The winter solstice has just passed, and it is the coldest time of the year. The entire Yunwu County is covered in snow, with white mist filling the mountains and valleys.

  Zhang Ruochen has been chasing Huaming Gong for four days and four nights, from Qinghe Fort to Lin'an County in the northernmost part of Yunwu Prefecture, covering a distance of nearly 16,000 miles.

  On the road, the two had fought three times, and each time Zhang Ruochen was in a superior position, chasing Hua Ming Gong as if he were a stray dog.

  But Hua Ming Gong's speed was one step faster than Zhang Ruochen's, so every time he could escape from Zhang Ruochen's hands.

  Chased to the vicinity of Lin'an County, the two had another fierce battle on the ice river, fighting so fiercely that even the cold ice in the ice river was melted by their true energy.

  Hua Minggang escaped again and his whereabouts are unknown.

  Zhang Ruochen was able to catch up with Hua Meng one time after another because he possessed a martial soul.

  As long as Huaming Gong is within a hundred miles, Zhang Ruochen will release his martial soul and be able to find him.

  Hua Ming Gong naturally didn't know that Zhang Ruochen had cultivated his Martial Soul, so every time he escaped, he tried not to leave any traces, not wanting Zhang Ruochen to chase and kill him again.

  But every time, no matter how carefully he rushed, within a day at most, Zhang Ruochen would be able to find him again. The two of them couldn't avoid it and would have to engage in another fierce battle.

  Hua Ming Gong originally had injuries on his body, but he never had the opportunity to heal. At first, he still hoped to use his own ultimate skill to kill Zhang Ruochen. However, after each major battle, Zhang Ruochen suffered only minor injuries, while Hua Ming Gong's injuries became more and more severe, even his speed of rushing forward became slower and slower.

  "He escaped again. Lin'an County is already the last county in the northernmost part of Yunwu Prefecture, and going further north would mean entering the territory of Sifang Prefecture. Is he planning to head to the Poisonous Spider Merchant Guild in Sifang Prefecture to seek help?"

  Zhang Ruochen's heart sank as he gazed in the direction of Hua Ming Gong's escape and chased after him once again.

  Hua Ming Gong, although a warrior in the Tianji realm, was after all older and not as young and vigorous as Zhang Ruochen, with abundant spiritual energy and robust blood flow, even if he didn't rest for ten days and nights, he wouldn't feel tired at all.

  He's old

  After tens of thousands of miles of long-distance escape, with severe injuries on his body, Huaming felt that his speed was getting slower and slower.

  If he were to fight Zhang Ruochen again, he would no longer have any chance of escaping.

  "How detestable, if the Red Spider giant ship were by my side, I wouldn't have escaped so miserably" Hua Ming's hair was disheveled, his whole body covered in blood, with at least ten sword wounds on him.

  The Poison Spider Merchant Guild originally had two Red Spider Giant Ships in Yunwu County, but during the transfer of goods, both Red Spider Giant Ships transported a large quantity of goods to Sifang County.

  Hua Ming Gong lost the Red Spider Giant Ship and didn't have a Ninth-Grade True Martial Treasure-level warship, how could he possibly withstand Zhang Ruochen's sharp aura?

  All the way fleeing in disarray, even this renowned Tianji Realm martial arts legend felt a sense of despair.

  It's okay, I finally escaped to Lin'an County, and going further north would enter the territory of Sifang Jun Guo.

  The royal family of the Quadrant Kingdom has a good relationship with the Poison Spider Merchant Association, so the headquarters of the Poison Spider Merchant Association is built in the Quadrant Kingdom.

  This secret is known only to the high-ranking members of the Poisonous Spider Merchant Guild.

  As soon as you enter Sifang County, it's equivalent to entering the territory of the Poisonous Spider Merchant Association. At that time, Zhang Ruochen will be the one who should escape.

  "Wait until I recover from my injuries, and I will definitely chop that bastard into ten thousand pieces."

  Hua's army rushed into Lin'an County.

  He remembered that there was a secret hideout of the Poisonous Spider in Lin'an County, so he planned to go to that secret hideout first to send a message, hoping that the masters of the Poisonous Spider Merchant Association from all over the country could come and rescue him immediately.

  This stronghold is not large, with only dozens of Chamber members.

  These chamber of commerce members, upon seeing Huaming Gong, were just like ordinary citizens meeting the emperor, and all went out to welcome him, respectfully inviting Huaming Gong into their headquarters.

  Huaming Gong asked: "Who is in charge here?"

  An old man who had reached the extreme realm of Xuanji walked out, bowed his head and stood in front of Huaming Gong, saying: "Reporting to the host, I am Lichuan, the person in charge of this stronghold."

  Hua Ming Gong didn't waste any words and immediately gave the order, saying: "You will now take my token and go to the large stone city outpost in the four directions of the country. Request Mu Qing to deploy the Red Spider giant ship immediately to come and provide reinforcements. Tell him that if he comes to provide reinforcements, he will at least receive one 9th-grade True Martial Treasure as a reward."

  Dashi Castle is the largest stronghold closest to Lin'an County, less than 500 miles apart. If you ride a barbarian bird, it only takes an hour to get there.

  Mu Qing is also a high-ranking member of the Poisonous Spider Merchant Association, with cultivation reaching the Tianji boundary. He is in charge of all matters related to the southern border of the Four Sides Prefecture and State.

  Hua Ming Gong's relationship with Mu Qing was not very good, but Hua Ming Gong believed that using a ninth-grade true martial treasure as a condition would definitely make Mu Qing rush to his aid at the fastest speed.

  In the black market, there are no true friends, only true interests.

  If there is no benefit, even if they are warriors of the same faction, they may not take the risk of offending a strong enemy to help.

  That old man named Lì Chuān, upon hearing Huá Míng Gōng's words, was shocked in his heart. What kind of person could make the master of the pursuit so desperate? Could it be that Yún Wǔ Jùn, the King of Cloud Martial, had personally taken action?

  Li Chuan did not dare ask more questions. After taking the token, he immediately rode the barbarian bird and rushed out of Lin'an County, heading in the direction of the border.

  Hua Ming Gong could have escaped to Da Shi Cheng himself, but he was afraid that before he could reach Da Shi Cheng, Zhang Ruo Chen would catch up with him.

  "That Zhang Ruochen somehow always manages to find me, I don't know what kind of skills he has. In the mountains where there are fewer people, it's easier for him to find me. On the other hand, hiding in a crowded city makes his search slower. Hopefully before Mu Qing arrives, Zhang Ruochen won't have found me yet."

  Hua Ming Gong gritted his teeth, feeling extremely stifled in his heart. As a legendary figure in the world of martial arts, he was actually being pursued and killed by a young man for thousands of miles, and if word got out, it would be utterly humiliating.

  Of course, what Hua Ming Gong is thinking about now is not how to save his own face, but how to save his own life.

  As long as you can hold on until Mu Qing arrives, by then it will be Zhang Ruochen's time of death.

  "If all else fails, I'll have no choice but to use that forbidden technique." Hua Ming Gong clenched his fist tightly, as if he had made a major decision.

  Not long after, Zhang Ruochen also walked into Lin'an County Town.

  Lin'an County is just a small county on the border of Yunwu Prefecture, and it has been plagued by war for many years, making it look very desolate.

  One year ago, Lin'an County was conquered by the Four Sides State, and almost all of its citizens were taken away and sold to the Four Sides State as slaves.

  The wealth in the county town was also looted and it became a dead city.

  Although later, Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen got engaged, Yunwu County received support from Qianshui County and put pressure on the four counties.

  The King of Sifang County, under duress, returned more than 20 cities including Lin'an County to the State of Yunwu, and also paid a large amount of compensation. However, these cities became even more desolate than before.

  Entering Lin'an County, on the streets, only a few scattered figures can be seen, with pale and thin faces, as if they had not eaten a full meal for many days.

  In the harsh winter, even in the imperial city of Yunwu Commandery, many people would die from cold and hunger. What's more, this is a small border town.

  Those ordinary people who were struggling to survive, all looked at Zhang Ruochen with pitiful eyes, then quickly turned away, not daring to look directly at him.

  They were all slaves who had been captured by the four-sided county and country, and they had long been bullied and feared. Who would dare to provoke Zhang Ruochen, such a brilliant young nobleman?

  Zhang Ruochen's gaze was fixed on one of the alleys, where a little girl in tattered clothes knelt in the snow, crying out loud and shaking a woman lying in the snow with her thin arms.

  "Mother, wake up! Mother, wake up!" The little girl cried while pushing the woman's body.

  Zhang Ruochen walked over and took a look at the woman. He saw that her face was completely covered with frost, her body stiff, apparently having frozen to death last night.

  Last night, it was that woman who held the little girl in her arms and protected her child with her own body temperature. Otherwise, the little girl would have probably frozen to death.

  "Big brother, please, please help me wake up my mother," a little girl who looked like she was only three or four years old said with big round eyes staring at Zhang Ruochen, her eyes full of tears and pitifully.

  Zhang Ruochen was originally in a hurry to catch up, wanting to kill Hua Ming Gong as soon as possible, but after seeing the little girl's clear eyes, he became calm instead.

  Zhang Ruochen suddenly woke up with a start: "In the past few days, why have my murderous intentions been so heavy? Could it be because I absorbed a large amount of sacrificial power, affecting my own martial arts heart?"

  In the power of worship, there are originally countless people's wishes and wills, containing the spirits and wills of tens of thousands of humans. For the gods, it is easy to consume those people's spirits and wills.

  However, Zhang Ruochen was just a human martial artist and would naturally be affected by the power of worship, causing him to deviate from his true heart.

  Should Hua Mulan be killed?

  He must be killed.

  However, Zhang Ruochen's murderous intention was too heavy, even affecting his normal thinking. If he couldn't wake up in time and let the murderous intention continue to swell, it wouldn't be long before he would go crazy and become a ruthless killer who lost all reason.

  "It's a good thing my spiritual power is strong, temporarily suppressing the power of the ritual. After getting rid of Huaming Gong, I must close up for a period of time."

  Zhang Ruochen squatted down, took off his own outer robe and wrapped it around the little girl's body. He said solemnly: "Your mother has passed away and will not wake up again. You must live well and become a strong person, otherwise you will freeze to death in the future."

  Zhang Ruochen had to admit that he was indeed not a person who knew how to deceive, and even didn't know how to comfort or cheat a child.

  When Zhang Ruochen finished speaking, the little girl cried even louder: "No, no, my mother will wake up, she must wake up! You go away, you're a liar!"

  Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head, just about to leave, but suddenly stopped in his tracks, took out ten Blood Dan pills and placed them in the little girl's palm, saying: "If you're hungry, eat one."

  There are too many people in the world who need help, and Zhang Ruochen's ability is limited, so he can only do this much.

  After lingering for a moment, Zhang Ruochen had no choice but to leave and continue searching for Hua Ming Gong.

  Hua Ming Gong was right in the county town of Lin'an, and Zhang Ruochen had already located his position, believing that he would be able to find him soon.

  It was discovered that Hua Ming Gong did not escape, and Zhang Ruochen was also somewhat surprised, unsure of what Hua Ming Gong was planning.

  To avoid endless troubles, he must be eliminated as soon as possible to prevent future problems.

  It was still murder, but Zhang Ruochen's mindset had undergone a subtle change, and he seemed much calmer.