Jianghu Demolition Squad

Martial Arts Competition Under The Heavens (Part Thirty Three)

Shortly after Yan Jianyu fled, the walking corpses outside the Qixian Palace residence were subdued one after another.

Yu’er heard from Yang Chun that Qing Jiu had gone to the banquet hall. Seeing that Qing Jiu had not returned for a long time, she couldn’t help but worry. At the moment, she didn’t know how many walking corpses were in the manor, and staying here was not a solution.

After discussing together, everyone decided to first go to the banquet hall to find others and then make a break for it together.

Since it was safer to have each other’s support and they did not know the number of walking corpses, it was risky to separate and reduce their combat power, so they decided to move as a group.

Most of the disciples from Xuhuai Valley lacked martial art skills and naturally followed the Martial Champions like Hao Yun and Si Yu. The disciples of Qixian Palace, due to their special regard for Qing Jiu, strove to meet Qing Jiu’s needs, and since Yu’er and her companions were Qing Jiu’s comrades and had seen them repel the walking corpses, they were particularly compliant with their suggestions. Those from Jile City had come to protect Yan Li, naturally sticking wherever Yan Li went.

Thus, once Yu’er and her companions reached an agreement, everyone consented, and they set off in a grand procession of thirty to forty people.

Those who were injured or lacked martial arts skills stayed in the middle, while those skilled in martial arts guarded the perimeter against the walking corpses.

Qi Tianzhu carried Wei Ran, who was unable to walk, while Hao Yun stayed close on either side of Yu’er, fearing that inside the manor there might be someone like Yan Jianyu lurking to threaten Yu’er’s life.

Hao Yun spun the Qiushui Sword in his hand and handed it to Yu’er, saying, “Little girl, take this for self-defense.”

Yu’er did not refuse and took the Qiushui Sword, holding it firmly in her hand.

Along the way, the group encountered many who had not attended the banquet and had been scattered and attacked by the walking corpses. Seeing the strength in numbers with Yu’er’s group, they quickly joined them, and by the time they reached the banquet hall, their number had nearly reached fifty.

Outside the banquet hall, many walking corpses blocked the main entrance, making it nearly impossible to pass through. Inside, the sounds of fighting were clearly audible.

Amidst these sounds, a melancholy melody from a zither could be heard distinctly despite the noisy chaos inside the hall.

The disciples of Qixian Palace recognized that it was their master playing the zither. Seeing their master safe and sound, they were excited and shouted, “It’s our master!”

Armed with divine weapons and torches, the group drove the walking corpses away from a side door and burst through it.

Inside the hall, the situation was extremely dire. Of the seven to eight hundred people who had attended the banquet, nearly thirty percent were dead or injured, and the scene was very chaotic.

Those who remained were struggling desperately. Their internal energy was draining, and while they were weakened and unable to support themselves, the walking corpses, feeling neither fatigue nor pain, did not cease their fierce attacks.

The people inside the hall did not know how to subdue the walking corpses and seeing that they could not kill these beings, they grew increasingly disheartened.

If not for Gong Shang’s zither music restraining the walking corpses from entering, and the exceptionally brave masters from various sects holding back the walking corpses inside, they would have been slaughtered long ago.

At this moment, when the people inside saw Yu’er and her group break in, and the burning walking corpses no longer moving, they felt as if celestials had descended to rescue them from distress and couldn’t help but cheer.

Zixia and the disciples of Qixian Palace, seeing their master sitting solemnly in the middle of the hall, rushed to him and saw his chest stained with blood, evidently wounded.

Gong Shang, with his profound skills, was not someone easily injured. Seeing his wounds, Zixia was shocked and anxiously exclaimed, “Master, how did you get injured? Who hurt you?”

Gong Shang had been calmly playing the zither with his eyes closed, keeping the large number of walking corpses outside the main entrance at bay, preventing them from breaking through. It was only upon hearing his disciples’ voices that he opened his eyes. He glanced at the ground with a deep sigh.

Zixia looked down and saw the bodies of two fellow disciples who had disappeared in the manor. He then realized that these two disciples had turned into walking corpses and had suddenly attacked. Gong Shang, out of reluctance to harm them, was caught off guard and injured, which wouldn’t have happened given his master’s capabilities under normal circumstances.

At that moment, recalling the incident with Mo Chenggui, Zixia felt an intense hatred for the remnants of Miaojiang who exploited the affection among their fellow disciples, turning it into a weapon to harm their loved ones, which he found despicable.

Yu’er and her group approached. Bai Sang extended her hand to take Gong Shang’s pulse.

Gong Shang softly thanked her, “Thank you, Valley Master Bai.”

