The Dragon’s Rise
1,137 words
Chapter 198: Dragon's Rise
The moment Li Huowang saw the tattooed convict-soldiers charging towards them, he understood instantly.
These beasts had never intended to screen anyone. They meant to slaughter the entire town.
Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!
The war drums hammered against every heart.
Amidst howls and screams, the convict-soldiers began to move, a pack of starving wolves descending on unarmed lambs.
Li Huowang stared at the dense wave of a thousand men rushing toward him and quickly abandoned the idea of a beheading strike.
Too low a success rate. And he didn’t know friend from foe—had no measure of what this woman could do.
But judging from Wang Deqiu’s skill earlier, her strength was no small thing.
Right now, getting everyone else out alive is the only smart play.
Having set his course, Li Huowang melted into the panicked crowd and pushed toward the center of town.
He wasn’t the only one trying to get back. Chaos swallowed everything.
By the time he fought his way inside, a piercing shriek tore through the air behind them.
Everyone turned instinctively.
The female general was pointing her long halberd straight at them.
Her clear voice cracked like thunder in every ear.
“Heaven and Earth, rear and flank—the dragon changes within. Array the Serpent-Dragon Flying Formation! Kill!”
“KILL!”
The convict-soldiers roared and quickened their charge into the town.
That single roar shattered what little courage the civilians had left. Their minds went blank. They became nothing but livestock running for their lives.
Even before the convict-soldiers reached them, many had already been trampled to death.
Shluck.
Sharp blades slid cleanly into bodies, taking lives with mechanical efficiency.
When a killing machine built to fight an army is turned on defenseless commoners, the result is swift and absolute.
Men fell like wheat before the scythe, row after row.
The convict-soldiers were clearly enjoying it. More than a few were swallowing spit as they watched the sprays of blood and flesh.
Li Huowang wove through the crush, but the crowd kept blocking his way.
Finally, with no other choice, he scrambled onto the rooftops. Only then did he find a path back.
He ran across the uneven tiles—some high, some low—until he reached the spot where his people had been.
They were all still there. They hadn’t been swept away by the mob.
Li Huowang let out a breath of relief.
Though he could tell they were still confused—standing there nervously, watching the chaos on the streets.
Thud.
Li Huowang dropped from the roof and landed hard, startling everyone.
“Move! No questions—I’ll explain on the way. They’re coming for us! Get out of this town now, the faster the better!”
Nobody argued. Li Huowang’s face was too serious.
They hurried to the carts and set them rolling, pushing forward through the tide of people.
As they moved, Li Huowang quickly recounted what he’d seen.
“How dare they! How fucking dare they! Those goddamn butchers!” Jin Shanzhao was white-knuckled with rage, his hands shaking.
Li Huowang studied the old man’s face. He’d suspected something for a while now. “Do you know them? Can your status stop this?”
He’d never learned who Jin Shanzhao really was—the man had always been secretive. But if he was truly someone important, maybe he could defuse this.
Jin Shanzhao shook his head, defeated. “When convict-soldiers start massacring a town, having a way means nothing. The way is gone.”
“Then shut up and keep moving, unless you want to die!”
They were heading for the north gate.
Li Huowang knew there were convict-soldiers surrounding that side too. But at least the female general wasn’t there. That gave them a better chance.
As his cart swayed through the crowd, Li Huowang suddenly noticed people ahead who had been running forward—were now turning back.
“Zhao Wu! Hold the reins! Whatever you do, don’t let the horses spook!”
Their carts were like small boats on a raging river, struggling forward under Li Huowang’s direction.
Then, abruptly, the “current” vanished.
Li Huowang lifted his head.
A cold gleam stabbed straight for his throat.
He twisted his body aside and saw the weapon’s owner—the branded character on his face marking him as a convict-soldier.
They’d run straight into the encirclement.
Li Huowang raised his sword and brought it down in one clean arc. Man and blade both split.
“Break through! If we punch through their line, we live!”
He charged into the convict-soldiers, sword leading.
The others followed without hesitation.
Caught off guard, the convict-soldiers reeled.
They never expected an opera troupe to suddenly produce a group this strong.
Sheer power advantage. Within moments, dozens lay dead on the ground.
But the convict-soldiers regrouped fast, coordinating with spears to keep Li Huowang’s people at bay.
Sheer numbers began to hold the line.
Can’t drag this out.
Li Huowang pulled out his iron pliers, shoved them into his mouth, and clamped down on his teeth.
Agony. And beneath the pain, something else—an unbearable, indescribable sourness.
The Thousand Greats Record unfurled. The two teeth flew into it, tumbling across the page, then exploded among the convict-soldiers.
A hail of white bone fragments burrowed into the soldiers’ flesh. Screams ripped through the air. The packed ranks collapsed in a wide arc.
Rrrring—!
The harsh ring of a Daoist bell cut through the noise.
The Wandering Lord descended, weaving through the convict-soldiers.
Working both methods, the effect was immediate. Soon, through the thinning enemy line, Li Huowang could see the dirt road leading out of town.
Finally—
The thought had barely formed when a chill of killing intent wrapped around him, so intense it made his bones ache.
The pressure crushed down on him, demanding surrender, demanding collapse.
His instincts screamed danger. He tried to move, but his body felt frozen in a block of ice. He couldn’t lift a finger.
A dragon’s cry rang from Li Huowang’s sword, shaking off the invisible lock.
He threw himself into a roll just as a sharp whoosh tore through the air.
A massive halberd spun past, slamming into the spot where he’d been standing.
Shattered stone stung his face.
As if sensing something, Li Huowang turned to look back.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
A great warhorse armored in heavy plates carried the female general toward him, trampling bodies beneath its hooves.
The horse’s four thick legs were stained the same color as Li Huowang’s Daoist robe.
As she drew closer, a tremor crawled into every heart. Something forced their bodies to kneel, to yield.
“Heh. Finally forced you out, Siqi spy.” The woman’s voice carried a hint of satisfaction.
“I’ll say it one more time—the sword was a gift! I’m no spy!”
“You carry the Right family’s blade. I, Peng Longteng, say you’re a spy, so you’re a fucking spy. Whether it’s true or not—what’s that got to do with me?”