prynovel Chapter 11: Shadow Cat's Night Raid
Chapter 11: Shadow Cat's Night Raid
"Meow—!"
Almost at the same moment the stone hit the ground, a sharp, piercing meow, filled with the fury and greed of a startled cat, suddenly rang out from the shadows!
The next moment, more than a dozen dark figures shot out like an enraged swarm of bees or arrows released from a bow, from behind the broken wall, among the rubble, and from the shadows of the dead trees!
They're so fast!
Under the dim light of the blood moon, only blurry, streamlined gray-black shadows could be seen, moving so fast that they produced a slight whooshing sound as they passed through the air!
It was about the size of a mongrel, covered in short, dull fur that almost absorbed light, blending perfectly into the night. Only its eyes shone with a cold, eerie green light in the darkness, like flickering will-o'-the-wisps!
With its lithe and long limbs and sharp claws, it kicked up a trail of tiny sparks when it stomped on the hard ground!
It's Nightshade Cat Beast!
Moreover, judging by the number, there are as many as fifteen or sixteen!
If Xuan Tianyi hadn't given them a warning in advance and startled them with stones, forcing them to act prematurely, the consequences would have been unimaginable if these beasts had silently infiltrated the crowd and gotten close!
With their speed and sharp claws, they can cause massive casualties in an instant!
"Enemy attack! It's Shadow Cat! All personnel on high alert! Form a circular formation! Protect the civilians!"
Liu Ruyan's reaction was astonishingly fast!
The doubt and mockery on his face vanished the moment the cat-beast appeared and howled, replaced by an icy coldness and a resolute determination as firm as a rock!
She didn't even have time to think about whether Xuan Tianyi's divination was true or false, a coincidence or genuine ability; her body had already reacted correctly before her consciousness could!
The cold shout, like ice beads falling on a jade plate, clearly echoed throughout half of the camp!
At the same time, her cyan figure shot out like a real cyan lightning bolt!
Its explosive power and speed were in no way inferior to those cat-like beasts known for their agility!
Even worse!
"Zheng—!"
A clear, melodious sword cry, like a dragon's roar, suddenly rang out, drowning out the howls of the cat-beast!
The seemingly ordinary standard-issue longsword in her hand suddenly came out of its sheath, drawing a cold arc of light under the blood moonlight!
A pale red sword light, imbued with a chilling aura, burst forth like a crescent moon, slashing precisely at the two cat-beasts charging at the forefront with the most cunning attack angle!
The sword energy was sharp and carried a chilling killing intent, which made the air temperature seem to drop a few degrees!
The battle erupted in an instant! Without any pause!
"roar!"
"squeak--!"
The cat-beasts' assassinations were swift and cunning; they seemed enraged by the premature exposure, and their attacks became even more frenzied!
Gray shadows pounced from all sorts of incredible angles, their sharp claws flashing coldly in the night, aiming straight for the throats and hearts of the soldiers and refugees!
It was so fast that it left only a blur on the retina!
Although the patrol soldiers were well-trained, they immediately formed ranks upon hearing the warning, with their long spears pointing outwards like a forest and their shields protecting their vitals.
However, faced with this sudden attack and the cat-beast's absolute speed advantage, they were momentarily flustered, their formation was slightly scattered, and they were in grave danger!
The sounds of metal clashing, claws scraping against shields, soldiers' angry shouts, and cat-like beasts' shrieks filled the air in an instant!
The refugees nearby, who had been awakened, screamed in terror and, like a flock of frightened sheep, scrambled inwards in a chaotic scene, pushing and shoving each other.
However, Liu Ruyan's presence was like a stabilizing force in a chaotic torrent, or a bolt of blue lightning tearing through the night sky!
Her movements were graceful and agile, like a fairy dancing under the moon or a butterfly flitting among flowers. Every time, she narrowly avoided the cat beast's lightning-fast pounce.
The longsword in his hand was no longer a sword, but transformed into streaks of light that chased and killed, precisely, ruthlessly, and efficiently targeting the cat-beast's eyes, joints, throat, and other vulnerable points!
Wherever the sword light passes, cat-beasts will writhe and retreat with miserable howls, or be pierced through vital organs, convulsing and falling to the ground dead!
Xuan Tianyi watched from behind, his heart pounding with excitement.
This was not just a battle, but more like the art of killing being performed to its fullest extent.
Liu Ruyan was clearly not using her full strength; rather, she was controlling the overall situation, moving among the cat-beasts and ready to support any soldiers who might be in danger. Every move she made was concise and effective, without any unnecessary actions. Her grasp of power, speed, and timing was exquisite.
"We can't just stand by and watch!"
Hot blood began to flow through his cold body.
He was unwilling to just watch, especially since... this was a great opportunity to obtain Life Source Points!
The gains from last night's finishing blow are still fresh in my mind!
