Green Mountain
Chapter 333 - 273, Siege

Chapter 333: 273, Siege

The sounds of the world seemed to have disappeared.

Chen Ji stood at the end of the staircase, swinging his blade like a curtain, sweat pouring down like rain. He could no longer hear the shouts and cries of the Heavenly Strategy Army; his world was reduced to his own heavy breathing.

He had forgotten how long he had been fighting, but it had been a long time. A time long enough for his arms to grow sore and numb, for his strength to be almost completely drained, making him want to close his eyes and sleep well.

The inn’s interior piled with bodies in two layers, blood soaking beyond the shoes, causing the armored soldiers of the Heavenly Strategy Army to make a sticky sound as they stepped in, making the stairs sticky and wet.

A soldier of the Heavenly Strategy Army chopped down with his sword, Chen Ji countered with a backhand slash, the blade of the Whale Blade scraped against the opponent’s blade, creating sparks and neatly slicing through neck skin, flesh, and bone.

Qi Zhenzhuo saw him blocking the staircase like a one-man army, seemingly not difficult, and immediately shouted, "You take a rest; I’ll take over!"

Chen Ji looked at him silently, stepping aside to the left. Just as Qi Zhenzhuo took over, a soldier of the Heavenly Strategy Army suddenly lunged toward them, as they had been waiting for the moment Chen Ji was exhausted!

With his massive Innate Realm force, Qi Zhenzhuo slashed away an incoming blow from a Heavenly Strategy Army soldier and then struck down onto the soldier’s shoulder.

But the heavenly soldier, mad as a rabid dog, abandoned his weapon and clung to Qi Zhenzhuo’s waist, attempting to push him aside with brute force to clear the staircase entrance.

Qi Zhenzhuo tried to draw his sword again, but the blade was firmly stuck in the heavenly soldier’s muscles, bones, and armor.

"Argh!" Qi Zhenzhuo screamed in panic.

Chen Ji, who hadn’t had a chance to catch his breath, sliced upward, severing the heavenly soldier’s arms. Qi Zhenzhuo, freed from the entrapment, scrambled back in panic, watching helplessly as Chen Ji resumed holding the breach, breathing heavily.

Only then did he realize it was because Chen Ji had been delivering fatal blows, preventing those fearless soldiers from finding an opportunity.

In such life-and-death battles, delivering fatal strikes was crucial. Some skills seemed ordinary when viewed from afar, but when standing at the mountain’s foot, their majesty was overwhelming.

Qi Zhenzhuo awkwardly muttered, "I..."

With his back still turned, Chen Ji gasped, "Go guard the window."

In the main hall, a Heavenly Strategy Army soldier, propped against a heavy sword and wearing a black pheasant feather helmet, drank from a wine jar while keeping a close watch on Chen Ji.

The next moment, just as Chen Ji was about to kill another heavenly soldier, the soldier hurled the large wine jar, roaring towards Chen Ji like a massive projectile.

Chen Ji had no choice but to sidestep the attack, inadvertently exposing a flaw.

The heavenly soldier on the staircase saw his delayed recovery and furiously swung his sword. At the critical juncture, the black sword seed in the tattoo on Chen Ji’s waist slipped through the seams of his clothing and deftly passed through the soldier’s neck.

With a thud, the soldier fell on the stairs, having all his strength drained, then rolled to the main hall.

Chen Ji hadn’t wanted to use the sword seed because behind it loomed the great pressure of the Temple of Martial Arts... but he had no choice.

The soldier in the main hall, who had expected the attack to open a breach, was taken aback to see his subordinate die inexplicably.

The other soldier’s body had blocked his view so he hadn’t seen what had harmed him in the shadows. After the body fell, he squatted beside it, running his fingers over the throat’s fine wound—it seemed cut by Sword Qi, but the young warrior upstairs had clearly been using a blade.

He squinted slightly, glancing upward, but could discern no further details.

...

...

In the inn’s backyard, over ten heavenly soldiers wasted no time finding ladders. Some silently removed their heavy armor for lighter attire, while others formed a human ladder to easily lift two unarmored comrades to the second floor for a surprise attack on two windows.

The lifted heavenly soldier gripped the window ledge, pulling himself halfway through.

Just as he was about to flip in, he looked up, startled to see a spirit monster encircled in black smoke inside, its maw opening wide from its chest and abdomen!

In an instant, the Taotie slammed half of his body, pouring a torrent of blood on the soldier below the human ladder, drenching him completely.

The soldier below looked up in shock, only to see his comrade reduced to waist below.

Seeing the Taotie, someone exclaimed, "Mandala Seal! How can there be a Mandala Seal here?"

Another soldier attempted to enter through the adjacent window, only to meet Qi Zhenzhuo. Embodying his earlier indignation, Qi Zhenzhuo sealed the soldier’s throat with a sword.

