Chapter 57
Li Xinjun followed Uncle Wang’s scent and found him battling a group of jiangshi. The jiangshi were equally powerful, and Uncle Wang was struggling, his body covered in wounds. His right arm was severed, his chest had a gaping hole, and he had multiple bite marks. Li Xinjun, releasing a surge of energy, rushed to his aid.
With a wave of her hand, she sent the jiangshi surrounding Uncle Wang flying. She ran to his side and helped him up, but he was gravely injured. He looked at her, his mouth opening and closing, trying to speak, but only a faint growl escaped his lips before he went still. Although jiangshi were already dead, seeing Uncle Wang’s lifeless body filled Li Xinjun with sadness.
She knew it wasn’t the jiangshi’s fault. They had been innocent people before being transformed. The blame lay with the Prime Minister and Prince Anling, who had orchestrated this chaos for their own selfish ambitions. However, Li Xinjun knew that these jiangshi, innocent or not, had to be eliminated. Once the crisis was over, they couldn’t be allowed to remain in the world, posing a threat to humanity.
Li Xinjun roared, her voice filled with power and fury. The jiangshi, sensing her aura, immediately stopped fighting and knelt before her, acknowledging her as their superior.
She gently laid Uncle Wang’s body down, stood up, and looked at the kneeling jiangshi. She roared again, then turned and walked away. The jiangshi rose and followed her, their movements synchronized.
Rage burned within her. She wanted to kill Prince Anling and the Prime Minister, to avenge Uncle Wang and the innocent jiangshi they had created. She followed Prince Anling’s scent, her steps purposeful, her eyes fixed on her target.
Meanwhile, Hongli, leading the city’s fifty thousand troops, was battling Prince Anling’s army of one hundred thousand. Casualties were heavy on both sides. Although outnumbered, Hongli’s strategic brilliance and leadership had evened the odds. Moreover, his presence on the battlefield, fighting alongside his men, inspired them, boosting their morale.
Brother Wu and Ah Qi, mounted on horses, cut through the enemy ranks, their weapons dripping with blood. Brother Wu, his eyes blazing with fury, wielded his spear with deadly precision, taking down enemy soldiers with each thrust. Hongli, however, seeing his own people fighting each other, couldn’t bear the bloodshed and called out,
“Prince Anling, surrender! I don’t want to see any more bloodshed! If you surrender now, I promise to spare your life!”
“Hahaha, you’re dreaming! Do you think I would give up now, after all these years of planning? I’m so close to achieving my goal! I will never surrender! One of us will die today!”
“Why? Why are you so stubborn?”
“If you truly care for your people, you should surrender! The Prime Minister has released a horde of jiangshi! Soon, the entire city will be overrun! If you surrender now, I can stop them! Let’s see if you, the benevolent and righteous Emperor, will choose to save your people or your throne!”
“You!”
“Hahaha, what’s wrong? Can’t speak now? Weren’t you so concerned about the innocent people? Speak up!”
Li Xinjun, having slaughtered all the jiangshi in her path, arrived at the battlefield. She heard Prince Anling, mounted on his horse, and Hongli, standing on his chariot, arguing. She chuckled, a chilling sound that drew their attention. They both turned to look at her, their eyes widening in horror.
They saw the change in her eyes, the sinister aura emanating from her, and then they noticed the horde of jiangshi behind her. Their hearts sank.
“Prince Anling, are these the jiangshi you were talking about?”
“Y-You… What are you? How did you tame those jiangshi?!” Prince Anling’s voice trembled.
“What’s wrong? Are you afraid? You love using jiangshi, don’t you? Why are you so scared of me, a fellow jiangshi?”
“You’re a jiangshi?!” Prince Anling and Hongli exclaimed in unison.
“Yes, thanks to you! If you hadn’t created those jiangshi, I wouldn’t be like this. Should I be grateful to you?”
“Xinjun… You’re really a jiangshi?”
Hongli couldn’t believe his eyes, but Li Xinjun didn’t answer him. She simply glared at Prince Anling and then, with a flick of her wrist, directed the jiangshi behind her towards him.
Prince Anling, terrified, almost fell off his horse. “Kill them!” he shouted, and his army charged towards the jiangshi. Brother Wu, seeing this, was about to join the fight, but Li Xinjun stopped him.
“Brother Wu, stay back! This is between him and me. Don’t interfere!”
Brother Wu frowned at her, but Li Xinjun ignored him, her gaze fixed on Prince Anling as she walked towards him, her steps slow and deliberate. She swatted aside the soldiers in her path, her strength inhuman. Those who foolishly tried to attack her were grabbed and bitten, their hearts ripped out. The scene was gruesome.
The soldiers and officials, witnessing this display of brutality, were horrified. They couldn’t believe that Li Xinjun had become a jiangshi, a monster.
Brother Wu and Hongli were stunned. They had interacted with Li Xinjun daily and hadn’t noticed anything amiss. Seeing her transformed into this terrifying creature filled them with rage.
“Listen up, men! We must defeat Prince Anling and avenge our fallen comrades and innocent citizens!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!” The soldiers roared, their voices thunderous, their anger fueling their determination.
“Charge!”
The Qing army, led by Brother Wu, surged forward, their hatred for Prince Anling giving them strength. The battlefield became a scene of carnage, bodies strewn across the ground, blood flowing freely, smoke billowing into the sky. Even unarmed civilians joined the fight, wielding sticks and whatever weapons they could find, defending their homes with their lives.
Prince Anling, realizing that defeat was inevitable, laughed, a bitter and despairing sound. His carefully crafted image as a benevolent leader was shattered. The citizens now looked at him with hatred and contempt.
