The ambush conditions prepared in the canyon, with all the ready-made support already set up, including tunnels dug in advance on that side, were now completely wasted. Once the targets were buried under falling rocks in the valley, the old rat woman’s people, who excelled at underground work, would have seized the chance to pick the peaches. On this side a portion of the manpower would draw away the official surviving experts while her people grabbed the prizes from below.
But all these advantages vanished the moment the exam convoy changed direction.
Black Cloud Xiao pointed at the target convoy that was now turning back. “Brother Jiangshan, go intensify the fog right away. As long as those fifty great archers cannot see their targets they are blind and cannot threaten us.” He patted his chest. “Same plan as before. Leave the frontal hard fight to us brothers. Do not get involved.”
“I think you couple have gone mad craving that evil spirit pill!” Jiangshan threw down the curse but still flashed away. Soon faint frog croaks sounded again from afar.
Black Cloud Xiao then said to Gao Yuan, “Brother Gao, you can go command your subordinates to prepare now. Once both retreat paths are cut off we can strike!”
Gao Yuan snorted without another word and flashed away.
Black Cloud Xiao turned back to instruct the old rat woman once more. “Let Brother Gao’s men hit them for a few rounds first. After ten rounds your subordinates immediately surround them!”
The old rat woman stayed silent and shot away gracefully…
Boom!
Inside the carriage that had now become the tail instead of the lead, Fu Zuoxuan and the other two exchanged glances. They all heard the rumbling collapse sound coming from the Seven Li Gorge side.
All three realised something. Jin Huahai asked, “Could they have cut off our retreat path?”
Jiang Yinian replied, “Since the forward path is cut the retreat path is probably also doomed. It looks like they are officially moving against us!” With that he already strapped the bow gear on his back and climbed out.
Jin Huahai showed himself as well. The two jumped onto the carriage roof together and watched the surroundings closely.
Soon someone came galloping from ahead to report. “My lord, a landslide has occurred on the mountain ahead blocking the withdrawal road!”
As expected. Jin and Jiang exchanged looks.
A mountain landslide could not stop people from climbing over it, especially with many here who could leap high and low. The real problem was these carriages and the exam candidates locked inside them. Without clearing the path how could they proceed?
The convoy quickly stopped. It had no choice. The road was blocked.
Although they had already sent people to clear it, Fu Zuoxuan and the others knew very well that someone was deliberately causing trouble. Clearing here was useless because the enemy could simply cause more landslides ahead. Yet they could not stop acting just because of the difficulty. They could only keep digging.
Jiang Yinian suddenly told a great archer beside the carriage, “Pass my order. Target the forests around the convoy on all sides. Fire arrows, full draw, ten consecutive shots!”
“Yes!” The great archer beside the carriage accepted the order, spurred his horse and went to relay it.
Jin Huahai questioned, “Old Jiang, what do you mean by this?”
Jiang Yinian said indifferently, “Set the mountain on fire!”
Jin Huahai was greatly shocked and could not help glancing at the foggy surroundings. He had to remind him, “Once the fire gets out of control and rages wildly have you considered the consequences in this ancient tomb barren land? To take a step back if it burns past the Fifty Li Agreement no one can protect you!”
Jiang Yinian replied, “A great battle is imminent. I only care about victory or defeat. I do not consider these things. Although I do not know what attack method the enemy will use it must come from all directions. First set a fire to test them. If it cannot be stopped then we will all bathe in the flames together!”
The dense fog thickened noticeably faster and faster. People three zhang away could no longer be seen clearly.
Yu Qing had already torn off the carriage curtain and stared outside tightly. Suddenly he saw whooshing firelights flying out. In the distance whooshing firelights also flew towards both sides of the road one after another.
From above the mist it looked even more spectacular. Streaks of sparks pierced through the clouds and fog like rising fireworks or meteors flying in all directions.
The black-and-white couple standing on the tree canopy saw it too. There were even sparks flying over their heads. The two raised their heads and followed the sparks with their eyes as they flew. The range was fully over three hundred zhang away. This was clearly a profound-level great archer doing long-range shots.
The sparks shot in all directions landed then quickly buzzed and burned into flames. Wherever they stuck they burned on that spot.
Bailan looked slightly terrified. “What are they doing?”
“They are setting the mountain on fire!” Black Cloud Xiao’s expression twitched. He gritted his teeth. “A bunch of madmen!”
In this world whether human or demon setting fire to mountains was hard to tolerate and would be unanimously condemned. Especially for demon cultivators who grew up in the mountains they particularly hated mountain fires and even had a deep inner fear of them.
In the forests on all four sides over a thousand ignition points gradually appeared one after another. Fortunately there was no wind and the trees here were rather tall so the burning was not that fast. But it also added clusters of unusual colours to this misty land like one orange lantern after another.
Jiang Yinian on the carriage roof waved his hand grandly. The great archers waiting on the side immediately drew arrows and whoosh shot out a piercingly loud signal arrow.
The group of great archers accompanying on both sides of the convoy immediately leapt off their horses and slipped into the mountain forests. After reaching a certain depth they quickly climbed trees nocked arrows and each fixed their eyes on several ignition points emitting dim yellow glows in the fog.