Bai Sang responded gently, “It’s only right to help a friend in distress. Given the current situation, we can’t afford any harm to come to you, Palace Master Gong Shang.”

Both spoke softly and gently, a soothing sound that brought a sense of peace even in the midst of danger.

Yu’er looked around but did not see Qing Jiu. She asked, “Palace Master Gong Shang, have you seen Qing Jiu?”

Gong Shang frowned, worry evident in his eyes, “When those walking corpses broke in, she was here, but then she disappeared soon after.”

Soon after the Fenghou Sword was taken, Gong Shang had seen Qing Jiu enter. They had barely exchanged a few words when there were screams from outside and the air was thick with the smell of blood. The guards were found dead, and as the walking corpses broke in, everyone was caught off guard.

Some, without a second thought, were overjoyed and called out, mistaking the moment as a reunion with old friends, forgetting that their loved ones had been dead for many years.

Dead people cannot come back to life.

In the banquet hall, besides Gong Shang, the elite of the jianghu had all gone after the Fenghou Sword. The core strength of the jianghu community was still significant, but it consisted mostly of younger, less experienced members from various noble martial families.

Caught off guard, the younger ones couldn’t withstand the walking corpses, and the older ones, encountering familiar faces among the walking corpses, could not bring themselves to strike. Thus, within just a short period of time, so many were dead or injured.

Once everyone gradually calmed down and organized their defense, they were already injured and exhausted. However, none of the walking corpses had been eliminated, and they remained as fierce as ever, making it impossible for the people to escape.

Gong Shang was busy defending against the walking corpses and when he finally came to his senses, Qing Jiu was gone.

Yu’er looked around again. She did not believe Qing Jiu would have fallen at the hands of the walking corpses. She pursed her lips and said, “Palace Master, we should leave the manor first. It’s no longer safe here with so many walking corpses.”

Gong Shang slightly frowned and asked, “How can we get out? These corpses are indestructible, feel no fatigue or pain, and are difficult to subdue.”

Yu’er pointed to a pile of ashes on the ground and said, “These things are afraid of fire.”

Following Yu’er’s direction, Gong Shang saw someone from Jile City burning a walking corpse. He relaxed his brow and smiled, nodding, “That’s good then.”

At this moment, three young disciples from Wuwei Palace came over. Jiang Ying and Wei Ran, seeing that although they were injured, their lives were not in danger, breathed a sigh of relief.

Jun Ruyu and Jun Sixue, concerned for Yu’er’s safety, also came over. Ning Gu of the Moonless Sect, surprised and curious about Yu’er leading a group to break in and subdue the walking corpses, walked over with her followers.

Suddenly, the forces in the hall began to gather around Yu’er’s side. Seeing this, others felt like they had found a leader and joined her side, including Yan Siguo and the people from Mingjian Manor.

At this moment, two individuals were regarded as the highest in rank and status by everyone present: one was Gong Shang, the master of the Seven-String Palace, and the other was Yu’er, a disciple of the Four Sages known for resolving troubles.

However, since Gong Shang was injured and being attended to by Bai Sang, the people did not dare disturb him and turned to Yu’er. Seeing everyone gathered around her, talking to her, and having seen her lead the way in subduing the walking corpses, they naturally regarded her as a pillar of support. Someone then asked, “Miss Yu’er, what should we do now?”

Yu’er replied without hesitation, “The walking corpses are rampant in the manor. We need to break out and cannot sit here waiting to die.”

Someone agreed, “Good! Whatever the lady says, we’ll do!”

Immediately, another chimed in, “Yes! Let’s follow the lady’s plan!”

Yu’er was momentarily startled and said, “Why would you say that?” She was bewildered, aware that the hall was filled with talented individuals, including capable disciples from prominent families and elders and leaders from well-known factions. The crowd’s enthusiastic endorsement of her leadership seemed utterly perplexing to her.

Yan Siguo said, “Miss Yu’er, only by uniting can we find a way to survive. But we need someone to direct our efforts and decide where to go. Palace Master Gong Shang is injured, and now it’s just you. As a disciple of the Four Sages and someone who has already led a rescue, your words are most convincing. We can only trouble you to take the lead in this.”

Yu’er was still unaware of the full dynamics within the hall. There were old grudges among many present, and while they wouldn’t fight amongst themselves in this crisis, cooperation was not a given. Without spontaneous collaboration and no one to lead and mobilize the heroes, although all were skilled and capable, they were like scattered sands, struggling to hold back the walking corpses. With the situation growing more dangerous as more walking corpses amassed, their position became increasingly dire.

