Chapter 74: The Final Resolution

Taian City, Prefectural Office.

It had been nearly half an hour since reinforcements from the three sects had arrived. Although after a brief respite, Wang Hai and Mei Qinghe had joined the fray and somewhat alleviated the situation, the growing crowd outside had become so dense that some no longer entered through the main gate but instead toppled the walls, opening new paths into the compound.

This forced Wang Hai and the others to defend on three fronts rather than just one. The number of people flooding in at once tripled. Among them, the number of Gu-controlled soldiers grew steadily.

Wang Hai’s earlier estimate of “half an hour” before their retreat was drastically shortened. Now, the deadline had essentially arrived.

Wiping blood from his brow, Wang Hai glanced to either side. Deng Boxuan had been the first to be dragged to the rear. Drawing the sword with direct intent does not suit a timid or hesitant heart, and among the sect leaders, Deng Boxuan’s swordplay was the weakest. Yet he was also the kindest, striking lighter than even Liu Baiyun, constantly looking around and distracted by protecting his own disciples. In a moment of carelessness, a Gu soldier slipped close and bit his right hand. He was forced to withdraw from the fight so Xiao Si could remove the poison.

The next to fall back was Liu Baiyun. Though she had held on until now, her vital energy was depleted and she had to retreat to recover. Zhou Yingxue took the opportunity to mock her, but Liu Baiyun endured without retort.

By this time, more than half the disciples from all the sects had either fallen or been rescued, with only half dragged to safety behind the lines. The rest, whom Wang Hai and the others had no time to save, struggled for a while amidst the crowd before all fell silent.

Deng Boxuan waited at the back, gritting his teeth, tears streaming down his face.

Now, Zhang Jingfeng, Zhou Yingxue, Gao Ling, Wang Hai, and Mei Qinghe were bearing the brunt of the assault, barely holding the line. However, Gao Ling’s energy was nearly spent, Mei Qinghe was wounded, and Wang Hai, having only barely replenished his strength, was nearly exhausted once more.

“We can’t wait any longer!” Wang Hai thought grimly. “If the Qianhu’s group had succeeded, they should have returned by now. They must be facing even more Gu soldiers outside the city. I needn’t worry about them—just getting Xiao Si out is enough!”

To Wang Hai, apart from Li Miao and Xiao Si, the lives of the others were insignificant. With his mind made up, Wang Hai quietly began to retreat.

Xiao Si noticed his intention and shook his head gently, but Wang Hai pretended not to see. Just as Wang Hai was about to strike Xiao Si’s acupoint, Zhou Yingxue let out a cry of pain.

Four Gu soldiers!

Zhou Yingxue managed to fend off two, but two more unexpectedly sprang at her from below, latching onto her legs and biting ferociously, dragging her to the ground. At that moment, the defensive line collapsed.

In a flash, Wang Hai was in front of Xiao Si, reaching to strike her neck.

Xiao Si’s eyes widened as she looked at him.

“There's no time for hesitation. If you want to hate me, confront your inner demons, or anything else, you have to live to do it!” Wang Hai had resolved himself, his finger already touching Xiao Si’s skin.

Just then—

A light smack.

Wang Hai’s hand flew up.

Li Miao had appeared at Xiao Si’s side, swatting Wang Hai’s hand away.

“Not even married yet and already resorting to domestic violence, Hai?”

Hearing Li Miao’s familiar teasing, Wang Hai’s strength seemed to drain away, but he couldn’t help laughing. The anxiety that had gnawed at him all night finally settled.

Li Miao raised her hand, energy surging, and thrust her palm toward the crowd.

“Overturning Mountains and Seas.”

The crowd toppled like stalks of wheat before the scythe.

Mei Qinghe rushed forward, grabbed Zhou Yingxue, and drew back behind Li Miao.

Li Miao, with her left hand, kept the crowd at bay, while her right gripped Xiao Si’s pulse, sending energy into her.

