"Men! Do not let anyone pass this wall!"
General Diao stomped the end of his halberd to the ground, shaking the ground beneath him.
As soon as he did so, the few guards that had their bows drawn released their arrows towards the numerous members of the Azure Fist sect, hitting some of them.
But this was not even enough to faze them as the disciples rushed to the wall like ants. But before they can even get excited, they felt a gale of wind violently cut their skin, causing them to stop on their tracks. They all turned to see the source of the wind, but to their demise, another gale slashed through, splitting the ones that were unfortunate enough to be in front of the wind.
"None of you will pass!", General Diao shouted as he once again swung his halberd. The disciples that have learned their lesson quickly backed away to avoid the force of General Diao's halberd. His long beard also waving in the air with every swing.
"Worthy of once being called the Wind-Clad General", Sect Master Lu Meng sneered as he slowly approached General Diao, "But an old general without an army is just an old man!"
Sect Master Lu Meng hastened his pace and rushed towards General Diao. This made General Diao falter and stop his swing towards the advancing disciples.
General Diao quickly pierced the ground in front of him and blocked Sect Master Lu Meng's iron fist. Even with his halberd pierced in the ground, he was still pushed back by Lu Meng's haymaker. The impact was enough to push all the dust aside.
But General Diao, as if unfazed, raised his halberd, throwing the rocks and dirt towards Lu Meng like cannons.
Lu Meng quickly jabbed the oncoming rocks and pulverized them, but as he was busy doing that, General Diao rushed towards him while swinging his halberd.
"Tch.", Lu Meng quickly jumped back, avoiding General Diao's attack.
"Why not just let us in?", Lu Meng shook both his arms to stretch his muscles, "I told you, we will leave once we are done with our investigation. We could have settled this peacefully."
"Maybe you will. But can you say the same of your disciples?", General Diao stomped his halberd on the ground again as he gazed at the disciples. Some of them bearing excited faces. "As per my subordinate's report, they were asking for blood."
Sect Master Lu Meng just shrugged his shoulders and scoffed. "Enough talk then", Lu Meng said before he disappeared, only to appear besides General Diao, his fist only a few inches away from the General's face.
But General Diao quickly crouched than while swinging his halberd. This momentarily surprised Lu Meng, but he blocked in instinct at the incoming blade. The force, of course, was enough to make him fly away, only stopping when he embedded his fist on the ground.
He stared at General Diao, who despite being attacked twice now, still stood still in his position, with no intent on moving away from the gate. He then stared at the sect Elders and disciples, "Why are you people still watching!? Do something!"
The Azure Fist members who were engrossed in watching the exchange between the General and their esteemed sect master quickly woke up from their stupor. The disciples that have not yet summoned their gauntlets did so.
General Diao gritted his teeth, it seems that his domineering display was not enough to make the disciples step back. Once again, he swung his halberd towards the advancing disicples. But to his dismay, before he can even finish his swing, Lu Meng rushed towards him, forcing him to dodge.
"Just an old man", Lu Meng said as he released a flurry of jabs towards the General. General Diao had no choice but to dodge and block Lu Meng's fists. Although General Diao's reach was longer than the Sect Master, Lu Meng's agility far surpassed him. Not to mention even Lu Meng's jabs were enough to make his halberd shake each time he blocks Lu Meng's attacks.
With General Diao in the midst of fighting their Sect Master, the disciples took this chance to advance through the wall with the sect elders leading.
"Brothers, climb up the wall while the General is bu-"
Before the Azure Fist sect elder can even finish his words, a golden gleam flashed on the top of his head, all the way to his crotch. And before it can even register in his mind, his body was split right in the middle.
The disciples watched in horror as one of their esteemed elders dropped to the ground in two pieces. The simultaneously slowly looked at the huge golden weapon that was embedded in the ground. They then turned their heads to the woman who swung it. How could such a beautiful woman be so violent in her ways, the disciples thought.
Xing Cai, too, was in a daze. She defeated an Elder of the Azure Fist sect with just one swing of her sword? How absurd was that?
To be an Elder, one must usually have a strength worthy of the title. Even if the Azure Fist sect was a lower rated sect than the Golden Pavilion, it was still a renowned sect. Did she really grow this much strength just because she gained a new weapon?
Xing Cai woke up from her stupor when she saw disciples sneakily passing to the wall. She quickly rushed towards them and swung her sword. But unfortunately for Xing Cai, the weight of her new weapon was foreign to her as she almost tripped.
But even so, she managed to slash towards 3 azure fist disciples and brutishly split them in half. There were, however, disciples who dodged her swing and managed to climb up the wall. Xing Cai was about to follow them but could not balance herself, causing her to tumble.
"Shit!", Xing Cai cursed as she tried to regain her balance. She clicked her tongue, "I'm going to melt you as soon as this is over!"
If she can't properly balance the weapon, then why not just let the weapon control her for now? Xing Cau thought as she changed her stance. She ducked down, placing the huge slab of weapon almost parallel to the ground.
The disciples who were still in the ground paused their advance due to being curious, but this action would be their dismay.
Xing Cai quickly disappeared from her spot, embedding her footprints on the ground. The disciples then felt their visions shift as they violently fall to the ground.
"Guh!", they shouted at the same time as they felt their legs either being crushed or being torn from their body.
Xing Cai used the momentum of the blade to spin, swinging the huge slab of sword through the legs of numerous disciples. She did not give them time to recover, as she once again repeated her action and cut through the wailing disciples that were groveling on the ground. For the disciples who have lost their legs, this would probably be considered mercy.
