The sounds of battle erupted outside – the clash of weapons, the twang of bowstrings, and the boom of firearms as the Tiger Warriors engaged the traitors from the Five Cities Commander’s office.
The dire situation – with rebel forces in the distance and a Dream Witch nearby – caused the night watchmen’s faces to darken as their hearts sank. However, being experienced watchmen who had seen their share of bloodshed, they remained resolute.
“Protect Gold Token Jiang and the Governor. Get them to the inner hall!” shouted Silver Token Zhao as he drew his blade.
Jiang Luzhong grabbed Zhao’s sleeve, wanting to say something, but Zhao spoke first:
“Chief, I understand. Dream Witches aren’t skilled in close combat. As long as we don’t let him get our hair or flesh, he can’t use his fatal curses.”
Silver Token Tang grinned, “That’s right, Chief. We may not be able to beat a fourth-grade warrior, but surely we can handle a fourth-grade Dream Witch? Otherwise, it’d be too embarrassing.”
The Bronze Tokens felt relieved seeing their superiors so confident.
To the Bronze Tokens’ surprise, Jiang Luzhong didn’t let go. This Gold Token who normally seemed as distant as a deity could barely stand, yet he still gripped Zhao’s sleeve tightly.
“Go!” Jiang Luzhong said.
Zhao turned back, grinning, “Chief, we can’t leave with just the Governor. That won’t work.”
Jiang Luzhong shook his head, “You won’t escape with the Governor. I’m telling you all to go.”
“Gold Token Jiang, how do we know we’ll lose without even fighting?” a Bronze Token said loudly as if to boost his courage.
Silver Token Zhao yanked his sleeve free, causing Jiang Luzhong to stumble.
Silver Token Tang caught him, sighing, “…When we get back to the capital, Chief, you owe us all a drink.”
The last Silver Token said nothing, just saluting Jiang Luzhong.
Zhao raised his blade in one hand and drew his crossbow with the other. He pulled the trigger, sending an arrow flying with a twang.
The other watchmen followed suit, raising their crossbows to fire in unison.
The coroner, now a puppet, growled as he shielded the magistrate, his body riddled with arrows that pierced through to his back.
“Die, you bastard!” Zhao leaped high into the air, crossing over ten zhang in a single bound. The air twisted around his official long sword as he swung.
With a wet sound, the coroner puppet was cleaved in two. Blood danced in the air, trying to reassemble him, but to no avail.
The Dream Witch magistrate nimbly avoided the blade’s energy, which tore into the ground to the steps at the hall’s entrance with a thunderous boom.
The other two Silver Tokens’ attacks followed closely. They charged forward, leaving afterimages as they coordinated their assault on the Dream Witch.
As they attacked, the two Silver Tokens recalled information on the witch system.
The Night Watchmen’s Office had detailed intelligence on witches of fourth grade and below, due to occasional conflicts between Great Shang and the Shaman Religion.
Ninth-grade witches could turn living people into puppets. Using secret techniques, they could ignite potential and burn blood essence, giving an ordinary person extreme combat power instantly. The more they enhanced, the faster the blood essence burned, until it was exhausted.
Ninth-grade witches could also ignite the potential of nearby allies, at the cost of burning their blood essence. Thus they were called “Blood Spirits.”
Eighth-grade witches mastered curses. Using birth data, personal items, flesh, and bodily fluids as mediums, they could curse their targets to death. Thus eighth-grade witches were called “Curse Masters.”
Their advantage was their bizarre and unpredictable nature.
Their disadvantage was only being able to curse targets of lower rank than themselves.
Seventh-grade witches were called “Spirit Mediums.” They could control corpses and ghosts. Both Great Shang and the northern beast tribes had suffered greatly from Spirit Mediums on the battlefield.
Sixth-grade witches were “Diviners,” skilled in divination to avoid misfortune and gain good fortune. This rank could be described in two words: stable and cautious!
In one sentence: As stable as an old dog.
They didn’t need to check almanacs before going out. A single divination would tell them the day’s fortune.
