Chapter 263
Chapter 263
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Night Raid in the Gale
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It was a blustery night, and with the massive Hongyi cannons too cumbersome to move, the best strategy was to rest in place.
Chen Shi pressed onward through the wind, which bellowed like an ox in labor, deafening in its fury. Darkness swallowed everything in the gale, directions impossible to make out, while enormous boulders hurtled through the air now and then, driven by winds packing more than ten thousand jun of force.
He advanced propped against his parasol canopy, from which strands of light lashed out at intervals, shattering the oncoming rocks.
A small temple floated behind his head, casting light on their surroundings, while his own vital blood coalesced overhead into wind-fixing talismans. Everywhere he passed, the hurricane stilled, carving out a zhang-square patch of safe ground.
The sky was a void of black, the moon nowhere in sight for bearings, yet sunlight beamed from behind his head. He could navigate by the sun and moon of Huaxia Divine Continent—after all, they didn't whirl about when he turned.
Some formidable evils lurked in the wind, eyeing Chen Shi hungrily. Each time one drew near to devour him, its vision swam, and suddenly it was inside a small temple, perched primly in the divine shrine.
Once the evil's malevolent qi had been mostly refined away, it got hurled back into the wind, ready for the next contender.
The glow from the small temple behind Chen Shi's head lit only three or four steps ahead; beyond lay an impenetrable murk. The wind scoured so fiercely it was like the air had sprouted black bristles, vision swaying unsteadily.
Chen Shi trudged on for ages, memory guiding him back to the ancient temple. Cannon fire had leveled it before, and now the gale stripped even the bricks and stones away, leaving just the foundation. He fixed his position from that and plunged into the dense dark.
The wind's rage swelled.
Chen Shi's wind-fixing talismans shredded repeatedly in the onslaught, every step a battle, but he forged ahead against it. He had no clue if the Shenji Battalion was behind the shelling or what grudge drove them.
All he knew was that over forty juren bound for the capital exams—pillars of the realm—had been ambushed and blasted midway. Whoever they were, whatever their clout, they'd pay dearly.
By the small hours, the wind still roared deafeningly. Chen Shi shook the grit from his clothes and laid a dust-cleansing talisman on himself.
That's when light flickered from ten steps ahead. Chen Shi's heart quickened. He dismissed the small temple, tucking the dust-cleansing and wind-fixing talismans behind his back to douse their glow and avoid spooking whoever was up ahead. He crept forward on silent feet.
The light came from nascent souls.
Divine light, they called the radiance nascent souls emitted—piercing stuff. Two of them hovered in the air, spinning ceaselessly.
A nascent soul's sight outstripped fleshly eyes, picking out ghosts and divinities to boot. Enemies got spotted from afar. But tonight's gale cramped even their range.
Chen Shi stood steady in the wind, scanning the scene by nascent soul glow.
There sat two men clad in tight black robes beside a Hongyi cannon, a banner staked nearby—taller than a man, its golden fabric embroidered with a wind-fixing talisman. Likely a talisman soldier, anchoring the vicious winds in this spot.
Coming here, Chen Shi's vital-blood wind-fixing talismans had burst over a dozen times, but this wind-fixing banner held strong—clearly battle-hardened through long rites.
The pair hunkered under the banner, charcoal fire crackling as they roasted nang bread, snapping loaves in half and skewering them on sticks till both sides crisped golden, sweet wheat scent rising.
One skinned a four-legged stone bird—huge thing, mostly unedible rock, save for the tender lump near its heart, a delicacy. The other was a red-haired, blue-eyed Europan. They drew sentry duty, so no shut-eye.
A second cart idled nearby, cannonless, five burly brutes snoring atop it.
Crew for this Hongyi cannon, no doubt, the extra cart for backup—if one crapped out, another stood ready.
Manning a single Hongyi cannon took seven men: barrel scrubber, loader, aimer, apothecary for wounds and powder mixes, talisman master, driver, and wind-reader for gusts and foes.
All seven doubled as melee and ranged aces, spells and blades ready if enemies closed. Cannons stayed spread out, hundreds of zhang apart—clumped together begged a wipeout.
The battery that shelled Chen Shi and his group got blindsided by the gale, too scattered to rally and camp. So they hunkered solo in the winds overnight.
"You two beasts—gotta stuff your faces in the dead of night?"
One atop the cart shot up, irritated.
"You roast that nang so damn fragrant—how's a man supposed to sleep?"
The Europan chuckled.
"Night watch on empty guts? Come on down if you're hungry."
The brute hopped off, grinning.
"Then I'll snag a bite."
Right then, the lanky black-furred mutt crouched by the cart perked its ears, head up, barking sharp woofs into the dark. The three jolted, rousing their divine shrines, nascent souls aloft, spells primed.
The Europan snatched two shots, fists cocked to smash.
The four on the cart snapped awake, bolting upright wary.
Into the wind they peered—a tall, gaunt shadow flickered vague.
The Europan exhaled, laughed.
"Just an evil. Had me jumping. This hour, this gale—who's trekking out to hit us? Relax, can't get in."
Everyone roused now. One barked,
"Dog—shut it! Yapping keeps us up!"
The mutt whined pitiful, flattened under the cart, silent.
"All awake? Down for chow, then!"
Europan proposed.
The three cursed as they clambered off; one stayed conked out snoring atop the boards.
"Shi Mao—chow?"
One called to the cart.
Mumble from Shi Mao. Snores resumed.
"This op's all fanfare, new threads to boot. Who's the mark, anyway?"
Europan wondered.
"Old Tang, quit prying."
Middle-aged man munched nang, smirked.
