Battle

Diao Ling's hands flickered, and in an instant, two handleless daggers appeared from her sleeves. They shimmered with a faint blue light, reflecting on her enchanting face.

Diao Ling contentedly tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear, looking utterly captivated.

Allen suddenly understood. The person who had ambushed Hulunte's guards in secret back then must have been this beautiful stepmother right before him.

Fiddling with the daggers in her hands, Diao Ling said, "Hulunte is someone who holds grudges. As long as you, Second Young Master, can leave Outpost County, the Grand Duke will surely avenge you. The 'Son of Chaos' is just something they made up. The priests from the Holy See are all liars. Oh, right, Second Young Master, do you think my chin is a bit pointed?"

"I thank you, big sister!" Allen said speechlessly, pointing outside at the Earth Dragon Legion soldiers surrounding them three layers deep. He rolled his eyes.

You really have a big heart. They've got us surrounded like turtles, and you're still discussing your influencer face with me.

Outside the main gate, Hulunte's eyes were practically spitting fire. This was the second time someone had suddenly appeared and interrupted him. Couldn't they show him some respect?

"Loyal dog of the Grand Duke of the Kingdom of Locke!" Hulunte snorted coldly, looking around suspiciously. Seeing that all the legion soldiers were fine, he slowly raised his right arm. His heart was trembling. Why were the people from the Kingdom of Locke so impolite? They never appeared early or late, always interrupting him just as he was about to give an order.

Testing his arm, Hulunte smiled. Finally, no more idiots were rashly appearing.

"Diao Ling, you stupid woman, didn't we agree you'd ambush Hulunte from the shadows?" As if on cue, a roar froze the smile on Hulunte's face.

This roar also drew the attention of the crossbowmen. Hulunte was interrupted for the third time.

The crossbowmen were starting to get jumpy. They had been drawing and nocking their bolts for a long time, and the Legion Commander still hadn't given the order. Their arms were going numb.

Are they going to let us shoot or not? We've been holding on for so long. If they don't let us shoot, they could at least let us rest for a bit.

Rock Hammer, who had been hiding in the distance pretending to be foolish, felt he couldn't just play dumb and watch the show after Diao Ling appeared. He let out a roar, which coincidentally interrupted Hulunte again as he was about to give the order.

The blacksmith shop owner, shedding his earlier simple-minded act, became incredibly fierce.

He grabbed a warhorse with both hands and threw it, along with its rider, towards Hulunte.

The crossbowmen beside Hulunte couldn't dodge in time. The crossbows they held fired wildly, accidentally injuring many of their comrades. Several crossbowmen were also smashed to the ground by the giant horse.

Rock Hammer grabbed two infantrymen, one in each hand, and slammed them into each other. The two unfortunate souls' faces were bloody and mangled, and they were knocked unconscious.

With a ferocious expression, Rock Hammer held the two unconscious infantrymen in front of him as shields and charged, crashing his way to the front of the Old Castle's main gate.

Behind Hulunte, a thin old man in coarse linen clothes and bare feet was about to step forward to stop him. Hulunte shook his head and said, "Catch them all in one net!"

The thin old man retreated, keeping his eyes fixed on Rock Hammer.

After Rock Hammer charged to the front of the Old Castle's main gate, he looked up at the spikes on the gate and sighed slightly.

He didn't have Diao Ling's skills. Helpless, he could only slowly climb up, carefully rolling up his trouser legs, like a clumsy bear climbing a tree, dawdling his way up.

At Hulunte's signal, none of the legion soldiers actively attacked or tried to stop him.

Rock Hammer, having finally managed to jump down from the gate, adjusted his pants and ran to Allen, then knelt before him. He then said, "Royal Guard, by order of the Grand Duke, I am here to protect you. Rock Hammer pays his respects."

Allen's nose and eyes seemed out of place. He extended his right hand, palm up, towards Rock Hammer.

Rock Hammer looked at Allen with confusion, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural. Slowly, he placed his rough, calloused hands gently into Allen's palm.

With a "snap," Allen slapped Rock Hammer's hand away and cursed, "What are you thinking? Where are the ten gold coins Dina gave you? Give them back."

