Chapter 695: Let's Go, I'll Kill with You!
Chapter 695: Let's Go, I'll Kill with You!
The losses across the Southeast region, when tallied, would likely be a terrifying number.
Zhao Shanhe remained at the headquarters, his expression wooden as he received constant updates from the various Guardian Halls, each bringing news of calamity.
Countless familiar and unfamiliar names were reported as casualties.
Many more were reported missing.
Everyone knew what it meant when search and rescue teams went out in such conditions and didn't return—it was a grim reality.
In the seventeen provinces of the Southeast, hundreds of small towns had their Guardian Halls sending news of deaths and disappearances, the numbers steadily climbing.
The situation was becoming more and more dire.
Zhao Shanhe felt his heart turn colder with each report, as if it were being sliced piece by piece.
Every piece of news was like a knife stabbing into the heart of the Supreme Commander.
As of now, the number of civilians rescued across the Southeast region was over three million.
However, the current tally of Guardian losses, including those from the Southeast Headquarters and various Guardian Halls, had already reached nearly ten thousand!
Additionally, there were still large numbers of civilians trapped in the blizzard.
The remaining civilians awaiting rescue numbered in the tens of millions, scattered across the vast Southeast region.
At the Southeast Headquarters, the leaders had gathered in the Hall of Heroes.
They stood silently, watching the smoke-filled hall, where the names of their fallen comrades were displayed.
Each person remained quiet, deep in thought.
This was a sacrifice that didn't require a choice, but one that had to be faced.
How could they not rescue the civilians outside? But outside, there were also small-time leaders of the Only Righteous Sect, making it even more challenging to search and eliminate them in the blizzard.
As martial experts, rescuing people in the blizzard was no easy task, especially when it came to saving those without martial power.
The fear was that even if they found someone, the slow journey back might make them easy targets for ambush, with no chance of escape.
However, the opposite was true for the Only Righteous Sect's martial experts—killing and causing destruction in the blizzard was incredibly easy for them.
They could appear suddenly, strike without warning, take lives in an instant, and then disappear without a care.
Sending out search and rescue teams was like throwing lives into endless danger.
Once they left, their fate was no longer in their own hands.
But if they didn't go out, how long could the civilians trapped in the blizzard survive? Some villages might be wiped out within a few hours!
"Don't send out search and rescue teams anymore!" No one dared to give this order.
"Continue the search and rescue efforts at full force!" This order, however, required immense courage and sacrifice.
How long would this natural disaster last? No one could say for sure.
But one thing was certain: even if the blizzard stopped, the snow already on the ground would continue to cause endless trouble.
These problems might not be resolved within a year.
And following the blizzard would be floods, plagues, and crop failures.
In the Hall of Heroes, Zhao Shanhe stood with his hands behind his back, watching the burning candles and the smoke-filled hall.
The faces of his old brothers seemed to appear one by one, their expressions kind, familiar, determined, fearless, and without regret.
"Save them!"
Zhao Shanhe's face was grim as he spoke, his heart feeling like it was being torn apart. "Yes, we might die. But so what? Isn't this what we Guardians are for?"
"If we stand by and watch countless civilians freeze and starve to death, what's the point of us Guardians?"
"Did we stop fighting the Only Righteous Sect because of this snow? When have we ever stopped fighting or sacrificing?"
Zhao Shanhe's voice turned hoarse. "If we die, new forces will step up to replace us. But we can't just do nothing, we must save the people!"
"However, the search and rescue teams should maintain a minimum of a hundred people. No more dispersing into smaller groups. If there are less than a hundred, stay put and wait for reinforcements."
"While there's a risk of being wiped out by the enemy, we also have a chance to fight back and eliminate them!"
The leaders of the Southeast Headquarters straightened their backs, ready to follow the order.
"Understood!"
Zhao Shanhe looked at the spirit tablets and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Even if we die, we'll be reunited with these brothers. What's there to fear?"
"If we hold office but don't save the people, only valuing our own lives, how can we face the support and trust the people have given us over the years?"
