Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Clang- Clang- Clang-
Clang, clang, clang!
Cast upon the bronze bell hanging from the corner tower of Yunwu City’s east gate was the image of a Kui Niu, a beast with a single horn and a single leg.
The heavy bronze bell began to sway of its own accord, letting out deep, resonant tolls without the need for a bell-ringer to pull the heavy striker.
The sound carried for a vast distance.
By the time Han Lie arrived, the garrison soldiers were rushing about, working together to heave the city gates shut.
One soldier’s eyes lit up as if he had found his pillar of support the moment he saw Han Lie, and he hurried over to meet him.
“Squad Leader! The Kui Niu Bell is ringing! There are enemies!”
Han Lie’s expression shifted. “Secure the gates. Send someone to the Commandery Governor’s Mansion to inform Commandant Xu.”
Since Qin Ying had delivered quite a few rubber bands, Xu Tan, the County Commandant, had naturally gone to experiment with them on the powerful crossbow bowstrings.
No one had expected a crisis to erupt outside the city in such a short amount of time.
Having received his orders, the soldier sprinted off to deliver the message.
Han Lie gripped his sword and strode quickly up onto the city wall.
Qin Ying, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally asked, “What is the Kui Niu Bell? How do you know there are enemies?”
Han Lie rested one hand on the wall as he peered into the distance, answering, “Reporting to the Supreme Deity, the Kui Niu Bell is a bronze bell cast using the bones of a Kui Niu as fuel. It rings automatically when anyone with hostile intent approaches.”
It detects hostility? Qin Ying’s heart stirred.
She decided to ask Han Lie later if he could help her get a Kui Niu Bell. If she wore one as a small charm that rang whenever she encountered ill-will, her safety factor would surely skyrocket.
With that thought in mind, she said, “Let me see what’s coming.”
With Yunwu City as the center, Qin Ying had a full field of vision within the range of the box.
One look, and she subconsciously let out a soft cry of surprise.
“Someone is being hunted by Monstrous Beasts outside the city!”
***
Yunwu County was located in the northwest of Great Xia. On the parched yellow earth, a few emerald-green sprouts had just emerged thanks to the rain brought by the Fuzhu, stretching out in the wind.
Suddenly, a series of hissing sounds rang out.
A rawhide boot caked in yellow dust stomped down, crushing the newborn sprout.
Several more large feet followed, trampling the ground.
“Commandant Lin, hold on just a little longer!”
Three or four burly men dressed in matching black leather armor were carrying a middle-aged man, fleeing forward in a panic.
The middle-aged man’s face was the color of a purple yam, and blood dripped steadily from beneath his armor.
The moment the green sprouts on the ground touched this black blood, they immediately began to sizzle and release plumes of black smoke, as if they had been doused in concentrated sulfuric acid.
Chasing behind this group was a swarm of fat snakes, numbering about a hundred.
These bizarre snakes looked like they had been maliciously stitched together; two short, bloated snake bodies-resembling fat maggots-shared a single head, yet possessed six legs and four wings.
The scaled snake heads were distorted and human-like, clustered together in a dense mass as they pursued their prey.
The concentrated sound of their hissing was enough to make one’s scalp crawl.
“Pow…”
Commandant Lin, who was being carried by the men, moved his lips slightly, letting out a faint, breathy sound.
The man supporting his left arm was a scarred fellow. “We won’t leave you behind! We brothers die together!” he shouted.
Commandant Lin made a gurgling sound in his throat.
A man on the right cursed, “You idiot! Commandant Lin is telling you to scatter the Fumigant Powder to drive off the Fei Yi!”
Unable to speak and rolling his eyes in frustration, Commandant Lin gave a weak nod.
“Oh, right, right!”
Scarface finally realized what was needed.
He reached into his back waist, pulled out a leather pouch, and threw a handful of pale yellow, incredibly foul-smelling powder behind them.
The pursuing Fei Yi were already within three paces when they were suddenly blanketed by the pale yellow powder.
The Fei Yi were ferocious, but their sense of smell was highly developed, allowing them to track prey from a hundred miles away.
Hit in the face by the powder, they first froze in a daze, then turned to flee. Halfway through their retreat, they began foaming at the mouth and collapsed unconscious.
