380 Kneeling to Request the Army to Retreat
Once Xiao Lingchen was dead, the Langya Army behind him would undoubtedly descend into chaos. When the time came, nobody would be able to suppress their fury and they would level the Hall of Calming Purity without hesitation. The three old eunuchs could then take advantage of the chaos and with their abilities, it wasn’t impossible for them to escape.
That was what the three old eunuchs were considering at that moment.
But Xiao Se arrived just in time to block the attack on Xiao Lingchen, and he also raised a finger.
There were many famous finger techniques under Heaven, such as the three old eunuchs’ Break the Heavens finger, such as Lei Clan Fort’s Thunderclap Fingers, such as the Duan Family’s One Finger Three Strikes. But, Xiao Se had never learned any finger techniques.
Because he wasn’t using a finger technique, but a staff technique.
Using his finger as a staff.
And it was Wuji!
The reverberation caused Xiao Se to retreat three steps.
Zhuo Xin was also forced to retreat three steps. The Wuji staff was released from the entanglement of the horsetail whisk just as Xiao Chong arrived. With a swing of his long sword, he swiped the Wuji staff back into Xiao Se’s hands. Then, he leaped again and landed in front of the three eunuchs, slashing his sword at the same time. The series of moves only took one breath!
"Break!" Zhuo Xin Gonggong slammed down his foot, shattering the stone slabs under his feet. He swept the debris with his whisk and blocked Xiao Chong's sword of wrath.
Xiao Se grabbed his staff and immediately swept forward.
The two most consummate princes of the Xiao Clan imperial family joined forces for the first time.
Meanwhile, Ji Xue and Lei Wujie had also freed themselves from Zhuo Sen and Zhuo Luo’s suppression. The Dragon-Carved staff and Heart sword matched up against two horsetail whisks, neither gaining an advantage.
In terms of the depth of their internal energy, the two eunuchs were superior, but right this moment, Ji Xue and Lei Wujie’s power were surging the more they fought, while the two old eunuchs could only see their impending deaths.
Death was a kind of smell. Old people could often detect a special smell on their bodies. It was a stench like that from a corpse or rotting meat. They detested this smell and had even tried to suppress it with force. But, at this moment, this smell of death was particularly strong.
There was no hope left. This was the last thought in their hearts.
"Even if we die, you will die with us!" Zhuo Xin Gonggong yelled suddenly and reached out a withered and skinny arm, aiming his attack at Xiao Se.
A cold light flashed, and a violent blade was unsheathed. Lanyue Marquis had finally made his move too.
Xiao Yu's brows were furrowed in a frown and he raised a light hand. The black-robed man beside him darted over.
Lanyue Marquis withdrew his sabre and Zhuo Sen’s head rolled across the ground.
Xiao Se lunged forward with his staff and the staff stabbed through Zhuo Xin's chest.
Zhuo Luo Gonggong was trying to sneak attack Mingde Emperor and the black-robed man struck him with a palm. The old man’s bones shattered immediately and he flew out like a kite that had broken off its string.
The three former grand eunuchs were finally condemned to death before the Hall of Calming Purity.
But this rebellion was far from over.
Following this short wave of calm was another wave of unbearable silence.
Everyone turned their heads to look at Xiao Lingchen, but Xiao Lingchen only smiled at Xiao Se. "Don’t you trust your own brother? Did you have to send such a pretty lady to come and persuade me?"
"You have too many people around you. I was afraid you would be swayed," Xiao Se said evenly.
Xiao Lingchen shook his head. "I was almost swayed, but when such a pretty lady came to me, I couldn’t sway about anymore."
A long staff immediately propped against his throat and Ji Xue said coldly, "If it wasn’t because you’re more useful alive, I would have killed you on our way here, just for that mouth of yours."
"Am I useful?" Xiao Lingchen smiled bitterly. "If I’m so useful, why are those people below drawing their blades?"
The people below he was referring to was the Langya Army standing below the palace hall.
