The Chronicles of Alibuda, Volume 12: Chapter 7 Internal Strife

The urgent knocking at the door was unsettling; it seemed being an adulterer was no easy feat—even a casual tryst was met with a barrage of interruptions.

I was about to answer when the knocking abruptly stopped, and the person began knocking on the door of the next room, seemingly unsure which room was occupied. This strange situation, coupled with another unusual occurrence, made me realize something was amiss.

Although the air was thick with smoke, a fierce battle was raging outside, and I could vaguely hear various noises. However, one crucial sound was missing

…the sound of people right beneath my feet!

This was the temporary command post; the tower had nine floors. The first seven floors were staff offices, and the ninth floor was my designated restricted area with exclusive offices.

On the eighth floor below us, including Mao Yan'an, there were at least several dozen military personnel. While Yueying and I were making love, various sounds kept coming from below. But when this series of urgent knocks sounded, the area below fell into dead silence; not a sound could be heard, as if… there was no one left alive. This

seemed illogical. Instinctively, I turned to look at Yueying, a few thoughts flashing through my mind.

If a conspirator were launching a terrorist attack, the target would undoubtedly be an important figure, and the First Lady of the Golden Flower Federation would certainly be among the top five most important figures in Sara City. Yueying was now alone, without any guards, making it the perfect opportunity to strike. If I were the enemy, would I waste this chance?

No!

The dozens of military personnel below included several high-ranking officers with excellent martial arts skills, as well as the cunning and treacherous Mao Yan'an. For the enemy to subdue and even kill them so quickly and silently—such formidable strength must belong to a master like Ye Linglan, or perhaps a special forces unit of a major power.

The thought of the perilous situation sent a chill down my spine, my hands clammy with cold sweat. I glanced back at Yueying, and she immediately sensed something was wrong from my expression.

I made a shushing gesture, quietly moved to the door, and drew the Hyakkimaru from my sleeve. Sure enough, the faint smell of blood couldn't be hidden; there was indeed movement outside. For a moment, I didn't know whether to let Yueying hide in the room or fight her way out with me.

I knew my own limitations; I had no confidence in protecting Yueying as we charged out, but there were hundreds of thousands of people in the arena outside. If we alerted them and skilled fighters came to our aid, then we had nothing to fear. The question was, was this also part of the enemy's calculations?

"Little brother, just do what you need to do, don't worry about me."

"Sister, don't worry, I'll protect you with my life!"

Saying these boastful words, even I lacked confidence, I sensed from the tension in the air that someone was about to search this area. Without further thought, I grabbed a chair from the side, smashed the window and threw it out, then led Yueying out through the other door.

"Let's go!"

I didn't expect this little trick to work. The moment I burst through the door, many thoughts raced through my mind, trying to guess the enemy's identity. Ishtar's wizards and the Black Dragon Society's ninja army were the most likely foes. However, what appeared before us was a bizarre sight.

A dozen or so people dressed in white robes in the style of priests, all with strange triangular hoods covering their faces, revealing only pairs of malicious eyes—they looked like cult members. Their robes were trimmed with red thread, as if embroidered with some kind of writing, but I couldn't make it out. Just as I was about to open my eyes wider to see, these guys, upon seeing us emerge, shouted in unison and charged towards us.

"Earth is my home! I want to embrace Earth!"

"Earth... Earth Cult? What the hell?"

I was dumbfounded by this chaotic scene. The Venerable Heart Lamp had mentioned before that in the emerging religions of the Golden Flower Federation, there was a fanatical Earth Cult that firmly believed all humans on Earth came from a celestial body called Earth, and therefore, souls should return to their mother planet to be redeemed. Due to their struggle for religious freedom, they launched a violent rebellion, were declared a cult by the Golden Flower Federation, and were severely suppressed; they had already disintegrated. But why were they here?

My mind was filled with questions, but I couldn't worry about that now. As these dangerous cultists shouted "Embrace Earth!" and charged towards us, I could only brandish the Hundred Demon Pill and rush towards them.

To my surprise, when I came into contact with the Earth cultists, their martial arts skills were shockingly weak. They practically ran up to commit suicide in a clumsy manner; before they could even launch an attack, I sliced off their arms and heads with my incomparably sharp short sword.

Courage is a precious thing, but mere courage is a tragedy. In no time at all, I had subdued this bunch of nonsensical creatures. I was a little worried that Yueying might be frightened by the scene, but I found that my worries were unfounded.

