Capítulo 78: Chapter 77: Could You Cooperate? I Don’t Like Pain
Meanwhile, not far from the city gate.
"Don't kill me! Aah!"
Wang Jinghui screamed and fell.
The shadow servant flicked the blood off his blade, looking disappointed.
He had been ordered to kill Wang Jinghui, but had waited until now to act, hoping that Wang might try to warn the village defenders, leading him to Gao Ze and the villagers' hiding spot.
But after following for a while, he realized he was overthinking it.
Wang Jinghui had no intention of contacting the villagers—he was just running away!
The shadow servant, feeling disappointed, killed him without hesitation.
It was already late at night, and the town was silent. Sheathing his blade, he prepared to return to the theater.
But then he saw flames rising from the direction of the theater!
The shadow servant's expression changed—this was a highly dangerous sign!
Two shadow servants should have stayed on the rooftop as lookouts, but the Eastern Yi general had ordered them both to track Wang Jinghui and Yang Xinyan, leaving no one to guard the theater.
The bandits assumed that even if Gao Ze managed to rally the villagers, any attack on the theater wouldn't happen until early morning. They thought there would be plenty of time for the shadow servant to return after killing Wang Jinghui.
They never expected the villagers to counterattack so soon!
How had they managed to organize so many people so quickly?
…
Earlier.
Su Xianjun's voice still resonated through the theater, lingering like a haunting melody.
"The moment he builds his grand mansion, the moment he hosts his guests, the moment his mansion collapses…"
The Eastern Yi general had been entranced, fully immersed in Su Xianjun's song, but now his face twitched, showing a hint of conflict.
An inner struggle was taking place.
The general, like the other bandits, was captivated, but the demon within him wasn't. It was constantly alert, fighting for control over his body!
Over time, the demon's influence grew, and an underlying sense of crisis gnawed at the general's will, bringing him to a moment of clarity.
Frowning, the general stood up abruptly.
He finally noticed the strong smell of kerosene around him, and the unusual sounds—footsteps, the stacking of firewood, and the splashing of oil.
The loud accompaniment and Su Xianjun's singing had cast a spell over the bandits, keeping their focus on the stage, oblivious to the danger outside.
"Why didn't the shadow servants warn us?
"And how did the villagers mobilize so quickly?"
The demons within the general and the swordsman exchanged a glance, seeing mutual confusion in each other's eyes.
The general shouted, rousing the other bandits.
The scholar, shoved by a nearby bandit, almost stumbled.
"How dare you… What's with the firelight? Where is it coming from?"
Enraged after being shoved, the scholar was about to retort, but then he saw flames blazing outside the theater, the pungent smell of kerosene filling his nose, and he was instantly terrified!
The bandits scrambled for the exit, but Huo Yunying, playing Gao Ze, had already blocked the main door with the villagers.
"Kill all the bandits—leave no one alive!"
Fueled by Chu Ge's aura of righteousness, the villagers were emboldened, sealing the exit and refusing to let anyone escape.
"Get out of the way!"
Seeing the fire spreading, the general finally lost his composure, charging for the exit with his polearm.
He forced his way through the flames, his armor's bamboo segments catching fire, looking battered. Two villagers tried to stop him, but he knocked them aside with his weapon.
Several spears jabbed at him, but his heavy armor protected him from serious harm.
"You all stay here and block the regular bandits—leave this one to me!"
Huo Yunying, playing Gao Ze, stepped forward.
The general's eyes blazed as if he were possessed, his demon-fueled fury enhancing his power.
But Huo Yunying remained calm. Following their plan, they had weakened the general as much as possible.
With the theater's door blocked, the general couldn't use his horse, his heavy armor made him sluggish, and the flames still clung to him, reducing his threat even further.
As a ranger, Huo Yunying could keep him engaged and prevent his escape until they could finish him off.
The demon within the general glared at Gao Ze, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
He suspected Gao Ze might be a Restorer in disguise.
Killing Gao Ze would severely weaken the Restorers' strength, making this mission worthwhile even if they failed to alter the fragment.
…
Meanwhile, the swordsman climbed over the burning walls.
Just as he thought he could escape, Yang Xinyan emerged from the shadows beyond the firelight.
This version of Yang Xinyan showed no sign of the timid demeanor from the theater. Instead, he calmly drew a blade from his waist—a shadow servant's weapon!
The swordsman recognized it. But how had Yang Xinyan obtained it?
It was as inexplicable as his decision to confront him instead of fleeing.
Did he plan to fight?
Zhao Haiping gripped the blade with both hands, saying calmly, "We meet again.
"Could you cooperate this time? No reckless moves.
"I don't like pain, and this might even end up on TV."
The swordsman didn't understand what Yang Xinyan was saying, but his dismissive tone enraged him.
"Die!"
The swordsman charged, unleashing a barrage of attacks.
To him, Yang Xinyan was just a performer, a timid figure who'd nearly been executed by the general. What skill could he have?
If Yang survived more than three strikes, it would be a disgrace.
But after a series of clashes, the swordsman stared at his blade in disbelief.
Yang Xinyan had blocked every strike perfectly!
Worse, while he was stunned, Yang Xinyan reached into his robe, pulled out an object, and threw it.
"Hidden weapon!"
Yang shouted, startling the swordsman, who saw it was a flying blade!
The swordsman parried it, but Yang's relentless assault followed immediately.
Overwhelmed, the swordsman found himself retreating under Yang's swift and powerful strikes, until he realized he was backed against the theater's burning wall.
In that brief distraction, he felt a sudden, cold sensation in his chest!
He tried to counter, swinging his blade, but Yang sidestepped effortlessly.
The swordsman attempted another attack, but his strength faded as he glanced down, seeing a deep wound across his chest, exposing bone.
His eyes widened in disbelief. Though his combat skills were superior, Yang seemed to anticipate his every move; the hidden weapons and fire wall felt like parts of a calculated trap…
Zhao Haiping exhaled, "That was close. Nearly got caught there.
"Good thing I practiced the no-damage run. A single hit in this trial would've been brutal."
With the swordsman defeated, Zhao Haiping prepared to head to the theater's entrance.
But then, a dark aura rose from the swordsman's body, quickly drifting toward the direction of the Eastern Yi general.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder