Chapter 438: Seizing the Gate

Heavy rain, heavy rain, continuous heavy rain.

Visibility became extremely poor; ordinary people in such rain, in the jungle, cannot see clearly beyond five steps.

But such rain posed no obstacle to Sima Lang.

Standing atop the exquisite pavilion's upper floor, Sima Lang's pupils faintly flickered with red light, like a wolf that had just feasted on flesh and blood, staring fixedly at Wu Tie's Cave Heaven Military Camp not far away.

"Huo Xiong isn't here—how wonderful."

Sima Lang clenched his fists tightly, muttering to himself in a low voice.

Very good, very good. For such a Cave Heaven Military Camp, if not under the owner's control, its internal defensive formations and various prohibitions cannot fully exert their effects, and its defensive power would drop greatly.

If he could do something to Pei Feng within the camp… he would not only obtain the beauty he longs for, but also seize this Cave Heaven Military Camp outright—gaining both person and wealth, how wonderful.

"Brother Lang!" Sima You, standing aside, hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke cautiously.

"Speak." Sima Lang raised his head and coldly uttered a single word.

"Huo Xiong's backing… we still haven't found out what it is, and Lord Zhao Xiu means…" Sima You said softly: "Let Huo Xiong work for us while we thoroughly investigate the person behind him… at least for now, it seems Huo Xiong's resources are abundant."

Sima Lang snorted coldly, glanced askance at Sima You, and said coldly: "You lot are all muddle-headed. No matter how hard Huo Xiong's backing is, could it be harder than ours? Who are we? We are the Simas—this is the strongest backing of the Great Jin Divine State."

"Don't say I look down on you, and don't say I look down on Zhao Xiu… just a mere Huo Xiong, and you're all tied up like this? Zhao Xiu's son was killed, yet he still has the leisure to investigate slowly and strike slowly?"

"Go straight in, cut the knot with a quick blade—just kill Huo Xiong and everything is settled."

"As for the person behind him… no matter who that person is, could our combined background be greater? Could it? Unless Huo Xiong has the Emperor behind him, who could surpass our combined influence?"

Sima You chuckled: "His Majesty? How could that be? Huo Xiong, of such lowly origin, heh, what virtue or ability does he have to catch the Emperor's eye?"

Sima Lang clapped his hands, chuckling lightly: "Isn't that settled then? Since it isn't the Emperor, what do you have to fear? That person likes to hide behind Huo Xiong, acting furtively—let him stay hidden forever."

"After we take out Huo Xiong, I'll then deal with Pei Feng… heh, once the deed is done, whether the person behind Huo Xiong is angry, furious, or wants to kill, we'll openly fight—who fears whom?"

Sima Lang firmly patted Sima You's chest, saying in a solemn tone: "So this is where you fall short of me… you're too hesitant, too indecisive."

"Tsk tsk," he said a few times, Sima Lang looked at Sima You and lowered his voice: "For example, you, Sima You—do you want your father's throne? No need to hide it—you surely want your father's throne. But your elder brother… heh, if I were you, I'd just kill him with one blade!"

Sima You's face turned pale with fright, and he instinctively stepped back two paces.

Sima Lang raised his head arrogantly and said in a gloomy tone: "Whoever blocks my path, whoever steals my things, I will kill them… if you could eliminate all your father's other sons, leaving only you as his son… then if you make your father unable to sire any more sons, wouldn't you be the sole heir to the throne?"

Sima You trembled as he looked at Sima Lang, cold sweat continually seeping from his forehead.

"Brother Lang… this, this…"

Sima Lang shook his head contemptuously: "So I say, you're all useless, not a single one of you amounts to anything… including that fool Zhao Xiu—heh, do you really think he's that remarkable?"

"If you ever succeed… heh, I won't hold my breath."

"So I came myself."

"Huo Xiong must die, Pei Feng… tonight I'll let her know what a man truly feels like!"

Sima Lang glared viciously at the direction of Wu Tie's military camp, his hands suddenly gripping the window lattice—with two 'crack' sounds, the jade-made window lattice was torn open two large gaps by him, large patches of smoke flickered on the nearby wall, and the surrounding protective seals were ripped to shreds by Sima Lang.

Sima You felt such heartache his face twisted into a knot.

This small building is also a quite decent cave-abode secret treasure; although it cannot change its volume and area at will like Wu Tie's military camp, having only fixed volume and space, this small building is still quite costly.

Sima Lang's claw alone reduced the value of this small building by at least one-tenth—a considerable sum; even Sima You's wealth made him feel as if his heart were bleeding.

"Look at your petty demeanor." Sima Lang again glanced contemptuously at Sima You: "What's the big deal? It's just a little shabby building. After we kill Huo Xiong, just think—how much luggage could he have on him? Heh."

