Top-tier Unruly Master-Chapter 1737 - 1774: Wet Shoes by the River

Ding Fan and Gao Jian quickly engaged in a fierce battle, while the other soldiers simultaneously attacked Ding Fan. In an instant, many of them had surrounded him, and there was even another cultivator like Gao Jian at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, making the situation quite unfavorable for Ding Fan.

Ding Fan wasn’t worried about his own safety; it was just that with so many soldiers attacking him at once, he couldn’t swiftly kill them with a single sword strike. He had to pretend to be overwhelmed, but ultimately, Ding Fan knew that apart from that small leader, Gao Jian, all the other soldiers had to be killed.

Although it wasn’t difficult for Ding Fan to slay these soldiers, the challenge lay in not being able to use his full strength or easily kill them with one sword stroke. He had to engage for several rounds before skillfully defeating them, which was a test for him.

For Ding Fan, especially the head cultivator at the Late Nascent Soul Stage was much more formidable compared to the other soldiers. However, there was no real difficulty for Ding Fan in trying to kill him; the challenge was to skillfully engage the opponent for a period of time without killing him, at most severely injuring him.

This made it difficult for Ding Fan to control, and with other soldiers around, the hardest part for him was disguising his strength. But regardless of the difficulty, Ding Fan knew he had to do this, as his goal was to eliminate about thirty percent of this group, ensuring no enemies escaped.

Although Ding Fan and his team were highly skilled in the cultivation world, they were facing a military force with numerous soldiers, not an easy opponent. Ding Fan had to deal with this army quietly, without creating too much commotion.

Otherwise, revealing the location of the Great Ocean Sect would not be good for them, as the Wild Wolf Gang was still eyeing the sect attentively. Ding Fan also knew that the Wild Wolf Gang’s target wasn’t solely the Great Ocean Sect, evident from previous attacks on Dancheng and the Thirty-Six Caves.

The Wild Wolf Gang wasn’t only targeting the Great Ocean Sect; they might be aiming against several major forces on the Donglai Continent. Ding Fan was unclear about their exact plan but perceived their ambition, suggesting they might want to control the entire Donglai Continent.

As for what the opponent ultimately wanted to achieve, Ding Fan wasn’t clear, something he repeatedly tried to figure out. Although he had killed many cultivators from the Wild Wolf Clan, he hadn’t unraveled this mystery. Ding Fan knew that probably only the top echelons of the Wild Wolf Gang would know.

Thus, finding out would certainly not be an easy matter for Ding Fan.

...

At this time, several elders from the Thirty-Six Caves continually battled the soldiers around them. However, these elders sometimes managed to kill a few soldiers in one strike. These occasional scenes sometimes unsettled the hearts of the soldiers, causing them to seriously doubt the true skill of these old masters, as it wasn’t that simple.

But these elders knew they must not reveal their cultivation. Although they occasionally failed to control themselves, they deliberately restrained their power to prolong the engagement with some soldiers, even at the cost of incurring some injuries themselves.

Amidst this truth and deception, while the soldiers were full of doubts, they couldn’t be sure. The elders from the Thirty-Six Caves skillfully played the role of being seriously injured and on the brink of death, though it was merely an act.

The most challenging aspect for these elders wasn’t killing the soldiers but rather their performance.

Their cultivation level was too high, and facing soldiers with such low cultivation, they were used to killing them swiftly. Pretending to lose was indeed difficult for them, but they knew they weren’t the hardest hit, the hardest was Ding Fan.

While a few elders tangled with the soldiers, they occasionally glanced at Ding Fan’s situation, showing a faintly mischievous smile on their faces, eager to see how well Ding Fan could pretend amidst so many soldiers and a leader among them.

However, what surprised these elders was that Ding Fan hadn’t killed any soldier with a single blow and had been engaging them for a long time. This not only startled the elders but also earned their admiration for the young generation.

The few elders initially planned to laugh at Ding Fan, but they had no malice toward him; they were just playful old masters wanting to see him make a fool of himself. Yet, when they saw how well Ding Fan was handling the soldiers, their admiration grew.

After all, Ding Fan was facing not only many soldiers but also a cultivator at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, making it far harder compared to the Early or Middle Nascent Soul Stage cultivators near the elders.

The elders admired the young generation watching Ding Fan skillfully maneuver; indeed, each generation surpasses the previous!

The elders, impressed by Ding Fan’s performance, began improving their own act. Before long, both groups of soldiers were "laboriously" killed by these elders. They were covered in bloodstains and bore several apparent but inconsequential injuries.

