Chapter 78 - 79: The Slaughter Begins, Sharp Arrows Pierce the Sky

Chapter 78: Chapter 79: The Slaughter Begins, Sharp Arrows Pierce the Sky

The moon shone brightly against a scattering of stars. Figures darted along the various roads leading to Lin Family Castle.

It was exactly 7:45 PM.

Su Chen and his group had been assigned to a mountain path in the northwest, now less than half a mile from Lin Family Castle. If everything went as expected, it would take them half an hour at most to reach the castle.

This team did not just consist of people from the Hong Family Martial Arts Hall; other Martial Arts Halls were also present, with the Huang Family and Jiang Family prominently among them.

Led by over a dozen soldiers, the group slowly approached Lin Family Castle. After about half an hour, they arrived outside the castle walls. The soldiers did not advance any further. Instead, they signaled for everyone to wait quietly.

Naturally, this situation filled the group with doubt.

Su Chen looked around. Aside from the chirping of insects and croaking of frogs, the surroundings were terrifyingly quiet. In the distance, faint lights could be seen, along with the silhouettes of Lianyun Stronghold’s guards on the walls.

"Master, didn’t they say we wouldn’t make a move until midnight? Why did they have us set out at 7 p.m., only to leave us waiting bitterly here?"

Qin Hao was not the only one harboring such thoughts. In response to his question, one of the soldiers said impatiently, "We told you to wait, so just wait. Cut the nonsense!"

"You..." Qin Hao’s face instantly flushed red with indignation, his eyes flashing with resentment.

Hong Ming stopped him just in time. He shook his head but said nothing.

"Just wait. It won’t be long," another soldier said calmly.

Hearing this, several people’s expressions shifted slightly, as if they had guessed something.

Su Chen looked thoughtfully at Lin Family Castle ahead. If he wasn’t mistaken, the supposed midnight attack was just a smokescreen.

"When you make your move later, be careful of the people from the other Martial Arts Halls!" He wasn’t the only one to figure it out; Hong Ming had also guessed the truth and issued a warning to Su Chen and the others.

Qin Hao was about to speak, but Wei Ping held him down. Shaking his head, Wei Ping whispered a few words into Qin Hao’s ear.

"The signal is here. Move out!"

Just as Hong Ming finished warning his disciples, flashes of firelight appeared not far away. The flames waved three times to the left and four times to the right in the darkness before being extinguished. The soldiers received the signal, turned to Hong Ming and the others behind them, and gave the order.

Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions turned grave. They clearly hadn’t expected to act so soon.

"Let’s go!" Hong Ming said softly, then followed behind the soldiers as they detoured toward the side gate of Lin Family Castle.

Upon arriving, they found the side gate already open. The group entered unhindered. The Lianyun Stronghold bandits guarding the side gate had already been killed. Their corpses lay on both sides of the path, the ground stained crimson, painting a particularly gruesome scene.

"Hurry up and follow!" a soldier shouted in a low voice, not daring to waste a single second, intending to regroup with the main force as quickly as possible.

After rushing down the main street for ten minutes, they finally met up with the main force.

Tao Dingfang, clad in full armor, walked with the majestic strides of a dragon and tiger. He led a group of soldiers, followed closely by the various Martial Artist factions of White Stone City.

Hong Ming and his group merged into the formation like a river flowing into the sea.

"Ahead is the Inner City of Lin Family Castle!"

Su Chen looked at the architecture at the end of the street, which was noticeably different from the Outer City, and a sense of strangeness flashed through his mind.

It was quiet! It was far too quiet, so silent that it felt like an abandoned city. Even if the people of Lianyun Stronghold didn’t know about their premature sneak attack, it still shouldn’t be this quiet.

Moreover, what made Su Chen even more suspicious was that this operation seemed entirely too smooth—so smooth that they had breached Lianyun Stronghold with almost zero casualties.

"Master, let’s slow down and bring up the rear," Su Chen said as he sidled up to Hong Ming, his voice pitched so only the two of them could hear.

Hong Ming nodded and slowed his pace. Su Chen went on to warn the others. With everyone deliberately reducing their speed, they quickly found themselves at the very back of the formation.

THUD!

