Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 315: Chapter 182: Give Me a Reason Not to Kill You

It was unbelievably fast.

So fast that Tian Guipu didn’t even feel the pain. His expression was frozen in that frame of defiance, his lips still twitching... trying to force out one last word.

In an instant.

The sound of a sword being sheathed was heard once more.

”CLICK.”

The blade slid perfectly into the scabbard’s mouth, making a crisp, metallic sound.

The sound was exceptionally clear in the silent hall, like a coin flipped into the air, landing on the ground, spinning twice, and then coming to a steady stop.

Tian Guipu’s body stood where it was, swaying.

His eyes were still open, his face still frozen in that look of defiance.

But his pupils had already dilated; all light had vanished from them.

Then, his body, like a tower with its frame ripped out, came crashing to the ground.

”THUD!”

A dull thud echoed through the hall.

The back of Tian Guipu’s head hit the floor first, followed by his shoulders, then his back. His limbs bounced once upon impact before falling completely still.

Blood slowly seeped out from under him, pooling into a dark red puddle on the marble floor. It spread out in all directions, winding its way along the cracks between the stone tiles.

The hall was terrifyingly quiet.

Wan Ze stood there, his right hand gripping his sword. The blade was still in its scabbard. His fingers lingered on the hilt for a moment before relaxing, letting the sword hang down, its tip three inches from the floor, perfectly still.

He glanced down at Tian Guipu’s corpse, then raised his head to look at the only person from the Divine Martial Society still standing.

Xiao Yunkai stood in a corner, his legs feeling as if they were nailed to the floor. He couldn’t move a single step. His face was deathly pale, completely drained of blood.

In that instant, his mind went completely blank.

This feeling went beyond fear.

Because fear is a conscious emotion. You know what you’re afraid of. You’re afraid of death, of pain, of loss.

But Xiao Yunkai’s current state had surpassed fear. It was a more primal reaction.

All his cognitive functions had ceased in that moment.

He had seen Tian Guipu fall, seen Liu Chongyue’s head explode... The images poured into his eyes like slow-motion frames, getting stuck in his throat and choking him until he couldn’t breathe.

Then he saw Wan Ze turn his head.

When that gaze swept over him, Xiao Yunkai felt as if someone had squeezed his heart.

”THUMP!”

Xiao Yunkai’s knees slammed onto the marble floor with a sickening CRACK.

There was no buffer at all; his kneecaps crashed directly into the stone. He winced in agony but didn’t dare let out so much as a whimper.

”Wan... Wan Ze...” His voice trembled, filled with pleading. ”Please, don’t be rash. I knew I was wrong last time, I never thought about going against you... Really, don’t kill me...”

His words tumbled out faster and faster, like a drowning man flailing desperately at the water’s surface, each word consuming his dwindling supply of oxygen.

”I can testify for you about Brother Tian’s death! And if you Dragon Eagles want to deal with the Divine Martial Society, I can help you! I know a lot of things! Really, a lot!”

He knew what he was saying, and he knew what those words meant.

Betraying one’s sect, selling out one’s brethren—in any Martial Dao Circle, it was the most despicable act imaginable.

But he couldn’t afford to care about that now.

Right now, only one thought echoed in his mind: ’Survive. Just survive. Worry about everything else later.’

If Xiao Yunkai had been holding onto a sliver of hope when the fight started...

...thinking that no matter how strong Wan Ze was, he was still just in the Blood Tempering Realm; thinking that with Brother Tian around, nothing too serious could happen; thinking that the worst-case scenario would be a fight and paying some compensation.

But after seeing Liu Chongyue and Tian Guipu die one after the other, he finally understood.

He had been wrong.

The group from the Divine Martial Society who came this time, from top to bottom, from Brother Ma to Tian Guipu, had all fucking underestimated Wan Ze.

This man wasn’t just ruthless—he actually dared to kill.

He would kill someone right in front of you, clearly and deliberately, with a single strike of his blade.

’A man like that is vicious!’

’If I’d known Wan Ze was this kind of person, I would’ve stayed far, far away.’

’But then again, weren’t we the ones in the wrong to begin with?’

The thought flashed through Xiao Yunkai’s mind before he quickly extinguished it.

’Now is not the fucking time to be thinking about this.’

Wan Ze stared at him for a few seconds without speaking.

His gaze was calm—so calm it made Xiao Yunkai’s skin crawl.

Because it was the kind of cold indifference that said, ”I’m considering whether or not to kill you.”

This indifference was more terrifying than any threat, because a threat implied you still had value. Indifference meant that in the other person’s eyes, you were already a corpse.

Wan Ze finally spoke. His voice wasn’t loud, but every word made Xiao Yunkai’s heart leap into his throat. ”At the very least, you’ll have to show me your sincerity.”

Xiao Yunkai raised his head and looked at Wan Ze.

He would never forget the expression on that face for the rest of his life... It held none of the emotions a victor should have.

He just stood there, like a silent stone, waiting to see what you would offer to buy back your own life.

Xiao Yunkai took a deep breath, averted his gaze from Wan Ze’s face, and suddenly reached down to pick up a fruit knife from the floor.

His movements were slow, as if he were making a decision that required immense courage.

Then he stood up, turned around, and stared at the two heavily injured men on the ground.

Zhou Hai was slumped against a wall, his eyes closed. His chest was still rising and falling, but he was clearly unconscious. Su Heng was half-lying on the other side, one hand pressed to the wound on his chest, the other propping himself up on the floor as he tried to drag himself further away.