High Martial: I Use Everything as Swords

The charred insect corpse was still twitching faintly on the ground, emitting a strange, burnt-protein smell.

Han Feng retracted his finger. The last wisp of Soul-Burning Sword Aura in his Dantian was completely exhausted.

An intense feeling of emptiness and fatigue washed over him instantly.

To maintain the enhancement from "Sword Control Technique: Great Success," he had just consumed two thousand drops of Sword Essence.

Now, with fewer than five hundred drops left, his Dantian Qi Sea was almost empty.

Han Feng walked forward and prodded the two halves of the corpse, which were still oozing a viscous green fluid, with the tip of his shoe.

’So this is its true body?’

’Without Spiritual Vision, who would have thought that a Tier Three Peak expert was hiding something like this inside his body?’

’He was basically a parasite in human skin.’

Han Feng disgustedly scraped the bottom of his shoe on the concrete ground.

A deathly silence fell over the area.

The crowd that had been wailing and scattering in panic now stood frozen in place, as if under a Body Fixation Technique.

They stared at the young figure in the center of the square, their expressions a mix of complex emotions.

Awe, fear, worship, and a trace of relief at having survived the ordeal.

Although the battle earlier hadn’t lasted long, a fight of that level had already surpassed the limits of an ordinary Enlightenment Realm expert.

Blood Shadow’s transformed state, in particular, had been utterly terrifying. An ordinary Enlightenment Realm Martial Artist would likely have been killed in a single blow.

And yet, a monster like that had been slowly ground down and killed by this young Special Envoy.

His Body Technique was as nimble as a phantom, his Flying Sword as swift as a bolt of lightning.

They had only ever seen such things in the promotional videos for Sword Cultivators from Kunlun Holy City.

Seeing it with their own eyes was still a shocking experience.

Of course, that was secondary. What truly made them tremble was the death of the first eleven Evil Cultist Martial Artists.

They had died silently. Special Envoy Han had simply flown over their heads, and they had dropped dead.

If that kind of invisible, untouchable attack were used on them...

At the thought, everyone couldn’t help but shiver in unison.

’I can’t even imagine it. It’s too terrifying!’

"He’s dead?"

Someone in the crowd asked with a trembling voice.

That one question seemed to break a spell.

"He’s dead! That monster is dead!"

"Special Envoy Han won!"

"Oh my god, I was scared to death just now! When that monster transformed, I felt like my heart was going to stop!"

The crowd erupted into a clamor, their repressed fear finally breaking free.

Han Feng ignored the surrounding noise.

He raised his hand and made a grasping motion in the air beside the charred insect corpse.

A dark red Jade Pendant and an oddly shaped, blood-colored dagger flew out from the pile of mangled flesh and into his hand.

They were Blood Shadow’s core treasures: the [Soul-devouring Blood Jade] and his weapon, the [Blood Fang Dagger].

[All Things Identification] instantly provided information.

[Soul-Suppressing Bone Card: A Tier Four Soul-Protecting Spiritual Artifact that passively weakens Divine Soul Attacks. It contains a large amount of pure Soul Power that can be absorbed.]

[Blood Fang Dagger: A Tier Four Spiritual Soldier, coated with a slow-acting spiritual poison. Comes with a Bloodletting effect.]

Han Feng’s heart stirred. ’These two items are some nice spoils of war.’

’The Jade Pendant, in particular, will be of great benefit for restoring and increasing my Spiritual Power.’

He casually stored the items in his Storage Space.

Just then, Liu Zhen came rushing over with a squad of fully armed soldiers.

"Special Envoy! Are you alright?"

Liu Zhen looked Han Feng up and down, afraid that the man might have lost even a single hair.

He had wanted to help in the battle, but he couldn’t even get involved.

In a clash of that level, ordinary soldiers would be nothing more than easy pickings, not even qualifying as cannon fodder.

"I’m not dead yet."

Han Feng waved his hand and pointed at the insect corpse on the ground.

