Chapter 38: Hiding in the Chaos, Jiang Ye Walks Alone!

“Secret tunnel out of the city?!”

Liu Qingshi and Jiang Ye both flashed a flicker of concealed shock in their eyes.

This Su family was truly a local magnate—its depth was undeniable; they even had a secret tunnel out of the city.

“This was a precaution taken long ago, never imagining it would actually be used now.”

Su Chen let out a soft sigh, a complex mix of emotion crossing his face.

He said no more, turned swiftly, and led everyone through the corridor, past several courtyards, finally stopping before an unremarkable woodshed.

The woodshed was dilapidated, piled high with split firewood and clutter, indistinguishable from any ordinary household’s.

But when several servants quickly moved aside the firewood, a dark, gaping hole suddenly appeared—stone steps winding downward into unknown darkness.

“Go!”

Su Chen gave the order; several servants, already prepared, lit candles and stepped into the tunnel first, clearing the way.

The candlelight flickered in the dark, stretching their shadows long against the mottled walls.

As shouts and screams from within the city grew louder and closer, no one dared delay—they quickened their pace into the tunnel.

Jiang Ye followed behind Liu Qingshi, stepping into the deep underground passage.

The moment they entered, a damp, earthy stench hit them, mixed with the rot of aged timber.

Yet the stone steps beneath their feet were smooth, and the tunnel walls showed clear signs of reinforcement—wooden piles, stone slabs, even fired blue bricks layered thickly, holding up this escape route.

It was clear the Su family had poured considerable thought and silver into building this tunnel.

Candlelight flickered, shadows swayed.

No one spoke; only the chaotic rhythm of footsteps echoed through the deep passage, one step after another, like a tense drumbeat.

Behind them, the screams and battles from Anxi County carried through the thick earth—muffled and distant, yet still chilling the spine.

After roughly half an hour, a fresh scent of grass and trees drifted faintly from ahead.

“The exit is near!”

Someone whispered in astonishment; everyone perked up, their weary steps unconsciously quickening.

The candlelight flickered more violently, but no one cared—they fixed their eyes on the faint glow ahead in the darkness.

Another half incense stick later, a faint sliver of moonlight entered their vision.

The light was weak, yet it pierced the suffocating darkness of the tunnel like a ray of hope.

Then, one by one, they emerged, finally stepping onto solid ground.

The tunnel’s exit lay atop a hidden small hill outside the city.

The hill was overgrown with waist-high wild grass and shrubs, completely concealing the opening—unless one came close and looked carefully, it was impossible to spot.

Night wind brushed past, leaves rustling, bringing the crisp, free air of the open fields beyond the city.

But no one had time to savor this freedom.

All turned instinctively to look back at Anxi County, the city they had lived in for decades.

And they froze.

Inside the city, flames roared into the sky!

The fire painted half the night sky a terrifying crimson, thick smoke rolling, blotting out the moon.

Piercing screams, desperate wails, the clashing of blades, the thunderous collapse of buildings—even from this distance, they could still be faintly heard, like the moans of hell itself.

The entire county now seemed transformed into a vast battlefield of slaughter, being swallowed by darkness and blood.

Almost every face bore a flicker of relief—survivors of the abyss.

Some even collapsed to their knees, gasping for breath, silent tears streaming down their cheeks.

They had escaped hell.

But countless others in that city were still dying.

Su Chen drew a deep breath, suppressing his churning emotions, and turned to the two men beside him with solemn respect.

“Brother Guo, Brother Liu, after leaving the city, your care for our safety along the way is deeply needed.”

The two men beside him were:

One was Liu Qingshi, his expression grim, brows furrowed.

The other was a middle-aged man with a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, clad in black training attire.

He was broad-shouldered, his aura steady—Guo Wei, the Su family’s long-serving Qi Condensation cultivator.

“Master Su, rest assured!”

Guo Wei returned the bow, his voice loud and resolute: “I, Guo, will spare no effort to protect you all! Once we’re beyond the city, it’ll be manageable—though the road isn’t safe, the bandits are mostly low-level riffraff, nothing to fear!”

Liu Qingshi gave a slight nod, his voice low but steady: “Brother Su, I’ll do my best.”

Yet a trace of unhidden worry flickered in his eyes.

Though the Su family had dismissed some servants before departure, those who escaped now—women, guards, servants—still numbered nearly a hundred.

Such a large group gathered together was a glaring target.

If they only encountered ordinary refugees or bandits, his and Guo Wei’s Qi Condensation strength would be enough.

But he feared they might encounter members of the Seven Kill Sect.

He’d heard from warriors fleeing from Luxian County that those monsters of the Seven Kill Sect didn’t just massacre cities—they also set ambushes outside, cunning and ruthless.