The Fei Yi behind them also veered away from the foul wind, creating a gap between themselves and the group in front.
The men didn’t dare lower their guard, continuing to bolt forward as fast as their legs could carry them.
Upon hearing the tolling of a bell in the distance, a wave of joy washed over them.
“Yunwu City is just ahead!”
Before their celebratory laughter could fade, they heard the rhythmic thumping of approaching hooves.
A small squad of cavalry emerged from Yunwu City to meet them, led by none other than Han Lie.
“Is that Commandant Lin of the Jade Balance Army?” Han Lie pulled on his reins, coming to a halt before them.
“Quick, get on the horses!”
Seeing him arrive, the Scarface who had been cursed at earlier as a stupid pig brightened up. “Young Han! What are you doing here?”
Han Lie squeezed his horse’s flanks and reached out a powerful arm to pull the heavily injured Commandant Lin onto his mount. “We’ll talk later. Get into the city first.”
The burly men leaped onto the horses, riding double with the cavalrymen.
A cloud of dust billowed as the group raced toward Yunwu Gate.
To receive them, the massive gates of Yunwu City had been opened just a crack.
As Han Lie and the others filed in one by one, a heavy thud echoed just as the gates were being slammed shut.
One of the Fei Yi had pursued them in a frenzy and slammed headfirst into the iron-reinforced gates of Yunwu City.
The impact was so violent that blood splattered and brains burst forth.
“Fire!”
The soldiers atop the wall only loosed their arrows once they saw their comrades were safe inside.
A rain of arrows hissed through the air, tracing a lethal arc before plunging toward the ground.
The pursuing Fei Yi were pinned to the earth by the volley.
These fat snakes possessed incredible vitality and a ferocious nature. Even when pinned and on the verge of death, they lashed out in a rage, snapping at the arrow shafts with their fangs. They bit through the wood, struggling to break free and crawl forward.
It took another volley of arrows before they were finally finished off.
The area before the city gate was now a scene of carnage, reeking of rot and littered with dead snakes.
“Where is the Yunwu County Governor?”
Inside the gate, the Scar-Faced Man’s shout caused a brief silence to fall over the bystanders.
Anxious and completely unaware of the current situation, he continued to press: “Quick, call a Physician! Commandant Lin has been poisoned by the snakes.”
He seemed to be a talkative man, as he turned back to Han Lie. “Weren’t you leading the escort to transport the Danghu back to Luoyang? Why are you here?”
Han Lie had no time to answer. He knelt down to inspect Commandant Lin’s injuries.
Following the foul stench, he cut away the leather armor and the blood-soaked trousers, revealing a bite wound on the thigh about the size of a fist.
Everyone behind the city gate turned their heads away to avoid the emanating stench.
As for Commandant Lin, once he reached safety, the breath he had been holding to stay conscious finally escaped him, and he fainted.
“Take Commandant Lin to the Commandery Governor’s Mansion for treatment immediately.”
At Han Lie’s command, the surrounding soldiers brought a stretcher from the barbican to carry him away.
Seeing him command the city guards, the others finally sensed that something was amiss.
Only the Scar-Faced Man nodded repeatedly, even asking Han Lie for water. “Give us some water to drink.”
“We’ve been running the whole way; I’m dying of thirst.”
He licked his cracked lips and removed his helmet; steam was practically rising from the top of his head.
Han Lie also had questions for them. After ordering the men to take Commandant Lin away, he led the group up onto the city wall.
“Everyone, what exactly happened? Why are there so many Fei Yi?”
The appearance of a Fei Yi was usually an omen of an impending widespread drought. However, a mass gathering of Fei Yi on this scale, actively hunting humans, was unheard of.
The loud-mouthed Scar-Faced Man wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth and said angrily, “We were just about to ask why there are so many Monstrous Beasts gathering outside Yunwu County City!”
Han Lie shifted his gaze to another middle-aged man who looked sharp and capable.
“Brother Wu Er.”
The man named Wu Er looked around and signaled for the unfamiliar soldiers to step back.
Only then did he lower his voice and say to Han Lie, “We’re in big trouble. This drought… there’s something behind it!”