Chapter 113: You Wouldn’t Want To Either

Third quarter of the Yin (Yin) hour.

The darkest period before dawn.

With the Xu Residence in Lanyang as the center, the Vermilion Bird Army quietly sealed off all streets and alleys within a one-li radius.

Ding Suian led over a hundred Manifesting Elemental State elites into the Xu Residence.

The battle erupted very suddenly.

Just as they approached the courtyard where Sect Master Hao resided, a black-clad Protector silently emerged from the shadows beneath the wall, heading straight for Ding Suian, who was crouching low.

After Ding Suian entered the Astral state, his hearing and eyesight far surpassed ordinary people, yet even so, he only suddenly detected the opponent when they were three feet away.

This Protector did not use a weapon; he simply swung his right palm towards Ding Suian’s head. Ding Suian parried with his saber, blocking the path of the incoming palm. Protective Aura entered the saber, and a blue glow suddenly appeared.

Beside him, Wang Xigui and his comrades simultaneously drew their sabers, slashing and attacking from multiple directions.

Seeing that he couldn’t gain an advantage, the elusive Protector retracted his arm, and then, as if ethereal, vanished into the night.

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All the Vermilion Bird Army elites, including Ding Suian, were greatly astonished.

Wang Xigui and the others were surprised that an ordinary Protector was so difficult to deal with.

Ding Suian’s astonishment was more specific: Was this Night Concealment?

Could it be that the State Religion Protectors also practiced ‘Three Element Shadow Evasion’?

Even if one practiced the Three Element Shadow Evasion technique, ‘Night Concealment’ could only be achieved at the Xiangwang Realm!

He had seen that highly skilled assassin use it before.

Could it be that all the State Religion Protectors were in the Xiangwang Realm?

After the Protector disappeared, there was a rustling and swaying in the bamboo thicket to the left, as if some animal was quickly passing through and escaping.

Focusing his gaze, he saw the flowers and grass being pushed aside by a current of air, forming a blurry outline.

Ding Suian suddenly remembered. Zhao Yan had mentioned that the Spirit Monkey clan learned ‘Night Concealment’ by secretly observing ‘Lord Canglang’.

Lord Canglang is a wolf.

A wolf’s innate talent is Night Concealment.

But on the battlefield, there wasn’t much time to think.

‘Whoosh~’

A long, low, yet extremely penetrating warning sound echoed, and there was a rustle in the courtyard where Sect Master Hao resided.

After two or three breaths, heads popped up from the four walls. The opponents numbered only about thirty. When they looked down at the hundred Manifesting Elemental State elites, they showed no fear or surprise. Instead, they licked their lips excitedly, their eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty red light.

The next moment, the surrounding lights were extinguished.

Late in the month, the crescent moon was dim.

Plunged into sudden darkness, human eyes needed time to adapt to the change in light.

In this brief interval, sounds of tearing flesh and painful screams rang out one after another from all directions.

‘Whoosh~’

Ding Suian, relying on changes in airflow, retreated to dodge an attack in the dark. He had already turned around and shouted, “Gongye! Switch to fire arrows!”

Of the more than two hundred Manifesting Elemental State elites of the Vermilion Bird Army, some followed Ding Suian into the residence, while others, skilled in archery, remained on the periphery.

No sooner had Ding Suian’s voice fallen than he heard Daoist Master behind him shout, “Summon Lightning!”

Her lightning summoning technique no longer required chanting incantations; this was a reminder to her Disciples.

As she spoke, Daoist Master raised her right palm, already brewing a huge purple glow.

She was very aware of the predicament the Soldiers in front faced and directly swung the purple glow towards a large tree.

‘Bang~’

‘Boom~’

In the dense night, a scorching fireball suddenly erupted.

‘Crackling~’

The large tree instantly transformed into a towering, blazing torch, illuminating everything within three hundred paces with perfect clarity.

The Protectors seemed to fear fire and instinctively retreated.

By this point, Ding Suian had vaguely guessed what these Protectors were.

It is said that it took the Spirit Monkey clan tens of thousands of years to become familiar with fire and overcome their innate fear of it. Lord Canglang, relying on a single lifetime of cultivation, couldn’t so easily change some instincts.

“Big Dipper descends to the altar, earth pulse connects to thunder! Summon!”

Reminded by their Master, the Xuanji Palace Disciples’ delicate shouts rang out in unison.

Many smaller purple glows rained down on their respective targets.

Ruan Ruan was especially excited. This scene of fighting demons alongside Brother Yuanxi and Master was something she had dreamed of countless times.

At the same time, Gongye and others on the periphery also prepared fire arrows, which rained down like a sudden downpour.

The Protectors’ flesh, skin, and bones were unusually tough. Even if an arrow occasionally struck them, it caused no significant harm. If not for the arrows being aflame, they might not even bother to dodge.

However, the adorable miniature heavenly thunder from the little Daoist nuns still had some effect.

“AZhi! Let me see your skill!”

Ding Suian swung his saber, forcing a Protector dodging the lightning bolts towards Zhisheng.

“Amitabha~”

Zhisheng uttered a Buddhist chant, and his usually restrained, steady Aura suddenly erupted. Without using any exquisite movement techniques, he stomped on the green bricks like a wild ox, swinging his golden-glowing staff in the most direct and fierce manner.

The Protector parried with a staff, but it had no effect.

Like a kite with a broken string, he flew horizontally. Ding Suian used the Shrinking Ground Step, taking one stride, his figure like smoke, even faster than the Protector being swept away.

