Chapter 142: Great Commotion

The entrance to the Cellar was inside a house, with people guarding outside the entrance, and people also guarding outside the house.

Among the guards outside the house, one with keener hearing vaguely heard a sound that touched his nerves, as if a Plague Ghost were roaring somewhere.

He looked around vigilantly.

The defenses inside and outside the residence still appeared normal, and the people from the Patrol Guard Division outside had not issued any abnormal signals.

After hesitating, he still came to the front of the room and knocked on the door.

The door opened a crack, and a personal guard inside looked at him with an unpleasant expression: "What is it?"

"Is everything normal inside?"

As the guard outside spoke, he wanted to look inside, but another personal guard inside blocked his line of sight and scolded: "Do your own job; the Young Master has us to protect him!"

The guard outside twitched the corner of his mouth. Guards also had levels, and his level was indeed not as high as those inside.

No longer speaking, he returned to his post.

The door closed.

It was just that the person outside could not see that of the seven personal guards originally keeping watch inside the room, only two remained standing, while the other five had lost consciousness at some unknown time and been dragged into a corner.

Everything became quiet again, with only the Incense Burner emitting smoke.

Inside the Cellar.

Zhao Shaozhu's state of mind was extremely chaotic at this moment.

There was a betrayal among the personal guards, and one of them was even Xiaotian, whom he had thought very highly of; his psyche had received a strong shock, or rather, a blow!

He guessed that no one would have thought that there would be a problem within his own personal guard team!

Not long ago, he had even told Wen Gu that he thought highly of this young man, Xiaotian, and in the near future, he might move this hardworking young man of peasant origin from the outer perimeter of the personal guard team to a closer position.

How ridiculous!

Killing the enemy with one sword, Wen Gu pulled the sword out and cautiously shook off the blood.

"Let's go quickly!" he said.

The personal guards could not hold them back for too long; he did not know how many spies were inside, but there were definitely only a few with problems, otherwise Zhao Shaozhu would not have lived until now.

The two did not stay here and continued to run toward the Cellar gate.

Wen Gu had just been able to kill Xiaotian with one sword; Zhao Shaozhu knew very well that in terms of attack power, if it were a one-on-one fight, Xiaotian might have won.

The moment just now was only because Xiaotian did not have enough precautions against Wen Gu and underestimated Wen Gu, which led to Wen Gu's surprise attack and the current result.

Zhao Shaozhu could not help but ask: "Did you know he had a problem?"

Wen Gu said: "I didn't know; I only knew he had revealed killing intent toward me."

At that time in the courtyard, they had almost fought; that was the moment when Xiaotian had revealed brief killing intent when facing Wen Gu.

At that time, the personal guard beside Zhao Shaozhu had spoken up to stop them. It was just that everyone thought that people like Xiaotian who had come out of the battlefield were always in that kind of combat state, not understanding what sparring was, and not knowing how to restrain themselves.

Xiaotian usually hid it too well!

Thinking of this, Zhao Shaozhu felt a lump in his heart.

Forcing himself to calm down, although he did not hold out hope, Zhao Shaozhu still asked Wen Gu: "How many can you fight?"

Wen Gu did not hesitate: "Facing opponents of the level of those personal guards? I can't beat even one!"

That group of people were truly forged in battle, the elite of the elite from the Border Army!

If they hadn't been ambushed and stabbed in the back by their own people, those elites could not have been defeated so quickly!

He couldn't beat the personal guards, and he couldn't beat the death soldiers either.

Although Wen Gu had learned the sword and had accumulated some combat experience in his past and present lives, facing these professional killers cultivated at a huge cost, there was no need to guess; he would definitely be cut down in a single encounter.

Facing a deadly combination like "Plague Ghost + death soldier," there was even less need to think about it!

Fight head-on?

A few lives wouldn't be enough to burn through!

I don't have superpowers!

Seeing the Cellar door right in front of him, Zhao Shaozhu felt his heart sink.

If someone like Xiaotian, who was one step away from becoming his personal bodyguard, had a problem, how many spies were there among the personal guards?

Those guarding outside were not necessarily trustworthy either!

Regardless, given their current situation, they had to get out.

Zhao Shaozhu rushed to the Cellar gate and wanted to open it.

The Cellar door did not budge.

Wen Gu pushed it and listened to the sound.

"It's locked!"

Zhao Shaozhu stared fixedly at this door.

At the same time, on the other side of the door, two personal guards had their blades drawn, their eyes full of killing intent.

Once this door was locked, it was difficult to open, but if the people inside found a way to chisel it open, they would draw their blades immediately!

Inside the door, Zhao Shaozhu hammered it twice as if venting.

They could now be said to be isolated from the outside world, blocked in front and with pursuers behind.

When he turned back around, he had calmed down a lot, at least on the surface.

"There's no way to get out; let's find a place to hide first!"

He had seen the layout map of the Cellar and knew which area was which place.

Wen Gu suddenly asked: "Did you bring the Kitchen key?"

