Chapter 242: Embroidered Uniform Guard Wang Xie

Chapter 242: The Brocade-Clad King Xie

Blades flashed and clashed, gunfire erupted.

Bloodshot eyes locked onto snarling faces, human shrieks overpowering the mechanical beasts' mournful cries.

The acrid stench of gunpowder mingled with the humming of Lei Que weapons charging.

The cold gleam of the Embroidery Spring Blade cleaved the fallen bodies, while bullets forged of pure metal tore through the Flying Fish Armor.

Crimson blood spurted from severed limbs, splashing across floors already slick with white mucus.

One layer had yet to solidify, another already spread.

Clang!

An Embroidery Spring Blade pierced the air, plunging into a mechanical beast’s skull and nailing it to the ground.

The Brocade Guard, nearly slain by the beast, snatched a 'Back Tower' shotgun lying at his feet, aimed it at the struggling creature, and squeezed the trigger to the end!

Bang! Bang!

A hail of bullets tore the beast’s body into a puddle of broken parts.

"Thank you, Director Xie."

Still shaken, the Brocade Guard watched the retreating figure and blurted out.

"Take care of yourself, don’t embarrass Old Yan."

"Don’t worry, I won’t. Unless we’re all dead, none of these rebels will leave Hung Ya Mountain today!"

Wang Xie paused, not turning back, but roared in anger: "No one’s dying on my watch! After this, drinks, gambling, and whores—I’ll pay for it all!"

"Did you hear that, brothers? The Director’s got guts!"

The Brocade Guards behind him laughed loudly, reloading their 'Back Tower' shotguns and charging toward another rampaging mechanical beast.

Suddenly, the clamor of battle was pierced by several hearty laughs.

The laughter, sharp as spikes, plunged into Wang Xie’s heart, twisting and churning, agonizing.

He never wanted to be this "magnanimous" man. Now, he even wished to be a narrow-minded fool, spinning around to stab the figure in the azure ceremonial robes standing on the eaves.

It was the other who had stabbed his own people in the back, yet he had to bandage his wounds and fight for them.

What kind of logic was this, what kind of messed-up world?

"Old Yan, if you don’t give me an explanation after this, I’m never wearing this Flying Fish Armor again!"

Wang Xie’s gaze shot forward, piercing through whistling bullets and gushing blood, like a spear pinning Qi Huai.

The latter remained impassive, calmly meeting his stare.

"A traitor who doesn’t even understand the basics—pathetic."

Wang Xie’s frustration found its outlet. No more words, only the blade’s edge spoke.

He drew the Embroidery Spring Blade from the ground, his steps quickening until he was sprinting, dragging the blade.

"For the upright, gather in the crooked!"

Mid-sprint, Wang Xie snapped his fingers. The Seven-Rank Xingling perched on his shoulder flapped its wings, unleashing an invisible stance forward.

The blocking Yinren were enveloped in the stance, their joints twisting uncontrollably, guns aimed at their companions.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Seething bullets sent skulls flying, their blood mingling with viscous filth, then scattered by the Embroidery Spring Blade’s gust.

"For the strong, gather in the weak!"

Weaken the strong, unite the weak to conquer.

The Zongheng Sequence’s unique genetic ability activated a weakening field, locking onto Qi Huai to cool the raging mech-heart in his chest.

"You Zongheng lot are really annoying!"

Qi Huai’s brows suddenly bristled, his roar indistinct as he punched the swirling blade-light before him.

Snarl!!

The blade’s edge ground against the fist, emitting a grating, suffocating screech.

After exchanging a move, the two passed each other. In that instant, Wang Xie twisted his body violently, and a modified 'Back Tower' appeared in his empty left hand.

The deliberately shortened barrel made the shotgun terrifyingly powerful at close range—even a Yinren warrior of the seventh rank couldn’t withstand a shot nearly at his skull.

As Wang Xie’s index finger squeezed the trigger, a leg flashed upward at blinding speed, striking his gun-wielding wrist.

Bang!

The barrel, meant for Qi Huai’s head, swung skyward, scattering scattered pellets across the Golden Tower’s dome.

Before the gunshot faded, a fist pierced the smoke, slamming into the suspended blade.

