stonecrandall Chapter 1182 Massacre! Raid on the Northern Qi Army Camp!
Chapter 1182 Massacre! Raid on the Northern Qi Army Camp!
Gao Yao was the first to enter the military camp. He chose the west side, where the armory and stables were located, and the guards were relatively lax. Two Northern Qi soldiers were huddled in a corner, whispering and complaining about the cold weather. Gao Yao's figure appeared behind them like a ghost, placing both hands on the tops of their heads simultaneously.
There was no sound of bones breaking, no splatter of blood. The two men simply stiffened for a moment, then collapsed limply, their pupils dilated, their breaths gone. Gao Yao's "Netherworld Force" had been honed to an unparalleled level, killing without a trace.
The warriors surged forward like a tide, divided into ten small teams, and rushed towards different areas according to the pre-rehearsed plan. Their movements were swift and precise; every gesture and every step had been honed through countless trials. This was the "Night Owl Camp," personally trained by Gao Yao for three years, created specifically for assassination and surprise attacks.
The massacre began.
On the east side of the military camp, a small team of martial artists silently eliminated two soldiers on the watchtower and then rushed towards the nearest row of tents. The captain was Lu Qi, an eighth-rank martial artist, thin and wielding a pair of short blades. He lifted the curtain of the first tent, inside which eight Northern Qi soldiers were fast asleep.
Lu Qi made a gesture, and five team members filed in behind him. The blades gleamed coldly in the dim tent, swiftly and accurately slicing across necks. Someone was awakened by the excruciating pain, about to cry out, when their mouth was covered, followed by even deeper agony. In less than ten breaths, eight corpses lay in pools of blood, the entire process almost entirely silent.
"Next one." Lu Qi waved his hand expressionlessly.
The same scene played out throughout the military camp. These warriors were like harvesters in the night, their efficiency astonishing. They didn't pursue flashy moves, only seeking a fatal blow. Inside tents, by campfires, and on sentry posts, Northern Qi soldiers lost their lives in their sleep or in a half-awake state.
However, the military camp of five thousand men was too large, and the commotion of the surprise attack could not be completely concealed. About fifteen minutes later, a soldier finally noticed something amiss—when he got up to relieve himself, he saw his comrade lying in a pool of blood.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The piercing cries tore through the night sky.
The alarm blared, but it was too late.
When Huyan Zhuo rushed out of the tent, he was met with chaos. Flames were everywhere, and screams filled the air. He saw figures dressed in Qing Kingdom military uniforms moving through the camp with superhuman speed.
"Form ranks! Form ranks!" Huyan Zhuo roared, drawing his long sword.
His personal guard quickly assembled, numbering about two hundred men, all veterans who had followed him for many years. Centered on Huyan Zhuo, they formed a circular formation, their spears pointing outwards, vigilantly surveying their surroundings.
Gao Yao stood in the shadows not far away, observing silently. His gaze fell on Hu Yanzhuo, assessing the opponent's strength—an eighth-rank martial artist, with a solid foundation, calm under pressure, a talent. Unfortunately, he must die tonight.
"Lu Qi, take two teams to deal with them, the rest of you continue the cleanup." Gao Yao gave the order calmly, his voice not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every martial artist.
Lu Qi accepted the order and led twenty warriors towards Huyan Zhuo's circular formation. They moved with incredible speed; the moment the Northern Qi soldiers thrust their spears, they were already upon them. Short blades, soft swords, iron rulers—various weapons flashed in the firelight.
Huyan Zhuo roared, his longsword flashing like a silver light, forcefully blocking the attacks of the three martial artists. Swords clashed, sparks flying. He was, after all, an eighth-rank martial artist, and for a moment managed to regain his footing.
"General, be careful!" a guard suddenly exclaimed.
Huyan Zhuo felt a strong gust of wind coming from behind, but it was too late to turn around and block. In the nick of time, he suddenly lunged forward and rolled on the ground. A short blade grazed his back, leaving a deep mark on his armor.
It was Lu Qi who made the move. He was slightly surprised, not expecting his opponent to dodge the attack. But he didn't stop, and with a twist of his short blade, he thrust it towards Huyan Zhuo's throat again.
Huyan Zhuo parried with his sword, the immense force sending numbness through his arm. He was horrified; this seemingly frail enemy possessed such immense strength. What alarmed him even more were the screams of his guards echoing around him—the black-clad warriors were like tigers among sheep; his guards were no match for them.
"Who are you people?" Huyan Zhuo asked through gritted teeth. "There couldn't possibly be so many experts in the Qing Kingdom's army!"
Lu Qi didn't answer, but his attacks intensified. His moves were ruthless and cunning, targeting vital points. Hu Yanzhuo barely managed to withstand more than a dozen moves, and now he had three more wounds on his body.
Just then, a long howl rang out. Three figures suddenly rushed out of the Northern Qi army camp, moving so fast that they left afterimages. They were dressed in Northern Qi officer uniforms, but their aura was far beyond that of ordinary people—they were hidden martial artists in the Northern Qi army, one of the eighth rank and two of the seventh rank.
Gao Yao raised an eyebrow. Northern Qi had indeed placed warriors in its border army, but in fewer numbers than he had anticipated.
Three Northern Qi warriors rushed towards Lu Qi, attempting to rescue Hu Yanzhuo. However, before they could get close, the two ninth-rank warriors behind Gao Yao had already made their move.
The two men, one tall and one short, wielded a spear and the other a sword. Their spear moved like a dragon, their sword like a shooting star, instantly intercepting the three Northern Qi warriors. The difference in skill was immediately apparent upon their first exchange. The Northern Qi eighth-rank warrior, after a direct clash with the tall spearman, was forced back seven steps, his face deathly pale.
"Ninth rank?!" he exclaimed in shock.
The spearman did not answer, but with a flick of his spear tip, thousands of cold stars descended upon him. The eighth-rank martial artist from Northern Qi defended with all his might, but with each strike, he felt his blood surge. In less than ten moves, the spear tip had pierced his right shoulder.
On the other side, two seventh-rank martial artists from Northern Qi were in even worse shape, constantly in danger from the attacks of the short swordsman, and already had multiple injuries on their bodies.
Seeing this, Hu Yanzhuo felt a chill run through him. He finally understood what he was facing tonight—this was no ordinary night raid, but a meticulously planned massacre. The enemy was not only well-prepared, but their strength was overwhelming.
"Retreat! The entire army retreats!" Huyan Zhuo shouted hoarsely.
But his orders came too late. The military camp was already engulfed in flames, filled with the sounds of fighting and screams. The Northern Qi soldiers awoke from their sleep, frantically searching for weapons, only to become easy targets for the warriors in the darkness.
Gao Yao remained hidden, his gaze calmly sweeping across the battlefield. He noticed that a few Northern Qi soldiers had begun to flee south, which was exactly the result he wanted. However, now was not the time to let them off the hook—the massacre had to be brutal enough that Northern Qi would have no choice but to react.
"Speed up." Gao Yao's voice rang in the ears of every martial artist once again. "It must be finished before dawn."
The massacre reached its climax. The warriors no longer bothered to conceal their movements, but instead unleashed their full power, moving through the military camp like death itself. Flames soared into the sky, illuminating the terrified and desperate faces.
Huyan Zhuo was still fighting fiercely. Lu Qi's short blade had already left more than ten wounds on his body, and blood stained his armor. His personal guards were dwindling, until only seven or eight remained, struggling back to back.
"General, you go first!" shouted a blood-soaked guard. "We'll cover the rear!"