Hearing the servant's call, Du Cheng (杜承 - protagonist's name) quickly put on his clothes and pushed the door open, stepping outside.
Outside the door, besides the servant, stood a household general (家将 - a type of personal guard or retainer in a wealthy household). Du Cheng had seen him before; he was a trusted aide by City Lord Norton's (诺顿城主 - City Lord Norton, Norton was introduced in Ch 42) side.
"General (将军 - a form of address for the household general), what exactly is the situation outside?"
The household general said, "His Eminence Zig (齐格 - a character's name) is using words to delay his opponent, buying time for the commoners to hide underground. However, they will fight sooner or later! Young Master, quickly pack your essentials, then follow me to the underground secret chamber (地下密室 - a hidden room, often for refuge) to hide. The ground level is no longer safe!"
"Hide underground? What if there's an earthquake, like the ones two months ago?"
"That won't happen! The City Lord said that His Eminence Zig will lead the battle into the air this time, so losses can be minimized! Oh dear, Young Master, please hurry! When they start fighting in the sky later, any stray fireball or water blast that drops down could smash and kill a large number of people!"
Du Cheng felt a little strange hearing this. This was a battle in the God of Combat World (斗神世界 - the setting of the novel), so why did it feel like an air raid from his previous life? Did they need to hide in underground shelters?
But he quickly felt relieved after a second thought. No matter how ineffective Zig might seem, he was still a Level 10 Invested Title God of Combat (十级封号斗神 - indicating the highest rank in the God of Combat system). If he fought with his life on the line, 'heaven collapses and earth cracks' (天崩地裂 - a description of immense power/devastation) was entirely possible. And the guy outside who "shouted every three minutes" could command ten thousand pythons to attack; anyone could figure out with their toes that he was a tough nut to crack.
If these two fought, it would definitely be a spectacular scene of a meteorite hitting the earth.
Thinking of this, Du Cheng no longer delayed. He quickly called out to Aliza (阿里扎 - a character's name) next door to pack his valuables, especially the box where he stored his personal items—the Horned War Hammer (羊角战锤 - a sacred artifact introduced in Ch 43) and the necklace given by the Flaying God of Combat (剥皮斗神 - seemingly a powerful or divine figure) were all inside!
After Aliza came out, hugging the box with one hand and carrying a large basket full of dried beef with the other, the household general disregarded etiquette and grabbed Du Cheng's hand, "Young Master, quickly follow me!"
"Wait a moment!" Du Cheng's heart suddenly clenched, and he sharply shouted, "Where is my Big Brother? He hasn't come back yet!"
"Young Master Steve (史蒂夫 - a character's name, introduced in Ch 42), after securing the statue, has already taken the City Lord's protective sacred artifact and is hiding nearby in a commoner's basement (地下室 - a basement or underground room). You can rest assured!"
Du Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and followed the household general to the inner courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion with peace of mind. In this world, he only had three close relatives: Old Foye (老福耶 - a character's name), Aliza, and Big Brother Steve. These three people absolutely could not be in danger.
Along the way, they saw the elderly, weak, women, and children of the City Lord's Mansion all taking refuge in the basements, while the able-bodied men in the mansion were running outwards. Were they going to assist in defending the city?!
The household general led Du Cheng to a secluded room in the inner courtyard, opened a floor panel, and sent them into a secret chamber five or six meters deep underground.
The secret chamber was not large, only about a dozen square meters. In the center was a set of tables and chairs, a bed, and a cabinet full of food and daily necessities.
After settling Du Cheng, the household general pointed to a glowing metal sphere hanging from the ceiling of the secret chamber, instructing, "Young Master, this has His Eminence Zig's Dou Qi (斗气 - Battle Qi/spiritual energy, a common power source in cultivation novels) imbued in it; it can also keep you safe!" With that, the household general turned and climbed the ladder leading to the exit.
"Hey, aren't you staying?!" Du Cheng called out to him.
"Young Master Francis (弗朗西斯少爷 - Du Cheng's assumed identity), the main commander besieging the city is tied up with His Eminence Zig, but there are still many pythons, aren't there? Heh heh, besides bringing you to this secret chamber, I've come back to gather my brothers and head to the city wall to deal with those pythons!"
So, he had come back to find reinforcements. It seemed the pressure outside the city was immense, necessitating the mobilization of the City Lord's personal guards!
Wait a minute. If the skilled personal guards of the City Lord's Mansion were all transferred out, wouldn't there be far fewer guards watching the demoness?
