222 Chapter 221: Cornered (1/2)
Lang Xie suddenly stirred from his deep sleep and he sat up straight in his bunk. Jumping out of his bed, he proceeded to the window of his tower and looked down at the district below.
”Something's not right,” he murmured to himself. ”I can't place a finger on it, but I feel a disturbance in the force…ahem, I mean a disturbance in the qi round the city. It was like a billion voices cried out at once…and disappeared.”
Seriously? Where did the billion voices come from? Another planet or something? There had better not be a Death Star floaing in orbit somewhere…
Becoming serious, Lang Xie then left his bunk and headed straight to the command center that the Blood Blades had set up. He didn't even need a few minutes before he stepped in, and the Blood Blades serving as comns and intelligence officers looked up in surprise.
”Lord Lang Xie, you aren't due until the next five hours,” his third-in-command (right below Hai Rong) said. ”You should get more sleep.”
”Something dangerous is on the horizon,” Lang Xie replied curtly, ignoring his subordinate. ”Give me a tactical update.”
”Uh, yes, sir.”
The third-in-command called up a tactical display atop one of the biggest monitors, which was displaying the thirteen invading sects. They had withdrawn just a few minutes ago. Apparently, the moment Shen Tian Yi and Song Si Yuan had arrived, the invading sects had decided to withdraw out of sight from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.
But none of the officers in the command center were under the illusion that they had retreated. Infrared, long-range senses and auspexes still picked up their signals in the distance, the enemy hiding in the forest beyond Tushan City and among the Fire Mountain Range.
Lang Xie studied the monitor intensely, still feeling uneasy but unable to pick out anything wrong. Artillery hadn't been invented in this world, so he doubted they were going to start shelling the place. No, it didn't even occur to him – there was no way he could conceive of that. Besides, we had void shields…I mean qi barriers protecting the place from long-range qi projectile attacks.
Shaking his head, Lang Xie turned to his third-in-command. ”Dispatch a squad to the plaza immediately. Increase the number of guards and keep a tight watch over that area!”
”Understood!” the third-in-command then hurriedly picked up a vox and began shouting commands.
Coincidentally, it was then I heard the orders over my comn bead in my ear. Tong Xue, Jing Wei and I were just returning from our shift when the orders came. Fortunately, it wasn't Fourth squad, but I couldn't help but be curious. There seemed to be quite the commotion in the plaza as the assigned squads were rushing over toward it.
”I'm going to take a look,” I told Tong Xue and Jing Wei. ”Are you guys coming along?”
Jing Wei stifled a yawn. ”Don't waste your rest time. You should take advantage of every moment you have to sleep.”
I couldn't argue with him. I had tried to build another Sunburst, but I was too tired that I ended up dozing off on my bench and thus being unable to complete it. Whoops.
”I'm hitting the sack, and then going to check on Lian Rou.” Surprisingly, Tong Xue declined my offer. He usually would join me, since he was the type who enjoyed collecting intelligence and information. But I guess he was more concerned over Lian Rou's wellbeing. What with the enemy massing in huge numbers and getting ready to attack us, I guess I couldn't blame him. I probably should check on Tang Qi Hong later. If I wasn't too exhausted by the time I got back, that is.
Even so, the curiosity was killing me, so I bade them farewell and went my separate way. Moving toward the plaza, I magnified the vision of my glasses.
As I thought, there were any changes to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. The three hostages, Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue, were all shackled to their respective pillars, their heads lowered in resignation.
After losing an arm each, these esteemed and high-ranking people from the Six Valley Sects, Cloud Sky Mountain and Snow Valley Sect, had all lost their arrogance long ago and became very submissive.
They had lost the will to even converse with each other, preferring to sink into a despairing silence and waiting for their inevitable fates to claim them.
When Xie Zhi Zhang had been thrown into the center of the plaza and tied up by Tian Yu Di, the trio had grown even quieter.
Currently, a squad of ten Blood Blades martial artists were standing around the plaza, accompanied by another dozen or so outer sect martial artists who formed defensive lines. They watched over the four hostages, taking shifts and rotating out every three hours, just like we sentries did at the fortress walls.
They were fully aware of how critical these four hostages were in preventing the Martial Arts Alliance's subordinate sects from launching a full-scale assault on Tushan City and destroying us immediately.
As long as these four hostages remained secure in our hands, then Martial Arts Alliance would not attack us, and we would be able to buy enough time for us to come up with new countermeasures. There was also hope that if we held out for another two days, the Imperial Guard would finally come to our rescue.
The resolution had been reached in the Diet just yesterday, which filled our hearts with fresh hope. Now we just needed to wait for the Imperial Guard to come.
Out of nowhere, the air rippled, and the wind in the plaza grew stronger.
”!”
One of the Blood Blades guards turned around in surprise, his eyes narrowing as he studied the scene before him. He tightened his grip on his weapon, but was unable to see anything out of place. Shaking his head, he whispered to himself doubtfully.