Fifth-grade witches were “Invokers.” Through rituals, they could summon ancestral warrior souls to possess them. If the summoned soul was a warrior, the Invoker became a warrior. If a Daoist, the Invoker became a Daoist, and so on.
The limitation was they could only summon souls of equal rank.
Fourth-grade witches, like the magistrate before them, were “Dream Witches.” They walked in dreams, killing invisibly. The most effective way to deal with a Dream Witch was to not sleep.
“If we don’t give him a chance to set up rituals or summon warrior souls, we can win!” Silver Token Zhao encouraged himself.
Just then, he heard a murmuring voice. He turned sharply to see a previously ignored official who had cut his wrist, using blood to draw strange, complex patterns on the ground.
He chanted obscure, profound syllables.
Zhao’s heart sank.
The next moment, a powerful aura was born within the magistrate. A wisp of black smoke rose above his head, vaguely forming a blurry human shape.
At the same time, the two Silver Tokens’ blades struck.
The blades tore through clothing and hit the magistrate’s body with a piercing metallic clang. The black smoke above his head wavered slightly.
Bronze skin, iron bones.
“Who told you that only witches themselves can set up rituals? Puppets can do it too.”
The Dream Witch wearing the magistrate’s face sneered, raising his hands to grip the two Silver Tokens by their necks.
With a crack, the two Silver Tokens died instantly.
For a fourth-grade warrior to kill two Silver Tokens was as simple as crushing two ants.
“Bastard!”
A heart-rending roar came from the hall, like the howl of an old beast facing its end.
It was the impotent rage of Jiang Luzhong, his eyes bloodshot, his face twisted with fury.
The surviving Bronze Tokens were terrified, finally realizing that the Silver Tokens’ earlier bravado was just to boost morale.
Witches indeed weren’t skilled in close combat, but fourth grade was fourth grade – an insurmountable gap in power. Their lack of close combat skills was only relative to other systems of the same grade.
“What are you afraid of?”
Silver Token Zhao shouted, startling the Bronze Tokens.
At this moment, this Silver Token who excelled in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling still raised his war blade, like a warrior calmly facing death.
“Two incense sticks’ time. We need to buy Gold Token Jiang two incense sticks’ time. It’s still early,” Zhao called out.
“Noisy.”
But the reality was cruel. The Dream Witch disguised as the magistrate raised his hand, gathering qi in his palm, and pressed down hard.
A shockwave was born in the air, ripples spreading out.
Including Silver Token Zhao, all the watchmen were struck in the chest as if hit by a hammer, spitting blood as they flew backward.
With just one move, all the watchmen were incapacitated.
Jiang Luzhong seemed to have expected all this. He closed his eyes, no longer angry, because they would all soon meet in another world.
The Dream Witch clenched his fist again. The time for the warrior’s soul possession was limited, so he didn’t intend to waste words with Jiang Luzhong.
After all, the main event was yet to come – controlling Baidi City, gathering mountain bandits, and attacking various prefectures and counties. They had to take Yun Province before the imperial court could react.
The Shaman Religion had plotted for years, and today was the day to reap the fruits.
He threw a punch, the qi friction with the air producing a deep roar as it shot towards the main hall.
A figure blocked its path – Silver Token Zhao. He gripped his long sword with both hands, sinking his waist and dropping his stance as he roared, swinging with all his might.
This should have been the greatest strike of his life.
The blade’s energy collapsed, the long sword shattered, and the magical bronze token on his chest cracked. The terrifying qi pushed Zhao flying into the main hall. The entire hall shook with a boom.
Jiang Luzhong’s heart shook as well. He anxiously crawled over, holding his dying subordinate in his arms.
The moment he touched Zhao, Jiang Luzhong knew there was no hope. Not a single bone in Zhao’s body was intact, and his internal organs were the same.
The Celestial Realm Observatory might have miracle pills to bring back the dead, but not in Yun Province.
The only reason Zhao hadn’t died instantly was probably a warrior’s final stubbornness.
Zhao had always been a stubborn man, often going his own way, repeatedly defying Jiang Luzhong’s orders, just like when he forcefully shook off Jiang’s hand earlier.
