Chapter 205

The thick night, like the deepest sea, was black without bottom.

Heavy dark clouds blocked nearly all starlight and moonlight; thunder roared in the cloud layers, and the rainstorm ravaged Bai Jin Cheng.

Laisen

A bolt of lightning, like glowing tree roots, suddenly appeared in the sky; its blinding platinum light, as sharp as the keenest blade, sliced through the night's darkness.

Levinde

In the outskirts of Bai Jin Cheng, a column of soldiers trudged across the muddy road, advancing silently in the night.

Natural Church

The rainstorm and darkness were hardly good times for a march; even Jia Di Ya had not expected to launch a night raid in such weather.

But the legendary mage Mr. Luobin said that thunder and rainstorm would greatly disturb the magical field, dulling the demons' perception, making it the best time to launch a night raid.

Compared to this great advantage, all the disadvantages seemed insignificant.

Thus, with the troops' preparations still insufficient, they launched a sudden emergency strike.

Under the cover of the rainstorm, the team moved silently through the suburbs of Bai Jin Cheng, then crossed the wide outer city area, arriving at the southern city gate of the inner city.

The city gate was indeed wide open, and no soldiers could be seen on the walls.

If it were before, Jia Di Ya would never dare to bring her team into the city so lightly.

Because once inside, if the enemy closed the gate again, the only option left would be to fight to the death.

In the territory where demons roam, everyone is untrustworthy; even with prior agreements, betrayal could occur at a critical point, causing the whole plan to fail.

But now, she chose to believe the legendary mage.

His words echoed in her mind.

"There is only one true demon; even with 300 strands of divergent thought, there are still many blind spots it cannot cover."

"Our advantage lies in our numbers; as long as we unite, we possess absolute power to crush the demons."

"But we must still guard against demon attacks on key points, such as taking control of the garrison commander and issuing various chaotic orders."

"For this, our strategy is to use our numerical advantage, making ten or even dozens of redundant preparations for each key point; if one line fails, another immediately corrects it, thereby ensuring stable operation of the key points."

"This will of course incur great extra cost and require mobilizing large resources, but don't worry—the Natural Church has already helped us achieve this."

"Boom—"

"Splash—"

Lightning flashed, thunder roared, the wind raged, and the rain poured down.

"Splash— splash— splash—"

The soldiers splashed through the water, charging into the inner city of Bai Jin Cheng, and indeed encountered no unexpected obstruction.

Jia Di Ya could feel many troops stationed on the walls, and could sense that they were silently watching her, yet they made no move.

The air carried a faint trace of blood, and beside the walls some corpses could be seen, a few of them still wearing the uniforms of high-ranking officers.

Obviously, the redundant strategy had taken effect.

The demons indeed tried to sabotage their plan, but because humans possess a tremendous numerical advantage, once united by a strong will they truly gain the power to resist the demons! The rain of late winter and early spring was cold, like ice poured on the body, yet Jia Di Ya's inner self surged with scorching hot blood.

"Tonight we must greatly restrain the demon, creating the best opportunity to kill Mr. Luobin, even if— even if we have to pay with our lives!"

She had brought her regiment to Levinde for over a month, constantly in a passive state of being beaten, consequently losing many soldiers, and even she herself had once been on the brink of madness.

As a commander, she not only felt heartache, but also harbored a fierce anger within.

"Demon, tonight let you taste the fury of mortals!"

About half an hour later, another bolt of lightning split the sky; under its white glow, a grand and towering palace appeared ahead.

It was Levinde's Bai Jin Cheng Palace! The palace walls were extremely tall and thick, even taller than the inner city walls, yet the walls were equally deserted, and most gates remained tightly shut.

But on the west side of the wall, a small gate stood open, with many corpses strewn haphazardly around it, the blood on the ground washed by the rain into a gurgling crimson stream.

The fighting at the small gate continued as well; by the lightning's light, one side could be seen as the palace's imperial guard, the other as the Crimson Assassin unit.

