My lord, spare his life!

A familiar figure flew towards the Imperial City, and the lieutenant shouted excitedly.

"General! General! The clairvoyant has returned!"

Upon seeing the all-seeing eye, even though Chao Tan's anger had not subsided, he couldn't help but smile and stretched out his arm in the direction of the all-seeing eye.

This is tacit understanding.

Surprisingly, the clairvoyant bird didn't fly back. Instead, it accelerated and swooped down towards the ground, using its own strength to surround the other two wounded and flight-impaired enemy star beasts. It cursed, "Bad bird!"

Take a peck from it!

The Thousand-Mile Eye's size suddenly increased.

Don't underestimate it just because it's weak among the flying star beasts; it depends on who you compare it to. These two bad birds were injured by Bo Yuanjun and deliberately exhausted. Compared to the Thousand-Mile Eye, who is full of energy at this moment, the difference is like that between an old mouse and a young raccoon.

If we don't settle scores now, are we going to wait until Qingming Festival?

Aside from the all-seeing eye, no one knew the extent of Zhang Yang's cunning.

Faced with the menacing Thousand-Mile Eye, whose wingspan could block out the sunlight, the two ferocious star beasts finally felt fear, their eyes filled with terror of death. They let out a short cry and struggled to flap their wings, trying to escape the Thousand-Mile Eye's pursuit.

Want to escape?

It's not that easy!

In its excitement, the Thousand-Mile Eye's speed broke through its own limits! It grabbed one of them with one claw, turned around and chased after the other, grabbing it in its mouth. No matter how the two beasts struggled, they could not escape and were repeatedly smashed by the Thousand-Mile Eye like firecrackers.

"Archers, save them quickly!"

The cost of raising an ordinary star beast is equivalent to that of ten peerless warhorses; this kind of raptor star beast costs at least five times that amount, and losing even one would be heartbreaking. A dense barrage of arrows buzzed towards the clairvoyant, seemingly an impenetrable net, yet riddled with loopholes.

The Thousand-Mile Eyes moved nimbly through the area.

He looked down at the fools below with disdain and continued playing with firecrackers.

Sometimes it rises into the air beyond the firing range, and sometimes it hovers at low altitude, with the slingshots under its claws rubbing against the gravel on the ground at high speed.

"This beast is playing us for fools!"

Anyone can understand the provocation from the all-seeing eye.

He was immediately met with a furious barrage of insults: "Save what? Save your head my foot! Do you even know what's important? You're still protecting those two useless pieces of trash at a time like this! The enemy is less than five miles away. In that short time, your father wouldn't even be trembling on someone's body giving birth to you!"

The person who was cursing became so anxious that their face turned red and then blue.

The person who was scolded was so ashamed and indignant that their face turned pale and then red.

One of these star beasts belonged to the latter's family, while the other was owned by their in-laws. They were brought to the battlefield with the intention of gaining a decisive advantage and achieving great military exploits. However, their plan backfired spectacularly, resulting in a devastating loss. The total cost of acquiring and raising these two star beasts was astronomical. These kinds of star beasts are not like studs in a horse farm; even a small profit wouldn't cover a tenth or a twentieth of the cost. Losing even one was tantamount to indirectly losing a significant portion of their fortune! And this time, they lost two!

Who wouldn't feel heartbroken?

"You scoundrel—"

Each of those four words was written in blood.

Once we escape, we must drive back the enemy soldiers and ensure this man dies a violent death!

The Thousand-Mile Eyes displayed some impressive skills, redeeming himself from his previous defeat.

However, it didn't take long for it to realize that these bad guys had changed their strategy, shifting from a dense ambush to a scouting and containment tactic, diverting their firepower. The Thousand-Mile Eye blinked, its beak loosening its grip, and the half-dead firecracker, which it had been carrying, was now being held in its grasp.

With a gentle flap of its wings, it flew toward Chao Tan.

The two mangled star beasts were barely alive, on the verge of death. Chao Tan was about to finish them off when Thousand-Mile Eyes stretched out a claw to stop him, earnestly saying, "Don't kill it! Don't kill it! Lord Boyuan will barbecue it! Lord Boyuan will barbecue it!"

