Gai Fengyou looked upward with worry.
At the mountaintop, Zhang Wentian suddenly burst out laughing. His eighteen pairs of enormous hands snatched in every direction, catching handfuls of cottony devil clouds out of thin air and stuffing them into his mouth in turn. His aura climbed steadily, and pair after pair of arms sprouted from his sides.
"Retreat!" Huang Tiantao shouted.
With Li Qingxian on his back, Zhou Hen withdrew to the Lower Mountain District without a word.
Every so often, the others looked at Li Qingxian on Zhou Hen's back, their eyes bewildered.
Their pillar of strength had fallen.
Like a pack of dogs that had lost their home, they followed behind Zhou Hen.
Occasionally, the thunderous din from the summit startled them into looking up at the mountain. All they could hear were tremendous booms, and all they could see was devil qi and sinister light filling the sky.
They returned to the Threshing Ground, where all the remaining townspeople had gathered.
Some sat and others stood, silently gazing toward the summit.
"We can't beat Zhang Wentian. I said so long ago. The Filthy Beggar and Xu Changren were just mantises trying to stop a chariot. They never stood a chance... If they hadn't rebelled, they could have lived a few more days. In Eerie Town, every extra day alive is a gain..." an Ascension Sect elder said quietly.
"Anyone else has the right to say that, but not your Ascension Sect. Who doesn't know your sect is the mayor's dog?" someone cursed.
"What's wrong with being a dog? A miserable life is better than a good death. I really want to be a dog in my next life, with someone to feed me."
"They might also slaughter you for meat."
"Enough talk. Let's hope they both end