If they met them, it would be a brutal fight.

But worrying now was useless; when you reach the bridge, you’ll find a way. He could only take one step at a time.

“Let’s go—we must reach Shahu Kou before dawn!”

Su Chen clapped his hands, steadied his emotions, and began issuing orders.

Several stewards immediately sprang into action, counting heads, assigning tasks, organizing the formation.

A group of nearly a hundred couldn’t afford chaos—they needed order.

Jiang Ye slipped quietly to the edge of the crowd, hunched over like an ancient, withered tree, unnoticed by all.

The Su family’s group moved swiftly through the night.

No carts were available; the women who didn’t cultivate began to keep pace by gritting their teeth, but after less than half an hour, they were panting, stumbling.

Su Chen glanced back, his expression tightening; finally, he waved his hand, ordering a temporary halt to rest.

Liu Qingshi had wanted to argue that resting now was unwise, but seeing the exhaustion on Lady Huang Xiyu’s brow, he hesitated—and swallowed his protest.

Yet his furrowed brow deepened further.

But the rest lasted only half an incense stick.

“Trouble!”

Liu Qingshi and Guo Wei both leapt up at once, their gazes like arrows shooting toward the direction of the flames.

Their eyes were sharpest—they had already seen the figures surging behind the fire: a dark, endless tide rushing toward them.

“Attack!”

The roar shattered the night’s silence like thunder.

Everyone shuddered, following their gaze.

In the distance, a short, grotesque man, his face twisted like a night demon, raised a blazing torch and sprinted toward them.

As he ran, he waved his arms and screamed, his voice shrill and piercing like an owl’s cry:

“Hahaha! I knew there’d be survivors—this is a fat prize!”

“Boys, charge! Kill every last one of these rich bastards!”

“Grab the women—keep them for the brothers!”

Behind him, the refugee horde surged forward like blood-hungry dogs, howling.

Dressed in tattered rags, gaunt and yellow-skinned, every face wore a twisted, savage grin, eyes burning with mad greed.

In their hands they clutched all manner of weapons: rusted cleavers, sharpened sticks, stolen swords and knives, even half-bricks.

Their numbers reached three or four hundred.

“Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!!!”

“Kill every last one of these rich bastards!!!”

“Hahaha, don’t kill the women—keep them!”

“I see them—so many beauties!!!”

“Tonight we’ll have a feast!!!”

The refugees’ roars shook the earth.

They harbored innate hatred for magnate families like the Sus; along the way, they’d followed the Seven Kill Sect’s demons, committing countless atrocities.

On the other side:

“It’s over… it’s over…”

“How are there Seven Kill Sect members outside the city too…”

“Run! Run!”

The Su family’s group instantly panicked—they’d never seen such a terrifying scene.

The women turned ashen, screaming, huddling together; some collapsed to the ground, others fainted outright.

The guards trembled, gripping their weapons, faces pale, eyes darting away.

The relief they’d felt upon escaping the county was now utterly drowned by overwhelming terror.

“Hold firm! Don’t panic!”

At the critical moment, Liu Qingshi stepped forward sharply, unleashing his full Qi Condensation aura like a mountain crushing down on the panicked crowd.

His voice was not loud, but it carried immense force, like a great bell tolling, forcibly suppressing the impending collapse of panic.

“That’s right! Don’t panic! We have two Hua Jing martial artists holding the line, and plenty of guards—what’s there to fear? They’re just a band of refugees, utterly worthless!”

Su Chen forced down his fear and stepped forward to steady the troops.

Two loud shouts, like two calming pills, barely held the formation together.

The guards gripped their weapons tightly; the women clung to one another. Though their faces remained pale, they no longer continued to scatter.

“Brother Guo, we must capture the leader first!”

Liu Qingshi gave a glance to Guo Wei beside him.

“Got it!”

Guo Wei nodded in response.

He knew that if they took down the leader, these refugees would instantly scatter like birds and beasts.

“Yiyi, when the fighting starts, protect Mother and Jiang Lao.”

Liu Qingshi lowered his voice and spoke to Liu Yiyi behind him.

Liu Yiyi said nothing, only nodded firmly.

She shielded her mother behind her, her right hand resting on the short sword at her waist, her cold eyes fixed on the dark mass surging toward them.

But as her gaze swept past her side, it suddenly froze.

“Where’s Jiang Lao?”

Liu Yiyi frowned, about to look around.

The battle had already begun!

“Seek death!”

Liu Qingshi and Guo Wei lunged forward like two arrows released from a bow, rushing straight at the short, ugly man.

