Chapter 134: Descent into Madness in the Forest

The banquet lasted from morning until late into the night. After Lin Zhong returned to his private courtyard and dismissed his subordinates, he walked quickly to the stone well in the center of the yard.

He leaped into the well, only to find an entirely different world beneath.

Looking at the stone tablet, which was beginning to flicker with starlight, a smile spread across Lin Zhong’s face. "It’s almost time. The addition of Song Jiang and the others has accelerated the conversion rate of star power. It won't be long before I break through to the next realm. When that happens, I shall be invincible! Let’s see who dares to oppose me then!"

An evil grin appeared on Lin Zhong’s face. Had Sun Meng been there, he would have clearly seen that his astral destiny had turned completely black. Compared to the time when he had first awakened, what he possessed now was not just darkness, but pure malice.

Meanwhile, Lin Chong, who was practicing martial arts in his own courtyard, felt a growing sense of unease. He drove the tip of his spear into the ground and sighed at the sky. "I should ask someone to write a letter to Chai Jin and have her come up the mountain. Otherwise, I simply cannot rest easy!"

Elsewhere, Yang Zhi watched his younger sister with Hua Rong and felt a surge of inexplicable anger. Carrying a jug of wine, he made his way to Hua Rong’s quarters and knocked on the door.

"Sister, brother is here to see you!"

Inside the room, Yang Zhi and Hua Rong exchanged a glance. Hua Rong offered a bitter smile. "It seems Brother Yang Zhi is still unwilling to let me off. Very well, I shall go out and have a bout with him. Wait for my return!" He pulled off his quilt, draped a coat over his shoulders, and strode out the door.

"Brother, I know I had many concubines in the past. But my feelings for Sister Zhi are genuine. Since coming to this mountain, my former wives and concubines are no longer with me. I promise that from now on, she will be my only wife, and I will treat her well for the rest of my life! If you still do not believe me, I am willing to let you vent your anger on the training grounds!" Hua Rong’s greatest skill was archery; beyond that, his spearplay was proficient, though not exceptional.

Conversely, Yang Zhi excelled in swordsmanship. Whether on horseback or on foot, he would not be at a disadvantage. In other words, Hua Rong was clearly offering himself up to be beaten so that Yang Zhi could vent his frustration.

However, Yang Zhi’s anger remained unquenched. He drained the jug of wine in one gulp. "Fine! Since you are a man of your word, I will not make things difficult for you. If you can withstand thirty moves, I will accept this! But you must promise to be devoted to my sister from now on! Never let her suffer the slightest grievance; otherwise, even if the leader executes me, I will kill you first!"

The two arrived at the training ground, one with a blade and one with a spear, standing face to face.

"Hah!" Yang Zhi let out a loud roar, swinging his blade toward Hua Rong.

Hua Rong, an expert archer, possessed extraordinary vision. Even on a night where the moonlight and starlight were dim, he could clearly track Yang Zhi’s onslaught. At this moment, Yang Zhi had not yet projected his inner energy, so Hua Rong performed a flourish with his spear, creating a blur of shadows that enveloped Yang Zhi's broadsword.

After a dozen exchanges, the two pulled back to create some distance.

Thirty moves was the limit, and neither intended to exceed it. To break a promise once made—what kind of man would do that?

Yang Zhi swung his blade again. This time, the power behind the strike became tangible; it was as if a beast wearing a blue mask were lunging at him.

Hua Rong’s expression grew grave. His spear technique was far inferior to Yang Zhi’s in this regard. He stepped back half a pace, eyes locked on the broadsword. Only by finding the opponent's weakest point could he hope to survive this blow.

Hidden patterns began to emerge around Hua Rong’s eyes, resembling a mask and making his gaze look like that of a hawk.

A flash of sharp brilliance crossed his eyes as he thrust his spear forward. The cold light struck the lower edge of Yang Zhi’s blade. He channeled the strength from his feet through his arm, focusing the power of half his body into that single point.

*Clang!*

Hua Rong’s spear flew into the air and shattered into pieces. Meanwhile, the blade in Yang Zhi’s hand developed a notch, but a moment later, a surge of blade energy erupted, piercing toward Hua Rong.

Hua Rong, no longer concerned with his image, rolled along the ground, shielding himself with inner energy. Even so, the sudden blast of blade energy left him vomiting blood.