Yet the soldiers below discarded their comrade’s body and, without hesitation, lifted two more for a feigned attack.

Meanwhile, a heavenly soldier with a black pheasant plume in his helmet stealthily climbed upward, his broadsword clutching in his mouth.

With no one to lift him, his sturdy fingers grabbed effortlessly, making bricks appear like tofu, carving out footholds on the wall by hand!

He crept like a gecko toward the window, lunging just as Qi Zhenzhuo cut down another heavenly soldier!

In midair, he released his grip, the broadsword dropping neatly into his hand.

The blade flashed!

Qi Zhenzhuo, exhausted from his last strike, hurriedly brought back his hand to block.

Clang!

Qi Zhenzhuo froze, instinctively raising his hand to see, his sword was cut in half by the soldier’s blow. Cold sweat ran through his spine!

He always believed the Yulin Army was dubbed the Dandy Army due to their heritage.

Only at this moment did he finally understand why the Imperial Three Camps looked down on them. The forging of life and death on the battlefield is the true tempering of blade and blood.

Qi Zhenzhuo quickly retreated, watching as the heavenly soldiers invaded, one by one: "Chen Ji, someone broke in, save me!"

Chen Ji, exhausted, stabbed through the armored soldier before him, looking back to see Qi Zhenzhuo quickly retreat from the Dizi Room E.

He shouted, "Zhang Xia, get to the third floor!"

He then raised the Whale Blade high, slashing horizontally at the stairs in front, unable to cut through.

An armored soldier charged him, and he repelled it with one blow, swinging down another slash at the stairs!

The wooden stairs couldn’t bear the weight and, with a creaking sound, collapsed along with over ten heavenly soldiers, creating a "cliff" at the staircase entrance.

Chen Ji was about to block the Dizi Room E door but heard the soldier in the main hall, hefting a heavy sword, speaking slowly, "Young man, what’s the point of serving those southerners? They look down on martial artists. We northerners are different. Surrender to the Heavenly Strategy Army, we’ll ennoble you as a marquis, inheritance of riches for generations."

Upon hearing this, Qi Zhenzhuo panicked, "Chen Ji, don’t listen to his nonsense! Become a surrendered general, and you’re marked forever as inferior!"

Chen Ji glanced at him, wielding his blade and heading for the Dizi Room E entrance, "Get everyone to the third floor, delay them from the Superior A Room to the rooftop, hold as long as you can."

Qi Zhenzhuo, hearing this, immediately shielded the Crown Prince and rushed upstairs.

In another Dizi room, Xiao Man tugged Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng to ascend. Chen Wenxiao urged, "Don’t leave, you must stay here to block those Jing Dynasty scoundrels, return to the capital, and you’ll be promoted to a maid, we’ll raise your pay by five taels a month!"

Xiao Man laughed mockingly as she walked, "Who cares, I serve the young master and don’t listen to you."

Chen Wenxiao hurried after them, Chen Wenzong supporting Mrs. Liang, helping her with her skirt. Chen Liqin tripped over a brazier when exiting, watching a heavenly soldier already half through the window. Wang Gui gritted his teeth, returned to lift him, and ran for the stairs, thinking if Chen Ji couldn’t hold them, all would die anyway; might as well take a big gamble!

Once everyone reached the third floor, Chen Ji made a feint attack to retreat and forced back the heavenly soldiers before swiftly ascending and chopping the wooden stairs section by section, cutting off their path.

The heavenly soldiers quickly turned to the windows, gripping their broadswords in their mouths, scaling to the third floor barehanded.

The Octagonal Building of Dragon Gate Inn, with windows all around, was impossible to guard; once a gap was opened, that entire floor would fall.

The Superior A Room had originally housed Chen Ji and his party when Red Sleeves’ assassins attacked, and Chen Ji had used the Whale Blade to carve a gap.

Zhang Xia and Xiao Man lifted a table and chairs to stack, just as Chen Wenxiao was about to climb up, Xiao Man yanked his collar and pushed him aside, "Get away, Sister Axia goes first."

Without hesitation, Zhang Xia climbed onto the chairs and through the gap to the roof.

Zhang Zheng, the Crown Prince, Qi Zhenzhuo, Chen Liqin, Mrs. Liang, Chen Wenzong, and Chen Wenxiao, no one was left behind, only Xiao Man and Wang Gui remained.

Zhang Xia peeked out through the gap, extending a hand, shouting, "Xiao Man, come on up!"

Xiao Man hesitated for a moment, finally shaking his head, "No, I promised Aunt to protect the young master; he must live to marry a legitimate daughter from a prominent family!"

Zhang Xia was startled.

Just as Wang Gui climbed onto the chair, ready to ascend the roof, Xiao Man, a glint in his eye, kicked the table over and turned to run.

With a thud, Wang Gui crashed heavily to the ground, clutching his waist in pain, unable to stand.