Xing Cai clicked her tongue in annoyance, she was not used to this brutish fighting style, but it would have to do for now until she gets used to her new bulky weapon. It did not take off the fact that this was quickly draining her stamina, though.
She already gave up in following the 4 disciples that climbed to the wall as more elders joined the fight. Hopefully, the people inside would be enough to stop them and the ones that could still pass through.
On top of the wall, the guards were fighting desperately as they try to fend off the 4 disciples that got in, however, they were no match for the disciples, quickly killing half of them.
One of the four disciples who got in was Li Zhao. Li Zhao jumped from the wall inside the city.
"You will not open this gate!"
As soon as Li Zhao landed on the city, a guardsman shouted and rushed towards him with his spear. His rush, however, was in vain as Li Zhao made quick work of him. Li Zhao deflected the spear, counter attacking straight to the guard's head, instantly knocking him cold. "Tch, trash."
With haste, Li Zhao lifted the lever controlling the gate. Li Zhao could not hide the excitement on his face as the he watched the gate slowly opening.
"Brothers, the gates are open! Rush towards the ga-"
"Now why would you do that?"
Li Zhao could not finish his words before he heard a smoky voice behind him. Li Zhao quickly looked back, only to see the 2 of the disciples that he was with being strangled by Headmaster Fu.
Headmaster Fu had a calm expression on his face as he once again spoke, "Now tell me, turd. Why did you really come here?"
"I am not talking to you, you traitor!"
"Oh, is that so?", Headmaster Fu said as he tightened his grip, breaking the neck of one of the disciples. "Now, why did you really come here?"
"Y- The sect master already said it, you people killed our patriarch!"
"Oh, so that really was the reason", Headmaster Fu said as he once again tightened his grip as a crunching noise filled the air. He slowly dropped the bodies of the disciple on the ground and dusted his hands clean.
Headmaster Fu then looked at Li Zhao, "Now then, my star teacher. I didn't think we'd meet again so soon."
Li Zhao could not help but grit his teeth, he quickly glanced outside the gate, but to his dismay, no one was able to pass through. There were almost a thousand of them, and not one was even able to pass through.
The sect master was busy tussling with General Diao. Those who were lucky enough to at least get near the gate were slaughtered by the elder from Golden Pavilion. The rest were too afraid to rush through.
It was not supposed to be like this, passing through the wall should have been effortless with their numbers. And yet, not one was even able to pass through. What kind of situation was this!? No, it's that Golden Pavilion elder! If she was not there, he was sure that they would have already passed through.
'Cowards!', Li Zhao lamented. This was the worst case scenario for him, he was left alone with the person who was considered the strongest in Taizhou, Headmaster Fu.
"So, what about you, what did you come here for?", Headmaster Fu slowly approached Li Zhao.
"What? I already told you!", Li Zhao put up a stance with a confused expression on his face.
Headmaster Fu then sighed and stopped walking. "Are you not here to silence the thugs who killed student Viel's grandfather?"
Li Zhao's eyes widened in surprise. "W-what!? What are you even trying to say!?"
"I see. Even now you feign ignorance, as expected of Taizhou's prized star teacher.", Headmaster Fu shook his head in disappointment. "I was hoping that in death, you would at least be honest"
"So, is that why that woman from Golden Pavilion was saying that I am wanted!?"
"Oh wow, how perceptive. As expected of Taizhou's mo-"
"They didn't do it!", Li Zhao dropped his arms as he stared at the situation outside. He furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue. He then approached the lever to the gates.
And proceeded to pull it, causing the gate to quickly drop.
"Those thugs lied to you. They approached me, telling me that they could not do it", Li Zhao's voice was calm as he ignored the shouts of his fellow disciples on the other side of the wall. "I am sure they did not lie to me, I killed another one of them, after all."
Headmaster Fu's expression turned cold. At first, he was only disappointed, but now he was annoyed. It seems there was no longer redeeming his once favorite teacher in the academy. To find an excuse even at the last moments of his life, it seems he was right- Li Zhao really is a turd.
"Headmaster Fu. Please, let me leave. As your previous friend and star teacher, I hope you can show mercy! I have already closed the gates as a sign of my surrender. I will not show myself in Taizhou ever again!", Li Zhao bowed and saluted to Headmaster Fu, "Please, your teacher asks for mercy!"
Headmaster Fu could only shake his head, he knew that Li Zhao was sly, but to be this thick-skinned? Abysmal. True, there was once a time when he treated Li Zhao as a friend, one might even say he treated him as his son. But this?
"How disappointing, Li Zhao. I was hoping you would redeem yourself in death. It seems I was the one who was a fool", Headmaster Fu shook his head. He then slowly took a step towards Li Zhao, "Know that you will forever be remembered as a criminal. A criminal who killed a little boy's poor grandfather because he was almost beaten to death by the said boy…
…Goodbye, Li Zhao"
"W-wait, n-"
With all of his calmness gone, Li Zhao waved his hand in panic. But before he can even finish his words, he felt a stabbing pain in his left shoulder.
But instead of shouting in pain, only confusion can be seen on his face. He then looked at Headmaster Fu, who was, weirdly enough, still in his previous position wearing an amused expression.
He then looked behind him.
"Y-you…"
There, he saw a man holding a spear.
It was Guard Leader Bai.