994 The First Strike (1/2)

Both Hengmu Liren and his slasher were burning. The endless Divine Flame of Haotian incinerated every bit of the Qi of Heaven and Earth into the finest ash. But he could not stop Liu Yiqing's sword.

Because Liu Yiqing's sword had pierced the air in a whistle and torn the darkness with its chilling sword intent. It flew over the wall of purely white flame like willow floating in the wind and sweeping across a lake without making any ripples.

Liu Yiqing gazed emotionlessly at the young emperor on top of the city wall. And his sword struck at the end of his sight line.

The young emperor could not see the sword but he could see Liu Yiqing's gaze. His face turned paler and paler and almost stopped breathing. He panted heavily as if his lungs were about to blow up. His heart kept beating faster as if it was going to explode at any time. He covered his chest with his hands and started vomiting blood in anguish.

Hengmu Liren's slasher was flaming and the air was sizzling. Nothing could stand in its way. Liu Yiqing's right hand was cut off together with the sword it held. Blood spurted from his wrist while the hand and sword fell on the sedan. It must be extremely painful. Yet he remained emotionless like a silent willow.

He could not see anything. But he still looked silently toward the top of the city wall with the white cloth covering his eyes. His hand that was holding the sword was cut off, and his sword fell onto the ground. But the sword intent was already launched to the city wall.

The city wall was made of bluestone bricks and looked jet black in the darkness. It was not mottling and shined like a black diamond in Haotian's Divine Flame.

All of a sudden, countless cracks appeared on the surface of the black diamond. Spalls fell off the city wall and the cracks deepened instantly. The imperial city was collapsing.

People standing on top of the city wall had no idea of what was happening under their feet. The young emperor of South Jin panted more heavily while his heart beat faster and faster and his cheeks turned paler and paler.

Finally, someone heard the cracking sound coming from the city wall and saw those horrifying cracks, and screamed in fear. The generals and cultivators were about to escort the young emperor down.

But it was too late. While the city wall cracked, so did the young emperor's heart. Countless tiny cracks had destroyed the veteran city wall and taken the life of the young emperor.

It went into an uproar on top of the city wall. People became extremely frightened and crowded around the young emperor who fell to the ground in his own blood.

Liu Yiqing sat in the sedan and looked silently at the top of the city wall and the generals and cultivators he used to be very familiar with. He smiled slightly in comfort.

The previous thundering clatters and the arrival of Hengmu Liren and other important figures from West-Hill was crucial but not surprising to Liu Yiqing. But it was still disappointing.

An emperor should guard his kingdom. Instead, the young emperor of South Jin opened the gate of his kingdom tonight and welcomed the cavalry from West-Hill. You are the emperor chosen by the Sword Garret. Even if you could not fight against the enemies, how could you open your gate to them?

Since that moment, the South Jin lost its territory and the city walls became meaningless. Therefore they should collapse, both the walls of the imperial city and those around the Tong'an Gate.

Despite the fact that you are only thirteen years old, that you are the last survivor of the imperial family's direct line of descent, that you called me teacher for years, and that you are somewhat kind-hearted, you are better off dead.

Liu Yiqing thought so and did so. Therefore the first strike of his sword was aimed at the young emperor instead of Hengmu Liren. He wanted the last one of the imperial family's direct line of descent to be the sacrifice for the city walls of South Jin.

In order to accomplish that, his right hand holding the sword was cut off. Hengmu Liren came right in front of him and shined with Haotian's Divine Flame. The white cloth covering his face seemed like some paper money prepared for the dead.

But he couldn't care less. For anyone from the Sword Garret, death or pain could never bother them. What mattered the most to them was how they could hit their enemies in the worst way.

Hengmu Liren's slasher was very slim and sharp. It was even more horrifying with Haotian's Divine Flame on it. Liu Yiqing stabbed his sword into the city wall so that he was left unprotected under the slasher.

The south wall of the imperial city finally collapsed in a rumble. Countless bricks fell onto the ground and quaked the earth. Dust rose toward the dark sky.

The fallen wall and broken bricks were engraved with the history of the South Jin. The dust was the debris of its history.