Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 761

The moonlight was like water, the shadows of the trees swayed, and the forest was hazy but not too dark.

The woman in the green dress was cleaved in two by a blade of energy, but at the moment her body was torn apart, it exploded into a cloud of blood mist, from which more than a dozen dark blood arrows shot out toward more than a dozen members of the Chrysanthemum Guard.

This turn of events happened so quickly that it caught everyone off guard.

The Chrysanthemum Guard members who participated in the pursuit were all people with keen senses and swift movements, yet nearly half of them were still hit by those dozen or so dark blood arrows, which shows just how fast that thing was.

Of the four innate masters, including the commander of the Chrysanthemum Guard, two were actually hit in the body, and the other two, who were of higher cultivation, barely managed to dodge. In addition, five or six other people were hit, and screams filled the forest.

Without a doubt, the green-skirted woman's final counterattack targeted the four high-ranking members of the Chrysanthemum Guard at the Innate Realm. The other five or six were merely incidental. Otherwise, apart from the four Innate Realm experts, everyone else would probably have been caught in the crossfire!

Looking at the victim under the bright moonlight, even the Chrysanthemum Guard Commander, a top-level Innate Realm cultivator, couldn't help but shrink his pupils slightly, thinking to himself how vicious and cunning the method was, making him feel dangerous.

As expected of the remnants of the Qin family, they have controlled the government for many years and their foundation is truly terrifying. A mere maid with top-level cultivation in the Acquired Realm can still use such dangerous methods when she is willing to sacrifice herself. It is clearly a desperate measure used in a critical moment.

"Damn it, what is this thing?"

"poisonous!"

"How hateful! They've tracked us all this way! I can no longer serve my country faithfully..."

Amidst screams of agony, five or six Chrysanthemum Guards at the Acquired Realm were struck. Some had their skulls or hearts pierced by the inky blood arrows, dying instantly. In the end, they could only let out half a scream before their bodies visibly turned into a pool of inky liquid.

Others, whose arms and legs were injured, noticed the tragic state of their dead colleagues and, without hesitation, swung their weapons to cut off their own hands and feet to save their own lives.

Of the two innate commanders who were hit, one of them had his armor block the dark blood arrow, but his chest was also dented by a fist-sized dent. His protective true energy surged and shattered the blood arrow, so he escaped unharmed. However, the other was not so lucky. The blood arrow did not hit him head-on, but it grazed his cheek and flew into the dark forest behind him, leaving a bloody mark on his face.

Seemingly unharmed, the innate commander was horrified. He felt numbness instead of pain from the tiny bloodstains on his face. The terrifying toxin spread rapidly, turning the surrounding flesh black and leaving behind a thick, black liquid. Even his refined and powerful true energy could not effectively stop its spread.

This guy was ruthless. He instantly realized he had been poisoned and made a decisive move. With a flash of his cold blade, half of his face was sliced ​​off with a soft hissing sound. Before the flesh even hit the ground, it turned into a black, thick liquid.

His life was saved, but he was filled with lingering fear. He almost died here. Head poisoning is no joke. His face is ruined, but it's better than dying here.

"What a bunch of Qin family remnants! They actually possess such a rare poison. We underestimated them despite our repeated vigilance. Commander, we've chased them for thousands of miles, and the losses along the way have been too great. Of our fifty elite troops, only we remain. I dare to request permission to go all out and kill them. We can't afford to take them alive anymore, otherwise our losses will only be greater, and they might even escape alive." The commander, who had lost half his face, used his internal energy to stop the bleeding and asked through gritted teeth. Although the blood on his face had stopped flowing, the bright red flesh and white facial bones looked incredibly grotesque in the night.

The Chrysanthemum Guard commander, who was staring intently at the white-bearded old man beside the boy, glanced around. He was quite wary of the old man, even though he possessed the strength to instantly kill ordinary innate beings. Upon hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.

He sighed inwardly. Well, since he couldn't capture them alive, he would just take their heads back. His Majesty wanted them alive, but he would have to disappoint him. Consider it repayment for the Princess's kindness.

He was extremely conflicted. As the saying goes, loyalty and righteousness are hard to reconcile. There is no doubt that they were trained by Princess Song Yuzhi, but two days ago, they handed over command to His Majesty on their own. They also swore allegiance to His Majesty and that everything would be done in accordance with the Emperor's will.

The problem arose because after the eldest princess took control of the situation, she returned much of her power to His Majesty the Emperor, including the Chrysanthemum Guard she had cultivated. Immediately afterwards, the siblings had a falling out, which put them, as his subjects, in a difficult position.

For reasons unknown, the emperor wanted to spare some members of the Qin family's direct line, most likely to save face for the royal family, while the princess, however, was determined to eliminate them completely.

Given the current situation, he leans more towards the Princess than loyalty. Firstly, it's for the safety of his colleague, and secondly, it's because of the Princess's nurturing grace. He has no choice but to kill her. He'll have to wait and see if he'll be punished when he returns, since he failed to fulfill His Majesty's order to capture her alive.

