I Slay Gods and Demons in the Deceit Night
Chapter 125 - 101: The Heavy Crossbow Bed, Tribulation Ash’s Madness!

Chapter 125: Chapter 101: The Heavy Crossbow Bed, Tribulation Ash’s Madness!

Two junior flag bearers had already died, their throats brutally bitten through.

The killer, his face now twisted ferociously, his mouth covered in fresh blood, was devouring the essence of these two Martial Artists.

He looked at the newcomers outside the courtyard, his face revealing a cold, chilling smile.

"Is it you?"

Lin Yan’s expression was grave.

This man was none other than Zhao Jing, who, just a few days ago, had been cut in half by him and had fallen off the city walls, not only surviving but also leaving behind a message written in blood!

The adopted son of the Great Commander of Zhao Zhou and the leader of his personal troops.

General Pei had confirmed that Zhao Jing was indeed the culprit who had replaced the oil in the Linjiang Station’s Night Lamp that night, causing a breach in the defenses and allowing the Evil Spirit to invade Linjiang Square.

Had Lin Yan not taken action that night, Linjiang Square would have almost become a purgatory.

"Be careful!"

General Pei stepped forward, shielding Lin Yan behind him, drew his sword, and said gravely, "This man is no ordinary foe!"

"The me of today is, of course, no ordinary man."

Zhao Jing laughed heartily and tore off his outer robe, revealing his true form.

The upper half of his body was still human.

However, his lower half did not have legs.

It seemed as though a mass of black roots were growing from his waist, like tentacles, dense and numerous, supporting him on the ground.

"Demon Transformation Technique?"

General Pei’s pupils shrank as he said softly, "Using a tree demon to perform the Demon Transformation Technique?"

The Demon Transformation Technique had several subtypes.

The more common categories involved wicked birds and fierce beasts becoming demons, using their bloodlines to increase their own power.

The use of plants for the Demon Transformation Technique was rarer and more difficult.

Within the known Demon Transformation Techniques in the world, incorporating "plant-type" was considered a top-level method.

"Sharp eyes indeed."

Zhao Jing, however, looked past the Refining Essence Realm General Pei, gazing sinisterly at Lin Yan behind him, "Master, I hear you killed my righteous, foolishly selfless father who refused to settle down in his old age?"

...

Hearing him insult the Great Commander of Zhao Zhou, the murderous intent in Lin Yan’s eyes was almost uncontrollable, and he raised his crossbow, shooting it forth.

Whoosh!

But Zhao Jing’s many roots below suddenly lifted upward.

The crossbow arrow pierced through the roots, while a mocking expression appeared on Zhao Jing’s face.

The roots spread apart, particularly the root struck by the arrow, which he flung at a junior flag bearer’s head next to him.

Piercing through the left eye, fluids burst out!

"Demon!"

General Pei shouted angrily.

Being an old hand, he had initially suppressed his shock and rage at the deaths of two junior flag bearers.

But witnessing this scene, he immediately became furious, his eyes glowing red.

He drew his sword and moved forward to kill Zhao Jing.

Yet Zhao Jing’s face revealed an even more malevolent smile.

"Come back!"

Lin Yan stepped forward, grabbed Pei Xiong, and collided with him to the side.

With a thunderous crash!

The two smashed through the courtyard wall to their left!

At the same moment, a whistling sound surged!

A long spear, coming from afar, seemed to descend from the sky!

As they demolished the wall, it landed a foot ahead of where they had just been!

It was not a spear, but a giant arrow!

Most of it embedded in the ground, its force not to be underestimated!

"On the hilltop!"

Lin Yan pushed Pei Xiong aside, and both used the wall for cover, each moving to a side.

They exchanged a look, both faces showing deep concern.

Especially Pei Xiong, whose face turned extremely grim.

If it weren’t for the Linjiang Station’s Flag Commander pulling him aside, that crossbow arrow would have pierced him straight through!

The arrow was thicker than an arm!

Even a Refining Essence Realm character, if pierced, would likely have most of their internal organs turned to mush.

Such an injury, not even the vital force of a Refining Essence Realm could survive.

"Let’s move back further into that corner!"

"It’s a heavy crossbow platform, positioned on the hill to the right, shooting diagonally down, this wall won’t block it!"

Just as Lin Yan’s voice fell, the sound of rushing wind came again!

Boom!

A giant arrow suddenly pierced through the wall, causing the entire wall to collapse!

"How did you know the location of the heavy crossbow platform?"

Pei Xiong couldn’t help but show surprise, increasingly amazed by this Flag Commander.

"Earlier at the courtyard gate, the heavy crossbow platform couldn’t confirm our location, so Zhao Jing wanted to draw us out and expose our figures," Lin Yan said evenly. "From this, deducing the position of the heavy crossbow platform, it is exactly behind us... That wall was directly in front of the crossbow platform!"

Tsk, tsk, tsk! I hear Master is open and upright, so why hide and dodge today?"

Zhao Jing’s voice, faintly conveyed, gradually approached.

"Go!"

Lin Yan gave Pei Xiong a look and moved to a different spot for cover.

"We can’t kill him without taking out that heavy crossbow platform!"

Pei Xiong’s tone was grave as he said, "I’ll hold him off here, you find a way to destroy the heavy crossbow platform!"

