Chapter 24: Defeat
Wu San’s death dealt a heavy blow to the Dark Guards.
What kind of person was Wu San? A master under His Highness Prince Wei, with a fearsome reputation even among the Dark Guards. This team had followed Wu San for several years and had hardly ever failed. They knew well how powerful Wu San was. Following such a leader, setting fires, killing, and running errands were all trivial matters.
When they received the task to intercept and kill the Pei Clan female dependents, everyone thought it was an easy errand. No matter how powerful Pei Zhongde and the Pei Clan brothers had been, that was when they were alive. With the Pei Clan brothers all beheaded, all that remained was a bunch of elderly, weak, women, and children—like fish on a chopping block. Couldn’t they eat them however they wanted?
The only ones they feared were the few exceptional Eastern Palace Guards. Fortunately, their side had more people; several ganging up on one was enough.
Who could have imagined that they had all misjudged!
They capsized in the sewer!
They thought they were the stone, but their side turned out to be the mantis crushed beneath it.
That Sixth Sister Pei, that Pei Qinghe! She slew Wu San within thirty moves. Then she continuously killed without stop, like the God of Slaughter descending upon the world.
Run!
The refugees collapsed first and fled.
The Dark Guards had no time to worry about the fleeing refugees in disorder and gritted their teeth to continue wielding sabers against the enemy.
His Highness Prince Wei’s rules were strict. Failing the errand and returning meant a dead end as well. They might as well fight to the death—perhaps there would still be a way to survive…
Pfft!
A snow-bright blade edge fell, and an earth-shattering scream rang out as a tall, sturdy figure crashed heavily to the ground.
Pfft!
The long saber pierced into the chest, a spray of blood flying up and splattering onto Pei Qinghe’s collar. Her clear and valiant face, under the flickering wind lamp, was like that of a rakshasa.
Guard Gao, Captain Sun, and the others also fought fiercely, wielding sabers to kill the enemy.
Pei Yun swung her saber and cut down a Dark Guard. Pei Yan fought desperately and killed one. Mao Hongling’s pretty face was still pale, but the spear in her hand grew even swifter.
After more than half of the Dark Guards were dead or wounded, they finally couldn’t hold on. Someone suddenly turned and charged toward the outside of the posthouse. The Big Soldiers, who had been suppressed all along, finally came into play. They blocked the posthouse entrance. The Dark Guards, whose will had collapsed, rushed forward, and several Big Soldiers together struck, hacking that Dark Guard to the ground.
With the first, soon there was a second and a third.
The Dark Guards fled in panic—some charging for the door, some hastily climbing the wall, others scrambling into the houses inside the posthouse.
Pei Qinghe gave a deep voice command: “Follow me to pursue and kill the enemy. The rest of you, guard the posthouse and let not a single one escape.”
“Yes!”
Guard Gao was the first to respond loudly.
Captain Sun was slightly slower, but his steps showed no hesitation.
Pei Yun, Pei Yan, and Mao Hongling went without saying. Wherever Pei Qinghe’s long saber pointed was the direction they charged and killed.
The few Dark Guards who luckily escaped the posthouse soon despaired. That God of Slaughter had come chasing after them, long saber dripping with blood in hand.
Facing her head-on, they could last at most three to five moves, or ten or eight. Fleeing in such disarray like this, leaving their backs completely to the God of Slaughter, meant one slash the moment they were caught.
No good—they still had to turn around and fight to the death. Perhaps there would be a way to survive.
The Dark Guards who had no time to flee had no choice but to turn around and continue fighting desperately.
What was infuriating was that this God of Slaughter completely ignored the refugees who were truly fleeing. He single-mindedly pursued and killed only them, these Dark Guards. In the dim light with flashing blades and dripping blood, how could she clearly discern who were refugees and who were Dark Guards?
Distinguishing refugees from enemies was as natural for Pei Qinghe as drinking water when thirsty or eating when hungry.
The Pei Family Army in her previous life had been a rebel army formed from refugees as its backbone. As the Rebel Army Leader, she saw and interacted with such people every day. Their gaunt figures, sallow and shriveled faces, and numb, despairing expressions were extremely obvious characteristics of the refugees.
Did they really think that changing into ragged clothes would let them pass as refugees? That the dim light would let them muddy the waters?
Ridiculous!
Pei Qinghe flashed forward, caught up to a Dark Guard, and cleanly stabbed a bloody hole in him. The Dark Guard collapsed in agony, and before dying, he even tried to stuff his spilling intestines back in.
Pei Yun saw it all clearly, and her stomach suddenly churned. However, there was no time or leeway to vomit on the battlefield. Pei Qinghe shouted sharply: “Keep chasing!”
Pei Yun gritted her teeth, swallowed the surging sourness, rallied her spirit, and charged forward.
Young Pei Yan had considerable courage; the horrific bloody scenes she witnessed did not scare her. Following behind Pei Qinghe, she finished off the Dark Guards who had fallen and could not get up, ensuring every enemy died cleanly and thoroughly.
Mao Hongling could no longer remember how many people she had killed.
The spear in her hand was dyed red with blood, and her palms were also red. She did not know if it was her own blood or the enemy’s.
Pei Qinghe was too fast; the only one who could truly keep up with her pace was Guard Gao. Everyone else was left a little bit behind.
They had to be fast. They had to kill all the Dark Guards completely clean.
Pei Qinghe’s long saber whirled and flew in her hand, yet she was not blinded by the victory before her eyes and remained calm and clear-headed: “Don’t let a single one go! Kill them all!”
The followers all heard clearly and responded with voices high and low.
The Dark Guards resisted desperately and caused considerable casualties. However, as soon as everyone looked up, they could see that fierce and ruthless slender figure ahead, and their panicked and uneasy hearts quickly steadied.
There were always deaths in battle. Enemies would die, and people on their own side would also die or be injured. Holding out until the end was true victory!
“They’ve charged in!”
A trembling, crying voice rang out in the posthouse. It was the posthouse cook, holding a kitchen knife, his whole body shaking: “What do we do?”
Besides the cook, there was the postmaster and five posthouse attendants in the posthouse. Having worked there for so many years, it was their first time encountering a refugee attack. Such life-and-death peril was also a first in their lives.
It was too late to flee. Either way, they had to fight to the death!
The postmaster painfully squeezed out a few words: “We can’t let them find the cellar.”
Sixth Sister Pei had instructed him beforehand not to let the refugees find the cellar. As long as they held this place, there would be a heavy reward. If anything happened to the Pei Family old and young hiding in the cellar, none of the seven of them would live.
Sixth Sister Pei was only thirteen, neither tall and sturdy nor fierce, and her expression had been indifferent and calm when she said those words.
The postmaster, who had lived more than fifty years, broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing it.
For some reason, he did not dare meet Sixth Sister Pei’s eyes and cowardly agreed with his head down.
Outside, the fighting had gone on for a long time, with the sounds of weapons and cries of agony unceasing. Those hiding in the house had no idea of the situation. Now enemies had charged into the house—what was there to ask about what to do?
Of course, kill them first and talk later!
The postmaster was a veteran soldier retired from the barracks. He had been quite skilled in his youth. Now that he was older, his strength was not what it used to be, and after wielding his saber to cut down an enemy, he was somewhat out of breath.
The attendants’ spirits greatly lifted, and they were about to fawn and flatter when they saw the postmaster’s expression change: “More have charged in! Quick, grab knives! Fight them with me!”