Just then, a shadow cat that pounced on a young soldier from the flank was struck in the side by the sharp palm wind from Liu Ruyan's backhand. It screamed and rolled over, landing on an open ground not far from Xuan Tianyi!
It struggled to get up, but its hind legs were clearly injured by the force of the palm strike, making its movements unsteady and sluggish.
opportunity!
A fierce glint flashed in Xuan Tianyi's eyes!
Without the slightest hesitation, he leaped out from behind the broken wall where he was hiding. Although his figure was still a little unsteady, his steps were exceptionally firm!
He growled at a soldier beside him who had just parried a cat-like beast with the back of his knife and was hurriedly bandaging his arm wound:
"Brother, can I borrow your gun?"
The soldier was stunned. Before he could fully react, Xuan Tianyi had already taken a step forward and grabbed the standard-issue rifle that the soldier was leaning against the broken wall!
The spear felt heavy in his hand. The shaft was made of hardwood, and the spearhead gleamed with a cold light. For Xuan Tianyi, who once had a foundation of the fourth level of body tempering and, although he had lost all his cultivation, still retained some physical memory and power generation techniques, he could still barely wield it.
"Now!"
Xuan Tianyi's eyes were icy as he locked onto the struggling shadow cat. Using all the strength he had recovered, he thrust his spear forward in a series of fierce stabs!
The movements were completely haphazard, relying entirely on sheer ruthlessness and a vague memory of power techniques from a past life, aiming precisely at the cat-beast's relatively vulnerable eyes and throat, and stabbing down hard!
"Pfft!" "Pfft!" "Pfft!"
To prevent the first shot from failing to kill, he mustered all his strength and fired three shots in quick succession!
The foul-smelling, warm cat blood splattered all over his body and face!
The severely injured Shadow Cat only managed to let out a half-hearted wail before falling completely silent, convulsing and collapsing to the ground.
[Slayed a Tier 1 Beast, Shadow Cat, gaining 25 Life Source Points.]
The cold system notification sounded in his mind right on time, which invigorated Xuan Tianyi!
It actually works!
His gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield with lightning speed, quickly locking onto a shadow cat that had been forced back by two soldiers with spears, its hind leg injured, and was limping as it tried to escape back into the shadows, as well as another that had been struck in the back by Liu Ruyan's sword energy and whose movements had become noticeably slower.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Instead of foolishly rushing into the center of the battle, he relied on the "Aura Observation Technique" to sense the faint red blood aura, as well as the "Eight Scenery Mystic Life Lamp" to instinctively foresee danger.
Combined with agile movement at the edge of the battlefield, it's like an experienced and patient hunter, roaming the edge of the battlefield, patiently searching for fleeting opportunities.
"there!"
He seized an opening and suddenly charged out from the side, his spear like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, stabbing fiercely at the side of the lame shadow cat's neck!
"puff!"
The spear tip pierced flesh, and the shadow cat howled in agony, struggling even more violently.
Xuan Tianyi showed no mercy, his arm muscles bulging as he twisted the gun barrel to widen the wound, while simultaneously pressing down hard!
[Slayed a Tier 1 Beast, Shadow Cat, gaining 29 Life Source Points.]
Success!
Without hesitation, he abandoned his gun, rolled on the spot to dodge another cat-beast that pounced on him, grabbed a broken piece of steel bar with a sharp end from the ground, aimed at the shadow cat that was injured by the sword energy and was moving slowly, and used all his strength to stab it hard into the cat-beast's soft waist and abdomen, and then stirred it vigorously!
[Slayed a Tier 1 Beast, Shadow Cat, gaining 28 Life Source Points.]
In a short period of time, three last hits resulted in 82 Life Points being earned!
Although it's not much, it's an incredibly important start!
This also proves once again that "slaying" is an effective way to obtain life essence!
More importantly, this act of dancing on the edge of a knife and seizing resources amidst chaos made his long-frozen heart feel a renewed, fiery pulse!
The battle ended quickly.
With Liu Ruyan's overwhelming suppression and the soldiers' swift stabilization and cooperation, the dozen or so Shadow Cats, after leaving behind nearly ten corpses, let out a few unwilling howls as they saw the situation was turning against them and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
The camp was surrounded by bloodstains and cat carcasses, and the air reeked of blood. On the patrol side, a few men sustained minor injuries, but no one was killed—undoubtedly the best possible outcome.
The soldiers began clearing the battlefield, treating the wounded, and comforting the frightened refugees.
Liu Ruyan sheathed her sword, her breathing steady, her eyes still clear and bright, as if the swift and fierce killing just now was merely a matter of lifting a finger.
She walked up to Xuan Tianyi, her gaze complex as she looked at the boy, whose face and body were splattered with cat blood, making him look somewhat disheveled, yet whose eyes were unusually bright, and at the blood-stained broken steel bar in his hand.
