Chapter 182 - 181: A Master’s Guidance
Chapter 182: Chapter 181: A Master’s Guidance
The shrill whistle made everyone on the wall bristle, knowing the bandits’ next wave of attack was coming!
After the first piercing whistle, a second one answered from another direction. Soon, a chorus of whistles rose up, encircling the entire manor.
Then, a thunderous voice echoed through the mountains:
"To all the heroes who have journeyed from afar! I’m sure you all know the old dog in this den of thieves has been in seclusion for many days and is at the critical juncture of a breakthrough."
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Since we’ve come all this way, we can’t just stand around waiting. It’s time to settle our grievances and take our revenge..."
The voice didn’t use any code or try to build suspense. The message was simple: it was time for the men on every mountain peak to attack.
As the voice’s final battle cry faded, the last sliver of light in the sky was devoured by darkness. It was now pitch-black on the manor walls.
A glint flashed in Wu Chen’s eyes, and his vision brightened.
In the Organ Refining Realm, the senses corresponding to the five major organs become exceptionally sharp, let alone now that he was in the Blood Coagulation Realm.
He couldn’t see in the dark as if it were day, but he could still make out faint silhouettes within a hundred paces.
’At this distance, and with the strongbow in my hands, it’s more than enough to pick off a few of their leaders.’
Wu Chen didn’t focus his gaze on the rustling forest. Instead, he looked at his panel:
[Deep Red Host]Wu Chen
[Martial Arts Realm]Blood Coagulation Realm, Eighth Layer
(Qi Power: Earth-Shaking Wild Bull) (Vigor: Endless Qi Power) (Body: Disguise Skill) (Physique: Body Like Adamant)
[Martial Arts & Cultivation Techniques]’Bone-Eroding Wind Blade: Momentum’ ’Spirit Swallow Leaf-Plucking Step: Momentum’ ’Grand Righteous Qi-Nourishing Art: Intent’ ’Blood-Absorbing Demon Skill’ ’Body Refining and Essence Nourishing Skill’...
He gazed at the panel, at the stat allocation that had long since stopped pulsing, and at his realm, which had skyrocketed to the Eighth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm.
’Before, you wouldn’t attack.’
’Now, you can’t get in!’
Wu Chen’s hands swept over his waist, and an arrow and an ink-black iron bow appeared in his grasp.
And just then!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!—
A thunderous rumbling echoed from the mountains, and the ground began to tremble.
As a prelude to the assault, countless rocks and scree tumbled down the mountainside.
Boulders half the height of a man rolled down from the mountain, carrying an immeasurable force. They smashed against the manor wall, making the entire structure shudder.
The impact made it difficult for the people standing on it to keep their footing.
Perhaps the builders of Qingfeng Manor had anticipated a day like this, for the walls were made of exceptionally sturdy materials and constructed to be extraordinarily strong.
Thus, despite the impacts of the rolling boulders, the wall only shook; it showed no signs of cracking or collapsing.
Protected by the high, thick walls, the rolling stones from the mountainside couldn’t harm the defenders on top.
But this didn’t mean the defenders stationed on the walls could relax.
Everyone looked up, staring nervously at the sky above.
The inky black sky was the true source of their fear.
They had already experienced it during the day. Besides the rolling boulders, there were bandits among the mountains who had cultivated Horizontal Training physiques and Qi Power, and they had hurled countless clay-pot-sized stones from the summit.
The section of the wall where Wu Chen stood was relatively safe.
But other sections of the wall were adjacent to steep, cliff-like peaks.
One could only imagine the terrifying force of stones dropped from a height of a thousand feet.
A mere graze could tear off a large chunk of flesh, to say nothing of a direct hit, which would instantly pulp a man into a bloody paste.
Even a Blood Coagulation Realm expert would have to suck in a sharp breath and temporarily retreat if struck by such a rockfall.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!—
Countless boulders, their descent masked by the night, were far harder to guard against and evade than they had been during the day.
As the stones landed, they were followed by a series of dull thuds, then by shrill, agonizing screams erupting from various spots along the wall.
The agony in their cries was palpable, even from a great distance.