“Do you have anything you want to say?” Jiang Luzhong asked softly.
Zhao’s blood-covered face forced a smile, his mouth full of blood as he spoke haltingly: “Chief, I took another concubine this year. She’s eighteen, so young and tender.
“But I was afraid you’d find out, so I didn’t dare keep her at home. You often called us Silver Tokens for secret meetings, repeatedly instructing us not to embezzle more than 500 taels a year, not to extort more than 10 wen from common folk at a time, or more than 3 qian from shops and taverns.
“You know what? We all laughed at you behind your back. Only you would set rules even for corruption. We Silver Tokens pretended to follow your words, but we still embezzled as we pleased. How else could we afford so many concubines… I’m sorry, Chief. I’ve disappointed you.
“So don’t grieve for people like us. According to Lord Wei’s rules, I should be dragged to the market and beheaded.
“Old Tang loves to drink. If you survive, remember to pour him two extra cups of wine every Qingming Festival…
“Lastly, one last request…, I don’t want to die in a foreign land. Take me… back to the capital…”
The light faded from Zhao’s eyes.
“Alas!” Governor Zhang sighed heavily, blaming himself, “It was my carelessness, my carelessness…”
“What use is saying this now?”
Jiang Luzhong said this with a smile, but the sorrow in his eyes couldn’t be hidden. It poured out in torrents, turning into hot tears.
The Dream Witch slowly approached, laughing with satisfaction: “To be honest, we never intended to separate Yun Province. Propping up mountain bandits and stockpiling troops was just a precautionary move. It should have been used when most needed, not like this.
“Although that surnamed Zhou uncovered issues with the accounts, according to our plan, we would have just pushed Yang Chuannan out to take the blame.
“We didn’t expect the Qi faction to be so foolish as to expose our secret cooperation. That’s what brought you here.
As Xu Qi An approached, he heard a voice saying, “What surprises me most is that a mere Bronze Gong could accomplish this much, completely disrupting my plans. I had no choice but to target you and seize Yun Prefecture ahead of schedule. If you must blame someone, blame that Bronze Gong surnamed Xu. If not for him ruining everything, you wouldn’t have to die.”
“Now, you’ll go first. I’ll hunt down that Bronze Gong and kill him.”
As the words faded, two sharp gusts of wind suddenly attacked. Meng Wu raised her hand slightly, shattering the two cold arrows.
On the surrounding wall stood a tall and proud Bronze Gong, holding the magical military crossbow gifted by Song Qing of the Celestial Observation Bureau. However, it had now become an ordinary object. It could only fire three times in its lifetime.
“Am I, Xu Qi An, so insignificant that you keep referring to me as ‘that Bronze Gong’?” he said. He was covered in blood, but it wasn’t his own. He had fought his way in.
After speaking, Xu Qi An’s gaze fell upon the two dead Silver Gongs and the severely wounded Bronze Gong who could no longer fight. His usually carefree and playful demeanor suddenly settled, his eyes darkening and his face expressionless.
…
At the West Gate, a silver light descended from the sky, thunderously embedding itself in the city wall. Broken bricks scattered, and dust rose.
Wearing fish-scale soft armor, her hair in a high ponytail, and a scarlet cape billowing behind her, Li Miaozhendagger stood on the spear shaft, staring at the soldiers with drawn bows and nocked arrows.
She asked in a deep voice, “Why is the city gate closed?”
Number Three… That scoundrel Xu Qi An was right, the city gates were indeed closed. But Li Miaozhendagger didn’t recklessly break through and kill. Instead, she descended to the top of the wall to question.
“Clang…” A commander drew his sword, pointing it at Li Miaozhendagger: “Kill without mercy.”
They didn’t even bother to explain, just attacking outright.
If that’s how it was, there was nothing more to say. Li Miaozhendagger’s gaze instantly sharpened.
Twang twang… Amidst the clear sound of vibrating bowstrings, dozens of arrows shot towards Li Miaozhendagger.
