Death… and me

Countless flags fluttered in the howling winds as they made their way into the battlefield. And, millions of troops surged into the battlefield like roaring tides!

Great Zhao’s barracks had already turned into a full-fledged battlefield! More than six million people were engaged in a brutal fight… slashing at each other… attacking and killing each other!

Suddenly, the flames danced and spread across the barracks at a lightning speed. The swaying flames then surged all around. A loud rumbling noise resounded with a bright flash. Then, an earth-shattering explosion occurred in the center of the Great Zhao’s barracks!

This violent explosion had created a big hole in the central region, and it had a radius of hundreds of feet. Those who were present in the center – whether enemy or friend… and regardless of their military rank — had been blasted to the sky. And, their body parts had scattered everywhere!

Then, the barracks suddenly caught fire. And, the raging flames spread rapidly and uncontrollably at a lightning speed. It was too late to stop it. The fire had pervaded for 250-300 meters in a short period of time. And, it continued to spread towards the periphery at a rapid pace!

Intermittent bursts of yellow, green, purple and black smoke soared up to the sky. And, the smoke rapidly expanded throughout the battlefield in this windless and cloudless weather!

These smokes had clearly been added as ‘extras’. Those who inhaled the yellow smoke started to feel dizzy, and their heads started to spin. And, they felt as if they were losing their sanity. It seemed as if their minds were caught in some kind of an inexplicable confusion. They shouted wildly, and frantically brandished their swords to attack and kill enemies and friend alike… The chaotic war for unification had finally started!

The black smoke rose and spread everywhere. Those who inhaled it were rendered powerless from head to toe. In fact, they couldn’t even control their eyelids. The weapons in their hands dropped to the ground with a clang. And, they could only watch their enemy’s shining broadsword slash towards their own body with a look of fear on their face…

The green smoke tumbled up-and-around. Those who inhaled it were stimulated. And, they experienced a drastic rise in blood flow within their bodies. Therefore, they could now display endless strength. So, they clamored loudly, and attacked their enemies…

The dense purple smoke blasted out. And, those who inhaled it felt that there were flowers before them. They felt as if they were in a fairyland. Moreover, the blood vessels in their bodies dilated. They also went ‘hard’ down ‘there’. Then, they started to visualize a stunning naked-beauty standing beside them…

Therefore, they couldn’t help but gasp in excitement. And, they pounced forward like perverts. Obscene laughter, strange cries, and screaming sounds echoed everywhere… it was quite unsightly!

These smokes were a variety of narcotic drugs in reality. The Golden Horse Riders Department had collected them over dozens of years. Some could confuse or incapacitate people. Some had poisonous effects, while some worked as an aphrodisiac…

In short… various kinds of narcotic smokes — which could make people lose themselves — had been unleashed here! Moreover, they were unceasingly volatilizing along with the combustion…

Therefore, the density of narcotic smokes in the air was becoming higher and higher. They would soar upwards, and float toward the mountains. Then, they would hit the mountains, and drift back. And, these smokes continued to shroud the sky over the battlefield as a result. It seemed as if there was a huge magnet in the battlefield that was attracting these narcotic smokes… and wasn’t allowing them to drift away…

The organized systems and disciplines were lost soon-after the war started. Everyone was fighting and killing in an instinctive manner. Whether it was the generals or foot-soldiers… everyone had lost their minds, and had fallen into utter confusion…

~~In Diwu Qing Rou’s tent~~

Jing Meng Hun was dressed in a suit of armor. He checked the time. Then, he got up and shouted, "We’re moving out! Inform everyone in the Golden Horse Riders Department to prepare for an attack! Our target is King of Hell Chu!"

"Yes!" everyone complied!

Jing Meng Hun was about to head-out when someone angrily shouted from outside, "How can this be? I want to see the Prime Minister! I want to see the Prime Minister!"

It was the ‘Hundred Wars’ Heavenly Dragon General — Yu Han.

He had madly rushed-in while shouting in a crazy manner, and had bumped right into Jing Meng Hun, "King Level Expert Jing, where’s the Prime Minister?"

