Chapter 139: An Unexpected Interruption

The guards let out a roar, their fighting spirit completely ignited. Their primary duty was to protect the young master, and being chosen for this task was their greatest honor. Besides, Wei Wuji usually treated the guards quite well, sharing a bond of deep mutual loyalty. Now that someone wanted to kill Wei Wuji, and by extension kill all of them, the guards had only one choice: to wipe out every single one of their enemies.

"Form ranks!" Zheng Dali roared, immediately stepping in front of Wei Wuji. The other guards also rushed forward, shielding Wei Wuji behind them and pairing up to cover each other.

"Hmph! Fools rushing to their deaths!" Seeing Zheng Dali and his men move, the leader of the men in black sneered. To him, the resistance put up by these opponents was utterly futile.

"Kill them!" the black-clad leader ordered. Matters could no longer be delayed; the longer this dragged on, the greater the risk. After all, they were not far from the Wu'an Military Camp, and troops could pass by at any moment.

At the leader's command, the men in black advanced with swords drawn. The closer they got to Wei Wuji and his men, the slower and more cautious their steps became.

"Maintain strict vigilance..." Zheng Dali instructed the guards, though he felt no discouragement. Sometimes, sheer numbers did not guarantee the upper hand, and a desperate counterattack could happen at any second.

"Kill!" the black-clad leader roared impatiently, unable to afford any more wasted time.

Hearing this order, the surrounding men in black let out a unified shout and charged forward with their swords raised. They were warriors bound to die, and they knew no fear!

"Meet the enemy!" Zheng Dali bellowed again, taking the lead and charging right back out.

Instantly, the deafening sound of clashing metal filled the air as the two forces collided. Both sides were meticulously trained, and the battle in the inner circle became fierce and chaotic.

Zheng Dali fought like a lion; the moment he entered the fray, he hacked down one of the approaching men in black. But soon, he was surrounded by several more. Lacking his initial advantage, he suddenly found himself in mortal peril.

Aside from Zheng Dali, the other guards found it even harder to defend themselves. Forced into a tight cluster, they awaited the slow process of being whittled away piece by piece.

"Kill Wei Wuji first!" Seeing this scene, the black-clad leader realized something was amiss and immediately changed his orders.

After all, the mission entrusted to them from above was specifically to execute Wei Wuji; lingering in a prolonged brawl with these guards was undoubtedly unwise.

Consequently, Wei Wuji's situation turned perilous. With only two guards left at his side to protect him, the notion of fending off a dozen or so incoming attackers was nothing short of a pipedream.

Originally, Wei Wuji had hoped to follow his experience at Tielin County and jump into the fray to kill a couple of people for sport, but after witnessing the sheer intensity of the combat, his confidence instantly evaporated. He could easily predict that if he stepped forward himself, the enemy would cut him down in a single exchange.

A dozen men in black pressed in step by step. Wei Wuji and his two guards retreated slowly, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"You bastards dare!" Seeing Wei Wuji fall into mortal danger, Zheng Dali let out a roar like a wild beast.

Who was Zheng Dali? He was one of the most formidable fighters among the Wei Wuxu soldiers, ranking among the very best out of the hundreds of thousands of troops in the entire state of Wei... How could he ever allow Wei Wuji to be harmed by others? If his actions earlier were partly for Lady Dan's sake, now Zheng Dali was fighting purely for Wei Wuji himself.

Even though Wei Wuji constantly scolded him in daily life, Zheng Dali had experienced an unspeakable warmth—something he had rarely felt during his dozen-odd years in the military.

"Go to hell!" Zheng Dali seemed to undergo a sublimation, transforming into a god of war amid an apocalyptic era, his combat prowess continuously surging.

"Slash, slash, slash..." The three men surrounding Zheng Dali were hacked down to the ground. They died without ever understanding how the man before them had suddenly become so terrifyingly powerful.

Not only those three dead men, but even the black-clad leader not far away and Wei Wuji himself stood dumbfounded.

To think this fellow was so formidable! Wei Wuji marveled inwardly; Zheng Dali's previous moves seemed to have transcended human limits.

Although Zheng Dali had broken free from the encirclement, he was still some distance away from Wei Wuji, and the men in black had already closed in. The approaching danger left Wei Wuji's face bitter; he genuinely felt that his end had come.

"Kill!" The guard beside Wei Wuji made a move, but the two of them were quickly swarmed and pushed aside.

With no one left to shield Wei Wuji, he raised his sword before him to face the formidable foes, yet he could do nothing but retreat step by step.

"Die!" The man in black raised his long sword, looking coldly at Wei Wuji.

Wei Wuji raised his own sword as well; even if he was going to die, he was going to make these bastards bleed for it.

As Wei Wuji swung his blade, he closed his eyes, for he did not want to watch himself being hacked to death.

In the fraction of a second between life and death...

Wei Wuji, eyes tightly shut, slashed downward, yet his blade struck no target, nor did he feel any pain upon his body.

That was truly bizarre. He slowly opened his eyes, wanting to see if the man in black before him was merely toying with him.

The surroundings remained chaotic, but there was no one in front of Wei Wuji. Instead, three men lay flat on the ground, long arrows piercing their chests with the feathers still trembling in the wind.

What was going on? Wei Wuji wore a bewildered expression, wondering if the enemy had inflicted friendly fire upon themselves.

However, the arrows that subsequently flew in from behind Wei Wuji changed his mind.

The men in black were in front of him; it was utterly impossible for them to be shooting arrows from behind.

"Someone is saving me!" Wei Wuji thought to himself.

He had to admit, the person—or persons—shooting arrows from behind possessed exceptional archery skills, reaching the level of sniper accuracy.

One by one, the men in black fell. The situation reversed itself with miraculous suddenness, everything feeling like a dream.

"Ah..." The black-clad leader let out a roar of rage before charging forward personally.

This was his final opportunity to execute Wei Wuji. If he waited for any more of his subordinates to die, those guards would break free and intervene.

"Wretch, don't move! Take this blow from your lord!" Just as the black-clad leader was about to leap forward, Zheng Dali's shout echoed from the side.

Left with no choice, the black-clad leader had to halt and raise his sword to parry Zheng Dali's attack. He simply could not afford to ignore it.

The two men locked in combat. As time passed, the disadvantageous position of the men in black grew more severe, while the mysterious archers in the shadows fell silent.

Yet, one should not assume the guards could end the battle instantly; driven by certain death, these dedicated assassins possessed an even greater ferocity.

Still, it only bought them a little more time. They were quickly wiped out, one black-clad warrior after another hacked down to the earth.

"If it weren't for those archers earlier, I probably would have been the one slaughtered!" Looking at the scene drenched in blood, Wei Wuji shook his head and sighed.

Though such bloody and brutal scenes could no longer shatter his composure, it did not stop him from sighing.

"Kneel!" Amid Wei Wuji's contemplation, he saw that Zheng Dali, assisted by two guards, had subdued and dragged the black-clad leader over.

It seemed Zheng Dali's martial prowess was indeed the most formidable.

With a heavy blow to the back of his knees, the black-clad leader collapsed to the ground.

Zheng Dali ripped off the man's veil, only to reveal the ordinary face of a middle-aged man beneath it.

"Who sent you?" Wei Wuji asked, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, leaning forward to look down at the black-clad leader.

To everyone's surprise, upon hearing Wei Wuji's question, the black-clad leader simply started to laugh, growing louder and more unhinged by the second.

Until... blood began to seep from the corners of his mouth, his eyes, his nostrils, and even his ears.