Chapter 438: Night Raid

Prepare the provisions, ready the morale.

Every disciple of the Hong Sect looked toward Qingxi with a fierce expression.

It was the rebels there who left them homeless.

As night fell, the members of the Hong Sect quietly advanced toward the county seat.

Everyone marching this time was at least a Martial Artist at the Skin Refining Initial Stage, and all went with the resolve to sacrifice their lives for a righteous cause.

They were originally locals of Qingxi County; their homes had been occupied and their families scattered, so this hatred was already carved into their bones. Furthermore, the sect had made heavy promises: fifty percent of the spoils would belong to them, and if they died in battle, the Hong Sect would protect their families.

In these chaotic times, with food to eat, revenge to be had, and someone to look after one's wife and children if one died, who wouldn't risk their life?

Along the way, everyone was cautious, resting by day and traveling by night, trying their best to avoid making any sound.

The journey that would normally take three or five days was forcibly shortened to two.

When they arrived outside the county gates, Cheng Feng looked at Da Hei beside him.

Da Hei also seemed to sense the coming battle, excitedly flicking its snake tongue.

Cheng Feng stroked Da Hei's head and said softly, "Da Hei, it's up to you."

Da Hei nodded, raised its snake head, curled its tail around the prepared battering ram, and then charged fiercely toward the city gate.

The guards on the city gate were drowsy.

In this world, everywhere one went, it was just to scrape together a living.

Red Lotus Sect?

Imperial Court?

Whoever provides food, one follows!!!

Who would go against their own life?

Why be so serious!

There were others nearby taking turns.

A thin, gaunt team member nudged the drowsy captain: "Captain, there's a black shadow over there."

The gate captain rubbed his eyes: "Where? Where? Don't make a fuss, there isn't a damn shadow in this night..."

Before the words were finished—

A loud "Boom" rang out, and the city gate was struck by Da Hei, shaking precariously.

The gate captain woke up instantly and hurriedly looked toward the source of the sound.

"A snake, damn it!"

"A snake head as big as a house, damn it, run!"

"Boom."

"Boom."

After three or five consecutive strikes, the city gate was finally broken open.

At the same time, the Mechanical Dog quickly rushed in from the side, firing flashes of light at the enemy troops near the gate.

The Red Lotus Sect members under the city wall were caught off guard by the sudden attack and fled in panic in all directions.

"A bunch of rabble."

Once the city gate was wide open, it became a one-sided slaughter.

The members of the Hong Sect, holding back a pent-up rage from being homeless, poured it all into their blades at this moment.

The Henglian Hall disciples were in the front, each with thick skin and sturdy flesh; ordinary swords and blades striking them only sparked and left shallow white marks. Yet their own blades weighed over a thousand catties; with a single swing, bones snapped and tendons broke, and flesh and blood flew everywhere.

The Red Lotus Sect members were fine when it came to bullying commoners, but they had never seen such a formation; at the first encounter, their lines were torn to shreds.

"Devils! They are devils!"

A Red Lotus Sect minor leader saw his blade strike the opponent's chest, yet the opponent didn't even notice and backhanded him, slicing off half his head. The members beside him were scared out of their wits, dropped their weapons, and fled into the city, crying and screaming.

Fear is contagious.

When the people in front were mowed down like vegetables, those behind dared not advance. The so-called formation collapsed at the first charge; many dropped their weapons and turned to run deep into the city, only hating that their parents hadn't given them two more legs.

Cheng Feng was expressionless; the Long Sword in his hand was like a living thing, sometimes sweeping, sometimes thrusting rapidly. Every strike took several lives. Wei Zhuang beside him was even more concise; the Long Sword in his hand only moved in straight lines. With a flash of the blade, another blood hole appeared in a throat—the efficiency was terrifying.

"Rear guard, follow up, clear the streets, don't let them run!" Cheng Feng's voice was crystal clear amidst the sounds of killing.

The Sword Hall disciples bypassed the Henglian Hall, like a pack of agile wolves, chasing the fleeing and harvesting the stragglers. The third team of disciples quickly took control of the gate tower and planted the Hong Sect's great banner.

However, Cheng Feng's gaze passed over these routed soldiers and looked deep into the county seat.

These were just cannon fodder; the truly hard bones were still to come.

In the Rear Courtyard of the county office, the former residence of the County Magistrate was now the headquarters for the Red Lotus Sect's main general in Qingxi County.

Liu Shengyuan was wiping a pitch-black Long Sword, blood-colored patterns faintly flowing on the blade. He wiped it very carefully, his movements gentle, as if caressing a lover's skin.

A burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"General! It's bad! The city gate has been breached, and the Imperial Court's people have killed their way in!" A personal guard rushed in, tumbling and crawling, his face full of panic.

Liu Shengyuan's wiping motion paused; he lifted his eyelids, his gaze sinister: "The Imperial Court? Impossible, news from within the sect says the Imperial Court's main army is still on the road!"

"But... but they are too fierce, the brothers can't hold them off! And... and..."

"And what?" Liu Shengyuan's voice sank.

