Death… and me

[That open area was our only chance to kill King of Hell Chu!]

[Our only option is to draw support from the terrain and make use of the army’s overwhelming numerical strength to pin him down. But we would lose our numerical superiority once we allowed him to enter the crowd.]

[The army may have a total of 10,000 soldiers… However, only a dozen or so soldiers can attack at the same time once the melee begins. How can a ordinary soldiers possibly deal with a King Level Expert like that?]

[Therefore, King of Hell Chu’s entry into the crowd is similar to a dragon’s return to the sea or a tiger entry into the deep of the mountains. We cannot let that happen!]

"Sway the signal flags – disband the formation! Everyone must chase down the enemy! Disregard all consequences and focus on the chase!" Wang Teng Long quickly adjusted his mentality. He knew he still had a chance… [chase and kill!]

[When thousands of people are chasing down one person… he’ll eventually be caught and meet his end! He is ferocious and very difficult to deal with… But he’s seriously injured… He can’t possibly kill ten thousand elite soldiers on his own!]

[He may die of exhaustion as long as we continue to exhaust him little by little!]

"Yes!" His personal bodyguard left to relay the order.

"Leave behind a small number of people to make an inventory of casualties. The others shall participate in the chase. You mustn’t make any mistakes!" Wang Teng Long looked the battlefield. It was a complete mess. He sighed sadly, but decisively issued his next order without any hesitation.

There was only one regret in Wang Teng Long’s heart… [Those bastards of the Golden Horse Riders Department were supposed to be the main force to capture King of Hell Chu. Where the hell are they?]

[We had reached an agreement that we’ll merely assist with blocking. But now the ordinary soldiers under my command are being made to stop a King Level Expert… this is disgraceful!]

The valiance and prowess of King of Hell Chu made him appear like a King Level Expert in Wang Teng Long's eyes; and that too not a low-level King Level Expert.

Chu Yang’s feet moved with incredible force as he rushed-out like a hurricane. His entire body was covered in blood. The wide-open land was spread before his eyes. However, the hasty sound of deployment of troops had started to resound from behind.

Chu Yang was aware that now was the time when his endurance would be put to test. [I can only be safe once I escape this round of chase.]

He leapt-up into the air. His body wrung like a black dragon, and then he fiercely kicked two cavalry soldiers off their warhorses. He mounted one of the warhorses with the very-next step. He clamped his legs on either sides of the warhorse and lifted the reins. The steed neighed and swung its hips as its body darted forward like an arrow.

"Release the arrows!" a loud shout came from behind. Chu Yang coldly snorted as he heard this. He leaned over on the horseback; it seemed as if he had completely ignored the attack.

Shua Shua Shua…

Chu Yang turned around and brandished his sword as soon as the sound of arrows resounded from behind. His sword released a group of shadows. Pop Pop Pop Pop, the arrows were neatly blocked, and fell down. Chu Yang conveniently grabbed an arrow in its flight. He then reached behind the back of the steed, and fiercely inserted it into its butt.

The steed felt the acute pain, and began to run faster.

The noise of the soldiers’ bellows and horses’ neighs resounded from behind. This was followed by the rumbling sound of iron hooves trampling the ground. It seemed as if a giant formation of molten iron was rapidly flooding forward along the road like a mighty black torrent; it seemed to be maneuvering itself towards Chu Yang at a lightning speed.

Chu Yang was ahead of it. He continued to ride away at the fastest possible speed. But the mighty black torrent was less than 700-800 feet behind him.

The entire army had formed a few miles long formation as it sped forward. Their fluttering flags issued a mournful ‘whizzing’ sound in the early summer weather. Thousands of people had ferocious look on their faces. They were crazily kicking their horses to run faster. Their sinister aura had soared into the sky; it seemed as if it could blot-out this sunny and cloudless sky.

However, the distance between him and the pursuers increased little-by-little, and Chu Yang gradually calmed down. He endured the pain as he pulled out the three arrow shafts from his body and flung them out one by one.

The Sword Spirit quickly poured-in several medicinal efficacies to treat his wounds and help him endure the pain. The sound of the hooves suddenly got louder, and Chu Yang desperately increased his speed further. He had heaved a sigh of relief, but his heart was constantly cramped with fear nonetheless.

[I might not have been able to break out if it weren’t for the Nine Tribulations Sword’s ability to devour the power of life. The army that I encountered was undoubtedly an elite one! The degree of their valiance was beyond imagination.]

[If I hadn’t come in time when they were setting-up the camps and taken advantage of that opportunity… then I wouldn’t have been able to shake-off this army! Had I somehow managed to escape… then it would’ve been at a very heavy price!]

To be able to face the enemy in a frenetic manner and still manage to display such a combat power… In fact, they had nearly succeeded in compelling the Nine Tribulations Sword’s Master to stay here… forever. The terror of this army could only be imagined…

[Who’s the commander of this army? But no matter who it is… he’s not someone to be trifled with.]

[I must deal with him carefully if I were to face him again in the battlefield…]

… …

Jing Meng Hun was still under the cliff; he was still searching around. He had found some traces that were left behind by Chu Yang when he had descended the cliff.

This had boosted his confidence; [King of Hell Chu was here!]

Therefore, he began to search more cautiously and meticulously after he got down.

In fact, he didn’t even leave that small pool which was located under the cliff unexamined… he had dived into it. However, he soon realized that it wasn’t a feasible place to hide. The black bears, wild wolves and several other species of animals who had taken-up residence under the cliff had been thrown into disarray. They fled into different directions under this sudden distress.

Everyone felt that victory was in sight. Each one of them was in high spirits. These people had descended the cliff to kill King of Hell Chu. They were part of a mission of paramount importance.

