510 The Fallen Knigh (1/2)

Chapter 510: The Fallen Knight

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

”Get them! Don't let them escape!”

”Don't let them enter the mountain! This bunch of robbers are all bastards!”

”Kill them all! We won't take any prisoners!”

A fierce battle had taken place in the mountainous border areas of the South Jin Kingdom. In the dim twilight, one would occasionally hear the whistling of arrows and the sounds of swords crossing as well as the desperate roar one made before death.

The two parties engaged in the battle numbered less than 500. However, the battle in the south, which had been peaceful for a long time, was intense enough as dozens of bodies littered the ground.

One party was the cavalry of the South Jin Kingdom. They were trained and held the upper hand in the battle. They also had more men and quickly gained victory. They began to pursue after their enemies.

Those being pursued scattered into the mountains in fear. An occasional arrow would hit someone, and he would yell in pain before falling in the forest. Fortunately, it was dark and the mountain path was dangerous. Most of them escaped.

The sky darkened, enveloping the mountain. Deep in the dense forest, crows cawed occasionally. This mountain was part of the mountain ranges of the West-Hill Divine Kingdom but was within the territories of the South Jin Kingdom.

Beside the bonfire laid a few men. Some of them had been shot by arrows, and some had their arms taken off by axes. They groaned in pain intermittently.

There were some men in steel armor. They sat close to the bonfire nearest to the warmest spot. It was evident that they were superior to others. Their armors were engraved with patterns and looked expensive. These were not objects that mountain thieves could possess.

Their faces grew weary as they heard the painful groans of their companions and the cawing of the crows. They could not help but turn to look at their silent leader, wanting to receive some comfort from him.

Their leader was a middle-aged man dressed in the same black armor except for the more complicated gold patterns on it that emitted a vague talisman power.

The middle-aged man was called Zi Mo. He was once the cavalry commander of the West-Hill Divine Palace Judicial Department. The men by the bonfire were like him. They were all former commanders of the Divine Hall's cavalry.

When Ye Hongyu killed the former Great Divine Priest of Judgment and ascended to the black jade throne, these powerhouses who had accomplished great deeds in the name of West-Hill Divine Palace had had to rid themselves of their cultivation powers for a trumped-up reason. Then, they were banished from the Peach Mountain.

In the past few years, they had led Papal Cavalrymen, the strongest military force of the Divine Hall's Judicial Department. They were the ones who had gone after followers of the Devil's Doctrine and extremists. They were remembered most because of the bloodshed caused by the Judicial Department and their cruelty.

In other words, these commanders had too much blood on their hands and no homeland to return to. There was no one else who would dare take them in at the risk of provoking the ire of the Divine Priest of Judgment.

This was the heaviest punishment Ye Hongyu had given them. She took away their rank and cultivation power. She had also taken away the wealth that they had hoarded, leaving them with only an old horse and two hundred taels of silver. Their retinues, the glory and power that their armor once represented could not even bring them back to their past and only brought them shame and fear.

They did not dare to return to the West-Hill Divine Kingdom and had nowhere else to go. They could only mill about in the periphery countries of West-Hill. When they had spent almost all their money, these commanders suddenly realized that they had to think about where to get their next meal and shelter just like the lowly commoners.

These Divine Hall commanders were not unskilled. However, they were extremely proud. How could they work as laborers?

The most troublesome was that their experience in the West-Hill Divine Palace had made them used to giving orders. They placed themselves on pedestals and looked down upon commoners. This behavior could be called being dignified in the past. But now since they had become ordinary folks after leaving West-Hill, their behaviors became a hindrance to their lives.

One day, the former commanders' team got into a tussle with a bully from the Kingdom of Song. One of the commanders could not repress his anger and ordered his retinue to cut off the man's head. Then, they barged into the man's house and took all his gold.

They stayed in one of the town's luxurious inns and enjoyed fine wine and women with the money. Suddenly, these downtrodden former commanders found that they could live without humbling themselves. The method was rather simple and direct, and they could get money quickly.

Even though they had lost their cultivation power and were not as strong as ordinary men, they were once commanders of the West-Hill Divine Palace's cavalry. They were good at plotting and giving commands. Their retinues were also good at fighting. At least the guards in the mortal realm were no match for them. Naturally, they began to plunder for a living. In a short time, they had consecutively robbed several clans in the countryside.

Everyone, including Zi Mo had kept silent. They did not say anything, but they knew that they, who had once vowed to protect the light and righteousness, were falling into the deep dark abyss. They felt extreme shame and pain deep in their hearts.