Chapter 75: Battling the Headless Once More

“In five days, it will be Yu’er and Zhao Lei’s wedding. You all should come early to help receive the guests. I’ve already written to the third and fifth disciples,” Yang Shu began assigning tasks. With Zhao Qing now holding the post of County Commandant, it was expected that many local dignitaries would attend, and she needed several disciples to help manage them.

Ling Chi felt a headache coming on. He was fine with chopping down enemies, but having to welcome guests and play host was another matter entirely. Still, since his mistress had spoken, he could only grit his teeth and comply, hoping no troublemakers would appear that day.

After dinner, he sat drinking tea with Zhao Qing, discussing recent cultivation insights while little Rui ran outside, playing. The city guards were atop the walls, huddled around a fire, yawning and drowsy.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves echoed in the distance, growing louder until they stopped outside the city gate. A guard stood up and leaned over the wall, peering down. By the flickering firelight, he could just make out the vague silhouette of a burly rider standing outside.

“Who goes there? The gates are closed for the night and won’t open again. Come back tomorrow!” he called down, following the rules of guarding the city at night.

But the figure remained motionless, which struck the guard as odd. He drew a torch and tossed it down. In the brief flare of light as the torch tumbled, he caught a glimpse that would haunt him for life: the imposing rider at the gate had nothing atop his shoulders—he was headless.

The guard’s legs gave out and he collapsed in terror, while his companions laughed at his cowardice. He pointed outside, mouth opening and closing wordlessly, unable to utter a sound. Seeing his pallor and genuine fear, the others grew tense, scrambling to look outside themselves.

Just as they stood, a thunderous crash resounded. The iron-clad city gate cracked and then fell inward. The headless rider’s horse stepped crisply onto the stone path, its gait steady and unhurried as it moved directly toward Ling Chi.

A deafening boom shattered the peace of the county town.

“It’s at the city gate,” someone cried.

Ling Chi and Zhao Qing exchanged a glance, set down their teacups in unison, and vanished from the house.

Ling Chi became a streak of lightning, Zhao Qing rode a whirlwind as they both rushed to the gate, Ling Chi keeping pace beside his master out of respect, though he could have outstripped him.

He sent his spiritual sense sweeping outward a hundred yards. The image of the headless rider appeared within its sweep—Ling Chi instantly recognized him as the headless general from behind Dahuang Village.

Fury surged within him. So you dare come knocking at my door—passing up feasts in heaven to bring your own bowl to hell.

“Master, it’s that headless general come for us. Please stand guard while I finish him off today.”

With those words, Ling Chi erupted in blinding lightning and vanished, a thunderclap rousing the entire county from sleep.

[Thunder Flash]

His figure appeared midair at the city gate, instantly unleashing his full strength. The sea of thunder within him spun, boundless spiritual energy fueling any technique he wished.

Demonbane flashed from its sheath. Carrying the momentum of Thunder Flash, he brought his saber down upon the headless general from above.

“Face the wrath of heaven!” Ling Chi thundered.

The headless general swept up his bronze halberd.

A resounding clang exploded, the blast wave flipping slabs of stone dozens of yards around them. Thankfully, no one was nearby, or the strike would have left a field of corpses.

The horse beneath the headless general had its limbs shattered, and both it and its master were forced to one knee by the shock. A torrent of dark energy burst from the general, hurling Ling Chi away.

Twisting in midair, Ling Chi landed, his feet gouging deep furrows in the earth.

People arrived, drawn by the spectacle.

Xiao Zhan appeared at Zhao Qing’s side. “Master, when should we jump in to help Sixth Brother?”

“His fighting spirit is surging—the last thing he wants is interference. We’ll stand guard so no one disturbs him. A battle this evenly matched can only help his cultivation,” Zhao Qing replied.

Xiao Zhan scanned the crowd—most were only at the Vein Opening stage, with only two unfamiliar faces at the Qi Sea level: Qin Shan and his eldest disciple. Xiao Zhan kept a wary eye on them, while Zhao Qing stood calm and imposing, sending a shiver of fear through Qin Shan, who had no intention of intervening.

These disciples and their master were all formidable—especially the young man now fighting, whose aura was even fiercer than in the morning. It was lucky they hadn’t pressed him further earlier; whether they’d have survived was doubtful.

Ling Chi and the headless general clashed fiercely. His body shone with a purple-gold light as he deliberately lured the general beyond the city, sparing innocents within.

The general's halberd slashed the air with whistling force, colliding with Ling Chi’s saber. The eerie green of ghostly energy and the dazzling thunder met in an even contest.

Thunder was the ultimate force of righteousness, the bane of all things ghostly, yet now the two were evenly matched—a sign that Ling Chi’s cultivation was still weaker than the headless general’s.

But his fighting spirit only soared, undaunted.

Last time, I drove you off in defeat. This time, I’ll finish you for good.

Bathed in thunder, Ling Chi stood out in the night like a war god in purple-gold armor, awe-inspiring and intimidating the gathering onlookers.

The battle spilled from inside the city gate to the open ground outside, giving Ling Chi room to unleash his full power.

[Hum] [Ha]

With a burst of force, shockwaves rippled outward, making even distant bystanders dizzy. Those of weaker cultivation dropped to their knees.

The Hum and Ha energies had no effect on the headless general, but that wasn’t Ling Chi’s aim. Within him, the Thunder Pearl spun slowly, the sea of thunder boiling.

Unnoticed, dark clouds had gathered overhead, blotting out the bright moon. Streaks of thick purple and gold lightning snaked through them.

The lightning around Ling Chi grew ever brighter, until its glare brought tears to the eyes of those nearby. Overhead, the thunder was ready to fall.

With a roar, the sky was rent by descending thunder, forming a cage of lightning hundreds of yards across.

A string of explosions shook the entire region. Lightning flashed so brilliantly that Qi Sea cultivators from miles away came rushing to witness.

The headless general was struck again and again, his ghostly energy leaking away like air from a punctured bellows.

Ling Chi could even sense its pain.

Something was wrong—the general wasn’t fighting back, but let the storm pour down on him. Had he gone mad? Ling Chi was puzzled.

Still, it didn’t slow his blade; his strikes only grew faster.

Outside, the scene was lost in blinding light. Only during the pauses between thunderclaps could the sound of blades and halberds clashing be heard.

Zhao Qing and Xiao Zhan watched warily as more and more onlookers gathered. Xiao Zhan’s saber was already in hand, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Within the cage of thunder, Ling Chi and the headless general battered each other bloody.

Ling Chi’s black brocade robe was shredded, his broad-shouldered, lean frame scored with long gashes from the general’s halberd. Pale golden blood pooled at the wounds, slow and viscous, never falling.

The general’s armor—once shattered by Ling Chi—had somehow been mended, but now was again in tatters. His powerful body was covered in wounds so deep the black bones beneath were visible.

The cage shrank, thunder thickening as it poured down on the headless general. Tiny bolts of lightning clawed hungrily into his body, crackling and snapping as the battle raged on.