Apart from those who were initially killed by crossbow bolts, the militiamen remained in formation behind their shields throughout the subsequent battles, engaging in combat without any real close-quarters fighting.
Therefore, the number of casualties was actually not high.
Of course, it was fortunate that these militiamen were wearing leather armor, otherwise the number of casualties might have doubled!
Of the 150 militiamen Bai Jinhuan led, only 116 remained when they arrived at Changsheng Street; the rest were either dead, wounded, or had fallen behind.
"Shall we go back to the Fist Academy now?"
After cleaning up the battlefield and counting the casualties, Mo Zhengxing asked Wu Shuangren.
Wu Shuangren shook his head. "Let's go straight to the Xie residence!"
Xie Mansion.
Inside the lobby, Xie Jingshan sat in a grand chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.
"Any news?"
He asked the same question for the fifth time.
The steward standing nearby bowed and said, "I'll go ask again."
Before the words were finished, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. A servant stumbled into the main hall and fell to the ground. "Master! Something terrible has happened! We've lost on Changsheng Street! Commander Luo is dead! Several leaders of the West River Gang are all dead!"
Xie Jingshan abruptly stood up, the armchair sliding backward with a jarring sound, "What did you say?!"
His voice suddenly rose. "Three hundred elite troops, forty repeating crossbows, Luo Zheng, and all the experts from the West River Gang —all dead? How is that possible!"
"Master, our men have returned. They say they witnessed Commander Luo being killed by Wu Shuangren, and our crossbowmen also said they saw several leaders of the West River Gang die before they fled..."
Xie Jingshan felt a surge of heat rush to his head. He grabbed the celadon teacup on the table and smashed it hard on the ground!
"Useless! You're all fucking useless!"
The sharp crack of shattering porcelain was particularly jarring. Xie Jingshan, panting heavily, veins bulging on his forehead, asked, "What about the Fist Academy?"
"I don't know yet..."
Go and find out!
"Yes!"
The butler quickly stepped forward to help him up. "Master, please calm down and take care of yourself..."
"Take care my ass!"
Xie Jingshan shoved the butler aside and paced back and forth in the lobby, panting heavily.
Soon, even more hurried footsteps echoed outside the courtyard. A second servant rushed in, shouting, "Master! We couldn't stop them at the Fist Academy; they've broken through!"
Xie Jingshan swayed, and his vision went black.
If the Fist Academy can stop him, he can mobilize more people to continue surrounding and killing Wu Shuangren.
But now...
"Master!"
The butler quickly helped him up.
The lobby was deathly silent.
Xie Jingshan's face was deathly pale. Despite the sweltering heat, he felt chilled to the bone, and cold sweat poured uncontrollably from his forehead.
The Xie Clan, along with the West River Gang, numbering over eight hundred, including a host of experts, and they even launched a sneak attack, yet they couldn't defeat a mere two hundred people from the Fist Academy?
Aren't they just local militia? Are they really elite border troops?
Xie Jingshan couldn't understand it!
"Master?"
The butler asked cautiously.
Xie Jingshan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Although his heart was in turmoil, his more than 30 years of experience in the business world allowed him to retain a last shred of rationality.
"Pass on my order," his voice was slightly hoarse, "Recall all our personnel outside! Immediately!"
The butler's expression changed. "Master, the Fist Academy has just gone through two major battles, and their men have suffered considerable casualties. Do you think they can just come knocking on our door?"
"Stop talking nonsense and get going!"
Xie Jingshan cursed.
The butler left in a disheveled state.
The militiamen marched in neat rows through the streets and alleys.
Pedestrians and merchants along the way looked horrified when they saw the procession.
Some people were so frightened that they ran far away, while others were so scared that they quickly closed the door.
Because this team is too aggressive!
Almost everyone was covered in blood, and their expressions were grim.
Wu Shuangren walked at the very front.
His wounds were simply bandaged, and the bleeding had stopped.
The iron armor that Luo Zheng was wearing was taken off and put on him.
This armor only has body armor, no skirt armor or shoulder guards, but its defensive capabilities are still quite good. If Wu Shuangren and Xu Yu had been wearing an armor today, neither of them would have been so badly injured.
Xu Yu followed beside Wu Shuangren. He didn't know Internal Skill, so the bleeding from his wound couldn't be completely stopped, staining the gauze around the wound red.
Wu Shuangren hadn't planned to let Xu Yu continue following, but the other insisted, saying he was just a little hungry and would be fine after eating something.
So the group made sure to eat something before setting off.