The wise and far-sighted Zhang Yang was also very considerate.

Humans seem to prefer cooked food to raw food, and freshly killed animals taste better than those that have been dead for a while, so we can't kill it yet. If we could kill it, why would it have played with firecrackers for such a short time?

They absolutely have to smash the firecrackers into a pulp!

"...Alright, we really should offer some tribute." She had never eaten a pure Star Beast, but she had hunted some wicked hybrids, and the meat wasn't exactly high quality—a bit tough and a bit smelly. But if Bo Yuanjun wanted to eat it, then it had to be the freshest.

Chao Tan surveyed the battle situation from his high vantage point.

"Thousand-Mile Eyes, let's go down."

She has a score to settle with that old geezer.

The man with the keen eye overjoyed agreed.

"Revenge! Revenge!"

As Chao Tan landed, gripping the claws of the Thousand-Mile-Eye Bird, a rat tail, thicker than an adult's thigh and two zhang long, lashed out at him.

The rat's tail wasn't covered in scales; instead, it had over forty nimble, short, cylindrical plates with a grayish-white metallic sheen, hollowed out and filled with black miasma. This miasma seeped out through the dense, tiny holes in the tail. When the whip struck a target, it not only produced a loud sonic boom, but the fine needles formed from the miasma could also pierce the target's skin, causing excruciating pain, festering sores, and intense itching.

Chao Tan was sent flying more than ten feet away by the force, and his tiger's mouth went numb.

She braced the spear shaft against the ground to stop her retreat, then thrust the spear at the rat's tail, intending to pin it to the ground. The spear tip clashed with the rat's tail, producing a metallic clang and sparks flying. The tail seemed to have eyes, managing to block Chao Tan's fierce and relentless attack.

sizzle--

An incredibly foul and pungent aura followed the gun barrel and approached Chao Tan.

Even with the gauntlets protecting him, a chilling, stinging pain still emanated from his palm. The golden light landed, and a tremendous force pulled Chao Tan behind him, the golden spear lifting the falling spear. The spear shaft circled the shaft once before charging and firing!

clang!

The spear blasted away that disgusting rat tail.

After regaining his balance, Chao Tan recognized the person who had come.

"Lord Boyuan!"

"Good boy, go play over there!"

Although she cursed Guan Siwang and Qi for being shameless in her heart, she noticed something amiss during her brief exchange with the rat-man. The latter's health bar wasn't particularly high, but several strange icons were displayed below it. Zhang Yang glanced at them briefly.

【The Wrathful Mother of the Stars】: Mother of all rats, she walks the path of plague. All her offspring will willingly give everything for the "Rat King," including their own flesh and blood. Reduces damage taken by 50%. You cannot kill their blood relatives in front of your children unless they are dead.

【The Fallen Sun Rat】: Madness!

[Mother Mouse]: Hungry!

[Rat]: Hatred!

[Mother Mouse and Baby Mouse]: Giving birth to offspring, killing offspring, eating offspring.

Each of the later status effects either increases defense or reduces damage, with each status effect stacking up to dozens of times. If Zhang Yang hadn't been counting and watching the status effects decrease layer by layer, she would have thought she was scratching a boss with invincible health.

Chao Tan: "...???"

What did Bo Yuanjun call her?

Even the all-seeing eye didn't notice when it went to curry favor.

She quickly regained her senses and swiftly dispatched dozens of rats that tried to sneak up on her. Afraid Zhang Yang wouldn't hear her, she raised her voice: "Lord Boyuan—this man's weakness lies between the rats' eyebrows!"

Zhang Yang glanced at it quickly.

The other party had seven or eight tiny heads that were neither real nor fake.

Which rat's forehead was Chao Tan referring to?

Not only that, the two rat heads on the other person's neck could rotate 360 ​​degrees and alternate, providing unobstructed vision. Zhang Yang could recognize human faces, but not rat faces. In her view, the rat heads only differed in size and position; they all looked identical. Which one was the real rat?

Zhang Yang didn't delve into why Chao Tan knew the other party's weakness; she simply chose to trust Chao Tan at the crucial moment.

Based on her extensive experience—

This is the necessary prerequisite task for plot-driven deaths.