The imperial guard desperately defended the gate, while the Crimson Assassins, mad with frenzy, sought to shut it.

Jia Di Ya once again heard the legendary mage's admonition.

"The palace's imperial guard has been taken over by the nobility; they are our allies, numbering over 5000, while about half of the Crimson Assassin unit has already fully become demon minions, numbering 1500."

Jia Di Ya knew that their side had already begun approaching the core area of demon corruption.

She shouted.

"Regiment Commander Laisen, give the Imperial Guard commanders a signal, telling them that reinforcements have arrived!"

The Crimson Assassin regiment's commander who surrendered to Regiment Commander Laisen is a Four-ring battle mage; he roared toward the small gate: "General Leipzig, the reinforcements have arrived!"

Leipzig is a battle‑qi warrior; he is struggling to hold on, and upon hearing the news he is greatly delighted: "Well timed! They've all gone mad, just like rabid dogs!"

After receiving the response, Jia Di Ya immediately waved to the troops.

"Charge in immediately."

"First regiment, occupy the high ground and set up the Judgment artillery!"

"Second regiment, find a sheltered firing point and prepare a volley of muskets!"

"Third regiment, covertly execute Plan No. 1!"

"Regiment Commander Laisen, you lead the way at the front!"

A series of orders were issued, and nearly 1,700 elite soldiers, bearing the finest new weapons, rushed toward the small gate, entered the palace through the narrow passage, and joined the battle.

The Crimson Assassin regiment is Levinde's most elite corps, especially skilled in night combat and assassination; tonight's environment is practically their home field.

Thus, more than 1,500 Crimson Assassins pressed down on over 5,000 Imperial Guard, preventing them from gaining any ground.

But now over 1,700 newly joined, of which nearly 1,200 are also Crimson Assassins, and more than 500 are the Glorious Empire's super elite warriors.

Once they entered the fight, they immediately inflicted heavy casualties on the assassins who had become the demon's minions.

The battle situation turned around instantly.

When they entered the Royal Palace, Jia Di Ya felt the magical artifact she was carrying begin to vibrate continuously.

She immediately took the artifact out.

It was a palm‑sized circular compass, its center emitting a strong violet light, and its needle firmly pointed in one direction.

The compass was given by the legendary mage, specifically to detect demonic power.

According to the legendary mage, an alert of this intensity means that not far ahead there is an extremely concentrated demonic force, most likely a very powerful demonic incarnation.

"Remember, demonic incarnations can be strong or weak; two factors determine their strength."

"First, it relates to the amount of demonic infusion; the more infused, the stronger."

"Second, it concerns the incarnation's own soul; a stronger soul wields more spells and is more terrifying."

"La Fengge's soul is at least nine rings, certainly the strongest demonic incarnation, but note that there may be more than one La Fengge—perhaps two, three, or even dozens."

"When facing these incarnations, try not to give the enemy any chance to act, and never allow the opponent to be taken down piece by piece."

"Occupying advantageous open terrain and crushing them with superior forces is the safest strategy."

"Make full use of the compass's perception and do not be ambushed by it."

Jia Di Ya recalled these words, her mind trembling slightly, feeling as if she were dancing on a steel wire over a cliff.

"Demons are truly terrifying!"

At that moment, a subordinate reported, "General, the Judgment Light Cannon Array has been completed!"

"Very well, bring out all the demonic compasses you have, and watch carefully for ambushes!"

Another warrior also reported.

"General, we have found three concealed safe points and have completed the formation setup."

"Good, assign a pair of people to each safe point, keep them nearby to prevent sabotage, and above all ensure the formation remains hidden!"

These formations were, of course, required by the legendary mage.

The first requirement was concealment.

Both the placement location and timing must be concealed, and the power must be arranged at the instant lightning flashes appear.

The current three are only the beginning; according to the plan, at least thirty must be placed, and the more the better.

