Chapter 5: 005: A Belated Newbie Benefit

“A kind, kind mother’s... sword???”

Shen Tang was dumbfounded. Was she sure it was a sword and not a thread?

And the second half of the line was actually “slashing at the traveler’s body”!

This “kind mother” was toxic.

If the first line could be understood—after all, when faced with a son who constantly digs pits for his mother, even the most patient mother would be driven to anger; otherwise, how could the saying “spare the rod and spoil the child” exist?—the next line was enough to shock her for an entire year!

【Eighteen strikes per second, every sword strike a critical hit.】

Shen Tang’s first reaction was—

Is the “traveler” dead yet?

Could this kind of unhinged horror literature actually turn the tide???

She began to doubt her own intuition.

The one who felt equally absurd was the leader of the bailiffs, whom Shen Tang had yanked off his horse—he had actually been pulled off his warhorse by a prisoner in exile who looked barely over ten!

At the same time, a genuine intent to kill welled up within him.

If I don’t kill this Gong brat today, he will surely be a future threat!

Adhering to the principle of “immovable as a mountain, striking like thunder,” he exerted force into his arm, retracted the spear tip that had been gripped, and thrust it out again with lightning speed, aiming directly for Shen Tang’s left eye.

Who would have thought—

The expected piercing of the skull did not happen. Midway, it encountered a resistance that nearly numbed the web between his thumb and forefinger.

*Clang!*

The spear tip collided with a blade. It was an ancient sword with a simple, rustic design and a gleaming edge, emitting a faint sound like a dragon’s roar and a tiger’s howl.

And the person holding the sword was none other than Shen Tang!

Seeing this, the bailiff leader’s pupils trembled.

The two locked in a struggle, neither giving an inch.

This gave Shen Tang a moment to catch her breath.

In this brief time, she didn’t know whether to complain about the fact that “a kind mother’s sword” could actually manifest a real sword, or to pity herself for catching the blade with her bare hands—as an artist who loved her career, her hands were, in her mind, a body part more important than her brain!

She had been so consumed by rage earlier that she couldn't control herself and had used her precious right hand to catch the spear tip.

Fortunately, no tendons or bones were damaged; otherwise, if she could never hold a paintbrush again, what joy would there be in this life?

And this person before her who had hurt her right hand—

Shen Tang’s eyes turned cold and dark.

Today, she, this “kind mother,” would teach this overgrown, unfilial son a lesson!

Just as the two were deadlocked, Shen Tang shifted her footwork, the gleaming blade sliding against the long spear, closing the distance in an instant.

At the same time, she whispered the final, insane line under her breath—

【Eighteen strikes per second, every sword strike a critical hit.】

The moment she swung her sword, an invisible but powerful force gathered from her *danfu* into her right hand. Not only did the heavy longsword become as light as a feather, but her arm seemed to be equipped with eighteen super-motors, causing her to leave afterimages with every strike.

It truly was “every sword strike a critical hit.”

Where she could only strike once before, she could now strike eighteen times, each one aimed at a vital point!

The sword shadows and sword light wove into a net.

Logically, this should have turned the bailiff leader’s head into a hedgehog, but this world was just that unreasonable and unscientific—

He crossed his arms in front of him, using the black metallic bracers that had manifested to take all eighteen strikes head-on.

Without a scratch!

No, that wasn't entirely true.

At least his hair crown and bun had been sliced off by her.

Seeing this, Shen Tang nearly cursed out loud.

Could this world get any worse?

If a Third-Rank *Zannia* was this troublesome, then what about a Twentieth-Rank *Chehou*? Would they just ascend to the heavens on the spot?

The bailiff leader’s expression grew more focused, his brow furrowing deeper.

When Shen Tang’s speed slowed slightly, he seized the opportunity to strike, throwing a punch that released a red shadow of a fist. Shen Tang dodged just in time, and the fist shadow smashed into the ground, creating a large crater.

The flying dust obscured her vision.

