Chapter 47: Begin The Slaughter
“Which reckless madman is this?”
“How is Young Master Hua’s boy?”
“Protect me!”
The entire arena was shocked, clamor arose everywhere, and the sounds of swords and blades being drawn from their sheaths rang out incessantly.
Not only did the eight armored soldiers around Left Commander Guo Zhen of Golden Soup Camp draw their steel sabers.
In the four surrounding pavilions and dozens of private rooms, the guards around the numerous nobles also moved in unison, drawing their weapons with killing intent surging.
Third Master Jin, who had just won big in the outer arena, had only just stepped into this inner courtyard when he saw the scene, his expression changed, and his short, fat figure bounced up like a plump rabbit, pulling the guards and attendants around his attendant to his front.
The dozen or so martial artists who leaped onto the arena stage glanced at the heavily veiled woman who had died miserably, some with grave expressions and looks of trepidation.
Others were eager to try, their battle intent bursting forth.
They even felt this was an excellent opportunity to show off in front of the nobles, to take down this madman and exchange it for a step toward wealth and glory.
Only Young Master Hua, with his entire head buried in the wooden floor, let out heart-wrenching screams, along with Wei Zhenzhu’s shrill roars due to Xiao Chan’s death.
“Save Young Master Hua!”
Several martial artists on the arena stage took action first, some bare-handed, some wielding various weapons, shouting as they leaped straight toward the balcony where Hong Yuan was.
Only then did He Xiaofeng, whose throat had been slit, fall straight backward stiffly, the light in his eyes not yet fully extinguished, but already filled with despair and fear.
The curved saber in his hand fell, but before it hit the ground, it was grabbed by a slender large hand.
Whoosh!
With the curved saber in hand, Hong Yuan swung his hand and threw it, turning the curved saber into a rapidly spinning wheel of light that shot out with force, its sharp whistling sound suddenly piercing the air.
The martial artist charging head-on suddenly felt chilling air pressing against his face, lifting his hair; when he opened his eyes to look, his vision was filled with dazzling cold light, as if it would blind him.
This martial artist was horrified, but his body was still mid-leap in the air with nowhere to dodge, so he hurriedly thrust out the judge’s brush in his hand fiercely!
Pfft!
Cold light flashed, and the martial artist holding the judge’s brush felt intense pain in his throat; as blood sprayed, only one thought remained in his mind.
How could it be this fast?
His strength scattered throughout his body; as this man fell from mid-air, the cold light carried by the curved saber did not lose momentum but grew even fiercer, turning in mid-air into a half-arc, slicing through the air straight toward the left side.
From Wei Zhenzhu’s mad roars, Hong Yuan judged her position—it was in the middle private room on the first floor of the left pavilion.
Thus, he infused the curved saber with a spinning force when he threw it.
Though only a preliminary application of spiral force in its embryonic form, it was already beyond what ordinary martial artists could achieve.
In this spacious inner courtyard surrounded by pavilions on all sides, the curved saber whooshed through the air for over ten zhang, suddenly tearing apart a private room door.
Inside, Wei Zhenzhu’s eyes were bloodshot; due to Xiao Chan’s death, she roared incessantly—perhaps there was indeed some unusual relationship between her and Xiao Chan.
Unfortunately, no one here cared to know.
Crash!
The private room wooden door exploded into thousands of fragments, and amid the scattering debris, cold light darted like a venomous dragon plunging into Wei Zhenzhu’s shoulder blade.
The force carried by the curved saber was like a thousand jun; even with Wei Zhenzhu’s massive bulk of several hundred jin, it sent her body flying backward.
As her body smashed heavily against the back wall, with a screech, the curved saber not only pierced through Wei Zhenzhu’s fat but also through her shoulder blade, nailing half her body to the back wall.
Wang Ai nearby fell to the ground, scared limp.
Pig-like miserable howls rang out, echoing through the entire inner courtyard.
Hitting true with one strike, Hong Yuan temporarily ignored Wei Zhenzhu.
This was not like before.