"Are you alright?"
She asked the question, her tone slightly gentler than before, but still revealing little emotion.
"It's nothing. The skin isn't even scratched."
Xuan Tianyi smiled, wiped the blood from his face with his relatively clean sleeve, threw away the broken steel bar, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the soldier who had borrowed the gun earlier.
"Thanks for the gun, brother."
The soldier was still a little dazed, and nodded subconsciously.
Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, staring into Xuan Tianyi's eyes, her tone calm and even:
"You...you really can do that kind of divination?"
This time, her gaze held less of the initial suspicion and more of scrutiny and inquiry.
Tonight's events were too coincidental; she couldn't help but overthink it.
The precise direction of the warning and the perfectly timed stone-throwing disturbance could not be fully explained by luck alone.
Xuan Tianyi had anticipated this question and already had a response in mind.
He smiled knowingly, with a hint of youthful shyness and uncertainty:
"A family recipe, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I just had a feeling about it and tried it randomly, and I didn't expect it to actually work. Maybe... I was just lucky."
He still attributes everything to luck and intuition, which he sees as the best cover.
However, this time it did serve as a verification for him. It seems that divination without confirming the transaction is indeed unable to establish a cause and effect for obtaining life points.
He thought to himself.
Liu Ruyan gave him a deep look, her deep amber eyes seemingly trying to find any flaw in Xuan Tianyi's face, but the boy's eyes were clear, showing no abnormality except for a little fatigue and excitement of surviving a disaster.
In the end, she simply said:
"In any case, your warning was effective and prevented unnecessary casualties."
She paused, then took out a warm, white jade bottle from an inconspicuous leather pouch at her waist and casually tossed it to Xuan Tianyi.
"Here are three Qi and Blood Pills, which will be beneficial for restoring your Qi and blood and stabilizing your foundation. Also..."
She then instructed one of her personal guards beside her:
"Go and fetch a spare armor-piercing spear."
Soon, a standard black spear was handed to Xuan Tianyi.
This gun is far superior to those used by ordinary soldiers. The shaft is made of dense hardwood, making it heavy and easy to handle. The spearhead is long and narrow, gleaming with a cold light, and simple armor-piercing patterns are faintly visible, clearly indicating that it is not made of ordinary iron.
"This...is too valuable."
Xuan Tianyi was somewhat taken aback.
Weapons and elixirs are always hard currency in any era, especially in this apocalyptic world.
This armor-piercing spear is clearly not standard issue, and the Qi and Blood Pill, judging from its name, is a precious item for martial arts practitioners.
"Take it."
Liu Ruyan's tone left no room for refusal, yet remained calm.
"Judging from how you used the gun just now, although it was haphazard, it showed some ruthlessness and keen eye. This armor-piercing gun is a personal gift from me. The journey through the wilderness isn't far, but it might not be safe. It's always good to have a weapon for self-defense. That bottle of Qi and Blood Pills is a way of making up for your contribution just now."
She paused, then added:
"However, one thing at a time. You still have to repay the five thousand star coins you owe me when you get to Tianxia City."
Xuan Tianyi: "...?"
The spear and the pills have already been given away, why bother about the five thousand star coins?
Girl, isn't your perspective a bit... narrow?
He was speechless for a moment.
But seeing Liu Ruyan's cool and seemingly genuine expression, Xuan Tianyi still accepted the slightly cool spear and the warm jade bottle, and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:
"Thank you very much, Doctor Liu! I will remember the matter of the star coins and will definitely return them."
Liu Ruyan said no more, but gave him one last deep look. Her eyes were calm and undisturbed, yet they seemed to see right through people's hearts.
Then, she turned and walked towards the other wounded, beginning to examine and treat them, leaving Xuan Tianyi with only a cold and upright back view.
Holding the gun and the pills, Xuan Tianyi watched Liu Ruyan's busy and dashing figure, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
I am grateful for her gift, wary of her possible investigation, curious about the roots and injuries of her "Wind and Snow Lotus", and also a trace of... inexplicable expectation for the future.
"However, the most urgent task is to improve our strength as soon as possible."
He gripped the cold gun barrel, feeling the power contained within it, and checked the 82 newly added life points in the system, as well as the Qi and Blood Pill in his hand.
"With these, we have one more advantage in surviving!"
As night deepened and the blood moon sank in the west, the camp returned to peace. But the events of that night—the azure lotus phenomenon, the shadow cat's night raid, the finishing blow that brought the victory, and the gifts of pills and weapons—remained a stark reminder of the dangers of the night.
Like a pebble thrown into a lake, it quietly rippled through the hearts of Xuan Tianyi and Liu Ruyan.
The road ahead seems to have been subtly altered by tonight's encounter and crisis.