Chapter 62

"Lord…"

At the moment Shen Faxing's head fell to the ground, the cavalry surrounding Ning Wuque and Ning Wushuang all roared in anger.

"Boss…" Seeing Chen Qinglong injured, his subordinates all shouted loudly.

An arrow shot from the darkness pierced straight into Chen Qinglong's shoulder. This arrow was powerful and aimed directly at his heart. It was precisely when Chen Qinglong had just swung his blade and had not yet regained his strength. If it weren't for his breakthrough to the Qi Transformation realm, the arrow would have hit a vital spot and likely killed him. By twisting his body, he managed to avoid the critical area.

"Roar… Come to your death…"

Ning Wushuang fought with a mad fervor, his iron staff sweeping a wide area clear. Although he wasn't born with superhuman strength, he had trained hard from a young age and had the strength of several hundred pounds. With the help of the Zhu Fruit, which refined his body, his staff was as heavy as a thousand pounds. Any cavalryman who came close was injured or killed, and no one dared to approach him.

Clang, clang, clang…

Ning Wuque's long saber continuously deflected the blades coming from all sides. Seeing Shen Faxing killed by Chen Qinglong, he stepped back and shouted sternly, "Shen Faxing is dead. Do you still wish to resist? The reinforcements from the government are on their way. Surrender now!"

Ning Wuque's powerful voice drowned out the sounds of the battle outside the village. Many of the soldiers, their eyes red with rage, gradually calmed down. Shen Faxing's death, combined with Chen Qinglong's subordinates' fierce resistance, greatly demoralized them, causing them to gradually retreat.

Hearing about the reinforcements, a few mounted guards exchanged glances and, with a mutual nod, spurred their horses and fled.

"Retreat, retreat…"

With the departure of the mounted guards, the surviving soldiers, seeing the tide had turned, shouted and ran toward the forest in a frenzy. Chen Qinglong's subordinates pursued them, leaving a trail of bodies. Ning Wuque shouted to stop them, warning not to chase the defeated and not to enter the forest.

The small village, which had been filled with the sounds of battle, suddenly became quiet. Only the sobs of the women, the cries of the children, and the sighs of the elderly could be heard, bringing a sense of peace to the village.

"Phew…"

Ning Wushuang, who had been invincible just moments ago, threw his iron staff and, looking at the scattered corpses and severed limbs, turned pale and began to vomit. This was the first time he had seen such a bloody scene. After vomiting for a while, he sat down on the ground, breathing heavily, with a look of someone who had just survived a great ordeal.

"Boss, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Two subordinates supported Chen Qinglong, who had a half-meter-long iron arrow piercing his left shoulder. Blood flowed from the wound, and the black arrow shaft gleamed with a dark light. This was a rare armor-piercing arrow, capable of tearing through iron armor.

Chen Qinglong's face was pale. Even as a Qi Transformation realm expert, he was still human, not a god. Such a severe injury, if not treated promptly, could be life-threatening. Even if he survived, his left shoulder might be permanently damaged, leaving him with a chronic condition.

"Hiss, such a severe injury must be treated quickly!" An old scholar in the village, who had some medical knowledge, saw Chen Qinglong's arrow wound and gasped. "This arrow has likely pierced the shoulder blade. If anyone moves it recklessly, his left arm will be useless."

"Hmph, old man, if our boss hadn't saved you, he wouldn't be injured. If he doesn't get treated, I'll kill your whole family!" A scar-faced youth grabbed the old scholar by the collar and glared at him fiercely.

"Zhang Ling, let him go!"

Ning Wuque's cold voice came from behind. The scar-faced youth, hearing this, reluctantly released the old scholar.

"Thank you, young master." The old scholar bowed gratefully to Ning Wuque.

Ning Wuque's cold expression softened slightly. "It's fine. This isn't your fault. Do you know of any doctors who can treat such an arrow wound?"

Zhang Ling glared at the old scholar, who shrank back and thought for a moment. "In the south of Wuzhou City, there is a medical clinic. The doctor there used to be a military physician. He might be able to treat the arrow wound."

"Wushuang, take care of things here. Zhang Ling, carry Chen Qinglong to Wuzhou City."

Ning Wuque looked in the direction of Wuzhou City, where the mountains surrounded it, and a powerful aura rose, like a deep abyss or a prison, hovering over the city. These were the auras of the powerful experts who had flooded into Wuzhou City that night. For demon cultivators, Wuzhou City was now a dragon's lair and a tiger's den. The demons in the forests outside the city all concealed their auras, none willing to risk their lives by entering the city.

"Master, this injury is nothing serious," Chen Qinglong could also sense the powerful auras in Wuzhou City and gritted his teeth, trying to persist.

Ning Wuque shook his head, took a deep breath, and looked at Zhang Ling. "Hurry and carry him. If we delay any longer, he'll bleed to death, and no one will be able to save him."

Because of the position of the arrow, the old scholar didn't dare move it, allowing the blood to flow freely. Chen Qinglong's face was already pale, and his steps were unsteady, a clear sign of excessive blood loss. Chen Qinglong tried to refuse, but Zhang Ling struck him with a hand knife, knocking him unconscious, and carried him on his back, looking at Ning Wuque.

"Boss would definitely refuse to let me carry him."

Ning Wuque glanced at Zhang Ling, a smart young man.

"Take two brothers and enter Wuzhou City!"

The night was dim, and it was almost midnight. Wuzhou City, which had been celebrating all night, was now somewhat quiet. There were fewer pedestrians on the streets, but since there was no curfew tonight, many stalls were still set up, and tourists wandered around.

The general stood at the city gate, pacing back and forth with his hand on the hilt of his long saber. The constant arrival of important figures made the general vigilant, guarding Wuzhou City on the night of the Qixi Festival.

Several figures ran toward the city gate in the night, catching the general's attention. As they drew closer, four figures approached the gate, their clothes stained with blood, and two of them were carrying a person. The person had an armor-piercing arrow in his shoulder, and blood was flowing continuously.

Despite carrying a person, the newcomers moved swiftly and steadily, showing remarkable martial skills.

"Who are you, and why are you entering the city?"

The general, experienced in battle, immediately recognized that these four had been through a fierce fight. The armor-piercing arrow, a secret weapon of the military, was rarely seen outside, making the general suspect they were bandits. He gripped his saber tightly, ready to draw it at the slightest provocation.

"I am a scholar from Qingyun County, and I am this year's candidate. I was traveling here when I encountered bandits. These are my servants, who fought the mountain bandits to the death and were injured by arrows. I hope the lord will allow us to enter the city for treatment."

The general saw a young scholar in a white robe step forward, examined him from head to toe, and noticed the bloodstains and injuries on his body. He was suspicious but kept his composure and asked coldly, "What bandits could use armor-piercing arrows?"

"Shen Faxing!" Ning Wuque shouted. "Lord, this is a matter of life and death. Please let us enter the city to treat my brother's injuries, and we will explain everything afterward."

"Shen Faxing?" The general's pupils narrowed, and he laughed incredulously. "Shen Faxing has already been killed by Li Zitong's men. If you're going to make up a story, at least make it believable. Show me evidence, and I'll let you in. If you are the bandits causing trouble, allowing you into the city would be a grave mistake."