Xiao Si’s pallor faded, color returning to her cheeks. With her constitution, blood loss alone would not have left her in such a state; the true danger was the Gu poison within that surged after her vitality waned. With Li Miao’s help, Xiao Si could recover on her own.

Having finished this, Li Miao darted forward, her fingers clawing through the air and dragging several unconscious disciples from the crowd.

She flung them behind her and called for the sect leaders to withdraw. Knowing their presence was now unnecessary, having seen Li Miao’s strength during the battle with Lan Lechuan, the leaders each went to check on their own disciples.

“Xiao Si, point out the Gu soldiers to me.”

Previously, Xiao Si had been too occupied suppressing her own Gu poison to help, leaving Wang Hai and the others to fend for themselves. Now, with the poison subdued, she raised her small hand and pointed into the crowd.

Bang!

Where her finger stopped, a hole appeared clean through a forehead, and the man collapsed.

Li Miao’s left hand maintained pressure on the crowd, while her right, using the Celestial Finger technique of the Ming Sect, picked off the marked targets.

Each point, a death.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Within moments, more than a dozen fell.

“No more,” Xiao Si said.

“Good.”

Li Miao reached into the air, and the flagstones shattered, sending a handful of pebbles flying into her grasp.

Then she scattered them in a sweeping arc.

Hundreds of stones shot forth, striking the acupoints of the frenzied townsfolk with unerring precision.

The space in front of the office was cleared in an instant.

She repeated this several times, until not a single person stood before the prefecture office.

Of course, more continued to pour in. But with Xiao Si pointing them out and Li Miao executing them, the threat of the Gu soldiers was gone; the others could handle the rest with ease.

As dawn approached, Xiao Si exhaled deeply. “It’s done.”

Li Miao reached into her robes and produced a writhing lump of flesh—the mother Gu extracted from Mao Yingxia’s body—and handed it to Xiao Si.

Xiao Si seized the flesh, bit her tongue, and spat a mouthful of blood onto it.

The writhing mass froze instantly.

Next, Wang Hai slit open a Gu soldier's chest and extracted a cluster of Gu worms, passing them to Xiao Si.

She pressed the worms into the mother Gu.

With the first ray of morning sun spilling over the horizon, Xiao Si’s fingers slowly clenched.

Suddenly, the townsfolk who had not yet been purged of Gu poison convulsed violently.

“What’s happening…” Mei Qinghe could not help but ask, but Li Miao waved her silent.

At last, Xiao Si’s hand closed tight, crushing the lump of flesh.

Coughing and retching erupted among the crowd, as thread-like Gu worms crawled from their orifices, disintegrating into dust in the morning air.

When it was all done, Xiao Si collapsed limply.

Li Miao caught her, pressing her pulse and sending energy into her.

Wang Hai looked anxiously at Li Miao. “Qianhu…”

Li Miao waved him off. “She’ll be fine for at least a year or so. The girl is stubborn and insists on perfection. Her ‘human Gu’ was always a half-finished product. She’s pushed herself too hard this time and can barely keep it in check.”

She glanced at Wang Hai. “After this mission, take Xiao Si back to Shuntian Prefecture and report in. I’ll go to Miaojiang and finish this matter myself.”

“I’d planned to take Xiao Si to Miaojiang anyway; this just brings the plan forward a little. No harm.”

She handed Xiao Si to Wang Hai, then looked to Zhang Jingfeng. “Master Zhang, what’s the situation at Mount Tai Sect?”

Zhang Jingfeng recounted his experience in detail for Li Miao.

At the side, hearing Zhang’s story, Mei Qinghe gripped her sword so tightly the hilt creaked.

As for the murder of a mother, Yun Zelin was the true culprit. He had faked his death and escaped years ago—news Mei Qinghe had only learned days before.

Now, with her nemesis so close, how could she remain calm?

“Sir! Let me come with you!” Mei Qinghe said. “Even if I can only strike him once, even if I die by his hand, I must settle this grudge with him!”

(End of Chapter)