He frowned and added, "But this type of heavy crossbow platform, newly made by the Qifeng Prefecture City Guard Mansion, currently requires at least three strong practitioners from the Refining Essence Realm to operate it together. Are you confident you can deal with them?"

"No!"

Lin Yan, clutching his long saber, said, "You go handle them, I’ll deal with Zhao Jing."

"No, this Demon Transformation Technique has pushed him above the Refining Essence level! Even someone at the peak of the Refining Essence Realm is no match, let alone constantly facing the threat of the heavy crossbow platform!"

Pei Xiong’s expression was solemn as he said, "It’s more dangerous for you to stay here!"

Lin Yan’s tone was heavy, "This heavy crossbow platform, although not very effective against ’Evil Spirits,’ was made to contend with great demons. Even those in the Refining Essence Realm can’t withstand it... Staying behind, if Zhao Jing ties you down, it will be even more dangerous!"

"Alright!"

Pei Xiong’s expression was grave as he said, "Be careful!"

He sighed and quickly crossed over the wall.

The heavy crossbow platform actually had many drawbacks.

One of them was that it wasn’t flexible enough in changing directions, and it essentially struggled to capture fast-moving targets.

At this moment, Pei Xiong felt incredibly heavy-hearted, seeing that the Linjiang Station Flag Commander staying behind might very well be facing a situation of life and death.

This time Wu Chang brothers were trading their lives for his chance to escape.

But there was no other way, the heavy crossbow platform ahead surely had at least three strong Martial Artists, perhaps even those versed in the Demon Transformation Technique.

Only he, being at the Refining Essence Realm, could go and handle it.

If it were the Wu Chang brothers, despite being peak Refining Essence geniuses, they would still struggle to take down the heavy crossbow platform faced with such enemies.

In contrast, staying here in the Refining Essence Realm, threatened by the heavy crossbow platform and also facing the threat from those demons, would truly be caught between two fires.

"When I come back after dealing with the heavy crossbow platform, will he still be alive?"

Pei Xiong couldn’t help but feel his eyes darken, weighed down with heavy thoughts.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Zhao Jing also noticed Pei Xiong, who was in the Refining Essence Realm, leaving, and appeared even more confident.

His lower body had massive roots, even more than an octopus’s tentacles.

But he moved just like an octopus.

With sabers in both hands, he barged through one courtyard after another, tracking Lin Yan’s traces in a frenzied pursuit.

He knocked down one courtyard wall after another, shouting loudly, "Master, they left you behind to save their own skin."

"This is human nature, how selfish, how despicable, how nauseating?"

"Actually, some of the higher-ups in Tribulation Ash quite value you."

"You are a prodigious talent with an immeasurable future, but in today’s Human Clan cities, those decaying old fools will not cultivate you as they did in the past, pushing you forward."

"They will suppress you, even kill you, to maintain their positions and power."

"As for us in Tribulation Ash, we will cultivate you and make you even stronger."

He swung his saber, knocking over another courtyard wall and shouted loudly, "Master, come out! Why hide?"

In the darkness, silence ensued, and that Wu Chang Flag Commander was hidden somewhere unknown.

At this moment, Zhao Jing suddenly felt uneasy.

But since he had cultivated the Demon Transformation Technique, he now stood above the Refining Essence level.

Moreover, with the heavy crossbow platform supporting him from behind.

His heart settled a lot, and he even sneered, saying, "I heard that after that night, Linjiang Square suffered many casualties, thrown into chaos, yet the next day, members of the Liu Family were leaving the city to hunt and enjoy the outdoors."

"I heard you actually killed that Liu family member who recklessly rode his horse over people in the street!"

"You must have experienced it, how we in the darkness kill demons and struggle for the Human Clan, and what the result was?"

"Those incompetents, with not a hint of admirable skill but occupy the inner city due to their birth, relying on the sweat of your brow and mine to remain unthreatened by demons, luxuriating in wealth and splendor, yet they treat us like lowly ants!"

"So, what use is there in such Human Clan cities?"

"Why not join me, destroy High Willow City, shatter all that is corrupt!"

"We can rebuild a new city, we can become the new nobility!"

Zhao Jing angrily shouted, "No, we can’t build a city! Day and night are the governing rules of heaven and earth, and keeping darkness out of cities goes against the heavens!"

He looked around, shouting loudly, "We need to shatter the present state, allowing darkness to overlay the land entirely, complying with the heavenly way, only then does the Human Clan have a route to survival!"

"Humans struggle for existence in darkness, though it is tough, yet to this day, they still manage to survive."

"But cities make Humans gather, make them overly comfortable, leading to... eventually, to extinction!"

"Wu Chang! You are the disaster of the Human Clan!"

"Following us is the only way to live!"

"Master, you... "

His roar had not yet ceased.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash!

To the left, a section of the courtyard wall was violently demolished!

Then, a towering figure, about a zhang tall and sturdy like a tower, came crashing through.

The giant hand grabbed Zhao Jing’s head.

Like grabbing an apple!

And smashed it against the opposite wall!

"General Pei has finally arrived at the battleground."

Lin Yan’s voice was icy as he said, "Without the threat of the heavy crossbow platform, do you even deserve to speak in my presence?"