Four Duty Officers

The moment the sun sets is the time when demons and monsters emerge from their caves.

There are two hours left, which is Xue Ming's free time.

--He commanded Fragrant Dream to carry this mud and stone statue, to send Kunwu out of Taiye, back to Bodhisattva Valley, and to Black Wind Ridge.

As long as we can get this way, Mr. Wood and Mr. Ping An will figure out a solution.

Xue Ming had no more strength left. This demon city had lost the protection of the sun, and the henchmen who had gathered in the Yin Yang Qiankun Temple were now free. They would soon gather the Government Soldiers and border troops to hunt down and block his way.

No matter how powerful an individual is, they cannot defeat a city.

As Kunwu said, "They smashed all six hundred-plus life-protecting talismans on his body, as well as the tens of thousands of ordinary people around Taiye. In the hearts of the border troops, the Yin-Yang Qiankun Sect was a prestigious and righteous sect. Under the protection of the Moral Divine Sword, its religious embodiment was a true deity."

Maintaining a state of unity between body and soul, he carried the two hundred kilograms of mud and rocks and hurried towards the city gate.

There was no time to worry about Xiangxiang's safety, nor could there be any care for Xiuwen and Jianxiong.

"I need to get rid of this 'Dashan' over my head as soon as possible," Xue Ming thought, glancing at Jianying's corpse one last time before finally letting go of his lingering attachment.

How many comrades and compatriots did he lose contact with along the way?

He couldn't remember clearly, not even a specific number.

People only remember the gunsmith's illustrious achievements, but they don't know how many lives were lost on that expedition route.

Now, Xue Ming felt that the familiar scent was wafting through the air again—

--That's the smell of "death," a rotten, foul-smelling pheromone.

It wasn't emanating from Kunwu, nor from the spiritual pressure of the city, but from the stench emanating from him.

Each time he fell into Gate of Death, his overly keen Inspiration could detect the stench.

Its scent was very similar to that of a scavenging wolfhound; when Xue Ming smelled it, he knew he was close to death.

The sunlight left a crimson trail across the sky, followed by dark clouds that pressed down, pouring a light drizzle over the high mountains of Black Wind Ridge.

--He carried the Kunwu the Taoist and broke through three checkpoints and outposts. At first, no one dared to stop him. The soldiers were all tax thieves, cowards who held the golden seal and big sword as if they were chicken feathers and arrows.

Then we arrived at the military camp on the south side of the city, the last gate checkpoint.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, covering everything, and it seemed that everything had lost its color.

Xue Ming felt a sharp pain shooting through his heart; the symptoms of neurasthenia continued to plague him.

--He had a very difficult journey. The stone carving on his shoulder made his head and neck ache. In order to save his spiritual energy, he did not call on Fragrant Dream for help. He only hoped that this would allow him to get through the pursuit safely.

The battalion commander received the news early on, but he didn't have time to deal with the mess that Wu Xiuwen and Zhao Jianxiong had made. He only knew that something big had happened in the city— the Kunwu Sect Leader had been captured by a strange man.

The prefect immediately ordered the city defense bureau and border generals to cooperate with the disciples of the Yin Yang Qian Kun sect to guard the four city gates of Taiye, close the waterways and ports, and conduct a thorough search and arrest, making sure to capture all the immortals in the city.

Four military officers guarded the south gate, and the one who relayed messages and issued orders to the 321 soldiers was the eighth-rank ceremonial officer, the deputy military officer of Taiye Xiaoji.

Next is the commander of the Fengzi Battalion, whose commander, Wu Lao'er, is dead and has been replaced.

Further up, the two officers in charge of directing the soldiers at the city gates were a seventh-rank city gate officer and his adjutant.

Sitting atop the watchtower, the leader who came to the site to deploy defenses with his advisors and retainers was a trusted confidant of the prefect. He was a fifth-rank official in the court, and had previously served as the Imperial Guard Blue Feather Captain. He was transferred to Taiye to serve as the vanguard guard of the prefect's office, and was also the cavalry commander in charge of gunpowder production. He was the prefect's personal guard commander.

The city gates were packed with people, both inside and outside.

From the outer road of the barracks outpost, then towards the high stone platform and arrow slope at the city gate.

Finally, there was the city gate tower and the main hall with its upturned roof, with a total of 1,446 officers and soldiers, including musketeers, spearmen, swordsmen, shieldmen, and light cavalry, as well as many archers and crossbowmen. When the Tusi learned that Kunwu was in trouble, he selected more than 200 people from the militia to serve as his vanguard.

This is the regular army of Taiye Prefecture, a legitimate Xiabang military force.