She neither dodged nor avoided them. With a pat of her brocade pouch, gusts of yin wind emerged, wrapping around the arrows and altering their flight paths.
The arrows grazed past Li Miaozhendagger, turning the archers into masters of human outline drawing.
“Zing!”
The flying sword at Li Miaozhendagger’s waist unsheathed, transforming into silver lightning as it howled through the air, dancing across the necks of the city-guarding soldiers, reaping lives at will.
Clip-clop clip-clop… The dense sound of hooves approached as the Feiyan Army galloped in, kicking up clouds of dust.
Four Bronze Skin Iron Bone realm centurions, leading Spirit Refining realm squad leaders, charged onto the city wall, working in tandem with Li Miaozhendagger’s flying sword to harvest the lives of the defending soldiers.
“Master, it’s been so long since you’ve used your flying sword…” The female ghost Su Su floated down onto the spear shaft, embracing Li Miaozhendagger’s waist from behind.
This flying sword was a magical weapon bestowed upon Li Miaozhendagger by the Heavenly Sect of the Dao School. She rarely used it, but whenever it was unsheathed, it meant Li Miaozhendagger was in a foul mood.
“I’m very angry,” Li Miaozhendagger said.
“Is it because the Provincial Governor was assassinated?”
“No, it’s because of a scoundrel.”
“…”
Su Su frowned, wanting to speak but hesitating. Had her master forgotten that she was the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect? The Heavenly Sect’s tenet was to forget emotions, neither joy nor sorrow. But in these few years since leaving the mountain, Li Miaozhendagger had become increasingly impulsive and increasingly intolerant of evil.
She had forcibly transformed herself into the righteous Flying Swallow Heroine.
The title of Flying Swallow Heroine was largely due to this flying sword, light as a swallow, killing without a trace. Secondarily, it was because of her eagerness to right wrongs, flying wherever there was injustice.
The Feiyan Army once again demonstrated their unstoppable fighting prowess, swiftly clearing the defenders on the city wall. Then, a Bronze Skin Iron Bone realm warrior rammed open the city gate with his head.
Li Miaozhendagger lightly leaped up, her form descending, then grasped the long spear, pulling it out forcefully as she fell to the ground with it.
Under her leadership, the Feiyan Army stormed into the city.
…
“Heaven has a road you won’t take, hell has no gate yet you come uninvited.” After a brief moment of astonishment, Meng Wu burst into laughter.
Thud! Xu Qi An jumped down from the wall, gripping the black gold long saber given to him by the Celestial Observation Bureau Chief, gnashing his teeth as he said, “The one who should go to hell is you, you son of a bitch.”
“Xu Ning Yan, what are you doing here?” Jiang Luzhong’s face changed drastically. “Are you fucking courting death? You can’t save us, go, quickly go!”
Can I even leave now… Xu Qi An thought to himself.
He indeed couldn’t leave because Meng Wu had locked onto him, slowly clenching her fist as the black smoke above her head rippled slightly, as if gathering power.
“Ning Yan, you…” Provincial Governor Zhang closed his eyes. “Why do this?”
Xu Qi An wasn’t panicked at all. In his heart, he communicated with Monk Shenshu:
“Master, quickly help me kill this person.”
“Master?”
“Damn it, Master, are you still there? Don’t play with me.”
“Master, I’ll fuck your mother…”
The fist’s force came at his face, the sound of wind and thunder roaring in his ears.
At that moment, a sigh echoed throughout the area: “Grasping the moon and plucking stars, in this world there’s none like me.”
Beneath Xu Qi An’s feet, an array pattern lit up, raising a semi-transparent barrier.
“Boom!”
The energy exploded on the surface of the barrier, the deafening sound of the explosion immediately lifting the blue bricks laid on the ground, the scene terrifying.
Half of the main hall of the Provincial Administration Commissioner’s office collapsed with a rumble.
As the long ringing in their ears subsided, Xu Qi An heard Jiang Luzhong’s angry roar: “Yang Qian Huan, you’re in Yun Prefecture too, why did you stand idly by? Why didn’t you act just now?”
