Killing Maniac

Unfortunately, it was their day off rotation, and their battalion was not defending the city.

He could only remain in the camp, listening to the sounds of battle and slaughter beyond the city walls.

Before long, the logistics officer delivered new manpower to fill the vacancies in their unit.

Their squad was assigned four new soldiers.

Two looked like they were from the local army, while the other two, judging by their faces, were probably conscripts dragged in from who knew where.

There was no helping it. The war had already lasted half a month, and the soldiers defending the pass had suffered tremendous losses. This was the only way to replenish the ranks.

Who could blame them when the imperial court still had not sent a great army to reinforce them?

The two newly assigned conscripts wore faces full of terror as they listened to the cries of battle outside the city.

Old Soldier looked at the two conscripts with helpless expressions as well.

These conscripts were cannon fodder sent to their deaths.

Of course, Sheng Huai'an was an exception. He was a freak.

Conscripts who had received no training and never cultivated martial arts were cannon fodder meant to die, were they not?

Everyone was quiet. Wang Wu silently wiped down his saber.

Zhang Da Niu raised his head and looked at the sky. The sky beyond the northern frontier was clear and cloudless for ten thousand miles.

It was now September, the crisp height of autumn.

Li Bu San and Li Bu Si sat together, resting.

"Uncle, how long do you think this Xiongnu army will keep attacking the city?" Sheng Huai'an asked.

"Until winter," Old Soldier answered blandly.

The Xiongnu army had crossed the border and marched south precisely to plunder the borderfolk's grain for the winter.

And incidentally, to seize some women and make the winter a little warmer.

"So there'll be plenty to fight!" Sheng Huai'an's eyes lit up.

"What sort of look is that?" Old Soldier glared at Sheng Huai'an irritably.

Everyone else wished there were no war, yet Sheng Huai'an seemed to be hoping for one.

"Ahem, well, I was thinking I could kill more Xiongnu bandits, earn some Military Merit, get a minor official post, buy a few acres of poor land, then buy a few wives and live a good life," Sheng Huai'an said, spinning nonsense.

"A few wives? Has your little bird even grown up yet?" Li Bu Si said with a laugh.

"Hahaha, Brother Huai'an is probably still a virgin," Zhang Da Niu said, laughing as well.

Sheng Huai'an's face darkened. "I'm seventeen this year. My bird's grown, and its feathers have all grown in too. Want to take them out and compare?"

"Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting?" Old Soldier barked.

Comparing birds in the military camp?

Did they have a death wish?

Sheng Huai'an could only shut up obediently, and Zhang Da Niu stopped teasing him.

Those tending their armor tended their armor, and those sharpening their war sabers sharpened their war sabers. The morning passed amid the sounds of slaughter.

Sheng Huai'an took a written order from Old Soldier and went to collect equipment.

He arrived at the camp's storehouse.

"Whose subordinate are you? What are you doing here?" a logistics official asked upon seeing Sheng Huai'an.

"I'm Old Soldier's soldier. Here is Old Soldier's written order. I've come to collect equipment," Sheng Huai'an said, producing the order Old Soldier had given him.

The logistics official took the order, examined it, and nodded.

"So you're that fellow's soldier. Fine, wait here." Then he turned and entered the storehouse.

"Hey, brother, are you here to collect weapons and equipment too?" a burly man said to Sheng Huai'an.

Hearing the voice, Sheng Huai'an turned around and nodded at the man. He only felt that the other man looked somewhat familiar.

"It's you, Kidney-Stabbing Divine Hand!" the burly man said, staring at Sheng Huai'an in shock.

"Kidney-Stabbing Divine Hand? What Kidney-Stabbing Divine Hand?" Sheng Huai'an was utterly baffled.

The burly man seemed to recall something and hurriedly shut his mouth, while his hands instinctively guarded his waist.

"N-Nothing." The burly man turned around and strode away.

Watching him leave, Sheng Huai'an found it utterly inexplicable.

"Deng Wu, why have you come back? Where are the weapons you collected?"

Deng Wu looked back before saying, "Guess who I just saw?"

"Acting all mysterious. Don't tell me you ran into General Who Pacifies the North?" Pei Yong said.

