Сhарtеr 255: Кill
Sun Таn had beеn fоllоwing Zhu Yаn’s оrders all alоng. Нearing hеr voicе, hе саllеd twо of his men аnd together they asсеnded thе citу wаll.
Sееing Sun Tаn wаs likе sроtting a lifеline for Zhu Yan. “Dерuty Сommander Sun, quiсkly, takе Pan Сhi tо rесеivе mеdical trеаtment аt оnсe.”
Sun Тan nоddеd in acknоwlеdgment аnd ordered mеn to carrу Раn Chi аway. Hе thеn sаid to Zhu Yаn, “Lоrd Zhu, this is nо рlасe tо lingеr. Lord Рan nеeds mediсal аttеntiоn, and уоu shоuld lеave as wеll!”
With Pan Chi taken сare of, Zhu Yаn’s heart wаs tied tо Shеn Du’s safеty, and she naturally refused. “It’s fine. They won’t have time for me right now. I won’t be in danger here. Deputy Commander Sun, I entrust Pan Chi to you.”
Zhu Yan stubbornly refused to leave. Sun Tan tried to persuade her but to no avail, so he had no choice but to let her stay.
On the other side, Mo Qianzhi saw Shen Du charging fiercely toward him and instinctively tried to evade. But before he could even shift his body, he was pushed forward by someone beside him.
In that instant, Mo Qianzhi was utterly shocked, his pupils widening in disbelief.
Seeing this, Shen Du had no choice but to deflect his sword’s edge. His eyes were filled with complex emotions—not out of reluctance to strike Mo Qianzhi, but because some mysteries remained unsolved, and for now, he couldn’t kill him.
Unexpectedly, Mo Qianzhi showed no gratitude. Instead, he raised his hand and stabbed Shen Du with his sword. Fortunately, Shen Du dodged in time, and the blade only grazed his arm.
On the high platform, the Half-Faced Ghost, seeing that Shen Du had ruined their plans, immediately rallied his men to attack.
Jing Lin swiftly killed a Half-Faced Ghost with a single strike to the throat. Seeing Shen Du surrounded again, he called several men from the Inner Guard Bureau, and together they ascended the high platform to assist Shen Du.
With Sun Tan gone and Jing Lin and his men now on the high platform, the main force was suddenly drastically reduced. The hard-won advantage was on the verge of slipping away once more.
But then, a troop of men emerged from within the city—each one robust and wielding long spears. Without a word, they joined the battle, driving the Half-Faced Ghosts into retreat.
It turned out that earlier, when Sun Tan discovered Mo Qianzhi’s indiscriminate killings, he had sent someone back to the Unrighteous Agents’ Yingzhou branch to bring reinforcements, while he led the remaining men to assist.
Now, the Unrighteous Agents’ reinforcements had arrived.
Standing high on the city wall, Zhu Yan had a clear view of the scene and nearly wept with joy. Indeed, heaven still had eyes—it had not driven them to utter destruction!
After a brief moment of thought, she turned to descend the city wall, wanting to get closer to Shen Du so she could tend to his wounds once the fighting ended.
But the Half-Faced Ghost leader, seeing the situation turning against him, took advantage of Shen Du being held back by the other Half-Faced Ghosts and Mo Qianzhi to slip away from the high platform.
In a flash, he appeared on the city wall, blocking Zhu Yan’s path.
Zhu Yan froze, instinctively taking a step back. Seeing the Half-Faced Ghost leader advancing toward her, she turned and ran.
Without martial skills to rely on, Zhu Yan was self-aware. Injuring Ji Dafu had been a stroke of luck, but she was no match for this man now.
Seeing her flee, the Half-Faced Ghost leader chased after her in a few strides. With one hand, he grabbed the back collar of her robe, and with the other, he reached around to grip her throat, intending to take her away without another word.
Zhu Yan was not one to obey quietly. After struggling a few times to no avail, she stomped hard on the Half-Faced Ghost leader’s foot and then bit down on his arm, causing him to cry out in pain.
“Ah! You’re asking for death!”