One of the two heads on the old general's neck emitted a muffled, youthful voice, the words of which were indistinct; the other head emitted a slightly rougher, more mature voice: "You bastard—"

Zhang Yang did not hesitate.

If they're rats, then pick the young one to beat!

The rat's head recoiled rapidly as if it had seen a ghost, and the two heads twisted and turned in a series of motions. A grotesque and pained young man's face flashed across the rat's face; if Zhang Yang hadn't been focused on the two heads, he wouldn't have been able to see it clearly.

What is that?

Chao Tan: "..."

That was the old man's only son who grew up.

Rumor has it that he was killed by Chao Tan, and until today, Chao Tan had always believed he was the one who did it. She and the old general had a blood feud stemming from the killing of their son; a life-or-death struggle was only natural.

The counties in the mountains all dream of the imperial capital.

If outsiders could come up with the idea of ​​using a beautiful bird on Qianliyan (a clairvoyant), how could they not have thought of using a beauty trap on Chao Tan? Of course, they had used it before.

The old general's son was the spy who used a honey trap.

Chao Tan, an honest and rough man who only knew how to practice martial arts and was devoted to guarding the Imperial City, had no idea about these tricks. The handsome young man was indeed hard to guard against, and he almost made Chao Tan lower his guard, but unfortunately, he failed at the last moment.

Upon discovering the truth, Chao Tan was furious.

Now it seems there was more to the story!

That's not the truth!

Whether the spy was entirely deceitful or nine-tenths deceitful with a touch of sincerity, it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that the old man secretly exploited the special nature of the mother and offspring of the rats, using the offspring as scapegoats to bear the negative punishment of the wrathful stars descending upon him!

Judging from the size of the rats on his body, he most likely did it intentionally. It's just unknown whether these unfortunate "rats" were eaten while they were still hot, or when they were healthy... In any case, they couldn't have been eaten after they were dead.

Dead mice are useless.

As soon as the two rat heads appeared on her neck, Chao Tan recognized the one with the weaker aura as the spy she had talked to before.

Even though the other person was a thing of the past, the fact that they appeared before her in such a state after so many years still enraged her! After the anger came an even stronger murderous intent, and she realized that the situation might be much more complicated than she had imagined.

The spy was a learned and handsome young man.

He was physically weak, but optimistic, cheerful, and handsome.

[I've heard that martial artists all have a fatal weakness. Can this fatal weakness be determined by oneself?] I'm very interested in the strange and bizarre star formations and have done a lot of research on the various fatal weaknesses of martial artists. I was once curious whether star totems could grow on the flesh of a hemorrhoid.

"Hmm? You want to know my Achilles' heel?"

[I don't want to know. I just hope that one day I might be lucky enough to cultivate to Chao Jun's level, nearing the perfection of body tempering, with only that tiny vital point left. Then I'll place that vital point between my eyebrows.] The beautiful spy held her calloused hand against her own brow, gently touching it before pressing it to her cheek. She lowered her head and sighed softly, her melancholy making her even more beautiful. [I'm so cowardly and incompetent, clinging to life and afraid of death. If one day I ever find myself in a situation where I can neither live nor die, I'll have someone strike my vital point to release me.]

Chao Tan then took a gamble.

Discovering that the key to his health was indeed between the rat's eyebrows made him even angrier.

That spy probably traded injury for a chance to escape, only to be tricked into the old man's clutches. Judging from what he revealed, he definitely knew what the old man had done behind the scenes and was somewhat prepared for his own fate…

I wonder if he ever imagined that after finally escaping from Chao Tan's clutches, he would end up in the rats' den.

"You bitch—"

Since there are only two heads on the neck, choosing one is always a 50/50 chance, so Zhang Yang simply picked one blindly. She was also quick enough that one or two strikes didn't make much difference. Not to mention, Zhang Yang was incredibly lucky, always managing to pick the correct one.

The high school lottery odds infuriated the ratmen.

"The traitor!"

He didn't believe Zhang Yang was lucky; he only felt that his rebellious son had once again defied him. First it was Chao Xiaoyu, and now he was secretly colluding with Zhang Yang, an outsider, to oppose his own father!