Rock Hammer stood up, his face returning to its simple, honest look. "The Royal Guard is just my hobby. Blacksmithing is my old profession. I'm sorry, Second Young Master, but I don't give refunds."

Allen was utterly speechless. Diao Ling's opening of a tavern with hostesses was purely to conceal her identity; protecting royal descendants was her main job.

And you, the Royal Guard is your hobby, and blacksmithing is your main profession?

This was the first time he'd heard of someone using the Royal Guard as a cover to hide the fact that they were a blacksmith.

Where did his cheap old man find so many eccentrics?

Seeing that Allen seemed unconvinced, Rock Hammer gave a sheepish smile and pointed at Diao Ling. "I wouldn't lie to you, Second Young Master. Ask her if you don't believe me."

Diao Ling nodded helplessly and said, "Rock Hammer is telling the truth. He's a blacksmith, and Rock Hammer has already reached the third stage of Battle Qi."

Sakre exclaimed in disbelief, "Impossible! Looking at you, you're not even forty, yet you've reached the third stage? That's the same level as me!"

It was said that honest people were even more infuriating when they contradicted others.

Rock Hammer touched his bald head and said honestly, "Your Excellency Count, you flatter me. I'm already over fifty."

Sakre, having finished his show-off, was very pleased. His sycophants, playing along with their master's performance, exclaimed, "Count is still the most amazing, a Battle Qi genius!"

Rock Hammer continued, "I reached the third stage of Battle Qi when I was eighteen."

Sakre almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Shaken, he said, "So you haven't progressed at all in all these years?"

When he was eighteen, he was still tearing it up naked in the beast arena with a bunch of old men.

Of course, he was a bit better than a certain someone. That someone, at eighteen, was being beaten up by his parents, both physically and verbally.

"No, the third stage of Battle Qi is enough for blacksmithing," Rock Hammer said with a simple smile, delivering the final blow to Sakre.

Sakre felt that he should stop showing off in the future, as he was always outdone.

Comparing oneself to others makes one angry to death!

Allen was also impressed. This guy truly hadn't forgotten his roots, staying grounded. A former royal guard, he cultivated to the third stage of Battle Qi just for blacksmithing. Perhaps Rock Hammer was truly a Sword Saint who was delayed by blacksmithing.

Just like Sakre, who was a comedian delayed by Battle Qi.

Rock Hammer pointed at the increasing number of Earth Dragon Legion soldiers outside and asked apologetically, "Um, Second Young Master, after the battle is over, can all their weapons be mine?"

"Yes!" Allen said solemnly, "If I'm still alive."

Rock Hammer was delighted, feeling his blacksmith shop could reopen.

Big Babylon walked over, looking like one hero admiring another, and boomed, "Your head is really round."

Rock Hammer replied as if they were old friends, "Yours isn't bad either, very shiny."

Then the two ran off to the side to study heads together, discussing curvature, shininess, and the angle of reflected light, chatting merrily as if they hadn't noticed the dense Earth Dragon Legion soldiers outside.

"Truly two blockheads!" Diao Ling played with her short blade, her eyes fixed on Xiulunte's throat.

Xiulunte had learned his lesson this time. He didn't wave his hand; instead, he shouted, "Attack! Archer squad, fire! Infantry, break through the Old Castle, kill the child of chaos, and rescue Candidate Saintess Dina. Anyone else who resists will also be killed."

"Earth Dragon Legion, spread the Holy Father's light!" All infantry and cavalry, except for the archer squad, raised their weapons and roared their pre-attack slogan.

Then... then huge nets descended from the sky, covering hundreds of infantry and cavalry.

A small figure darted above the surrounding low houses, a large bundle on his back.

Allen said speechlessly, "Another thief held back by royal guards."

Xiulunte finally became enraged. His sword, infused with Battle Qi, cut through the descending net, and he charged the Old Castle gate first.

Two barefoot ascetics exchanged glances, chanting spells.

Old Laixi looked at the ascetics with a solemn expression and said to Allen, "It seems the magic detonation won't work. The two ascetics have joined forces to cast Holy Light magic, isolating elemental collisions."

Allen scoffed, "I wasn't planning on using it anyway." With that, he picked up the Dragon Slaying Halberd and charged at Xiulunte.