The three old eunuchs were just the instigators of this entire plot, but the final outcome was no longer up to them. It was now up to the Langya Army below, and the one who had real control of the Langya Army, Ye Xiaoying.
However, Ye Xiaoying had remained silent the entire time. When Xiao Lingchen walked up the hall, he did not speak. When Xiao Lingchen tore the Dragon-Sealed Scroll, he still did not speak. Now, Xiao Lingchen and Xiao Se had killed the three former Five Grand Eunuchs, could he continue to keep his silence?
Ye Xiaoying suddenly raised his head and roared at the sky.
His roar was like that of an eagle, piercing and full of threat. Many soldiers couldn't help but cover their ears. It was said that many years ago, Ye Xiaoying loved making this roar when he was young and many of the more timid enemy soldiers would feel their knees go weak when they heard his roar.
But imbued in this long roar was a powerful sense of fury and resentment. The fury and resentment of being betrayed by the person he trusted most. He had pinned all of his hopes on Xiao Lingchen. Unlike Zhuo Xin and others, what he pinned his hopes on was not ambition, but the resentment of the Langya Army in the past!
"Not good, we’ve made him upset…" Xiao Lingchen murmured.
Xiao Se said solemnly, "With Ye Xiaoying's character, he might really lead the army to charge."
Lei Wujie suddenly said, "But, the Langya Army is not Ye Xiaoying's army."
Xiao Lingchen shrugged. "I'm afraid they’re not mine either."
Xiao Se nodded. "But they belonged to our elders."
Xiao Chong frowned and said, "How many people can we kill with our skill levels? If we really can’t hold on, we can retreat to the Heavenly Sword Vault."
Xiao Se shook his head. "Your shifu, Wrath Sword Immortal, once used his one sword to force the Nanjue army of 10,000 to retreat but that’s a legend. None of us here has your shifu’s level of intimidation. What’s more, we’re facing an army of 200,000. Before we can kill enough of them, we’d be trampled into minced meat."
"We’ll stall them. You take Father and leave first," Xiao Chong said.
Xiao Se snickered coldly. "Leave?"
At this moment, Lei Wujie suddenly walked down the stairs, step by step, and stood before the army of thousands. He plunged his long sword into the ground and raised his head, his red clothes fluttering in the wind.
One person, one sword, did he intend to block the palace gate?
He paused for a beat, then suddenly shouted, "I am Lei Wujie, son of the former Beili Pillar of State General-in-chief, one of the Eight Pillars of State, the Silver Captain of the Langya Army, Lei Mengsha. I request the whole army to retreat!"
The Pillar of State General-in-chief, Lei Mengsha, was once a godlike figure among the Beili armies.
Xiao Lingchen also took a flying leap and swept down from the Hall of Calming Purity. He plunged his Dragon Blood spear into the ground and his bright red armour gleamed under the sun, complementing Lei Wujie’s red clothes. "I am Langya Prince Xiao Lingchen, son of the former Beili Grand Protector, Commander-General of the Langya Army, Xiao Ruofeng. I request the whole army to retreat!"
Xiao Se raised his Wuji staff and smashed a whole row of steps before the Hall of Calming Purity into pieces. He raised his head and said loudly, "I am Yong’an Prince Xiao Se, son of Mingde Emperor, student of Langya Prince Xiao Ruofeng’s military school. I request the whole army to retreat!"
They were the two most important people to the Langya Army of the past. Now, Xiao Ruofeng’s son and disciple, and Lei Mengsha’s son were standing in front of them and requesting for the Langya Army to retreat.
Was there any reason not to retreat?
"But they’re both dead. The Beili Grand Protector and the Langya Silver Captain are both dead. I, the golden-armoured general, am the only one left." Ye Xiaoying finally spoke, and he reached to draw the twin sabres on his back.
Mingde Emperor looked at the scene in front of him and sighed heavily. In a solemn voice, he said, "Jin Xuan."
"Jin Xuan is here." Grand Eunuch Jin Xuan bowed his head.
"Announce the imperial edict."