Chapter 252: The Battle (3)
He soon realized how wise his decision was. Watching the crowd collapse in convulsions almost instantly, continuing to twitch uncontrollably even after hitting the ground like dying struggles—had all these people died?
"No, I told you Cao Cao would show mercy as long as no lives were taken."
Jiang Huanran coughed lightly in embarrassment. He had only been thinking it to himself, never expecting to voice it aloud.
This Cao Cao was truly a lethal weapon—far too dangerous!
"Stack them up."
Yu Tao and Wang Cheng followed orders, while the Sixth Prince directed his guards to assist. Soon, a small mountain of bodies had been piled up. Aside from their convulsions, the men showed no other movement, giving the eerie illusion that they were all dead.
A gust of wind carried the stench of blood mingled with other odors, making Hua Zhi nauseous. She held her breath, enduring silently, and only exhaled deeply once the wind had passed.
But the smell of blood lingered—because it stained her clothes and her hands.
"They're coming."
Heavy footsteps approached from afar. Hua Zhi watched coldly, her expression gradually hardening. These people...
"Miss, something's off about these men." Jiang Huanran tightened his grip on the blade he'd seized from an enemy—unfamiliar, but better than bare hands.
"Yu Tao, can you tell? Where are they from?"
Before Yu Tao could respond, Shaoyao cut in, "Half are Manor Guards, half are military personnel. Heh, interesting."
Though she called it "interesting," her face was stern. Raised with the most orthodox education, certain principles and unwarranted convictions were etched into her bones. Manor Guards were tasked with maintaining local order—Mu Yunyang's private use of them might be justifiable—but military personnel had no business appearing here for personal purposes!
Hua Zhi took a deep breath. "Prioritize your own safety. If they die, so be it."
"Don't worry, Hua Hua. Even for the sake of accountability, I'll spare a few lives." Shaoyao had shed all traces of levity. "Be careful, Hua Hua. These aren't the incompetents we faced earlier."
"I understand." Hua Zhi tightened her grip on the hairpin—a weapon custom-made for her, longer and sharper than ordinary ones, fitting perfectly in her hand.
"Little Six, stay back. Watch over Zheng Bei. Chen Zhen, Chen Shi, protect them well."
"Yes."
The Sixth Prince nodded reluctantly. He was still too weak—far too weak!
"Master Jiang, care to risk it all?"
Jiang Huanran lifted his chin. "I'll stake my life on it!"
"Then, the left is yours. Wang Cheng, take the right. Cao Cao, wide-range attacks. Yu Tao, roam and strike. Remember, every move must incapacitate. We can't afford a prolonged fight."
Everyone acknowledged.
A fighting spirit ignited in Hua Zhi's eyes. It was time to gamble with their lives. Even with Yan Xi as her backing, she had to survive for it to matter.
"Charge."
On the other side, the approaching men froze momentarily at the sight of the stacked bodies. They never expected their opponents to be so ruthless—so many lives, slaughtered without hesitation?When they realized the other side had actually charged first, they immediately settled their minds to engage. Dealing with such vicious individuals, they dared not be careless—even if there was one among them who looked exceptionally handsome, in their eyes at that moment, he was there to claim their lives!
These opponents could no longer be taken down with a single strike. The hairpin felt dull as it pierced into flesh, tearing through the skin, through the muscle, and with a twist, it was pulled out with a forceful slash, leaving the entire thigh a bloody mess. When the hairpin repeated the process on the other leg, no one could remain standing under such injuries.
Injuring the legs was the best attack method Hua Zhi could think of. Of course, it would be even better to stab the throat or the carotid artery in the neck, but that would mean taking a life—even though it would actually require less effort.
Lack of physical strength was Hua Zhi's weakness. She was the one among them who could least afford to expend energy. The opponents were not without sharp-eyed individuals; in the later stages, she became the breakthrough point. Once they realized she was the leader, everyone converged on her.
Hua Zhi sneered coldly. She, Hua Zhi, had never been an easy target!
Her response was to strike even more fiercely. No longer aiming for the thighs, she drove the hairpin directly into an opponent's neck and slashed violently. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and the person clutched their neck as they slowly collapsed to the ground.
In that instant, everyone froze.
Hua Zhi had already moved on to attack another person with her hairpin—same location, same result.
Shaoyao, who had emptied all her medicinal powder, laughed heartily, untied the decorative whip from her waist, coiled it around one person, and slammed them hard to the ground, leaving them unconscious, alive or dead.
It seemed only then that the opponents reacted, but in those few moments, they had already lost over ten men. Such tough adversaries were rare in their lifetime!
"Retreat!"
"We can't retreat! Young Master Zheng is still in their hands!"
Clearly, the one calling for retreat was from the military, while the one speaking afterward was from the Chief Administrator's Mansion's Manor Guards. Of the seventy men who had come, only half remained now.
But Hua Zhi had no intention of letting any of them escape. She would never give them a chance to return!
"Yu Tao, cut off their retreat."
Without any hesitation, Yu Tao immediately went to the rear. The others closed in as well, and with Jiang Huanran, only five people formed an encirclement, trapping over thirty within.
Hua Zhi charged forward first. Her strength was nearly depleted.
Without a word, as soon as she moved, the others sprang into action. Knowing these people had no intention of letting them go, the over thirty opponents also fought desperately. For a while, neither side could gain the upper hand.
The Sixth Prince watched anxiously. "Chen Shi, go help."
The two brothers exchanged a glance, and Chen Shi quickly left.
By then, the people inside the room had also come out. Bao Xia watched with a worried expression, wishing she could become the hairpin in her mistress's hand.
Wu Xiaoshuang looked tense, while Wu Dashuang hid behind him, peeking outside. She wasn't looking at Hua Zhi but at Zheng Bei, who lay to the side.
Zheng Bei also noticed her gaze and subtly signaled to her.
Wu Dashuang quickly pulled her head back, then peeked out again after a moment. Zheng Bei was waiting and immediately signaled once more. She hid again, and after repeating this several times, she finally stopped hiding. But she didn't dare do anything else; even as Zheng Bei's eyes nearly twitched from signaling, she didn't take half a step.
At that moment, more people entered the dock entrance—about twenty scattered individuals, clearly cut from the same cloth as the previous group.The Sixth Prince snorted coldly. A tiger may be bullied by dogs when down on its luck, but a tiger remains a tiger—how could dogs ever compare? "Xu Ying, Bao Xia, keep watch over these people. Chen Zhen, come with me."
"But the young lady said you must not leave this place..."
"Should we just let them surround Sister Hua?" Drawing his sword, the Sixth Prince strode straight toward the commotion. He could not allow them to disrupt Sister Hua's arrangements. Chen Zhen had no choice but to follow.
Hua Zhi saw his actions but did not stop him. She had no strength left. Against such a disorderly mob, with Chen Zhen protecting Little Six, the worst that could happen was some minor injuries—there would be no life-threatening danger. Some lessons could only be truly understood through firsthand experience.
PS: Third update of the day. Humbly requesting monthly votes. This type of scene is truly difficult to write—my apologies if it falls short of expectations.
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