Chapter 370: Chapter 243: Duke Balenzuo (2)

After smashing the carriage in half, Fang Zhen shot forward seven or eight meters before reining in the Red Hare Warhorse and turning to face the man who had spoken.

Fang Zhen’s eyebrows rose slightly upon seeing the man.

The man who jumped from the carriage was quite tall for this world, standing at around six feet. He had a head of ridiculously beautiful, long, wavy black hair. It seemed to be naturally curly, and its texture and color were impeccable, like black silk.

Beneath the long hair was a perfect, flawless face. It was exceptionally androgynous, making it impossible to tell if he was a man or a woman. But regardless of gender, the face was devastatingly attractive; one could find no fault in either his features or bone structure.

Whether you called him a pretty boy or a handsome woman, you wouldn’t be wrong.

Furthermore, his face was ageless. You could say he was in his early twenties, his thirties, or even a very well-preserved forty, and none would seem out of place.

The man was dressed in a black shirt and trousers, but it was not traditional noble attire. The trousers were black silk, and the shirt’s style was very different from what local nobles wore. It was a front-opening black silk top that resembled the cut of a modern shirt, though not entirely, with a somewhat nautical feel. Both the material and tailoring were of the highest quality.

His shirt was open, revealing his chest and abs. He was built like a tank, with highly developed pectoral muscles and a well-defined eight-pack.

His muscular chest was the only thing that clearly marked him as a man; his other masculine features weren’t prominent. If he wore different clothes, no one would doubt him if he claimed to be a woman.

In his hand, the man held an alien-looking black dagger that seemed to be formed from three intertwined, thin black snakes. He was barefoot, and the look on his face, though meant to be angry, was more like a beautiful pout as he stared at Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen sized up the man.

’Damn, this guy is almost as good-looking as I am,’ Fang Zhen thought. ’He’s certainly handsome.’

But while Fang Zhen’s aura was one of resolute, masculine strength, the man before him was of a different kind—an androgynous beauty with a touch of the feminine.

Based on his appearance, Fang Zhen was certain that the man before him was Duke Balenzuo.

’Rumor has it this Duke is invincible in the world of romance and pleasure. He’s definitely got something going for him. Just his looks alone give him the capital to be that confident. In another era, he’d be a top-tier male escort—no, he’d be even better than that.’

Fang Zhen glanced at the wrecked carriage out of the corner of his eye.

Amidst the wreckage lay a corpse—a rather refined-looking man.

"Who are you?"

"You’re the recently famous Fang Zhen Augustus, the one who killed Duke Tarrenno and claims to be a descendant of Sword Saint Augustus?" the long, wavy-haired man asked.

Fang Zhen didn’t answer directly. Instead, he looked at the beautiful, wavy-haired man and asked, "And you’re Balenzuo?"

"Heh. It seems you truly lack the etiquette of a nobleman," the man sneered. "I am."

"You killed my favorite pet. For that, you will pay a steep price," Balenzuo said.

"Oh? And how will I do that? On your authority?" Fang Zhen said from high atop his massive Red Hare Horse, looking down on him. He angled his longspear toward Balenzuo, his tone calm and tinged with playful mockery.

A chill crossed Balenzuo’s face, as if he were genuinely angry now.

A strange light flickered in Balenzuo’s eyes. He paid no mind to the dead and wounded soldiers around them, showing not a hint of sympathy for the losses his own legion had suffered. His gaze was fixed solely on Fang Zhen’s eyes.

A flash of purple surfaced in his gaze. His eyes became like an abyss, threatening to drag Fang Zhen’s Spirit into their depths.

It happened in an instant.

Fang Zhen’s own ’Interrupt’ skill triggered, and he regained his senses in a flash. At the same time, his Anti-Thorn Bracelet activated, and a green light flared on his wrist.

"Agh!" Balenzuo cried out in pain, clutching his forehead.

The magical backlash from the Anti-Thorn Ring inflicted a certain degree of spiritual damage on Balenzuo.

Fang Zhen wasn’t surprised.

If Balenzuo was truly a Nightmare Demon—the male equivalent of a Succubus—then enchantment and Mind Magic were to be expected.

