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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 17: Chaos
Both the Great Palace King and Canglin were injured. Canglin gritted his teeth and said, "Great Palace King, let's go to the Spirit Immortal Realm to heal. It will be much more effective there."
In order to recover as quickly as possible, the Great Palace King had no choice but to accompany Canglin.
Canglin strained to open a rift, supporting the Great Palace King as he said to Ji Zichen, "Be careful; the Arbitrator may come out early."
Ji Zichen nodded in response. Canglin helped the Great Palace King into the rift, which then closed behind them. Ji Zichen heard the sound of hooves thundering towards him and looked up to see Man Chengwen leading a group of Cavalry approaching.
As soon as Man Chengwen arrived, he looked concerned and asked, "How are you? I saw that things were quite chaotic here."
Ji Zichen replied, "It's fine for now."
Although the fighting had stopped here, battles continued elsewhere. The ongoing conflict felt like a nightmare, and everyone felt trapped in this dreadful dream. Ji Zichen envied the Great Palace King and Canglin for not having to witness it.
Following Man Chengwen back towards the battlefield, Ji Zichen saw soldiers falling one after another.
He also noticed many Gu Diao bravely challenging other Cults. Although Ji Zichen didn’t know how the Gu Diao trained their combat skills, their presence certainly helped reduce resistance for the soldiers. However, not all Gu Diao were invincible; many were surrounded and killed by the Cults. Ji Zichen felt a chill run through him; war was indeed cruel. Fortunately, he hadn’t seen Zang Da's corpse yet, which was a small comfort.
It was then that Ji Zichen noticed that the soldiers' formation seemed to have changed. He asked, "Has Commander Wei arrived?"
Man Chengwen confirmed, "Yes, the city lord is here too. Commander Wei initially tried to break through into Mountain Valley but faced fierce resistance from these Cults."
Ji Zichen observed the formation; Wei Ye's adjustments were quite skillful and showed great wisdom. The soldiers performed exceptionally well. Although the Cults resisted stubbornly, it seemed only a matter of time before they breached Mountain Valley. The progress from barely holding on to nearing success was a testament to everyone's united efforts.
"How is your injury?" Ji Zichen noticed the large bloodstain on Man Chengwen's right shoulder, which he had simply bandaged with a torn sleeve.
Man Chengwen showed no shame in being wounded; instead, he smiled and said, "I'm fine. This is my first battle and my first wound."
Ji Zichen smiled lightly, understanding Man Chengwen's current feelings. Gaining a wound on the battlefield was a soldier's honor.
Initially, Ji Zichen almost scolded Man Chengwen for not being more careful, but seeing him injured yet still excited, he decided against it.
"Let's head back so the Military Doctor can treat you. If you can still smile, it’s probably not serious, but infections are another matter," Ji Zichen advised.
Man Chengwen had no objections. They returned to the rear, which was not far from Zhang City. They did not set up any temporary camps; instead, they found an open area where injured soldiers could lie down and receive treatment. As Ji Zichen entered the makeshift area, he spotted Xia Lian and was quite surprised. Xia Lian also saw Ji Zichen, her eyes filled with excitement.
Xia Lian ran over to him, her face full of concern as she examined him. "You’re not hurt, are you?"
Ji Zichen smiled slightly. "I'm fine."
Noticing that there were Female Medics present, Ji Zichen felt a bit surprised but quickly called one over to treat Man Chengwen. At first, Man Chengwen didn't feel much pain, but now he was screaming in agony.
Ji Zichen found it amusing to watch. "I sensed you were with the Arbitrator earlier," he said.
Xia Lian took a deep breath and replied seriously, "What was going on?"
Ji Zichen explained, "Canglin and the Great Palace King arrived. We had a chance to deal with the Arbitrator, but unfortunately, I missed the opportunity."
Xia Lian's spirit jolted at this news. "You had a chance to deal with the Arbitrator? Did you come up with a plan?"
Ji Zichen nodded. "Yes, but now the Arbitrator is trapped in an illusion realm by Canglin. However, he will be able to escape soon."
At that moment, a soldier summoned several Female Medics to accompany him to the outskirts of Mountain Valley, where many wounded soldiers could not be evacuated. Female Medics were now more precious than gold. Ji Zichen said, "I'll take you there."
Man Chengwen added, "I’ll go too."
Man Chengwen urged the Female Medics to bandage the wounded quickly. Once everyone was mounted, a group set off towards the battlefield.
They had not yet reached the outskirts of Fierce Death Valley when they could already hear the distant sounds of battle.
"What a terrifying sound," Qin Xiaolan said, appearing quite anxious.
Man Chengwen nodded and then said to Ji Zichen, "We need to find another route. From the sound, it seems that place is already overcrowded."
Ji Zichen fully agreed with Man Chengwen's suggestion. It was not wise to traverse through the intense fighting. "Do you know of another way?" Ji Zichen asked.
Man Chengwen nodded and replied, "Follow me."
They continued forward, with Man Chengwen choosing to take the left fork in the path. They moved further away from the sounds of battle, but this was their only option unless they wanted to stay completely behind the main force.
