Heavens' Laughter

Knowing there was no escape, the remaining officers clenched their fists. Each called upon their most formidable techniques, their voices resounding with defiance.

"HAND OF JUDGMENT!" one roared, his Qi flaring like molten gold.

"TEMPEST ART!" bellowed another, the crackle of energy swirling around him like an impending storm.

The sky darkened as a massive, radiant golden hand materialized above, descending with the weight of divine retribution.

Its sheer size cast a blinding glow, illuminating everything below in stark contrast to the ominous clouds gathering overhead.

Simultaneously, a bolt of lightning erupted, splitting the heavens with a deafening roar.

It spiraled downward, growing broader and more ferocious, its edges crackling with raw, untamed power.

Both techniques converged, their targets clear: a single figure standing defiant amidst the chaos.

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Feng Shen stood motionless, letting both attacks strike him squarely. He didn't dodge, flinch, or even raise a hand to defend himself.

The impact landed with a thunderous force, yet he didn't budge an inch. It was as if the attacks were nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing against his skin.

When the dust settled, the officers could hardly believe their eyes.

Feng Shen remained completely unscathed. His body bore no signs of injury. No blood trickled from his lips, and not even the faintest wince of pain crossed his face.

Instead, he stood there, calm and composed, his gaze locked onto theirs with a chilling intensity.

A mocking smirk curled across Feng Shen's lips, as if to say their efforts were laughable, insignificant.

The silence between them stretched.

Then, with an air of indifference, Feng Shen finally broke it. "Is that all you've got?" he asked, his tone laced with disdain.

The officers, their faces still locked in stunned disbelief, exchanged fleeting glances out of the corners of their eyes.

The tension was palpable, their instincts screaming at them to act, yet they hesitated for just a moment too long.

In that brief instant, Feng Shen vanished from his spot, moving with such blinding speed that they didn't even see him close the distance.

Suddenly, he was right in front of them, his hands shooting out.

Before the officers could react, Feng Shen seized both of their heads in a vice-like grip.

With a force that seemed almost effortless, he slammed their skulls together with a sickening crack.

The sound of bone shattering echoed through the air, and the sheer impact was enough to end them instantly.

Blood splattered in a gruesome arc as their lifeless bodies slumped over, sliding off their mounts and collapsing to the ground below like discarded ragdolls.

Feng Shen remained atop one of the mounts. "Weak… Too Weak… Don't you agree?" He asked the creature.

The beast beneath him snorted nervously, as if sensing the terrifying power of its new rider.

Feng Shen didn't spare the fallen a second glance. Instead, his gaze shifted downward to the commotion below.

Large groups of men and women moved in hurried clusters, guided to safety by frantic officials shouting orders.

"This is too funny~." The sight of their desperation only seemed to amuse Feng Shen.

A sly smile crept across his face, his sharp teeth glinting as he reached for the reins.

Settling comfortably atop the trembling beast, Feng Shen gave a sharp tug. "Get moving."

The creature hesitated for a moment, its instincts warring against its obedience, but a snap of the reins and the human's chilling presence left it with no choice.

It lunged into motion.

"Well," Feng Shen murmured, "let's see if I can be of any... assistance~."

▬▬ι═══════ﺤ

"Do we have everybody?" the First Prince of the Pheenox royal family asked.

He stood at the forefront of his personal army, his piercing gaze scanning the rows of soldiers clad in glowing red armor.

Each warrior held a unique weapon, their stances disciplined.

To the First Prince's sides stood two mercenaries, a complete opposite of the polished soldiers before them.

The one on his right towered over everyone, a hulking figure whose sheer size was as intimidating as the long scars that crisscrossed his face and arms.

His expression was unreadable, his broad shoulders draped in plain, unassuming robes.

The other mercenary, standing to the First Prince's left, was equally striking, but for different reasons.

Shorter than his counterpart, but no less imposing, he was rotund. His bulk was enormous.

His body, too, was a canvas of scars. Like his taller comrade, he wore simple robes.

Neither mercenary carried weapons nor wore armor; they didn't need to.

Their reputations alone were enough to send shivers through even the bravest of cultivators.

"It seems this is everyone," the tall one, Ren Zu remarked. His hands rested behind his back, his posture relaxed:

"Should we start moving? I hear... distant bloodshed."