By the time she could see clearly again, a gleaming broadsword was slashing down at her head.

She had no choice but to block with her sword, bending her knees under the immense pressure, sinking her center of gravity to take the blow.

The deafening *clang* of steel against steel made her ears ring and hallucinate.

Bailiff leader: “I underestimated you!”

He was aggressive, pressing forward step by step.

After a round of entanglement, both sides were exhausted, yet he still hadn't taken down the prisoner.

Shen Tang’s breathing was slightly ragged, and a thin layer of sweat had unknowingly beaded on her forehead.

One had to know that the strength of a Third-Rank *Zannia* was two or three times that of a lowly *Gongshi*. Every swing of the bailiff leader’s blade was done with full force, aimed at splitting her in two. She suspected her arm was already on the verge of breaking down.

Because of the intense pain, her mood was exceptionally foul.

“Hmph, it’s clearly I who overestimated you.”

If you can’t do it, you can’t do it; why put on airs and say “I underestimated you”...

All talk and no substance!

“However, this is where it ends—”

The bailiff leader was not affected by Shen Tang’s provocation. He wiped away his angry expression and dragged his blade as he quickly closed in, but he stopped a yard away from her, his thick brows knitting together.

He shouted at the empty space.

“Who is it? Come out!”

Shen Tang was startled, a chill running down her spine.

Was there someone else nearby?

Just then, a magnetic, low male voice rolled into her ears.

The man said unhurriedly: “The teeth are hard and fall out first; the tongue is soft and survives. Softness can overcome hardness, and the weak can defeat the strong.”

The bailiff leader’s face turned ashen upon hearing this.

As the voice faded, a black-and-white intertwined painting unfolded beneath Shen Tang’s feet. Characters flew out, each one merging into her body.

In an instant, she was fully restored!

Her arm no longer hurt, her breathing was steady, and all her spent energy had returned.

No, it was even better than before!

She had a premonition that if she swung her sword again, it wouldn't be eighteen strikes, but thirty-six!

This was clearly an ally!

Could this be the long-awaited newcomer bonus for transmigrators?

Watching Shen Tang’s energy rapidly recover, the bailiff leader felt like cursing.

He ground his back teeth, almost gnashing them.

“Obstructing official business is a capital crime!”

The man teased: “Then why don’t you try executing me and see what happens?”

The bailiff leader still wouldn't give up: “The Gong clan acted against the natural order, and you are siding with the Gong thieves. Are you not afraid of bringing disaster upon yourself?”

“Why the Gong clan was raided and exterminated, I know better than you. Who the real thief is, remains to be seen.”

The bailiff leader knew he had no chance left. If he continued to tangle with them, he would likely have to face Shen Tang and the man in the shadows together, and his life would be forfeit! He had no choice but to drag his blade and retreat while facing Shen Tang, backing away a good ten to fifteen meters before reluctantly leaving on his horse.

Almost at the same time, the painting beneath Shen Tang’s feet dissipated.

With its disappearance, Shen Tang, who had just been full of adrenaline, returned to her previous state.

Shen Tang: “...”

Was the trial period for this buff too short?

With the crisis averted, she sat on the ground to regulate her breathing, looking at her hands in disbelief—she had actually managed to survive a hellish start, hold out until the newcomer protection period kicked in, and save her own life...

Those who survive a great disaster are destined for future blessings!

Wiping away the hot sweat, Shen Tang looked up and saw a thin young man with pale lips walking out from behind a tree.

She quickly scrambled to her feet to thank him: “Many thanks for saving my life, sir.”

The young man looked at Shen Tang, squinting as he sized her up for a moment, and said indifferently: “No need for thanks. If he hadn't discovered my tracks and shouted them out, just based on the fact that you are a male heir of the Gong clan, I wouldn't have wanted to save you—I would have wanted to kill you.”

Shen Tang: “...”

The smile on her lips gradually froze.

Just escaped the tiger’s den, only to enter a wolf’s lair???

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(End of chapter)