Chapter 81: Spear In Hand Through The Bustling Market, Heads Taken On The Battlefield
Clang! Clang!
The two young generals trembled like sieves, their faces deathly pale, as if they had seen vengeful ghosts. Their hands shook uncontrollably, and their long spears fell from their grasp.
Hong Yuan’s left hand formed a fist, striking out.
One of the young generals’ pupils dilated, immediately feeling pain in his face as if pierced by thousands of fine needles. It was the gust of wind from the thunderous punch.
In his final glance, in a daze, he saw the fist push through the air, a dense aura of blood swirling around it. His entire fist seemed to swell to the size of a large pot as it descended.
Immediately after, his head vibrated violently, and he felt nothing more.
Hong Yuan withdrew his hand, looking expressionlessly at the man who had died on the spot. The helmet on his head had been smashed flat by the punch, deeply dented into the crown of his head.
The other man let out a yell, staggered back two steps, then suddenly flipped over and jumped from the two-zhang high wall.
He leaped into the air, his body still in mid-flight, when a crisp sound of flesh being pierced rang out. With a look of terrified bewilderment, he looked down to see the tip of a dark spear protruding from his heart.
Hiss!
Hong Yuan pulled back his long spear. As the young general fell, he had already darted out again. His long spear swept across, and amidst cries of distress, another twenty-odd people were flung away.
Hong Yuan leaped down from the thick wall into the villa. Compared to the three to four hundred people guarding the city wall, the courtyard was the main concern.
Immediately, sounds of clashing sabers and spears erupted all around, with constant shouts. Generals from the Guo Family and Hua Family, both noble clans, roared, “Surround and kill him!”
The people from the Guo Family, in particular, had bloodshot eyes and flushed faces, seeing that Guo Wei had been killed.
A young general with a powerful physique, his face contorted, led a hundred or so spear soldiers charging forward.
He was Guo Wei’s son.
With his father killed, the surging hatred in his chest left him with little ability to think.
Behind the many soldiers, at the center of a crowd of over a hundred people, Hua Shouren clenched his fists, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
Compared to Guo Wei, Hua Shouren was a complete novice in military matters. His mind buzzed, and his eyes were blank.
What he felt most was shock.
Why couldn’t these elite soldiers and generals on the thick wall not only fail to defeat or even kill the opponent but also couldn’t even delay him for a moment?
Hong Yuan, unaware of his thoughts, had already spotted him.
Hua Shouren had shed his scholar’s attire and put on armor. Hong Yuan wasn’t sure of his identity, but being in the center of everyone’s protection, he figured he was one of the main targets.
Facing the charging soldiers, Hong Yuan advanced instead of retreating. His long spear vibrated intensely, piercing the air with a single thrust, stirring up a torrent of air that roared like boiling, surging water.
Tidal Wave Force!
This was the Profound Ice Sect’s microscopic level entering force, which Hong Yuan had mastered within days of acquiring it.
The next moment.
A horizontal sweep of his spear unleashed a flash of silver light.
The soldiers surging forward, regardless of whether they wore armor, wielded weapons, or were shielded, were shattered by this strike. Their sabers and spears broke, their shields tore, and their flesh and blood bodies exploded.
Amidst a spray of blood, metal, and wooden shield fragments, Hong Yuan pressed forward, his surging power like successive torrents of water crashing forward.
Without any exquisite techniques, the long spear was simply swung horizontally and vertically, slicing through waves, swiftly carving a bloody path.
“Die!”
Guo Wei’s son, his eyes bloodshot, pointed his steel spear, thrusting at Hong Yuan’s throat. But then a bloody mist unfurled, easily knocking away his steel spear, and the blood-red light quickly engulfed him.
It was only when Hong Yuan felt the burgeoning force of his opponent’s attack, which had already entered the force, that he raised his spear to block. As for the sabers and spears attacking him from the surroundings, he didn’t even bother to dodge, letting them strike and pierce him. Apart from his clothes being torn, not a single wound appeared on his body.
In the movies and TV shows of his previous life, even those who practiced external martial arts, when they reached the point of being invulnerable to blades and spears, always had some weakness.