By now, the demon minions blocking the road had been largely cleared; our side also suffered some casualties, but the overwhelming force kept losses within acceptable limits.

Among them, the Imperial Shadow Guard lost about 20 people, the Crimson Assassin Regiment lost 80, and the Imperial Guard still had over 4,000 troops.

Their power remained very strong.

"Regiment Commander Laisen, General Laibeixi, the demon is hidden in the deepest part of the Royal Palace; advance!"

The two Levinde commanders had already received coordination orders, and they readily complied, leading their subordinates to march toward the deepest part of the Royal Palace, frequently encountering hidden sentries along the way.

They hid in the shadows to unleash cursed ambushes or fire black guns.

But the warriors were fully prepared; the Crimson Assassin Regiment and the Imperial Guard were intimately familiar with the palace, and the commanders carried powerful defensive talismans, so no serious losses occurred, nor was the advance noticeably slowed.

Due to a warrior's sensitivity, Jia Di Ya faintly sensed that the demon seemed to be trying every trick to stall time.

She did not know why the demon needed time, but it was certainly not a good sign.

She then shouted loudly, "Accelerate forward—accelerate forward!"

The squad accelerated as much as possible.

They rushed through the Outer Palace's defensive zone, pierced the Central Palace's administrative district, and finally reached the King's Garden in the Rear Palace.

The King's Garden was naturally very beautiful, but its terrain was also highly complex; most areas had extremely narrow sightlines, making it an ideal spot for ambushes.

It had already descended into chaos, with panicked screams everywhere; palace maids and attendants ran and charged in all directions like headless flies.

But these were only surface appearances.

The demonic compass told Jia Di Ya that these maids and attendants were all demon minions; she ordered without hesitation, "Kill them all—no survivor left!"

The Radiant Shadow Guard executed the order without hesitation, but Levinde's Crimson Assassin Regiment and the Imperial Guard hesitated.

That very hesitation allowed some demon minions to rush close.

These demon minions resembled maids and attendants in appearance, but moved swiftly and attacked mercilessly.

Although they wielded ordinary daggers, each dagger bore a trace of demonic power that could easily pierce any defensive armor.

In an instant, many warriors were caught off guard and were slain as the daggers pierced vital points.

"All kill! All kill! Do not let anyone approach!"

Regiment Commander Laisen roared.

General Laibeixi, pale with fear, shouted, "Kill! Kill them all!"

After speaking, he could not help but shout, "Oh—Mother Nature above~~ this is literally a living hell!"

The commanders' spirits quivered violently, and the ordinary soldiers, having never seen such an illogical situation, turned pale one by one.

At that moment, perhaps to bolster courage, a warrior began to sing Mother Nature's hymn of praise while fighting.

At first only one or two sang, but it quickly spread among the Levinde soldiers.

Strangely enough.

As the hymn rang, the warriors felt a warm power surge into their hearts, erasing all fear and giving them a profound sense of divine presence and glorious battle for the deity.

The warriors did not know why this happened, but their previously low morale instantly rose.

The Levinde soldiers quickly shook off the panic and launched a fierce counterattack.

Jia Di Ya clearly sensed the Levinde soldiers' change, but she had no time to think further, assuming it was the hymn that gave them courage.

This was not surprising, for Radiant Empire soldiers, blessed by the Radiant Battle Song, are also extremely valiant.

In any case, this greatly benefited the current situation.

With the Levinde soldiers' fearless fighting, the front line advanced rapidly forward.

Soon, the warriors arrived near a relatively isolated splendid garden; at its entrance stood an auric‑crafted sign reading 'Golden Wave Garden'.

Regiment Commander Laisen shouted immediately: "It's the Queen Mother's residence!"

General Leibitz shouted at once: "Soldiers, charge in and drag the Queen Mother out to hang her!"

This was the order given by the aristocratic council behind him.

The order stated that, to avoid any mishap, the absurd and decadent Queen Mother and the young king must die tonight! Immediately, about a hundred soldiers rushed into the garden.

