Changning City, West District, Cloud Inn.
With the sound of rapid hoofbeats, a large crowd of soldiers appeared at both ends of the street, merging into one force. Before long, the entire street was packed tight, leaving no room for escape.
Looking out, the rooftops and the street below were filled with uniformed soldiers. Some held shields and sabers, others carried bows and arrows. There were eight hundred of them in total—elite troops urgently dispatched from the City Defense Garrison.
Inside a tall building across from the inn, Chief Constable Zhou, Lieutenant Wang of the City Defense Garrison, and Yu Xian, representing the Prince's Estate, gathered to observe the situation at the Cloud Inn.
"Consort Yu, does His Highness have any further instructions?"
The speaker was Chief Constable Zhou. With an imposing physique and a sharp, battle-hardened air, he was the commander-in-chief of this capture operation.
Two days had passed since Prince Fu’s summons. Yu Xian had taken the time to consult Doctor Huang, a physician serving the Prince's Estate, and had been prescribed several restorative formulas. After taking them for a few days, combined with his own mana regulation and self-restraint, his recovery had been remarkably rapid; he had already regained seventy or eighty percent of his vitality.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled politely. "Chief Constable Zhou is the protagonist today. Before I left, the Prince instructed me not to overshadow the master of the house. I am merely here to provide backup for you, Chief Constable."
In short: whoever wants to charge can charge; watching the show and sweeping up remains is fine, but don't expect him to be the main force.
Zhou Bai was not surprised. He never expected a Consort from the Prince’s Estate to risk his life. He turned to Lieutenant Wang beside him. "Lieutenant Wang, I’ll leave the rest to you."
He was the one who would lead the main assault.
"Signalers, sound the command!"
Lieutenant Wang, a man of massive build, spoke with blunt efficiency. He bowed to the two men and headed downstairs to lead his troops. As the flag fluttered in the hands of a signaler on the terrace, the soldiers began to close the encirclement around the Cloud Inn. Simultaneously, Zhou Bai’s constables and the experts from the Prince's Estate charged into the inn.
Less than a minute later, the sounds of clamor and fighting erupted from inside.
*Bang!*
A window on the second floor shattered as a dark shape was thrown out, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. It was a constable; his chest was caved in, his face a bruised purple-black, and black blood oozed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He struggled in agony for a moment before going still.
A black-robed man in his thirties with graying, disheveled hair appeared at the broken window. He scanned the surrounding soldiers before his gaze locked onto Zhou Bai and the others across the street. He let out a cold snort, his breath sounding like thunder.
"Zhou Bai, you were once the renowned 'Iron Pen Divine Judge' of the martial world, famous for your chivalry. How did you end up as a lapdog for the imperial court, shaming the entire martial fraternity? How did you find me?"
"If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place!" Zhou Bai’s expression was cold and stern. He shouted, "Chen Xiao, you are bold enough to attempt the assassination of a Prince and disregard the laws of the court! Surrender now, or you’ll face nothing but death!"
"Fire arrows!"
At the command, arrows fell like rain, a dark cloud hovering over the second floor of the inn, threatening to turn the entire building into a sieve. Seeing the storm of arrows, Chen Xiao threw his head back and laughed, showing no fear.
"Zhou Bai, do you really think these weaklings can hurt me?"
The air in front of him vibrated violently. A layer of black-red energy shielded his body; the arrows struck it and fell away like pebbles into the sea, instantly losing their force. He then leaped into the crowd like a cannonball, his landing alone knocking five or six soldiers out of the fight.
"Death to those who block my path!"
Chen Xiao was in a frenzy. In the blink of an eye, he smashed through the formation of the City Defense Garrison and broke out into the street. Though eight hundred soldiers were present, only a dozen could engage him at once. Given his strength, a mere graze from him meant injury, and a direct hit meant death.
Up on the balcony, Zhou Bai’s expression shifted. "Xiantian Mid-stage? Qi-armor?!"
Yu Xian, who had been leisurely drinking tea and watching the show, also moved slightly, his calf muscles tightening as he caught a scent of danger. Although martial artists were not as dependent on spiritual energy as Immortal Cultivators, reaching the mid-stage in the Mortal Realm was still an immense feat. A Xiantian Mid-stage martial artist was someone even an early-stage Immortal Cultivator had to handle with care; one careless move could lead to disaster.
However, he himself was already at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation.
*Oh, never mind then.*
Yu Xian’s body, which had just tensed up, lazily slumped back down.
"Consort Yu, please act quickly! Do not let him escape the encirclement! This monster has broken through to the Xiantian Mid-stage; if he escapes, the consequences will be unimaginable!" Zhou Bai looked at Yu Xian, his tone urgent.
But Yu Xian didn’t even make a move to stand up. Instead, he shook his head and said in a measured tone, "Chief Constable Zhou, this Chen Xiao is now at the Xiantian Mid-stage and his arrogance is rampant. He is beyond my ability to defeat. Perhaps..."