Yueying is a gentle woman, but that doesn't mean she can be bullied easily. Back in the Golden Finch Federation, she didn't practice martial arts, but she learned healing spells from Gao Kuai and diligently practiced basic self-defense techniques. As I swiftly slaughtered these thugs, a few heavily wounded survivors, with their last breath, lunged at her, but she nimbly dodged them, grabbed a chair, and knocked them to the ground with a graceful, butterfly-like movement that was breathtaking to watch.

Despite the perilous scene—blood splattered everywhere, corpses strewn across the ground—Sister Yueying's eyes showed only a faint reluctance and worry, devoid of any trace of terror, and none of the panicked screams that would occur in an ordinary woman facing such a situation. This made me realize that she truly deserved to be the First Lady of the Golden Finch Federation; having witnessed countless grand occasions over the past twelve years, she could handle any unexpected situation with such elegance and composure.

In a few swift movements, the assassins were dealt with as easily as slicing vegetables. I didn't even need to call for help from the arena's experts; I alone garnered all the limelight and credit.

Yueying gently brushed her disheveled hair, then blushed and pressed down on the back of her skirt before quietly asking, "What happened to the people downstairs?"

"I don't know. The worst-case scenario is they've probably all been wiped out."

"How could that be? Even if the others... Ah! Teacher Mao, could you be alright?"

Only heaven knows. If the legendary Oren from the tales were truly here, he wouldn't be able to break in without mobilizing several level-six experts. Unfortunately, Mao Yan'an's strength is far inferior to his fictional character; it would be good enough if he wasn't immediately killed.

The strange situation made me frown. I told her to stay on the ninth floor while I went down to investigate.

When I reached the eighth floor, the scene was truly horrific, though somewhat similar to this place. Corpses were everywhere, lying haphazardly, except this side was filled with Earth cultists, while the other side was littered with our military personnel.

The enemy had been ruthless; these officers were all either dismembered or mangled. I was secretly horrified. Just then, I spotted a survivor barely clinging to life and immediately asked him...

"Hey! What a miserable sight! Where's Mr. Mao... Mr. Oren?"

At my question, the man opened his unfocused eyes, laboriously raised his hand, and slowly pointed to a window on his right. The entire window was shattered, revealing thick smoke and flames outside.

"...The enemy...the enemy appeared...he...he...he..."

"What happened to him?"

"...He...he jumped out the window and escaped!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the unfortunate officer, now only half a body remaining, breathed his last.

I quickly offered a couple of prayers for the deceased, then looked up at the window. There was indeed a large hole there. It seemed the uncle had reacted quickly, realizing something was wrong, and immediately jumped out the window to escape. However, this was the eighth floor. If he was so eager to jump out, his fate wouldn't be much better than these dead corpses.

But something strange remained: I didn't believe these thugs were strong enough to successfully raid this temporary command post. The situation was too bizarre. These people seemed to be placed here to divert attention.

Divert attention?

A feint?

I was suddenly startled and rushed back to the ninth floor, just in time to see several dark figures appear beside Yueying with lightning speed, and she collapsed softly.

These people were also wearing the white robes and triangular hoods of Earth Cultists, but they didn't exude madness; instead, they emanated the aura of masters. From this aura, I knew they were the masterminds behind the attack on the military headquarters. The small fry who had just been killed were merely bait to mislead.

Dealing with such experts wasn't simply a matter of charging in with a sword; I had no choice. If I turned and ran as usual, allowing Sister Yueying to be kidnapped, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

"Stop! Leave her here!"

Having courage without the corresponding strength is a tragedy; but knowing the situation is hopeless and still praying for a miracle is an even greater tragedy. Sometimes I even hate myself for being so accurate in my predictions…

The moment I shouted, one of the men raised an arm, a fierce gust of wind swept through, and I, charging towards them, suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest. I lost my footing, somersaulted backward, crashed into several tables, and collapsed to the ground, my bones aching terribly. I almost fainted.

They defeated me so easily; even the one who attacked seemed surprised. I only heard him exchange a few words with his accomplice.

"...I never imagined...the Farrell family back then...this guy was such a coward...

" "...Rumor has it that the Farrell family's Xuanwu True Skill...the terror of the Source Hall makes one wonder if he's even human...this kid...is just a pretty face..."

"...Blood Nightmare actually died at his hands...bad luck..."

"...Princess..."

The distance was too great for me to hear clearly, but I could still understand their meaning. I propped my throbbing head up, desperately trying to find a way to turn the tide.

