Zhao Changhe had no mind to care whether the Winged Fire Snake would be of any help or not; he just grabbed his knife and charged towards the battle.
Upon arrival, he saw Gui Chen leading a group of about several dozen Taoists, in a formation similar to the Heavenly Gang Formation, besieging a barbarian man clad in night-travel clothes.
A large hole had been broken through the roof of the nearby hall. It seemed the barbarian had attempted a sneak attack from the rooftop, but Gui Chen was well-prepared. He blocked the ambush, had his troops emerge from hiding, and now had trapped the attacker within the formation.
It looked like the help he’d imagined might be available was just wishful thinking... It wasn’t a standoff between two forces, just a single powerful warrior attempting to break through the formation. Xuan Chong was pacing anxiously on the outside, unable to intervene as he was not a pre-arranged part of the Array.
It was similar to the previous battle between Tang Wanjuang and Maitreya above the Tang family’s residence, where ordinary people couldn’t even get involved—just being near the strong winds was overwhelming.
The barbarian held a heavy blade, one size smaller than the Dragon Sparrow, and as the blade roared and dust flew, he showed no fear amidst the encirclement. The more he fought, the braver he seemed. It was as if even now, he was still trying to kill Gui Chen, exhibiting extreme ferocity.
Gui Chen’s expression was solemn. Although he was well-prepared, it seemed he may not be able to defeat this opponent. The difference in strength among his fellow Taiyi Sect practitioners was too great—they could not even block a single blow from the enemy, relying solely on Gui Chen to withstand the assault. The others were only there to harass.
If it were not for their advantage in formation, they would have probably been broken through by now... It would be laughable to end up being killed after all this...
Zhao Changhe softly asked the "Winged Fire Snake" who had just arrived beside him, "This guy is quite strong, eh... I’m not very familiar with the figures of the Worldly Society, do you know who this is?"
Vermilion Bird replied indifferently, "The seventh on the Earth List, ’the Frenzied Lion’ He Lei. You seem to have fought with his apprentice before, a fellow named Ba Tu."
Zhao Changhe indeed felt that the blade was similar to Ba Tu’s. Turns out Ba Tu had such an amazing master.
A man surrounded and still thinking about killing his opponents—such ferocity is truly frightening. Are all people from the grasslands ?
He seems reckless... or perhaps wild? It’s like he thinks the Central Plains has no one left...
Zhao Changhe said, "Can you get involved?"
Vermilion Bird, with arms folded, said, "When have you ever seen my name, Winged Fire Snake, on any list? I might not even be able to beat you."
What a joke. Although Vermilion Bird also thought of the barbarian as an enemy, this wasn’t the time for them to turn against each other in conflict. Do they think my Four Symbols Sect is loyal to Great Xia or some kind of heroine?
Zhao Changhe thought the woman who appeared so silently in his room must be quite strong, but he had no desire to ponder her actual strength. Grabbing the anxious Xuan Chong, he said, "Taoist brother, do you have any bows and arrows here? Can you get me a pair?"
Xuan Chong’s eyes brightened, "We do, we also go hunting. Just wait... Hold on, who is this woman? Winged..."
"I found this girl in the village at the foot of the mountain and dressed her up. I just love playing with the the Four Symbols Sect’s mask gimmick. I’m really sorry for bothering your residence. Can you wait to deal with this?"
Vermilion Bird: "..."
"I don’t care what you do, even if she really is the Winged Fire Snake, it’s none of my business. If you have the ability to play around with Vermilion Bird, it’s not my problem." Xuan Chong just asked subconsciously, with no mood to care, he hurried off to fetch a bow.
Vermilion Bird’s fingers were cracking with frustration.
Little did Xuan Chong know that he had almost provoked a female demon to scatter his bones. He quickly fetched a bow and handed it to Zhao Changhe.
Zhao Changhe gauged the distance, leapt onto the roof of a nearby building, and slowly drew the bow.
Vermilion Bird followed, watching with a cold face as he looked for the opportunity, and said softly, "You really dare to get involved?"
"How so, not all have a Protective Qi Wall that can block arrows, right? What can block ordinary soldiers might not be able to block mine."
"That’s not necessarily true, but your arrow will pose a minuscule threat to him. If he turns it back on you, you could end up dead."
"He’s trapped in the midst of the encirclement, if I can’t even shoot an arrow from a hundred steps away, then what’s the point of my martial arts practice?"
"Don’t you think this is like shooting a cold arrow, not something a hero would do?"
"Please, this is a war for home and country..." Zhao Changhe retorted irritably, "What’s with you and the incessant questions? Can’t you just quietly watch from the side?"