"Find a sealed container for it. Don’t touch it with your bare hands. This thing is highly toxic."

"Yes, sir!"

Liu Zhen immediately waved, and several soldiers in protective suits cautiously approached with a special containment box.

"What’s the casualty report?"

Han Feng retracted his faceplate, revealing a slightly pale but still calm face.

Liu Zhen reported in a solemn voice:

"Reporting to the Special Envoy, the preliminary count is thirty-two dead. Twenty-one of them died earlier from the monster’s Spiritual Contamination, either by suicide or attacking each other."

"The other eleven were civilians trampled to death during the chaos in the square."

"One hundred seventy-six are seriously injured, mostly with broken bones and internal damage.

Among them are eight Enlightenment Realm Mercenaries. They tried to stop the Evil Cult leader and were critically injured in one blow. They are still unconscious."

Liu Zhen’s tone was heavy.

He had watched them fall with his own eyes.

Han Feng was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"What was the name of the guard killed at the warehouse last night?"

"Old Zhang, Zhang Gui, fifty-two years old. He was one of the first pioneers of Dragon’s Fang Port," Wang Qiang added from the side, his voice somewhat dejected.

"His son and daughter-in-law died in a beast tide. All he had left was a granddaughter, who just started the preparatory class at a Martial Arts University."

Han Feng grunted in acknowledgment, his voice flat but unquestionable.

"Register all of the dead and injured. I’ll cover the compensation and treatment costs."

He paused, then added:

"Send the list directly to General Li later. Tell him I said to triple all standard compensation rates."

"Tr-triple?"

Wang Qiang gasped. He instinctively wanted to say this was against regulations.

But when he saw Han Feng’s calm gaze, he swallowed his words.

Liu Zhen was more seasoned; he instantly understood Han Feng’s intentions.

’This man isn’t just winning people’s hearts. He’s using General Li’s resources to establish his own authority in Dragon’s Fang Port!’

He suppressed the Furious Wave in his heart, snapped a standard military salute, and said in a voice hoarse with emotion:

"Yes, sir! On behalf of my fallen brothers and their surviving families, thank you, Special Envoy!"

Han Feng waved his hand as if he had just ordered something trivial.

His gaze swept over the terrified crowd in the distance.

"We’re not done yet."

"Wang Qiang, go and give the order. Everyone is to gather in the center of the square immediately.

Anyone who isn’t here within five minutes will be expelled from Dragon’s Fang Port."

"Also, bring those eight injured Mercenaries over here and put them to the side."

Although Wang Qiang didn’t understand, he immediately accepted the order and took his men to relay it.

Soon, urged on by the soldiers’ shouts and prodding, the recently scattered crowd gathered once again, hearts pounding with fear.

This time, no one dared to utter a single word of complaint.

Everyone kept their heads down, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Looking at the dense crowd before him, Han Feng activated his Armor’s amplification function.

"The troublemaking scum have been dealt with."

"Now, I’m going to lay down a few new rules."

His voice was icy, leaving no room for negotiation.

"First, starting today, Dragon’s Fang Port will establish a temporary quarantine zone.

All newcomers, regardless of your identity or which faction you’re from, must first stay in the quarantine zone for a full twenty-four hours.

Every evening, I will personally conduct a screening. Only those who pass will be allowed to enter the main residential area."

"Anyone caught sneaking people in or sneaking out will be killed without mercy!"

An uproar went through the crowd at his words.

’These rules are too tyrannical!’

But when they thought of the twelve Evil Cultists who had infiltrated silently, and the desiccated corpse with its gruesome death, everyone swallowed the words on the tips of their tongues.

Han Feng ignored their reaction and continued:

"Second, to compensate for the terror you all experienced today, and to prevent any more innocents from being killed,

I declare that from this moment on, self-defense is permitted within Dragon’s Fang Port."

"Especially at night. If any stranger forcefully approaches within ten meters of you without your permission, you may use any means to defend yourself, including... killing them on the spot!"