If he hadn't betrayed them first, why would he have gone to such lengths to kill them?

As the negative status effects on the health bar decreased layer by layer, the previously unmoving health bar finally started to jump a little bit.

"The traitor——"

The metal tail curled up around the mouse's head and retracted!

The mouse made a sizzling sound, as if water had just rolled into hot oil.

Zhang Yang immediately saw that the opponent's health bar had returned to normal.

Youth has no price; my son melts in my mouth.

[Rat (Riot)]: Kill him!

"...That's really insane." She was absolutely certain that this world was the real world and not a game, because if the game designers dared to do this kind of plot, the law would crush them into mincemeat.

"The traitor——"

The gruff voice held a hint of panic, but even more so, resentment.

Two opposing consciousnesses vie for control of the body, leaving the limbs stiff and rooted to the spot. One hand tries to tear apart the rat's tail, while the other attempts to stop it. In the struggle, the fingers of the first hand are twisted and bent, the faint cracking sound sending chills down one's spine.

puff--

Zhang Yang calmly swung his long spear.

Following the gap in the rat's tail, which had been twisted into a pretzel but still managed to tear open, the needle pierced between the eyebrows. This vital spot was indeed much more vulnerable than others; Zhang Yang watched as a long string of damage numbers popped up in the system log. The full health bar was reduced to a mere sliver of health in an instant.

"You rebellious, unfilial son—you should have been punished back then—"

Zhang Yang didn't give his opponent a chance to say his last words; his next strike pierced his mouth, pinning him to the ground.

Fresh blood gushed from the wound, covering his mouth.

As the sliver of blood completely disappeared, a small ball of light slowly floated out of the corpse. Before Zhang Yang could even see what it was, a blur of light flashed past, snatched it up, and swallowed it.

Zhang Yang: "..."

Does this scene look familiar?

"My lord!"

Han Fulong led a group of men rushing towards Zhang Yang. Although he couldn't see clearly what was happening on Zhang Yang's side, he could tell something was wrong from the intensity of the yin energy. The vegetation was withered, and the murderous aura was overwhelming.

He couldn't help but shiver as soon as he rode his horse in.

"it's over?"

"With two generals overseeing the operation, things went very smoothly."

The strategy of concealing one's tracks, getting close, and then launching a surprise attack has proven consistently effective.

No wonder the lord likes to use it.

Zhang Yang pulled the long spear stuck in the corpse and disgustedly shook off the foul odor that resembled black sludge. Han Wo glanced down and immediately recognized the corpse. As he dismounted, he spoke with delight.

"Did our lord kill this man?"

Zhang Yang: "There was a bit of a shortcut involved."

Han Wo: "Even taking shortcuts requires skill. This man had considerable influence and seniority in the mountains, and in his youth he was a formidable hero. I just never imagined he would end up dead here—"

It's heartbreaking, but that's the norm in chaotic times.

No amount of praise or adulation is anything but a mirage.

Zhang Yang carefully observed Han Wo's expression and, seeing that his brows were relaxed, believed that the situation was indeed optimistic, and his resentment towards Wang Qi and the other man lessened slightly. Han Wo said, "It's just strange that his aura is so mixed."

"The eleventh level of the 'Descending Stars' has been reached..."

"Oh, the eleventh... the eleventh?"

"Can't you tell?"

"You have poor eyesight."

Zhang Yang asked a question: "Just now, something floated out of the corpse and was eaten by the clairvoyant. Won't it cause stomach upset?"

The person with the clairvoyant ability seems to be in good condition.

The feathers looked like they had undergone competition-level care.

"For star beasts, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, helping them break through the bottleneck of adulthood and enter adulthood earlier and faster. Ordinary wild beasts that consume it are very likely to be tempered and transformed into star beasts." After all, that is the last bit of life essence.

However, it feeds on human bodies and is openly opposed by people.

How rare and precious is it?

"It is said that less than one or two out of a thousand are available, and they are fleeting."

"Oh, I see, it's a special drop with an extremely low probability." Zhang Yang pointed to himself again, "Wait a minute, I've seen it twice already."

Han Wo: "...???"

This is the update from the 12th.

? _(:3」∠)_