Chapter 182: Chapter 160: Carnival, Night of Bloodshed (Part 2)

They wouldn’t have believed it if their lives depended on it, but the fact was the Sword Sect master never appeared before them. This was a fatal blow to their already low morale, like a dark cloud hanging over their heads.

Meng Li roared and charged into the enemy ranks, his longsword erupting with a long stream of pale blue Sword Qi. His cultivation as a Fourth-tier Mad Sword Master was more than enough for him to dominate this crowd of mercenaries, most of whom were merely Sword Masters or Great Sword Masters.

Tonight, Meng Li had also been profoundly shaken by Ling Xiao’s earth-shattering sword strike. ’I have to admit, even as a Fourth-tier Mad Sword Master, I don’t stand a chance against him!’

’But I never imagined where the Young Lord’s true power lies... It’s something beyond my wildest dreams! To think he could force back a Sword Sect master with a single blow, and from the look of things, that master must have suffered a serious injury!’

’Only by following a man like this can I go further on the path of the Sword Dao!’

Spurred by Uncle Fu’s and Ling Xiao’s injuries, Ye Wen Ni’s heart had turned to iron. She killed without a trace of mercy, her form like a butterfly flitting through flowers... weaving back and forth among the enemy soldiers. She was long gone by the time their bodies collapsed.

With the addition of these two powerful High-level Martial Artists, the Lightning Legion was like a tiger that had grown wings. The frenzied slaughter did not last long.

Half an hour later, rivers of blood flowed through the streets. A thick, bloody mist seemed to permeate the night air, and its metallic stench kept everyone else from daring to venture outside.

The entire street was dyed red with blood. As for the soldiers of the Lightning Legion, they were covered head to toe in gore.

Even Ye Wen Ni was splattered with blood.

As for the enemy mercenaries, those still able to stand... were no more.

Of the five thousand men, aside from a few hundred who fled when they saw the writing on the wall, the rest were annihilated. On the Lightning Legion’s side, the wounded all took the Healing Elixirs that Ye Wen Ni and Meng Li had brought. After setting aside the three hundred-odd severely injured, they still had over a thousand men fit for combat. In this one battle, they had unexpectedly lost more than four hundred men.

Although they had won the battle, an oppressive mood lingered in everyone’s hearts. The atmosphere was heavy and tense. Ling Wu, his eyes bloodshot, scanned the crowd and then roared, "Damn it, didn’t we win? Why the long faces? Anyone who can still fight, step forward!"

A moment ago, Meng Li had quietly whispered to Ling Wu about Ling Xiao’s fury. To be honest, Ling Wu was also furious tonight. ’A perfectly good festival, spent wading through slaughter. Since the enemy is dead set on ruining our lives, then... sorry, but we’ll ruin yours right back!’

’Especially those three great noble families in the city. I’d die before I believe they had nothing to do with tonight’s events. Some things don’t need proof!’

All but those too wounded to move took a step forward. Their combat boots squelched in the blood on the ground, and every face was a mask of ferocity.

"Captain, who’s next? Just say the word and we’ll deal with them! Damn it, if they won’t let us celebrate in peace, then nobody gets to have a good time!"

a soldier with a murderous look on his face roared.

"Yeah! Whoever ruins our festival, we’ll fight them to the death!"

Ling Wu raised a hand, and the men instantly fell silent. A ferocious grin spread across his face. "Alright, cut the chatter. First, let’s get changed!"

Half an hour later, the biggest heist in the history of Penzes City took place. The highly intelligent Patriarch of the Li Family, the hot-tempered Patriarch of the Huang Family, and the stingy Patriarch of the Cui Family could only listen, dumbfounded, as reports flooded in about their various supply depots throughout the city being frantically ransacked. By the end of it, with the exception of Cui Ze, the Cui Family Patriarch who had fainted, the remaining Li Nan of the Li Family and Huang Qiang of the Huang Family had simply gone numb.

What was particularly ruthless was how this group of robbers was so familiar with each family’s depots—they didn’t miss a single one. They came and went like the wind, so fast that the families’ private guards had no time to react before the perpetrators vanished.

