People Go

"Handcuff them all and take them back!"

"Fuck you!"

The bearded Ji Chang was unreasonable, but the muscular Fifth Brother was even more overbearing. With a 'snap', he tore off half the banister of the stairs and smashed it down at Ji Chang's bald head.

"Ah! You bastard, how dare you resist arrest... Aaaah!"

The bearded man flinched and dodged behind the innkeeper, narrowly avoiding the blow. Before he could finish speaking, Fifth Brother shoved the innkeeper aside and kicked him squarely in the chest, crushing the protective copper plate and sending him flying.

"Ji Chang!"

"Damn it, you dare fight back! Cut him down!"

"Capture that little vixen alive!"

The soldiers were enraged. They drew their waist knives and swarmed forward.

The Xuan Niang's pretty face flushed under the soldiers' gazes. She brandished a saber in her left hand and a sword in her right, declaring angrily, "A bunch of scoundrels! Come on!"

"Fifth Brother! Break through!" Fourth Young Master commanded.

"Alright! Get lost, you corrupt officials!" Fifth Brother immediately grabbed the innkeeper by the collar, threw him out, and drew his broadsword to engage the soldiers.

The three of them held the high ground on the stairs. Although the patrol guards were numerous, they were hampered by the terrain and couldn't surround them.

Furthermore, these soldiers had come into the shop to eat and were only armed with short sabers for self-defense, less than two feet long. To prevent them from slipping out of their scabbards while riding, they even lacked pommels, making them difficult to thrust with. They were usually used like short clubs for parrying and blocking.

In close combat, wielding short sabers for wild swings was fine, but now, with Fifth Brother's broadsword whirling like a windmill, they couldn't cope. Each time they charged forward, they were chopped into a frantic retreat. Fifth Brother wasn't a pure brute; he skillfully controlled the distance, advancing and retreating, never fully leaving the stairwell, denying the guards the opportunity to surround him. Instead, he used his high ground advantage to cut down the soldiers who charged forward. If they weren't wearing armor, many would have been killed.

So, half the soldiers blocked the stairwell entrance, looking for an opportunity to rush up and capture them. Another four or five quick-witted ones put their short sabers in their mouths, leaped over tables and benches, and clung to the walls of the stairs, attempting to flank them from the sides.

But Xuan Niang was clearly no pushover. She spun her pair of swords, slashing and thrusting, her feet kicking, giving the soldiers no chance to close in for a pincer attack. Instead, her sharp sword severed many fingers and turned them into bloody messes, causing the soldiers to cry out in pain and lose their grip, falling to the ground with clangs.

The diners downstairs finally reacted. A wave of screams erupted from the crowd as they scrambled to escape the inn, unable to dodge.

"Sir..." a eunuch's bodyguard drew his saber, seeking instructions.

"No rush, capturing bandits is the patrol guards' job." The eunuch raised his hand to stop his bodyguard, appearing surprisingly experienced and calm. He even looked with appreciation at Fifth Brother, who was fighting his way through the soldiers, as if watching a monkey show.

"Senior brother?" Another disguised merchant looked at their leader.

"Unfamiliar territory, let's not get involved. Go!" The bearded man's eyes darted, and he lifted his robe, preparing to leave.

"You... you damn scoundrels! You kicked me so hard I almost passed out..." The bald Ji Chang got up and, seeing the chaotic fight, roared, "What are you panicking about! Front guards, keep watch! Side guards, go get the halberds and crossbows! Seal the doors and the shop, no one leaves!!"

"Yes!" The patrol guards responded in unison. Their formation immediately tightened, and they stopped rushing forward in waves. About ten of them, armed with sabers, formed a line to block the stairwell. Several others carried the wounded out of the inn and soon returned with large halberds and crossbows, sealing the entrance.

As a result, the group of disguised merchants were again a step too late. They could only helplessly stand with the other slow-moving guests, forced by the patrol guards with drawn sabers to the corners of the inn.

With the addition of the bald man shouting orders, the soldiers, who had been acting like ruffians moments before, instantly changed their demeanor. The front rank formed a phalanx with halberds, while the rear rank nocked arrows and drew crossbows. Their military bearing was orderly and swift, so much so that the three martial artists didn't even have time to react. They had just caught their breath, only to find the situation reversed in the blink of an eye, leaving them cornered.

Ji Chang put on his helmet, the cheek guards enclosing his face and neck, leaving only a triangular opening for his eyes and nose. He stepped forward, holding a halberd, and shouted, "Lin!!"