Xu Qi An suddenly turned around to see a figure in white standing with his hands behind his back, facing away from them.
Regarding Yang Qian Huan’s appearance, he felt no surprise in his heart, only wanting to say: You ghost, you finally came.
Xu Qi An had long suspected that the sorcerer who had abducted Liang You Ping was one of the senior brothers from the Celestial Observation Bureau, most likely Yang Qian Huan.
Sure enough.
“In my life, why should I explain my actions to others?” This thought crossed Yang Qian Huan’s mind, but he didn’t say it aloud. Instead, he sighed and explained:
“I came to Yun Prefecture on my master’s orders. I wasn’t here earlier.”
The Celestial Observation Bureau Chief’s task for him was: Keep an eye on Xu Qi An.
Wherever Xu Qi An went, he would be there.
When the Silver Gongs were killed, he wasn’t at the scene.
“I’ll take you away,” Yang Qian Huan said as the array pattern under his feet spread out, enveloping Xu Qi An and reaching towards Provincial Governor Zhang and the others.
“Hmph!”
Meng Wu stomped, shattering the array pattern. “Yang Qian Huan, you’re not qualified to save people from my hands.”
Yang Qian Huan’s reply was: “Grasping the moon and plucking stars, in this world there’s none like me.”
“Arrogant!” Meng Wu’s goat-like beard trembled, seemingly angered.
“Are you coming or not?” Xu Qi An heard Yang Qian Huan’s voice transmission by his ear. “I can only take you away. With too many people, the array pattern can’t form properly and will be destroyed.”
Xu Qi An’s mouth curled into a smirk: “You have another option. Take this fellow away.”
“There are hundreds of rebel soldiers outside,” Yang Qian Huan warned.
“I know,” Xu Qi An replied.
After a brief silence, Yang Qian Huan said, “Alright.”
He stomped hard, and the array pattern rapidly spread out. This time, it only enveloped Meng Wu. Just as she realized what was happening, the two of them vanished from the spot.
“Take her out of the city to fight,” Xu Qi An shouted towards the sky.
He received no response.
Xu Qi An carried the bodies of the two Silver Gongs into the main hall, gently placing them at Jiang Luzhong’s feet. “I’m sorry, I came too late.”
“You shouldn’t have come,” Jiang Luzhong said in a deep voice.
I still came… Xu Qi An wanted to make a joke, but as the words reached his lips, they turned into a bitter smile.
The Bronze Gongs supported each other as they entered the inner hall, sitting down to meditate and heal their injuries.
Jiang Luzhong glanced at the surviving Bronze Gongs, his eyes showing some relief. But the fading sounds of battle from outside made him realize that they weren’t out of danger yet.
“What’s the situation outside?” Provincial Governor Zhang looked towards the area beyond the main hall.
“There are probably still four or five hundred rebel soldiers. When I fought my way in, the Tiger Guard had already been almost completely wiped out.”
The Bronze Gongs opened their eyes, all with the same look of despair.
“Enough, enough…” Provincial Governor Zhang laughed bitterly. “It seems we can’t escape our fate. I have failed the Emperor’s grace and Duke Wei’s instructions.”
“You haven’t failed them. You’ve failed these three dead Silver Gongs,” Xu Qi An glanced at him, then stood up and walked to the threshold.
“Ning Yan, you should go. With your combat ability, you could escape through the back hall,” Jiang Luzhong urged with reddened eyes.
“Go, go, go, quickly. I’ll die here with my subordinates today. You’re someone Duke Wei has his eye on. If you die here, Duke Wei will dig up my grave.”
“There’s hope. As long as we hold out, reinforcements will come,” Xu Qi An said. In his line of sight, he could already see the silhouettes of the rebel soldiers. They were attacking.
He turned back, cupping his hands towards Provincial Governor Zhang: “Governor, you’re a good official. Although you also have a belly full of schemes, in your heart, you ultimately put the common people first. I hate this world, but seeing good officials like you makes me glad. So I don’t want you to die.”