"The Supreme Commander is right!"
The crowd responded with a unified shout.
The atmosphere in the hall became tense.
The initial sorrow gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of boundless heroism.
Their minds were now united.
Save them, even if it means our deaths!
The decision was final.
Outside, the sound of the wind grew louder, followed by a sudden burst of frenzied energy. A mountain of murderous aura descended from the sky.
Everyone turned their heads in surprise.
"Captain Fang has returned!"
Someone called out.
Before the words faded, Fang Che appeared in the Hall of Heroes, his body covered in snow and ice.
Smoke filled the hall, and spirit tablets stood in rows.
But the first thing Fang Che noticed was Shen Zhixuan's spirit tablet.
It was as if he could see the skinny old man squatting there, grinning at him.
It seemed to still say: Little monkey, you're back.
Fang Che had endured tears all the way, and they finally welled up and spilled out.
A pair of warm hands supported him.
It was An Ruo Xing.
"Fang Che, it's my fault that Shen Lao Shi is in this situation. He did this for me..."
An Ruo Xing's voice choked with emotion.
"It's not your fault."
Fang Che's eyes were filled with tears, but his mind was clear as he spoke softly, "Shen Lao Shi did the right thing. If I were in his position, I would do the same!"
"Although we are reluctant to measure life by value, at the brink of life and death on the battlefield, we must follow this rule."
"The Southeast can do without a powerful cultivator, but it cannot do without a commander who can coordinate the overall situation. I understand!"
Fang Che spoke in a low voice, "So, you don't need to blame yourself!"
"Shen Lao Shi's death will not be in vain. In the future, you can do more for the people of the Southeast, and then Shen Lao Shi's death will be worthwhile."
He spoke these words, but his heart was tearing apart.
Yes, just as Fang Che said, he understood. He truly understood! And he must understand!
If he didn't understand, it would be an insult not to himself, but to Shen Lao Shi.
However, the loss was of his own family!
Who could understand this pain?
Fang Che walked to the spirit tablet, knelt down slowly, took three incense sticks in his hand, and held them quietly.
The incense burned, blending into the green smoke in the air.
He prayed devoutly.
Unmoving.
Zhao Shanhe had expected Fang Che to go crazy, but it didn't happen.
In Fang Che's heart, Shen Lao Shi had lived his life fighting for the people and the continent. Now, he had died protecting his comrades for the greater good.
He died a meaningful death!
He couldn't go crazy.
That would disgrace Shen Lao Shi.
Zhao Shanhe issued orders from the Hall of the Fallen Heroes, the Southeast Headquarters, on one hand, arranged for the people in various provinces and cities to be settled, maintained order in the city, and cleared the snow within the city.
On the other hand, he continuously dispatched forces to search and rescue the Southeast!
"Fang Che."
Zhao Shanhe said, "You stay here and guard Shen Lao Shi's spirit for the night."
"I'll leave soon."
Fang Che placed the three incense sticks in the incense burner.
He took a few steps back, bowed deeply, and said solemnly, "Shen Lao Shi, he has time now. But the cause he dedicated his life to, the people he fought to save until his death, cannot wait."
The mist in his eyes continued to rise.
Gritting his teeth, a cruelly cold smile appeared on his face, "Moreover, I fear that Mu Feng of the Heavenly Will Sect... He can't wait!"
Fang Che's heart, filled with grief and indignation, transformed into a howl of ten thousand ghosts at the gates of hell.
"I fear he can't wait!!!"
The malice and hatred in Fang Che's voice, like mountains and seas, caused everyone who heard it, even those from the same camp, to shiver in fear.
"Deputy Vice-Chancellor An."
Fang Che's eyes, transfixed, stared straight at Shen Lao Shi's spirit tablet, and reached out his hand, "Shen Lao Shi's sword, give it to me."
He took the sword and placed it in his spatial ring.
Then, he burned incense, made offerings, and sat at the entrance of the Hall of the Fallen Heroes, closing his eyes and remaining still.