That palm strike wasn't particularly powerful; it certainly wouldn't kill someone in one blow. However, to be able to strike like that from mid-air meant I was at least at the fourth level of cultivation, equivalent to a formally qualified knight or mage. With more than one such enemy and no one around to help, what should I do? I

felt a pang of regret. If I had learned a few moves when I returned to Xiu Chu yesterday to learn his ultimate techniques, I might have been able to defend myself now. But since martial arts were useless, I had to pin my hopes on another skill. Counting on my fingers, it's been less than three full moons since I last used the Hellish Lust God technique. However, the last use was unusual; the proper procedure wasn't completed, so my magic recovered quickly, and I can now wield it again.

In a brief moment, I devised a series of tactics, but I wasn't sure if the enemy would fall for it. I had no choice but to take the risk.

"Halt! You damned villains, how dare you run wild in the city of Sara!"

There are over a hundred thousand people outside, and Ryan, Hui Xiuchu, Ye Linglan, and others are no pushovers. Although they've been delayed by the chaos, if I can stall for time, I believe someone will notice something amiss and come to their aid.

With that thought, I stood up and shouted, striking first before the enemy could attack again.

"Ancient gods of lust, I pray to you in the name of John Farrell, guide the power of lust, come forth! Lustful worms!"

The descendants of the Farrell family did not use martial arts, but magic, which seemed quite incredible to them, especially since I was using lustful magic, which was outside the six-color magic system and had never been seen before. When I summoned dozens of lustful worms and scattered them on them, a commotion immediately arose.

I cannot summon lustful beasts of a stronger level, or rather, I dare not. Until now, I have not been able to control the lustful creatures I summon, and the summoned things will instinctively search for female creatures. If I summoned a lustful beast, there is a high chance that it would affect Yueying. In comparison, summoning lustful worms is easier to deal with.

"What is that?"

"Watch out!"

Dozens of lustful worms fell at close range. The enemy had no way to defend against it. In the chaos, I approached him, and with the sharpness of Hyakkimaru, I killed one person. Taking advantage of his pain and withdrawal, I snatched Yueying and ran away.

Even for masters of internal energy cultivation, resisting the effects of the lustful worms is extremely difficult. Yu Hong, possessing level five power, was still tormented by them to the point of near death. Therefore, when the worms successfully landed on them and burrowed into their clothes, I was optimistic about the situation.

However, this didn't last long. Just as I reached the eighth floor, I heard several loud shouts from upstairs, and a slight tingling sensation in my hands told me the worms had been purified and eliminated.

Those people were all martial artists; the only explanation for their ability to purify the worms was that they wore robes blessed with light and incantations, or had runes drawn or tattooed on them. To mobilize a group of level four experts, the organization behind them must be quite large, and with the light-based purification equipment… Could they be from the Golden Finch Federation? Or perhaps some kind of Earth Cult?

The people behind me were swiftly pursuing me; reaching the first-floor exit before them was impossible. I had no choice but to take a risk, carrying Yueying into the seventh floor, closing the door again, kicking aside obstacles, and running towards the window.

"Si... little brother... you..."

A muffled groan escaped Yueying's lips as she regained consciousness. Her intelligence allowed her to quickly grasp my intentions. As we leaned against the window, she simply grabbed my collar, looking at me with a trusting expression.

A commotion arose outside; those people had probably chased after us, but they would likely realize what was happening soon enough and arrive here. I quickly said, "Sister, my martial arts skills aren't good. This place is so high; if I jump down with you in my arms, the consequences might be..."

"You are my... um, I trust your judgment and entrust myself to you."

Perhaps influenced by the perilous situation and her turbulent emotions, Yueying's tone was reserved, but her words were different from usual. Her pretty face was flushed, making her look sexy and alluring, further accelerating my heartbeat. I had to use reason to control myself so my defenses wouldn't crumble.

"Do what you should do. I have nothing more to say. Do you have anything, little brother?"

As if to encourage me, Yueying brushed the stray hairs from my forehead and asked with a smile, her tone as if she were simply taking her younger brother on a picnic.

Footsteps sounded again outside the door. Those people, realizing something was wrong, ran back. I seized the moment, speaking almost breathlessly.

"Yes, I want to ask you a question, sister."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Yueying hadn't expected this question either, blinking, her expression puzzled.

"If twelve years ago, I was in the same situation as today, would you have stayed in Alibuda?"

Before I could even hear Yueying's answer, the door slammed shut behind us. I grabbed Yueying and jumped out the window.