Just then, a cry of shock rang out beside them.
"Chief Constable! Consort Yu! Lieutenant Wang has intercepted Chen Xiao!"
"What?!"
Both men were startled and turned to look down.
Lieutenant Wang, clad in dark heavy armor, was mounted on a sturdy armored warhorse. He held a thick, heavy-iron spear and led the charge, managing to halt Chen Xiao's momentum. Behind him were seven or eight heavy cavalrymen in similar armor.
"Kill!"
Amidst the neighing of horses and the shouts of men, the cavalry pushed forward. Though they were few in number, they felt like a mountain collapsing, the very air thickening with pressure.
Chen Xiao’s eyes were bloodshot. Seeing the cavalry charge, he didn’t dodge. Instead, he met them head-on. In an instant, his palms were wreathed in black qi. His figure blurred as he narrowly avoided the spear tip, swerving to deliver a palm strike directly onto the warhorse.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Muffled impacts rang out in succession. Lieutenant Wang only had time to raise his spear to block a strike before he was knocked backward off his horse. The warhorse let out a painful, skyward neigh as black, bloody tears streamed from its eyes.
The lead horse collapsed in the middle of the street, blocking the path. The momentum of the heavy cavalry behind it stalled, and their formation disintegrated. Chen Xiao seized the moment, and with a final push, sent men and horses flying. A charge on a straight street has immense momentum, but once that momentum is broken, defeat follows rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the ferocious cavalry unit was incapacitated.
However, the exertion for Chen Xiao was clearly immense.
Facing another round of arrow fire from the roof, his protective energy flickered. Several arrows pierced through, embedding themselves in his back. Fortunately, his powerful muscles clamped down on them, and the wounds were merely superficial.
"You're courting death!"
Chen Xiao ripped out the arrowheads, blood spraying as he tossed them back, taking down a row of archers on the roof. His aura flared even higher. Before him lay a path of carnage dozens of meters long; behind him were fallen horses, scattered weapons, and wailing soldiers. In this moment, he looked like an invincible demon lord.
The psychological defenses of the City Defense Garrison were nearing collapse; even knowing he was at the end of his strength, no one dared to take another step forward.
"Trash!"
Chen Xiao spat out a mouthful of blood, sneered, and turned to leave.
"Don't you dare!"
A sharp whistle cut through the air. A steel pen struck out—Chief Constable Zhou had circled around with his men to cut off his escape. Chen Xiao’s face hardened, his palm gathering black energy as he struck at Zhou Bai.
"You cannot keep me here!"
Zhou Bai said nothing. He wielded his Judge’s Pen, working with his subordinates to form a formation that blocked the way. A close look would reveal a layer of cyan true energy covering the pen, allowing it to resist the corrosion of Chen Xiao's toxic qi. This Chief Constable was also a Xiantian martial artist!
"Zhou Bai, you’re a decent man. I don't want to kill you. If you block me again, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Chen Xiao threatened while trading blows with Zhou Bai. He could feel his true energy and stamina draining rapidly; he knew if he didn't leave now, he would be trapped here forever.
"If you surrender now, I can guarantee your life." Zhou Bai was not interested in mercy.
"You're asking for it!"
Chen Xiao’s expression went cold. His movements suddenly shifted, his palms turning clear as jade, accompanied by a foul, fishy stench. "Five-Poison Palm!"
Zhou Bai felt a chill at his brow and dared not slacken. He focused his cyan energy onto the tip of his pen, unleashing his own signature Xiantian skill. "Divine Pen Eye-Dotting!"
The two collided.
Zhou Bai felt a sharp pain in his finger, which then spread to his palm, wrist, and arm, as if thousands of ants were devouring his flesh. The agony surged toward his soul, and he couldn't help but cry out.
"Argh!"
The Judge’s Pen flew from his hand. Half his body went numb, and he fell backward, dark qi manifesting on his face.
Chen Xiao did not fare much better. The edge of the Judge’s Pen had left a deep, long gash in his chest, nearly reaching his internal organs.
"If only my previous injuries hadn't hampered me..." Chen Xiao clutched his wound, burning with hatred. Just as he was about to make his escape, he felt a wave of heat from behind and a massive alarm bell rang in his mind.
"Protective Qi!"
"Scarlet Flame Divine Palm!"
*Rip!*
Chen Xiao felt his protective qi torn away like paper. It was true that his energy was depleted, but it was enough to prove the strength of the newcomer. The next moment, scorching flames climbed his back, subjecting him to the most brutal torture imaginable and stripping away his will to resist.
In a haze, Chen Xiao vaguely saw a figure in green robes walking slowly toward him, accompanied by a voice from above.
"Heh. 'Five-Poison Palm'? Nothing special."
*Damn you! Fight me one-on-one if you dare!*
Anger surged in Chen Xiao’s chest, his wounds flared, and he collapsed, unconscious.