The world was already in the industrial age, so the existence of firearms was only natural. Most handguns, however, were revolvers.
Their construction was simple and they rarely malfunctioned, so there was no need to worry about jams and the like. Their gas seal, however, was somewhat lacking.
Then again, handguns had never been solely about kinetic energy. What mattered was dealing effectively with enemies that got close.
Two shots rang out, and two bursts of flame rapidly expanded, engulfing the shadow a short distance away.
Firing shotgun rounds from a revolver was rather inconceivable, but what this man had fired were specialized "Weird-Breaking Projectiles"!
Everyone present had looked down on Wu Youren's actions earlier, but who wouldn't want to be prepared for anything now?
"Pss-hah-" After a barely audible scream, the shadow vanished in an instant.
"What's the big deal?" The driver put away his revolver and snorted disdainfully. "This is Tianjing!"
"Are you fucking sick in the head?" the leader cursed furiously. "One slash would have solved it, and you used a gun?"
If he'd used ordinary bullets, that would have been one thing, but those were Weird-Breaking Projectiles!
"I'm not a Knight. One slash might not have done it," the driver replied, unconcerned.
"If bullets can solve the problem, why not use them? Well... worst comes to worst, I'll pay for them myself!"
The guards watching over the hostages really did have connections of their own, to the point that they could do as they pleased even with their superior.
"Mutated Qi Weirds have appeared in the capital region!" The leader was genuinely anxious. "Firing that fucking gun could bring a whole swarm of them down on us!"
"Looks like they're already here," another guard said with a soft sigh. "Get ready to fight."
Countless shadows flickered in and out of sight amid the rain and mist filling the sky.
Gusts of cold wind blew past. No one knew whether they were eerie winds or the damp chill brought by the rain and mist.
As for how many shadows there were, no one claimed they could make them out.
"Friends from Jin, it's time to fight the enemy together," the leader said calmly. "Relying solely on firearms will draw more of the Weird Race."
A martial artist's Qi and blood, combined with fighting moves, were highly effective at killing Weirds. This kind of combat was the most common in battles against the Weird Race.
Firearms were used for convenience, but their power was only average, and their cost was extraordinarily high.
The main issue was that an Ability User had to control the Weird-Breaking Projectile production line, making mass production impossible for the time being.
"We don't even have specialized weapons," Feng Qianjun said calmly, drawing a gold-inlaid jade knife. "We can't charge their formation."
When facing the Weird Race, humans had to band together to fight. There was no other choice.
But killing Weirds was different from killing people. Many methods that worked on humans were useless against the Weird Race.
The hostages had come to Great Liang eight years ago with a clear mission. At most, they had brought a few weapons for self-defense. Who would have gone out of their way to bring specialized weapons?
Even their self-defense weapons were subject to strict restrictions on rank. Someone like Wu Youren wasn't even allowed to carry a stone knife and could only bring a wooden sword.
Asking the hostages to join the fight now really was... impossible with their equipment!
The guard leader knew this, of course, and could only nod. "Watch the area around us. If anything happens to us, you won't fare any better."
There was no room for so many courtesies on the battlefield. The more directly one spoke, the better, so others wouldn't misunderstand.
The next moment, gunfire erupted as more than a dozen guards began firing in succession.
They had spoken of fighting the Weird Race hand to hand, but if conditions allowed, killing them with bullets was still the safer option.
The crucial point was that night had only just fallen. The devil knew what would happen next.
"They should have given us a couple of specialized weapons," He Wenhao muttered softly, holding a small silver dagger in a reverse grip.
The dagger was a self-defense weapon he had brought from home. It contained a little mithril and other materials, making it quite hard.
More importantly, it could also restrain the Weird Race to some extent. As the son of a baron, this dagger was the most valuable thing he had.
"Doesn't matter." Wu Youren had no such sentiments. "If they'd given you one, wouldn't you have to step up and fight?"
"As things stand, we can advance to attack or retreat to... well, isn't this pretty good?"
"Kid." The guard who had been driving had emptied his revolver during the successive volleys. As he reloaded, he turned his head and glared fiercely.
"What was that sheet metal clattering about earlier?"
Wu Youren had set up a trap earlier, using the sheet metal as a warning. It had been right beside the convertible, making it easy to react from nearby.
At the time, the three guards in his group had all sensed the faint presence of a shadow to some degree.
But none of the three had been very sure, so none had warned him. He was only a hostage from an enemy nation anyway; if he died, he died!
More importantly, what happened to him could help everyone figure out just what they were dealing with.
Who would have thought the kid was so quick-witted? Not only had he noticed it in time, he had also slipped away without a sound.
The sound of the sheet metal had been largely responsible for distracting the shadow!
The driver couldn't help wondering whether the fellow had done it on purpose.
"The sheet metal... clattered?" Wu Youren looked startled. "I didn't notice that. I just sensed a faint chill behind me!"
"Heh, you'd better not have done it!" The driver gave a chuckle of uncertain meaning, snapped the cylinder shut, and fired again.
Did it really matter whether he had done it or not? He only needed to know that he had to watch out for this fellow!