In fact, with the Five Senses of the ’Frenzied Lion’ He Lei, he was already aware of the bow being drawn and the arrow being notched—there was no surprise attack to speak of. Zhao Changhe’s arrow remained nocked but undelivered, merely applying pressure. Not releasing the arrow created an even greater psychological impact, as no one could gauge the strength of the archer, causing reluctance to expose themselves or to make hasty moves.
In reality, He Lei’s expression had now become much more solemn than before, his eyes flicking over here from time to time. His movements during the battle involved more dodging and shifting, carefully not staying too long in one spot, and even more cautious about leaping.
A sigh of relief passed through Gui Chen—continue , and victory is assured!
Vermilion Bird, of course, could see through the ruse and asked Xiaobai questions merely to feign ignorance.
An insignificant youth at the Fifth Layer of Mystical Gate dared to brazenly partake in the Earth List battle and even successfully exerted pressure!
The combat instincts and awareness, when considered for potential, truly ranked too low at eighteenth.
This was the first-tier level, the likes of Chi Li and Yue Hongling.
But you dared to roar at me... Get full chapters from novel_fіre.net
Amidst the battle, He Lei suddenly let out an angry roar, "The one on the roof, drawing the bow and readying an arrow, may I have your name?"
Zhao Changhe responded with a slight smile, "From the Wang Family of Langya, my name is Wang Daozhong."
As if I’m a fool, revealing my true name would have no deterrence whatsoever.
Vermilion Bird nearly laughed out loud, finding Zhao Changhe’s choice of name amusing.
Wang Daozhong, cousin of Wang Daoning, head of the Wang Family and ranked thirty-sixth on the Earth List.
He Lei’s expression grew even more grave, knowing that with Wang Daozhong’s strength, one arrow could indeed cause him insurmountable trouble.
Furthermore, this seemed to imply that the Wang Family and the Taiyi Sect had a prior understanding, rendering his own presence here utterly meaningless.
The recklessly brave He Lei finally thought to retreat. With a fierce chop of his heavy blade to the side, he forced back two elder Taoists and suddenly leaped up, all the while readying a backup move to block any incoming arrows.
A "twang" sounded just as he took to the air.
He Lei had anticipated this and swept his blade in a strike, but he hit nothing but air.
The misevaluated situation ultimately extracted its toll—Gui Chen thrust his sword into He Lei’s back right through to the heart. He Lei violently twisted his body, and as the sword’s tip grazed his back shoulder, a spray of blood followed.
Stumbling, He Lei swung his blade to fend off the successive chain of attacks from Gui Chen and, with a stagger, fought through the pain as he retreated from the formation and leapt away.
From beneath the moon, his angry voice echoed, "Langya’s Wang Family, Wang Daozhong! I’ll remember this!"
Gui Chen soared up, in hot pursuit, "His qinggong seems mediocre. If we could take this opportunity to end his life, it would remove a great threat!"
Before he had finished speaking, a clear male voice came from afar, "Brother He Lei, since you’ve come to the land of Qilu, why not stop for a cup of water and wine?"
"It turns out this was thoroughly a trap laid by the Wang Family! What loyal and righteous servants you are of Great Xia, I admire that," sneered the retreating voice, its source unknown if the Wang Family had indeed captured him or not.
Gui Chen shook his head and did not continue the chase.
That wasn’t the Wang Family’s trap at all. The Wang Family’s probing of the Worldly Society was quite evident; on the contrary, they had intervened after the fact as if to atone, but in reality, they likely did so to subtly let He Lei escape. That was the wager of an Aristocratic Family.
He Lei, once escaped, would probably reflect and realize this soon enough.
Zhao Changhe frowned, pondering the situation, which seemed like something out of a cop movie—emerging only after everything had concluded, thereby complicating Gui Chen’s pursuit. Something felt off about this...
He looked up, meeting the shimmering gaze of "Winged Fire Snake" and asked in a low voice, "What’s your take on the Wang Family’s maneuver?"
Vermilion Bird gave a slight smile, "I’m just a woman who knows nothing; why bother asking me?"
A middle-aged man with a long beard appeared at the Taoist temple, cupping his hands towards Gui Chen, "Is the Temple Master unharmed?"
Gui Chen returned the gesture with a single palm, "Thanks to Mister Wang for the concern. Aside from missing a piece of the roof, the sect is otherwise unharmed."
"That’s good," said the man before turning to Zhao Changhe with indifference, "What’s the meaning of the Four Symbols Sect’s evil cultivators brazenly appearing here?"
Zhao Changhe subconsciously stood in front of Vermilion Bird, "Who are you? You weren’t there to fight the invaders, and now you come out playing the hero, louder than anybody?"
The man was silent for a moment before responding slowly, "My surname is Wang, Wang Daozhong."