‘Bang~’

The Protector crashed against the courtyard wall, sending bricks and stones flying. Before he could get up, Ding Suian closed in, slashing down with his saber. A human head rolled far away.

This was the first Protector killed that night.

The Manifesting Elemental State elites still fighting fiercely were greatly encouraged.

The Protectors had tough skin and thick flesh; even weapons imbued with Protective Aura could only cut a gash in them.

There was none of the sharpness that Manifesting Elemental State Martial Artists usually displayed, severing a person in two with a single strike.

Now seeing Head Ding able to kill the opponent greatly boosted their confidence.

Approximately ten breaths later, the Protector’s corpse on the ground slowly transformed into a wolf covered in fur.

Hou Dexian and his colleagues, watching the battle from a distant rooftop, exchanged glances, each shocked.

Even though they had personally witnessed the Gray Rat transform in the Prince’s Halberd Hall, at this moment, their official robes were still soaked with sweat.

“What a blessing! Lanyang is truly blessed! If Head Ding had not discovered this early, the hundred thousand common people of Lanyang would be in peril!”

Vice Prefect Hou, whose relationship with Ding Suian had been most strained recently, wiped the sweat from his forehead and firmly said, “Tomorrow, our Lanyang Prefecture must submit a memorial to the throne to commend Head Ding! A young talent, a great fortune for the country!”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Beside him, a group of officials echoed.

Hou Dexian was deep in thought, planning how to resolve the estrangement with Ding Suian. His third daughter, born of a concubine, was quite beautiful. Although marrying her to a military man might be a bit of a sacrifice, perhaps this Young Master Ding would achieve great things in the future?

After all, he was someone praised by imperial decree, and this great merit was certainly his.

As he was pondering, he suddenly felt that the surrounding atmosphere was not quite right. He instinctively looked back and saw Li Fengrao with a cold expression.

Hou Dexian immediately understood and quickly said, “Lord Li, for tomorrow’s memorial from the Prefectural Yamen, we still need you to take the lead!”

“Hmm~”

Li Fengrao responded indifferently, then clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the battlefield. “Speaking of which, Head Ding and I also have a connection. The first time I saw him last year at the Prince’s Residence, I felt this child was extraordinary.”

At this point, Li Fengrao suddenly turned to Commander Li and asked gently, “Commander Li, is Head Ding married?”

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Commander Li did not answer immediately. His Sixth Brother was saved by Seventh Sister in Southern Zhao, and it seemed they had a private engagement. But Li Fengrao’s question now clearly implied an intention for a marriage alliance.

For them, Martial Artists, there was always a sense of looking up to civil officials. Commander Li felt that if his Sixth Brother could connect with a Prefect, it would greatly benefit his future.

After thinking for a moment, he finally said, “I’m not sure, Lord Li could send someone to ask.”

Outside the battlefield, after Daoist Master and Daoist Shenxu witnessed the wolf demon reveal its true form, they completely cast aside their concerns and no longer held back.

They both gathered lightning glows in their palms.

‘Bang~’

The Protector entangled with Wang Xigui had his upper body directly turned into a pulpy mess of flesh and blood.

Commander Li Baicheng, who was in the Protective Aura realm, also personally entered the fray with several camp commanders.

The battlefield instantly became a one-sided affair.

“AZhi, clear a path for me!”

Ding Suian called out, then rushed towards the wall of the private courtyard and leaped over.

‘Clang~’

Before he even landed, he felt a gust of foul wind. Inside the courtyard, there was actually another Protector.

Ding Suian pushed off the wall with his feet in mid-air, using the momentum to slash at the incoming opponent. Unexpectedly, the opponent actually blocked the strike with his bare arm.

Ding Suian landed and looked up, observing the opponent’s wide mouth, large nose, and exceptionally robust physique, even a head taller than him.

To be able to withstand a saber strike from an Astral realm expert, what kind of monster was this?

The two had not yet exchanged blows, but he saw the Protector take a deep breath, his chest and abdomen rapidly inflating like a balloon, followed by a mighty roar~

“Woo-aow~”

The sound shook the four fields, echoing throughout Lanyang.

Outside the wall, for some unknown reason, everything instantly fell silent.

Further away, Zhao Yan, who was hiding in a tree, keeping watch to prevent Sect Master Hao from transforming and escaping, was so terrified that she trembled all over.

‘Thump~’

Zhisheng climbed over the wall and landed beside Ding Suian. His clear, almost foolish small eyes, when looking at the latter, uncharacteristically showed a trace of concern, “Benefactor Ding, are you unharmed?”

“I’m fine, what happened outside?”

Zhisheng did not answer, instead looking at the robust Protector first, then after a moment, said, “The dead wolf demons have come back to life.”

“Come back to life, what does that mean?”

“Tiger Chang.”

Zhisheng placed his palms together, saluting, “Amitabha, Benefactor Tiger, please listen to This poor monk’s advice. Do not create any more killing karma. Lay down your butcher’s knife and become a Buddha on the spot.”

Ding Suian was astonished, “This is a tiger demon?”

“Mm.”

“I heard you can make wine with him?”

“Alas,” Zhisheng sighed, and then saluted the robust Protector again, “Benefactor Tiger, you wouldn’t want Benefactor Ding to steep you into tiger bone wine, would you?”

Ding Suian slowly turned his head. AZhi, why do you sound like you’re from the Land of the Rising Sun?