Xue Ming walked further towards the south gate, but he couldn't take another step.

He looked at the dark, imposing gate tower, the military flags and torches scattered everywhere, and the stench of decay and death grew stronger. His robes were soaked with water, and the bitter cold seeped into his skin and bones, making it seem as if his joints could hardly move.

"Shameless scoundrel!"

A signal arrow was fired from the gate tower and landed in front of Xue Ming, marking the formal declaration of war.

The imperial guards shouted sternly—

"Quickly lay down Immortal Kunwu! Surrender and you may have a chance to live!"

Xue Ming had no intention of negotiating; he was determined to force his way out.

If we back down at this critical juncture, letting the tiger return to the mountain, allowing Kunwu to gain the upper hand and use the Chaos Seed as a radio to inform Judas — Xue Ming cannot accept such a outcome.

Even if it's impossible to quickly and easily cut off this head, or immediately kill the Immortals, Xue Ming absolutely cannot allow this evil Daoist to continue causing trouble in Taiye City; otherwise, Jianying's death would have been in vain.

A troop of cavalry rushed out from the makeshift wooden shed at the foot of the city wall, splitting into two columns on the left and right, attempting to surround Xue Ming. There were about sixteen riders, and all of them had their horses' eyes covered, lest the lightning and thunder frighten them away.

The knights were not wearing armor, but as soon as their commander gave the order to organize and deploy the defenses, they immediately took up their posts—it was very rushed, and the heavy rain could not dampen their fighting spirit.

The leader brandished his weapon and shouted, "Disarm and surrender!"

Before the shouting and challenging part was over, rough pottery shards were scattered from Jiang Xueming's palm from within the knight formation.

The dozen or so cavalrymen originally intended to bypass the formation and use the power of their weapons and the might of their formation to force the immortal to make a choice. However, they couldn't execute the formation, and their blindfolded horses, struck by shards of pottery, were all in a state of panic, their ears bleeding.

--The mounts panicked, the group immediately scattered, and lost their courage in the raging wind and rain.

Without hesitation, Xue Ming hoisted Kunwu and charged toward the city gate.

The cavalry captain, his eyes bloodshot, grabbed the reins, tamed the beast, and charged into the middle of the road, slashing his broadsword fiercely down at the demonic monk's back!

"Die!"

Xue Ming turned his shoulder and neck, intending for Kunwu's clay statue to be hacked and slashed by the weapons, without pausing.

He felt a Hot Wind of hot, foul-smelling air rushing towards his right side. He crouched down, reached out, and used his powerful fingers to tear open the horse's belly, while simultaneously dodging to the side with light steps.

The horse's pinkish-white intestines spilled out of its belly, and the cavalry leader fell to the side of the road along with his mount, his lower body pinned down by the horse, his leg broken—he could only let out a mournful wail of despair.

The city gatekeeper was anxious and worried about the safety of the immortal Kunwu, so he dared not order his soldiers to draw their bows and shoot arrows.

After the second order of troops was issued and the personal guard commander finished giving his orders, the left and right wing commanders led the infantry out of the city gate. They coordinated with the swordsmen and shieldmen to form a force of more than 300 men, who moved in an orderly fashion to force the evil monk out of the south gate and back into the streets and alleys. The other soldiers were to join them in surrounding the monk from the alley entrances and streets.

As more and more people gathered, Xue Ming showed no sign of backing down. He squeezed closer to the formation of swordsmen and shieldmen, using his Kunwu sword as a life-saving talisman and a human weapon since he had no weapon in his hand.

He grabbed the clay sculpture by its legs. The sticky rice paste on the sculpture contained clay and sand, which became an excellent armor-piercing hammer. After advancing another twenty paces, when he came into contact with the guards, he saw a row of gleaming broadswords placed on rattan shields and large shields. Through the gaps between the shields and swords, he could see spearheads—the Taiye Government Soldiers and the border troops were working in perfect coordination.

Xue Ming remained calm, hearing shouts of battle, footsteps, and the whistling of blades cutting through the air as soldiers charged forward.

He swung his Kunwu sword and struck, and saw red ripples appear in the rainwater.

--The elite Government Soldiers in the front ranks couldn't withstand the immense force of this thousand-pound man, and fearing they might injure the immortal Kunwu, they lost their edge in an instant, allowing this demonic monk to seize the initiative.

A lithe figure plunged into the formation, charging three times and breaking dozens of spears and lances. Some fearless warriors took advantage of the demon monk's exhaustion and surrounded him from behind, slashing off a sleeve of his sword. The monk could no longer penetrate, as if he were protected by dragons and elephants, making him indestructible and unharmable.