Both were Hua Jing martial artists; with full force, their speed was astonishing—they reached the ugly man’s side in the blink of an eye.

“Hahahaha! Come on then!”

Facing the dual assault of two Hua Jing martial artists, the short, ugly man showed no fear—instead, a cruel grin spread across his face.

He suddenly drew a gleaming curved blade from behind his waist—the blade curved like a crescent moon, its edge as thin as a cicada’s wing, flashing coldly in the firelight.

With a flick of his wrist, the curved blade became a true crescent moon, slicing through the air with a shrill whistle as it slashed toward Liu Qingshi.

Shhh!

The blade cut through the air.

“Huh? This is… blade momentum…”

Liu Qingshi’s eyes narrowed; sensing the blade’s ferocity, he chose not to block it, instead sidestepping backward to evade.

Clang!

The missed blade carved a deep groove into the ground, sending stones flying and dust swirling!

At that moment, Guo Wei had already struck from behind!

His right fist clenched, all his strength concentrated at the knuckles, hammering like an iron mallet toward the ugly man’s occiput!

The ugly man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head—he ducked sharply, barely avoiding the punch.

Simultaneously, he reversed his blade, striking like a venomous snake’s tongue, aimed straight at Guo Wei’s neck!

Guo Wei’s face turned ashen; he threw himself backward with all his strength.

Pfft.

A bloody mark appeared on his neck—but fortunately, the wound was shallow.

Had he been a fraction slower, he would have been decapitated.

Liu Qingshi and Guo Wei both realized how dangerous this ugly man was.

Their tactics grew more cautious.

After several more exchanges, the ugly man sneered: “Two cowardly turtles.”

He laughed coldly, deliberately leaving an opening—his chest completely exposed, defenseless before Guo Wei.

Guo Wei’s eyes flashed with sudden brilliance! How could he miss such an opportunity!

“Die!”

He poured all his strength into his right fist, like a cannonball fired from its barrel, slamming into the ugly man’s chest.

His punch was heavy and brutal, packed with overwhelming force—enough to pulverize a boulder into dust in an instant.

Yet when his fist struck the ugly man’s chest, it felt as if he had hit a slab of black iron.

Clang!

A faint chime rang out.

The ugly man had blocked the punch with his bare flesh.

“Hardening art?!”

Guo Wei’s pupils shrank sharply; a chilling dread rose in his heart.

He finally understood why the ugly man dared to be so arrogant—he had cultivated hardening art, his body far stronger than any ordinary man’s.

Instinctively, he tried to retract his fist.

Too late!

The ugly man grinned savagely, his curved blade descending like a crescent moon—blade light flashed.

Pfft.

Blood sprayed! Guo Wei’s right arm, severed at the shoulder, flew away in a spray of crimson.

“Aaaah!!!”

Guo Wei screamed, staggering backward, blood gushing from the stump, soaking half his body.

“Die!”

The ugly man prepared to press his advantage and deliver another slash to sever Guo Wei’s head.

Mountain-Shattering Strike!

Liu Qingshi’s heavy fist slammed into the ugly man’s back like a falling mountain.

“Ugh…”

The ugly man grunted, his body trembling violently.

His back visibly caved inward; a spray of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs burst from his mouth.

At the critical moment of life and death, he used the force of the blow to propel himself forward like a broken kite, stumbling ten paces away and barely avoiding Liu Qingshi’s second punch.

“Not bad… I misjudged you.”

The ugly man turned and glared coldly at Liu Qingshi, wiping blood from his lips with a sneer: “I’ll let you live a little longer.”

With that, he tapped the ground and fled like a stray dog, vanishing swiftly into the night.

“Damn it!! The Divine Envoy ran off...”

“Let’s run too!!”

“Flee! Flee quickly!”

The refugees still fighting the Su family guards, seeing the ugly man flee in disgrace, instantly lost their formation.

Some screamed in terror, others dropped their weapons and turned to run, others were cut down by the guards.

In moments, the three or four hundred refugees scattered like a breached dam.

Liu Qingshi did not pursue.

He hurried to Guo Wei’s side, supporting his bleeding body, tearing off a strip of his own clothing to tightly bind the stump.

Guo Wei’s face was as white as paper; his lips trembled as he whispered: “Th-thank you…”

The Su family members gathered around, shaken and stunned—some wept, some shivered, some collapsed to the ground.

Su Chen’s face was dark with worry; he stared at the direction where the ugly man had vanished, then at the gravely wounded Guo Wei—his concern thick as tar.

Liu Yiyi still stood before her mother, her gaze sweeping repeatedly through the crowd.

The girl’s brow was furrowed deeper than ever before.

She realized: Jiang Ye was gone.