As he stepped forward, four Halberdiers in similar armor stepped out on either side, holding halberds. They shouted "Lin!!" in unison and thrust their halberds forward, forcing the three martial artists on the stairs to retreat.

The soldiers who had been at the front with sabers took this opportunity to step back. They methodically donned their armor, bandaged their wounds, took up long weapons to fill the gaps, and shouted "Lin!" in unison.

With layered formations of spears and halberds, like a forest, they slowly advanced, the chilling glint of steel on their weapons suppressing Fifth Brother's ferocity and forcing the three of them to retreat step by step from the stairs back into the second-floor guest rooms.

But it was still too late. Two crossbowmen in the rear had already drawn their bows. Aiming at the mountain, they shot two arrows. The bolts pierced deep into the sides of the doorframe, past the fletching, sealing off their retreat!

If these two shots had been aimed at people, they would have been instantly fatal. This was clearly a final warning!

"Drop your weapons!" Ji Chang roared.

"Drop your weapons!" The patrol guards echoed.

The three were trapped on the stairs, unable to advance or retreat. The scene froze for a moment.

The masked mixed-race girl, who had been sitting at a table, remained unmoved, watching the fight with composure. She then spoke in her regional accent to her two attendants.

'Huo Shan Mo Lian states that the Li Kingdom's soldiers are strong, making it difficult to plot.'

Li Fan, hiding under the table, rolled his eyes.

Speaking of the system, what time is it? Stop translating that useless stuff and find Kun!

Li Fan was exasperated. He knew it; the name Dragon Gate Inn was unlucky. In the time it took to have a drink, a group of people could start a brawl. What kind of plot was this, about fighting for women in a nightclub?

However, Li Fan also noticed that these patrol guards were indeed well-trained. Individually, the soldiers had ordinary martial arts skills; their strength and speed were inferior to the martial artists. At most, they had practiced some body-strengthening techniques, making them stronger than ordinary mortals. If not for their lamellar armor, made of iron plates linked together, they would have been cut down like vegetables in the short time they had been fighting.

But once they formed up and advanced, the martial artists were clearly no match for them. After all, their swords and sabers clearly couldn't penetrate armor. And their martial arts, to be honest, weren't that great.

For example, Fifth Brother, that muscular brute, wielded his broadsword with grand, sweeping movements. It looked flashy but seemed ineffective; he hadn't killed anyone. Perhaps he couldn't penetrate the armor, but he was likely holding back against the imperial troops. At least, Li Fan felt that Fifth Brother's techniques had too many superfluous movements compared to Yuan Xuanbao and Chen Daotong. He wasted a lot of energy, and his breathing rhythm was off, causing him to need to pause after a few rounds and miss the opportunity to break through when the soldiers hadn't yet formed their ranks.

If it were those two Little Taoists setting up stalls outside, they could fight for a day and a night without getting winded. They would have already charged out. It was clear that Fifth Brother, limited by his aptitude or opportunities, had wasted his hard work without learning the true methods, thus his strength was limited.

Of course, Li Fan could only offer a balanced analysis. If he had to fight this military formation, he wouldn't know what to do either. After all, he had secretly scanned the entire scene with his divine sense. There wasn't a single person here at the level of Xuanbao and Daotong's proper Foundation Establishment Realm completion; they were all mortals. At most, the eunuch and the fake bearded man were slightly stronger, and Fourth Young Master's aura was a bit strange ...

In short, if he casually unleashed a blast, it might blow up half the street, inevitably harming innocent bystanders. If he used his sword energy to weave around, he might accidentally sever limbs, and the scene would be too bloody, which was undesirable.

Thinking about it, he shouldn't have listened to that sword intent guy's nonsense. If he had learned some trash techniques like body-strengthening, like his two fellow disciples, he wouldn't be so restricted now, unable to act heroically to save the beauty.

Alas, how pitiful. The beautiful Xuan Niang was about to fall into the tiger's den.

The three of them were out of options and knew they couldn't fight to the death. They could only surrender.

Fourth Young Master, who had been meditating, stepped forward, his face grim. "Fifth Brother, Xuan Niang, I'll charge the formation. You two seize the opportunity to escape. Don't worry about me."

"Fourth Brother! What are you talking about!" "Fourth Young Master! We live and die together!"

"Listen to me! Prepare to leave!" Fourth Young Master stood forward, and as he breathed, his face turned a dark color. The wound gradually exuded black and gray blood.