Although Yan Siguo, as the eldest son of the host family, would have been the most appropriate to lead the group out of danger, he knew that due to the mysterious origins of the walking corpses, people harbored suspicions about Mingjian Manor and could not trust him. Moreover, in the hall were famous warriors and outstanding figures from major sects who either did not respect him due to his equal or inferior martial art skills, or did not acknowledge his authority due to their seniority.

Despite her youth, Yu’er had impressed many with her exceptional martial skills demonstrated on the competition stage, and even more were persuaded by the backing of the Four Sages behind her.

Yu’er looked to Yan Li and Qi Tianzhu, who nodded back at her. Initially, Yu’er had come here only in search of Qing Jiu and hadn’t thought much beyond that. Now, seeing an opportunity to help others and save them from an untimely death, she readily accepted the role without demur, declaring generously, “If you all trust Yu’er, then I will not shy away from this responsibility.”

Upon her acceptance, the crowd cheered as if they had already escaped their predicament. No one seemed to care that Yu’er was merely a girl of about fifteen or sixteen, or whether she possessed leadership skills. What they needed was a catalyst to unify everyone’s strength and bring cohesion. Yu’er became that catalyst.

After consulting with Yan Li and others, it was decided to make a break for the main entrance.

Initially, the hundred or so walking corpses inside the manor were just meant to catch the martial artists in the hall off guard, causing chaos and delaying the defenders. Then, as more walking corpses led by Miaojiang gradually gathered, their numbers increased, effectively blocking the exits of the hall.

The main gate was swarming with the most walking corpses, while the four side gates were less congested. Logically, breaking through the side would seem easier, which prompted someone to question why they should exit through the main gate.

Yu’er responded to the person, “If we try to leave now, the walking corpses will chase us anyway. Why not confront them head-on and see what they can do to us!”

That person laughed heartily, “Well said, Miss! Demons and ghosts, who fears them coming!”

Another chimed in, “Can these despicable creatures really overwhelm the heroes of jianghu? It’s time to show them what we’re made of. We heroes are not so easily manipulated!”

As a few spoke up, the calls within the hall grew more fervent and impassioned.

Those who roam the jianghu often possess a wild and unrestrained nature. Some perceptive individuals had already sensed that these walking corpses were connected to Miaojiang and felt it was disgraceful to be outmaneuvered and manipulated in this battle, which stoked a towering rage within them.

If they were to retreat together at this moment, it would seem as though they were fleeing in panic, which sat uncomfortably with them. Yu’er’s proposal for a direct confrontation exactly matched the deep-seated intentions in their hearts.

Once the decision was made, Yu’er didn’t need to plan much further. Yan Li and a few others took care of the arrangements. She merely needed to give the commands, orchestrating how everyone would attack.

As usual, the disciples from Xuhuai Valley who lacked martial skills were shielded within the innermost circle, caring for those who were too weak or severely injured to move. Those with slightly lesser skills were just ahead of them, while the outermost circle was reserved for the highly skilled warriors. Yan Li and others, wielding divine weapons, stood at the very front.

At Yu’er’s command, “Now!”

A clear, resonant call filled the hall, and those facing the main gate lifted their hands, hurling wine jars that had been used for the banquet. Like shooting stars, the jars crashed to the ground, shattering and splashing their contents onto the walking corpses they touched.

Yang Chun held a torch, and seeing that enough wine had been scattered, he threw the torch down.

A massive fire erupted, shooting up into the sky.

Yan Li and the others’ decision to rush out from the main gate was not a spur-of-the-moment act of recklessness but a calculated choice. They had observed the congestion of walking corpses at the main gate, nearly piled on top of one another, unable to enter due to Gong Shang’s zither playing and milling around the entrance.

Direct combat would certainly lead to disadvantages, but setting them on fire would destroy many at once.

The fierce flames roared, burning the walking corpses until their bones disintegrated and their flesh dispersed, yet no sounds of agony were heard—only the sizzling of the flames consuming fat.

Inside, those resisting the walking corpses used fire liberally, throwing it onto the bodies of the walking corpses, subduing many in the process. However, the hall itself gradually caught fire as well.

Yu’er, noticing the fire diminishing outside, called out, “Uncle Qi!”

Qi Tianzhu stepped forward to the door, grounded his energy in his lower abdomen, and with a loud shout, he slapped towards the flames with a palm strike so powerful that it extinguished the fire by the door.

Yu’er declared, “Let’s go!”

The heroes’ spirits surged, cries of battle intensified, and their blood boiled with fervor as they charged out together.

By this time, half of the walking corpses outside had been burned. Yu’er and her group, like wolves among sheep, fiercely and methodically tore through the encircling walking corpses, forcefully breaking through!