But Hong Yuan had been strengthened in all aspects; he had no vital points, only whether he was willing to dodge.
For example, attacking the lower body, even knowing he wouldn’t be injured, still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
This Mingguang Courtyard was originally a barracks, with a vast area. But no matter how spacious, it was ultimately no match for a real battlefield, so soon a section became a meat grinder.
Corpses fell one after another.
Under Hong Yuan’s spear attacks, it was almost all bone and flesh breaking, blood and gore flying, a gruesome sight.
The soldiers at the very front, closest to him, had already begun to break and flee. Those on the outer perimeter, unable to see the situation within, but witnessing the flying flesh and blood and the bodies of their comrades being thrown around, a sense of panic began to spread.
Finally, someone couldn’t bear it any longer and let out a cry of despair: “Run! Run quickly! He’s not human, he’s a demon!”
“A demon is killing people!”
With the first person taking the lead, continuous shouts soon erupted, and soldiers began to flee in all directions.
Generals from the Guo and Hua families, their heads sweating profusely, quickly killed the fleeing soldiers to suppress them. But the rout was like a dam collapsing, a flood overwhelming everything. The suppression could only delay it for a moment.
“We can’t hold him! Quickly, protect the family head and leave!”
In the rear of the crowd, a silver-armored general with a thick, curly beard beside Hua Shouren’s face changed drastically. He loudly ordered several guards.
Hua Shouren’s body trembled, his face ashen, and he murmured, “How could this happen? How could we be defeated so quickly? He’s just one person, and we have two thousand elite soldiers!”
The curly-bearded general sighed inwardly.
Both Guo Wei and Hua Shouren had overestimated their soldiers. While their equipment was excellent, they had never experienced a major battle. Among the scions of the two clans, there were also many who were merely going through the motions, not only siphoning off funds but also not training their soldiers properly.
The three guards of Linjiang Prefecture, the White Scale Guard, and the Golden Soup Camp were all merely outwardly impressive, far from the elites outsiders expected.
Others didn’t know the inside story, but this curly-bearded general had been in the army for a full twenty years and knew it well.
There were at least seventeen to eighteen hundred soldiers in the villa. The fierce god had killed only ten to twenty percent of them. If they had been truly elite and fearless, even if they couldn’t kill the opponent, they could at least have repelled him.
Thinking too much was useless. The curly-bearded general’s eyes held a resolute look. He pushed Hua Shouren, “Family Head, hurry and leave! We’ll block this brute.”
Hua Shouren, pushed by him, finally came to his senses.
“That’s right, I can’t die. If I die, the Hua Family will be finished. I still have Xiangrong, and the Profound Ice Sect… Only if I live can the Hua Family rise again.”
Hua Shouren’s thoughts churned, and his steps involuntarily retreated.
The curly-bearded general glared at the stunned guards and shouted, “What are you waiting for? There are horses behind, go fetch them and take the Family Head away!”
Horses were quickly brought out. Hua Shouren, though possessing some martial arts, felt his body go soft. He was still lifted onto a horse by a guard.
Two people rode on one horse, accompanied by seven or eight guards on horseback, circling to one side and galloping towards the main gate.
By this time, the city gate had already been opened by the fleeing soldiers, and many soldiers were wailing as they scattered.
The curly-bearded general waved his hand, gathering over a hundred men around him. These were the Hua Family’s true trusted retainers. But even with their resolve to fight to the death, their faces were still pale.
The curly-bearded general knew he couldn’t wait. In a while, even these men would lose their courage. He waved his hand and shouted, “Kill!”
Rumble!
Hong Yuan had just scattered the crowd in front of him and saw several riders galloping out, with one of his targets protected in the middle. His ears roared, and the ground trembled as over a hundred men charged towards him.
Hong Yuan’s long spear touched the ground, force surging. As silver light scattered, large patches of green bricks on the ground were torn up and shot out like sharp arrows under his spear’s impact.
In an instant, he knocked over a group of people. As cries of pain arose, Hong Yuan ignored them, his body flickering as he lunged towards the riders.