Wu Shuangren continued to circulate his Internal Skill; after such an intense battle, he definitely needed to replenish his food.
He watched as Xu Yu ate, and the [Lean Tiger] Traits above his head became clear again after it had gone from blurry, before he agreed to let the other person continue to follow him.
When the group arrived at the street where the Xie family mansion was located, hundreds of the Xie Clan family servants had already gathered there, armed and guarding outside the mansion.
Wu Shuangren hadn't expected to keep this a secret, so the news was bound to get out.
But he didn't care.
Wu Shuangren stopped and raised his hand. The ranks behind him stopped at the same time, their movements perfectly synchronized.
The Xie Clan family servants stirred.
82 Traits upgraded
"Form ranks."
Wu Shuangren issued the order.
The militiamen moved swiftly; the thirty men in the front row raised their shields, forming a shield wall. Spears from the back row protruded through the gaps in the shields, their tips pointing diagonally forward.
In less than ten breaths, without any commotion or chaos, the militiamen had already formed their attack formation.
A murderous aura surged into the sky!
The Xie Clan family servants in the front row instinctively stepped back.
"Master! They've arrived!"
The butler practically stumbled into the study. "They're arrayed outside; looks like they're going to storm in!"
Xie Jingshan tried to remain calm and sat in his chair, but failed several times when he tried to stand up.
"Afu..."
Xie Jingshan opened his mouth.
But the butler, Afu, didn't hear clearly.
"Afu!"
Xie Jingshan could only shout one more time.
"Master?"
Afu came closer.
"Go... go and talk to them."
Xie Jingshan's voice was barely audible, "Tell Militia Commander Wu that as long as he's willing to negotiate, I'm willing to give him the Xie Clan Boxing Arena, and... and an extra five hundred... no, a thousand taels of silver!"
"Yes."
Afu nodded repeatedly.
Soon, the gate of the Xie residence creaked open a crack.
The steward Afu, wearing a long silk robe, walked out shakily, and the servants quickly made way for him.
Afu cautiously walked to the front, intending to take a few more steps, but seeing the menacing crowd opposite him, his legs went weak and he dared not move forward any further.
Afu cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound steady, "Commander Wu... Militia Commander Wu, I have come to deliver a message on behalf of my family head."
"Explain."
Wu Shuangren looked at him calmly.
Afu felt uneasy under that gaze, but forced himself to continue, "Today's events were truly a misunderstanding. My master is willing to offer compensation—first, the Xie Clan Boxing Arena will be transferred to the Fist Academy free of charge, effective immediately. Second, a compensation of one thousand taels of silver will be paid to the brave warriors injured or killed today."
"We only ask that Militia Commander Wu be lenient and let this matter drop."
Afu bowed respectfully, "In the future, the Xie Clan Chamber of Commerce wishes to work together with the Fist Academy for mutual development..."
"Ha ha ha ha--"
Wu Shuangren's laughter interrupted Afu's words.
After laughing, Wu Shuangren activated his Internal Skill, his voice resounding throughout the long street and clearly reaching inside the Xie residence:
Xie Jingshan!
"Changsheng Street, you and the West River Gang joined forces, three hundred of you against my fifty, and you still lost!"
"Outside the Fist Academy, you four hundred-plus people surrounded and attacked my one hundred-plus people, yet you still couldn't win!"
"Xie Jingshan, I gave you a chance but you failed!"
"What right do you have to talk to me now?!"
Inside the lobby, Xie Jingshan turned deathly pale upon hearing these words and slumped completely into his chair.
Wu Shuangren raised his hand. "Throw it out!"
At his command, one by one, the militiamen in the ranks threw the things wrapped in cloth in their hands forward.
"Careful--"
"Raise your shields!"
The Xie Clan family servants in front, thinking that Wu Shuangren and his group were about to launch an attack, stirred up a commotion and quickly raised their shields.
But what flew in wasn't a weapon...
The cloth bundle scattered in the air, and dozens of human heads rolled out, hitting the bluestone pavement with a dull thud!
The head rolled forward, landing at the feet of the front-row servants, leaving pools of blood on the ground.
The West River Gang, Li Ming; second-in-command, Chen Xiao; third-in-command Zhao Kui... Xie Clan's retainer, Luo Zheng, and several other retainers of the Xie Clan...
The servants in the front row recognized the heads, and their faces turned deathly pale!
Although the servants behind couldn't see the heads, some of them had personally participated in the battle that morning. Those who hadn't participated in the battle, after hearing what Wu Shuangren had just said, could also understand what had happened.
Fear began to fester and spread among the crowd.
Clang—