Zhao Shaozhu said: "I have the keys for the Kitchen, the Granary, and the Armory."

In a period of material shortages and rampant plague, Zhao Shaozhu certainly had to keep the keys to important places like the Kitchen, the Granary, and the Armory in his own hands.

Wen Gu said decisively, "To the Kitchen!"

The Armory and the Granary both have very thick doors. Now, in this time of material shortages, the Kitchen door has also been reinforced.

They have no use for the Granary right now.

The Armory is on the other side; they cannot get there. Even if they could, it would be useless. There are only two of them, and the weapons they could use are limited; even with a Repeating Crossbow, it wouldn't change the outcome. Besides, the Armory does not store Fire Powder, so it wouldn't be of much help.

Wen Gu's target is the Kitchen!

Compared to Zhao Shaozhu, Wen Gu has been to the Cellar two or three times more often.

He quickly led Zhao Shaozhu to run toward the direction of the Kitchen.

In the short time it took to go to the Cellar gate and return, the roaring behind them grew closer—they have already caught up!

They quickened their pace.

Wen Gu raised his hand and pointed to a spot ahead: "That fence over there can be pulled shut!"

The area with the Cellar and the Kitchen is where the Dining Area and the Kitchen are joined together; in front of the Kitchen is an open space, which is the Dining Area, furnished with tables and chairs.

The two of them quickly pulled the fence shut and joined forces to push a heavy wooden table over to brace it.

Afterward, they threw wooden chairs and other miscellaneous items over to block it.

Bang!

The first Plague Ghost to charge over had already slammed into the fence.

The temperature inside the Cellar is still gradually rising; these Plague Ghosts have already gradually shed their stiff state, becoming more agile, and their attacks are fiercer.

Soon, one after another, the Plague Ghosts arrived here. Their alienated finger bones, like the sharp claws of wild beasts, reached through the gaps in the fence and scratched incessantly.

A group of monsters carrying Epidemic Poison that do not fear pain, along with professionally trained, autonomous death soldiers—

Zhao Shaozhu deeply felt that hope was slim.

In this part of the Dining Area, there is Glass high up to let in light, but when it was designed, to prevent it from being destroyed and to increase concealment, the light does not shine straight down, but is reflected through mirrors. Even with a slingshot, one cannot hit the Glass above.

The light-transmitting opening is sealed with several layers of Glass; even if one screamed until their throat broke, no one outside would hear.

It certainly enhanced the concealment below, but in their current situation, it has instead blocked their options for survival.

The person behind this clearly planned it long ago, intending to suffocate them to death here!

Watching the number of Plague Ghosts continue to increase, with living death soldiers still behind them—Zhao Shaozhu understood in his heart that this fence could not hold for long at all.

In that brief moment, he thought of many things.

Only he and Wen Gu are left here; if by chance Wen Gu holds out a little longer than him, waiting for reinforcements—

Zhao Shaozhu steadied his breathing, then said, "Wen Gu, listen to me, we need to make some big commotion to let those outside know, but the difficulty is immense, if by any chance—"

Wen Gu didn't even turn his head, continuing to pick the locks on several Storage Rooms: "Last words? Then wait a moment, listen to me first! We still have a chance!"

Zhao Shaozhu immediately said, "Speak!"

Wen Gu: "When I was on a Study Tour—we'll talk about this later, work first!"

Zhao Shaozhu didn't ask any more questions at this moment; the words "when I was on a Study Tour" were like a calming mantra, and his previously chaotic mind instantly settled down.

Regardless of whether they can survive this tribulation or not, at least for now, he was indeed a little more invigorated.

So, when the world wasn't in chaos, he really should have gone on a Study Tour first!

Zhao Shaozhu watched Wen Gu open the Kitchen door and suddenly thought: "The flue—"

Wen Gu said, "The flue is narrow and winding; it is impossible to get out from here!"

Zhao Shaozhu saw the woodpile again, thinking Wen Gu wanted to use that chopped firewood.

"Right! Burning this wood can block them!"

Wen Gu: "And burn us along with them?"

Zhao Shaozhu realized he still wasn't calm enough.

The pursuers won't just wait there to be burned; behind them, besides Plague Ghosts, there are also death soldiers!

He said again, "Light the Kitchen stove; perhaps smoke will drift out?"

Wen Gu said, "Those outside will only think we are cooking in the Cellar, and the flue design inside here is very concealed; even if thick smoke goes out along the flue, it might not be discovered."

Soon, Zhao Shaozhu had no time to rack his brain; he had to save his strength and hurry to work!

Wen Gu told him to move the flour!

To provide Zhao Shaozhu with higher quality and more refined meals, the Kitchen had ground flour.

Besides Zhao Shaozhu, they also had to take care of the close guards, so the quantity of flour stored was not small.

A large amount of flour was kept in the Storage Room, and now they moved it out and piled it by the fence.

Soon the bags were torn open, and flour was scattered everywhere.