On Ding Fan’s side, he quickly wiped out all the soldiers except for Gao Jian, who, severely injured by Ding Fan, ironically managed to retreat back to the camp...

Gao Jian was the only survivor, running back to the camp in disarray, where the orderly ranked soldiers stood on high alert, fully armed, watching Ding Fan and his group outside with wary eyes. Their hearts were filled with dread, but their numerical superiority suppressed their fear significantly.

Moreover, the cultivation Ding Fan displayed to them was merely at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. They thought that even if the opponents were formidable, it was only at this level of cultivation. Even if they couldn’t handle it, once the lieutenant acted, they would definitely be completely annihilated. There was nothing to worry about.

However, the soldiers at the camp entrance who witnessed the battle scene involving Ding Fan and the others earlier were quite shocked by the current outcome, especially looking at the defeated and routed squad leader Gao Jian returning in a hasty retreat. They simply couldn’t have imagined that even with the squad leader’s personal involvement and leading two squads, he would end up being wiped out by just four opponents.

This was truly somewhat unbelievable!

Stumbling, Gao Jian reached the entrance of the camp. After passing by rows of heavily guarded soldiers at the camp gate, he finally let out a sigh of relief. Even though he was in considerable pain from his injuries at this moment, he couldn’t help but glance back at Ding Fan, a trace of unwillingness flickering in his eyes.

He was just a little short of being able to kill that guy with a single sword strike, but unfortunately, the opponent’s sword pierced into him first. This left him feeling very discontent. At the same time, he thought it foolish of the opponent, as his face twisted with malice. If he had been the opponent, he would certainly have pursued the victory. If the opponent had done the same, he would have been dead by now.

But what made him see the opponent as foolish was that they did not do so, allowing him to escape with his life. He vaguely felt in his heart that this was a chance given by God for him to avenge himself, as his survival indicated that the opponent would not fare well.

Harboring darkness and hatred in his heart, Gao Jian returned to the camp. As he approached the outside of the lieutenant’s tent, his earlier ambition and confidence suddenly dwindled. Now frowning deeply, he was at a loss about how to report the situation to the lieutenant. Leading a full two squads, over a dozen soldiers, and yet suffering total defeat was utterly humiliating.

And most crucially, he knew, all the soldiers were dead, while he alone returned alive. How to explain this to the lieutenant...

Running away was not a solution. To become a deserter like this was even less likely for Gao Jian, not because of some noble character, but because he understood that deserting would only quicken his death. Besides, this wasn’t the worst time yet, since there were many soldiers outside who witnessed the battle.

The only reason he survived was not because he was cowardly or feared death, but simply because he was more fortunate.

After all, there is a saying in war: "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be fuel to burn."

His survival also retained a minuscule amount of strength for the lieutenant. Gao Jian hesitated outside the lieutenant’s camp, finally steeling his resolve and walking in. As he stepped into the tent, determination surged within him, a resolve to turn the unfavorable situation around with his silver tongue!

"Gao Jian, do you know your crime? Two squads of soldiers, dozens in force, lost just like that! What more do you have to say for yourself?"

Inside the tent, sitting on the main seat, the lieutenant, wearing a somber expression, angrily shouted at Gao Jian.

Even though this lieutenant might have held a bit of regard for Gao Jian before, being well-aware of his traits, Gao Jian had shown some talent in fiscal matters, offering various suggestions that allowed private gains. But Gao Jian’s leadership this time had led to the loss of two squads.

The root cause being Gao Jian’s acceptance of bribes was utterly unforgivable!

"Lieutenant, Gao Jian is guilty of embezzlement and bribery, incompetence in leadership, leading to severe troop losses, should be immediately executed!"

"Exactly! Someone like him is undoubtedly a parasite and a disgrace to the army! He cannot be allowed to remain!"

"Embezzlement and bribery leading to significant troop losses is indeed no minor crime..."

"..."

In an instant, under the lead of two other squad leaders, the officers within the tent unanimously echoed.

Clearly, Gao Jian’s usual conduct had left him without allies; instead, there was only a chorus of denunciations. People had long been displeased with him. Previously, everyone refrained from speaking up as he was a favorite of the lieutenant and frequently repressed them, so there was much resentment.

Now that he’s "given them an opening," how could they let him off? If they didn’t decisively take him down now, they’d still have to suffer injustices in the future.

Seeing this scene, Gao Jian felt a tinge of fear rise within him. After all, there wasn’t a single person to speak for him, and they all sought his death. Experiencing such a plight would instill fear in anyone, but Gao Jian knew he couldn’t be intimidated by this group at this moment. It was a critical juncture between life and death for him!