly shot up, clutching his neck and gasping for air. ”I’m... I’m not dead... I’m really not dead! I actually...”

It seemed Lei Hongyun could never finish a single sentence in front of Shen Lang. Before he could, Shen Lang kicked out again!

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The sound of several bones breaking echoed from Lei Hongyun’s chest. Still seated, he slid backward across the floor until he slammed into the wall with a THUD, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted.

After delivering the kick, Shen Lang looked coldly at Ye Zhenhai. ”Do you want me to do it, or will you do it yourself?”

Ye Zhenhai shuddered. Without a second thought, he struck his own chest with his palm!

PTHOO!

As the palm landed, Ye Zhenhai spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed limply to the ground.

His injuries were much lighter than Lei Hongyun’s, however. Ultimately, because he had been the one to mention Feng Xiaoyao, he had managed to save his own life.

Qu Lingfeng, who was before Du Ziyi, turned deathly pale and collapsed as if boneless, beginning to sob quietly.

In just a few minutes, Shen Lang had incapacitated two Spirit Martial Realm Martial Artists and completely turned an extremely unfavorable situation around!

His ferocity left Dongfang Wenxin and the other Punishment Hall disciples pale with shock...

But Shen Lang himself acted as if he had done something utterly insignificant. He turned to the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, Du Ziyi, and said, ”Master Du is the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall. Not only is your cultivation profound, but in the entire Profound Dao Sect, few can compare to you when it comes to interrogation... You must have seen through these people’s crude methods long ago. Why did you insist on me making a move?”

”What?”

Ji Fengyun was stunned. ’Du Ziyi knew from the start that those guys were framing Shen Lang?’

’Damn it all! After all that, nothing happened to Shen Lang, but I’ve completely lost face and thoroughly offended Wang Dashu!’

’Who the hell is Feng Xiaoyao?’

’Damn it, I’m not letting you get away with this, Feng Xiaoyao!’

”Heh, so you figured it out,” Du Ziyi said with a light chuckle. ”Junior Sister Leng Hui often mentions your name to the Sect Leader. Your reputation precedes you... So I wanted to see for myself what you were capable of, how you would resolve a crisis like this. That’s all.”

’Heavens, the Hall Master actually smiled...’ Dongfang Wenxin and the other Punishment Hall disciples stared with wide eyes, watching everything in disbelief.

As the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, Du Ziyi represented authority, justice, and even indifference.

They had almost never seen him smile, not even in front of the Sect Leader, yet today he had actually smiled in front of an Outer Disciple named Shen Lang...

’Just who on earth is this kid?’

At this, Shen Lang gave a wry smile and said, ”As for Master Leng Hui, I’ll pay her a visit myself in a few days. There’s no need to tell her about the attempted rape allegation, right? It’s rather embarrassing. If it’s possible...”

Shen Lang paused for a moment, glanced at Qu Lingfeng, and said calmly, ”If it’s possible, I’d like to plead on behalf of these three. I hope you can be lenient with their punishment, Master. After all, they were coerced. As for Feng Xiaoyao, I’m used to handling my own business. Can you do me a favor and leave him to me?”

Du Ziyi gave Shen Lang a long, meaningful look and smiled. ”No problem. I’ll leave it all for you to resolve.”

Shen Lang nodded, then turned to Ye Zhenhai. ”If I remember correctly, a group of people met with disaster back at Yunxi Valley. Feng Xiaoyao was among them, and he should still be seriously injured. I’m surprised he’s still in the mood to cause trouble for me. Which peak is he on now?”

”He’s on Shao Hufeng in the Inner Sect, still recovering from his injuries,” Ye Zhenhai said hastily.

”Deliver a message to him for me.”

”Yes, yes... Junior Brother Shen, just say the word, and I’ll be sure to deliver it!” Ye Zhenhai nodded repeatedly, not even having wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

”I hate flies. Especially flies that constantly pester me. That’s why I rarely just shoo them away. I grab them, squeeze their bellies till they burst, pull out their intestines, and use them to strangle his neck. Then, with a single, clean strike... the whole world goes quiet.”

Shen Lang’s words made Ye Zhenhai and Lei Hongyun break out in a cold sweat.

After glancing at them, Shen Lang added, ”I don’t like to attack someone who’s already seriously injured. Let him recover properly. In one month, I will go to Shao Hufeng to find him. If he tries to pull any more stunts before I get there, I will go to Shao Hufeng directly and cripple his Wind God Leg!”

”Understood! I will relay Junior Brother Shen’s words to him without missing a single one, rest assured!” Ye Zhenhai said, swallowing hard.

With a slight nod, Shen Lang turned and fixed his gaze on Ji Fengyun. ”Well then. Now it’s my turn to settle the score with you for that claw attack.”

Everyone was shocked. ’Has this guy’s audacity really reached such a level?’

’Is he really going to provoke an Elder?’

Pinned by Shen Lang’s gaze, which was as deep as the sea, a drop of cold sweat trickled down Ji Fengyun’s aged face!

”Shen Lang, you... you’re being too arrogant!” Ji Fengyun said, trying to muster his courage. He had heard from Du Ziyi that Shen Lang might have an extraordinary background, but he refused to be intimidated.