"The Prime Minister isn’t here. You can tell me whatever you have to say," Jing Meng Hun coldly replied.

"What’s going on?" Yu Han angrily pointed at the frenzied battlefield that stood at the foot of the mountain. His pupils had turned bloodshot, "What kind of a f*ked-up fighting method is this?"

"General Yu, what are you talking about?" Jing Meng Hun looked at him in a discontented manner.

"I just want to ask… who ordered to detonate our barracks?!" Yu Han asked with grief and indignation.

"I did! It was my – Jing Meng Hun’s – order. And, the Golden Horse Riders Department executed the order. What about it?" Jing Meng Hun snorted and asked.

"What?!" Yu Han’s grievance exploded as he roared loudly. He suddenly grabbed Jing Meng Hun by his collar, and then tightly clenched his teeth as he asked, "Why? How could you do such a thing?"

"This was Prime Minister’s order! You can go and ask him to give you an explanation if you have a problem." Jing Ming Hun looked at Yu Han's hand and spoke in an ice-cold voice, "Let go!"

"Bastard!" Yu Han got extremely furious. He suddenly landed a fierce slap on Jing Meng Hun’s face, and angrily shouted, "You’ve obviously detonated them ahead of time. And, that why the Great Zhao Army has had to withstand the majority of the impact from these explosions and smokes! Why did you have to do it when our own people had rushed in?

"This is a crime!" Yu Han was shouting wildly with grief and indignation, "Iron Cloud will finish us at this rate! We’re already finished… do you even understand that? You son of a b*tch… those are my brothers… my soldiers… out there! My soldiers!"

Jing Meng Hun reached out with his hand, and caressed the part of his face where he had just received a slap. The look in his eyes resembled that of an eagle. But, he firmly suppressed his anger and killing intention, "Great General Yu, you have no authority to speak in this matter! And, as far as the timing of this attack is concerned… I – Jing Meng Hun – knew what I was doing. Moreover, I acted according to Prime Minister’ plan. Now, you need let go! And, I’m not troubled that you slapped me!"

Yu Han angrily yelled, "Slapped you? Bastard, even chopping you to pieces will be difficult to make up for the heinous crime that you’ve just committed! What you have done is pure murder! This is deliberate rebellion! I must see the Prime Minister! I must meet Diwu Qing Rou!"

The killing intention was blazing more and more ferociously in Jing Meng Hun’s eyes, "General Yu, there are some things that you must never say."

Yu Han drew his long sword with a ‘clang’, and suddenly slashed towards Jing Meng Hun as he cursed out loud, "You murderer… you and Diwu Qing Rou are both murderers… gah…"

Jing Meng Hun suddenly extended his hand, and grabbed Yu Han’s neck. Then, he raised Yu Han’s burly body, and maliciously clenched his teeth as he spoke, "Who do you think you are? What does this have to do with you? Your soldiers, you say? You think yours soldiers can’t die? Do you think that you have quite the face? Do you believe that I wouldn’t kill you?"

Yu Han struggled to break free, "I dare you! Kill me if you have the guts! Because if you don’t kill me, Jing Meng Hun… I will…"

His speech was abruptly interrupted by a snapping sound. Yu Han’s neck crooked to one side. And, blood flowed out form the corners of his mouth. His eyes opened wide in a stare, and looked at Jing Meng Hun with a look of disbelief in them. Then, his body went limp… only a pair of rigid eyes was left behind, and they were filled with hatred and anger!

Jing Meng Hun had ‘actually’ broken his neck.

Everyone present inside the tent exclaimed. Then, they were left dumbstruck! [Did Jing Meng Hun just kill a top-ranked general?]

"You overestimated your capabilities!" Jing Meng Hun coldly snorted. Then, he casually tossed General Yu’s dead body away. He then said, "Follow me! We’re going to kill King of Hell Chu!"

It didn’t take long for a ‘fresh’ piece of news to spread in the Great Zhao’s barracks; the Heavenly Dragon General Yu – who had fought a hundred wars – had been assassinated by Iron Cloud.