Zhu Yan was flung aside, landing on the ground with her head hitting first. Her eyelids drooped, and she fell unconscious.As soon as the Half-Faced Ghost leader’s cry rang out, Shen Du noticed it. Looking up, he saw the man carrying Zhu Yan away and immediately grew anxious. “Jing Lin, leave this place to you. Keep Mo Qianzhi alive.”
After giving these brief instructions, he raised his sword and gave chase.
Having endured several rounds of combat, Shen Du was already exhausted and injured. How could Jing Lin feel at ease letting him venture into the dragon’s den alone?
Ignoring Shen Du’s orders, Jing Lin handed the task over to the Inner Guard Bureau and also pursued them.
The Unrighteous Agents arrived with reinforcements. The Half-Faced Ghosts were already outmatched, and after seeing their leader retreat, they no longer fought desperately, instead scattering in retreat.
However, surrounded as they were, breaking free was no easy task. Only a few managed to escape, while the rest were captured and imprisoned by the Inner Guards and others.
One group continued the pursuit, while another stayed behind to handle the aftermath.
Many civilians had been killed or injured. The survivors needed medical treatment, and the dead had to be claimed by their families. Those without claimants would have to be buried, and a series of other tasks still required attention.
In victory or defeat, Mo Qianzhi saw the situation turning against him and naturally sought to flee. However, as a scholar-official by background, he had never needed to fight personally, even during foreign invasions—his role was command. Though he had joined the Fire Moth Party and learned a few moves, he rarely practiced them and was rusty. In just a few exchanges, he was captured by the Inner Guard Bureau.
To prevent him from inciting unrest, the Inner Guards stuffed a few walnuts into his mouth and bound him tightly like a zongzi. Along with the unconscious Ji Dafu, he was taken back to the county office for custody.
Along the way, Mo Qianzhi’s muffled protests were mostly unintelligible.
With the crisis resolved, only the aftermath remained. The Unrighteous Agents, having accomplished their mission, withdrew quietly. By the time the Inner Guard Bureau came to their senses and prepared to offer thanks, they were already gone.
The Half-Faced Ghost leader knew that once Zhu Yan disappeared, Shen Du would surely give chase. Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, he carried Zhu Yan and moved swiftly.
By the time Shen Du and Jing Lin caught up, there was no trace of him. Fortunately, they encountered a few surviving Half-Faced Ghosts during their retreat.
The two did not alert them but followed closely behind. Having a trail to follow was far better than wandering aimlessly like headless flies.
Zhu Yan had fainted from hitting her head but did not remain unconscious for long. She soon woke up, groggy and disoriented.
However, as the Half-Faced Ghost leader carried her, leaping across rooftops and walls, she grew dizzy from the motion and could not muster the strength to struggle.
Moreover, she dared not struggle. If she angered the Half-Faced Ghost leader and he threw her down in a fit of rage, she would surely meet her end by falling to her death.
Soon, the Half-Faced Ghost leader brought her into a courtyard, where someone immediately approached, intending to take Zhu Yan from him.
The Half-Faced Ghost leader waved them off. “Is everything prepared?” The Sacrificial Ritual was over, and what followed was the main event. There could be no room for error.
Otherwise, today’s commotion and the exposure of the Half-Faced Ghosts as part of the Fire Moth Party would result in significant losses.
“Yes, the people have been brought and are in the Dark Hall. All necessary items are also ready.”
The Deputy Helm Master had emphasized the importance of this matter before leaving, and they dared not neglect it.
“Pass down the order: the Sacrificial Ritual is complete. Proceed according to plan. Additionally, strengthen the guard. Do not let anyone with ill intentions sneak in and ruin our plans.”
“Understood.”
After giving these instructions, the Half-Faced Ghost leader finally took Zhu Yan to the Dark Hall.The Dark Hall was an underground chamber. Though situated below ground, it was still quite bright with the candles lit.
As soon as she entered the Dark Hall, Zhu Yan was roughly thrown to the ground, causing her to gasp in pain.
She scrambled to sit upright, glanced at her sore arm, and cursed inwardly. Though somewhat frightened, she did not forget to assess her current situation.
Upon closer inspection, she realized something was amiss.
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