Chapter 122: Ketone Ghost Eyes, Deviating into the Dead City

"Oh, isn't this Xiao Ling? How rude of you to sneak into my bathhouse," the woman said, turning her head with a playful, teasing smile.

Though her face was fair and beautiful, her mouth was filled with terrifying, jagged fangs that sent a chill down the spine. Without waiting for a response, she suddenly rose from the bath. Even more nauseating was the sight of her fair, naked body, which was covered from head to toe in ghostly eyes with white whites and black pupils. Xiao Ling’s pupils constricted, and he hurriedly turned his head away, not daring to look again.

"Giggle, now that you're here, why be so shy?"

"If I hadn't come in, you never would have come out. The situation is urgent; I have no time for such trivialities."

"Oh? What kind of monumental matter could trouble the ever-dashing Xiao Ling so deeply? I thought perhaps you had a change of heart and were pining for me."

"I have encountered a bit of trouble. A brat from the Demon-Slaying Division has repeatedly thwarted the combined armies of Shule and Bilu. Not only did he prevent the capture of the Beiting Prefecture, but he also sent forty thousand soldiers to their deaths in the bellies of insects. It is truly a thorny problem."

"Oh? Is it so difficult that even Master Feng cannot subdue him?"

"The brat is as slippery as an eel. Not only did he break my soul-piercing sonic technique, but he also possesses a technique to rapidly boost his movement speed. Whenever I pursue him, the insect swarms are sure to follow. I am at my wit's end, so I came to consult you."

"Oh? And what do you intend to do?"

"Set a trap, lure him into the fold, and then bind him with your Ghost-Silk Spider threads. That way, the brat won't be able to escape even with wings!"

"Hehe, if Master Feng asks, I can hardly refuse. Why not go tomorrow? Let us enjoy ourselves tonight first."

Xiao Ling swallowed hard. Although he was a monster, he had taken on a human form, and seeing this woman covered in ghostly eyes—let alone touching her—made him shudder. He had no such thoughts.

"Our Master commanded us to complete the Great Northwest Plan. I did not wish to trouble you, but now that things have changed, we cannot delay. Otherwise, the agony of the Ghost Abyss soul-refining will be no laughing matter."

The bewitching woman’s expression stiffened for a moment before she gave a nonchalant, delicate laugh.

"Very well, I shall accompany Master Feng then. I wonder what that human brat tastes like? When the time comes, you must let me train him!"

"As you wish."

...

After Han Chong wiped out the forty thousand enemy troops, his heart was in turmoil. Driven by the lingering intent to kill, he sought out a remote earthen hill, carved out a small cave, and sat down to meditate. It took a long time for his mind to settle.

Although they were enemy troops, they were still forty thousand lives. He had never imagined that one day, forty thousand people would die because of him, and in such a miserable fashion. Yet, he held a scale in his heart; even if it were a god or a bodhisattva, to save the world, one must use thunderous means to suppress the aggressors, or there would be no justice in the world.

After entering deep meditation, he did not know how much time had passed before Han Chong finally cleared his mind and awoke.

After great grief came great determination. Han Chong’s state of mind became as firm as a rock. As long as he remained true to his conscience, he would fight until the heavens crumbled and the spirits wailed; otherwise, he would never stop.

Emerging from the earthen hill, Han Chong sped toward the Anxi Protectorate. He intended to drive the enemy forces of both nations completely out of the territory. However, he could not repeat his previous tactic of relying on the alien insects. If a swarm appeared, the soldiers of Anxi would also be left without a whole corpse.

However, when he arrived within a hundred miles of the Anxi Protectorate on the evening of the next day, he saw the soldiers of his own nation fleeing in all directions, pursued by the enemy’s flying cavalry, leaving countless dead and wounded in their wake!

*Not good. Has the Anxi Prefecture already fallen?*

After swiftly dispatching the enemy flying cavalry, Han Chong seized a garrison officer and interrogated him. Only then did he learn that seven days had passed since the day of the insect swarm. Both of the outer satellite cities of Anxi had fallen, leaving only the main city clinging to life. The commander had even openly permitted the soldiers to break out and flee; of the original 150,000 troops, only 70,000 remained!

Han Chong frowned and released the officer. Even insects cling to life, and when defeat is certain, breaking out is a rational choice. He then wondered why the commanding general would allow his men to flee while he himself remained to hold the city—was he intending to die with it?

...

On the eastern gate stood several thousand soldiers in battered armor, their eyes fixed on the bearded general in golden armor who stood unmoving atop the battlements. Over a decade of frontier life, they had come to view him as a god in their hearts. Even now, with the city walls crumbling and the army decimated, as long as this man did not flee, they would rather die than abandon their post!

"Grand Protector, it seems a man in black is charging over from that side."

A lieutenant suddenly pointed to the northeast, and the soldiers looked on with lingering doubt. Indeed, amidst the sea of thousands, a figure in black moved with the agility of a leopard. A massive, ten-foot black sword in his hand cut through the wind, carving a clear path through the besieging army, leaving enemy soldiers falling left and right in his wake.

"Who is this? The city is all but ruins; why would anyone come here to throw their life away?"

The bearded general’s cold, resolute eyes held a hint of surprise.

Han Chong fought his way to the foot of the city gate and raised his head to exchange a glance with the bearded general. He nodded inwardly. With the city in peril and the troops exhausted, this general remained calm and immovable; he was truly a tough man.

Using his hands as claws to dodge the rain of arrows from the enemy below, Han Chong scaled the ten-story-high wall and arrived at the gate step by step.

"Stop! Who are you? State your name!" the lieutenant barked.

"I am Han Chong, a guerrilla general of the Demon-Slaying Battalion. I have come specifically to reinforce the Anxi Prefecture. May I ask if the Grand Protector of Anxi is on the platform?" Han Chong asked, cupping his hands.

"Indeed, I am Lei Wanshan. So, you are General Han. You must know that Anxi is on the verge of falling; why bother coming here to die?" the bearded general nodded slightly.

"Hehe, if the Grand Protector fights to the death without retreating, and the soldiers defend with their lives, how could I, Han, shrink back?" the latter replied with a faint smile.

"Oh? Did General Han come from Beiting? How is the situation there now?"

"The armies of the two nations outside Beiting have been completely annihilated, though the noble Grand Protector and others were unfortunately murdered by traitors."

"Hiss!" The soldiers all gasped, exchanging shocked looks. They had thought the situation at Anxi was dire enough, but they had not expected that even the high-ranking officers at Beiting had been assassinated. However, the total destruction of the two armies was even harder to believe. It was said that the besieging force at Beiting was only 100,000 fewer than at Anxi. Even if heavenly troops had descended, it would be hard to kill them all. Was this man spouting nonsense? Could he be a spy?

Yet, the bearded general only nodded. From the sincerity in Han Chong’s eyes, he knew the man was not lying.

At that moment, the enemy army outside opened a path. Four marshals in golden armor, riding tall horses, led their officers to the front of the formation and looked up at the top of the gate.

Han Chong and Grand Protector Lei also looked down at them.

...

"Pilu, Xile, is that the black-clad brat who broke through the formation and climbed the wall?"

"It should be him. No one else has the guts to charge into a dead city alone like that. He treats us as if we were nothing; such insolence is unbearable."

"Who would have thought that after summoning a million insects to wipe out our forty thousand troops, this brat would still have the nerve to run to Anxi? If we catch him, we must make him wish for death!"