Die by Your Own Hand, Lancer!

Legend had it that before Xiang Yu raised his army, a meteor once fell from the sky in Kuaiji Commandery.

Afterward, Xiang Liang secretly invited a master weaponsmith to extract iron from the meteorite and forge a weapon.

After nine days and nights, they finally forged a massive tiger-headed spear inlaid with gold.

It was one zhang, two chi, and nine cun long, weighed 129 jin, and its shaft alone was as thick as a bowl.

It took two ordinary men working together to lift the spear, but Xiang Yu had been born with superhuman strength. He could wield it with one hand, and later even created an unparalleled spear technique of his own.

The technique was immensely powerful, yet its moves were plain and unadorned.

They were basic spear techniques: thrust, stab, sweep, circle, parry, tap, deflect, and flourish.

Combined with Xiang Yu's innate strength, powerful physique, and solid fundamentals,

these techniques could be combined and varied into countless different moves.

In later generations, the spear technique was passed down to Zhang Fei during the Three Kingdoms period, who further refined it.

After that, different spear techniques continued to evolve from it, generation after generation.

That was why it was also known as the progenitor of spear techniques—Single-Handed Eighteen Thrusts!

The weapon Li Yèlái carried wasn't a spear, nor was it a halberd.

But as a polearm, it could still be used to perform some of the Single-Handed Eighteen Thrusts.

So, when the Lancer Knight flashed forward to attack,

Li Yèlái held his blade in one hand and charged in instead of retreating. He swept it around his head and over his back!

Bang! The violent collision made the web between Li Yèlái's thumb and forefinger throb even more painfully. His opponent was strong—stronger than Li Yèlái!

But Li Yèlái had already figured out his opponent's ability.

The most troublesome part was the knight's bizarre ability to reposition himself. He could even thrust his spear from a safe distance, then flash right in front of his target just as it was about to land, leaving no opening at all.

For example, it was like a boulder falling from a great height, then having its momentum and acceleration perfectly preserved when someone hit pause just before it struck the ground—and moving it directly above its target.

The usual way of fighting wouldn't work against such a cheating opponent.

His opponent would charge up from a safe distance, making an opening with his initial move.

Then, timing it perfectly, he would flash in to attack. Li Yèlái could only take the blow passively.

And even if Li Yèlái gained the upper hand, the knight could flash away again as soon as he tried to pursue.

Li Yèlái's Double Pupils shifted as he quickly examined every part of the Lancer Knight.

He wore heavy armor, impervious to blades. Li Yèlái had to first use the weakness revealed by his Double Pupils to break through it!

As he thought, Li Yèlái kept swinging his long blade.

The moment the knight flashed back several meters, Li Yèlái wielded his blade one-handed with his left hand and charged at full speed. He switched to a two-handed grip, used his momentum to leap forward, and brought his blade down!

But the knight once again dissolved into mist and vanished. After avoiding Li Yèlái's attack, he appeared behind him and thrust his spear at the small of his back.

Li Yèlái dropped low with the momentum, gripped his blade in one hand again, and immediately slashed sideways!

He blocked the spear behind him, spun around, and sprang straight up from the ground.

The Lancer Knight seized his chance and thrust. Clearly, he meant to skewer Li Yèlái in midair.

In truth, this move was indeed dangerous. An ordinary person leaping into the air would be a sitting duck. If they mistimed it, the opponent's spear would run them through.

That was why moves like jumping slashes, no matter how powerful, were rarely used.

But Li Yèlái was a spirit-energy user. He stepped on the air with Sky Stepping, borrowing its support in midair to put even more distance between them.

Then, as he landed, he smoothly brought his blade behind his back in Qin Qiong's Back Sword, blocking the spear thrust.

He spun his blade one-handed in a flourish and swept it behind his back again, using his back to catch the spear—but he wasn't actually blocking it.

The moment the spear struck the blade, he felt almost no resistance.

The spear had practically skimmed along the blade's surface, scraping against it in a shower of sparks.

This wasn't a defensive move at all. He was using the spear's momentum to make the Lancer Knight thrust with all his strength, throwing him off balance and leaving him open after the attack!

That was the opening Li Yèlái had been waiting for!

Having tricked the spear, he bent forward and lunged in, stepping through with both hands on the hilt before slashing across the knight's neck.

That was the weakness Li Yèlái had spotted with his Double Pupils!

But the knight sensed the danger and instantly dissolved into mist, causing Li Yèlái's attack—which should have landed—to miss again.

The Lancer Knight really was a skilled fighter. His spearwork was sweeping, swift, and lethal.