"No. Let me tell you, I ran into Kidney-Stabbing Divine Hand," Deng Wu said.

"Kidney-Stabbing Divine Hand? The one rumored to specialize in dirty tricks, stabbing Xiongnu enemies in the kidneys?" Pei Yong asked.

"That's him. Yesterday, I saw with my own eyes how he viciously stabbed five or six Xiongnu soldiers to death. Every single one got a blade through the kidney. Those Xiongnu soldiers died horribly," Deng Wu said, still shaken.

"Why are you afraid of him? Do you think he'll stab you in the kidney?"

"Besides, even if he stabs kidneys, he'd stab Xiongnu bandits. Look how badly he scared you," Pei Yong said.

"I'm afraid he'll get used to it and suddenly give me one too. Wouldn't that ruin me? Little Hong back home is still waiting for me to return and marry her," Deng Wu said.

The logistics official emerged from the storehouse carrying thirty arrows and a new war saber.

Sheng Huai'an had wanted to ask for more arrows, but the logistics officer rebuked him and refused.

He went on about supplies being scarce and needing to hold out until the great army arrived to reinforce them.

Sheng Huai'an could only let it go.

Still, thirty arrows were enough for him to shoot thirty enemies.

After leaving the camp storehouse, Sheng Huai'an returned to his squad.

After lunch, the Xiongnu army still showed no sign of sounding the gong to withdraw. Old Soldier frowned toward the city wall, unease rising in his heart.

Today's siege seemed even fiercer than yesterday's.

Before Old Soldier's worries had lasted long, the martial commandant urgently assembled them and led their battalion up the walls to provide support.

The battalion defending the city today could no longer hold out.

When the order came for them to reinforce the wall, Sheng Huai'an was overjoyed. He could go up there and kill enemies again.

With his bow and arrows on his back, war saber at his waist, and armor on his body, Sheng Huai'an followed the old soldiers and swiftly climbed the city wall.

Today, even more Xiongnu enemies had made it onto the wall than yesterday.

Quite a few defenders had already died in battle.

Now that close combat had begun, Sheng Huai'an could not kill enemies with his bow. He drew the war saber at his waist and charged at the enemy.

Seeing Sheng Huai'an raise his saber to strike, using Mount Tai Chop, the Xiongnu soldier swiftly lifted his own saber to block.

Clang!!

The blow sent the opponent stumbling back several steps. Before he could recover, Sheng Huai'an rushed forward and used Saber Strike Sparrow, killing him in one stroke and splitting his bird in two.

Seeing how viciously Sheng Huai'an struck, Wang Wu immediately felt a chill between his legs.

He decided in his heart that he must never provoke Sheng Huai'an in the future.

This kid either stabbed kidneys or used Saber Strike Sparrow. He was far too brutal.

After splitting a bird and killing an enemy, Sheng Huai'an discovered that he had gained two points of Slaughter Value.

Before he had time to study it, he swiftly raised his saber and charged at another Xiongnu enemy.

That was an ordinary Xiongnu soldier who had only just entered the Martial Disciple realm. Sheng Huai'an cut through his weapon with one strike, splitting both man and saber in half.

The Minor Accomplishment Blood Fiend Saber Technique had caused Sheng Huai'an's combat strength to soar. He was no longer relying solely on brute force.

Slash!

Another saber strike killed a Xiongnu enemy. As a late-stage Martial Disciple with nine hundred and ninety-nine jin of strength in one arm, coupled with the Blood Fiend Saber Technique, Sheng Huai'an's combat strength was more than twice what it had been yesterday.

Enemies whose cultivation was lower than his were swiftly cut down like melons and vegetables.

Sheng Huai'an saw a familiar-looking burly man battling an enemy ahead. He seemed to be the man he had encountered while collecting weapons.

Deng Wu had encountered a formidable foe and was fighting him to a standstill.

Seeing this, the Old Six genes in Sheng Huai'an's body began acting up again.

Seizing the chance, he stabbed down with his saber, swift, accurate, and vicious, driving it into that Xiongnu soldier's waist.

Seeing that familiar sight, Deng Wu could not help shivering, feeling a chill at his own waist.

