Chapter 443

Sima Lang - Sima Wolf

When the main cannons roared in unison, Sima Lang bellowed: "Once you are in my hands, I will surely instill in you the virtues of a proper woman, so you will know how a woman should behave."

A low, deep howl emanated from within Sima Lang's body.

Seeing the main cannons fire in unison, Sima You and the others let out a mixed cry of shock and anger, then turned and fled toward the distance.

But Sima Lang's rebuke came at once: "What are you afraid of? It's merely a cave-heaven military camp; even if this defensive prohibition is overbuilt, it's only equivalent to the defense standard of a prefectural city—what do you have to fear?"

A mass of lurid green light hovered before Sima Lang, spanning several hundred zhang in radius, firmly blocking the incoming main-cannon light beams.

Sima Lang let out a low growl, chanting incantations as his hands rapidly shifted seals; his inner magical power surged wildly into the lurid green light mass. The mass's area kept growing, quickly expanding to seven or eight li in size, then it began to autonomously inhale and exhale the stray elemental energy of heaven and earth.

"Go!" Sima Lang roared, pointing the mass of light toward the camp.

The main-cannon light beams continually sank into the lurid green light, but this mass was viscous and heavy; the beams were directly devoured and absorbed by the light, which instead aided the mass in continually expanding.

Gradually, the light mass expanded to a hundred li in size, hovering like a great lid that slowly settled over the camp.

Sima Lang was drenched in sweat, gasping heavily; he produced a jade bottle and swallowed in one gulp the dozen or so thumb-sized purple pills inside.

"Ha, haha, indeed— to unleash the might of a heavenly Dao artifact, one must reach the Divine Manifestation realm." Sima Lang chuckled lowly: "It's too much of a strain, too much of a strain; this 'Greedy Wolf Net'... is still too much of a strain for me."

"But it is enough. The Greedy Wolf Net, one of the guardian divine artifacts of my Ying Prince's Manor... how long can your camp withstand it?"

After taking a bottle of purple pills, Sima Lang's nearly exhausted magical power swiftly regenerated; he drew a deep breath, gave his body a sharp shake, and the cold sweat on his skin instantly turned into wisps of vapor that evaporated completely.

"This feeling, as if my marrow were drained, is terrifying. No wonder my father warned not to lightly employ the Greedy Wolf Net." Sima Lang muttered: "Still, for Pei Feng, using it once is worth it. Hehe..."

His eyes gleaming with greedy desire, Sima Lang fixed his stare on Pei Feng, who stood on the city wall with a tense face and icy demeanor: "How long can you hold out? Can you keep holding? Come on, in front of Pei Feng, slowly cut these fellows to pieces."

Sima Lang raised both hands high and shouted with a fierce laugh: "Listen, troops of the Black Phoenix Army—if you now capture Pei Feng alive, open the camp and surrender, I will pardon your past offenses, and thereafter you will be incorporated into my Divine Might Army, becoming my brothers-in-arms."

"If you follow Pei Feng down this dark path, heh heh... don't just think of your own petty lives—think more of your elderly parents back home, and your wives, sons, and daughters..." Sima Lang let out a violent, skyward howl: "If you die here, your elderly parents and sons can only rely on fate."

"Your wives and daughters, rest assured, I, Sima Lang, will help you raise them, guaranteeing they'll be fair and tender!" Sima Lang spoke these shameless, bottomless words.

Sima You, Sima Xin, Sima Hu, and the others stood blankly in midair, looking at that net which had completely enveloped the entire camp—the Greedy Wolf Net—and immediately recognized it as one of the treasured divine artifacts of the Qi Wang Fu.

A ball of fury rose in the hearts of several people.

"That bastard Sima Lang, he has such a heavy treasure in his hand, yet he still wants to scheme against people with these underhanded methods!"

As the royal clan juniors of the Great Jin Divine Kingdom privately said, this guy Sima Lang has the heart of a wild dog, utterly treacherous and cruel; you cannot be his enemy, but you absolutely must not be his friend either—who knows when he'll stab you in the back!

Just think of the nearly two hundred thousand elite family private troops that Pei Feng's main barrage blasted to pieces, leaving no intact corpses—Sima You and the others felt their hearts torn apart at the thought of Sima Lang.

Sima Lang seemed to sense the anger rising in Sima You and the others' chests; without moving his body, he turned his head a full 180 degrees, facing backward, looked at Sima You and the others, and smiled: "Brothers, it's not that I, the elder brother, am unwilling to act… it's simply that the evidence needs to be solid."

"There are rebels within the Black Phoenix Army; Pei Feng is the rebel leader… oh, no, she shelters the rebel elements under her command… tsk, this evidence must be concrete. The fact that several brothers have lost so many subordinates proves that the Black Phoenix Army indeed harbors rebels."