One great archer in a higher position almost above the fog layer while drawing his bow vigilantly suddenly glanced upward and saw a flock of black shadows flying over high in the sky.
He could not figure out what was happening but felt something was wrong. He quickly jumped down from the tree and urgently returned to report.
But before he could report the situation to Jiang Yinian the over a hundred giant eagles flying from high altitude, a flock with wingspans nearly two zhang, had already begun circling in the air. Then they released the vine nets gripped in their claws.
The vine nets basically each contained five six seven or eight large stones. Once the nets loosened the large stones lost control and fell out whistling down one after another.
The eagles that had circled into position and dropped the stones lost their load. Their flight speed suddenly increased as they left the scene and quickly flew deep into the vast mountains.
The subsequent ones that circled into position also released their vine nets threw the stones at the target location and then followed in flying away.
The over a hundred giant eagles took turns dropping the stones they carried and taking turns withdrawing.
Whistling sounds descended from the sky. Jiang Yinian looked up in shock. Jin Huahai looked up in astonishment. The fog swirled above so they could not see the situation in the air.
That great archer who had seen the aerial scene ran over. Before he could report he sensed something. Just as he looked up a black shadow instantly slapped him to the ground.
Boom!
Flesh and blood flew everywhere. The ground trembled. Horses neighed.
A large stone falling from high altitude had speed that was simply too fast and impact force that was simply too shocking.
If one was not paying attention and failed to dodge in time even true martial level cultivation could not block it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Large stones fell from the sky one after another. The earth rumbled nonstop.
Jiang Yinian suddenly drew his bow and shot an arrow towards the sky. The bowstring released a rainbow shadow.
Whether the Coiling Dragon Bow or the Ink Shadow Bow the bowstrings used were both called rainbow silk. This item was precious. The Ink Shadow Bow used fewer strands twisted into the string. The Coiling Dragon Bow used more strands.
Clang! An explosion sounded in the air above. A large stone in the fog was shot and exploded by Jiang Yinian. Broken stones flew down chaotically.
Jin Huahai waved his large sleeves repeatedly using remote force to sweep away the broken stones.
Fu Zuoxuan inside the carriage drilled out and asked, “What is going on?”
Before he finished speaking among the startled horses that the driver was desperately holding back one horse’s flesh suddenly exploded. It was smashed apart.
Fu Zuoxuan was splashed with flesh and blood all over. He was stunned too.
Jin Huahai flashed over grabbed his arm and flew up into the air with him. They landed under a large tree beside the road and stood pressed against it. This was safer. Even if stones fell from above tree branches could block them a bit at least giving early warning. Plus his protection it could keep escort official Fu Zuoxuan safe.
Jiang Yinian bounced up from the panicked and out-of-control carriage soaring straight up over ten zhang high. He broke through the dense fog layer and clearly saw the giant eagles dropping stones from above. In mid-air he drew his bow fired three arrows at once angrily shooting at the flock of black dots circling in the sky.
This arrow was only to vent anger. As soon as he saw the distance he knew the other side had clearly come prepared. The flying height was a safe height his arrows could not reach.
The entire escort convoy instantly fell into a tragic state.
Orders could not control it. Everyone panicked and scattered looking for places to hide. It was completely chaotic.
Those book boys never dreamed something like this would happen. The person beside them suddenly smashed into meat paste and splattered all over them. What kind of feeling was that? They were scared into crying for parents and running wildly.
Horses startled and ran chaotically. Most were blocked with nowhere to run. Dragging the carriage bodies they could not climb the slopes either.
Constantly horses were smashed with flesh and blood flying. Constantly carriages were destroyed. Constantly people wailed screamed and cried.
Boom!
Yu Qing who was panicking and looking around was suddenly stunned by the huge noise. His ears rang with buzzing. His eyes even saw double from the shock.
A carriage full of screaming people was shaken into a mess. Broken stones smashed everyone into a dusty dirty state. Some had faces cut by fragments. They wailed wildly but could not even hear.
Their carriage was not spared. It was hit by a large stone. The wheels collapsed instantly. The carriage body sat directly on the ground. The floorboards flew apart revealing the complete form of the iron cage imprisoning everyone. Dragging the messy scattered horse it finally had no burden and ran off.
The driver also ran.
Although the people in the carriage were shaken dizzy and confused none had major issues. At most some scratches and bruises. This iron cage imprisoning them was smashed somewhat deformed but in the end it blocked a disaster for them.
Yu Qing shook his head hard tried his best to circulate energy to calm down. Seeing the grey-clothed person guarding outside the cage hesitating whether to leave he quickly stretched out a hand and shouted, “Key, open the door, let us out!”
The grey-clothed person met his eyes then turned his head to look at the tragic scene around. A decisive look flashed in his eyes.
Yu Qing who had forcefully steadied his doubled vision suddenly felt bad. Sure enough the grey-clothed person flashed away abandoning them and went to find a place to hide first.
Yu Qing was just about to open his mouth and curse but was stunned again by a boom. The grey-clothed person had just bounced out when in mid-air he was slapped flat to the ground by a large stone falling from the sky. Head and half the shoulder gone. What luck!
Yu Qing was completely speechless. The hand he stretched out slowly withdrew. The person was gone. Shouting anymore was useless.