"They got away!"

Amidst the rapid whooshing of the wind, Yueying and I plummeted downwards. A roar erupted above, followed by a sudden sinking sensation as a rope pulled us back down.

This was expected; I had suspected the enemy might be skilled with whips and lassos, so as a precaution, when the rope tightened around me, pulling us back upstairs, I retaliated. My accumulated magic surged forth with the chanting of the incantation:

"Ancient spirits of lust, in the name of John Farrell, I make a pact with you. Lend me your power, submit to me, manifest yourself, come forth, Spider!"

The incantation wasn't pleasant to hear, and I could only pray the wind was loud enough that Yueying hadn't heard it. After I quickly finished the incantation, a giant spider, half a person's height, emerged from the void, abruptly landing at the seventh-floor window, perfectly covering the Earth cultist who had thrown the rope.

"Ahhhhh!"

The attack was sudden. When the venomous spider silk was sprayed at close range, the man was completely defenseless. He clutched his face and head, which were being corroded by the poisonous silk, and let out a horrifying scream. Then, with a pinch and twist from the Water-Fire Demon Spider's two claws, his body was split in two. The

Water-Fire Demon Spider sprayed venomous spider silk again, but the range was not wide, at most two or three feet. The power to injure a person was not strong, but it was enough to make things difficult for the Earth cultists on the seventh floor.

The summoned beast of the Hellish God of Lust was my strongest and last resort, but I could not properly control it, and the magic power to maintain its appearance was insufficient. Therefore, I could not rely on it to fight the enemy head-on, but could only create a suitable opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.

The appearance of the demon spider also broke the ropes binding me. Yueying and I fell straight down again, but this time the situation was different. Several strands of spider silk flew down in time, wrapping around my arms and shoulders, bearing the force of the rapid descent, and slowly lowering us down.

Just before we landed, the third-floor window shattered, and two Earth cultists stormed in—the lucky ones who hadn't made it to the seventh floor. We were too close; I was holding onto Sister Yueying in my arms, defenseless, and about to be struck!

Just before their hands touched my body, my entire body trembled violently, my limbs spasmed, and then their figures blurred, two faint silhouettes appearing and shooting eastward. Among

the dark magic techniques for controlling the undead, there's an extremely advanced summoning technique called "Soul Devouring," which can forcibly suck the soul of a living person out of their body. I'd only heard of it, never actually seen it on the battlefield.

Now, this technique was unfolding before our eyes. The two Earth cultists must have had some kind of light-based protective measure, yet they were still powerless against it, their souls forcibly sucked out of their bodies in an instant. The caster was definitely a master of dark magic.

Two empty, soulless bodies fell clumsily to the ground, unresponsive, becoming our cushions as we landed. As soon as my feet touched solid ground, I gently placed Sister Yueying down and immediately looked around, searching for someone.

"It's good you two are safe and sound. Otherwise, if this were attributed to Ishtar, we would be truly wronged!"

With this charming laugh, a bewitching and alluring figure, Narcissus, slowly emerged from the thick smoke. I never imagined that among so many experts, this woman would be the first to sense the anomaly and come to our aid. Although she had resolved our crisis, there was no guarantee she wouldn't try anything more. I gripped my sword, assuming a defensive stance, yet knew it was utterly futile.

"Narcissus, is that you? Thank you."

Unlike my wariness, Yueying seemed quite familiar with this enchantress, struggling to get up from my arms and greeting her affectionately. To my astonishment, Yueying briefly explained that Narcissus's Zhumo Opera Troupe had performed several times in the Golden Flower Federation in the past. Admiring the troupe's magnificent performances, she had specifically asked Narcissus to teach her dance, and the two had thus developed a personal relationship.

This was truly unexpected, but compared to the "personal relationship" reason, Narcissus's additional explanation was more convincing.

Apparently, just as those scorpion-like giants suddenly went berserk, spewing thick smoke, several envoys from a small border country suddenly stood up, shouting insults and threatening to teach everyone present a lesson. Then, a massive explosion occurred.

The source of the explosion was the concentrated magical elements buried within the envoys' bodies. These concentrated elements, usually used in powerful magical weapons, possessed immense explosive power. With several people having this substance buried within them, the simultaneous explosion was almost like playing with fire next to a powder keg.

The human bombs were scattered across several different locations in the stands, indistinguishable in the thick smoke. The situation was incredibly tense. Ryan Buffett was the first to strike, darting back from the pincer movement of the giant beasts. With his strength surpassing level six, he wielded his Lion King Golden Sword, swiftly slaying the two closest to him like a whirlwind, sending their remains flying into the air with a gentle force.