"She secretly attacked allied forces and even brazenly slaughtered hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers—this charge, Pei Feng can't wash away, right?" Sima Lang laughed extraordinarily brightly, excitedly sticking out his tongue and forcefully licking the tip of his nose.

"Hehe, I originally wanted to enter the bridal chamber with her in love, to marry her properly as a concubine… but since she's unwilling… using violence doesn't matter, I actually prefer to take her by force." Sima Lang waved his hands vigorously, burst into loud laughter, laughing wildly and triumphantly.

"Of course, this is also Huo Xiong's fault… if it weren't for his relationship with her becoming ever closer, ever more intimate, ever more dangerous… I wouldn't want to use force on Pei Feng." Sima Lang let out a leisurely sigh.

"Actually, I sincerely like her; such a woman is rare even in the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, I sincerely like her… I can give her more time, I believe she will ultimately choose to follow me."

"But who let that brat Huo Xiong suddenly show up? Since he's stealing my woman, I can only come down hard, right? Can this be blamed on me? Definitely not."

Sima Lang looked seriously at Sima You and the others: "So, your losses, the casualties of your private troops, are all Huo Xiong's fault… you won't hold a grudge against me, your elder brother, in your hearts, will you?"

Sima You and the others glanced at each other and nodded simultaneously.

They did want to bear a grudge against Sima Lang, but this guy is no plaything—his ruthless, treacherous nature aside, his strength is supreme; none of them is a match for him. So they could only take their frustration out on Huo Xiong.

"It's at least a way to vent."

Sima You gave a dry laugh: "Brother Lang, what you say… all of this is, of course, Huo Xiong's fault, definitely his fault…"

Suddenly, a mournful wail came from below.

Sima Lang ordered that Uncle Ma and the others be flayed alive; Uncle Ma and more than a dozen veteran Black Phoenix Army commanders allowed the ox‑horn daggers to slice piece after piece of flesh from their bodies, merely gritting their teeth without uttering a sound.

But Huang Yu, raised in comfort since childhood and never having known hardship, screamed shrilly as the blade moved.

Yet this fellow also had a streak of ruthlessness; while howling in pain, he hysterically cursed the ancestors of the red‑clad burly men nearby.

He and Li Er Haizi and the others had learned plenty of street slang, and now, shouting abuse, they did so with remarkable flair.

Sima Lang lowered his head, looking at Huang Yu, froth spraying from his mouth and his body drenched in blood, and laughed with delight: "Hey, you still have some spirit? Not bad, not bad—although you're wailing in agony, you haven't begged for mercy; that makes you a real man."

Shaking his head firmly, Sima Lang muttered: "I like true tough guys… give him a boost, sprinkle more salt on his wound, and also spray some digestive fluid of the southwest jungle's fierce wolf spider onto his wound."

Soon, Huang Yu's wails rose several pitches out of nowhere; his body convulsed in pain, he hysterically hurled abuse, yet he never opened his mouth to beg for mercy.

On the city wall, Pei Feng watched expressionlessly as Uncle Ma and the others were tortured.

"Prepare, a battle to the death." Pei Feng didn't turn back, she said coldly: "Which uncle or elder, having believed the words of Lord Fengshan, wants to trade me for wealth and honor, may now act."

The Black Phoenix Army commanders behind Pei Feng stood motionless.

A few people's faces twitched violently, but in the end they still did not act.

In the high sky, a lurid green glow emitted a strange wail; within the light mass, scarlet, wolf‑head‑shaped strange light‑shadows appeared one after another. These vicious shadows, longer than a real wolf's cheek and with denser fangs in their mouths, opened their mouths and greedily gazed downwards.

On those scarlet skull‑shaped light‑shadows, tiny black‑purple glimmers flickered—those were their eyes.

Gloomy evil light shrouded the entire camp; then the scarlet skulls all over the sky opened their mouths and continually emitted a grim wail. This low, highly penetrating wail passed through the thick light curtain above the camp and transmitted straight into the camp.

The light curtain weakened the wail's power by over ninety percent, yet even that remaining less than one‑tenth shook the city's provincial troops until they felt dizzy, their five viscera churning; many could not bear it and collapsed straight to the ground, vomiting blood in great gulps.

The wail further caused the light curtain above the camp to tremble violently layer by layer, sending out great ripples.

Suddenly, thousands of skull‑shaped illusions the size of water jars spewed from the Greedy Wolf Net, heavily striking the light shield above the camp; these wolf‑head‑shaped illusions opened wide mouths and fiercely tore, and wherever their sharp teeth reached, large portions of the light curtain were bitten to pieces.

Low, booming sounds kept coming; the camp's great defensive formation suffered a massive impact, and countless glaring flames flickered on the ground, with large patches of runes appearing in many places.

The Greedy Wolf Net, truly a heavenly‑dao divine artifact, also seems to have a unique counter‑effect against various formation restrictions; just one wave of thousands of wolf heads was enough to put this camp's great defensive formation on the verge of being overwhelmed and on the brink of collapse.