”Strange…I could have sworn I felt something pass by me earlier.”
He frowned and scrutinized the plaza once more. Shi Jing Yun and the others were still securely bound in place, while Xie Zhi Zhang continued to sit in the middle, his entire body shackled by chains. There was nothing amiss, at least visibly.
The guard shook his head and turned back to watch the front.
When he did so, Xie Zhi Zhang suddenly opened his eyes. All this while, he had kept his eyes shut, almost seeming as if he was in a coma.
He had been trapped for quite a while now, his strength leeched out and absorbed by one of Tian Yu Di's Heaven and Earth Absorption techniques, and now he was being chained down by the Heavenly Chains and Earth Restraints, which continued to seep away his qi to feed Tian Yu Di. I probably should ask Ancestral Master to teach me that neat trick next time.
However, despite his qi being leeched away, his senses were far from dulled. He could detect a very well-hidden qi aura.
And it was an aura he was very familiar with.
”Si Yuan is here.” Xie Zhi Zhang relaxed a little, almost breathing a sigh of relief.
He focused his mind and sensed Song Si Yuan's movements, and intuitively understood what the latter was trying to do. Relaxing further, he then opened his mouth. A Spirit Pill was then lobbed inside his mouth, almost as if it was thrown by an invisible hand.
Xie Zhi Zhang swallowed the spirit pill gratefully. He then felt his body invogirated as the Spirit Pill nourished his depleted body, and with a single surge of qi, he managed to break the qi chains that were shackling him, freeing himself from his restraints.
Standing up amidst the astonished Blood Blades guards, who then immediately charged at him, Xie Zhi Zhang nodded gratefully toward the air. ”Thank you, Brother Si Yuan, for your assistance. I am fine now.”
With a swing of his hand, he knocked the guards back.
Wait, what was that? It didn't happen in Spirit Realm? Who cares about that story? I mean, the author completely forgotten about the Blood Spears and outer sect disciples standing guard there and had them do absolutely nothing but watch and cry out as the hostages broke free. He just had them crying out but doing absolutely nothing, and just skipped straight to Xue Li jumping in. Honestly, if you were going to treat them as virtually non-existent, why even mention them in the first place?!
Reality, however, was different. Despite being knocked down, the Blood Blades immediately rose to their feet. The chief guard was already voxing for reinforcements while the outer sect disciples closed ranks to ensure the hostages and their rescuer didn't escape. Despite their best efforts, Xie Zhi Zhang alone was able to keep them at bay.
Worse, a thunderous noise erupted through the air as the shackles restraining Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue shattered.
The trio who had been bound for so long were finally free. Jumping from the falling manacles, they stood up straight, grimacing as they clutched at their left shoulders where their left arms used to be connected to.
Song Si Yuan materialized and strode toward Xie Zhi Zhang while the latter continued to keep the Blood Blades at bay.
”How did you lose?” he asked mischievously, but also because he wasn't uncomfortable with the idea that an unknown threat was running loose inside Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.
”Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is concealing an old demon. He is even more terrifying than that Xue Jian in the past. If I'm not mistaken, he's most likely Xue Jian's master.” Xie Zhi Zhang was solemn as he answered.
Song Si Yuan raised a skeptical eyebrow. ”Even more powerful than Lang Xie or Zi Da JI?”
Xie Zhi Zhang nodded gravely. ”That's right.”
The duo were not even paying attention to the attacking Blood Blades. They didn't even put them in their eyes, not seeing Tushan City as a threat. Instead, Xie Zhi Zhang flinched and suddenly looked in the direction of Flame Volcano.
”He's coming!” he warned.
A potent aura settled across the plaza, and Tian Yu Di landed on the plaza elegantly before straightening himself.
”I see that the rescuers have finally come.” He tilted his head, a little impressed. ”Oh? It's just one person?”
Song Si Yuan met his gaze evenly. ”I alone am more than enough.”
”Oh…what impressive power. It seems that the Martial Arts Alliance has finally sent out their big guns. The threat to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has finally arrived.” Tian Yu Di paused for a moment, closing his eyes as if reaching out with his senses. He then opened his eyes to stare at Song Si Yuan. ”But you're not alone, it seems. Where are the other two?”
”They'll be arriving shortly,” Song Si Yuan replied politely before bowing slightly. ”If it's not too rude of me to ask, who are you, Senior? You don't appear to be from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Where are you from?”
”Don't give me that polite rubbish, brat. It makes me cringe.” Tian Yu Di grinned, looking really relaxed. ”So there are at least three fellows of considerable power. Man, it'll be hard for me to deal with just one of you, and yet you decide to show up with your friends.” He glanced toward Flame Volcano. ”The beautiful lady will likely have to handle one of you, but I fear my hands were be kept busy by the other two.”
”Sorry to put such a burden on you, Ancestral Master.” I finally reached the plaza, but was aware of what was going on. I could hear them from quite far away. Just like my fellow Blood Blades martial artists, I was kept out by Xie Zhi Zhang's mystical techniques.