However, Fang Zhen wasn’t falling for it.

He had already prepared defenses against this sort of thing back when he was clearing the Bloody Lord’s dungeon; his countermeasures were more than enough.

The enchantment Balenzuo had just used had been completely ineffective.

Still, the man’s Spiritual Power was quite strong. Although he was clutching his forehead in pain, he hadn’t lost his combat capability and remained highly focused on Fang Zhen.

Balenzuo had made his move, and Fang Zhen wasn’t holding back.

He used Bone Energy to spur the Red Hare Warhorse beneath him.

Fueled by Bone Energy, the Red Hare Warhorse’s speed exploded. Across the seven or eight meters, it accelerated to a velocity possibly faster than a supercar as it charged toward Balenzuo.

From his mount, Fang Zhen thrust his longspear. It was another Second-stage Power Mountain Seal. The spear flashed with white light, a silver-white meteor. A red horse and a silver spear—the classic image of a hero—charged Balenzuo with the force of a landslide.

Anger was on Balenzuo’s face, but even his fury was tinged with a seductive allure.

Balenzuo actually didn’t dodge. Instead, he thrust the Alien Three-Snake Sword in his hand toward Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen narrowed his eyes.

’Balenzuo dares to meet my attack head-on?’

’He doesn’t seem like an idiot. He must be confident to try something like this.’

’If Balenzuo really is a Nightmare Demon, then strength isn’t his advantage.’

’To dare and clash with me, he can’t be relying on his own power. It must be... the Alien Snake Sword in his hand?’

In a flash, the tip of Fang Zhen’s longspear collided with Balenzuo’s Alien Snake Sword.

A pocket of air exploded outward from the collision of immense power, radiating in a circle from the tips of their weapons. A deafening BOOM followed, and the resulting gust felt like the shockwave from a bomb.

Fang Zhen felt the powerful shockwave blast toward him.

His form-fitting protective aura nullified the shockwave from the air blast.

Balenzuo fared worse; the explosive gust of air sent him flying.

But Balenzuo’s Body Technique was excellent. Tapping his toes to the ground in quick succession like a butterfly, he retreated several steps and stabilized himself.

Fang Zhen narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the Alien Snake Sword in Balenzuo’s hand.

’That sword must be an Extraordinary Item, and a high-grade one at that.’

The sword’s design was identical to the snake-shaped black arrow Fang Zhen had caught earlier. They looked like a set.

He had originally thought Balenzuo had something like an Extraordinary Crossbow, but now it seemed the snake-shaped black arrow was so lethal due to its inherent properties.

Balenzuo’s strength attribute was definitely inferior to his own, especially when he was using the Second-stage Power Mountain Seal.

The only explanation was that the Alien Snake Sword could amplify a small amount of force into immense power and destructive capability.

Balenzuo’s eyes were now filled with astonishment.

Balenzuo glanced thoughtfully at the tip of his Alien Snake Sword, then his gaze returned to Fang Zhen.

"You’re very strong," Balenzuo said, lightly licking his lips. "You excite me. Only the strong can stir my passion and desire. I’m starting to take an interest in you."

"Don’t be disgusting. My preferences are perfectly normal, and I’m not interested in you," Fang Zhen said, his expression unchanging. "Go find your pet in Hell."

"Or should I say, Purgatory?"

Fang Zhen’s words were laced with mockery, but also a deeper meaning.

Upon hearing this, Balenzuo’s expression changed dramatically.

"What do you know?" Balenzuo asked, looking at Fang Zhen with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

"Things like the origins of certain otherworldly beings," Fang Zhen said.

As he spoke, a green light suddenly flashed on the fingers of his left hand.

Fang Zhen’s conversation with Balenzuo was a cover for the casting time of an Extraordinary Item, a way to distract his attention.

A green light appeared at Balenzuo’s feet, quickly materializing into Magic Thorns that began to entwine themselves around his legs, seeking to trap the Duke in place.

The Red Hare Horse under Fang Zhen reared up and leaped violently into the air.

From his mount, Fang Zhen thrust his longspear downward at an angle.

Second-stage Power Mountain Seal!