A Fight to the Death

"Captain, sixty percent of Xiaowalu Mansion is already on fire."

One of the mansion's guards ran up to Kaminge, captain of the Elite Guard, and reported breathlessly, drenched in sweat.

"Good. The fire will spread to the rest on its own, so we don't need to set any more fires. Let's move! Surround the mansion and lie in wait for the enemy!"

Captain Kaminge shouted his new orders to the ten remaining guards.

But a loud gunshot from the roof suddenly shattered a stained-glass window in a burning hall behind them, making everyone jump.

"Lord Xiaowaluwen fired that shot! It means the enemy's gotten behind us!"

One of the guards shouted in panic and hurriedly raised his gun, but all he could see in the hall was the raging fire. There wasn't a soul in sight.

"Captain, what do we do? Do we attack or run?"

Another guard immediately asked Kaminge for his next order.

"W-We run! Lord Xiaowaluwen will cover us. We're sticking to the original plan!"

Kaminge hesitated for a moment before making up his mind. He led his subordinates away from the hall and raced toward the nearest exit.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As they sprinted, Xiaowaluwen's bullets kept booming behind Kaminge and his men. The gunshots grew clearer and clearer, a sure sign that Ye Chen was dodging Xiaowaluwen's sniping while rapidly closing in on them.

Kaminge listened to the sounds behind him as he led his guards in a desperate dash forward, all the while wondering why Ye Chen had deliberately circled around behind them.

The whole place is already an inferno. If he wanted to stop us from setting fires, he should've ambushed us up ahead.

So why did he deliberately charge into the flames?

It's almost as if...

It was just like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep, guiding them toward a chosen destination.

The instant the thought crossed Kaminge's mind, he shouted to his men, "Wait! Stop where you are—!"

But his warning came a moment too late. Two guards at the front of the corridor had already tripped over a concealed wire stretched across the floor, crashing down before they could catch themselves.

Their combined weight pulled on the wire, which in turn yanked the oil jars hanging on either side of the walls. Thick liquid splashed all over the two unlucky men in an instant.

The lighter attached to the other end of the wire was pulled by the tension, pressing its switch.

Whoosh!

Surrounded by the spilled oil, the spark instantly swelled into a blinding pool of fire, ruthlessly swallowing the two guards.

"Waaah!"

One of the men, engulfed in flames, rolled around on the ground, but the fire only grew fiercer, and he couldn't escape death. The other scrambled to his feet and ran forward in a panic, only to step on a Beast Trap hidden in the shadows. It clamped down hard on him, leaving him unable to break free or escape being burned alive.

Kaminge watched helplessly as two of his comrades died in agony, not daring to make a move. Then he yelled to his remaining men.

"Just as I thought! The enemy circled behind us to drive us into his traps. The road ahead is probably full of his traps too. We can't keep going!"

Another guard immediately suggested an alternative.

"Captain, there's a storeroom beside the corridor. It has a window we can climb through to get outside!"

With that, he ran to the storeroom door and shoved it open.

"Idiot, wait!"

Kaminge hurriedly tried to stop him again, but once more, he was a second too late.

The moment the guard opened the door, he sent the mountain of wheat flour piled in front of him billowing all over the room. At the same time, the wire tied to the doorknob tightened, setting off the lighter on the wall.

Boom!

The exploding cloud of flour blasted the guard several meters away. He slammed into the wall and crumpled to the ground, powerless.

By the time Kaminge picked him up, his face had been blown beyond recognition. He was dead, his body horribly mangled.

"Ughhh! That cunning bastard! Damn him! Damn him!"

Kaminge lowered his subordinate's corpse, pounded his chest, stamped his feet, and roared in grief and fury.

"Captain, what do we do now?"

The seven remaining guards looked helplessly to Kaminge for an answer.

By now, they had completely lost their bearings and had no idea what to do.

Kaminge clenched his fists and fell silent for a moment. At last, he ground his teeth and replied, "What else can we do? That bastard's probably filled every way out with traps. The original plan's impossible now, so we'll have to leave the rest to Lord Xiaowaluwen. We have only one choice left."

"If he wants a fight, then we'll fight!"

"We'll avenge Lord Xiaowalus and our Frost White Person lord! Brave members of the Elite Guard, give your lives! I, Kaminge, will fight alongside you to the very end!"

Kaminge shouted with bloodshot eyes. His valiant declaration moved and emboldened everyone around him, reigniting the air of despair that had settled over them.

"For Lord Xiaowalus! For our Frost White Person lord!"

The Elite Guard's furious battle cry rang through the mansion. The men steadied their loaded rifles and charged toward where Ye Chen had been earlier.

"Tch, he's hidden himself in a blind spot again. He's far too skilled. Are people from the outside world all this good?"

Xiaowaluwen muttered unhappily on the rooftop, then loaded another Abyss Bullet into his sniper rifle.

While Ye Chen had been in his sights, Xiaowaluwen had fired eight shots. Only five had hit, and none had struck a vital spot. It was humiliating.

Still, his opponent was clearly growing weaker. Xiaowaluwen was certain the scales of victory in this revenge battle would tip in his favor.

After thinking it over, Xiaowaluwen noticed the Elite Guard racing back toward Ye Chen's location. He quickly realized they were resolved to fight to the death.

"Looks like that scum's blocked off their escape route."

"Fine. Do whatever you can to wear the enemy down."

"I, Xiaowaluwen, won't let your sacrifice be in vain!"

Xiaowaluwen murmured to himself, then positioned his sniper rifle, ready to fire at any moment.

"Pant, pant, pant..."

Ye Chen hid inside a piano room, breathing heavily.

The floor in front of him was strewn with glass shards, shattered by Xiaowaluwen's bullets.

The adjoining parlor was surrounded by flames, and choking black smoke kept drifting in.

Because Ye Chen had wet himself in the bathhouse beforehand, the nearby fire hadn't affected him much. But Xiaowaluwen's shots from the high ground had left him bloodied, his entire body covered in wounds.

If the Gold-Patterned Black Cloak hadn't repeatedly softened the impact of several sniper rounds, Ye Chen would now be in dire straits, unable to move even if he were still alive.

"Teacher, this Third Trial... really is much harder than the first two."

As Ye Chen bandaged his wounds, he muttered to himself. Then he gave a bitter smile, swallowed a few painkillers, gripped the Silver Revolver, and forced his aching body upright once more.