Chapter 70: An Ominous Visitor

Everyone turned their gaze toward the distant sound. Unexpectedly, at some point, a swarm of ants had appeared on the ground, and the rustling of leaves was actually the ants gnawing on bones.

"It’s nothing, just ants," Qin Tian said to the group, "let’s keep moving."

But Murong Xue remained cautious, her eyes fixed on the distance. Following her gaze, the landscape was shrouded in haze. Though it was daylight, the sun was absent, and the air was thick with a strange mist, reminiscent of the dense fog in the Misty Forest. Helpless, I activated my Celestial Sight once again. Each activation strained my physical strength—not my internal energy, but actual stamina. Prolonged use left my body weak and limp, so I seldom used it unless necessary.

Through the haze, I vaguely saw a squad approaching. They held weapons and marched in unison—a trained force, unmistakably. As their ranks drew near, everyone noticed and raised their pistols, aiming. By rough estimate, their numbers approached two thousand.

"Lao Li, do you think they’re coming for us?" Qin Tian moved next to me and asked.

"How should I know? Better to stay alert," I replied, expanding the protective shield to envelope everyone. The women had already taken refuge among the crowd, except for Nine-Tailed Fox and Murong Xue, the strongest among us.

Murong Xue loosened a three-foot white silk sash from her waist, while Nine-Tailed Fox readied herself for combat. Soon, the group arrived before us.

"Leave the women, kill the men," declared the leader—a woman wielding a whip. If not for her voice, I wouldn’t have known she was female; the entire group was clad in black armor. It looked more like soft body armor than traditional armor, giving an odd impression of flexibility. What baffled me most was her icy command. Without so much as a question, she ordered our deaths—men to be slaughtered, women spared. Was she some kind of misandrist? Or perhaps a devotee of her own gender?

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"Wait," I called out to the sweet-voiced woman.

"Do you have anything else to say?" she asked.

Turning to the group, I spoke, "My name is Li Yunfei. If I have somehow offended you, please enlighten me."

She laughed, a wild, arrogant laugh, yet I glimpsed boundless sorrow in her smile.

"You haven’t offended me. Blame the women around you—they’re too beautiful. Anyway, you’re all about to die, so I’ll do you a favor and let you die knowing why. Our High Priest needs ninety-nine beautiful women to offer to the gods. To prevent future trouble, you all must die," she said coldly. Her delicate face betrayed no emotion.

"Brother Qin, what’s your opinion?" I asked playfully.

"Anyone who harms my brothers—kill them!" Qin Tian’s eyes remained fixed on the approaching force of two thousand, his voice loud, as if deliberately addressing them.

"Is being beautiful a crime? You’re not bad yourself; why not offer yourself to your High Priest?" Nine-Tailed Fox puffed her chest, arrogantly challenging the woman.

"You—" The woman was too angry to speak.

"General, don’t waste words with them. If we delay, we’ll have trouble explaining to the High Priest," a burly man at her side said. He looked about my age, taller and darker, and beneath his soft armor, his face was handsome.

"I know what I’m doing," she replied coldly. General? This woman was a general? What a joke—since when did women become generals? I wanted to press further, but with a wave of her slender hand, her troops charged.

The brothers of the Azure Dragon Gang had already aimed their guns. Before Qin Tian could give the order, shots rang out. I retreated into the crowd, thinking this would surely wipe them out. But what happened next stunned me. Bullets bounced off the soldiers’ soft armor, and the troops marched forward as if invincible, their ice-blades radiating a suffocating aura.

"Aim for the head and eyes—avoid the armored parts," Qin Tian ordered.

The Azure Dragon Gang kept firing, but the soft armor covered most of their bodies; only the face was exposed. The soldiers shielded their faces with one hand, their eyes peering out as they advanced. Their equipment was formidable, far superior to ours. When firearms failed, it was time for close combat.

"Brother Qin, I’ll test the waters. If things go wrong, take everyone and run." With that, I gripped my Frostblade Sword and charged into the fray.

The sword, sharp enough to cut through iron like mud, struck the soldiers’ soft armor but couldn’t penetrate. Forced to resort to my revolver, I fired with both hands, fighting desperately. Their numbers were overwhelming, their armor impenetrable. Though I managed to kill two, I was stabbed several times, and my left shoulder was pierced by a sword.

"Get them out of here!" I shouted at Qin Tian, kicking aside a soldier who tried to charge forward.

"Hold on, Lao Li," Qin Tian whispered something to Yu Jing, then rushed to my side.

"Are you stupid? Didn’t I say to get them out?" I yelled. My head spun, and after shouting, I nearly collapsed.

"Don’t worry. Yu Jing is leading them away. The two of us will hold them off," Qin Tian said, pulling out his Desert Eagle.

With Qin Tian joining the fight, I felt relieved. Glancing back, I saw Yu Jing leading the way, Murong Xue and Nine-Tailed Fox covering the rear, the group retreating swiftly.

Just as they were about to disappear into the haze, a sudden change occurred. The burly man who had stood silently beside the female general sprang into action. In a single leap, he appeared behind Murong Xue and the others. I tried to warn them, but it was too late. He struck at Murong Xue’s back with his palm. His movements were uncanny—if that blow landed, she would surely be seriously injured or worse.

I was anxious for Murong Xue, fearing she wouldn’t react in time, but I had underestimated her strength. Just as the burly man’s palm was about to touch her back, Murong Xue spun around and met his attack with a palm strike of her own. She staggered back several steps, blood spilling from the corner of her lips, while the burly man remained rooted, seemingly unharmed.

How could this be? Qin Tian and I stared in disbelief.