"Still trying to die! Kill without mercy!" Ji Chang cursed angrily.

The eunuch, who was leisurely drinking tea and watching the show, saw the dark energy and his smiling face froze. He waved his hand.

The cloaked guards received the order and stood up, walking towards the mountain guards.

"Stop!" The guards on the side, halberdiers and crossbowmen, immediately pointed their swords and halberds at them, on guard.

The guards said nothing more. They extended their hands and revealed a golden token on their palms.

Ji Chang, the leader, had been observing everything and watching the surroundings. When he saw the golden token, he trembled violently and shouted, "Mountain!"

The halberdiers of the mountain guards stopped in unison, lowered their halberds and crossbows, and maintained their defensive positions.

Ji Chang quickly retreated from the formation, handed his great halberd to a soldier beside him, and then crouched down to bow respectfully to the guards. As if receiving some instruction from the guards, Ji Chang nodded repeatedly, turned, and waved his hand, "Retreat!"

The mountain guards in the hall instantly held their breath, and there was a moment of silence.

Ji Chang glared and shouted, "Retreat!"

"Yes!" The soldiers had no choice. A few who had been injured earlier had to pick up their severed fingers and stuff them into their clothes before filing out. Soon, they had retreated from the inn.

Ji Chang turned and bowed twice more to the guards and the eunuch with a fawning expression, then backed out of the door.

The masked girl couldn't help but chuckle. She said something to her two attendants, and the three of them, as if they had just been frightened travelers, laughed as if they had finally relaxed.

'Huo Shan Mo Lian felt that they were just spineless lapdogs.'

She even had the mood to smile at Li Fan, "Little Taoist, there's no need to be afraid. The rebel soldiers have already retreated."

Li Fan crawled out from under the table, speechless. He wasn't afraid; he was looking for Kun... And this woman, she was definitely not normal...

They thought that with the mountain guards gone, the matter would be over. The three martial artists hesitated whether to thank the eunuch who had saved their lives. Who knew that the eunuch, surrounded by guards, would stand up and leave in a hurry!

This time, not only the three martial artists were stunned. The surrounding merchants were also confused.

The bearded merchant glanced at Fourth Young Master. He saw that the blood clots on his wound were spreading, clearly black and foul like ink. He was suddenly alarmed, "He's going to turn into a Sha! Hurry and leave!"

The bearded merchant led his men and hurried out. However, as soon as they reached the door, they were shot back by a volley of arrows!

It turned out that those officials had run out and surrounded the inn!

"Outrageous!" The bearded man, who had failed to escape several times, couldn't take it anymore. He ripped off his beard and pulled out a three-foot-long fish intestine short sword from under his long robe, shouting, "Damn officials are vicious! Do you want to feed us to the Sha?!"

"Hahahaha!" The eunuch laughed shrilly from outside, "To gain a Sha corpse out of nowhere is a heaven-sent merit for me to pick up for free! I'll have to trouble all of you to assist me!"

"What!" The masked girl, Huo Shan Mo Lian, couldn't sit still anymore. She jumped up and looked at Fourth Young Master, whose face was dark. Pointing at the three martial artists, she shouted, "Where did you steal from an immortal's tomb to be contaminated with such heavy Sha Qi!"

"Fourth Young Master! How are you! Hold on!" Xuan Niang was only concerned with supporting the increasingly dark Fourth Young Master, her face full of worry.

Fifth Brother held his broad saber horizontally, "Our brothers' affairs have nothing to do with all of you! We won't implicate you..."

"Nonsense! Aren't these all troubles you caused!" The fake bearded man drew his short sword and rushed forward, "If he can't hold on and turns into a Sha corpse, none of us will survive! What are you all waiting for! If you don't cut off his head now, you won't be able to later!"

Now, the people in the inn panicked. They had all been timid just moments ago, but now they all drew their swords and weapons, surrounding them and shouting insults. Even Huo Shan Mo Lian waved her hand. Her two attendants took out golden melon hammers and iron axes from their robes, following the fake bearded man forward, intending to attack.

As a result, Li Fan still didn't know what was happening. Seeing that the sword intent was still floating in the wine jar, he had to go to the side and pull the shopkeeper up to inquire, "What is this Sha corpse transformation situation?"

The shopkeeper was also on the verge of tears. He really didn't expect that just by coveting a piece of Horseshoe Gold, so many disasters would arise.