Despite wearing heavy armor, he was hardly slowed down.

He had the advantage in strength, and his armor gave him the advantage in defense too.

But he wielded a rigid spear, which limited its variations. Otherwise, Li Yèlái would have had an even harder time defending against him.

Li Yèlái glanced at the bloody mess that was his palm and thought, Hey, I can hold my ground!

At that moment, Li Yèlái's combat experience was rapidly improving. The techniques he had just used

were skills and experience he had gained from the immersive battlefield in Xiang Yu's illusion. That was also how he had managed to grasp at least some of the Single-Handed Eighteen Thrusts.

Unfortunately, this enemy required a special approach.

Li Yèlái exhaled, and the Lancer Knight moved again!

The two weapons clashed furiously, and for a time neither side could gain the upper hand.

From the outside, it looked as if they were at a stalemate.

Elsewhere, the Detective thought quickly. He already knew that both knights were summoned creatures. The best way to deal with summoned creatures was to attack the summoner!

This wasn't some esports game where attacking the summoned creature meant you couldn't attack the summoner.

Unfortunately, Wang De clearly understood that he was a weak point.

The second creature he had summoned, the Dual Blade Knight, had stayed right in front of him the whole time.

"If only my ability were Illusory Eyes or Petrifying Gaze," the Detective lamented. He had almost no combat skills. He was a newcomer, and his first Awakening had given him Trace Tracking. If he recklessly joined the fight or charged at Wang De, he would probably be killed by the knights.

"But from what I can tell, this guy only has two knights." The Detective considered the situation and immediately came up with an idea. If only one knight could fight, then there was plenty he could do.

So the Detective raised his hand and pointed his revolver at the middle-aged woman, who could barely stand.

It was a strange sight. Judging by their positions, they should have been on the same side.

The middle-aged woman cried out in panic, "What are you doing? Don't—don't! Daddy, save me!"

Wang De's expression changed, just as the Detective had expected.

Of course, it wasn't out of fatherly affection. He was the murderer who had killed his own blood relatives.

Rather, only blood relatives killed by the knights he controlled could replenish his lifespan.

If the Detective killed his third daughter, he would lose someone he could drain for more years of life.

"Heh." The Detective couldn't help sneering at the sight.

One knight was holding Li Yèlái back, while the other was protecting Wang De.

If the Detective fired, and Wang De didn't want to lose a source of lifespan, he would have to kill the middle-aged woman at once or protect her.

Judging by the fact that he killed one person a year, always in the latter half of September,

Wang De could only kill one person under specific conditions each time in order to devour their lifespan.

He could only kill one of them at most, which meant he also had to protect the others.

So who would he send to protect them? The Dual Blade Knight? Then the Detective would fire his second gun. He might lack combat skills, but he was a decent shot. At this distance, if Wang De left his protection, the Detective was confident he could put a bullet in his head!

The Lancer Knight? Don't make him laugh. Li Yèlái was locked in combat with the Lancer Knight. If the knight withdrew, Li Yèlái would attack Wang De directly. Even with the Dual Blade Knight guarding him, Wang De would still be in danger. And he might even have to restrict the Dual Blade Knight's teleportation ability to protect Wang De.

Of course, Wang De had one other choice: order the Dual Blade Knight to kill the Detective himself. But the Detective could put up a fight. As long as he wasn't killed in one blow, he would have a chance to fire a few shots at Wang De.

Wang De stared coldly at the Detective. "Don't think you can use her to threaten me. I already have great-grandchildren and great-granddaughters. I can spare one blood relative."

The middle-aged woman and the young man looked terrified, but the girl in the white dress stepped forward and took the gun from the Detective's waist.

Then she pointed it at her own temple.

Both the Detective and Wang De's expressions changed. "What are you doing?"

He truly couldn't afford to lose a blood relative.

He could only gain more years of life from the blood relatives he killed at this time of year.

And this year, his attempt to kill his second son had failed. He had almost no lifespan left—days? Hours? Perhaps even less!

To ensure his safety, the surest option was to kill one of the blood relatives at the scene.

So when he saw his most beloved granddaughter about to kill herself, how could he not be alarmed?

The girl in the white dress looked at Wang De, hatred filling her eyes. "I'd rather die than give a monster like you another day of life!"

"Stop! I never planned to kill you. All this property is yours. Don't do anything foolish! I did all of this so I could stay with you!" Wang De cursed inwardly as he tried to soothe the girl. Meanwhile, he moved toward the Blue Brick House, calculating the time.

