Siege on the Quiton Gates (4)

"I swear I'll kill him…" Her expression was so dangerous that no one said a word. They looked away awkwardly like children facing a raging adult. It was incredibly tense.

Eventually, Unit Commander Duan coughed. "Perhaps, we should get back on topic. We can worry about the Shui Family later."

"You're right. Our battle takes priority," she exhaled. Closing her eyes for a moment, she adjusted her attitude to one befitting of the Third-In-Command of the Xingyuu Empire's armies. Her calm had been restored. She asked, "Any activity from the kingdom's camp?"

"No signs of an imminent attack."

"What about Princess Elizabeth, the Imperial Princesses, or anyone of note?"

"Unknown. We haven't spotted them since their appearance."

"And the Li Family? Are riots prevalent in their territory too?"

"Preliminary reports suggest it's possible."

"Unit Commander Haea, you're not suggesting they betrayed us, are you?" General Tang wondered.

"I wouldn't put it past that man," she snorted. Lord Fengji's takeover of the Li Family's elder council told her enough. He was the type of person to do anything to get ahead!

"At this point, we should forget about defense and directly attack the kingdom's army. They can't unleash their spells once our armies are entangled. Staying on the defense only gives them the advantage," General Goumeng said.

"I agree. That might be our only option… Notify the Li Family. I want their forces at the Tailong River to attack immediately. We'll launch our own attack within the hour!"

"Reporting! We've spotted a flying ship approaching us from the south! They're expected to arrive in less than ten minutes!"

"What?"

"The Featherwind Sect is here?"

"It's always problem after problem… Why now?" Unit Commander Haea clicked her tongue. "Alert the soldiers and prepare for a possible attack! Do not engage unless necessary! I want to see what they have planned."

"They helped us in Guanhuang against the Sword King and the Alzar Kingdom. Are they not our allies?" General Tang asked.

"No, I've received confirmation from the Imperial Council. They are not our allies; however, the question remains whether they are enemies or not. It'd be ideal if we could use them against the Alzar Kingdom again."

Ten minutes passed quickly and soon the various armies saw a heavily damaged flying ship appearing in the sky. It moved with obvious difficulty, shattering the image of a lofty and awe-inspiring creation. One wondered how it might fly at all when it fell apart at the seams. It seemed to rain down debris with every movement. Although it was a Superior Noble Grade ship, the battle with Commander Infernal Witch King and the Sword King clearly pushed it to its limits! Some people even felt sorry for them. Regardless, the ship moved over the Quiton Gates and slowly landed in the open square. Upon closer inspection, it looked very much identical to a normal ship found anywhere except for a few outstanding features. Thousands of soldiers surrounded the craft with their weapons at the ready. They could attack at a moment's notice! Yet, the five birds onboard were not particularly concerned as they flew down. The sight of these gargantuan-sized birds terrified many of the soldiers, but their training kept them steady.

Elder Argo spoke in the human tongue, "We wish to speak to your leaders about the Alzar Kingdom."

The commander on site summoned his courage and asked, "What do you wish to speak about exactly? I'll need more details before I can pass your message along."

"It's about the Sword King. I believe we can come to an arrangement."

"…Very well. I will let them know."

Meanwhile, Unit Commander Haea and the others received the news. General Goumeng was the first to say, "This feels like a trap. We shouldn't listen to them."

"I feel the same. The timing is too coincidental." Unit Commander Duan nodded. "Not to mention, we haven't seen the Sword King, so there's a chance he hasn't recovered from the battle in Guanhuang yet. We shouldn't need to involve ourselves with an unknown variable."

"I disagree. If there's a chance to use them, then we should. Any help they provide would help lower our casualties," General Tang retorted. "Remember, we still don't have a counterstrategy against the Ten Dawns. They could fit that role."

"We've dealt with the Ten Dawns before. They're nothing special," General Goumeng stated. "We don't need the Featherwind Sect's help."

"And what if the Sword King returns? What will you do then?"