"Yang Zhi, you cheated!" Hua Rong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression toward Yang Zhi darkening. Yang Zhi’s actions were not merely those of a poor loser—he had been aiming to kill!

Yang Zhi finally snapped out of it, not even knowing why he had felt the urge to kill. Just as he was about to speak, someone rushed to Hua Rong’s side. "Brother Rong!"

It was Yang Zhi’s sister. She had felt uneasy from the start and had followed them, hiding nearby. The duel had seemed normal at first, but Yang Zhi’s final strike had shocked her, and she had only reacted once Hua Rong fell.

"Brother! What are you doing?" Yang Zhi glared at her brother, her eyes filled with hatred.

Yang Zhi, initially feeling a prick of guilt, saw his sister’s expression and felt rage boil over. "Do you have any idea what kind of man he is? I acknowledge his other qualities, but when it comes to matters of the heart, his words are worthless!" Yang Zhi stared wide-eyed, stepping toward them. "If you still acknowledge me as your brother, leave him. I promise I won’t make things difficult for him again."

Holding his blade, Yang Zhi seemed to transform into a blue-faced monster under the moonlight, his mouth agape as if ready to devour them.

"Brother, Brother Rong and I are truly in love. We... we are already..." As she spoke, she leaned her head against Hua Rong’s chest. Hua Rong affectionately comforted her and looked at Yang Zhi.

"Brother Yang, I do not blame you for hurting me earlier. I only ask that you trust in my sincerity toward your sister!"

"I..." Looking at their intimacy, Yang Zhi felt an inexplicable urge to strike them both down. He slowly raised his broadsword, but a voice deep within his consciousness kept telling him that he could not do this!

"Yang Zhi, what are you doing?" A loud shout rang out, and Yang Zhi’s blade froze.

A man hurried to Yang Zhi’s side, grabbed his arm to force the blade down, and then turned to the two on the ground, helping them up. "Brother Hua Rong, Sister Yang Zhi, are you alright?"

"Brother Gongming, we are fine!" Hua Rong replied.

Song Jiang looked at Yang Zhi. "What exactly are you trying to do? Even a drunken rampage doesn't look like this! Are you disregarding the rules of the stronghold?" Yang Zhi’s murderous intent had been written all over his face just now! That was something Song Jiang could not tolerate.

"I am going to report this to the leader and see how he deals with you!" Song Jiang said indignantly.

If Yang Zhi had merely targeted Hua Rong, he might have understood, but to strike out at his own sister—such a person was truly devoid of humanity!

Yang Zhi kept his head bowed. A trace of regret flickered in his eyes, but it was immediately replaced by murderous intent.

His inner energy erupted as he lunged toward Song Jiang. "You black brute, let me settle you before I deal with the leader!"

"Brother Gongming, watch out!" Hua Rong pushed his sister to safety, grabbed another spear from the weapon rack, and thrust it toward Yang Zhi.

Song Jiang’s expression changed. "Yang Zhi—!" As he spoke, a surge of mental energy struck Yang Zhi. This was a special suppression technique of the Tiankui Star over the other astral fates, and in this unique location of Liangshan, it exerted power far beyond its normal state.

Yang Zhi faltered for a moment, and Hua Rong’s spear was already upon him. Seeing Yang Zhi dazed, Hua Rong shifted the spear tip away from his chest and toward his shoulder.

The tip pierced his flesh, and the sharp pain brought Yang Zhi back to his senses. His inner energy exploded, shattering the spear once more. However, Yang Zhi knew that the result of his actions would be expulsion from the stronghold, or perhaps Song Jiang’s faction would even find an opportunity to kill him.

He dropped his blade and turned to run down the mountain.

Leaving the stronghold was Yang Zhi’s only choice. He did not want to implicate Lin Zhong, nor did he want to be publicly expelled.

At the foot of the mountain, Yang Zhi stopped when he saw someone standing in his path.

"Where is Brother Yang going in such a hurry?" Lin Zhong asked with a smile. Had he not sensed Yang Zhi’s abnormality through the stone tablet, he would not have known he was leaving Liangshan.

"Leader," Yang Zhi said, "I have violated the stronghold’s rules. I have no face to face my brothers, and even less face to face you!"

Lin Zhong chuckled. "Is that all? If I step in, do you think they would dare not give me face? Come, rest at my place for the night. It will be a good time to treat your wounds." With that, he led Yang Zhi toward his residence.