Chapter 76: The Lethal Aura of Ash

The clamor of battle shook the heavens. Li Buer was among the quickest to draw his blade, while Short Huang, inexperienced and frozen in place, simply stood dumbfounded.

Luo Gan melted into the crowd, and at the entrance to the Sima estate, he saw Erhu and the others scanning their surroundings just like him.

Ever since they’d started following Luo Gan, good fortune had abandoned them entirely, and trouble never ceased. Watching the two sides clash, the group felt as if they were watching a distant, refined play—utterly unmoved within.

Farmer Jia shivered, eyes dull and lifeless.

“Why is it that, after spending time with A’Luo, I feel as though I’ve seen everything the world has to offer?”

Uncle De shook his head, a scholar’s melancholy settling upon him. “Perhaps we’ve now seen monsters and demons alike. After fighting in so many battles, it hardly stirs us anymore.”

A look of confusion spread across Xiao Zhi’s face. He felt as though he hadn’t slept in days, his mind heavy with fatigue. “I miss my dragon figurine. That was a fine thing…”

Erhu slapped Xiao Zhi’s shoulder. “Now’s hardly the time! Have some respect for the seriousness of this fight, will you?”

The four exchanged glances, as if they were mere bystanders, unaffected by the chaos.

Suddenly, Luo Gan realized he had to be careful not to reveal his identity. He quickly wrapped a white cloth, torn from a companion’s garment, around his face.

On both sides, more than twenty men clashed in a frenzy, blades flashing, blood and flesh flying in moments.

A squad of constables charged forward, weapons raised. On Grey Armor’s side, the men clearly displayed superior training, felling opponents in short order.

Li Buer fought fiercely, surprised to find the thuggish constables so capable. He knocked down several, though none fatally. Grey Armor and Yellow Armor, too, aimed to avoid killing blows where possible. Amidst the clash of blunt weapons, Grey Armor’s thoughts were fixed on unearthing some hidden treasure, certain that his rise depended on it—on something even he had never seen before.

Yellow Armor, less skilled with the sword, focused his energy on knocking down as many foes as possible, hoping to return and claim credit with Commissioner Lu. This was the courage and fate of a warrior.

Luo Gan, determined to rescue Erhu and the others, grabbed a thick branch and darted through the fray, avoiding the main fighting.

Li Buer’s eyes blazed red, possessed by a ghostly power. He shouted, kicked, and tossed men aside with a strength that seemed inexhaustible. Short Huang cowered behind him, waving his blade in panic.

“Damn it, Zhang Shorty! You always seem clever, so why lose your nerve at a time like this?” The sneer on Li Buer’s lips was laced with contempt.

Short Huang’s voice trembled. “I never said I wanted to do this! How did things get so bloody, so real?”

Li Buer grabbed a masked man, elbowed him viciously, nearly flinging him into Short Huang’s face.

He felt like a god of war, as if his hands could command the heavens and his feet support the earth. No enemy could touch him. Finally promoted from his post as a mere doorkeeper—this was the start of Li Buer’s own era!

Such childish thoughts flashed through his mind, and Li Buer no longer regarded Short Huang’s pitiful state. Li Buer had earned his place by his own skills! What was Short Huang, but a coward who once caught a turtle and called himself a hero?

He spat disdainfully and, “by accident,” kicked Short Huang flying. In this world, he alone was truly worthy! Overwhelmed by hubris, he swung his blade in a rage, striking Yellow Armor square on the crown of his head.

Yellow Armor howled in agony as blood burst from his brow, a flood of red streaming down as his eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

Grey Armor roared like a lion, his long-repressed anxiety erupting into volcanic fury at the sight of Yellow Armor’s fall. He drove his weapon through a constable’s chest, tearing into him like a tiger ripping out a heart.

Only then did Li Buer realize he’d killed someone by mistake. Short Huang screamed first, a shrill cry of terror. Erhu and Luo Gan suddenly understood that the fight had escalated far beyond a childish scuffle.

Sensing Grey Armor’s murderous intent, Li Buer gripped his weapon, ready to face him head-on.

The sky darkened abruptly, pressing down with suffocating weight. Luo Gan, a lone wolf, sifted through the blood-soaked courtyard, searching for his companions. Four stray dogs gaping in shock at the Sima estate’s gate—those were the very people he sought.

Uncle De and Xiao Zhi tensed as a shadow approached, but only Erhu saw through it, scanning for anyone following. Farmer Jia seized a fallen blade, preparing to defend himself.

“Everyone, we must go,” Luo Gan said, pulling off his mask, breathless. The others stared in amazement, while Erhu remained calm.

“How?” someone asked.

“There’s a breach by the wall—just climb over.”

Uncle De, ever cautious, hesitated. “A’Luo, if we escape, we may save our lives today, but tomorrow our reputations will be ruined! We won’t survive the next day!”

Xiao Zhi, tense and excited, grabbed Uncle De’s arm and shook him. “Uncle De, at this point, if we don’t survive tonight, what’s left for tomorrow?”

Farmer Jia still shivered. “In this cursed weather, we won’t be buried—just freeze into dried husks!”

Erhu simply watched Luo Gan, waiting for his answer. If Luo Gan had a plan, he’d call everyone to follow. If not, Erhu, though a simple farmer, would rather die an honorable death than flee in disgrace.

As the crowd surged and blades clashed, both sides had all but forgotten whether they fought for treasure or for people—only seven or eight combatants remained, evenly matched. Grey Armor and Li Buer exchanged blow for blow, neither yielding.

Grey Armor’s eyes were bloodshot, his every thought bent on capturing Li Buer and skinning him alive.

“You bastard! I’ll tear off your face and let you die with my brother!”

Li Buer’s careless expression turned uneasy, blood spattered on his face, making him look even more like a butcher.

“My face? Ha! Who are you to threaten a dead man?”

These two nobodies stood center stage, blades slashing and stabbing, the clang of steel reverberating. The air thickened with the stench of blood, the field transformed into a hellscape of slaughter and terror.

Luo Gan fought hard to suppress his emotions. There was no time left for useless explanations or entanglements.

“You go. I’ll handle things here,” Luo Gan urged.

The others, long wary of Luo Gan’s schemes, hesitated to trust him. But Erhu, not waiting for argument, pushed Xiao Zhi and Uncle De toward the wall.

“Go! Do you want to live or die here?!” Erhu shouted back at Farmer Jia, beckoning him to follow.

Luo Gan joined them at the wall, helping Uncle De and Xiao Zhi over first. When Farmer Jia slipped, Luo Gan and Erhu hoisted him up together.

Inside the wall, only Erhu and Luo Gan remained. Luo Gan exhaled in relief.

“Hurry, go, Fool Tiger,” Luo Gan said, a little breathless, waving Erhu on.

But Erhu refused to leave, demanding, “Now you have to tell me—what will you do once we’re gone?”

“I have my ways. You must go.”

“No! If you stay, so do I!” Erhu’s gaze was resolute, unwavering. “If we go, we go together!”