Once he was inside the house, the Detective's bullets couldn't threaten him. He could also free the Dual Blade Knight from having to protect him.

But just then, a rush of footsteps sounded on the stairs leading to the first floor.

The Detective's expression changed. The signal was cut off here, so there was no way to call for backup.

That could only mean Wang De's people were coming!

And indeed, they were Wang De's people. He had ordered the armed men to wait outside, but he had also left them a code phrase.

The real order was to come down immediately if he hadn't returned in ten minutes!

When Wang De heard the footsteps, he felt a surge of joy. With these fresh troops, killing the two spirit-energy users would be easy.

Then he wouldn't have to worry about anything.

So Wang De immediately shouted, "Shoot the one with the blade first!"

Of the two spirit-energy users, Li Yèlái was the greater threat, so he naturally had to be killed first!

The very next second, Wang De heard a sharp crack.

He looked over in confusion and saw Li Yèlái make a mighty swing, cutting the spear in the Lancer Knight's hands clean in two!

His blade kept going, striking the thick Plate Armor worn by the Lancer Knight.

Blades and swords were usually ineffective against thick Plate Armor.

That was what made the Armored Soldiers so formidable.

On an ancient battlefield, your Wanyan family's Iron Pagoda cavalry might charge across the field like unstoppable warriors.

But what would you do if I brought out the Back-Wrapping Army, carrying Yue's Banner on their shoulders and wielding massive axes?

One reason they were so effective was that they wore heavy armor while wielding axes, which could break through armor!

Even for spirit-energy users with a low Awakening level, iron armor still provided solid protection. And the Lancer Knight's armor was no ordinary armor; it had excellent spirit-energy resistance and could weaken many spirit-energy users' abilities.

But Li Yèlái's long-handled blade had pierced straight through the Lancer Knight's thick Plate Armor. The blade had carved a huge gash into the knight's chest.

This was the opening Li Yèlái had been looking for.

An opponent who could teleport instantly left him far too much on the back foot.

If he pursued, the enemy retreated. If he defended, the enemy attacked.

There was only one way to deal with an opponent like that: win in a single move!

After drawing out enough moves, Li Yèlái had finally found his chance. The Black Line marking the weakness in the spear and armor had overlapped!

And so he leaped forward and brought his blade down!

That was how the scene had come about. The Lancer Knight had been gravely injured and had no choice but to flash back to Wang De's side.

Wang De stared in shock, terror filling his eyes.

If Li Yèlái could already grievously wound the Lancer Knight with one strike, and the Dual Blade Knight also proved no match for him, then Wang De would truly be finished.

Fortunately, the backup he had arranged had arrived!

Seeing the dozen or so armed men charging down the stairs, Wang De immediately roared his orders.

"Kill him, quickly! Use the molten rounds!"

The armed men raised their guns at once. Gunshots rang out, and blood sprayed everywhere.

Wang De's nerves eased—only for him to freeze in place a moment later.

Just dozens of steps away, the armed men he had considered his backup had all turned their guns on their own teammates.

When the shots rang out, every one of the armed men was killed by his own comrades. A moment later, blood poured across the floor.

"What just happened?" Wang De and even the Detective stared in bewilderment. Neither of them understood what had happened.

Had these men come down here to put on a mass suicide act?

The other family members and the butler watched the scene and vomited.

Li Yèlái let out a breath. "You finally made it."

"I thought he'd surrender without a fight." A graceful figure descended the stairs. She wore a dark red evening gown, beautiful and elegant. Yet walking through a mountain of corpses, she looked especially eerie.

It was Cheese!

She had been hiding in this building the whole time. With her Whisper Path ability, staying hidden hadn't been difficult.

After discovering Li Yèlái and the others, she had followed them from a distance, but the armed men had blocked her way.

"So, just to be safe, I hypnotized them and told them, 'If you attack an official spirit-energy user, kill yourselves immediately.'" Cheese glanced at the corpses beneath her feet, then looked toward Wang De and the two knights beside him. "Looks like I arrived just in time."

"You've been a huge help." Li Yèlái advanced on Wang De with his blade raised and said, "Be careful. Those two knights can flash and turn invisible. Don't let them get to the back line."

"They're summoned creatures, and you've already broken their armor. Their spirit-energy resistance has dropped dramatically, so they're no problem now. I'll show you how powerful the Whisper Path is." Cheese's beautiful eyes fell on the Lancer Knight, whose armor Li Yèlái had already broken. Her rosy lips parted as she activated her ability.

[Listen to Me]—Take your own life, spearman!