At the same time, however, He Wenhao noticed something strange. He could feel Wu Youren trembling slightly.
What had this fellow thought of that could actually... make him afraid too?
In his mind, the lord's grandson could be described in many ways, but cowardice shouldn't have been one of them.
Things like conceding the challenge match weren't cowardice; he simply couldn't withstand the greater tide.
In the eyes of ordinary people, the term "greater tide" was terribly vague, but the hostages felt its force all too keenly.
In any case, He Wenhao didn't think the fellow was a coward.
Even the trap he had set earlier could only be called caution-hadn't a guard even suspected he'd been schemed against?
That made his reaction now a little strange!
In fact, He Wenhao wasn't the only one puzzled. Wu Youren himself was quite bewildered. What... was happening?
The Weird-Repelling Jue at his waist had actually begun to grow slightly warm, and he was certain it was no illusion.
His body was also a little restless. His breath was fluctuating, and even his body felt somewhat lighter.
In his veins, in his Qi and blood, he felt a stirring eagerness, a faint urge to rush forward and fight at close quarters.
What on earth was happening? Wu Youren was genuinely puzzled. Did this body really crave battle that much?
Or did the Weird-Repelling Jue his so-called grandfather had given him hold some indescribable secret?
He considered the latter possibility infinitely close to zero. That lord had nine children in his direct line: five sons and four daughters.
If not for the order to send hostages, the original owner of this body could have lived his whole life without ever coming into contact with him.
The next moment, Wu Youren suddenly remembered that he had felt something similar after Jin Garden's old gardener died.
It was just that the sensation was more pronounced this time.
Could it be... the system activating? He wasn't sure.
Immediately afterward, he tried circulating his internal breath a little, and his heart stirred with quiet delight once more.
He cultivated the Raging Gale Cultivation Technique, an internal-breath technique provided by Jin's military that could take one all the way to Divine Might Knight.
This technique was far superior to the few cultivated by ordinary soldiers, and it never appeared on the market.
That was one of the benefits of being a hostage. Otherwise, given his status, the best he could have obtained was the common stuff widely cultivated in the army.
Now, as he circulated his internal breath, he found it flowing a tiny bit more smoothly than usual.
He had felt something similar after the old gardener died, but the sensation had been so faint that he hadn't been sure.
At the time, he had guessed that the matter of the poisoned wine had finally been put behind him, clearing the gloom from his heart and allowing him to make a little progress.
This time, his breath flowed a little more smoothly than it had after the last improvement, and the sensation was clearer too.
Was it because facing the Weird Race had stirred his emotions? He didn't put much faith in that possibility.
But what did the old gardener's death and the Weirds' deaths have in common that could improve his cultivation even a little?
Killing monsters... gained experience points?
Just then, the guard leader gave a sharp grunt. "Knight Apprentices, defend! Knights, attack with me... sweep formation!"
Each of the three vehicles had a Knight, and with the leader that made four. They drew their long sabers and advanced together.
As their sabers swung, formidable streams of Qi slashed forward. This was Battle Qi, something only true Knights could unleash!
The indistinct, shadowy figures were utterly unable to put up any effective resistance against those razor-sharp saber lights.
Like dead wood being smashed to pieces, all the shadows were torn apart by the saber lights.
Faintly, countless piercing screams could be heard.
One guard couldn't help cheering. "Good! That's the might you'd expect from Great Liang's Knights!"
The four Knights advanced slowly, the two on the flanks ahead and the two in the middle behind. Unhurried, they could protect their own side while killing the enemy.
It wasn't something just any group of Knights could pull off. Both regular training and combat awareness were indispensable.
If they were eager for glory and cared only about the thrill of killing, they could easily harm both others and themselves.
The hostages weren't particularly moved. Great Liang's military discipline wasn't much to speak of, but that didn't mean its soldiers could have no sense of how to fight together.
They exchanged glances, but kept most of their attention on the ground: had any items dropped?
It was somewhat like monsters dropping equipment when killed, except that this equipment was something the Weird Race already possessed.
The hostages knew about such things, but they had entered Jin Garden when they were young and had never actually seen them.
Wu Youren was no exception. Who wouldn't long to become an Ability User?
But immediately afterward, he frowned. "Huh?"
He Wenhao heard the quiet sound and turned to glance at him. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Wu Youren replied casually, while wondering to himself, Where are my experience points?
The four Knights had killed so many Qi Weirds, yet he hadn't felt anything unusual?
He had already prepared himself to gorge to his heart's content, but... there really was nothing!
This time he had paid close attention to his senses. There was absolutely no chance he was mistaken.
The four Knights advanced unhurriedly to the doorway, then entered the rain.
Not only did they advance and retreat in an orderly fashion, but even as their saber Qi crisscrossed the air, they caused surprisingly little damage to the factory building.
"They can release and withdraw it at will," Feng Qianjun said with a slight nod. "Impressive!"
When under a low roof, who would dare not bow their head? There was no shame in flattering the enemy a little!
(It's the end of the month, and the book is still new. Please support it by keeping up with the chapters, voting, and adding it to your collection. As usual, there'll be an extra chapter after midnight.)