Feng Xiangdong and Xue Wanren entered to pay their respects to the fallen heroes.
Then they sat next to Fang Che, wanting to talk to him.
But they felt that Fang Che was like a piece of ice that refused to melt.
Sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, he ignored everyone.
They couldn't even feel his body temperature or his breath.
People came and went in the Hall of the Fallen Heroes, and the guardians came to pay their respects, then turned and left, returning to the vast snowy plains, that boundless battlefield...
Feng Xiangdong and Xue Wanren sat for a while, then suddenly felt an emptiness beside them.
They turned to look.
But Fang Che, who had been there a moment ago, was gone without a trace.
...
"Tell Fang Che to avenge me!"
These were Shen Zhixuan's last words to An Ruo Xing.
Fang Che felt his heart burning, his soul and consciousness, raging and exploding.
He rushed through the wind and snow.
The cold wind in his face, the extreme cold of the world, and the boundless snow couldn't extinguish the flames in his chest.
They couldn't weaken even a bit.
Instead, it was like pouring oil onto a fire!
Hai Wu Liang! Mu Feng! The Heavenly Will Sect!
He didn't even return to Fang Manor or the Patrol Hall. With killing intent that seemed to pierce the blue sky, he rushed to the mountain forests with surging malevolent aura.
He didn't realize that amidst the boundless hatred and killing intent, a certain bottleneck of the Hate Heaven Blade, quietly broke through and advanced!
The Blood Smoke Hand also seemed to have gained new nourishment and quietly grew stronger.
The cultivation technique of the Only Righteous Sect, nourished by hatred and his own uncontrollable killing intent, indeed had the effect of defying the heavens.
After feeling the unusual spiritual energy in his body, a thought flashed through Fang Che's mind.
He immediately discovered that the Five Spirit Toads in his body were also quietly growing stronger by a thread.
It trembled with excitement.
But the Infinite Sutra quickly suppressed it, and he continued to die and live happily...
He directly changed his appearance in the wind and snow, transforming into the Night Demon's appearance.
Fang Che's body trembled, and his Blood Smoke Hand activated.
Instantly, a crimson mist enveloped his entire body.
His face was no longer visible.
In the air, the current Fang Che, if encountered by others, would likely not be recognized as a Guardian.
A malevolent aura filled the sky.
The killing aura roared and swept across.
The blood smoke rose.
It was filled with eerie and cruel intentions.
"Blood Smoke Hand, you should also think of a way to move forward."
After retracting the Blood Smoke Hand, Fang Che restrained his killing and malevolent auras and flew straight for thousands of li, heading directly towards the old headquarters of the Night Demon Sect.
It took Fang Che three days to leave and return.
During these three days, Long Feng, Ma Qian Li, and Mo Wang didn't idle.
The site was continuously expanded.
The caves were prepared one by one.
According to Mo Wang's suggestion: "This entire mountain range is the headquarters! As long as the layout is reasonable, and the spiritual power is solidified, it will be impenetrable."
"Any venue can be developed within the mountain's belly."
"Moreover, we can reserve escape routes that only we know about."
"The number of people is not large, and the Supreme Leader clearly doesn't want to build a palace."
"Moreover, whether it's recruiting people from the Only Me Righteous Sect or hiring local laborers, it's too far away, inefficient, and there's a risk of information leaks."
"It's better to do it ourselves, even if it's more tiring."
"Once it's formed, the Supreme Leader can directly use the Guardian Sect Array to cover it. The Celestial Centipede God's power will naturally solidify, making it as solid as gold. It's much more reassuring than building a palace!"
"Moreover, it's a mountain itself, attracting no attention. The entrances and exits used daily can be set up in hidden places like cliffs..."
Long Yi Kong offered his opinion: "What if there are family members living here in the future? How can they live if the surroundings are all cliffs?"
"Why bother with family matters?"
Mo Wang rolled his eyes: "If they fall and die, so be it. Those without cultivation are not qualified to live here! Don't you understand the Supreme Leader's intentions?"