Subsequently, another piece of news spread: the Viscount’s personal guard had discovered the robbers and killed most of them on the spot. As for the stolen supplies? Apologies, but no one saw a thing... perhaps they had already been moved elsewhere.

In any case, when Mo Qing sent men to notify the three families to come and identify the bodies at the scene, the three Patriarchs were nearly scared out of their wits. They all bent over, retching violently, and fled without daring to take a second look.

There are people who have the courage to face thousands of corpses, to breathe air tinted red with bloody mist, to look upon a ground covered in a thick, sticky, blackened layer of blood without batting an eye... but they are few and far between. These three Patriarchs, at least, were not among them.

「The frenzied night of the festival passed.」 At dawn the next day, many people cautiously ventured onto the streets. A faint, bloody stench still seemed to hang in the air, causing them to wrinkle their noses.

However, the news that the three great noble families had been robbed made many people rejoice. They muttered under their breath that the nobles had gotten what they deserved.

Meanwhile, inside Ling Xiao’s Viscount’s Mansion, it was solemnly quiet.

In the rear courtyard, Ling Wu knelt before Ling Xiao, weeping uncontrollably. This tough man, who had maintained a cold-blooded and iron-willed façade before his subordinates all night, now revealed an extremely vulnerable side in front of his young Lord.

"Young Lord... I can’t accept this! We trained so hard for so long... brothers-in-arms, gone in a single night! Nearly five hundred of them... Young Lord... I want to avenge them! I beg you, Young Lord, grant my request and help all the brothers increase their strength." Ling Wu choked out, "If it wasn’t for that son-of-a-bitch from the Sword Sect, so many of my brothers wouldn’t have died! They died for nothing!"

Sorrow filled Ling Xiao’s eyes. ’Ling Wu is filled with hatred, but am I any different?’ Last night’s attack had left him drained. His head was splitting with pain, and the Spiritual Qi in his body was dangerously thin. Normally, it would take three to five days to recover from unleashing such an attack, yet Ling Xiao had used it again after only one day. Moreover, he had held nothing back against the Sword Sect master, and still, he had failed to finish him.

’Still,’ Ling Xiao believed, ’compared to me, that Sword Sect master is in a much worse state. He won’t be recovering for at least three to five months, that’s for sure!’

’That Sword Sect master...’ A sharp glint flashed in Ling Xiao’s eyes. He reached out, helped Ling Wu to his feet, and said in a heavy voice, "Ling Wu, rest assured. I will concoct elixirs to increase the strength of the men of the Lightning Legion. But not right now. The first thing you need to do is distribute the compensation for those who fell in battle. Don’t be stingy. We must not disappoint the brothers who are still alive."

Ling Wu nodded emphatically. "You are merciful, Young Lord. I understand!"

Ling Xiao continued, "Also, the second thing is to manage their morale. A monster like that Sword Sect master isn’t a common sight, and for him to shamelessly stoop to attacking you is almost unthinkable. Tell them that I, their Young Lord, have taken this grudge to heart. One day, I will make that person pay."

Uncle Fu, who was standing to the side, gave Ling Xiao a knowing glance before speaking in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Ling Wu, after this, let the brothers relax for a bit. Penzes City has its brothels, doesn’t it? It’s necessary for them to blow off some steam after a major battle."

In the room, Ye Zi’s cheeks flushed crimson. She gave a soft "Hmph," and hastily turned to leave. "I’m going to go chat with Miss Huangpu."

Ling Xiao and the others chuckled, and the tense atmosphere in the room instantly eased.

Meng Li spoke up from the side. "Brother Ling Wu, don’t be too distraught. Frankly, the terrifying power of the Lightning Legion is enough to make even me shudder. If not for that Sword Sect master, those mercenary corps last night wouldn’t have stood a chance. It’s hard to imagine who could have hired so many mercenaries on such a large scale."

"Who else could it be but that bastard, the Crown Prince!"

Ling Wu said furiously, "If you ask me, we shouldn’t have left a single one of them alive! Even if the Crown Prince was behind this, he wouldn’t leave behind any evidence. The person who contacted them would surely have no apparent connection to him!"

Ling Xiao shook his head. "It’s still not clear who hired these mercenaries. But that Sword Sect master... he’s definitely not one of the Crown Prince’s men."