This was impossible!
The Divine Generals were fundamentally incapable of believing it: the charred, dying man before them couldn’t possibly be the God of Wine. The God of Wine was the strongest among them, as well as the closest to their boss. Fully drunk, he was almost unstoppable.
The Bai Family patriarchs’ appearance had undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on them, but they refused to believe the God of Wine would fall. He’d never let them down before! So long as Xuan Ji ordered it, he could do anything, even tasks too difficult for her other subordinates.
For example, one thousand years ago, an imperial-level devil had one appeared on the Southwestern Divine Mountain.
Xuan Ji sent three Divine Generals to clean it up, but they all returned with heavy injuries. The experts the Southwestern Divine Mountain sent returned injured and empty-handed as well, so Xuan Ji ordered the God of Wine to take action. In just three days, he’d captured the imperial-level demon alive.
Similar situations had played out far too many times. In the Divine Generals’ hearts, Xuan Ji was their Eldest Sister, their boss, but the God of Wine was like their big brother. So long as he took action, the others felt at ease.
How could he possibly lose?
This absolutely had to be fake! Perhaps that charred, dying figure just bore a passing resemblance to the God of Wine. It might not really be him! But one way or another, they had to confirm it.
“Out of my way!”
Of the Divine Generals, Ol’ Three was closest to the God of Wine. When he first entered the Profound Pavilion, Ol’ Three was just a scrappy little kid, just like Ol’ Four and Ol’ Five.
He’d been young and flippant once too. Back when he was trying to break through and go from a sky supreme to a diviner, he’d encountered numerous setbacks. People who entered the Profound Pavilion after him were already starting to break through, and Ol’ Nine had even broken through and become a ruler. Ol’ Nine was once a peerless talent, but he’d perished on a mission.
At the time, Ol’ Three had been so impatient that he almost went down the wrong path.
It had been the God of Wine who’d stuck by his side day and night, chatting with him and sharing his experiences without reservation. He’d once tried to take the God of Wine as his master, only for the God of Wine to refuse and say they should be brothers instead.
However, when Ol’ Three was a diviner, that is, in the darkest times of his life, the God of Wine set aside his lofty status as a ruler and let him talk for as long as he needed it. From that moment on, Ol’ Three started privately thinking of the God of Wine as both his benefactor and his master!
“Die for me!” The mustached Ol’ Three slaughtered, eyes bloodshot. In order to rush to the God of Wine’s side, he set aside all thoughts of defense and focused only on advancing.
His exhausted divine power and worn-down spirits slowed his progress, and more and more wounds appeared throughout his body.
But he didn’t care. Disregarding the pain, he attacked, punching one Bai clansman after another.
A streak of silver flashed by.
Splurt!
The blow landed right on his c.h.e.s.t. Another streak flashed by, and his right fist fell right off, gloves and all. Blood gushed from the stump.f
“Ol’ Three!”
Ol’ Five could only watch helplessly as Ol’ Three’s hands were chopped off. A blow to the head soon followed. Ol’ Five lifted his flute to his lips and started playing with all his might when….
“Ngh!” He let out a low groan. When he looked down, he saw a short sword piercing right through his c.h.e.s.t.
“Ol… Three…..” His jade flute slipped from his fingers, and blood poured from his mouth.
“Third Bro! Fifth Bro!” Thirteen bit her lips. She reached into her pocket and searched for another vial of poison, but…
She’d used it all up.
She was an expert at using poisons and a medicinal expert, but she had relatively few ways of attacking. Without poison, she was like a mage without their mana.
“She’s used up her poison! Charge!” The Bai clansmen pressed forward step by step. Of course, as they’d suffered at her hands before, they didn’t dare recklessly charge in. They took each step cautiously, as if testing to see whether she’d really run out of poison or if she were just laying a trap for them. Once they’d confirmed that she’d really run out, all of them charged her without hesitation.
“Cough!” Blood splattered Thirteen’s face. When she looked up, she saw Eighteen; he’d just used his body to block swords aimed at her.
Several blades had already punctured his body. He was now a mass of blood and gaping wounds.
“Eighteen…” Thirteen cried out, her voice choked with sobs and her pupils flashing.
Pu Jingwan was rushing to her aid when suddenly, she took a blade to the back. She gnashed her teeth, scared off the surrounding Bai clansmen, grabbed Thirteen’s hand, and led her to where the yao servants were gathering. The yao servants were, at Xiao Yumei’s orders, quickly gathering together.
“It’s rare to see people fight so hard despite such severe injuries,” said one, shaking his head as he watched Pu Jingwan’s attempts to slaughter her way out of their encirclement.
“It’s just one last desperate struggle before death,” said the other. The same elder who’d just spoken snapped his fingers, and Thirteen’s pupils constricted. She shoved Pu Jingwan away with all her might. At the same time, a bloody, finger-sized hole appeared in her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” Pu Jingwan asked in concern. She knew that Thirteen had just saved her life. If Thirteen hadn’t pushed her out of the way, that finger would have pierced straight through her heart.
Thirteen shook her head. She glanced at the fallen Ol’ Three, Ol’ Five, Eighteen, and the God of Wine.
She suddenly recalled when they’d just set out. At the time, they’d joked and laughed, utterly at ease. With the God of Wine around, they couldn’t imagine this mission would be all that dangerous.
But the God of Wine had been defeated.
Even if she didn’t want to believe it, when she saw that these two new arrivals were the Bai Family patriarchs, she was certain: that burnt figure lying in the dirt was indeed the God of Wine.
Ol Three, Ol’ Five, Eighteen, all of them had lost.
She still had a little energy left, but not much. When she sized up the situation, she saw less than a thousand yao servants. The Outsider rulers were still there, but from the look of things, they couldn’t hold out much longer.
Their fate was sealed.
They….
Were doomed!
The boss was rushing over to Spirit City, but by the time she arrived, it would be too late!
“You’re in the way!” The patriarch’s eyes glinted, and he swung his palm at Pu Jingwan. The attack cut through space, but before it landed, a wind barrier appeared before her. The next moment, they saw Xiao Yumei pressing off the air with her toes, her gaze vicious, and her hands outstretched before her.
“Why are you here?” asked Pu Jingwan.
“Why can’t I be here?” Xiao Yumei laughed. After blocking the patriarch’s sword energy and the resulting shockwave, she placed her hand to her waist, then fixed her gaze on the patriarch. She didn’t look away, or even blink.
“Then Ye….” Just as Pu Jingwan started to ask about him, she saw that Xiao Yumei had entrusted him to some of the remaining Yao Servants. The others were currently gathering around them.
“Don’t give up.” Xiao Yumei suddenly interjected, “We haven’t lost yet, nor have they truly won. We’re on the brink of despair, but at least… we’re still alive, aren’t we?”
Pu Jingwan had to admit it!
Yes, it seemed they were at their end, that they’d gone as far as they could go, but they had to believe…. So long as they had breath in their bodies, they had hope!