He then cupped his hands towards Jiang Luzhong: “Gold Gong Jiang is a good superior and an expert at drinking in the brothels. If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll treat you to the brothels again. If you fancy any courtesan, just say the word, except for Fu Xiang.”
He looked at the bodies of the three Silver Gongs: “No matter what kind of people they were in life, at least in death, they didn’t disgrace the title of Night Watchman.”
Finally, he raised his clasped hands above his head, “Duke Wei’s kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain. He has favored me in every way. It wouldn’t be right to be at the forefront when enjoying benefits, only to shrink back when facing danger.”
With that, he closed the door of the main hall.
Jiang Luzhong was slightly moved and called out hoarsely: “Ning Yan!”
A Bronze Gong’s lips trembled as he mumbled, “It’s not possible, it’s not possible. He’s trying to break through to the Spirit Refining realm. He simply can’t hold on…”
Provincial Governor Zhang rose shakily, so weak that a gentle breeze could knock him over. But he still stood up firmly and bowed deeply towards Xu Qi An’s retreating figure.
They couldn’t see what was happening outside, but amidst the sounds of bows and crossbows firing, weapons clashing, and the chaotic shouts of battle, they heard the young man’s passionate chant:
“Youthful chivalry, uniting heroes of five cities. Hearts and guts laid bare, hair standing on end. In our talks, life and death are one. A promise worth a thousand gold.”
…
Xu Qi An stood guard at the courtyard entrance, his blade rising and falling… For every rebel soldier that came, he killed one; for every pair, he slew both.
Armor was as fragile as paper against this long saber produced by the Celestial Observation Bureau Chief, let alone flesh and blood.
At first, he felt discomfort, filled with fear at the blood on his hands. But as he killed more, he became numb.
The rebel army was mostly composed of ordinary people, with occasional experts at the Qi Refinement realm. For Xu Qi An, who was on the verge of entering the Spirit Refining realm with his abundant qi, there wasn’t much difference.
But he couldn’t withstand the human wave tactics, and his own condition was terrible. After slaughtering more than a dozen people in one go, Xu Qi An gradually became exhausted, his stomach churning, his arms numb and losing sensation.
The most troublesome were the bows and crossbows. Their dense volleys were simply too much for a single blade to block.
Fortunately, he had the magical Bronze Gong strapped to his chest, which ordinary weapons couldn’t penetrate. Xu Qi An tried his best to deflect arrows aimed at his face, letting the rest hit where they may.
After beheading fifty people in one breath, Xu Qi An reached his first limit. The qi in his body was depleted, his vision darkened, and his spirit was like a dried-up pond, on the verge of fainting.
When he pushed past this limit, he was surprised to find that new springs gushed forth from the dried pond, nourishing his primordial spirit.
The surrounding scenery became clearer. The soldiers’ ferocious facial expressions, their bulging muscles, the trajectories of their swinging blades… every detail was accurately captured and imprinted in his mind.
… Is this the Spirit Refining realm, the realm that can perceive everything around?
No, he hadn’t reached the limit yet. He could still break through further.
Facing death to achieve rebirth!
Xu Qi An suddenly understood Monk Shenshu’s meaning.
Pushing the primordial spirit without rest was itself a form of facing death to achieve rebirth. But it wasn’t enough. If the primordial spirit were compared to a piece of iron, an ordinary martial artist breaking through to the Spirit Refining realm would be like hammering it once.
What Xu Qi An was doing now was repeatedly hammering, tempering the primordial spirit, breaking through limits at the edge of life and death again and again.
After beheading a hundred people, he faced his limit again. After pushing through, new springs gushed forth, and his mental power advanced by leaps and bounds once more.
“I can’t go on, I’m about to give out… Damn monk, I’m entrusting my life to you, don’t play me… I still have a bunch of girls waiting for me back in the capital…”
After slaughtering two hundred people in one breath, no new springs emerged, because Xu Qi An had died from exhaustion.
The rapid growth of the primordial spirit had nothing to do with the physical body. Each time he pushed his primordial spirit, he was also pushing his physical body. The primordial spirit had new springs gushing forth, but the body didn’t.
