CHAPTER 472: CHAPTER 472 : SETTLING SCORES FROM THE PAST LIFE (3)

The masked demon’s lips curled up into a mocking sneer before his laughter erupted in a chilling melody that pierced the air. It wasn’t a sound of amusement, but a twisted symphony of malice that seemed to claw its way through the intricate iron mask.

Zhang Fengxi felt a wave of ice wash over him. The laughter scraped against his very soul, sending a shiver down his spine that threatened to paralyze him.

"What’s so funny?" Zhang Fengxi’s spear sang a deadly aria as it pressed closer to his opponent’s neck. With a smooth and light flip, his opponent launched himself backward, escaping the blade’s lethal kiss within a split second.

Light like a sparrow, he landed on top of one of the palace’s broken pillars.

He pressed two fingers to his lips, then unleashed a sharp whistle that cut through the air.

A collective cry was heard above their heads as five figures were shoved off the highest tower of Wuyang Palace. Zhang Fengxi braced himself for the sickening thud of bodies hitting the stony ground below, but it did not happen.

Instead of plummeting to their deaths, the condemned were suspended mid-air, dangling precariously at the end of thick ropes held aloft by a group of grotesque demons, perching atop the palace walls.

Zhang Fengxi’s eyes widened when he recognized the current Wuyang Palace Master and Palace Mistress. The three younger figures, two boys and one girl, were none other than their children.

The Wuyang Palace Master’s body hung limp, his once-proud form a grotesque canvas of bloody wounds. His wife and children, however, were still alive. The disheveled state of their clothes suggested that they were dragged by the demons all the way to the top of the tower.

Wuyang Palace Mistress’ cries echoed through the ruined palace, "Please, please spare us! Oh, what have we done to deserve this cruel treatment!"

The three adolescent children, two princes and one princess, also cried bitterly, tears streaming down their faces as they pleaded for their lives.

"Please don’t kill us! We still want to live!"

"Please, please save us!!!"

"Mommy, wahhhhh... Mommy...!!!"

With a mighty bellow, Zhang Fengxi launched himself skyward, spear glinting in the sun as he aimed to sever the ropes in one decisive swing and snatch the hostages to safety. But a blur of shadow erupted from the other side. The masked demon, anticipating his move, met him in a mid-air clash.

Steel rang against steel as they exchanged furious blows, a whirlwind of blades before gravity claimed them both, crashing onto the unforgiving ground.

A sharp hiss tore through Zhang Fengxi’s teeth as he glanced down to see his arm slick with crimson. The demon’s long sword had found its mark in one of their furious clashes.

"Why are you doing this?" Zhang Fengxi growled at the masked demon, who calmly wiped some blood off the corner of his lips.

"Why, you wonder," he slowly answered.

The demon fixed the position of his mask and spoke to Zhang Fengxi in a cold and ruthless tone, "How do you like it, Supreme General? Is it up to your taste?"

"Your Majesty, more troops are coming," the burly demon returned to his superior’s side. "We need to take our leave now."

"Ah."

"Supreme General!!!"

Wu Shenxia tore towards Zhang Fengxi, crimson blooming across her arms and legs from a multitude of gashes. Despite the wounds, she continued a desperate fight against several demons at once.

With a valiant shove, Zhang Fengxi cleared a path, sending the demons sprawling. His focus narrowed, and he broke into a run, charging straight for the masked demon.

"Whoever you are, you are not leaving this place today," Zhang Fengxi growled while pointing his spear at his opponent’s face. "Don’t think that you can do whatever you want, demon!"

A mocking chuckle escaped the masked demon. He lazily massaged the back of his neck before saying, "Too bad, I don’t have time to entertain you any further. My mission is accomplished. For now."

He nodded toward his burly subordinate and said, "Take the Palace Master’s corpse. Release the rest, unharmed."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Without delay, the burly demon roared at the fighting demons behind them, "By the order of the Second Demon King, RETREAT! Take the dead palace master with us, release the others, unharmed!"

The Wuyang Palace Master’s lifeless form was hoisted skyward, a stark contrast to the other four scrambling figures. Those unfortunate souls weren’t granted such a gruesome fate. Instead, they were unceremoniously dumped from a precarious height -- not enough to shatter bones, but certainly enough to steal the very breath from their lungs and infuse terror into their hearts.

A dark gash ripped across the air, forming a malevolent portal summoned by an unseen hand. The demons wasted no time, surging through the opening like a torrent of shadows. Clutched in their grasp was the lifeless form of the Wuyang Palace Master, a trophy of this unholy conquest.

"WAIT!"

The horde of demons vanished like smoke, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Zhang Fengxi, his pursuit cut short, could only survey the devastation in stunned silence. A soldier stepped next to him and performed a salute.

"Supreme General, they released Wuyang Palace Mistress and their children before leaving..."

With a sigh, Zhang Fengxi turned around to look at the hostages, who huddled together beneath the tower, shivering like a pack of wolves in the middle of a hailstorm.

"What happened?" he asked in confusion.

"After the last demon attack more than five years ago, all palaces have been told to keep up a demon-repelling barrier to prevent the demons from attacking. Save for the First Demon King, lesser demons should not be able to intrude so easily!"

"I know nothing!" The Wuyang Palace Mistress wailed miserably. "Please... Please, spare us. We don’t know anything! They came out of nowhere and attacked us... wahhhhhh...!!!!"

A sigh, heavy with exhaustion, rumbled out of Zhang Fengxi. As the last tendrils of his energy unraveled, he slumped backward, a dead weight like a fallen log.