Tao Dingfang, who was walking at the very front, suddenly halted his steps.

"What’s wrong?" someone panicked, looking around with utmost vigilance.

A moment later.

CLATTER!

"Hahaha, as expected of Hong Yue’s most valued general!"

Suddenly, bright torches flared to life all around them. A swarm of people poured out of the buildings on both sides of the street like ants. On the rooftops above, Archers lay in ambush, waiting for the perfect moment.

"You didn’t expect this, did you, Tao Dingfang? In the end, it wasn’t you catching us off guard, but us lying in wait to catch you like rats in a trap!" Zhu Hu strode forward and stood before the crowd. With a smile tugging at the corners of his eyes, he spoke coolly.

"Haha, indeed, I didn’t expect this. I deliberately set out two hours early, but I never imagined you would still catch wind of it," Tao Dingfang said, his expression hardening.

"Hmph, did you really think your plan was brilliant? I bet you already knew we had moles in White Stone City and purposely wanted to drop a smokescreen to mislead us. What a pity that we beat you at your own game and trapped you," Zhu Bao scoffed disdainfully.

Tao Dingfang said grimly, "The plan might not be brilliant, but do you really think you can trap us with just this lot?"

"Then let’s test that theory! Archers, loose!" Zhu Hu ordered.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

Following Zhu Hu’s command, the ambushing Archers on both sides of the street instantly sprang into action. A dense shower of arrows tore through the night sky, raining down from above.

"Don’t panic! Follow me and fight our way out!" Tao Dingfang shouted. He made the first move, charging forward.

Seeing this, Zhu Hu didn’t engage. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Sun Yun beside him. Sun Yun didn’t hesitate and dashed forward.

THWACK THWACK THWACK!

Sharp arrows crisscrossed the air, completely shattering the formation of Tao Dingfang’s forces.

"Careful! Everyone, gather close!" Hong Ming roared as he reached out and snatched an arrow right before it could strike Qin Hao. Hearing this, Su Chen and the others quickly huddled together.

"Haha, Junior Brother Su, I never expected we’d have a moment to fight side by side!" Li Mo, who was leaning back-to-back with Su Chen, forced a bitter smile and laughed.

"Watch out, Senior Brother!" Su Chen smiled in response, then a cold glint flashed as he abruptly reached out and snatched a sharp arrow out of midair.

"Thanks, Junior Brother!" Seeing this, Li Mo’s gaze tightened. Still reeling with lingering fear, he expressed his gratitude.

If not for Su Chen, that arrow would have undoubtedly skewered him. He would have been severely injured, if not outright killed.

Su Chen shook his head and didn’t say much. These arrows posed little threat to him. Thanks to his Turtle Shell Skill and Iron Cloth Shirt, while his body couldn’t quite be considered invulnerable, his defense was absolutely formidable. As long as he wasn’t careless, arrows of this caliber wouldn’t be able to pierce his skin even if they hit him.

As Su Chen’s group formed their own defensive pocket against Lianyun Stronghold’s barrage of arrows, Tao Dingfang and Sun Yun had already exchanged several blows. Following a fierce collision, the two men each stumbled back several steps.

"Rebirth Sect Protector, Sun Yun!" Tao Dingfang recognized his opponent’s identity and let out a light chuckle. "You certainly have some skill."

"You’re not bad yourself!" Sun Yun replied lightly, covertly shaking his arm to dispel the residual force from Tao Dingfang’s strike.

"It’s a pity you’re destined to die here tonight," Tao Dingfang said.

"If you’re just here to spout nonsense, I’d say save your breath," Sun Yun sneered. "The current situation is truly disadvantageous for you and your men. It won’t be long before you’re the only one left standing."

"Not necessarily!"

Tao Dingfang’s retort gave Sun Yun pause.

Before he could ponder the meaning behind that statement, agonizing screams suddenly erupted from Hong Ming’s side of the battlefield. They rose and fell in endless waves.

Accompanied by these piercing cries, the number of Lianyun Stronghold bandits began to plummet at an astonishing rate.

Witnessing this scene, both Sun Yun and Zhu Hu’s group were visibly shaken, the expressions on their faces all but freezing in shock.