Wang Xie instinctively stepped back, bending his knees to brace against the rolling force.

"A Zongheng sequence hiding behind people, using trickery—dare to face me in open combat?"

Qi Huai had clearly entered overdrive, palms clasped, their edges flashing cold light, sharp as blades.

Forced into rebellion, Qi Huai burned with fury, especially after realizing Wang Xie shared the same sequence as Ding Huan. Murderous thoughts surged in his mind.

I can’t defy Ding Huan, but I can kill you, Wang Xie.

Qi Huai’s arms swung heavier and heavier, pushing Wang Xie back step by step with crushing force.

The Zongheng Sequence excels in command, not in direct combat.

Under normal circumstances, Wang Xie could command his Brocade Guards to slowly corner Qi Huai to death.

But now, the other guards were locked in chaos with the Yinren beasts, unable to aid him.

Moreover, the beasts’ control lay in Ding Huan’s hands—Wang Xie couldn’t even use his 'Bai He' to weaken them, let alone unite the weak against the strong.

Wang Xie knew this, so from the start, he’d unleashed his weakening stance to catch Qi Huai off guard and kill him.

Yet he’d underestimated the close-quarters ferocity of an overdrive Yinren warrior. Even weakened, Qi Huai’s strength and reflexes surpassed his own.

"Say something! You’ve been talking so much!"

Clang!

Wang Xie staggered back from a heavy cleaving blow, his palm soaked in blood from his torn cheek.

He gripped the blade hilt tightly, lips pressed into a thin line, silent.

The quieter the opponent, the more delighted Qi Huai became.

As Wang Xie’s face twisted in pain, his pent-up frustration finally ebbed, replaced by grotesque, perverse joy.

If you, Ding Huan, aren’t a full rank above me, what gives a damn hidden king the right to dominate me?

"You Zongheng lot pride yourselves on wit and words—why the silence now?"

Clang!

Qi Huai was fully immersed in the thrill of torment, each arm swing brutally simple—lifting, then smashing down like savage waves rising and crashing.

He intends to cleave Wang Xie with each blade, alive and breathing!

Only thus can he alleviate the resentment in his heart toward Ding Huan and the Zongheng sequence.

“Let me hear you speak!”

Qi Huai let out a vicious laugh, his eyes aflame with crimson madness.

“You lunatic, you're really noisy.”

In this moment, a glint of resolve and ruthlessness emerged in Wang Xie's eyes, hidden behind the blade.

He suddenly dragged the embroidered spring knife that had been blocking before him, allowing the descending blade to cleave his own shoulder. Even his torso inclined forward, as if willingly presenting his body to Qi Huai's downfall.

Pfft!

Bing Qi Yan's weapon easily cleaved the Flying Fish armor's defenses, plunging deep into flesh, nearly to the bone.

The scalding blood splashed onto Qi Huai's face, the pupils in his eye sockets suddenly contracting, and in his focused gaze, a cold eye appeared.

“Not good!”

Qi Huai's heart trembled, a dangerous throb spreading through his mechanical heart, the ominous sign so intense it even slowed the tremor frequency of his mechanical heart.

Zongheng's blade is certain to be dire!

Having been psychologically shadowed by Ding Huan, Qi Huai instinctively wanted to retreat, but how could Wang Xie give him that chance?

“Ugh!”

Wang Xie let out a suppressed groan of pain, his face pressed against the embedded right hand on his shoulder, the torn muscles draining the blood from his face.

Bang!

At the same time, the seven-grade Xing Ling on his shoulder, flapping its wings ceaselessly, suddenly let out a sharp wail and exploded.

The flying mechanical parts tore Wang Xie's neck into a mess of flesh, an intense force field like invisible ropes bound Qi Huai's left hand, pulling the sharp palm edge inch by inch toward his skull.

Click, click, click.

The nerve bundles buried deep in the mechanical bones seemed to awaken their own consciousness, rising up to wrest control of the arm from their original master, Qi Huai.

The mechanical joints twisted and deformed in the struggle, the exploding electric arcs pierced the synthetic skin, emitting a sizzling sound.

“Damn it, you dare to incite my body to betray me?!”