"I refuse to believe we can't best him."

"Belief is one thing, but facts are another. He's shown the ability to destroy an entire city. Are you sure you want to take that gamble? Besides, there's people aside from the Ten Dawns that pose a threat to us like the Sword King's disciples or Princess Elizabeth. We should maximize any chances we have. That's what it means to be a general, does it not?"

"Why you…"

"General Tang is right. Although aligning ourselves with the Featherwind Sect sounds risky, the threat offered by the Alzar Kingdom is greater. Let's hear what they have to say and decide after that," Unit Commander Haea concluded.

The five birds waited patiently for fifteen minutes before the generals arrived, surrounded by a congregation of Imperial Sentinels. It was clear they had no intention of moving to a more private location. What more, they also showed no intention of closing the gap either, as they stood outside the encirclement of soldiers. It looked very much like an execution than a negotiation!

With the full attention of thousands of soldiers at the ready, the woman said, "I am Unit Commander Haea Li, the Third-In-Command of the Xingyuu Empire's Tai Feng Army and commander of the northern theatre. I apologize for our behavior, but we will discuss matters here. What does the Featherwind Sect wish to speak about?"

"What about the others?" Elder Argo asked. He gestured vaguely with his wing.

"Unit Commander Duan Fong."

"General Goumeng Bingwen of the Jun Family."

"General Tang Guiren of the Jian Family."

"General…" The introductions continued for the other Army Generals. All together, there were two Unit Commanders and eight Army Generals, in addition to General Goumeng and General Tang who held unique positions. They were the highest authorities in the armies!

"Are you satisfied now?" Unit Commander Haea glanced the birds.

"Yes, very." Elder Argo showed something akin to a smile. "I apologize for this as well, but… you won't be leaving here!"

On his command, the birds behind him moved. Elder Terus's wings formed a cage as they touched, manifesting a vortex of Magic Energy inside. Four Magic Circles appeared simultaneously, two smaller ones between his wings, and two larger ones in the surrounding sky and ground. Bloodline Ability: Starry Caged Sky activated! The Quiton Gates disappeared, replaced by an endless expanse of stars. Next, Elder Ludin conjured multiple barriers outside the spell to reinforce the exterior while Elder Argo and Crus acted. Although the Imperial Sentinels reacted in less than a fraction of a second, their means were simply insufficient.

The two birds swept out with their wings, creating a hundred invisible razor-sharp blades of wind infused with Martial Energy. They crossed the square in an instant, sliced through metal like paper, and descended upon the Imperial Sentinels! The sentinels' expressions were fixed in disbelief and horror as their heads tumbled through the air, creating beautiful plumes of red mist. None of them could lift a single finger in retaliation. All of them died! Their heads rolled near the feet of those spared namely Unit Commander Haea, Duan, General Goumeng, Tang, and the eight other Army Generals, who stepped back out of panic. Sadly, they were thoroughly isolated from their soldiers outside. No one else was present except for the Featherwind Sect! Before the generals could say a word, Elder Unvo appeared behind them like a ghost. The twelve then fell unconscious after inhaling a strange mist. It was over!

On the outside, the commander on site panicked. They were having a discussion with the Featherwind Sect one second and a strange opaque wall appeared to isolate the generals the next second! Anyone could tell it was a hostile act! The commander hastily ordered an attack, sending thousands of soldiers forward! They attacked Elder Ludin's barriers from every angle, but the barriers were tougher than they looked. After all, they were the same barriers that could withstand the Sword King's strike. A sword would hardly leave a dent on its surface. However, the strength of a thousand people could not be underestimated either. Elder Ludin was only a Medium Condensed Drop Core Arcanist in the end! Bang! The barriers shattered under the combined pressure and opened the way forward. The commander was about to order the generals' rescues when he froze, as did everyone else. Where was supposed to be the generals, the Imperial Sentinels, the Featherwind Sect, and their ship was nothing… They were gone without a trace! The square was completely empty!