Chapter 1305: Judgment

More than ten households lived in this alley, and at this moment, they were all hidden behind their doors, peeking out nervously, hardly daring to breathe.

Zhao Guangzhi was somewhat taken aback; he hadn't expected the newcomers to be dressed like this. He had thought it would be Yang Meng's subordinates rushing over at most, and he could easily deal with them. Where did these masked figures come from?

The black-armored leader spoke, his voice so grim it sent chills down everyone's spine, causing their hearts to freeze: "Zhao Guangzhi?"

The residents hiding behind their doors couldn't help but rub their arms; it was chilling.

"Who are you?" Zhao Guangzhi felt a chill down his spine, and his face darkened. "I, Zhao, do not slay nameless nobodies with my axe!"

To the residents, this infamous cannibal general before them, with his fleshy face and full beard, indeed fit the image of a rough-and-tumble general.

"Zhao Guangzhi, you have cooked and eaten your own kind, condoned plunder, and harmed living beings; your crimes are heinous," the black-armored leader said, pointing his spear tip at him. "You deserve to descend to the Nine Netherworlds, endure all manner of tortures, and atone for your endless sins!"

Black flames also danced on the cold spear tip; whoever it pointed at felt a chill run down their spine. They say that those who walk too many dark roads are bound to encounter ghosts. Could these truly be phantoms crawled up from the underworld?

Only Zhao Guangzhi dismissed it entirely, bursting into laughter. "Where do you upstarts come from, daring to play gods and ghosts before me!" This big dark fellow must be out of his mind, trying to put him on trial with this pretense?

Amidst his laughter, Zhao Guangzhi spurred his horse forward and hurled a hand axe at the black-armored leader. These dark figures had appeared eerily, and he sensed that his subordinates were shaken. In any battle, morale is paramount; he had to lead the charge as an example.

As soon as the axe left his hand, it grew larger and spun faster. By the time it reached He Lingchuan, it was whistling through the air, its head alone over five feet long and gleaming with a cold light. Zhao Guangzhi himself drew his long spear and charged at the black-armored leader, horse and rider united. Even if the axe missed, he would skewer the opponent with his spear.

More than ten of his close retainers followed closely behind, and one of them fired a signal arrow into the sky: "Enemy attack! Those who see this, come quickly to aid!"

He Lingchuan was quick-witted and agile. He threw an earth-yellow sphere in front of him, and at the same time, extended his Soaring Dragon Spear, thrusting and parrying forward with a Plum Blossom Thrust that landed precisely on the handle of the spinning axe. With two clangs, the axe was deflected away. Its momentum still strong, it spun twice more and plunged into the door of a private residence in the alley. The couple was peeking through the door crack to see what was happening outside. Suddenly, a cold glint flashed before their eyes as the axe chopped into the door, embedding itself three-quarters of the way in, almost splitting the husband's forehead open. Terrified, the two screamed and fell to the ground.

As soon as the earth-yellow sphere landed, it transformed into a stone wall several feet wide and fifteen feet tall, standing directly in front of Zhao Guangzhi's horse! This was the magical artifact previously confiscated from City Commander Liu; He Lingchuan hadn't even had it long before it was put to use immediately. The horse had just begun its sprint; whether Zhao Guangzhi reined in his mount or not, he would hit the wall—it was only a matter of how severely.

He reacted quickly. With ruthless resolve and gritted teeth, he roared, "Break!" A point of blue light shone from his spear tip as he thrust it directly at the stone wall. With a tremendous crash, the stone wall was blasted into dust. This demolition was far more complete than He Lingchuan's earlier wall-breaking, but amidst the scattering dust, a cold gleam suddenly appeared. He Lingchuan pressed in from the opposite side, taking advantage of the shattered wall to deliver his spear, aiming directly at Zhao Guangzhi's throat. Just as the stone dust obscured their vision, the spear tip's aura surged three feet, like a venomous snake seeking an opening, reaching Zhao Guangzhi's Adam's apple in a blink of an eye.