"Beheading gig, remember? Juren bushwhack. Heh—botched IDs earlier, iced a dozen extras. Word leaks? Whole clan chopped."
Old Tang grinned.
"Heard it's a Chen juren. One punk, and they roll us deep? Lord Cao even. Void-Refining ace, primed for Jin Hongying's slot..."
"Tang Mu—stow it!"
Middle-aged man's face hardened, nang dropped.
"Beheading biz—ignorance is bliss. Do the deed, skip the why. Brass says kill, we kill."
Europan nodded, savoring crisped meat.
"Prime flavor! Juicy!"
He reached for more when the gaunt wind-shadow lingered. Frowning,
"Why's this evil hanging..."
Unfinished—the shadow lunged, materializing before them. Sword gleam whirled in a two-zhang circle, rippling like hurtling quicksilver, halting sharp.
Blood bead flicked from the slim blade, speckling the Europan's cheek.
Europan blinked, eyed the shadow: no gauntness, no height—a boy shorter than them, but braced on a parasol umbrella towering far overhead, lanky and looming like wind-wrought evil.
Recognition hit: the Chen juren brass wanted erased!
"How's he track here through gale-night?"
Thought sparking—by the fire, figures slumped one by two.
Europan checked: mates' chests sword-stuck, hearts burst, goners. Cart-glance: snoring Shi Mao skewered too!
Chest seared sudden. Downward peek: sword gash dead-center.
"I'll take you with!"
Nascent soul lunged at the youth; fists seized head-sized shots, set to pulverize. Soul neared not—the parasol spat lightning, smashing it.
Europan perished, visage twisted.
"Chen juren—with me to the road!"
Shots neared clash—youth snatched 'em.
Europan bellowed, toppled rigid.
Chen Shi scooped stray shots littering ground, stowed in his small temple.
"Lady Shiji, mind Heavenly Mechanism. Keep these shots from blowing."
Lady Shiji acknowledged, glanced another shrine.
Talisman God Heavenly Mechanism thereon gibbered wild, back turned, muttering.
"Big-headed evil's tough—can't take her... ambush sleeping, throttle neck, snap head... Nah, me? Can't!"
Lady Shiji tensed. The loon had been daft since temple entry, but mending last days—one clear shichen daily. Earlier, barely an incense-stick's sanity before relapse.
Chen Shi fed all shots to the temple, stooped to eye the black lanky mutt undercart, smile tugging.
Mutt whimpered low, tail coiled, burrowed deeper.
"Your kin's sake—dog life spared."
Chen Shi's faint smile faded into the gale, lights beckoning next camp. Night and wind his cloak—he'd uproot them one by one, no traces spared!
"Lord Cao? Void-Refining?"
Murmur low.
"Lord Sun Yisheng tanked one shot, mauled bad. How many for this Cao?"
Cao Chuting commanded Shenji Battalion's left sentinel, three-four hundred under him.
Driven sort, scion of Yinzhou minor house. Void-Refining? Feat enough—but West Capital crawled with 'em.
That realm ruled thirteen great houses' frontiers, but West Capital? Mere Shenji Battalion chief. Shenji answered True King, wielded world's deadliest firearms—god-slayers, rebel-crushers!
True King age ended six millennia past, none since. Throne withered, Cabinet gripped reins. Shenji faded, power guttered.
He clawed nowhere!
Not even officer berth!
Windfall now: scuttlebutt had Jin Hongying flubbed ops, Young Master Xiao slipped nets again—brass probing, slot gaping.
Great house requester pledged: nail this, Jin falls—you rise!
snag: Sun Yisheng shielding Chen Shi.
Sun daunted him, sure—but golden shot. Seize it!
Sun matched: frustrated talent, Guangji Arsenal envoy—ninth-rank pittance, yet Void-Refining terror. Fair fight one-on-one? Dicey win.
Shenji kills sidestepped fair. Cannons boomed answers. Survivor? Crank powder.
"Lord Sun crippled—at dawn, reap him. Shame those juren dozens."
Cao sighed, rose, tent-flapped out.
Commander perks: guard detail, pavilion pitched. Wind-fixing, fireward, waterward, thunderward talismans draped it. Six carts outside, three General cannons talisman-sealed.
Forty-plus ringed him, night patrols sparse—three pairs. Sneak? Tough. Tent fore: paired Yellow Turban Warriors talisman-spawned, vigilant flanks.
Cao nodded pleased. Winds thrashed unabated—safe till lull.
"Wind dies—rouse me!"
Ordered, tent-bound for rest.
Time blurred. Guard shook:
"Lord—wind's done!"
Cao robed sharp, emerged: night clung, skies cleared freakish, moon north-midway.
Gale fled, firmament pristine—dust scoured clean. Keen sight spied even godly flesh-texture by the outer vertical eye!
"Rouse troops—hunt the thieves!"
Cao commanded; runners bolted.
Then—a guard stumbled.
"Shots from where... everywhere! Lord! Camp's ringed in cannonballs!"
Cao chilled:
"Everywhere?"
Sky flared—a head-sized shot trailed fire, inbound!
"No!"
Eyes bulged, Cao summoned primordial spirit, dao field flared guard!
Boom!
Shot bypassed field—struck outer shots!
"Bastard!"
Cao's marrow iced. Flesh ditched—spirit rocketed sky!
Body junked, spirit sound: seize shell or wheel back! Escape—that's all!
Shots chain-detonated—booms thundered, lightning cataracted, thunderfire ballooned omnidirect, devouring spirit!
Distant, Chen Shi parasol-canopied by Hongyi cannon, viewed afar, headshake rue.
"So. You can't hold up either."