The emperor doesn't care about your mindset; he only cares whether you've completed the task!

With a thought flashing through his mind, the commander no longer hesitated. His eyes turned cold, his aura suddenly rose, and he said in a deep voice, "Since you traitors are not going to surrender, kill them!"

As he spoke, the longsword in his hand hummed, bursting forth with a dazzling silver sword light. Strands of sword intent silently sliced ​​through the surrounding vegetation. In an instant, his figure flashed, and he charged towards the group like a silver meteor.

The remaining Chrysanthemum Guards readily agreed, disregarding the injuries and deaths of their companions, and used all their strength to unleash their ultimate techniques to coordinate the attack.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—crossbow bolts pierced the air in the night with a piercing whistle. These were heavy military weapons capable of breaking through the innate protective true qi of the body. In civilian life, possessing them was a capital offense. These crossbow bolts were fired by the Chrysanthemum Guards, who were still at the post-natal level. They knew they were no match for innate masters and would die in close combat, so they could only attack from a distance to interfere and assist.

The four Chrysanthemum Guards are all high-ranking members of the Innate Realm. The highest-ranking commander uses a sword, two use knives, and the third is skilled in long-range archery.

As the commanders charged out like silver meteors, two commanders wielding swords rushed out fiercely. The blue and white light of their swords shone brightly, sweeping out like a tidal wave, blocking all directions for the fleeing men. They did not seek to kill them with a single blow, but only wanted to stop them and settle the score on the spot so that they could no longer escape.

Amidst the blue and white waves of sword light that enveloped an area of ​​several dozen feet, the last commander of the Chrysanthemum Guards, a master archer at the Innate Realm, drew his bow and fired five arrows in rapid succession. These five arrows, mixed in with the wave-like sword light, were able to curve and dart about, like fish swimming in water. "You lot!" The ever-vigilant white-bearded old man coldly shouted, his face ashen.

He suddenly turned around, his gray clothes fluttering in the wind, his true energy surging out of his body, and a chilling white mist rose and enveloped the area several feet in diameter. His hands were in the form of claws with pale knuckles, and five-inch sharp claws suddenly extended from his fingertips to face the Chrysanthemum Guard commander who was coming with a sword. In an instant, a chilling wind blew around him.

In the blink of an eye, the two sides were locked in fierce combat. The white-bearded old man used his sharp claws to clash with the sword that commanded endless sharpness. In an instant, the shadows of claws were numerous and the sword energy was crisscrossing, tearing everything around them apart and creating endless clanging sounds.

However, their level of combat was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, they were both forced back and separated. The surrounding environment, which was several dozen feet away, was in ruins. The Chrysanthemum Guard Commander's armor was shattered and covered in blood, with several gruesome claw marks. His sword-wielding hand was trembling slightly. The white-bearded old man hadn't gained much advantage either. His face was pale, and two of his fingers had been cut off. His gray clothes were covered with crisscrossing sword marks, which flew into pieces as he moved. Even with his high level of cultivation, he couldn't stop the blood from flowing from the numerous wounds on his body.

During their brief exchange, the other two innate masters protecting the boy were not idle either. Facing the sword flashes from all directions, the arrows hidden among them, and numerous crossbow bolts, the middle-aged man unleashed his full power to defend. His wrist-thick metal staff shone with a dark golden light and swung so powerfully that it was impenetrable. The clanging sounds of the impacts were like rain pattering on banana leaves.

At the same time, the woman holding the boy had a solemn look in her eyes. With one arm around the boy, she held her sword in the other hand, unleashing a three-foot-long sword light and creating streaks of sword shadows as she desperately resisted the attacks from all directions.

In a life-or-death struggle, there is always a winner and loser. The white-bearded old man and the Chrysanthemum Guard commander were evenly matched, but the two protecting the boy could only barely defend themselves against the numerous attacks, let alone fight back.

No matter how hard the man with the stick tried, he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan as he desperately defended himself. An arrow with an unpredictable trajectory pierced through his abdomen, leaving a fist-sized hole. Ignoring his own pain, he anxiously shouted, "Take the young master away quickly!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand to push the woman protecting the boy out of the attack range, but he himself was engulfed in a rain of blades and arrows. The woman, who was out of the attack range, couldn't help but look back. She saw that the man's movements had frozen, his body covered in blood, several arrows piercing his body and he was no longer breathing, but his long staff was still planted on the ground and he did not fall.

No matter how bitter she felt, the woman could only grit her teeth and ensure that the boy could leave while she was away, so as not to waste the opportunity that her companion had risked his life for.

Anxiety flickered in the white-bearded old man's eyes. After a brief clash with the Chrysanthemum Guard commander, he erupted again, his true energy surging, causing the surrounding energy to rise and sand and stones to fly. He waved his hands, his head covered in claw shadows, heading towards the four directions. As the Chrysanthemum Guard fought back with all their might, he withdrew and quickly chased after the little boy and his companions.

