Lin Qingcheng punched the air, "Haha! We won! We did it!"
"Golden Madam!"
"Yeah!"
The defenders around her all cheered. Aside from them, the street was clear. Not a single assassin was left standing. Some people clapped. Others clanged their weapons together, creating a ruckus.
Lin Qingcheng went and hugged Zhou Ziyun spiritedly. After that, she hugged Wu Qianyu and Peng Lingix as well.
"Big sisters, we did it! Hehe!"
Peng Lingxi smiled and then laughed. She also jumped up and down together with Lin Qingcheng. She had never done such shameless celebrations after a battle before. As a sword cultivator, she was raised to respect the sword and respect her enemies even in death. Everything was serious but because of that, it lacked the excitement and sincerity that Lin Qingcheng displayed for all to see.
Even Wu Qianyu couldn't hide a smile. The battle had been a difficult one. It was Lin Qingcheng who turned the tide in the end, Lin Qingcheng and a little sleight of hand from their master. Because of the special nature of the Golden Serpent Robe being a skin-tight suit of armor that was hidden beneath layers of other clothes, he was able to disguise its golden aura with Lin Qingcheng's spiritual energy. Even expert eyes and senses would have trouble deducing the truth.
Zhou Ziyun let them celebrate for a little while before shouting, "Hey! Hey! The battle isn't over yet!"
When everyone calmed down, the sounds of vicious fighting drifted over from nearby streets. The city guards and the Zhou Clan were still desperately defending against the all-out attacks of the remaining bandits.
"Sister Qianyu, you're injured. Can you stay here and hold the defenses." She asked.
"Mmm." Wu Qianyu nodded.
"The rest of you, stay here!" Zhou Ziyun commanded and then waved to Lin Qingcheng and Peng Lingxi, "Come on!
They turned around and rushed to the nearby intersection that served as the command post. Just when they got there, a white bird made of crystal flew in from the north and landed in Zhou Ziyun's hand. When she crushed it, she received a message via spiritual voice transmission.
"Good! Zhou Clan, prepare to receive reinforcement!"
"Yes, clan head!"
The barricades that blocked the street to the north were moved aside. A short while later, a large group of people on horseback and carriage rumbled past and arrived at the intersection. The new arrivals were an eye-catching bunch. Those on horseback were all men, wearing robes of blazing red. Even their auras were fiery and unbearable. When the carriages opened, out stepped icy beauties one after another, all wearing snow-white dresses. Each step they took created flurries of ice that followed behind them.
These were disciples of Divine Blazing Mountain and Glacier Palace who had paired up and become dual cultivation partners. Some of them resided in their home sects while others chose to establish a shared home in Thousand Flower City. In terms of strength, they could be considered among the strongest among the mortal population. They were also more reliable compared to other cultivation sects and ordinary riff-raff.
Zhou Ziyun had sent word to gather these people when the attacks started. Each couple had their own residence and they were not all in the same area. It had taken some time but it was better late than never.
"Gather up!"
"Hurry!"
The fire and ice cultivators grouped up with their dao partners and came up to Lin Qingcheng, Zhou Ziyun, and Peng Lingxi.
"Miss Lin!"
"Miss Zhou!"
They all gave a quick bow of respect.
"Good, it's good that you all made it. It's not too late." Zhou Ziyun said as she examined the group which numbered over a hundred.
Although it wasn't a lot, they were all disciples of immortal sects. Although their masters were dead, their legacies remained. They cultivated ice and fire secret arts at the immortal level and were even stronger than before after dual cultivation.
She gestured with her saber, splitting them into three groups. "First group, head west along Main Street and support the defense there. Second group, head south along Azalea Street. Third group, head south down Sunflower Street!"
"Yes, Miss Zhou!"
"Let's go!"
"Kill the bandits!"
Each group rushed to their assigned areas. Once there, they immediately started a furious counterattack. Flames erupted as the Divine Blazing Mountain disciples waved their fists. Ice fell from the sky like rain as the Glacier Palace disciples showed off their powers. Compared to killing people with swords and sabers, fire and ice were far more effective.
One after another, groups of them at a time, the bandits were turned into unrecognizable lumps of charcoal or frozen into statues and then shattered into a thousand pieces. It was a tragic sight.
These powerful reinforcements were just what the defenders needed. Their spirits instantly rose and their fighting strength was restored by sheer excitement. Whether it was the city guards who had only been established for barely a year or the Zhou Clan which had many new recruits or even the residents of the city who chose to fight, they all picked up their weapons and charged into the fray like lions and tigers.
"Kill!"
"Kill them all!"
"That's for my brother!"
"That's for my house you burned!"
"No mercy!"
Both sides clashed fiercely. The bandits still had the numbers but they had been fighting for a long time. They were as equally as exhausted as the defenders and could do little against the reinforcements. The pairs of fire and ice cultivators were like sharp blades, piercing deep into the ranks of the bandits and tearing huge chunks out, leaving death in their wake. The bandits tried to gang up on them but those fire and ice Daos were simply too domineering, too overpowering.
Then, after a while of vicious slaughter, even more reinforcements arrived. Thousands of city guards from the eastern and northern garrisons poured into the fray. Like a surging tide, they pushed the bandits back and back until the bandits finally lost all strength to resist. Even those that could still fight lost their will to do so.
The dam finally broke. The bandits turned tail and fled in all directions. They were supposed to sacrifice their lives for this cause, to completely wreck Thousand Flower City. But when faced with reality, many still chose to try and save themselves.
"Chase them down!"
"Don't let a single one escape!"
"Charge!"
Lin Qingcheng, Zhou Ziyun, Wu Qianyu, and Peng Lingxi watched the messy scene from afar. Each person had varying thoughts and emotions. But they were all glad that it was finally over. It had taken a lot of sacrifices but they had defended the city.
But right as they were about to relax and celebrate in earnest, they felt a familiar presence. Chen Wentian used Chen Mo and formed a human body. He appeared before then clad in his usual black outfit and a large hood that hid his face in shadow.
"Eh? What happened?" Lin Qingcheng asked.
They had beaten all the bandits and criminals with their own hands. They didn't understand why Chen Wentian was showing himself now.
Chen Wentian held up a finger, pointing to the sky, "We have some unwanted guests. Go inside Tortoise Can Fly. This might get a little dangerous."
After saying that, he shot into the sky like a black arrow.
---
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