Fierce Battle at Blackwater City (Part 2)

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Merlin was not very good at riding, so he sat in the carriage with the curtain lifted, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Wilson Castle could already be seen in the distance.

Suddenly, a thick stench of blood drifted over on the cold wind. Merlin's expression changed, and he immediately jumped down from the carriage. "Uncle Pula, stop first!"

At this moment, Pula had clearly smelled the blood as well, and his face turned ashen.

"That direction is Wilson Castle!"

Once he had identified the direction the bloodstained wind came from, Merlin could no longer spare a thought for anything else. He sprinted with all his strength and reached Wilson Castle in one breath. There, he could already see the shocking corpses lying throughout the castle—servants and guards of Wilson Castle whom he knew well.

"Damn it!"

Merlin cursed under his breath and entered the castle with Pula.

"Huh? Merlin, you actually didn't die—and you came back?"

Tilafa led his men rushing out from the castle and came face-to-face with Merlin. The knights on both sides immediately drew their swords, and the atmosphere tightened at once.

"Tilafa! Where is Mei Xue?"

Merlin's face was iron-gray as he swept his eyes over the corpses on the ground. He did not find Mei Xue's body.

Tilafa did not answer. Instead, a hint of excitement appeared on his face. He hurriedly pointed at Merlin and said to the two men in white robes and silver armor beside him, "Two Guardian Swordsmen, he is Wilson's son!"

These two men in white robes were Guardian Swordsmen assigned by Mage Jason. They exchanged glances, then roared in unison, "Kill!"

At once, white light burst forth from the bodies of the two Guardian Swordsmen. They were clearly two First-Level Light Swordsmen, and they charged directly at Merlin.

At this moment, seeing corpses strewn all over Wilson Castle, Merlin's killing intent had long since surged to the heavens. His eyes were locked tightly on Tilafa, and he did not even spare the two Guardian Swordsmen a glance.

"Get lost!"

Merlin strode toward Tilafa. Having practiced the poses on the Mysterious Relief, his physical condition was already no weaker than that of any First-Level Elemental Swordsman—perhaps even stronger. Once he started running, he was incredibly fast, crossing several meters in just a few steps.

A trace of surprise appeared in the eyes of the two Guardian Swordsmen. They could both sense that Merlin was not an Elemental Swordsman, yet his physical strength surpassed anything they had imagined.

But something even more beyond their imagination followed. Merlin pointed with both hands, and two fist-sized flames suddenly appeared in his palms.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Merlin pointed, and the two flames flashed slightly, leaving streaks of shadows in the air as they blasted toward the two Guardian Swordsmen at tremendous speed.

"Not good, it's the spell of an evil heretic!"

The two Guardian Swordsmen were fairly knowledgeable and immediately recognized that the fireballs Merlin had released were spells. But by the time they tried to evade them, it was already too late.

As Merlin's mental strength increased, his control over Fireball had grown ever more consummate, until it could be called elusive as a ghost and unpredictable as a god. Once Fireball was cast, not even a Third-Level Elemental Swordsman could avoid it, much less these two mere First-Level Elemental Swordsmen.

Bang! Bang!

The two fireballs struck the chests of the Guardian Swordsmen squarely. Both fireballs contained terrifying heat, and the light armor they wore could not protect their bodies at all.

Thus, the fireballs burned bloody holes through the chests of the two Guardian Swordsmen. The light elements around their bodies immediately dissipated, and their bodies crashed heavily to the ground.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye. Two powerful Guardian Swordsmen had died, yet Merlin had not even paused as he continued charging toward Tilafa.

Tilafa was completely stunned. The knights beside him, however, though afraid, bravely stepped in front of him, preparing to protect Tilafa.

Merlin could not even be bothered to waste mana on knights who were not even Elemental Swordsmen. His fists flew like the wind as he attacked the knights around Tilafa.

Merlin's physical strength rivaled the peak of a First-Level Elemental Swordsman. Naturally, he dealt with those knights with ease.

Swish.

No one remained beside Tilafa to protect him. Merlin's gaze settled on Tilafa.

"Tilafa, where is Mei Xue?"

Merlin advanced on Tilafa step by step, his voice cold. At the same time, a fireball emitting terrifying heat appeared out of thin air before him, floating silently in the air.

At the sight of the fireball, Tilafa's face instantly turned deathly pale. He looked at Merlin timidly, completely at a loss.

Just as Merlin was about to step forward, seize Tilafa, and interrogate him thoroughly, a great number of knights suddenly surged out from the castle, roaring as they charged toward Merlin.

Tilafa had brought two hundred knights, more than the hundred knights Merlin had brought. But Merlin did not care in the slightest. Looking at the charging knights, a cold killing intent flashed through his eyes.

"Explode!"

Merlin pointed at the dozen or so knights ahead. The fireball floating quietly in the air swiftly flew forward, then Merlin detonated it with his mental strength.

The fist-sized fireball erupted with tremendous force. Several knights closest to it were sent flying and smashed heavily onto the ground, their breastplates blown to pieces.

The knights farther away were scorched by the scattered sparks after the fireball exploded. One after another, they fell to the ground, howling and screaming miserably.

At the same time, Pula drew his longsword and let out a great roar, leading the hundred knights behind him in a charge against Tilafa's knights. Though they were fewer in number, their momentum was overwhelming, and they also had the support of Merlin's Fireball. Thus, like dry weeds and rotten wood being crushed apart, they routed Tilafa's knights completely. The dead and wounded were everywhere, and only a scattered few escaped Wilson Castle.

At this time, Wilson Castle truly lay carpeted with corpses. Tilafa's knights, the castle servants, and countless bodies were mixed together, turning the entire Wilson Castle into a living hell.

"Young Master Merlin!"

Pula strode over. His armor had turned bright red, and his face was covered in blood. It was impossible to tell whether it was Pula's own blood or the enemy's.

"Did you find them?"

"Young Master Merlin, we searched everywhere. We did not find Miss Mei Xue, the steward, or Madam's bodies anywhere in the entire castle."

A trace of joy appeared on Pula's face as well. So long as their bodies had not been found, it meant Mei Xue and the others might still be alive.

Tilafa lay on the ground, his face like dead ashes. He had become Merlin's prisoner.

Merlin glanced at Tilafa, a cold smile appearing on his face. He turned to Pula and said, "Uncle Pula, I'll leave Tilafa to you."

"Hehe, rest assured, Young Master Merlin. There are one hundred and forty-eight lives in Wilson Castle. I'll settle the score with him properly."

A cruel smile appeared on Tilafa's blood-covered face as well.

Merlin paid Tilafa no further attention. He headed directly toward Old Wilson's room. In his heart, he had already vaguely guessed where Mei Xue and the others were hiding.

"Why has there been no movement?"

Mei Xue, still hiding in the cellar, spoke softly. Just moments ago, she had heard waves of footsteps outside, but suddenly, they had vanished.

The steward pondered for a moment before saying, "Miss Mei Xue, let's wait a little longer. Perhaps something happened and they left for the time being. But we must not act rashly. Staying here is the safest."

Mei Xue nodded as well. The heart she had just raised to her throat gradually relaxed.

Crack.

At that moment, the entrance to the cellar before Mei Xue and the others slowly opened.

"Not good, we've still been discovered!"

Mei Xue took a deep breath, then raised her greatsword high. She was ready to fight to the death.

A figure vaguely walked into the passageway. Mei Xue hesitated no longer. The instant the passage opened, the greatsword she held aloft came slashing down fiercely.