Chapter 43: Advance! Advance! Advance!
Whoosh!
The long spear turned into a blur, causing the guard with a large hammer to collapse on the spot, flying four to five meters and crashing into the edge of the courtyard well, creating cracks and vomiting blood before landing on the ground unable to get up.
"One," Qiao Mu silently thought.
Qiao Mu has already mastered the Military Spear Skill.
This Military Spear Skill is known for its simple and practical moves, not the fancy techniques used by skilled martial artists in the martial arts world. It is a way to kill enemies on the battlefield.
In the cold weapon battlefield where people surround you from all directions, there is very little room for dodging, so this spear technique doesn't have many defensive moves.
On the battlefield, soldiers have each other's protection while killing enemies, but Qiao Mu, at this moment, is alone and has multiple knives, spears, and clubs coming at his back every second.
Boom!
A 9th rank servant hits him on the back with a club, making a muffled sound. It makes Qiao Mu tremble but he doesn't fall down.
"Did this person also practice hard skills?" someone wonders in surprise.
At this moment, Qiao Mu is not only an 8th rank martial artist with internal strength to protect his body, but he is also proficient in the Hard Skill Iron Cloth Shirt Skill. With the combination of internal strength, his whole body is as hard as a rock.
Even if he stands still and lets people hit him, an ordinary 9th ranked martial artist won't be able to break his defense.
"The second one."
Qiao Mu swung his spear backwards, unleashing a burst of inner power. The servant holding the stick was sent flying backwards and crashed into the courtyard wall, causing it to collapse.
Qiao Mu wasn't counting how many enemies he killed.
After all, the number of enemies killed was not important to him. He was more concerned about the number of his death.
What he was counting was the number of pallbearers.
Yesterday, Childe Guo's funeral procession made a grand entrance, just like when he used to go out. He was accompanied by several strong servants carrying whips to clear the way.
There were a total of seven servants, two carrying the coffin and the other five guarding the sides.
Their strength was not particularly strong, mostly at a beginner level of training. One or two of them had reached the 9th rank of training, but they were all tall and imposing, serving as Childe Guo's trusted followers.
Qiao Mu advanced with his spear, step by step, towards Lord Guo Yan at the entrance of the study. Along the way, he kept a watchful eye, ready to eliminate all the servants that day.
Outside the collapsed courtyard wall, the soldiers of the Yan City Army stood in formation, wielding weapons, ready for battle.
They have surrounded the Lord's Manor, but they haven't joined the battle yet. They're just blocking his way.
"The Yan City Army has arrived, and Qiao Lin is trapped." Guo Yan thought to himself.
"He's so confident and fearless. Maybe this time he has someone else helping him break into the manor. So we can't let our guard down."
The Lord's Manor is not a wide plain for armies to fight on. Even if more people come in, it won't be very effective.
Besides, we don't need the Yan City Army to intervene yet. With the estate guards that Guo Yan has, it's enough to wear down Qiao Mu.
The Yan City Army is mainly here as a precaution, to prevent anyone from interfering and to stop Qiao Mu from escaping.
As the courtyard wall collapsed, the commotion at the Lord's Manor also attracted a lot of attention.
Many people peered out onto the street, curious about what was happening at the Lord's Manor. It's impossible for them not to be curious, considering the loud noise.
Lord Guo Yan stood behind the crowd, watching Qiao Mu coldly. He didn't join the battle or make any harsh remarks. He just watched silently.
They watched as Qiao Mu slowly moved forward with cold eyes.
"Three."
"Four."
"Five..."
"Six..."
The sixth servant had already died.
These servants were not difficult to kill, their strength was nothing compared to Qiao Mu's current Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method state.
The difficult part was finding these servants among the crowd.
After killing the sixth servant, Qiao Mu temporarily couldn't find the seventh person, so he could only continue to push forward.
Come in! Come in! Come in!
With every step Qiao Mu took, it cost him blood.
His internal strength was rapidly depleting, and the Iron Cloth Shirt Skill was not an invincible technique against blades and spears. His body began to show signs of cuts from knives and swords.
Just ten steps away from Lord Guo Yan!
In front of Qiao Mu, a figure of extraordinary height appeared.
Zhou Wen.
This person held a long sword and was the second-ranked martial artist under Lord Guo Yan's command. He had been guarding outside the study all along, and now he finally made a move.
If Lord Guo Yan doesn't take action, Zhou Wen is the strongest in this courtyard.
Moreover, he didn't rush to join the battle. Instead, he waited for Qiao Mu to approach him, already heavily injured and with a great depletion of internal strength.
This time, he was sure to win.
However, Qiao Mu's heart remained steady.
Every battle was a valuable experience for him.
7th ranked martial artist? He had already fought one when he was at the 9th rank.
At this moment, the power gap between the two sides was evident, and Qiao Mu was already heavily injured. This gap couldn't be erased by the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method.
However... the difference in strength between the two sides was not so important.
Before, outside the city cliffs, the old man in grey clothing, although ranked 7th in martial arts, believed that his strength was much stronger than his opponent. However, he valued his life and didn't directly confront Qiao Mu, who had unleashed the powerful Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method.
So...
When two brave people meet on a narrow path, the braver one is victorious!
Qiao Mu looked angry, with his eyes wide open. The long spear in his hand was shining brightly, and every attack was aimed directly at Zhou Wen's weak points without any defense or retreat.
Just as Zhou Wen had swung his sword from the side, it cut through Qiao Mu's waist. His skillful technique, the Iron Cloth Shirt Skill, was broken with that strike. He was about to use his internal strength to worsen the wound, but he was surprised to see that this fearless brute was completely ignoring his own injuries. The spear pierced towards Zhou Wen's throat like a cold star, causing his heart to skip a beat.
In the blink of an eye, he quickly unleashed his internal strength and retrieved his sword to protect himself.
Blocking the attacks of the long spear with his longsword was a strategy of taking advantage of the opponent's weaknesses and utilizing his own strengths.
With a muffled sound, he took a few steps backward to the side. The blade of his sword made a cracking sound and showed a crack. His wrist also throbbed with pain, almost causing him to lose his grip on the sword.
"I'm injured, my wrist hurts, and I rely on the sword for my skills. Essentially, half of my abilities are gone." His steps intentionally slowed down by a fraction, just enough for Qiao Mu, who was advancing with the spear, to rush past him.
The other martial artist, an elderly man in gray clothes known as "Uncle Fu," was trusted deeply by Lord Guo Yan, the ruler of the city. Unfortunately, he had already passed away.
Besides, he never liked Childe Guo, let alone...
Qiao Mu was already a man destined for death, so why fight him with all his might?
Lord Guo Yan, despite being injured, is still the strongest in the Lord's Manor.
Even he stands still, treating the guards in the courtyard as mere obstacles for Qiao Mu. How could others fight to the death?
Besides, what's the point of risking their lives for a small amount of money paid for guarding the house?
*sigh*
Qiao Mu breathes heavily, covered in blood.
Anyone would know that after defeating the 7th ranked martial artist Zhou Wen at the cost of his own injuries, Qiao Mu is now at his weakest point.
However, no one dared to deliver the final blow.
A martial artist who is not afraid of death will surely have a terrifying last counterattack. Haven't they seen their master, Lord Guo Yan, avoid a confrontation?
At this moment, Qiao Mu is only a few steps away from Guo Yan. The manor is vast, and Lord Guo Yan, who has been watching from the sidelines, finally shows a hint of worry.
