Chapter 749: Thunder from Flat Ground (Part 1)

Wanyan Chixiong, seeing the situation turn bad, fled in panic toward the Red Mountain Hall under the protection of the crowd. A black Hu warrior turned to follow, but General Dong Tianjiang strode forward and drove his Fang Tian Hua Ji halberd fiercely into the man's back; his internal energy exploded inside the warrior's body, blasting the black Hu warrior into a shower of flesh and blood.

The black Hu warriors shielded Wanyan Chixiong as they fled wildly inside; two warriors tried to shut the gate, but the enraged Tiger Standard Battalion soldiers had already stormed in.

At that moment, dozens of fully armed black Hu warriors poured out of the Red Mountain Hall, moving to block the Tiger Standard Battalion's advance; a bloody battle was about to erupt.

Xiong Tianba was also disturbed by the hu jia sound, his eyes red as he followed the black Hu warriors forward.

Hu Xiaotian and Zhou Mo possessed deep internal energy; they immediately sensed something strange about the hu jia sound, at once calming their minds and guarding the unity, avoiding the hu jia's interference, and did not rush to join the fray. In the chaotic melee, blades had no eyes and friend from foe could not be distinguished—why wade into this muddy water? Yet Xiong Tianba had already lost himself in the hu jia sound, charging forward heedless of everything, and they could not simply stand by.

Zhou Mo darted forward, seized Xiong Tianba's wrist in a sudden grip; Xiong Tianba, as if not recognizing him, roared, "Let go of me!" and threw a punch straight at Zhou Mo's chest.

Seeing Xiong Tianba suddenly strike at Zhou Mo, Hu Xiaotian could not help but feel anxious, shouting, "Brat, stop!" At that very moment, a brilliant flash of lightning split the night sky, followed by a earth‑shaking thunderclap that exploded on the ground.

Dong Tianjiang, lost in the exhilaration of slaughter, was jolted awake by that thunderclap; he stared blankly, then heard Hu Xiaotian calling Xiong Tianba's name, and gazed at the more than ten blood‑soaked corpses lying before him. His blood‑red eyes gradually cleared, his mind suddenly sharpening. How could I have suddenly struck out and killed? Just now it was as if I had lost my sanity; the distant hu jia sound grew ever more mournful. This voice possessed a power that reached straight into the heart, and Dong Tianjiang's killing intent flared again.

Dong Tianjiang furrowed his brow hard, clenched his left fist and hammered his forehead twice, then bellowed, "Everyone, stop……" Before he finished speaking, a feathered arrow suddenly shot toward his face. He shook the halberd in his hand, deflecting the arrow; in that moment, several more black Hu warriors were cut down on the spot.

Dong Tianjiang now realized the situation before him was utterly abnormal—not only his subordinates but even he himself had been controlled by that strange hu jia sound, causing him to lose reason and produce this carnage. Having just awakened from Hu Xiaotian's shout, many Tiger Standard Battalion soldiers were still frenziedly attacking.

Though Dong Tianjiang came from an official family, his present status rested entirely on his own battlefield exploits; he had seen all kinds of perilous scenes, yet the current situation was truly bizarre. If this could not be checked, it would inevitably spiral into an uncontrollable tragedy. Thinking this, Dong Tianjiang drew a deep breath and unleashed a furious roar. His roar, powered by his entire internal energy, rang like a thunderclap flashing across the sky, reaching the soldiers locked in combat. Just now, thanks to the earlier ground‑shaking thunder, many had seized the chance to break free from the hu jia's disturbance; now, after Dong Tianjiang's roar, even more awoke, their faces filled with bewilderment. Gazing at the corpses strewn everywhere, they could not fathom why they had acted that way a moment before.

Hu Xiaotian and Zhou Mo, working together, had Xiong Tianba under control when a familiar voice reached their ears: "You heartless little brat, you just watch me turn into mincemeat without shedding a tear? Now you even ruin my plans!"

Hu Xiaotian recognized the voice as Xi Yan's, turned and scanned the surroundings, but saw no trace of her.

Zhou Mo sensed Hu Xiaotian's odd behavior and whispered, "What's wrong?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said, "Nothing?" Yet in his heart he had already decided that tonight, whoever used the hu jia sound to stir up conflict must be Xi Yan without doubt, perhaps with accomplices nearby. This demoness truly was ruthless and vicious; to achieve her aim she would not hesitate to open a slaughter, though tonight he had not thwarted her—it was simply heaven's disfavor. At the height of the mutual carnage, a thunderclap from flat ground freed those soldiers controlled by the hu jia sound.

Thunderclaps rolled one after another across the sky; raindrops the size of soybeans fell, icy water pouring down, quickly calming the slaughtering sides. People stared dazedly at the scene of utter ruin, most unable to recall what had just happened. Dong Tianjiang had finally managed to restrain his agitated subordinates; by then Wanyan Chixiong had already fled into the inner chambers of the Red Mountain Hall. Though the clash was brief, thirty‑one lives were lost—twelve from the Tiger Standard Battalion, and the black Hu side suffered even more, with nineteen warriors slain.

