The 72 Worthies  

In the western suburbs of Peng City, in a peach blossom forest. Seventy-two young Confucian scholars sat in a circle, some chanting poetry, some plucking the strings of zithers. There was also an extremely beautiful woman, surrounded by the handsome and talented youths as if she was the moon amidst a sea of stars.

If a scholar offered her wine, she would also lift the bottle of flower wine in her hand and drink together with him.

If someone wanted to recite a newly written verse, she would also clap along enthusiastically and loudly applaud for that person.

For a time, everyone was having fun, not at all feeling awkward due to the severely imbalanced male to female ratio.

"Shameless!"

Suddenly, a mocking voice mixed with jealousy interrupted everyone's merriment.

Fan Yuehua's mouth hooked up slightly in an imperceptible cold smile as she immediately locked onto the other person's position.

The southeast direction!

There was an old man and a young woman. The one who just mocked was precisely that young woman.

The old man deeply glanced at Fan Yuehua and lightly said, "Indeed only at the ninth rank of the Nascent Soul Realm. Zhi'er, you're stronger than her."

Nanguang Zhi arrogantly said, "I'm already at the first rank of Divine Transformation. How is Fan Yuehua worthy of comparing with me? Elder, please make way and watch me personally kill her!"

Just as she finished speaking, she saw the seventy-two Confucian scholars unanimously stand up!

From their stance, it seemed they were willing to block the powerful enemy for Fan Yuehua's sake.

Seeing this, the Second Elder immediately tried to dissuade.

"All of you should be Confucian and Taoist cultivators, right? With this old man's single glance, there are actually ten people who have reached the Divine Transformation Realm? Such talent, even when I was young I was far from comparable!"

"This old man is reluctant for such geniuses to perish prematurely. It's better for all of you to leave now and I'll just give Blazing Fire Sect some face. Why court death over this woman surnamed Fan?"

The Second Elder originally believed his words could at least persuade over half the people to retreat. However, not a single one of the seventy-two Confucian cultivators even shifted.

The Second Elder sank his voice, "Could it be you've all become muddled? Seeking death without retreat?"

Nanguang Zhi was especially angry! She couldn't understand why Fan Yuehua seemed to have some kind of sorcery that bewitched these young talents until they were infatuated and willing to die for her sake.

Just then, one of the Confucian cultivators at the fifth rank of Divine Transformation stepped forward.

Looking closely, one could see he was clearly more mature than the other scholars and had long passed the age for romantic fancies like chanting poems under the moon.

"The two Elders need not waste words. We seventy-two people are here specifically waiting for your arrival."

"What!?" The Second Elder was shocked.

Could it be he had fallen into a trap?

Impossible!

It was clearly the Holy Master Blood Phoenix and Sect Lord Nanguang who deployed forces to exterminate the Fan clan. How could it instead be him who encountered an ambush!?

"Just who exactly are all of you? Why oppose our Blazing Fire Sect?" The Second Elder sank his voice to ask.

"This junior is Yan Yuan. These seventy-one people are my former classmates. We Confucian cultivators revere Heaven, abide by ritual and law. It's precisely because your Blazing Fire Sect wants to disrupt the Chu dynasty's rightful imperial succession. Once the ruler isn't a ruler and his ministers aren't ministers, ritual and law will collapse."

"As Confucian scholars, we study to comprehend principles. Naturally, we should uphold the righteous Way between Heaven and Earth. However, our strength is too insignificant so we can only overwhelm the minority by force of numbers, relying on our greater numbers to keep the two Elders here."

The Second Elder was finally moved!

"Yan Yuan? You were personally taught by the Marquis of Wenxin? These seventy-two people as well!? The neutral Lü City is actually standing in opposition against my Blazing Fire Sect today?"

"Could it be the Marquis of Wenxin doesn't know there's a Holy Master from Brahma Sound Pure Land backing the Blazing Fire Sect!?"

Although the Second Elder rapidly fired those questions, he had already understood this would be a tough battle!

As he spoke, he was preparing to strike first and gain the advantage. But Yan Yuan no longer answered. Instead, he strode forward, walking towards the Elder.

Yan Yuan's lips slightly moved as if chanting something.

At first, the Second Elder couldn't make out Yan Yuan's voice. But behind Yan Yuan, the seventy-one Confucian cultivators also loudly chanted in unison!

"The Sage said: The gentleman finds analogies in justice while the petty man finds analogies in personal gain."

The chanting resounded throughout heaven and earth. At the same time, the previously clear azure sky visibly gathered an expansive sea of clouds.