Everyone nodded silently.
"That's true. The Supreme Leader is someone who can do anything ruthless."
"The key now lies in... what should we do about the sect's foundation? The Supreme Leader doesn't allow the slaughter of civilians, so do we have to attack the Town Hall to replenish the blood?"
Ma Qian Li raised this pressing issue.
"This is something the Supreme Leader needs to consider."
Mo Wang, who had been turning large rocks into stone powder, paused. His gray eyes looked at everyone, and he said softly: "Perhaps you've only worked within the sect before and haven't experienced times like this, where you're directly under the sect leader. But I'm a few years older, and the sect needs manpower in its early stages, so I'll kindly offer some advice."
A cold glint flashed in Mo Wang's indifferent eyes: "But from now on, I might not say anything."
"Since you've chosen to follow the Night Demon Sect Leader, then... ask fewer questions, offer fewer suggestions, and do everything according to the Supreme Leader's wishes, even if you don't understand or don't know, you should still do it."
"As for why... why ask so many 'why' and 'how' questions? Asking so many 'why' and 'how' questions is a sure way to get beaten up!"
"Idiots! All five of you!"
Mo Wang didn't hold back in scolding them.
Just as Mo Wang said, he wasn't being kind, but the sect needed manpower in its early stages. As the oldest and most experienced, Mo Wang also needed to establish his position, which was why he offered this advice today.
"It's also because there are only a few of us here. You've been in the martial world for so long, and you've worked for others so much. Who has ever pointed out the way for you? Don't you understand things on your own, and hope that others will teach you principles... Naive! What kind of environment are we in? You guys are all so brainless!"
"When the Supreme Leader needs us to discuss, he raises questions and throws them out. At that time, you'll have plenty of time to speak! Apart from those times, keep your mouths shut!"
"Otherwise, you won't even know how you died!"
Mo Wang hummed: "There's one more thing. I'm reminding you that the Supreme Leader just lost a loved one and is in a bad mood. If you're not afraid of death, then speak more. Anyway, the one who dies won't be me."
"Keeping your mouth shut not only helps you get promoted but also lets you live longer."
Mo Wang chuckled as he looked at Long Feng, Ma Qian Li, and Mo Wang.
The five of them paused for a moment and simultaneously stopped their work: "Thank you, Elder Mo!"
"Don't thank me."
Mo Wang quickly waved his hand: "At least don't thank me before the Supreme Leader assigns you to a department. Otherwise, before the Supreme Leader arranges anything, I, Mo Wang, will already start forming factions, and that's definitely seeking death!"
The five of them laughed simultaneously.
Although Mo Wang was stating facts, he was also reminding the five of them once again.
"Hurry up and work. No matter what, we should first create the Supreme Leader's bedroom, study, martial arts arena, and spirit energy chamber."
"First, work on the venues, and finally, work on our own."
Everyone chatted while working.
"Elder Mo, this set of architectural plans is so awesome. How did you come up with this? This is not something ordinary people can do."
Feng Wan Xia found it odd and asked, "You're still researching this?"
Mo Wang's heart felt as heavy as dead ashes. "Since the passing of our two ancestors, the Mo family has constantly faced life-threatening situations. We've become so accustomed to preserving our lives that it's ingrained in our bones. To be honest, I'm quite familiar with this method of hiding in the mountains to ensure the safety of future generations."
As Mo Wang spoke of his family's tragic past, the others quickly fell silent.
After a while, Long Yi Kong could no longer contain his curiosity and asked, "Old Mo, how many people are left in your family?"
At that moment, Long Yi Kong felt Feng Wan Xia's nails digging into his flesh.
The sudden pain caused his body to convulse, and he angrily exclaimed, "What are you doing?!"
Mo Wang sighed and said, "There are less than twenty of us left. Two are old servants, eight are women, and there are five boys under the age of ten, along with three girls."
"But none of them have any talent for martial arts, which is why I had to come out and make this last-ditch effort."