Wen Gu carried over another bag of flour: "To fight for a chance at survival today, we can only waste this food."

Zhao Shaozhu wiped his sweat: "As long as I can get out alive, I'll even eat dirt!"

Bag after bag of flour was carried out of the Storage Room and blocked at the fence.

Besides flour, there were also various expensive seasonings and spices; Wen Gu even dug out the dry grass bundles used in the Kitchen to start fires.

It was like setting up an array; Zhao Shaozhu couldn't understand it at all, but inexplicably felt—it was a bit impressive?

The spices made the monsters much more irritable, scratching and roaring, and constantly slamming against the fence.

The fine flour was scattered like a mist, with powder filling the entire Dining Area.

The fence shook violently and had already begun to shift, and the chains also showed signs of coming loose.

A gap had already appeared at the top of the fence, and it had been pushed open slightly. The Plague Ghosts were already trying to squeeze through the opening.

Wen Gu took out a Fire Powder product, just about to warn Zhao Shaozhu.

Turning his head, he saw Zhao Shaozhu using a Wooden Pot Lid as a Shield.

Wen Gu shouted loudly for once: "—Hide in the Kitchen!"

A pot lid is of no use!

Zhao Shaozhu, having been roared at, dared not make a sound and ran into the Kitchen, his eyes full of confusion.

Before leaving Xinzhou City, Wen Gu had Qingyi Daozhang make a few Fire Powder products.

At the time, Zhao Shaozhu's personal guard had randomly selected one to ignite and check the explosive power.

The small Fire Powder product had the effect of spewing flames and releasing an odor; it was very effective against Plague Ghosts but had average lethality against humans, which is why it was permitted to be carried and kept by Zhao Shaozhu's side.

Wen Gu carried two Fire Powder items on his person; Zhao Shaozhu knew this, and he also knew how powerful they were.

At this distance, one only needed to take a shield to prevent debris from splashing.

But why was Wen Gu reacting this way?

Zhao Shaozhu did not understand, but he did as told anyway. After all, Wen Gu had traveled for his studies and knew a lot.

Wen Gu said to close the Kitchen door, so he timed it and closed the door.

While closing the door, Zhao Shaozhu thought to himself: as long as the death warriors outside were alive, hiding in the Kitchen could still lead to being suffocated by the death warriors' methods.

He still needed to make a big commotion to notify those outside.

Could a tiny firecracker really do that?

At this moment, Wen Gu had already thrown the ignited firecracker from his hand.

The door closed.

Bang!

Wen Gu listened to the sound, slightly disappointed, but he was mentally prepared: "Again!"

Zhao Shaozhu's tone was very excited: "It just exploded, I wonder if they can hear it outside!"

Wen Gu said: "That is not the kind of explosion I want; it is not intense enough!"

Zhao Shaozhu did not understand what kind of explosion he wanted.

What counted as intense?

Cautiously opening the Kitchen door, Wen Gu looked outside.

From that last explosion, a large amount of powder that had already fallen to the ground was kicked up, and the concentration of the dust cloud in the air became even greater.

The odor produced by the firecracker explosion stimulated the Plague Ghosts to become even more manic; they lost their clear targets for a short time and might even be attacking the death warriors.

A figure climbed over from a gap in the fence.

With the dust cloud in the air, it was impossible to see exactly what it was like by the fence, but one could distinguish from the other party's agile movements—which clearly looked trained—that it was undoubtedly a death warrior!

Wen Gu acted just as quickly, adding a few small details and finding another suitable position.

In the Kitchen, seeing Wen Gu go out at the risk of his life, Zhao Shaozhu gritted his teeth and followed: "I'll help you!"

Having only run a few steps, he was kicked back into the Kitchen by Wen Gu: "Close the door!!"

By this time, the fence was already half-toppled, Plague Ghosts were climbing over the fence one after another, and a death warrior was charging straight toward their side.

Wen Gu did not delay, running toward the Kitchen, and before the door closed, he threw the firecracker toward the predetermined position.

Through the dust cloud in the air, Wen Gu looked at that death warrior.

The death warrior was also staring this way, the thin blade in his hand carrying bloodthirst and killing intent.

The light was dim, and there was the interference of the dust cloud, but the look in both sides' eyes as they looked at each other was actually: "I want you dead!"

The Kitchen door closed again.

The firecracker Wen Gu had thrown out was not aimed at the death warrior, and the death warrior did not take it seriously either.

One had exploded just a moment ago, and that was all there was to it.

And so, this small Fire Powder product, in the silence, spewed out a tongue of flame.

In the air, the flour ignited, and countless tiny particles triggered an instantaneous chain reaction, fast as lightning! Energy was released at extreme speed, and a violent pressure wave was generated in the small Dining Area!

It was as if a sleeping giant beast had suddenly woken up, instantly spewing out a destructive aura—no matter how fast the blade, how brilliant the technique, how cold the death warrior, or how fierce the monster—even if they felt a great crisis in this instant, they could not dodge!

There was simply no time to dodge!!

Boom!