The sea of clouds were bluish-green, seemingly reflecting vigorous vitality.

The Second Elder recognized this was the Confucian cultivators' unique Righteous Qi, but he had never seen such a formidable Righteous Qi covering over ten square li of sky!

The sea of Righteous Qi suddenly shot out two beams of light, one black and one white, falling onto the two groups below.

Fan Yuehua and the seventy-two scholars were enveloped by the white light. Their momentum sharply rose as if they had suddenly ranked up, their strength greatly increasing.

The Second Elder and Nanguang Zhi were shrouded by the black light. They felt their bodies grow heavier as their spirit energy circulation was impaired, their strengths abruptly declined!

"How...how is this possible!?" Nanguang Zhi cried out in alarm.

"Is this the Confucian techniques of executing laws by the spoken word!?" The Second Elder also reacted. He finally understood the meaning behind 'the gentleman finds analogies in justice while the petty man finds analogies in personal gain'.

"The Sage said: Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you." Yan Yuan recited another line.

The seventy-one Confucian cultivators immediately loudly chanted along in unison!

The sea of Righteous Qi underwent another transformation, sending down a gray beam of light that exclusively enveloped the Second Elder and Nanguang Zhi.

The two felt an additional burden weighing down their bodies as their strengths declined once more.

Yan Yuan suddenly asked, "If the two Elders depart now and vow by the Heavenly Dao to never oppose Chu again, we can end this battle here."

"Hmph! This scoundrel is merely relying on numbers for the momentary upper hand in momentum. But he definitely can't last for long! I'll first kill those weaker Confucian cultivators, break this sea of Righteous Qi, then exterminate the Marquis of Wenxin's disciple!" After thinking things over, the Second Elder still believed victory was at hand.

"Zhi'er, the battle plan remains unchanged! You keep an eye on Fan Yuehua while I handle these rotten Confucians!"

"Yes!" Seeing the Second Elder still willing to fight, Nanguang Zhi instantly regained her confidence.

"Divine Fire Burns the Heavens!" The Second Elder loudly roared. Pushing out both palms, the intense fire that erupted was like a giant wave sweeping towards everyone in the peach blossom forest.

"Let's see how you block this combined realm attack that contains decades of my cultivation!" But just as the Second Elder finished speaking, he saw every single person on the other side take out a medicinal pill that they promptly swallowed.

"Mystic Fire Nullification Pill!?" The Second Elder was well-informed. He instantly recognized the medicinal pill.

But he didn't understand how the opposing side could have one Mystic Fire Nullification Pill per person.

How much wealth had that required!?

According to what Blazing Fire Sect could earn, they probably needed to fast for a year before saving up this many Nullification Pills!

The medicinal effects were extremely potent!

With the sea of Righteous Qi in the air above suppressing them along with the pills' divinity, the giant fiery wave incinerated a large area of the peach forest into scorched earth. Yet Fan Yuehua and the seventy-two scholars didn't suffer the slightest injury.

"You're cheating!" Seeing this, Nanguang Zhi was so angry her teeth itched. "Not relying on actual skill for a duel, first depending on greater numbers, and now taking top grade pills too. Do you even have any shame left!?"

"Hehehehehe!" It was at this time Fan Yuehua finally spoke up. Her smile was sweet yet the implied ridicule was mischievous.

"How is this cheating? Your expertise lies in cultivating while my Fan family excels in doing business. These Nullification Pills were properly transacted and bought by my eldest brother. Is it not allowed to consume them?"

As she spoke, Fan Yuehua who was dressed elegantly suddenly started equipping herself before everyone.

Treasures were also divided into heaven, earth, mystic and mortal four grades.

Fan Yuehua inserted a heavenly-grade phoenix hairpin in her coiled up hair. On her ten fingers were ten heavenly rings that amplified strength and protected the body. She then added on earrings, a necklace, all heavenly-ranked...

By the time she finished adorning herself, over ten glittering accessories had been added onto her body.

Nanguang Zhi only felt her eyeballs were about to fall out!

"I heard you wanted to duel me one on one?" Fan Yuehua brandished a silver whip that was actually a heavenly dragon tendon whip.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Nanguang Zhi was both angry and jealous. The sum value of all the jewelry and accessories on her entire body still wouldn't match Fan Yuehua's single phoenix hairpin!

The slight difference in strength from their one cultivation rank disparity along with the impacts of so much equipment and the sea of Righteous Qi caused their once equal footing to now become completely reversed!

Fan Yuehua grinned and said, "As my Second Brother would say, this is called redefining what it means to have wealth rivaling a nation."