"Pei Feng, you have no chance." Sima Lang's voice came from afar: "This Greedy Wolf Net—I still can't unleash its full power, but it's already enough to break open your camp. Easy as pie, no effort needed."

"Everyone in the Black Phoenix Army, are you really going to follow Pei Feng down this road to death?" Sima Lang's laugh carried extreme cruelty: "I can tell you plainly: if you capture Pei Feng alive and offer up this camp, you will live."

"If I personally breach this camp… drag you out from within, you will all die."

"You are rebels, and rebels must die."

And Pei Feng, no matter what, she will be fine; she will definitely become my concubine, become my woman… So, think it over well: is it worth it for you to risk your lives following a woman who is destined to be unharmed?

Sima Lang's wild laughter spread across the wilderness: 'Think it over well, whether to continue following this woman… Carefully, think it over well, your military camp looks like it can only hold out for the time it takes to finish a cup of tea. You only have that much time left.'

The second wave of wolf heads came howling down; this time, tens of thousands of wolf heads all fell onto the light curtain above the camp.

The wolf heads opened their mouths and bit down hard.

With a 'crack', large sections of the light curtain shattered; several runes on the camp floor burst into blinding firelight, and the entire camp trembled slightly.

Pei Feng is right in front of you; strike her from behind on the back of her head…… knock her out, bring her to me, and all trouble will be gone—you can follow me and enjoy wealth and honor! Sima Lang laughed even more proudly: 'Think about it—whether to take the dead end or the path of life—it's up to you!'

Sima Lang laughed so hard his big white teeth almost flipped out of his lips; he laughed until he couldn't catch his breath, tears streaming down his face.

I really am a failure…… I actually have to use violence to take down this little woman…… Although I like using violence, it really puts me to shame. Sima Lang laughed while panting: 'Am I really that unlikable? What a blind woman.'

Sima Yu and the others muttered in their hearts, 'Aren't you just that unlikable?'

Don't even mention Pei Feng— which of these brothers has any fondness for you?

If your meddling messes up whatever Zhao Xiu of the Imperial Machine Hall is doing, Sima Yu and the others will be in trouble…… and Sima Lang will definitely stand by and watch, not bothering with their problems.

The Greedy Wolf Net frenziedly attacked the camp; the light curtain above the camp grew thinner and darker, and it was clear the camp's defensive barrier was about to be breached.

Thousands of large and small war galley ships shot up from behind the mountains tens of li away.

The camp's heavy cannons were blocked by the Greedy Wolf Net, losing their threat; these war galley ships strutted in neat formations toward us, slowly, intending to give the Black Phoenix Army and Provincial Army troops inside the camp greater psychological pressure.

The pupils of the several Black Phoenix Army commanders behind Pei Feng shrank to pinpoints.

They were in a Heaven-Man Struggle, frantically struggling and convincing themselves.

Pei Feng raised her spear: 'Everyone, prepare for a death battle…… or you can capture me alive and present me to Sima Lang…… but I swear, if you really do that, our affection will be completely severed.'

Sima Lang's laughter echoed through the mountains and forests.

The Greedy Wolf Net was frenziedly attacking.

Thousands of large and small war galley ships slowly, inch by inch, approached, with the bow's main gun and the side guns all extending out.

Countless Divine Might Army soldiers stood on the decks, their weapons heavily striking the planks, emitting a low rumble and battle cries.

Hundreds of thousands of twin-winged flying dragon knights circled in the high altitude, streaks of electricity flashing past them, yet not a single bolt of lightning struck them.

The atmosphere in the camp had frozen; many provincial army heroes clutched their heads and wailed loudly—this time, they were doomed.

Pei Feng clenched her teeth tightly; her stunning face turned deathly pale, almost transparent.

Sima Lang tore off his facade, unwilling to spare the Divine Might Army to deal with her; only then did Pei Feng realize how vast the gap in strength between her and Sima Lang was.

Suddenly, Huo Xiong's not-so-good-looking face flashed before Pei Feng's eyes.

For no reason, at this moment, what came to her mind was none other than Huo Xiong, who was unremarkable in strength, background, and character.

"I'm about to die, seeing ghosts in broad daylight!" Pei Feng cursed to herself.

At this moment, a hundred li away in the mountains and forests, Wu Tie, whom Pei Feng regarded as a living ghost, stood grim-faced atop the branches of a giant tree.

Behind him stood row upon row of over ten thousand experts who had rushed here using secret arts—masters of the Fetal Storage Realm among the Five Elements Spirits.

Further back, deep in the mountains and forests, countless Five Elements Spirits elites hid silently, their numbers impossible to count.

Clad in golden armor and wielding a water-fire spear, Lao Tie clenched his fists: 'Come on, get him!'