Ren Zu glanced over his shoulder, his sharp eyes lifting toward the sky. The faintest flicker of unease crossed his scarred face as his nostrils flared.

A metallic scent hung in the air, faint but unmistakable.

Blood.

The kind that drifted from battlefields, carried on the wind to those attuned enough to notice.

Ren Zu's gaze sharpened, narrowing as he turned back.

The First Prince's gaze lingered on his personal army for a moment longer, then shifted to the distant horizon.

"Good. Let's not keep our enemies waiting."

The fat one, Bai Ning, waddled forward with surprising speed, his greasy face twisting into a scowl as he barked:

"You heard the First Prince! Everyone, get ready to move out! The enemies should already be weakened!"

Bai Ning clapped his meaty hands together repeatedly, the sound sharp and urgent.

His impatience was palpable, and even his ample frame seemed to quiver with pent-up energy.

The folds of Bai Ning's flesh jiggled with every emphatic gesture.

"Move! Move! Move!" He snapped, his voice cutting through any lingering hesitation. "Or do you want the First Prince to march ahead without you?"

Bai Ning's beady eyes darted to the soldiers, fumbling to adjust their weapons and armor, his expression growing more irate:

'Damn dogs… Uh~ I want to go to the brothel… But it's probably destroyed…'

"At once!" the soldiers replied in unison, their voices a collective force of obedience.

They began marching forward, their heavy boots echoing against the ground as they moved in perfect formation.

"Alright, let's follow…" the First Prince muttered under his breath.

With a swift motion, he mounted his steed. A white horse, its coat gleaming like freshly fallen snow.

It had golden eyes. Armor, a stunning blend of silver and gold.

The First Prince adjusted his grip on the reins and clicked his tongue, urging the horse forward.

The animal obeyed instantly as it joined the advancing personal army.

The two mercenaries walked behind the First Prince. Their steps were synchronized, yet their focus was elsewhere, each lost in his own thoughts:

'The pay better be worth it…'

▬▬ι═══════ﺤ

Feng Shen landed in the midst of the large group of men and women.

"Hello~." He smiled gently at a small boy who, with innocent eyes, smiled back.

In the blink of an eye, Feng Shen's smile turned into something darker.@@novelbin@@

With a swift motion, he summoned his Qi, and before anyone could react, he severed the boy's head with a precise wave of energy.

The lifeless body crumpled to the ground as blood sprayed in all directions, the boy's innocent grin still frozen on his face.

The crowd froze in shock. Then, panic set in.

Feng Shen's golden eyes glowed with cold amusement as he unsheathed his terror.

One after another, bodies began to fall around him.

The sound of his victims' screams mixed with the sickening sound of splattering blood as the chaos spread.

Feng Shen didn't pause, didn't hesitate.

Using his Shadow Step, he appeared and reappeared in an instant, his presence impossible to predict.

Feng Shen was everywhere. Behind one man, slashing open his throat, before vanishing into the shadows only to reappear to gut another.

Those who were still alive pushed and shoved to escape, but their panic made them clumsy.

Some tripped over one another, their screams cut short as the shadow reached them, ending their lives without mercy.

Blood splattered across the ground like a river.

The officials, once standing around the group, ensuring that everything was in order, were now mere spectators to a nightmare.

They had barely a moment to process the horrifying sight before their world began to shatter.

In the blink of an eye, piles of bodies began to form at the center.

The stench of death filled the air, a suffocating miasma that made it nearly impossible to breathe.

Some of the officials froze in terror, unable to comprehend what was happening.

They turned to flee, but the ground seemed to betray them. One by one, they stumbled, falling to their backs as they tried to escape.

They tried to push themselves back up…

Before they could even scream for help, before they could even think…

Feng Shen's blade of Qi cut through the air, severing limbs and piercing hearts.

Some officials collapsed mid-step, their bodies dropping to the ground with sickening thuds.

Others, caught in their own frantic attempts to escape, found themselves tangled in the bodies of their own, struggling hopelessly to get away.

"Ah~ I've missed this feeling of joy~!" Feng Shen laughed, as he walked around and finished anybody who was still breathing.

Every life he had taken, every scream he had silenced, had only fueled the twisted pleasure he felt:

"Only through death can I feel genuine joy. I need more... more death."