"If you can’t handle it, call the patrol team immediately. They will arrive within thirty seconds."

The crowd absolutely erupted.

’This... this is like giving everyone a gun license and a license to kill!’

Some of the weaker merchants and technicians looked pleased, while the Mercenaries, who were used to settling things with their fists, had flickering eyes, their thoughts unreadable.

"Third, a public trading area will be established.

All transactions of goods, exchanges of intelligence, and team recruitment must be conducted during the day within the designated area.

All private transactions and collusion are forbidden.

Anyone discovered by the patrol team will be treated as an accomplice of the Evil Cult."

"Fourth, the major factions within the port, including those from Jiangbei, Celestial Wind City, and the Mercenary Corps, will be assigned their own designated garrison areas.

You can move about in the public areas during the day, but after curfew at night, no one is permitted to cross between zones."

"In short, everyone stays put in their own territory at night. If anyone wants to cause trouble, I don’t mind cleaning house again."

Han Feng’s gaze swept almost imperceptibly over a few figures in the crowd with powerful auras.

The spies and representatives from other Fortress City factions felt a chill rise from the soles of their feet and quickly lowered their heads.

"Finally, regarding the patrol teams." Han Feng’s gaze turned to Liu Zhen. "Starting tonight, they will patrol in five-man teams, on intersecting routes.

Every member will be equipped with the highest-level warning device. If anything unusual is spotted, they are to sound the alarm immediately, then prioritize their own survival."

"Likewise, you are authorized to kill on sight anyone who, after a warning, still attempts to approach within ten meters of a patrol team at night!"

One after another, cold and efficient rules were issued from Han Feng’s mouth.

In just a few short minutes, the entire Dragon’s Fang Port seemed to transform from a chaotic border town into a heavily guarded military fortress.

Han Feng looked down at the crowd, silent with fear, and slowly spoke that classic line:

"I’ve stated my rules. Who agrees? Who objects?"

A dead silence.

No one dared to speak.

Forget objecting, no one even dared to raise their head and meet his gaze.

Are you kidding? They had just watched a Half-step Grandmaster get blown apart right before their eyes, his body not even cold yet.

Who would be crazy enough to jump out and object now?

"Very good."

Han Feng was very satisfied with this result.

He walked over to the eight unconscious Mercenaries and said to the soldiers carrying them, "Lay them down flat."

He squatted down and swept his [Spiritual Vision] over them.

The eight men were gravely injured. They had multiple bone fractures, and their internal organs had been damaged by that strange, evil blood-qi, leaving their meridians in chaos.

If they weren’t treated in time, even if they survived, they would be crippled for life.

"You lot have guts."

Han Feng muttered to himself and took out a bottle of Tier Three Top Grade Healing Elixir, "Muscle Regeneration and Bone Healing Pills," from his Storage Space.

He poured out eight pills and had the soldiers feed one to each of them.

Then, he extended a finger and lightly tapped each of their chests.

A stream of pure Sword Essence flowed into them, helping them dissolve the Medicinal Power.

After settling everything, Han Feng felt the fatigue in his body growing heavier.

He said to Liu Zhen:

"I’m leaving this to you. I need to recover.

Contact me directly if any problems arise that you can’t handle."

With that, he activated his Armor, transformed into a streak of light, and flew back to the Quiet Chamber in the underground base.

Sitting cross-legged, Han Feng removed his Armor and let out a long, turbid breath.

This battle had seemed like an effortless victory, but it was actually fraught with peril.

If not for his many trump cards and an unreasonable cheat like the [Divine Power Module]...

...facing an assassin whose combat power neared Tier Four after Demonization, and a Meridian Passage Realm expert who could launch a sneak attack with a Flying Sword at any moment...

...the outcome would have been truly uncertain.

He performed an Inner Vision of his Dantian. The few hundred remaining drops of Sword Essence inside were slowly regenerating.

’The consumption was too great.’