The blood-red hue in Sima Lang's eyes grew ever deeper.

Sima You instantly became excited.

He recalled the fine armor and weapons of the Great Marsh Prefecture's troops, as well as the Black Phoenix Army's equipment swapping birdguns for cannons—undoubtedly, all this gear was supplied by Huo Xiong.

This kid—who knows how rich he is—if we really killed him, such a small building, Sima You could buy ten of them: one for feasting with his brothers, nine for setting off fireworks!

Thinking of this delight, Sima You couldn't help but let out a foolish 'heh heh' laugh.

Sima Lang shook his head with a grim face.

Among the descendants of the Sima clan, all are such useless good-for-nothings; heroes like Sima Lang are exceedingly rare. Sima Lang couldn't help but sigh in his heart, worrying for the future of the Great Jin Divine State.

Within the imperial clan, there's no talent at all!

Even the current Great Jin Crown Prince… in Sima Lang's view, is just so-so; in terms of learning, character, and ability, he feels that plucking a single leg hair would make him a hundred times stronger than the present Great Jin Crown Prince.

"Too bad my father is useless." Sima Lang sighed helplessly; his father, the current Prince Ying, why can't he sit on the emperor's throne? If I, Sima Lang, were the crown prince, humph!

"But… as long as we strive and fight, anything is possible." Sima Lang puffed out his chest and murmured lowly: "Pei Feng, Pei Feng, you are destined to be my woman… that Chaotic Phoenix Power within you is mine!"

"With that Chaotic Phoenix Power, transforming one's bloodline into a Chaotic Demon Phoenix Bloodline… heh, then who would still need those so-called 'Heavenly God Commands' granted by the heavenly gods? I, Sima Lang, relying on my own Chaotic Demon Phoenix's power to devour all, could smoothly break into the Divine Realm—and become the strongest deity!"

Sima Lang trembled all over with excitement.

He gazed toward Wu Tie's military camp, waiting only for news from that side.

Wu Tie's military camp was shrouded in a thin mist; outside the four main gates, dozens of the Great Marsh Prefecture's soldiers lounged in the huts they'd built at the camp entrance, 'faithfully fulfilling their duty' of guarding the gate.

The rain poured down; not a ghost was seen around, the camp had formation protections, seemingly making guards unnecessary. These soldiers loitering in the huts were simply bored.

Thus, under the four huts, these Great Marsh Prefecture's soldiers each had their own ways of amusement.

Under the eastern hut, dozens of soldiers split into groups of three or five, rolling dice to win money.

Under the northern hut, dozens of soldiers with large and small bowls were laughing and drinking.

Under the western hut, dozens of soldiers were roasting beast meat using the beggar's chicken method.

Under the southern hut, dozens of soldiers had gathered a bunch of ferocious poisonous insects, placing them in pairs in earthen jars, making the insects fight for amusement and profit.

In short, these soldiers perfectly embodied the meaning of 'a rabble.'

These fellows, lined up in a row outside the city gate like pine trees, stood unmoved by wind and rain, forming a stark contrast with the Black Phoenix Army's elite.

Likewise as sentinels, the Black Phoenix Army soldiers are like sharp steel stakes driven into wind and rain, while these soldiers are like piles of dung mixed together to ferment.

Outside the west gate of the camp, amidst wind and rain, suddenly footsteps sounded.

The soldiers roasting meat paid no heed, gathering around the fire, laughing and chatting about how cooked the meat was.

Dozens of Black Phoenix Army soldiers at the gate shouted in unison; a first-rank military officer gripped his sword hilt, stepped forward two paces, and roared at the vague figure in the wind and rain: "This is the Great Jin Military Camp—approach within a hundred paces, and you die without pardon."

He had dozens of Black Phoenix Army soldiers behind him shouting in unison: "Halt!"

On the camp's city wall, nearly a thousand Black Phoenix Army soldiers simultaneously poked their heads out, holding strong crossbows, they locked onto that group of figures over a hundred paces away.

"We have come by order of Marquis Shujiang to deliver a letter to Commander Pei Feng," a hoarse voice came from the heavy rain.

"Come up one person, others, stay where you are..." a first-rank military officer scolded: "Just delivering a letter, do you need so many people?"

The Black Phoenix Army's quality is extremely high; this first-rank military officer is exceptionally cautious and careful, he scolded while gesturing to his comrades behind him, a Black Phoenix Army soldier had already hurriedly run into the camp to deliver the message to a superior officer.

Outside the west gate is precisely the direction of General Sima Yu's main camp; he sending someone to deliver a letter is also possible.

But delivering a single letter, the distance is only over ten li; why would they need to mobilize three or four hundred people?

Under the thatched shed, a headman of the Great Marsh State Army's toughs raised his head, hee-hee-hah-hah pointing at that first-rank officer and laughing: "Making a fuss over nothing, it's just delivering a letter… these plague-ridden goods, maybe they're afraid of being snatched by a leopard on the road, so they brought so many people."