Mo Wang sighed deeply and said, "As martial artists, you understand that some people lack talent, but it can be nurtured and refined. Even if they bathe in the Divine Palace, it's useless for some."
Long Yi Kong and the others nodded in understanding, all too familiar with the concept of martial arts incompetence.
"However, we must keep these boys, even if they are useless. We still hope they will carry on the family lineage and continue our bloodline..."
Mo Wang sighed again. "Who knows, maybe the next generation will have better talent."
The group commiserated, "It's not easy for you."
"It's more than just not easy," Mo Wang chuckled. "If I die, the rest of my family will likely starve. Even our enemies no longer target us because we pose no threat at all."
The conversation came to a halt.
It was over.
"Let's get to work, be cautious of Hai Wu Liang's sneak attacks."
The six of them continued their work in silence.
It must be said that a Saint-level expert works at an incredible pace. Even while allocating a significant portion of their mental energy to guard against surprise attacks, their work remained swift.
They bypassed the stones outlined by Mo Wang and turned the large chunks of rock inside the mountain into powder.
Ma Qian Li, Niu Bai Han, and Yang Jiucheng worked as cleaners, carrying the stone powder out and dumping it off the cliff on the other side of the mountain.
The three of them always moved together to avoid being attacked.
Each trip felt like moving a small mountain.
On the evening of the third day, as they worked urgently, a chilling wind blew.
Fang Che landed at that moment.
"Supreme Leader!" they exclaimed as they bowed to the Supreme Leader.
Fang Che entered with a somber expression.
He felt extremely low-spirited but was still taken aback by what he saw inside the mountain.
However, he didn't enter.
Instead, he immediately ordered, "Everyone out! This is the place!"
After calling everyone out, he quickly circled the mountain, placing the array foundation jade and swiftly setting up the array.
Fang Che summoned the Supreme Leader's Seal, and the Five Spirit Toad suddenly emerged, hovering over the conical bucket. A moment later, an invisible centipede god descended, landing on the ground and disappearing without a trace.
Only a black hole remained at one corner.
It resembled a mouth.
After killing, the blood must be poured into this mouth to truly establish the array foundation and complete the Sect Defense Array. Only then will the array be fully formed, and this mouth will instantly disappear, returning to nothingness.
The six of them watched as the Supreme Leader hastily decided on the sect's location.
They were all left in awe.
Fang Che reached out and felt the ground, and a conical bucket-like object appeared in his hand.
It was dark, emitting an infinite evil aura.
This was the Sect Defense Array's blood collection device.
The Five Spirit Toad automatically flew out of their bodies and perched on the conical bucket. A mysterious aura emanated from it.
Fang Che drew the Ninger Sword, exuding a killing aura. The conical bucket covered the sword's tip, and an unfamiliar energy spread out.
"All six of you, connect your weapons to the blood vessel."
"Let's go!"
The six of them simultaneously drew their weapons.
As they placed them on the conical bucket, they all felt a strange connection between their weapons and the bucket.
"This is the arrangement of the Heavenly Centipede God. From this moment on, until the Sect Defense Array is complete, every person you kill with a bleeding wound will have their blood automatically flow into this blood vessel. Pour it into the hole, and the array foundation will gradually be established, forming the Sect Defense Array!"
Fang Che gazed at the blood vessel in his hand, his eyes filled with a mysterious light.
"So that's how it is."
Although they were members of the Only Righteous Sect, this was the first time they had witnessed such a miraculous thing, and they couldn't help but marvel.
"Alright!"
At Fang Che's command, a murderous aura rose, and he stood up. "Let's go kill!"
Jin Jiao Jiao howled and charged out.
Mo Wang, Long Yi Kong, Feng Wan Xia, Ma Qian Li, Niu Bai Han, and Yang Jiucheng followed closely behind, forming a battle formation resembling a goose's wing. In the wind and snow, they disappeared in a flash.
A terrifying killing intent suddenly spread across the land.
(End of Chapter)
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