Let's probe a little!
Thinking of this, Du Cheng adopted a concerned expression and instructed with worry, "By the way, General, the pythons outside the city are here to rescue that demoness. You must remind the guards watching the demoness to be careful! Maybe a few pythons will sneak in to rescue the demoness!"
The household general smiled. Although Du Cheng's reminder was meaningless, it sounded completely sincere, which made him feel a little more favorably towards Du Cheng.
"Rest assured, Young Master. Actually, there are no guards at all beside that demoness, because His Eminence Zig sealed the demoness with his sacred artifact (圣器 - a powerful artifact)! With His Eminence Zig's sacred artifact there, why would we need guards? Heh heh, there's almost no one in the world who can forcibly break His Eminence Zig's sacred artifact seal!"
Hearing this, Du Cheng nearly slapped himself hard across the face.
Damn it, so that girl didn't even have a single guard beside her, just a sacred artifact. Yet he had been constantly calculating how to bypass the guards to rescue her.
Yes, this was the God of Combat World. A sacred artifact seal placed by a Level 10 God of Combat, even if he did it while severely injured, was more effective than ten thousand ordinary guards. With this, indeed, no more guards were needed.
Alas, he had already heard Zig say his sacred artifact was used to seal the demoness earlier. It was a pity he was too caught up in his bone transformation... He should have thought of this possibility sooner!
Du Cheng quickly summarized this experience.
Seeing Du Cheng's slightly frustrated look, the household general thought he was feeling bored because his suggestion was meaningless. So he comforted him, "Young Master, your suggestion was still very good, you just overlooked some things you aren't skilled in—wanting to break a sacred artifact seal is not much easier than forcibly making a sacred artifact recognize you as its master. Right now, let alone the opponent outside the city not being able to find the demoness's location, even if he did find it, he would need to defeat His Eminence Zig first. Otherwise, he simply cannot break the seal and rescue the demoness."
"Therefore, Young Master, you don't need to worry about someone attacking the City Lord's Mansion to rescue the demoness before His Eminence Zig is defeated, because that would be meaningless."
The household general finished speaking quickly, then climbed up the ladder and out of the secret chamber. "Time is urgent, I cannot say more. If I can return alive, I am willing to discuss the knowledge of sacred artifact seals with you anytime. Heh heh, though hope is slim..."
"May God Siglu (西格鲁 - a deity or important figure's name, introduced in Ch 43) bless you!" Du Cheng shouted loudly at his retreating back. This household general was a good person. Putting aside the factors of The Scripture, to save such a good person from dying in the flames of war, he should also save that woman, thereby resolving the conflict.
Moreover, right now everyone in the city, except for the soldiers, was hiding in the basements! This was truly a heaven-sent opportunity to save someone!
Although Zig's sacred artifact prison might cause some trouble, what was Du Cheng's nickname?
Unlocks Everything! (无锁不开 - indicating his mastery of thievery and bypassing security)
"Young Master, what's wrong?" Aliza was still confused, looking puzzled. "Is there going to be a fight?"
"It's nothing, Aliza, sit down first! Listen to me!" Du Cheng punched Aliza's chest, gesturing for him to sit, then instructed, "I need to go out for a bit. You are not allowed to ask why. If anyone comes while I'm away, just say I forgot to bring my God of Combat Academy admission notice and I've gone to get it now."
"Oh, Aliza understands!" He squatted in the corner, holding the box and dried beef, and remained silent.
Du Cheng stared at the entrance and pondered for a moment, estimating that the household general had gone far away and the ground level of the City Lord's Mansion was now empty. He climbed up the ladder and out of the opening.
Once out, Du Cheng took advantage of the empty ground, channeled his lotus inner energy at full power, and sprinted towards the statue within the mansion. However, his eyes constantly scanned the sky. As soon as battle began overhead, or any abnormal sight appeared, he would run back without hesitation—his current speed allowed him to do so easily.
Fortunately, Zig's verbal skills were impressive; he was still casually chatting with his opponent, delaying for time. The battle had not yet begun.
Arriving at the courtyard, the Siglu statue here had surprisingly not been secured. It seemed the household generals within the City Lord's Mansion were truly in a panic.
After confirming once again that no one was nearby, Du Cheng hid behind a wall, staring at the statue from a distance. He summoned his three lotus magic treasures (仙家法宝 - magical items used by immortals, introduced in Ch 44), then used his inner energy to forcefully send them flying out.
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