Just then, the distant sky suddenly lit up, a sheet of fire soaring into the sky, dyeing half the night red. Immediately after, countless terrified screams and chaotic roars came from that direction.

Liu Shengyuan's expression changed drastically; that direction was... the barracks! Inside were the true elites of the Liu family that he had brought from Lianshan Prefecture!

"Report—! General! The barracks... the barracks are on fire! I don't know where the people came from, they are setting fires everywhere, the brothers... the brothers were still asleep, so many people..." Another messenger rushed in, his voice choking with sobs before he could finish.

"Useless trash!"

Liu Shengyuan kicked the table in front of him, shattering it into pieces, wood chips flying everywhere. He stood up abruptly, a fierce and violent aura erupting with a boom, and the air in the entire room became thick and viscous.

"Boom!"

A powerful Qi and Blood, far exceeding the Skin Refining and Blood Exchange realms, exploded from within Liu Shengyuan. The clothes on his body fluttered without wind, snapping loudly. The strength of the Organ Refining Late Stage was revealed in full!

"Pass on my order! Everyone still able to move, pick up your blades and follow me into battle! Today, I will leave no one alive among the invaders!"

Liu Shengyuan carried his pitch-black long blade and strode away, killing intent boiling in his eyes.

……

The battle near the city gate was nearing its end. The streets were paved with corpses, and blood pooled into small streams, gathering into tiny pools of blood in the potholes.

Hong Sect disciples were cleaning up the battlefield, collecting the spoils of war one by one. Many of them wore excited smiles on their faces. This battle had yielded a bountiful harvest.

Just then, an extremely tyrannical aura swept over from the end of the street inside the city.

Cheng Feng's eyes narrowed. He handed the long spear in his hand to someone nearby and said to Wei Zhuang, "The main event is here; it's a tough one."

Wei Zhuang shook the blood off his Sword, his expression remaining indifferent, though his grip on the Sword tightened. "Organ Refining Late Stage, a very potent aura."

"If we join forces, we might just be able to kill him." Cheng Feng loosened his joints, his Body Tempering-perfected physique emitting popping sounds like roasting beans.

"Hmm." Cheng Feng nodded. "Henglian Hall, form up! Sword Hall, provide support! Everyone else, fall back and hold the city gate!"

The order was quickly relayed. The Hong Sect disciples who had just been cleaning the battlefield immediately sprang into action, forming a grim formation and standing ready.

Before long, a figure carrying a black blade appeared at the end of the street. He walked forward step by step; though he was only one person, he carried the momentum of a thousand troops, each step landing on everyone's heartbeats.

He looked at the corpses covering the ground, his lungs practically exploding with rage.

These were all the foundations of his Liu family!!

Killed just like that by some unknown, small-time nobodies?

On the way here, he had already verified the specific details. The newcomers were just local gang thugs, not even within the system of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"Who is Cheng Feng?" Liu Shengyuan stood still, his voice icy, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the Hong Sect members like a blade.

"I am." Cheng Feng stepped forward to confront him.

Liu Shengyuan's gaze locked onto him, the hatred in his eyes almost turning into something tangible. "Very good. You are the one who killed my great general, Han Lei?"

Cheng Feng had no interest in explaining the process, simply answering calmly, "Yes."

"Good! A fine 'yes'!" Liu Shengyuan laughed out of extreme rage. "Today, I will use your head to sacrifice to Han Lei's spirit in heaven!"

"All soldiers, hear my command: slaughter every one of the invaders!"

The Red Lotus Sect rebel army, which had been rushing to keep up with Liu Shengyuan's pace, also began to gather their strength for an attack.

The Hong Sect disciples began to resist to the death, separating Liu Shengyuan and Cheng Feng.

The ground beneath Liu Shengyuan's feet exploded violently. His entire body transformed into a black afterimage, instantly crossing a distance of several dozen zhang. The pitch-black long blade in his hand carried a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, slashing down directly at Cheng Feng's head!

This strike was so fast that one could not see its trajectory; only a grim blade intent loomed over, as if it were about to split one's soul apart.

"Well struck!"

Cheng Feng did not retreat but advanced instead. His Body Tempering-perfected Qi and Blood erupted with a roar, his muscles bulging and his skin taking on a bronze luster. He did not dodge or evade, crossing his arms to forcefully brace against the black blade.

At such high speeds, drawing his own blade was somewhat unrealistic.

"Clang—!"

The thunderous sound of metal clashing made people's eardrums ache. The ground beneath Cheng Feng's feet cracked inch by inch. He was forced back seven or eight steps by the immense force, his arms going numb. The sleeves on his arms instantly turned to dust, revealing a deep, shocking white mark on his forearm.

Such powerful force! Cheng Feng felt a chill in his heart. Is this the strength of the Organ Refining Late Stage? Being two minor realms higher than himself, it was truly extraordinary.

Liu Shengyuan was also startled. His strike was enough to split monuments and shatter stones, yet the opponent had actually used his physical body to withstand it, and only his Qi and Blood had surged? What kind of monster body was this?

"Fortunately, I am not just at Body Tempering perfection; I also have the Flood Dragon Body to enhance my foundation."

Thanks to that great flood dragon...

"Kill!"

Failing to land the first strike, Liu Shengyuan's offensive became even more ferocious. The blade light was continuous, enveloping Cheng Feng like a violent storm. Even the Mechanical Dog hidden in the shadows could not keep up with the two of them in close-quarters combat.

Cheng Feng's Body Tempering was perfected, his defense astonishing, so he was not afraid for the moment, but the gap in pure strength forced him to defend passively, retreating step by step.

Just as Liu Shengyuan slashed through Cheng Feng's block and prepared to press his advantage, a lethal cold light flashed in his peripheral vision, stabbing straight at his throat.

Wei Zhuang had made his move.

His Sword always appeared at the most devious, most lethal moment.

Liu Shengyuan felt a jolt of alarm. Unable to pursue Cheng Feng, he hurriedly swung his blade to block.

"Ding!"

As blade and Sword clashed, Liu Shengyuan felt a soft yet sharp force penetrate through the blade, vibrating his web between thumb and forefinger until it went numb.

"Sword Technique perfection!" Liu Shengyuan's expression grew even uglier. One with a freakish body, one with god-like Sword Technique—the two of them joining forces actually made even him, a Organ Refining Late Stage expert, feel troubled.

"You have some skill, but you're still going to die today!" Liu Shengyuan roared, his Blade Technique wide and sweeping, simultaneously drawing both Cheng Feng and Wei Zhuang into the fray.

For a time, the three of them fought as one.

Liu Shengyuan's blade momentum was incomparably tyrannical, every strike containing power capable of crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, and the speed was shockingly fast.

Cheng Feng was like a boulder, bearing the brunt of the vast majority of the attacks. Bloodstains soon appeared on his body, caused by the internal energy attached to the blade's edge, but the formidable recovery power of his Body Tempering perfection kept him standing tall.

Wei Zhuang was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, his movements ethereal, his Sword silent. He never clashed head-on with Liu Shengyuan, instead constantly circling and searching for fleeting openings, each strike forcing Liu Shengyuan to divide his attention to defend, preventing him from attacking Cheng Feng with full force.

One acting as a shield, the other as a spear, the two coordinated flawlessly.

Even though Liu Shengyuan's strength was a cut above, fighting two against one, his breathing began to fluctuate after a prolonged battle, and his offensive slowed.

"Bastards! Do you think you can win against me like this?" Liu Shengyuan, unable to secure a victory after a long time, felt anxious. He suddenly forced the two back with a single strike, took a deep breath, and his entire skeleton crackled as his momentum climbed once more.

"Blood Fiend Saber Technique!"

The long blade in his hand glowed with an ominous red light. He seemed to transform into an Asura, his blade moves becoming eerie and ruthless, their power more than a notch stronger than before.

Cheng Feng bore the brunt of it, feeling his pressure increase exponentially. As a strike came down, he blocked with his arms, but the eerie force attached to the blade invaded his body. A sweetness rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Die!" Liu Shengyuan was overjoyed at the sight, pressing forward to strike directly at Cheng Feng's heart.

This was already a fatal situation!

However, there was not only no fear in Cheng Feng's eyes, but a flash of determination instead. He met the blade head-on with his chest, while simultaneously locking his arms like iron pincers tightly around the arm Liu Shengyuan used to hold the blade.

"All or nothing!"

"Puchi!"

The blade entered flesh, and fresh blood splattered.

Liu Shengyuan's face revealed wild joy, but the next second, his smile froze on his face. He discovered that his blade was stuck fast by Cheng Feng's muscles and bones, and he could not pull it out!

"Now!" Cheng Feng roared at Wei Zhuang with all his might.

How could Wei Zhuang miss this momentary opening, bought with a grievous injury?

A cold light, faster than the limit of Liu Shengyuan's reaction, flashed past his neck as he desperately tried to defend, like a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

Liu Shengyuan widened his eyes in disbelief; he let go of the hilt and covered his neck with both hands, fresh blood gushing out from between his fingers. He wanted to say something, but could only emit a wheezing "he-he" sound.

Even in death, he did not understand how he, a powerhouse at the Organ Refining Late Stage, could die at the hands of two people whose realms were lower than his own.

Cheng Feng pushed away Liu Shengyuan's heavy corpse, staggered back two steps, and leaned against Wei Zhuang; the wound on his chest was deep enough to see bone. He bared his teeth, spat out a mouthful of blood foam, and smiled.

"We won."

With the fall of Liu Shengyuan, the remaining Red Lotus Sect members in the city completely lost their last shred of will to resist.

"Your general is dead! Hahahaha!"

It was unknown which Hong Sect disciple shouted this, but after the Red Lotus Sect rebels confirmed it for a moment, everyone scattered like birds and beasts.

The Hong Sect disciples let out a heaven-shaking cheer, and the sounds of battle cries once again resounded through the clouds, only this time, it had turned into a one-sided pursuit and slaughter.

Cheng Feng looked at this hard-won victory before him, then gazed toward the western military camp where flames were soaring into the sky; he knew that from this night on, this Qingxi County had returned to the hands of the Hong Sect.