However, loud yells and shouts were heard from afar while the search was in full swing. These weren’t the voices of two people… they were the clamors of thousands of people. This sound had arrived from very far away, and had ventured deep into this mountain forest.

Jing Meng Hun was startled by this. He stood up and erected his ears to listen closely as he said, "What is that sound?"

They could hear the sound. However, they had no way to tell what the sounds were shouting since it was coming from too far away.

"It seems like Wang Teng Long's army has mutinied…" the Command Horse Rider who stood next to him frowned and spoke in a suspicious tone.

Jing Meng Hun remained silent after he heard this sentence. [The only army in the nearby areas is that of Wang Teng Long. Who else can it be? And as far as a mutiny is concerned…] Jing Meng Hun was itching to slap the hell out of the guy who had spoken these words.

Wang Teng Long was world-famous for the strict governance of his armed forces. Jing Meng Hun wouldn’t be surprised if a mutiny were to occur in any other general’s army. However, it could never happen in Wang Teng Long's army! Not to mention that these elite soldiers belonged to his personal army…

"Since it’s not a mutiny… therefore, it can only be…" Jing Meng Hun’s heart suddenly skipped, "Dammit! King of Hell Chu has rushed out! We must hurry!"

The Command Horse Rider was stunned, [when I said it’s mutiny, the King Level Expert Jing said ‘it’s not mutiny’. Moreover, he used ‘since’ at the beginning of the sentence… then he said that the King of Hell Chu had run away?]

This sudden unevenness in the line of thought had baffled the Command Horse Rider. He was left in a daze. He pondered for a while with his eyes wide open, but couldn’t understand the reason.

However, Jing Meng Hun had issued a command. So, everyone took the shortest route to the opposite cliff and climbed-up. Then, they rushed in the direction from which the sound was sourced.

However, the war-cries went farther away by the time they reached half-the-distance.

It was too late by the time they arrived at the scene. The entire canyon had turned into a sea of blood. The early-summer season is the time when myriads of plants and vegetation are in their most luxuriant phase. However, even that lush green vegetation couldn’t conceal this bloody scene.

Less than 500 noncommissioned soldiers were silently and patiently searching for the body parts of their comrades in that pile of corpses. They would flip-over the corpses to find the chopped-off hands and feet. They would then strive to return them to their original bodies. The strong and howling wind was causing the severed heads to roll-down the pile of corpses while their long-disheveled hair fluttered in the air…

It seemed as if Jing Meng Hun had been struck by a lightning.

He took a big stride forward and grabbed a soldier. He then exclaimed loudly, "What’s going on? Where’s everyone?"

The soldier who was caught by his collar found it difficult to breathe. However, he titled his head as he disdainfully looked at Jing Meng Hun and slowly spoke, "I’m a human!" He paused for a second… then said, "These brothers that lay on the ground are human too!"

Jing Meng Hun turned speechless. He felt weak in his hands. So, he relinquished his grip and put him down as he asked again, "What’s going on here?"

The soldier looked indifferently at him. A faint look of grief and indignation gradually started to smolder in his eyes. He didn’t answer and replied with a question instead, "You’re the people of the Golden Horse Riders Department, right?"

"…" Jing Meng Hun’s face was burning with anger, but one could clearly see the guilt of his conscious in his eyes. He replied, "Yes."

"Chasing and killing King of Hell Chu was your job," That soldier grinned in a miserable manner. It seemed as if he had tried to smile… but wasn’t able to. He further added, "We were engaged in a battle with King of hell Chu. Countless of our brothers died brutal deaths, and you have the guts to ask… ‘what’s going on?’!"

He suddenly straightened his body and stretched-out his hand to point a finger at Jing Meng Hun’s nose. Then, he shouted with the entirety of his might, "You tell me; what’s going on?!"

Jing Meng Hun opened his eyes wide. He was in a daze and was unable to respond.

"When we were being mercilessly slaughtered and bathing in our own blood… where were you? When our brothers were brutally killed one-by-one by King of Hell Chu… who was supposed to be chased down you people… where were you?" The soldier laughed hysterically, "You arrive here… after the battle has ended?! And then you have the audacity to ask… ‘what’s going on?’!"

Jing Meng Hun heaved a deep sigh. He had nothing to say in reply.

The man before him was merely a young soldier. Bluntly speaking, Jing Meng Hun would only need a finger to crush ten like him. However, this Nine Grade King level Expert unexpectedly showed signs of a guilty conscience when faced with the reproaching questions and anger-filled gaze of this young soldier.

He heaved a long sigh. Then, he slowly asked with his head hanging-down, "What about the casualties?"

"What about the casualties, you ask? Don’t you have eyes?" the soldier pointed his finger at him and roared. His chest was moving up and down; his voice had turned hoarse. His eyes had turned bloodshot after he heard the word ‘casualties’.

"936 brothers died in battle! None injured!" that soldier replied in a low and deep voice as tears tickled down his face and dripped on the ground. "What are your thoughts about this figure?"

Jing Meng Hun only sighed in response.

Then, he turned towards the corpses that lay in the battlefield and solemnly gave a military salute. He then exclaimed loudly, "Brothers, I am Jing Meng Hun! Sorry! I am sorry! We’ve arrived late!"

He suddenly felt as if his heart was being fried in oil.

[936 soldiers died… but not a single was left just wounded! This alone is enough to answer a lot of questions!]

[These soldiers had arrived here knowing full-well what was happening… and what they were supposed to do. They knew the ins-and-outs of the entire story. Wang Teng Long never conceals anything from his troops… except for some major strategic decisions.]

[So, they grieve!]

[These soldiers didn’t regret being killed by King of Hell Chu. That is because they were here to kill King of Hell Chu. Therefore, being killed by the enemy instead… is only natural.]