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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 14: Refugees
Ji Zichen approached the head of the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog and removed the Vajra from its right eye. Returning to Lin Chuyu's side, Kiko said, "Good thing you targeted its right eye; otherwise, I wouldn't have made it in time."
Lin Chuyu broke into a cold sweat, but now that the crisis was averted, she smiled and replied, "What do you mean 'good thing'? This was all part of my plan as a heroine."
Ji Zichen chuckled at Lin Chuyu's words. "Yes, yes, you are indeed a great heroine."
Lin Chuyu took the Vajra from Kiko and, dropping the playful tone, said, "Now that the rift is closed, Brother Ji, we need to find a way to eliminate these remaining Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs."
Ji Zichen shared the same thought. With no new Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs emerging, dealing with the remaining ones would not be simple but also not too difficult. Kiko glanced toward the other end of the field and saw the militia and villagers surrounding the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs. However, they did not approach too closely; instead, they moved around the perimeter with bows and long weapons, keeping their distance while facing off against the frogs.
One of the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs attempted to break through the encirclement. A militia member thrust his spear forward, pushing it back. He shouted, "Stay alert! Don't let them escape; once they scatter, they'll be hard to deal with."
The others quickly understood and tightened their formation around the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs.
Ji Zichen stood still, intently watching the standoff between humans and frogs. The long spears created a trench-like barrier between them, but neither side dared to advance; they only engaged in minor skirmishes. Kiko leaned toward Lin Chuyu and said, "Although we have temporarily contained the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs, if we don't find a way to kill them soon, we'll wear ourselves out."
"They're coming," Lin Chuyu warned Kiko as five militia members who had previously transported the injured approached her. "Have all those injured been sent out?" Kiko asked them.
One of the militia members nodded. "Yes, they've all been taken care of." As these five militia members entered the field, they were met with an overwhelming sense of evil in the air—the stench of decaying Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs that had died in the field wafted around them. Some militia members caught sight of the dead frogs out of the corner of their eyes—not out of fear but disgust.
One militia member asked, "What should we do now? There are quite a few of these Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs."
Kiko replied, "Well, our top priority is to ensure these Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs don't escape. If they get into the woods, it'll be difficult to catch them."
The Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs were uncertain about how these humans would deal with them. Noticing that no magical tools were being used against them anymore, they sensed that this sharp and glaring object posed significantly less threat than before. The villagers' magical tools seemed to drain their energy rather than pose any real danger to the frogs.
The villagers simply did not want to waste their magical artifacts recklessly. Suddenly, one of the villagers spotted a Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog attempting to escape in the opposite direction. This villager held a brocade box containing Ice Thorns that resembled needles. Seeing the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog rushing toward the gap, the villager quickly took out three Ice Thorns from the box and tossed them into the air.
The three Ice Thorns glimmered with a dazzling chill as they fell from above, piercing the fleeing Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog. With a thud, the frog was impaled and collapsed to the ground, shaking the earth beneath it. As soon as this Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog died, chaos erupted among the others in the circle, causing them to scatter in all directions.
Without any clear purpose, the remaining Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs charged toward the villagers. The Militia were taken aback; how could they dare confront these creatures head-on? They all jumped aside, and with the opening created, the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs dispersed in search of an opportunity to attack Yu Ren.
One by one, the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs lunged at those in the front row. Some concentrated their attacks in specific areas, while others spread out chaotically. Some extended their long tongues to lash at nearby villagers, while others exhaled misty clouds, but none inflicted any harm on those defending themselves.
The Militia began to fight back vigorously. Some villagers launched ice spears to pierce through the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs, while others unleashed flames to incinerate them. With spears and arrows flying, six of the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs fell dead or severely injured in an instant.
Ji Zichen noticed that their encirclement had been breached and realized that such chaotic fighting would cause significant damage. He immediately stepped forward and saw one of the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs attempting to counterattack. Ji Zichen quickly ordered, "Fall back! Expand the circle! We must not let them break through!"
Everyone nodded in agreement and quickly retreated to widen their encirclement. The remaining ten Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs found themselves surrounded again. They began to panic, unsure of where to counterattack. Together, they engaged in futile resistance, but their chaotic attempts proved powerless.
The third charge of the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs was once again suppressed by the villagers.
"Hold them off!" Ji Zichen shouted. "Change direction! Take them down one by one!"
As more Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs fell, the pressure on everyone eased. Before long, as they relentlessly pursued their prey and tightened their encirclement, the remaining frogs had nowhere left to stand. At that moment, one of the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs seemed to have gained some cunning; it suddenly collided with a nearby frog, causing it to lose control and roll toward a Militia member on its right.