The movements were simple, yet contained profound martial arts skill. Had he hesitated even slightly, been slow, or used the wrong force, the human bombs would have exploded immediately, causing massive damage. At that moment, only four people could coordinate with him:

Ryan's bodyguard, Hui Xiuchu; the Second Princess of our country, Ye Linglan; the Elf Prince of Solancia, Lunfiel; and the witch Narcissus of Ishtar. The four acted with incredible speed, swiftly and decisively killing the human bombs with their own methods, then blasting their remains into the air, creating several shockwaves.

But the story didn't end there. After the obviously manipulated suicide bombers were eliminated, several groups of assassins appeared from different directions, using the thick smoke as cover to attack neighboring nations, killing, setting fires, and even absurdly attacking each other.

This planned conspiracy made the scene even more chaotic, but while Ryan, Ye Linglan, and others were busy killing the assassins and controlling the situation, Narcissa was the first to realize the potential danger faced by an important figure who was not present.

"Anyone who wants to launch a terrorist attack will never ignore the existence of Lady Yueying. Unfortunately, with this conspiracy breaking out today, some people will definitely think that Ishtar was the mastermind. Before these accusations rise, I need to do some things to clear my name. Otherwise, what am I supposed to do if President Ryan lets these ugly monsters trample on Ishtar?"

As the saying goes, those in the same profession recognize each other. Narcissa, who also came from a background of intrigue and scheming, timely prevented a conspiracy from happening. This was her explanation, and even if I had doubts, I wouldn't question her at this time.

Basically, I don't believe Ishtar wasn't involved in today's chaos, but rather that it was the result of multiple forces intertwined and operating. After all, with such a large-scale event, several hostile forces must have intended to sabotage the event, only initially intimidated by the appearance of the scorpion-like behemoth and dared not act rashly.

The behemoth's disturbance and loss of control were purely accidental, but they caused several hesitant forces to simultaneously decide to launch a terrorist attack. Some self-destructed, some drew their swords, and some set fires. The scene suddenly turned into such a chaotic spectacle that even our assassin group was probably startled. The most obvious evidence is that when several terrorist groups met, they actually fought each other.

"There's a saying in the Temple of Light: 'Seeing someone off to the afterlife.' Today is a lucky day for everyone. Follow me!" In this special moment, Narcissa acted very generously, her crimson cloak billowing as she led the way, rushing into the thick smoke.

The witch of Ishtar was truly extraordinary. Danger lurked everywhere in the thick smoke; we had barely advanced a few steps before being attacked, but she easily dealt with us. From behind, I only saw her move like the wind, but her methods were bizarre; I couldn't understand how she managed to kill her enemies.

Normally, mages are mostly physically weak and slow-moving, and they also need to chant incantations, so if I get close, I can easily see their movements. However, Narcissus is an exception. Besides being a high-level dark mage, she is also an excellent warrior. With my abilities alone, I simply cannot catch her movements with the naked eye.

In the thick smoke, Narcissus fought her way through, and I don't know how many enemies she felled, whether they were dead or alive. Just as we were about to enter the building for temporary shelter, a gun and a spear suddenly thrust out, silently and skillfully. I don't know which terrorist group it was.

They were lucky to have chosen the noble but delicate Yueying, but encountering Narcissus was the greatest misfortune of their lives.

"Soul-devouring Flames, go!"

With a flick of her sleeves, a pair of unusually pale wrists swiftly touched two longswords. The next instant, black flames, seemingly from hell, engulfed the enemies and their weapons. A cacophony of screams and crackling flames filled the air. Two formidable enemies, without even a chance to show themselves, were reduced to ashes by the black fire.

"Black fire?"

I was somewhat surprised, as black fire holds a rather special place in black magic. Narcissa's ability to cultivate black fire was quite unexpected.

"Don't be surprised. This little skill isn't worth General Farrell's astonishment."

Hearing my voice, Narcissa didn't turn around, but her words revealed her ill intent.

"The same thing that magician you've been hiding in your house can do. You're used to it; there's no need for you to be particularly surprised!"

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/46202.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=46202&aspx=1

Previous Page : "Touching the Jade" - Chapter Fifty-Seven

Next Page : Chapter 188 of Ten Scenes Satin

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

The Chronicles of Alibuda, Volume 12: Chapter 7 Internal Strife

comment Open a new window to view comments