"You can't escape," the Chrysanthemum Guard commander sneered, drawing his sword and giving chase.

In fact, similar situations had occurred many times before, with both sides chasing and fleeing for thousands of miles. Each time, both sides paid the price with their lives, and the number of people dwindled until they finally saw the final outcome.

Chen Xuan and his companions, who were secretly observing, were inevitably affected by the battle. Scattered sword energy, saber light, and arrows occasionally flew towards them, but they were all blocked by invisible true energy after getting close, and did not attract anyone's attention.

Looking at the spot where they briefly clashed, Guo Qingxue pondered, "Strange, Brother Chen said that the white-bearded old man and the Chrysanthemum Guard commander were both experts no less than Aunt Mei. Although I couldn't see clearly, the scene of their fight, while incredibly destructive, didn't seem as grand as the battle between my grandfather and Liu Zhenwei back then? Not to mention the scene of the Jade Flower Kingdom's eldest princess fighting Qin Yan in the Imperial Mausoleum."

Even after many years, a hint of sadness flashed in Guo Qingxue's eyes when she mentioned her grandfather.

Having followed Chen Xuan for quite some time and frequently received personal instruction from this grandmaster, the little girl smiled and said, "Sister Xue'er, there's no need to doubt. Master said that the more powerful a person is, the less noise they make when they fight. That's a reflection of their control over their cultivation. Often, those who make a big show of it are just half-baked, lacking control over their own strength, but their destructive power is actually more terrifying. Look at where they fought just now. Although it was only within a radius of a few dozen feet, the rocks and vegetation were all shredded to dust. That was the result of multiple people fighting and protecting their companions. Um, Sister Xue'er, don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it."

As she spoke, the little girl smiled apologetically, worried that Guo Qingxue might misunderstand that her grandfather was not as good as the two men before him, even though that was indeed the case.

Guo Qingxue didn't misunderstand, and nodded instead, saying, "I understand the reasoning, but the gap between me and them is too great, so I can't quite figure it out for the moment. By the way, I didn't expect that Roujia's understanding of martial arts has reached such a level. With your martial arts skills and diligence, I think it won't be long before you surpass me."

"No, it's all thanks to Master's excellent teaching. I still have a long way to go," the little girl quickly waved her hand.

Chen Xuan watched the remaining two sides pass by, then quickly led the two to their front, continuing to observe and smiling as he said, "Rou Jia is right. The more powerful a person is, the more precise their control over their cultivation. Take the old aunt Song Yuzhi and Qin Yan who fought in the Imperial Tomb, for example. They controlled the power of each move within a small space, yet the destructive force they unleashed was terrifying. They could easily turn everything within a hundred feet into ashes. Of course, it depends on the situation. If a large-scale attack is needed, then such restraint is unnecessary."

As he spoke, he quickly led the two of them to the front of the group. They were less than two miles from the camp. They continued towards the camp. The commotion they had made earlier was quite significant. Chen Xuan, who had originally planned not to get involved and just be a spectator, thought about it and decided to step in and ask them to change direction so as not to disturb his wife and the others' peace and quiet.

Just then, he raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise and displeasure flashing in his eyes.

The little boy, who had been well protected during the fierce battle, spoke up. He, who was usually quiet and didn't cause any trouble, raised his hand to touch his cheek and felt warm blood. Looking up, he saw that the woman protecting him was pale and bleeding from the corner of her mouth. She had been injured at some point. An arrow had pierced her chest three inches from the boy's face, and the arrow was still stuck there, with drops of blood dripping onto the boy's face.

He pursed his lips, a pain flashing in his innocent eyes, and said softly, "Aunt Fang, hand me over to them. I'm just a burden. Without me, you can leave safely with your cultivation levels. Their target is me; once they get me, they won't pursue you relentlessly."

"Young Master, please don't say such things. We have been indebted to the Qin family for generations. Even if it means death, we will protect you. Don't worry, with us here, they will never be able to harm you," the woman said, forcing a gentle smile. Even though she knew the chances were slim, she would not give up until the very last moment.

The boy's pain deepened. Knowing he couldn't change their minds, he took a deep breath and said, "Aunt Fang, how about this? There's a fire ahead. I saw quite a few people there from a distance. Since they're camping out in the wilderness, and in such large numbers, they must have some status and power. Perhaps we could try to divert their attention and create a better chance. If that doesn't work, we could capture some hostages, plant blood poison in them, and let it explode, like what Sister Mian did before. Maybe that could create an escape opportunity."

It's hard to imagine that a child in his teens could remain calm and say something like, "I'm using the lives of innocent people to create conditions for my own escape," in such a situation.

The woman holding him comforted him, "Young master, don't think so much. We had the same thought. Let us bear all the sins. You just need to live well. Actually, if they hadn't pushed us so hard that we had no way out, we would have entered the city long ago and made them hesitate to attack us... Who!"

...(End of this chapter)