After all, he was one of the three Elders of Songdu Peak. In terms of status, he wasn’t much lower than the Peak Master, Wang Dashu.

Besides, he had the Grand Elder, Tian Mohan, backing him up!

Otherwise, why would he have been so arrogant when speaking to Wang Dashu earlier?

Just as the tension between the two was at its breaking point, Du Ziyi held up a hand and said, ”Junior Nephew, you were willing to plead for the people who framed you, which shows you are a magnanimous person. Let’s not joke with Elder Ji like this. Earlier, Elder Ji acted because he thought you had killed Lei Hongyun right in front of us. His emotions got the better of him, and he lost his composure.”

”Besides, even if your master hadn’t stepped in to help, I knew he couldn’t have hurt you. So, do me a favor and let’s just drop this, how about it? I’ll treat you to a drink some other day.”

The moment Du Ziyi said this, an uproar went through the crowd, and the Punishment Hall disciples all gasped in astonishment.

Even Tian Mohan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, snapped them open and shot Du Ziyi a look of surprise.

Ji Fengyun was even more shocked, to the point of being utterly speechless...

’What kind of man was Du Ziyi?’

’He was the Hall Master of the Profound Dao Sect’s Punishment Hall, and he was actually asking an Outer Disciple for a favor? Asking the boy to do *him* a favor?’

’And he even offered to buy him a drink?’

’Among the current generation of disciples, who had ever been worthy of such an offer from him?’

’And what’s more, he’d just said that even if Wang Dashu hadn’t intervened, Ji Fengyun’s claw attack couldn’t have hurt Shen Lang?’

While everyone was still dumbstruck, Shen Lang broke into a grin. ”It’s nothing. The atmosphere was getting a little tense, so I was just joking around... Since there’s nothing else for me here, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Everyone watched Shen Lang leave, and it wasn’t until his figure had vanished into the night outside that Du Ziyi waved his hand.

A group of Punishment Hall disciples immediately hauled Ye Zhenhai and the other two out of the Songdu Peak Hall.

Only then did Du Ziyi say nonchalantly, ”Senior Brother Ji, you may have been a little too emotional earlier...”

Cold sweat immediately began to trickle down Ji Fengyun’s back.

Although Du Ziyi was much younger than him, his cultivation was far superior, and his aptitude was in another league entirely.

Furthermore, as the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, his status in the Profound Dao Sect was incredibly high; even Inner Sect Elders had to show him a degree of respect.

But he, Ji Fengyun, was merely an Elder of one of the Outer Sect peaks among the Profound Dao Sect’s Nine-Nine Eighty-One Peaks. The difference in their status was immeasurable.

”Yes, yes, Junior Brother Du is right. I failed to control my emotions earlier. I must have made a fool of myself in front of you,” Ji Fengyun said quickly.

Du Ziyi sighed softly. ”Are you all wondering why I know Shen Lang? Why I spoke up for him, and why I believe Senior Brother Ji couldn’t have hurt him?”

”To be honest, I don’t know much about him myself. I just heard from Junior Sister Leng Hui that this young man is extraordinary, that he is calculating and acts only after careful planning, and that his cultivation is extremely strong.” Du Ziyi gave an awkward smile. ”It’s embarrassing to admit, but even now, I can’t see through his cultivation...”

”This...” Ji Fengyun, Wang Dashu, and the others were shocked. One must remember that Du Ziyi was at the Xuanwu Realm Seventh Heaven!

Du Ziyi sighed. ”Junior Sister Leng Hui told the Sect Leader that this young man is as cunning as a demon, and that his cultivation is already unfathomably profound at such a young age. At the time, both the Sect Leader and I found it hard to believe. But seeing him today, he is truly extraordinary...”

As he spoke, Du Ziyi turned and smiled at Wang Dashu. ”Senior Brother Wang, I’m truly jealous that you’ve taken on such a disciple! I hope we can interact more in the future, Senior Brother Wang.”

Wang Dashu was overjoyed and hurriedly replied, ”You’re too kind, you’re too kind! Junior Brother, you’re always welcome to visit us at Songdu Peak.”

Standing to the side, Ji Fengyun and Yun Xizi’s expressions changed. They exchanged a glance, a nervous look appearing in their eyes.

If Du Ziyi, the one in charge of the Punishment Hall, were to build a relationship with Wang Dashu, it would be difficult even for Grand Elder Tian Mohan to challenge Wang Dashu’s position as Peak Master.

In fact, although that old fox Tian Mohan spoke very little, he was extremely active behind the scenes. He had roped in the two of them and other influential figures on Songdu Peak to pressure Wang Dashu, and had even begun to subtly sideline him.

If they could just find some leverage against Wang Dashu, he would likely lose his position as Peak Master very quickly.

And the one to take his place as Peak Master would undoubtedly be none other than Tian Mohan’s son.

But now, because of the influence of this newcomer, Shen Lang, the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall was actually starting to align himself with Wang Dashu!

Tian Mohan, whose eyes seemed murky, showed a flicker of movement in his gaze as he glanced, seemingly casually, toward the hall’s entrance.

’Du Ziyi has always been known for his rigidity and never gets involved in the open and hidden struggles within or between the various peaks. For his attitude to change so drastically today... it’s a bit strange.’