After a while, a woman's scream echoed from within the garden.

Then a woman in her thirties, with disheveled hair and filthy clothing, was dragged out of the room by the soldiers.

It was the Queen Mother; she still retained clear consciousness and had not fallen into a demonic minion.

A soldier reported: "General, we found the Queen Mother under the bed."

General Leibitz glanced at the bedraggled Queen Mother and said, "To hang her, use that big tree over there!"

Regiment Commander Laisen hesitated a bit, stepped forward and said, "Leibitz, what is this woman's surname, La Er Mo?"

The La Er Mo family is one of the five marquises of Levinde, of extremely noble blood, wielding great influence domestically; its members are not easily slain.

General Leibitz gave him a look and said softly, "This is not my will, but the will of the aristocratic lords; even the Marquis La Er Mo tacitly approved it."

In other words, seeing the tide unstoppable, the La Er Mo family cut off its tail to survive, decisively abandoning the Queen Mother.

General Leibitz was not at all worried about trouble from regicide, because Leibitz is his given name, and his surname is 'Nu Bo Dun'.

Given that, Laisen was instantly at a loss for words.

Soon, the Queen Mother's voice changed from a scream to a howl of agony.

General Leibitz felt something off about the howl, turned his head, and saw a group of hulking soldiers taking turns ravaging the lofty Queen Mother.

He immediately burst into a tirade.

"You damned bastards, who told you to stab with guns? Use a rope to hang them!"

"If there's no rope, use her own skirt to hang her!"

Only then did things get back on track.

Immediately after, General Leibitz issued a new order to the soldiers: "Find the young king and hang him as well!"

Because the young king lived right next door to the Queen Mother.

The soldiers obeyed and went.

In no time, the 17‑year‑old young king was found by the soldiers.

From his eyes one could see he remained lucid, yet he was terrified; his splendid garments were drenched by rain, soaked with mud and weeds.

"Let go of me! You let go of me!"

"I am your king!"

"You are committing treason! I will send you all to the gallows!"

He kept struggling and shouting, trying to mask his fear with royal authority.

General Leibitz glanced at the teenage king, waved his hand sharply, and, with an indifferent expression, ordered, "Hang this mongrel, and hang him beside his mother!"

"Leibitz, I am your king."

Bang!

A punch from the captain of Leibitz's elite guard smashed the boy's cheek, the force shattering half his jaw, while the guard wore a scornful expression.

"Mongrel, you dare be king?!"

The strong guard seized the teenage king's arm, applied a slight pressure, and snapped the boy's tender arm.

"Hurry and hang him!"

A pair of guards surged forward, in a flash, and hoisted the young king onto the big tree, even mischievously tearing off his clothes, and hung the mother and son facing each other.

Soon, this once Levinde's most noble mother and son were hanging naked and drenched beneath the tree trunk.

Their faces were a bruised purple, tongues hanging limp, silently swaying in the wind opposite each other.

General Jia Di Ya, standing aside, pretended not to have seen the little episode.

When the episode ended, she immediately said, "Press on, La Feng Ge must die!"

Thus, the squad continued deeper into the king's garden.

But at this point, after only a few minutes of searching, a massive upheaval occurred.

From the front of the squad, a dense chorus of howls suddenly rose.

The howls rushed forward rapidly, indicating several targets were slaughtering fiercely ahead with extreme efficiency.

At the same time, the demonic compass in Jia Di Ya's hand began to tremble violently, its central violet light so bright it was almost dazzling.

She felt a slight shiver in her spirit, yet still recalled the legendary mage's words.

She issued orders methodically.

"Retreat! Immediately fall back to open ground! Occupy advantageous terrain, prepare to meet the enemy!"

She also didn't forget to rally the warriors.

"The incoming are demonic incarnation bodies, more than one!"

"The foes are strong, but this is the demons' final resistance."

(End of Chapter)