Yu Han had 600,000 soldiers under his command. And, Diwu Qing Rou had kept this unit in the rear to provide support. Moreover, Yu Han was a person of virtue and prestige. He loved his soldiers very much, and had always treated them as his own children. In fact, he would always come to their rescue whenever needed. However, he was now dead. So, these soldiers had been reduced to a flock of dragons without a leader. And, this had created a serious disturbance in their ranks.

Hundreds-of-thousands of troops were weeping at the new of this death!

"We must average our Great Genera! Kill those Iron Cloud bastards!" It was hard to tell who… but someone suddenly bellowed with tears flowing out of his reddened eyes.

"Let’s go! Kill those bastards!" Dozens of soldiers of the higher ranks rode down towards the battlefield; they were whipping their horses in a frenzied manner.

"Avenge the Great General…" Several thousand soldiers crazily dashed over with a loud rumbling sound.

"Charge forward!" The vice-general burst into tears. He clenched his teeth and shouted, "Butcher them all!"

‘Bang’ almost 600,000 soldiers rushed down from the mountain. They resembled a waterfall as they descended from the higher ground, and fiercely smashed down.

The 30,000 riders of the Golden Horse Riders Department bellowed as these people rushed down, and turned to set out in another direction!

The hilltop had been densely crowded a moment ago. But, it had suddenly become empty; not a soul was in sight!

The cold breeze had started to blow. The thick smoke was fluttering about, and had covered the summit. A person’s figure in black clothing walked out from the thick smoke. This black figure then appeared at the summit. He started to gaze at the battlefield below… where the decisive battle was going-on in full-swing. And, he calmly listened to the shouts and battle cries which could shake the heaven and earth. Diwu Qing Rou’s hands were crossed behind his back as he watched this blood-bath with a calm and gentle look in his eyes.

It seemed as if this tragic scene of bloodbath had nothing to do with him.

His black robe was fluttering in the wind… so was the beard under his jaw. He had a calm and composed expression on his face. He seemed callous… just like a Daoist immortal.

He continued to look this way for quite some time. Then, he heaved a soft sigh. He took out an invisible falcon from his bosom, and placed it on his palm. He stared at it for a long time, and then opened his palm as he gently said, "Go."

A sound of fluttering wings was heard as the invisible falcon flew up into the sky. It circled in the air once. Then, it disappeared without a trace… as if it had melted in the air…

This was a message that contained an order for Yin Wu Fa and Yun Wu Tian — who had stayed back in Great Zhao’s Continent Center Citadel. Diwu Qing Rou had written only a few words in the message that this invisible falcon was carrying — Begin the blood purge in the Continent Center. Exterminate the Imperial Clan!

This message was followed by Diwu Qing Rou’s personal stamp.

Diwu Qing Rou smiled faintly as he watched the invisible falcon disappear. Then, he turned his gaze in Chu Yang’s direction, and gently spoke to himself, "King of Hell Chu, I owe you one for this time, but you must never forget that you owe me one as well! You and I will meet again… when you come to the Upper Three Heavens! At that time… sigh…"

He looked at the battlefield after he had heaved a deep sigh. Then, he turned his head and looked in the direction of Great Zhao’s Continent Center. He would have to abandon it now. But, his unwillingness to leave that place was clearly visible in his eyes. He clearly didn’t wish to leave. However, he didn’t say anything in the end, and only heaved a long sigh…

A long moment passed. Then, Diwu Qing Rou muttered in a sad and gloomy voice… as if he was sleep-talking, "Lower Three Heavens… so my job here has come to an end… just like that? I’m afraid I will never come back to this place…"

The sky had turned increasingly bright. And, the morning breeze had gradually begun to blow stronger. All sorts of narcotic smokes — which had originally enveloped the battlefield — seemed to have completed their mission, and had slowly begun to drift away…

The dispersion of these smokes became faster and faster as the winds grew stronger and stronger…

The smoke rushed to the top of the mountain with a gust of wind, and shrouded Diwu Qing Rou’s slim body. Then, the thick smoke dispersed. Diwu Qing Rou’s figure had disappeared without a trace…