Nearly thirty black Hu warriors were surrounded by the Tiger Standard Battalion soldiers at the heart of the field; had Dong Tianjiang not intervened in time, his furious men would have rushed forward and chopped those black Hu warriors into mincemeat.

Dong Tianjiang said, "Everyone must stay calm! Absolutely no reckless actions that cause trouble." Saying this now was already too late; dozens of lives had been lost in a muddled instant.

From within the inner chambers came a shout—it was Wanyan Chixiong, who, after fleeing inside, also felt that something was amiss; without his order, his men could not have loosed arrows on their own. Surely someone was secretly scheming, seeking to provoke mutual chaos. Having calmed down, Wanyan Chixiong recalled the earlier hu jia sound; it must have been that hu jia sound with its strange power, bewildering the warriors' hearts and thus causing the earlier firefight.

Wanyan Chixiong said, "General Dong! You had better calm down first; do not let petty men sow discord." He strained his ears; the hu jia sound had already faded.

Dong Tianjiang shouted loudly, "Wanyan Chixiong! If you do not hand over the culprit today, I will never let this rest!" Although he also sensed something fishy, he was unwilling to lose face before the crowd.

"And what then? Do you think I still fear you?"

Though they exchanged words, neither side launched an attack; deep down both understood that tonight they had most likely fallen into someone else's trap, their own ranks probably harboring a traitor, yet for the moment no one could ferret out the spy.

Hu Xiaotian saw that both sides had actually calmed down at the very brink of battle, and inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. Though he also hoped to see them fight to the death, on reflection he thought it better not to clash; if they truly ended up both losers, others would surely suspect him, after all he was the only third party—even thinking with his toes would point suspicion at him. Xi Yan had laid out a perfect scheme, yet this girl seemed not to have considered her own position, marching straight toward dragging herself into a pit. Aside from that, earlier at the Rising Star Palace, first poisonous scorpions surged like a tide, then a fireball equal in power to a bomb was set off in the chambers; had he escaped a step later, he might have been blown to bits—this girl was vicious enough. Those former tender words could only be taken as idle talk; if taken seriously, he would sooner or later be done in by her.

In the distance another contingent approached the Red Mountain Hall, about a hundred strong, and it was none other than the Seventh Prince Xue Daoming himself leading the troops.

Hu Xiaotian saw Xue Daoming's arrival and knew that today's battle could not be fought; Xi Yan's plan was doomed to fail.

Hearing that Xue Daoming had come, Dong Tianjiang hurried forward to meet him; they were cousins, and their relationship had always been excellent.

Xue Daoming saw Dong Tianjiang and, without preamble, rebuked him: "What nonsense are you spouting? How dare you lead troops to encircle the Red Mountain Hall?" Although Dong Tianjiang was his cousin, he showed him no leniency before the crowd. Gazing at the corpses littering the ground, Xue Daoming knew Dong Tianjiang had caused a great disaster tonight; outwardly he rebuked him, but inwardly he pondered how to help him extricate himself from this affair.

Dong Tianjiang also felt a surge of grievance; he recounted everything that had happened tonight. Upon hearing that Princess Anping's corpse had been stolen, Xue Daoming was likewise startled; he pursed his lips and said, "Let the other matters wait—first we must find Princess Anping's body."

Hu Xiaotian led Xue Daoming to the place where Princess Anping's remains lay; now only a puddle of minced flesh remained, because earlier no one had tidied up, and the passing cavalry had trampled it everywhere. Moreover, two stray dogs had come from somewhere and were gnawing away nonstop.

Seeing this, Xue Daoming's eyes turned red; he drew his waist sword and charged forward, a swing of his blade cleaving the two dogs into separate head and body.

Though Hu Xiaotian thought the sight gruesome, he knew that puddle of flesh contained not a single cell of Xi Yan, so grief was out of the question; he put on a look of anguish for outsiders' eyes. He had assumed Xue Daoming was merely putting on an act for others, yet from Xue Daoming's various demeanor it did not quite seem so.

Xue Daoming's eyes were blood‑red, tears glimmering; he silently gathered the flesh and blood from the ground. Princess Anping's corpse had been torn into five pieces; making a whole body again was no easy task. Someone wanted to help, but Xue Daoming drove them off—he personally gathered the princess's remains.

Hu Xiaotian wondered inwardly: Could it be that Xue Daoming had fallen for Xi Yan at first sight? This seemed hardly scientific! Perhaps when Xue Daoming went to the Rising Star Palace to visit Xi Yan, she had done something to him, making him act like a lovestruck fool, utterly devoted to her.

After Xue Daoming had finished gathering Xi Yan's remains, Hu Xiaotian asked him to return the body, to first take it back to the Rising Star Palace for placement; only then did Xue Daoming reassemble his troops and return to the Red Mountain Hall.

Upon hearing that Seventh Prince Xue Daoming had arrived, Wanyan Chixiong also led his men out to meet him; he and Dong Tianjiang met again, naturally neither side wore a pleasant expression, yet nobody understood what had just happened; in a daze the two sides had clashed, needlessly sacrificing thirty‑one lives, and in this conflict neither side gained any advantage—Wanyan Chixiong's side lost more men, and tonight it was Dong Tianjiang who had come to provoke, so he naturally demanded justice. (To be continued~^~)