Chapter Sixty-One: Blood-Soaked Escape

The middle-aged man was, after all, a pinnacle knight, and though his chest had been torn open into a gaping hole and both arms blasted off at the shoulders, he was still barely clinging to life. He sprawled wretchedly on the ground, struggling to lift his head, blood bubbling from his lips as he rasped out in a hoarse shout, "My lord, flee!"

The wound in his chest was so large that his lungs were grievously injured; his breath came in ragged gasps, and the last thing he spat out was a frothy pink blood. His voice grew weaker with each utterance, and after just a few breaths, his head crashed heavily to the ground, his life extinguished.

Dozens of tall, burly figures wielding cleavers and axes rapidly approached the carriage.

From the houses lining the coastal avenue, lights flared in dozens of windows, but these were swiftly shattered by stones, and in a moment, half the lights within were snuffed out. Yet, the barking of dogs erupted in succession, rising quickly to a cacophony. From within some homes came the sound of blades being drawn, and stout men could be heard shouting loudly, as if rallying people to come out and witness the commotion.

Dunelker, perched on the edge of the Northern Sea, had often been harried by the five united islands and their alien tribes during the centuries of war between land and islands; thus, the local temperament was fiercely robust. Moreover, situated in the northern continent, Dunelker was host to many savage beasts, and its people, like those northern creatures, were exceptionally tall and sturdy, their blood more fiery and bold than elsewhere.

So, despite the warning issued by those thugs summoned by Lin Qi, there were still bold souls within the houses who called upon their servants, gathered up the knives, swords, bows, and arrows that every household in Dunelker kept in readiness, lit their torches, and leashed their fierce hunting dogs, setting out in force to see what was happening.

But as soon as these curious onlookers stepped out their doors, furtive shadows approached them. These figures whispered a few words in low tones, and instantly the bright torches were extinguished, the masters barked orders for their hounds to be silent, swords were sheathed, bowstrings slackened, and the inquisitive homeowners, with their servants, retreated to the warmth of their beds and promptly fell asleep.

The dozens of shadowy figures ignored the commotion nearby, swiftly closing in on the carriage until they were less than ten meters away.

Standing atop the lookout on a fishing boat, Lin Qi sneered at Barr and said, "Uncle Barr, those merchants from Vias are truly wealthy—both their delicate young ladies have pinnacle knights as protectors, and one of them is even on the verge of reaching the celestial rank! Tell me, how much do you think his yearly salary is?"

Barr gave his usual sinister chuckle; it was indeed a difficult question. Even in the Empire, a celestial knight typically held the rank of commander in the royal guard; even without real command authority, their honorary title was exceedingly high. Furthermore, any celestial knight in the Empire would be granted the title of honorary baron, and should they render distinguished service, the honor would immediately be made hereditary. This alone proved the rarity and value of a celestial knight.

That these two young ladies from Vias had a master capable of breaking through to celestial rank at any time as their protector was beyond Barr’s expectations. Squinting thoughtfully, he slipped down from the lookout like a shadow, gliding ghostlike across the ships toward the overturned carriage.

If these women had such a master as their guardian, their status was truly extraordinary. Even an imperial princess, if she was not favored, would not be assigned such protection. These two women had to die—the sooner they were killed, their bodies destroyed, and all traces linking them to Lin Qi erased, the better.

The Black Tiger family feared no trouble, but there was no need to invite it needlessly, was there?

Especially now, when their leader Blackbeard was vying for the mayoral seat. Would you expect Dunelker’s prospective mayor to stroll the streets wielding a greatsword, hacking people down?

Lin Qi had already discerned the intricate web of cause and effect. He frowned, took out the conch whistle, and blew it again. He sounded the family's secondary security alarm and simultaneously requested reinforcements from the ancestral home. No matter what, he had to keep Ya and Ling here.

Barr should be sufficient to handle the two women, but Lin Qi summoned new help as a precaution—just in case someone interfered, like that ‘brother’ he’d gladly kill with a single stroke. Lin Qi sincerely hoped he wouldn’t encounter him at this moment.

Barr, gliding through the air, rushed along the breakwater to the coastal avenue. He barked sharply, "No survivors—kill them!"

At his command, the dozens of shadows closing in on the carriage quickly retreated. They dropped their weapons and drew palm-sized, double-bladed axes from their belts. At a shout, dozens of pure steel axes, each weighing ten pounds, whistled through the air, trailing violent whirlwinds as they crashed toward the overturned carriage.

This was a technique the Black Tiger family had learned from the beastmen of the five united islands; those hulking beastmen could easily kill a heavily armored foot soldier within a hundred paces using such axes. The Black Tiger thugs, though not as strong as the beastmen, could still instill terror within thirty paces.

As the axes were about to strike the carriage, two delicate, sweet voices—identical in tone—rang out.

"The Divine declares: All evil shall be vanquished; the glory of the Divine reigns over all creation!"

A chilling blaze erupted from within the carriage, vaporizing it in an instant. Ya and Ling stood side by side, suspended three feet above the ground, their eyes blazing with furious fire. At the center of their brows, a strange flame flickered, and within its glow, golden runes occasionally flashed.

Dozens of axes hurtled toward them, but their flight quickly slowed. When they came within a meter of the girls, their momentum was entirely drained by an invisible force, and they fell helplessly to the ground.

The pure steel axes, now glowing red-hot, clattered on the stone pavement of the coastal avenue.

"You sinners, how dare you attack the servants of the Divine! Your crimes must be punished by divine wrath!"

Ya and Ling raised their right hands simultaneously, tracing strange runes in the air with swift movements. In the blink of an eye, two scarlet runes the size of a human head were nearly complete.

Barr let out a sharp cry, drew the long scythe slung across his back, and in a flicker, left a dozen afterimages as he swept past the two girls like a nightmare. The massive scythe struck the air behind them with a crisp clang, and a crimson barrier shattered less than a meter behind the girls.

The scythe scraped across their backs, blood spraying, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound that spanned their entire backs.

The two women screamed in unison, terror etched on their faces, and in haste, transformed into two balls of flame, fleeing into the distance.