Chapter 323 - 296: Hidden Achievement: Bloody Road
"Is that everyone? Did we wipe them out?" Cao Biansheng picked up the saber that had been knocked from his hand, looking a bit dazed.
During the fight, Du Yu had intentionally left the kills for him, mostly injuring enemies without finishing them off.
"There are still a few prisoners. They didn’t resist when we came up; they surrendered immediately." Qin Ziwu patted his shoulder and walked past him, his gaze landing on the packed crowd of their comrades in the hallway behind.
The men following behind looked as if they had been fished out of a sea of blood.
Their Armor was covered in blood.
A murderous aura radiated from them, and their eyes were fierce.
After this bloody battle, Qin Ziwu could feel that the entire group had undergone a kind of transformation.
This was different from attacking from a distance with Giant Crossbows and Short Crossbows. This was a true, brutal melee.
Hearing that they had surrendered without a fight, Cao Biansheng’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. ’Does killing them still count as a kill?’
"What should we do with these prisoners?" Cao Biansheng swept his gaze over the kneeling captives, his eyes darting to their necks.
"Kill them all. Wipe them out, root and stem," Qin Ziwu said offhandedly.
At these words, the squatting prisoners trembled. The light in their eyes dimmed with despair.
"I think I’m about to have a breakthrough. Keep up the good work." Qin Ziwu patted Cao Biansheng’s shoulder. As he spoke, he closed his eyes and his body went limp. The twin sabers he was holding slipped from his grasp, rolled a couple of times, and came to rest at the feet of two nearby prisoners.
The two prisoners exchanged a look and lunged for the saber hilts on the ground without a moment’s hesitation.
’Since they won’t let us live, we’ll take two of them down with us! This guy looks important. Killing him will be worth it!’
They grasped the still-warm hilts, a flicker of glee crossing their faces.
A brutal voice, filled with a mix of restraint and excitement, boomed in their ears. "You grabbed the sabers, didn’t you? I saw that!!"
The words had barely faded when a great whoosh of air followed.
The head of the man on the left flew off, landing with a thud as a fountain of blood erupted two meters into the air. The man on the right looked up, his face a mask of shock.
Before he could react, a kick sent him stumbling back. Cao Biansheng charged forward and plunged his saber into the man’s chest.
Feeling a brand-new power welling up from within, Cao Biansheng was ecstatic. "Hahahaha, I did it! I broke through!"
Nearby in the hallway, Qin Ziwen retracted his gaze and looked at Red Hare beside him. Red Hare had contributed significantly to the battle; with its massive frame, it had led the charge every time they had to break down a door.
Red Hare’s once-smooth hide was now covered in wounds, a gruesome sight.
Standing to the right, Du Yu leaned against the wall with his eyes shut, his arms folded around the Long Spear he cradled.
Even for a man of Du Yu’s skill, the fight to the top had been brutal. His Iron Armor was covered in a dense network of scratches, like intricate carvings.
He had several wounds on his face, the worst of which was a deep gash across his cheek that had narrowly missed his eye.
"What are our casualties?" Qin Ziwen beckoned Wang Yun over.
"Three dead, thirty-four seriously wounded. As for light wounds... almost everyone is injured to some degree. Two of the three Fishmen are dead, and the last one is critically injured."
Qin Ziwen fell silent at Wang Yun’s report. "The serious injuries are mostly external, I assume? Spare no expense. Use the Healing Spring. I don’t care if you have to pour it down their throats, I want those men saved."
"Understood."
"As for the three who died, get their details. Find out if they have any family. Their compensation must be handled perfectly," Qin Ziwen stressed.
"Understood." Wang Yun nodded silently.
Qin Ziwen closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
’We had such a massive advantage—we made all kinds of preparations, everyone was in full Armor, our equipment was superior, and we even had Extraordinaries leading the charge. Yet we still suffered such heavy casualties.’
’Part of it was their home-field advantage, but it was also because the remaining Blood Words members inside Hongding Mansion were completely insane, utterly fearless.’
Wang Yun added, "Chairman, while cleaning up, someone found a body in a side room. It was completely naked and tied up on the floor. Looks like a suicide."
"How does someone commit suicide while tied up?"
"He must have bitten off his own tongue. The base of it would have fallen back, and combined with the massive bleeding and soft tissue, it would have blocked his trachea and caused asphyxiation." Wang Yun sounded somewhat impressed. "Biting your own tongue hurts like hell. To actually sever it... that person was ruthless."
Qin Ziwen paid no mind to such a minor detail. His thoughts were still on the casualty numbers. "Right. Have Yang Long and his people handle the bodies. Remember to gather all the supplies in this building. Take everything of value. We can’t have fought this battle for nothing."
Not long after Wang Yun left, Cao Biansheng walked over and gave a deep bow. "Chairman, I’ve had my breakthrough."
"Good that you broke through."
Seeing that the Chairman didn’t ask about his post-breakthrough abilities, Cao Biansheng felt antsy, like a little kid with a new toy and no one to show it off to.
He trailed after Qin Ziwen, wanting to say something, but he noticed the Chairman didn’t look pleased.
He glanced around and noticed the oppressive atmosphere. Cao Biansheng suddenly realized why and felt a pang of shame.
He shut his mouth and followed quietly. After a moment’s hesitation, Cao Biansheng asked in a low voice, "Chairman, how bad were our losses?"
"Three dead, thirty-four seriously wounded."
When they got downstairs, Qin Ziwen asked Yang Long about the status of the seriously wounded.
Yang Long hurried to report, "Chairman Qin, they’re on every floor. The wounded can’t be jostled, so I haven’t moved them much. They’re being treated where they fell."
"Understood." Qin Ziwen looked toward an empty patch of floor. "Activate Anchor Point."
Ripples spread through the empty air. A thick black fog billowed out from the center of the distortion, and deep within the fog, a ship’s anchor emerged. It grew rapidly, becoming larger and more distinct by the second.
[Warning: An anchor point is attempting to lock onto the mansion.] A notification from his Home sounded in Yang Long’s ear.
He stared blankly at the scene before him. ’So this is how that anchor appeared in the Urban Village.’
The day the anchor point had locked onto the Urban Village, he hadn’t been in the courtyard. By the time he got there, the lock was already complete.
The massive anchor tore through the black fog and finally settled into reality.
VMMMM—
A deep, resounding boom echoed in the ears of everyone present.
The giant, translucent black anchor now spanned the room. As ripples spread out from it, a Bronze Gate was pushed open from a rift in space.
Cao Biansheng hurried upstairs to gather a group of men. He sent them through the gate to the Home to retrieve the Healing Spring.
While everyone was busy, a voice sounded in Qin Ziwen’s ear.
[Detected: The Lord of the Homeland has completed the Hidden Achievement · Bloody Road (I)] (Expandable)
[Reward Acquired: Function Card · Level 1 Anchor Connection x1]
The Home’s small sphere of light materialized out of thin air, and a screen of light appeared beside it, displaying the exact same words he had just heard.
With a single glance, Qin Ziwen noticed that his Home’s small sphere of light looked different than before.
Before, the sphere had been pure white. Now, a distinct red skull was emblazoned on its surface.
...
...