"Get out of the way!" Ji Zichen yelled.
Two Militia members failed to dodge in time and were knocked down by this rogue Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog. With their fall creating an opening, this clever frog dashed through it and escaped outside.
"Stop it!" a villager shouted through gritted teeth. "It's heading toward the village!"
The village was certainly empty now since all villagers had retreated outside, but who knew if this Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog would head toward where other villagers were? Ji Zichen instructed the new Militia members to stay in the fields and help deal with the remaining Hundred-Scaled Sun Frogs while he and Lin Chuyu chased after the escaping creature.
Ji Zichen was puzzled about how the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog managed to use its companions' bodies to crash into the Militia and create a gap, causing chaos as it dashed into the village.
"Brother Ji, it's over here!" Lin Chuyu pointed to a section of the fence that had been knocked down by the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog.
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "What a clever Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog!"
Of course, no one answered this question. For a moment, Ji Zichen was filled with intense confusion, recalling the Divine Clan. Could it be that all the Demon Beasts emerging from the cracks were like this?
After a brief adjustment, Ji Zichen followed closely behind. In the fields, the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog had ultimately been killed by the villagers.
Once the Militia had slain the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog in the fields, they all rushed back to the village, stepping over collapsed fences and chicken coops that had been trampled during the frog's frantic escape.
Then they noticed some dead chickens on the ground. They were already exhausted from dealing with the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog in the fields, but they couldn't afford to stop now.
"That Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog runs so fast!" one villager exclaimed. "It must not escape out of the village!"
Just as he finished speaking, something unexpected happened—a fire dragon soared down from over twenty yards away and crashed to the ground. The direction of the fire dragon was met with gasps from the villagers, followed by applause.
Ji Zichen acted swiftly, using the fire dragon to strike down the Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog before it could escape outside the village and evade their attacks. This earned him applause from the villagers. Ji Zichen smiled gently at them, feeling relieved.
Looking at the lifeless Hundred-Scaled Sun Frog, Ji Zichen remarked, "This is the last one."
---
Wei Deputy returned to Qingyang City to inform Prince Huixin about what he had seen outside the city—refugees wandering about. After hearing this, Prince Huixin fell silent for a long time. He understood all too well the terrifying fate that awaited the Desolate Central Plain if it fell into the hands of the Arbitrator. The thought made him shudder.
Countless refugees loitered outside the city; some entered Qingyang City while others moved farther away. The sheer number of refugees made it even more challenging for Wei Deputy to reorganize his forces. However, thanks to Prince Huixin's capable leadership, everything remained orderly.
Prince Huixin ordered a check on all supplies, especially food and drink, and then distributed the items. He was under no obligation to help them, yet he had chosen to do so. The refugees did not understand Prince Huixin's situation; some complained about not receiving what they were entitled to, and that what they did receive was insufficient. However, when they were met with a fierce glare from Qingyang City, everyone fell silent.
Of course, the complaints reached Prince Huixin's ears, but he paid them no mind. He, along with Wei Deputy and the soldiers in the city, did their best to serve these refugees. Prince Huixin arranged for them to stay in a cleared area and took time to patrol and occasionally stop to talk with them.
After a few days in the city, the refugees learned of Prince Huixin's difficulties. When they saw him come to inspect their situation, regardless of age or status, they welcomed him warmly. Prince Huixin could see the expressions of genuine gratitude on their faces as he passed by, even if it was just for a fleeting moment.
He understood that what these refugees wanted was quite simple. As the lord of the city, his assistance came with its own motives; he sought to gain a good reputation. Although this might seem calculating, he needed to rebuild his army, and reputation was far more valuable than silver.
Among the refugees, Prince Huixin noticed a girl curled up on a straw mat, around four years old. She looked pitifully half-reclined, her gaze vacant and dazed.
He squatted beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl suddenly moved, her eyes coming back to life as she stared at him like a startled animal.
"Don't be scared," Prince Huixin said gently. He signaled to a soldier behind him to bring her a jug of water. The girl was extremely thirsty and drank eagerly from the jug. Prince Huixin waited patiently for her to finish before asking, "What is your name?"
After a moment's hesitation, she replied, "I... I am Chen Yushan."
Prince Huixin murmured her name softly, "Chen Yushan? Your name has the character for 'feather' in it. I once knew a girl whose name also contained that character; I wonder how she is doing now."
The girl stared wide-eyed at Prince Huixin but remained silent.
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