This god of killing finally stopped swinging his blade, using it as a support to stand. But the rebel army didn’t continue their attack. They gripped their swords, their faces contorted, alert and fearful. They had been frightened by the slaughter.
“Shoot him with crossbows,” a voice shouted from the crowd.
Twang… The bowstring vibrated, the bolt shot out. Whether due to exhaustion or nerves, the bolt that was aimed at his brow actually missed, grazing Xu Qi An’s scalp as it flew past.
But the rebel soldiers cheered.
“He’s dead, he’s dead… Hahaha, this son of a bitch is finally dead.”
“Chop him to pieces, chop him to pieces to avenge our brothers.”
They swarmed forward.
But at that moment, a flying sword came whistling through the air, circling the crowd and slaying the soldiers at the forefront.
Immediately after, four warriors like gods and demons crashed through the surrounding wall, leading a group of armored soldiers in an attack.
At this point, there were still over three hundred rebel soldiers, but faced with this heavenly army, they were no better than leeks. Lives were reaped, soldiers fell, and the thick smell of blood was nauseating.
After clearing out the rebel army, the Feiyan Army witnessed an unforgettable scene.
At the entrance of the courtyard stood a young man, his body riddled with arrows, corpses lying at his feet. He stood atop a mountain of corpses, leaning on his sword.
There was no sign of life.
Li Miaozhendagger, wearing a scarlet cape, stood before him, her back somehow looking forlorn.
Originally full of resentment and anger, imagining that when they met again, she would surely teach him a harsh lesson, Li Miaozhendagger now found herself choked with emotion.
Li Miaozhendagger, with reddened eyes, said: “I’m sorry, I came too late.”
“Miaozhendagger…”
A centurion walked over, but his gaze remained fixed on Xu Qi An.
“Clang clang.” He stood at attention, his armor clashing, and saluted Xu Qi An with clasped hands.
Clang clang… The sound of clashing armor rang out in unison as over four hundred Feiyan Army soldiers simultaneously saluted, perfectly coordinated.
They didn’t even know who this young man standing at the courtyard entrance was, or what his name was. But they respected him from the bottom of their hearts.
“Go in and see if the Provincial Governor is dead or alive.”
Li Miaozhendagger’s voice sounded hollow.
“Yes!”
The centurion went around Xu Qi An and rushed into the courtyard.
Behind the crowd, the devastatingly beautiful Su Su stood quietly in a corner, staring blankly at Xu Qi An.
“Are you an idiot…”
…
Bang…
The centurion pushed open the door and saw Night Watchmen sitting cross-legged all over the floor, and Provincial Governor Zhang, unharmed but pale-faced.
Everyone’s faces showed despair.
The centurion was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, “I am Li Hu, a captain of the Feiyan Army. You’re saved.”
Feiyan Army?!
The Night Watchmen looked at each other in confusion. Although they didn’t understand why the Feiyan Army had appeared here, the sounds of killing outside had indeed stopped.
They were saved.
A narrow escape from death.
“Whew…” Provincial Governor Zhang staggered. The tightly wound string had finally relaxed. He had to grip the table forcefully to keep from falling.
“Where’s Ning Yan…” Provincial Governor Zhang asked, “That Bronze Gong outside, where is he?”
The Night Watchmen who had escaped death all turned to look.
The captain suddenly seemed to avoid their gaze, unable to meet their eyes. Their eyes held hope, a desire to hear good news from his mouth.
“He… died in battle.”
…
Provincial Governor Zhang stumbled and crawled out of the main hall, through the courtyard, and came to stand before Xu Qi An.
But what he saw was only a broken human form, riddled with arrows, covered in sword wounds, showing no signs of life.
For no reason, the young man’s last chant echoed in his ears:
“Youthful chivalry, uniting heroes of five cities. Hearts and guts laid bare, hair standing on end. In our talks, life and death are one. A promise worth a thousand gold.”
A promise worth a thousand gold…
At this moment, the Provincial Governor collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face.
…
Outside the city.
Rows of large crossbows fired in volleys, the sound of bowstrings echoing clearly. Cannons fired one after another, the thunderous sound deafening.