’At least twenty men were hit.’
Listening to the wails, Wu Chen roughly estimated the number of people injured in this barrage of stones.
This was undoubtedly salt in the wound for the already short-staffed manor.
After the cries died down, Wu Chen faintly heard the shouts of the manor’s young master and his elders, directing the Guards to fill the gaps in the defensive line.
But before the new arrangements were complete, another rustling sound arose from the forest.
"Light the fires!"
With that command,
countless points of fire, like stars, appeared around the manor.
They were arrows, tipped with oil-soaked pouches!
With a cry of "Loose!"
countless bowstrings twanged in succession. Streaks of fire tore through the night sky, flying over the defenders’ heads and landing inside the manor.
The flammable oil scattered, splashing everywhere.
The flames on the arrowheads immediately ignited the spilled oil.
In an instant, countless buildings within the manor were engulfed in a raging inferno.
Some unlucky souls were struck by the oil-drenched arrows. They instantly became human torches, rolling on the ground and screaming until they gradually fell silent.
The searing light of the inferno within the manor shot toward the heavens, illuminating the sky and leaving the defenders on the walls completely exposed.
"Hiss! This..."
Wu Chen narrowed his eyes, looking at the shadowy figures at the foot of the mountain. "This sequence of attacks... someone skilled must be directing them!"
He’d experienced the devastation of the falling rocks during the day, but he hadn’t anticipated these oil-drenched arrows.
He had assumed it would be the same old one-two punch: after the rocks, they would move on to close-quarters combat.
He never expected they had a third trick up their sleeve!
And how could a disorderly mob, gathered from all corners, display such perfect coordination?
’Or are events like this so-called "Heroes’ Assembly" common in the martial world, and I’m just being naive?’
But whether there was an expert commander or a third trick didn’t matter to Wu Chen.
’Unless they have the guts to never set foot on this wall, and their leaders have the sense to stay hidden in the back forever.’
’Anyone who tries to get past me is walking a dead-end road!’
Wu Chen stood on the wall, not trying to draw any particular attention to himself.
He held his breath and focused his energy. The eight Origin Cores inside him began to spin wildly, circulating his breath internally so he wouldn’t need to exhale for a short time.
There was a simple reason for this: he couldn’t be sure if the smoke from the fires in the manor contained poison gas, so he had to be on guard.
’After all, his cultivation progress was already slow enough as it was.’
’It often took him anywhere from half a month to a full month just to advance one major realm.’
’If poison gas damaged his Martial Arts foundation and slowed his progress even further...’
’That was a scenario Wu Chen couldn’t accept.’
So it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Kill!"
The boulders had been thrown and the fire arrows had been loosed. The natural next step was close-quarters combat.
Following a roar to charge, the figures at the foot of the mountain drew their blades and rushed toward the manor, screaming and shouting.
"Charge, brothers! Once we get inside, all the gold and treasures will be ours!"
"Brothers on the wall, why help a tyrant? Why not join us and storm the manor together!"
"That’s right, why should we draw our blades on each other! This scoundrel’s riches are more than enough for all of us to get our fill!"
"..."
The forest rustled, footsteps crushed fallen leaves, and battle cries erupted from all sides as countless figures charged the walls.
It had to be said, the words of the bandits outside the manor were extremely tempting.
After all, whether it was the manor’s guards or the bandits who had traveled a thousand li to attend the "Heroes’ Assembly," everyone was ultimately here for Qingfeng Manor’s money.
Since their goals were the same, why fight to the death?
If they just switched sides, everyone could get what they wanted!
It was just a matter of who got a larger or smaller share.
Besides, once Qingfeng Manor was breached, its inhabitants would naturally be slaughtered to the last man. News of a sudden betrayal wouldn’t spread far and wide, inviting the ridicule of the martial world.
But unfortunately for them, the bandits did not get their wish.
Most of the people on the walls were death-sworn retainers and guards raised by the manor; they would naturally not betray it so easily.
The invited experts had been recruited from an auction house, not hired as assassins from the black market.
As reputable figures, they would naturally never do such a thing.