"There are many scattered immortal caves on Buzhou Mountain. If the primordial spirit of an immortal dies inside, their dao body will turn into an immortal zombie. They will still cultivate like living people, but what they cultivate will not be Dao breath true Qi, but Yuan Sha corpse Qi. If mortals are contaminated with Sha Qi, they will transform into Sha corpses. They will become Sha corpses that can fly and escape, with bronze skin and iron bones, impervious to blades and spears, only..."

"Demons and Devils are to be executed! Sword Control Technique!" Before he could finish speaking, the fake bearded man could no longer hold back. He jumped up the stairs, drew his sword, and thrust it straight towards the center. Fourth Young Master, who was meditating and trying his best to suppress the Sha Qi, moved quite gracefully, with a bit of the flavor of a flying immortal with one sword. Although the moves he actually used had nothing to do with the proper Sword Control Technique...

"Get lost, you dog!" Fifth Brother absolutely would not stand by and watch this guy jump over his head to assassinate his brother. He opened his mouth and spat, swinging his broad saber to chop at his waist.

Who knew he swung and missed!

It turned out that the fake bearded man was very insidious. Although he shouted impressively, he actually jumped straight up and didn't leap forward much. Instead, several of his disciples dressed as merchants behind him, not understanding their senior brother's fighting style, all leaped out with their flying swords.

As a result, they were not wearing armor, and jumping high in plain cloth was just sending themselves to their deaths. On the left, one person was cut in half from shoulder to shoulder by Fifth Brother's saber. On the right, one person had an arm severed and head cut off by Xuan Niang's sword and saber. In an instant, the corridor was splashed with a large amount of red blood, splattering all over the wall.

Holy crap...

Li Fan wrinkled his nose and covered his face.

But it wasn't over yet. The fake bearded man, having sacrificed two teammates, seized the opening. With a shout of "Heh--", he performed a second jump, rising from the ground, and threw the short sword in his hand directly at Fourth Young Master's forehead!

"Despicable!" Fifth Brother, his face mottled with blood and looking ferocious like a ghost, threw his broad saber back to block the sword. But who knew this was another feint!

It turned out that the fake bearded man's right little finger was connected to a steel wire, with one end attached to the sword ring of the short sword. With a pull, he pulled the short sword back into his hand and stabbed it directly into the throat of Fifth Brother, who had left himself wide open!

"Fifth Brother! Ah!" Xuan Niang wanted to fly up to save him, but she was stabbed in the sole of her foot by the swords of two other disciples of the fake bearded man from the bottom of the stairs. With a cry of pain, she chopped off the step with her saber and fell into the corridor, fighting with the two of them. In an instant, swords flashed and blood splattered. It was unknown whose major artery had been severed!

Holy crap...

Li Fan's jaw dropped.

But it wasn't over yet!

'Huo Shan Mo Lian felt that the enemy leader should be struck first.'

The system translated the girl's dialect. Her two attendants also rushed forward, one wielding a hammer and the other an axe, like two white eagles. This burst of power was even more explosive than the fake bearded man's jump, and they were also hidden masters! They smashed a hole in Fourth Young Master's forehead with a hammer, breaking his spine, and then chopped down vertically with an axe, splitting his ribs and cutting straight to his heart.

"Fourth Brother!" Fifth Brother let out a whistling, air-leaking scream. The fake bearded man had already gouged his chest with his short sword, and he was brutally torn apart and killed.

The two followers on the other side still wanted to exert themselves, drawing out their hammers and axes to smash Fourth Young Master into a pulp, but they couldn't pull them out.

The two looked up, only to see their hands ripped off by Fourth Young Master with a grab and a tear. Looking closer, Fourth Young Master had already gouged out four bloody holes where their eyes should have been, tearing open their skulls and killing them instantly.

The fake bearded man was greatly alarmed. He let out a long howl, took a deep breath, and leaped back from Fifth Brother's corpse, but he was, again, a beat too slow.

Before his legs could fly free, Fourth Young Master grabbed them. With a kick to the groin, the man split into three pieces, a bloody mess that flew backward through the window, landing outside the Dragon Gate Inn and bursting into a pool before the heavily guarded Halberdier formation.

The eunuch, protected by a dense formation of armored soldiers, looked at the unrecognizable mass of blood before him and laughed heartily, "Good! The Sha Corpse is made! Go! Invite a Taoist from Ink Bamboo Mountain to collect the body!"