As they advanced, they observed the nearby battlefield; there was hardly a spot free from combat.
"Let's go this way," Man Chengwen said as he led them down a slope that wound around the edge of Mountain Valley.
The others followed closely behind, realizing that every second was crucial. When they reached a clearing at the edge of Mountain Valley, Man Chengwen shouted, "Heart!"
The people there surged toward them like a tide. Cult members infiltrated the already thin ranks of soldiers, forcing the panicked troops to retreat continuously, nearly colliding with Man Chengwen and his group. As events unfolded suddenly, Ji Zichen and her companions found themselves facing off against the enemy to resolve the conflict directly.
A soldier tried to dodge a swift strike from the Cult, but his reaction was too slow. The Cult's longsword came down upon his shoulder and neck, and he fell from his horse, stiff as a stone. With his master slain, the steed panicked and bolted forward, but he had already sacrificed himself.
"Heart!" Ji Zichen shouted, "Fall back!" Ji Zichen engaged with a member of the Cult, shielding Qin Xiaolan behind him.
At that moment, Qin Xiaolan did not flee in panic; she saw a sister and three soldiers surrounded by the Cult. "Save her!" Qin Xiaolan cried out to Ji Zichen. He glanced at the trapped Female Medic and swung his Demon-Slaying Sword at the Cult member, then joined other soldiers in fending off the attackers. After a fierce struggle, the soldiers gradually regained their composure and began to form a shaky line of defense.
"Xia Lian, write it down!" Ji Zichen shouted urgently.
Despite Ji Zichen's best efforts, he was pushed back by the tide of enemies. The Thunder Pearl dimmed as thunder rumbled above, instantly claiming many lives among the Cult.
In the chaos, it was hard to see where Xia Lian and Man Chengwen were, but Ji Zichen could spot Xia Lian's Vengeful Spirit. The Cult members became disorganized as they tried to deal with the Vengeful Spirit, which easily dispatched those caught in confusion.
Suddenly, screams erupted ahead. Ji Zichen looked forward and saw the Cult releasing Tusked Boars. These beasts were more powerful than wild boars and larger in size. Over a dozen Tusked Boars charged toward the soldiers like wild horses, bellowing loudly.
The Tusked Boars barreled forward, causing devastating consequences with each impact that knocked some soldiers down; others were sent flying or screamed as they were gored by tusks.
Qin Xiaolan's mount was startled by one of the Tusked Boars and threw her to the ground. Another Female Medic rushed over to check on Qin Xiaolan but was pierced through the heart by a swift arrow. Ji Zichen reached out to Qin Xiaolan. "Grab my hand!" He pulled her onto his horse.
But a Tusked Boar charged at Ji Zichen. Furious, he swung his sword and severed the beast's head.
At that moment, cries of agony from Tusked Boars echoed from different directions. Initially, their appearance had thrown many soldiers into disarray, but as time passed, they slowly found ways to combat the Tusked Boars. Although the situation stabilized somewhat, many horses had fled in fear.
Ji Zichen felt it was inconvenient to fight from horseback; he jumped down and thrust his sword into a Tusked Boar that rushed past him.
Xia Lian fought fiercely within a circle of Cult members. Spotting Ji Zichen, she pressed down on a soldier's head just in time for him to narrowly avoid a spear thrust. Noticing a fallen helmet at her feet, Xia Lian kicked it toward the Cult member wielding the spear, knocking him unconscious with a direct hit.
Ji Zichen leaped to Xia Lian's side, helping them fend off the attackers. Qin Xiaolan was shielded by several soldiers, her only desire now was to leave this place, as there was hardly anywhere safe on the battlefield.
Ji Zichen fought alongside the soldiers while retreating, making their way back along the path they had come. Even this route felt unsafe; when they had arrived, it had been deserted, but now a group of soldiers and Cult members were engaged in battle, though they were still some distance away.
At that moment, Qin Xiaolan looked as if she had crawled out from a pile of dirt, her body covered in grime. She felt parched and grabbed the water flask hanging by the horse's saddle, taking a long gulp.
After exhaling deeply, she felt as if she had come back to life. Just then, Man Chengwen approached from afar, his face smeared with blood, which was likely from the Cult. "We can't go this way," he said.
Everyone had already realized this. Xia Lian remarked, "If there's no other way, we can only go back to the main group and find another route."
"That works too; as long as everyone is okay," Ji Zichen replied.
"Bai Man! Bai Man is dead!" Qin Xiaolan exclaimed in horror as memories of her sister's death flooded back. Comforting her at this moment seemed futile, but Ji Zichen tried to reassure her. "It was chaotic at that time; no one could have helped her."
Ji Zichen's intention was to help Qin Xiaolan relax, yet he himself felt quite tense, as they still couldn't let their guard down completely.
He quickly glanced around and noticed the sounds of battle in the distance were growing quieter. Seeing that their soldiers seemed to be gaining the upper hand eased his anxiety slightly.
"Chengwen," Ji Zichen said, "we can't linger here for too long. Let's regroup and head back to the main force."
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