In a mere hundred feet, Xue Ming led Kunwu all the way to the city gate post, kicking over the barricades and leaping over the tripwires. He had many wounds on his body, and his shirt had about ten holes, all from his back.

Fragrant Dream protected him, preventing him from suffering serious injury.

But the stench of decay grew stronger and stronger, and Xue Ming felt his eyelids drooping and his mental energy about to be depleted.

The city gatekeeper's personal guards were scared off. The few strong men holding bows and arrows hesitated and stood guard by the gate tower's winch, refusing to open the gate and let people in, even if it meant death.

Xue Ming wanted to find the small gate. Besides the main road for carriages and horses, there should be a dry, well-ventilated dirt road next to the rutted road, which was the small gate specially used by messengers during the war.

He found the path leading to the side gate, and the city gatekeeper immediately launched an attack, shouting and cursing.

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Kill this bald monk!"

The distance was only twenty paces, and the dozen or so elite soldiers guarding the pass knew exactly where they were going. They could see clearly and shoot accurately, and there was no rain to hinder them. After receiving the order, they immediately began their attack!

In an instant, the archers unleashed eight arrows, each aimed at Xue Ming's head, neck, and heart.

He wanted to use the same tactic again, using Kunwu as a shield, but after repeated fierce battles, he was finding it difficult to continue.

He squeezed half his body out of the small door leading to the cave, and saw the soldiers lying in ambush inside, brandishing their swords and slashing at him. With sharp eyes and quick hands, he leaned forward, picked up his Kunwu sword as a shield, and tried to push into the cave to grab the sword from his wrist, but the heavy weight on his shoulder caused him to lose his balance.

In that instant, three arrows appeared on his left arm behind him, piercing through his forearm. Fragrant Dream didn't even have time to protect him—his reactions slowed down, and his spirit needed to breathe and rest, to appear and disappear, unlike before when it was always by his side.

Knowing he didn't have much strength left, Xue Ming immediately abandoned Kunwu and threw the clay sculpture at the guards at the gate. He rushed into the entrance and grabbed a large knife, only to hear a shrill scream coming from inside the gate, where several puddles of flesh and several severed limbs appeared.

A blood-soaked figure charged out, the arrow still embedded in his left arm, its tail feathers broken off and left in his flesh.

Xue Ming's eyes remained clear, and he listened intently to the noisy voices behind him at the gate tower. He also heard the sound of the winch turning. He knew that the soldiers in the city were coming after him, and he had to leave immediately.

A group of soldiers emerged from a small door on the other side. Before the unlucky few who were leading the way could even fully exit the door, Xue Ming kicked them, sending them flying backward with stomach acid churning.

Looking at the small door at this end, it's completely blocked by corpses, making it impassable.

Scattered arrows fell from the city wall, but in the torrential rain, they had little effect; the only pursuers left were the knights.

By this time, Jiang Xueming was almost exhausted. He grabbed a corner of the military flag. The clay sculpture of Kunwu, which had been exposed to rain, had not dissolved and was completely covered by the flag. Xue Ming pulled the sculpture out of the small door and carried it on his shoulder again.

This time, he bent over and truly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and neck. In sync with the rhythm of his heart pumping blood, the pain in his left arm also erupted instantly.

He was in so much pain he could barely control himself; his muscles were trembling all over, and his body was on the verge of betraying him.

He walked slowly into the muddy rain, barely able to see where the official road was. The sky and earth were pitch black, with no stars or moon.

The south gate creaked open, and torches peeked out, illuminating Xue Ming several dozen paces away.

The imperial guard commander was already drenched in sweat. He had never seen such a fierce general, nor such an extraordinary person.

The most common immortals in the human world of the Great Xia Dynasty can command spiritual power to activate their spirits and use insidious and vicious "magic" to perform mysterious and unpredictable tricks. No matter how powerful their magical skills are, they can only command their spirit clones to use the ability of "flying swords" to harm blind mortals.

Can one sword and one man truly stand against an army of hundreds or thousands?

The soldiers of Taiye were all vigorous and full of vitality. To deal with ordinary demons and wild beasts in the forest, they only needed a few powerful crossbows and a clever sentry.

If it were a sneak attack, setting up an ambush to kill an immortal wouldn't be difficult—after all, immortals also bleed, suffer physical pain, and must overcome the calamities of war.

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows!" The city gatekeeper, having lost his job, was furious and had completely lost his temper.

Arrows rained down like a torrent in the dark night, their fletchings immediately losing their balance when wet. Xue Ming struggled to walk, but showed no sign of slowing down. If he took just a few more steps forward, these arrows would no longer be able to harm him.

The fast-moving light cavalry charged out, already clad in soft armor, indicating they were prepared.

The sound of horses' hooves was hard to discern in the rainy night. Xue Ming made a quick decision, no longer focusing solely on fleeing for his life, and put Kunwu down again—the sorcerer's eyes were filled with fear, and his mouth was sealed with mud and glue, so he couldn't utter a word.

Kunwu felt only regret, finally understanding what Judas had told him.

If you encounter the gunsmith's spirit, you must run!

The gunsmith himself is right here, having fought his way out of a city defense force of over a thousand men with his high-value target!

Without the aid of firearms, and without a single drop of Universal Elixir, this seemed to Kunwu to be nothing short of a miracle, an incredible and incomprehensible wonder.

"Master! I've arrived!"

A swift horse galloped out from the cavalry! The rider, dressed in a black robe and straw raincoat, was one of the Four Duty Officers Kunwu had been thinking about. He was a master from the Yin Yang Qiankun Temple and an elite among the Blood-giving Monster.

"The duty roster is here! The duty roster is here! I'm saved!" Kunwu was overjoyed, filled with hope.

The four officials—the Year Official, the Month Official, the Day Official, and the Hour Official—are the agents who oversee and manage affairs for the Yin-Yang Qiankun Sect.

In particular, the two devout followers on duty each day and hour are people the leader needs at all times, and he receives their protection almost every day.

The tall, powerful horse galloped forward with great momentum!

Xue Ming did not dodge. He stood firm again, sword in hand, and took a bow stance against the gale, his body becoming one with the earth, drawing strength from it.

With a flick of his wrist, the duty officer threw out two hidden darts from his sleeves. The blades gleamed with a ghostly green light, clearly indicating that they were coated with poison!

Xue Ming still did not back down, his mind filled with only the thought of a decisive battle.

The dart pierced his shoulder and heart, and the tingling sensation immediately took control of the muscles in his torso and abdomen. He made no further movements, tore off Jianying's long robe, tied it to the hilt of the Golden Seal Greatsword, and tied four corundum stones to his fingers.

The wind stirred, and two gleaming silver blades flashed out from the rainy night—

--The duty officer brandished his weapon, as ruthless as his ambidextrous concealed weapon skills. Holding a pair of short spears, he charged forward on horseback. He deliberately targeted the enemy's injured left side, where he was unable to exert force. He gripped the saddle tightly, leaning to the right and close to the ground, his momentum fierce as he tried to lift the enemy up, borrowing speed and power from the horse to strangle the bald donkey like a gourd!

A blood-red blade of light flashed between heaven and earth!

In an instant, the Fragrant Dream suddenly climbed onto the flesh and blood of the body, gripped the greatsword tightly, and raised its blade in a fighting stance!

The blade unleashed a chilling white ripple, and the wind pressure, the instant it struck the silver blade and shattered the horse's leg, turned into pink ice shards!

"Pfft!"

The reins binding the horse's neck were cut in two!

Anzi, carrying half of the day duty officer's body, was cut in two with a single stroke!

A fierce wind swept through, whipping up a crimson waterfall of ice!

The horse's bones and the human bones were split to the left and right, and the filth inside their bellies was about to spill out when the cold, murderous aura blew it into soft, frozen tofu, causing it to tumble and roll about ten feet away in the muddy puddles!

The Night Demon didn't linger. He merely glanced back at the cavalrymen following behind, swiftly pulling out two spears from his vital organs. Blood gushed from the wounds. He quickly pulled the arrowhead from his left arm, his body trembling and muscles tensing in pain, yet his expression remained unchanged. He swiftly took out his gourd, swallowed a mouthful of Universal Elixir, and acted as if nothing had happened. Only the aura of death followed him—like rotting flesh in a wolfhound's mouth.

The soldiers instinctively reined in their horses and stopped, smelling the cold, bloody scent carried on the wind, and dared not take another step forward.

The soldiers remained silent; the silence spread like a plague.

The officers and generals who were originally commanding the troops also stopped moving.

The half of the duty officer's body finally rolled to its end, landing precisely on a moss-covered, solitary rock along the official road. He died with his eyes wide open, his straw hat torn open, half his body tilted to one side, his head tilted back along with his broken limbs, his right arm holding a short spear hanging limply to one side, the spearhead broken in two.

The statue of Kunwu has returned to the gunsmith's shoulder.

The demonic Daoist looked incredulously at the duty officer, bodyguards, and thugs, staring at the half-corpse that resembled a human tombstone—

Yes, he's dead!