Although this burly man appeared rough, his waist was actually very flexible. In the nick of time, he arched his back like an Iron Bridge, and He Lingchuan's spear tip grazed just above his nose. The two horses crossed paths, meeting for an instant before parting. Both sides now faced each other's subordinates.

Zhao Guangzhi, however, clutched his jaw with one hand and let out a roar. Although he had evaded the danger of a spear through his throat, the spear tip's aura had still pierced his chin, leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone, and it had also knocked out two of his teeth. Dark flames wafted from the black-armored leader's armor, and the black flames from the spear tip transferred to him, immediately burning within the wound!

Zhao Guangzhi had endured countless battles—what kind of injury hadn't he suffered? Yet this mere superficial wound was excruciatingly painful, piercing him to the bone! This pain felt as if his soul were being scorched; an ordinary person could never endure it, and even Zhao Guangzhi trembled all over. He cast a glance downward, and from close range, he shockingly discovered ghostly figures with heads and bodies hidden within the black flames, gnawing greedily at his flesh and blood on his wound. Their greed and ferocity made him feel ashamed even when he ate human flesh. What was this? A potent poison? True fire? A curse?

Zhao Guangzhi was overwhelmed by pain. He couldn't even pay attention to the black-armored cavalry in front of him and frantically pulled out a talisman paper, stuffing it directly into his mouth. This talisman was called the "Divine Grace Talisman." It had effects of immense strength, revitalization, healing, and curse removal, and could temporarily shield the user from pain, turning them into a brave and fearless warrior. He swallowed the talisman; all other effects manifested, except for the pain-relieving aspect, which had little effect. He was still in excruciating pain.

Zhao Guangzhi couldn't help but slap at the dark flames, while also having to contend with the attacks of the other black-armored knights. Screams came from behind him. Amidst the chaos, he turned his head, only to see the black-armored leader cutting into his own ranks. Compared to his own struggles, the leader was felling his retainers with one or two spear thrusts. Afterward, spear shadows danced, and wherever he went, there was hardly an opponent who could withstand a single blow. Blood splattered, staining the ground red.

"Damn it! Men, quickly, more men!" Zhao Guangzhi roared at the top of his lungs. Stone Helm was already his territory; he commanded two thousand men. He could simply stomp these dozen arrogant fools to death! Once his forces arrived from the front gate, the battle would surely turn.

But these few black-armored knights were not easy to deal with. One of them, in particular, fought with broad, sweeping movements and was no less powerful than him. They exchanged several quick blows without either gaining an advantage. Zhao Guangzhi's wound throbbed incessantly, and he constantly felt the ghostly figures tearing at his nerves again. His personal guards were rapidly dwindling. How was it that he was on the verge of being surrounded by the enemy instead? The situation reversed instantly. Zhao Guangzhi couldn't understand how, despite having several times their strength, he had become trapped in this narrow alley. He had been too overconfident, coming to pursue the enemy with only a dozen or so riders.

Zhao Guangzhi was experienced in battle and knew upon contact that his opponents were too formidable. If the fight continued, his side would suffer heavy losses. He delivered two sweeping blows, forcing his opponents back. Then, suddenly, he spurred his horse and charged out, smashing through a door and crashing into a household. It was precisely the household where his axe was embedded in the door. The householders, a couple, had long since hidden themselves, not daring to watch, as they would have been trampled to death by the horse's hooves. Zhao Guangzhi rushed in, grabbed his axe, then leaped from his horse's back and scaled the wall to escape.

Seeing himself at a disadvantage, he completely disregarded any general's dignity and immediately prepared to flee. Behind the wall were other houses. A woman in her thirties saw him burst in suddenly and screamed in terror. She happened to block Zhao Guangzhi's path, and he roughly shoved her aside. With a dull thud, the woman hit the earthen wall, her head splitting open at the back.