A group of the state army's toughs laughed together, each laughing heartily, then they focused all their attention on the bonfire.

For gatekeeping duty, there are those who enjoy standing in the wind and rain getting soaked; these clever toughs, naturally, are eating meat and drinking wine, enjoying themselves however they like.

Footsteps sounded, a black-skinned giant over eighteen feet tall, more than twice the height of an ordinary person, strode over.

This giant wore the most ordinary uniform of the Great Jin, with no insignia markings, making it impossible to tell which unit he belonged to or whose subordinate he was.

The giant stepped step by step to the gate, lowered his head and gave a smile to that first-rank officer.

"Where's the letter?" the first-rank officer stepped forward unwilling to yield, puffed out his chest, head held high, staring at the black-skinned giant.

"Here!" the black-skinned giant gave a strange laugh, then suddenly he roared toward the heavens, his huge head violently writhing, bones and flesh interlocking, with a "crack-crack" two sharp horns sprouted from his forehead, his head instantly becoming that of a massive ox.

His body writhing, his uniform was torn apart by bulging muscles, his military boots also split open, his two feet became two huge ox hooves, while his fists clenched tightly and he slammed down heavily onto the first-rank officer's head.

This first-rank officer possessed cultivation of eight or nine layers of the Chonglou Realm, making him an elite in the army.

But this black-skinned giant clearly possessed the strength of the Life Pool Realm, and absolutely a peak-level cultivation within that realm.

Especially this black-skinned giant is clearly an ox-tribe warrior; his physique and innate strength far surpass ordinary humans. His body swelled to six or seven meters tall, his arms thicker than the first-rank officer's waist by more than double.

The first-rank officer, unusually vigilant, as soon as the black-skinned giant let out a long whistle to the heavens, he had already drawn his blade and stabbed toward the giant's abdomen.

With a "ding", the long blade struck the black-skinned giant's abdomen, but was blocked by his thick hide like a steel plate; this upper-grade rune-etched elemental weapon could not pierce his skin at all.

"Unless it's a six-fold refined spirit weapon, otherwise you think this little scrap of iron can hurt me?" the black-skinned giant laughed wildly, his heavy fist slammed into the first-rank officer's head, instantly a burst of blood blossomed in the rain, the officer's entire body was blown apart.

On the wall, over a thousand Black Phoenix Army soldiers roared in unison, the strong crossbows went off with a "dong-dong-dong", thousands of bolts rained down like a storm, continuously pouring onto the black-skinned giant.

At such close range, the power of the bolts was at its strongest.

Countless armor-piercing bolts, tipped with faint cold light, fell on the black-skinned giant, only hearing a constant "ding-ding", the arrows bounced off, unable to damage his skin in the slightest.

"A little pain, hey, not bad, not bad, your weapons are also quite fine! But my Indestructible Ox Demon Body can't be harmed by your junk copper and iron!"

The black-skinned giant let out a long whistle to the heavens, he waved his hands and a huge wheel-axe appeared in his grip; he swung the axe with both hands, and the dozens of Black Phoenix Army soldiers in formation charging at the gate were instantly smashed to pieces, blood spraying and staining the camp gate a deep red.

A dense sound of footsteps came, the hundreds of companions brought by the black-skinned giant roared in unison, their bodies writhing as they transformed into their true ox-headed humanoid forms, brandishing wheel-axes as they charged toward the west gate.

"Close the gate!" came a loud shout from the gate tower, the Black Phoenix Army gate commandant.

"No, let us in!" the toughs roasting meat under the thatched shed were terrified to the point of losing bladder and bowel control; the black-skinned giant with just one axe strike had slain dozens of Black Phoenix Army elites far stronger than them, such a killer…

If the gate were closed, leaving them outside the camp, they'd have to face these hundreds of wolf-like, tiger-like ox-headed brutes!

Oh Heavenly Father!

The toughs trembled as they ran toward the camp gate.

But the black-skinned giant stood at the gate, grinning ferociously, turning his head to give them a snarling, teeth-baring smile.

About a hundred state army toughs went weak in the knees, simultaneously collapsing to the ground, each wailing as if they'd lost their parents: "Big brother, big brother, don't kill us, don't kill us… we're willing to be your ox and horse, your ox and horse!"

On the wall, the faces of the Black Phoenix Army soldiers flushed red; could these guys even be considered their comrades-in-arms?

On the wall, a group of state army toughs likewise responsible for the wall's defense jumped up and shrieked: "Close the gate, close the gate, hurry and close it! Hey, hey, let them die, hurry and close the gate, don't let these guys rush in!"

With a "hum", the west gate flashed with light, beginning to close quickly.