“Stop for me!” the curly-bearded general cried in horror, pursuing with all his might.
Protected by several guards, Hua Shouren rode out, swiftly crossing the long open space in front of Mingguang Courtyard and entering the Jinming Ward market.
There were no pedestrians on the street, but from within various houses, pairs of eyes peered out. Some brave souls even climbed onto the rooftop ridges to gaze into the villa.
When Mingguang Courtyard was first established as a barracks, the houses in this area were not densely packed, nor were there any tall buildings. The barracks would not have allowed people to spy.
However, after the barracks had been abandoned for years, there were many three to four-story taverns and inns in the market. Thus, from a high vantage point, one could vaguely see the fierce battle within the villa.
Seeing the city gate open and many soldiers fleeing, with several riders galloping out in panic, many people recognized the person in the center as the Hua Family Head. They were all shocked.
Could it be…
As the thought flashed through their minds, they suddenly heard a thunderous sound. Many people quietly opened their doors and windows, only to see a figure rapidly darting forward. Each step covered several yards, and with each landing, the green bricks on the ground vibrated violently.
“Quick!” Hua Shouren, having just breathed a sigh of relief, looked back and was chilled to the bone. He urged his horse forward, only to see Hong Yuan’s speed suddenly increase. He quickly caught up to the last rider and leaped into the air.
Whoosh!
Like a whirlwind, he spun forward, the wind from his feet roaring. He kicked the guards on horseback flying one by one, then passed Hua Shouren and pressed a palm onto the horse’s head.
With a loud neigh, the horse cried out and fell to the ground.
Hua Shouren and the guards behind him rolled to the ground. One guard sprang up, and a short blade flew from his sleeve. His eyes split with rage as he lunged towards Hong Yuan’s forehead.
Clink!
The short blade was blocked by his forehead, emitting a crisp clang of metal on metal. Hong Yuan looked at the guard, “Put more strength into it, haven’t you eaten? I can take it!”
The guard roared and mustered all his strength, preparing to stab again, this time aiming directly for Hong Yuan’s throat.
Crack!
Hong Yuan struck first, reaching out and snapping the guard’s neck. “You wanted to stab, so you really stabbed?”
He then advanced, stepping on Hua Shouren’s chest. “Which family are you from, Guo or Hua? It doesn’t matter! You were so quick to offer a hundred thousand taels for my bounty, did you ever imagine this day? Do you have any last words?”
Endless regret surged within Hua Shouren, not regret for opposing the opponent, but for not having deployed the full strength of both families from the beginning. If only he could have a do-over…
His expression was a mixture of crying and laughing, his face finally contorting into extreme malice and ferocity. “The Guo Family, and the efforts of my Hua Family for over ten generations, have been ruined by the hands of a brute like you.”
“But don’t get too pleased with yourself. You will soon taste the same suffering as us. You will be relentlessly pursued, and we will be waiting for you below, hehe!”
“Is this your last words? Not very original!”
*Splat!*
Hong Yuan’s spear pierced Hua Shouren’s throat. Then, with a release of force, he twisted it in his neck. A head, with eyes wide in disbelief, flew off and was impaled on the tip of his spear.
“Ah!” A heart-wrenching scream erupted from behind. The curly-bearded general, seeing Hua Shouren dead, rushed forward rapidly, raising his steel saber and slashing down from the air.
Hong Yuan leaped up, a gleaming saber under his feet. He tapped the blade with his foot, using the force of the opponent’s swing to launch himself forward again.
“You want it? Then I’ll give it back!”
Hong Yuan flung his hand back, and Hua Shouren’s head flew into the curly-bearded general’s embrace with a whoosh. His own figure landed on the railing of a nearby restaurant. With a light touch, he soared upwards, his laughter echoing.
“Carrying a spear through the marketplace, beheading an enemy on the battlefield. How exhilarating!”
In a flash, Hong Yuan leaped onto the rooftop ridge. With a tap of his toe, he disappeared.
The curly-bearded general, holding Hua Shouren’s head, let out a great roar, then finally collapsed to his knees, utterly distraught, and wept uncontrollably.