Beneath Yang Qian Huan’s feet, array patterns lit up one after another, each with different functions. Sometimes it was fierce winds carrying arrows, increasing their penetrating power or changing their trajectories to pursue the enemy.
Sometimes it was summoning flames to enhance the power of cannon explosions. Sometimes it was purely summoning heavenly lightning to strike down enemies.
“I am proficient in thirty-six types of arrays, twenty of which are killing techniques. Killing an insect like you is but the work of a moment,” Yang Qian Huan coldly snorted.
“But if you take back what you said earlier…”
“What did I say?”
Meng Wu, who had already summoned her battle soul several times, was in a sorry state. Although her combat power was unmatched, she couldn’t touch Yang Qian Huan, who had mastered teleportation arrays.
“You just said that I wasn’t qualified to save people from your hands. Man, you’ve successfully aroused my anger.”
“What if I take it back, and what if I don’t?”
“If you take it back, I’ll leave your body intact. If you don’t, I’ll turn you to ashes. You shamans aren’t good at killing. Battlefields piled high with corpses are where shamans excel, but here, I call the shots.”
“Even if I want to leave, you can’t stop me.”
Meng Wu struck out with a palm from afar, causing a cannon shell to explode. She was pushed back staggering by the wild shock wave, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
“Zhang the Provincial Governor and Jiang Luzhong are already dead. When the large army stockpiled in the mountains arrives, your only option will be to slink back to the capital.”
As she said this, Meng Wu suddenly felt a pang in her heart. She frowned, retreating while calculating with her fingers.
For a diviner, a pang in the heart signifies a premonition from the unseen.
“How is this possible…” Meng Wu cried out in shock.
She had calculated danger, danger coming from Jiang Luzhong. But he should be dead now, with no chance of survival.
Before taking action, she had cast a divination. The hexagram showed that today would be very smooth. But now when she calculated again, everything had changed.
The hexagram showed a great omen of disaster.
Who had blocked the heavenly mechanisms?
“Boom boom boom…”
On the horizon, a figure came running wildly. One moment he was in the distant sky, the next he was right before their eyes.
It was Jiang Luzhong, his face ferocious, his eyes blood-red.
The violent qi surged like ocean waves, revealing its master’s boundless fury.
…
At the courier station, in the main hall.
Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao guarded the main hall, with only one Bronze Gong left upstairs to watch over the prisoners.
Their swords lay on the table. Neither spoke, sitting in silent boredom. This atmosphere had persisted for half an hour.
Suddenly, both their ears twitched, hearing the rumble of carriage wheels stopping at the entrance of the courier station.
Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao grabbed their swords and rushed out, seeing Provincial Governor Zhang, the Bronze Gongs, and the high-ponytailed Li Miaozhendagger in the courtyard.
Their faces were etched with sorrow, silent.
“Where’s Ning Yan? Where’s Xu Ning Yan?” Song Tingfeng looked around the crowd, not seeing his colleague.
“Outside,” a Bronze Gong said in a low voice.
Song Tingfeng’s heart sank. He rushed out regardless of everything else, and then he saw Xu Qi An in the carriage outside the courier station.
His face was covered with a robe. Song Tingfeng could recognize him because of that unique saber.
Song Tingfeng reached out, trembling, and pulled off the robe.
Half an hour ago, his companion had been full of life. Now he was expressionless, forever.
Song Tingfeng stood there, head bowed, perhaps for five or six seconds. Suddenly, “Ah…” he wailed heartbreakingly.
“My condolences…” A Bronze Gong walked over, tears in his eyes.
“Get lost!” Zhu Guangxiao kicked him flying.
Song Tingfeng was still wailing there, “To hell with your condolences, my brother is gone, and you tell me to accept it… Give me back my brother, give me back my brother… Waaah…”
…
In the gray, misty world, Xu Qi An once again saw that small temple, with a handsome young monk sitting cross-legged inside.
“Master…” Xu Qi An said angrily, “I seem to have died. I’d like to inquire about the females in your family, if that’s convenient?”