Chapter 123: A Thousand Trees, Ten Thousand Pear Blossoms Bloom (Seeking First Subscription)

“How could it collapse? How could there be a landslide?” No matter how calm Sun Zhongli usually was, his face darkened, unable to contain his displeasure.

Suddenly rising, he swept his piercing gaze over the officers around him.

Wang Yuanzhi’s expression was grim as he said in a low voice, “That place is howled over by bitter winds all year round; the rocks must have loosened…”

At this, his face fell completely. Although the saying goes that truth is stranger than fiction, this was just too coincidental. He bellowed furiously, “Investigate this thoroughly! Find out exactly what happened! Anyone involved will be dealt with without mercy! Ruan Dong, you lead the team personally to the rescue.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The young officer with three stars on his shoulder stiffened, saluted sharply, and without hesitation turned to leave the tent.

“If the situation is beyond saving, do not force it,” Wang Yuanzhi sighed. At that moment, he barely dared meet Sun Zhongli’s eyes.

These students had come for their trial, yet such an incident occurred—this reflected poorly on the military’s organization.

Have you ever seen a student in a blood-soaked trial walk straight into a barbarian tribe’s territory without anyone stepping in to stop them?

Still, deep down, Wang Yuanzhi was inclined to defend his Blood Blade Guards. He didn’t believe the landslide at the valley’s entrance was man-made; it was probably just a coincidence.

But no matter how much he tried to justify, one fact was undeniable.

Han Zeng had witnessed Xiao Nan entering the valley without providing any protection—his conduct had been negligent.

Before departure, that boy’s words had been entirely accurate.

His Blood Blade Guards truly did not care about guarding with heart.

It was humiliating; Wang Yuanzhi had boasted of his men’s fierce loyalty and valor in battle, yet now his face burned as if slapped hard.

He fixated on the screen, no longer paying attention to how the other students fared in their trials.

The situation in the Windy Valley was worsening.

…

Xiao Nan finally understood the source of his unease.

From the start, this was a conspiracy—completely unexpected.

Using his past life’s perspective to interpret this world’s human relations and power structures had led him astray.

In his previous life, military power was paramount, tightly controlled by the highest ranks; no one dared to interfere.

That was a place of strict order.

But in this world, things were different. Alongside the military were several other powers.

For example, the University Alliance, the Martial Artists’ Association, and the Imperial Arbitration Committee…

Not to mention the great noble families slowly reviving in this era.

These forces, bound by strong unity and honor, gradually permeated every aspect of society, including the military.

Thus, there were noble family members within the army, raising a question:

When such a person holds a high position, does he owe loyalty to the empire, to the people, or to his family?

Heaven only knew.

As he stepped into the valley, at the moment the rocks collapsed, Xiao Nan sensed a hidden presence behind him.

It was none other than the rough-browed Blood Blade Guard, his shadow protector on this trial.

To his surprise, he also detected another familiar aura, filled with deep, bitter hatred—that was Lin Hao.

He was closely tailing him—what intentions he harbored were clear without asking.

Recalling the faint threat he felt from Lin Hao upon entering the passage, Xiao Nan’s heart grew heavier.

Of course, now was not the time to dwell on these petty conspiracies.

What mattered was resolving the current crisis.

Upon seeing Xiao Nan, the white-haired barbarian wolf who had been dancing strangely stopped and revealed a ferocious expression.

He pointed his staff at Xiao Nan, shouting loudly in their guttural tongue.

The first to rise was a towering wolf barbarian over two and a half meters tall.

He glanced once at Xiao Nan, then roared, prompting three or four wolf-headed, human-bodied men wielding axes and knives to charge.

Judging from their fierce momentum, they clearly had no intention of inviting Xiao Nan to observe.

Most likely, they intended to capture him as a sacrifice—the impaled victims on wooden stakes were proof.

Xiao Nan calmed his mind, banishing all distractions. His spirit detached, his gaze indifferent.

All around him, the knives, axes, and clubs swung, leaving behind ghostly afterimages in his eyes.

Two paths lay ahead.

One was to turn back immediately—while these beastly warriors had yet to fully mobilize and the others hadn’t completely surrounded him, perhaps there was an escape route near the landslide.

If he could return to where he came from, he could sprint away with a good chance of survival.

The other was to flee toward the large area of stone and wooden houses.

That place was spacious, offering room for maneuver.

Yet, outwardly promising as these two paths seemed, Xiao Nan was unwilling to choose either.

Whether the valley’s entrance held a gap he could slip through was uncertain, but even if it did, escape would be difficult.

He had not forgotten the so-called “allies” lurking behind him, watching like tigers.

If they interfered even slightly, all hope would vanish.

The other path looked attractive, but it was the stronghold of this mid-sized tribe.

They knew the terrain intimately, their exits memorized.

If Xiao Nan moved there, he would soon be engulfed in a sea of barbarians.

That path was effectively a death sentence.

So neither path was viable.

There was but one option left: fight.

Kill with such ferocity that the enemy’s courage shattered, their will weakened, offering a slim chance of survival.

When the moment came, boldness was crucial; the obvious dead-ends might be the only way out.

Xiao Nan glanced at the beast god statue and the wolf beast priest’s faint divine aura, gaining resolve.

His sword intent bloomed like misty rain; the air grew damp.

Even the blazing bonfire of the ritual couldn’t dispel the chill in the barbarians’ hearts.

Amidst the swirling sword shadows around him, eight massive sword blossoms suddenly appeared.

Where the petals fell:

Axes snapped, knives broke, clubs shattered, and blood sprayed like fireworks.

Xiao Nan didn’t hesitate over whom to kill; for him, one kill was breaking even, two was profit.

As the sword petals scattered, he severed several vicious blows from the beast barbarians.

His sword light was like a ribbon, slaying two men and slicing off another’s arm.

Without pause, he plunged into the formation of four or five hundred barbarians.

Those wolf-headed warriors, just emerging from their reverent trance, were leisurely watching this prey they’d delivered themselves struggle in its death throes, feeling relaxed.

Suddenly, a torrent of sword rain burst forth, blood flying, limbs severed, screams and howls echoing endlessly.

“A sudden spring breeze in the night, thousands of pear blossoms bloom…”

Xiao Nan’s sword intent scattered a pure white shower of light, like the blossoms of March, blooming and fading in turn.

His figure never halted; twisting, turning, weaving—wherever the enemy gathered, there he went.