He was here. He was here again. Kidney-Stabbing Divine Hand had come again with that gentle, kind smile.

"You all right, brother?" Sheng Huai'an revealed a friendly smile.

"I-I'm fine. Thank you!" After saying thanks, Deng Wu hurriedly turned around and put distance between himself and Sheng Huai'an.

This was a battlefield, with chaotic fighting everywhere. He feared Sheng Huai'an would get addicted to stabbing and give him a slash as well.

Watching Deng Wu turn and flee from him, Sheng Huai'an was at a loss. Was he really that frightening?

Why did he feel as though the other man was terrified of him?

Unable to make head or tail of it, Sheng Huai'an continued searching for his next victim.

Watching Sheng Huai'an continuously slaughter their comrades, four or five Xiongnu soldiers surrounded him, intending to kill him.

"You lowly Great Wei man, you dare kill so many sons of my people. You deserve death," one burly man said, glaring at Sheng Huai'an.

In only a short while, several men had already died beneath Sheng Huai'an's saber. Naturally, this drew the attention of many Xiongnu.

"Every Xiongnu bandit deserves to be executed. The ones who deserve death are you. I'll send you to meet your Shaman God, one blade at a time," Sheng Huai'an would not show mercy.

As they said, those not of our race must harbor different hearts.

He was now a man of Great Wei, born to stand against the Xiongnu. Between the two sides, it had always been a fight to the death.

What was more, Sheng Huai'an needed Slaughter Value to aid his cultivation. Whether for public duty or private gain, he had to kill these Xiongnu.

"Hmph. Once the great army of our royal court breaks through the pass, we will slaughter every last one of you Wei men," the Xiongnu man said, raising his saber in both hands as he charged.

The other four attacked Sheng Huai'an as well.

Using the Blood Fiend Saber Technique, Killing Intent clinging to his blade, Sheng Huai'an fought with broad, sweeping strokes against five Xiongnu enemies alone.

The leading Xiongnu enemy was not weak. Like Sheng Huai'an, he was a late-stage Martial Disciple.

But Sheng Huai'an's strength surpassed his by a great margin. Combined with the Blood Fiend Saber Technique, Sheng Huai'an faced the encirclement of five Xiongnu without falling into the slightest disadvantage.

An ordinary late-stage Martial Disciple possessed around seven hundred jin of strength in one arm, while Sheng Huai'an had nine hundred and ninety-nine.

That was strength normally possessed only by a Martial Disciple Great Perfection.

After breaking through to the late stage of Martial Disciple and bringing the Blood Fiend Saber Technique to Minor Accomplishment, he dared say he had no rival within the same realm.

Blood Battle in All Directions, Frenzied Slaying in the Rainy Night, Saber Strike Sparrow, Might Split Mount Hua, Sweep Through a Thousand Armies...

Once the full set of Blood Fiend Saber Technique moves had been unleashed, the five Xiongnu enemies lay in pools of blood.

After dealing with the five Xiongnu enemies who had surrounded him, Sheng Huai'an flicked the blood from his saber.

I'm terrifyingly strong now!

If this had been his previous life, he would have dared to shout in the middle of the street, "I can take on a hundred!"

After killing those five Xiongnu enemies, Sheng Huai'an did not stop. He continued hacking down Xiongnu enemies climbing onto the wall.

Xiongnu enemies continued climbing onto the wall in an endless stream, utterly fearless of death.

Before long, he had already cut down more than twenty enemies.

Xiongnu enemies whose cultivation had not reached the late stage of Martial Disciple were killed one at a time by Sheng Huai'an, hacked to death atop the city wall.

A general atop the city wall and gate tower noticed Sheng Huai'an.

"Whose subordinate is that? How is he so valiant?"

"General, he appears to be an ordinary soldier, likely one of the Seventh Battalion martial commandant's subordinates," the deputy general beside him said.

"Not bad. In such a short time, he has killed more than twenty enemies. He has some real valor," the general said with a smile.

Sheng Huai'an was like a tireless killing maniac. Whenever he saw a Xiongnu enemy, he charged forward and hacked.

One climbed up, one was cut down. He hacked from east to west, carving a bloody street through them.