He took out a vial from his pocket, uncorked it, and drank its contents. No one knew what it contained, but a dark red liquid dripped from his lips. His face contorted in pain, his veins bulging, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Li Xinjun, with a cold sneer, leaped forward and knocked him off his horse. Prince Anling, coughing up blood and the dark red liquid, glared at her.
“You think you can stop me by turning me into a jiangshi? Do you think I’ll be any less powerful?”
“You! Just kill me! Stop wasting my time!”
“Kill you? Hahaha, Your Highness, thanks to you, I am a jiangshi! Do you think I need a weapon to kill? You underestimate me.”
Li Xinjun, with a swift movement, tore off one of Prince Anling’s legs and tossed it aside. He screamed in agony, his face pale from blood loss. Li Xinjun smirked and then, with another swift movement, tore off his other leg.
“What’s wrong, Your Highness? Are you in pain? Where’s all your arrogance now?”
“You… You’re a demon!”
“Hahaha, yes, I am. And you created me! Would you like to experience what it’s like to be killed by a jiangshi? To feel the pain of those innocent people you murdered?”
She gestured to the horde of jiangshi behind her, and they surged forward, pouncing on Prince Anling, tearing at his flesh. He, unable to escape, could only watch in horror as the creatures he had created devoured him alive.
Li Xinjun watched as his lifeless body lay on the ground. She walked over, picked up his severed head, and held it high for all to see.
“Your prince is dead! Lay down your arms and surrender!”
Her voice boomed across the battlefield. The enemy soldiers, seeing their leader’s head, lost their will to fight. Just as it seemed the battle was over, a commotion erupted from within the city.
The horde of starved jiangshi released by the Prime Minister had arrived. They surged towards the battlefield, attacking indiscriminately, their hunger overwhelming their senses.
Hongli, shielded by his guards, retreated, avoiding the jiangshi. The other soldiers fought back, desperately trying to hold them off. Li Xinjun rushed forward, roaring at the jiangshi, trying to control them, but they were beyond reason, their hunger driving them to attack even her.
She had no choice but to fight back. Although these jiangshi were weaker than her, their sheer number made them a formidable opponent. The jiangshi under her command had dwindled, and she was struggling to hold off this horde of mindless, ravenous creatures.
“Brother Wu! Take the Emperor and escape! I’ll hold them off! Go!”
She shouted to Brother Wu as she fought. Brother Wu, hearing her command, ran to Hongli’s side. He and Ah Qi each grabbed one of Hongli’s arms and, ignoring his protests, carried him away.
They ran through the retreating army, carrying Hongli towards the safety of the imperial palace. Hongli ordered the guards to open the gates, allowing the citizens to seek refuge inside. The terrified citizens, hearing the Emperor’s offer of sanctuary, rushed towards the palace.
“Soldiers, protect the citizens! Let them into the palace! Guard the gates! Don’t let those jiangshi in!”
The imperial palace was like a fortress, with four gates, one facing each direction. To strengthen their defenses, the north, south, and west gates were closed, leaving only the east gate open. All the remaining soldiers were stationed outside the east gate.
They protected the citizens, ushering them into the palace, while also guarding the gate against the approaching horde. Li Xinjun, fearing that the jiangshi would breach the palace walls, shouted to Brother Wu,
“Brother Wu! I can’t hold them much longer! Get everyone inside and close the gates!”
“Xinjun, what about you?!”
“Don’t worry about me! I can’t die! Hurry! Close the gates!”
Brother Wu, his heart heavy, obeyed her command. He ordered everyone inside the palace and then closed the massive gate, sealing it shut. He ran up to the guard tower above the gate to observe the situation outside.
Li Xinjun stood alone at the gate, facing the horde of jiangshi, preventing them from entering the palace. She fought tirelessly, her sword a blur, bodies piling up around her. Soon, she was standing on a mountain of corpses, surrounded by a sea of snarling, gnashing teeth.
But more jiangshi kept coming, an endless tide of undead flesh. Even though she was immortal, she was exhausted. Seeing the overwhelming number of jiangshi, she made a difficult decision.
“Brother Wu, fire the arrows!”
Brother Wu froze, his heart sinking. He turned to look at Hongli, who was standing beside him, his face pale with horror. Hongli looked at the terrified citizens huddled inside the palace and then at Li Xinjun, fighting for their lives against the horde. He was torn.
“Jun’er, we’ll lower a ladder for you! Climb up!”
“No! Don’t! You can’t let those jiangshi in! Forget about me! Fire the arrows! I can’t hold them much longer! Hurry!”
“Jun’er! We can’t let you die! Come inside!”
Li Xinjun pushed back the surging horde, creating a momentary gap. She turned to look at Hongli and Brother Wu, standing on the wall above her. Their eyes, along with those of the soldiers and citizens behind them, were filled with tears, watching this woman fight for their survival.
To them, she wasn’t a monster. She was a hero, sacrificing her life for their safety. Li Xinjun smiled at them, a sweet and innocent smile, a smile they hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Don’t hesitate! Fire the arrows! Tell Song Ling that I love her.”
She was then overwhelmed by the horde, the jiangshi tearing at her flesh, their claws raking across her body. Hongli, unable to bear the sight, issued the order.
“Fire!”
The archers lit their arrows, dipped them in kerosene, and fired them into the sky. Others threw jars of kerosene over the wall. The jars shattered upon impact, and the flaming arrows ignited the spilled kerosene, creating a sea of fire.
The jiangshi, engulfed in flames, screamed and thrashed, trying to escape, but the rain of fire continued until only a blazing inferno remained.
Silence fell over the palace. The soldiers and citizens watched the fire, their hearts heavy with sorrow. There was no joy in their victory, no relief at their survival. They mourned the innocent lives lost and shed tears for Li Xinjun, the hero who had sacrificed herself to save them.
Leave a Reply