This was not her demon’s den, with no other tunnel for her to crawl into; even if there was, with Hong Yuan’s sharp senses, any slight movement would be detected.
A distance of a dozen zhang—with his speed, he could reach her in less than a breath.
Amid the clashing of armor, two armored soldiers crashed through the wooden door, their long sabers whistling as they slashed at this suddenly appearing fierce person.
With a wave of Hong Yuan’s hand, a long strip of cloth flew out; still mid-air, it shredded into thousands of cloth pieces, revealing two streaks of silver-white light within.
Clang! The two rays of cold light collided and then split apart.
The short spear pierced through an armored soldier’s chest like a sharp arrow; his armor shattered inch by inch, offering no protection, and his body flew up like a sack, crashing into the private room.
The short staff smashed onto the helmet of the other armored soldier; amid the cracking of his skull, this soldier fell backward.
Swoosh!
Silver light flashed, and the staff shadow rebounded back into Hong Yuan’s palm.
Chaos erupted in the private room; the armored soldier flung by the short spear nearly smashed into Guo Zhen, but was luckily intercepted by another armored soldier.
But at this moment, Guo Zhen had lost all his previous lazy comfort, both shocked and furious.
“Vile thief, don’t get arrogant!”
Sounds of robes breaking through the wind rang out successively; several martial artists leaped onto the balcony, with the leading tall, short, and thin trio attacking together, blades and swords flashing.
Whoosh whoosh!
Immediately after, several more circled behind Hong Yuan for a surprise attack.
The short staff spun rapidly, extending from Hong Yuan’s palm like an arm; chopping, pointing, blocking, thrusting—it employed blade technique, sword technique, spear technique, spear technique… all sorts of methods, the flashing silver light forming an impervious curtain of light that water could not splash into nor needles pierce.
Even facing a siege of six or seven people, he remained completely at ease, with spare time to glance at Commander Guo and suddenly speak: “Commander Guo, do you recognize Qingxu’s Huang Guiling?”
In the private room, Guo Zhen’s expression was grim; how could he answer?
He only shouted fiercely: “Withdraw! Retreat!”
But Hong Yuan had already discerned the truth from his subtle change in expression, knowing he had found the right person; at this point, the martial artists besieging him were horrified.
These six or seven were almost all entering force martial artists; though not at the ‘freely control’ level, they were not newly entered true force, not losing combat ability after one burst of true force.
Among them were no lack of three-stage wave or nine heavens level martial artists who could burst three, or even nine times.
Generally, martial artists not yet at freely control level would not casually burst true force in combat unless at critical moments.
Three-stage wave, nine heavens, twelve-story building levels… though not exhausting after one burst, it still consumed much, and failure to hit meant great danger in the fight.
But now it was many besieging one, so such concerns lessened; under Hong Yuan’s pressure, these martial artists all burst forth, some with fists and feet, some infusing their weapons.
But it was useless; the opponent didn’t even meet true force with true force, instead using his own tough physical strength and quick reactions to casually handle all attacks.
Their six or seven launched a fierce assault, dozens of hands striking together, but that short staff was like an iron wall, blocking all the surging waves.
Fierce winds battered his face; Yang Erhu, leaning on the railing, was dumbfounded.
He knew his disciple was strong; over half a month ago when parting from the martial arts school, his martial arts had already surpassed his own, but this progress speed was too astonishing, wasn’t it?
Stamina was gradually recovering; back then, one palm shattering the jujube wood stake took him two or three breaths to move again; this burst was even stronger than that one, plus several arena fights had greatly drained his mental and physical energy, so recovery took a bit longer.
Amid the pavilion’s shaking, silver light filled the martial artists’ vision; then weapons snapped and fragments flew, as Hong Yuan swung the fine steel short staff in his palm, striking repeatedly!
Hissing winds tore through the air; the martial artists felt an overwhelming, irresistible force, like a leaf in the ocean, all flipped away.
Sounds of bodies hitting the ground rang out, followed by successive screams.
Three had caved-in chests, ribs shattered by the short staff, force shaking their organs; the others were pierced in the face by flying weapon fragments, life or death unknown.
