I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 54 - 48: Retaliation

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!~

Like a sudden clap of thunder, one boom after another merged into a continuous roar that shook everything in all directions.

A scorching aura surged forth, vast and mighty. It stirred the very air, creating ripples that spread out in overwhelming waves.

WHOOSH~!

ROAR!

A fire dragon roared, whistling through the air. It carried a world-churning momentum as it swept its tail, knocking down, sending flying, and utterly destroying the entire volley of arrows.

At one point, the roaring dragon’s head suddenly dove, its massive body plummeting toward the ground.

"BOOM!"

The earth seemed to tremble and the mountains to shake. Behind the steep slope to the right, dirt and rock flew everywhere. Amid the rumbling vibrations, screams rang out for a moment before falling silent.

"BOOM!" "BOOM!"

The fire dragon charged toward the slope on the left, setting off explosions behind it. Another wave of screams erupted as the ground quaked, kicking up a cloud of dust that filled the sky.

WHOOSH~

The hot wind assailed their nostrils.

The fire dragon turned again, charging to a spot several dozen meters behind Gu Zheng’s group. It crashed down like a falling star, slamming into the ground and triggering a series of violent explosions. A mix of screams and shrieks rose into the sky along with the shattered rock and dust.

SWISH!

Gu Zheng launched himself from his horse, soaring into the air.

"Yan Hongxue, go behind the left slope and capture them. Zhang, Zhang Ning, go behind the right slope. Take them alive if you can! Tao Liu, Xue, stay put."

Leaving these orders behind, Gu Zheng leaped backward. He glided through the air like a great goose, his gaze locked onto three figures fleeing rapidly on the ground.

"Yes!"

Yan Hongxue, Zhang Boshong, and Zhang Ning replied instinctively.

A moment later, they reacted, leaping from their horses. One went left and two went right, skimming low across the ground as they shot forward.

「 」

WHOOSH~

SWISH!

A powerful wind, mixed with sand and dirt, blew against him, swirling in all directions.

While still in mid-air, Gu Zheng leaped again, crossing several dozen yards to catch up to the three fleeing figures.

As he descended, the Celestial Frost Blade erupted with a blinding light. Divine Wondrous power surged, and a Sword Gang tore through the air, slashing toward the three figures on the ground. The one in the lead stopped abruptly, spun around, and looked up. He threw a punch at the sky; his Fist Force, glowing blue, shattered the airflow as it met the descending Sword Gang.

"BOOM~!"

A massive explosion echoed between the sky and the ground.

The mid-air currents were torn to shreds, thrown into chaos by the violent gales.

SWISH!

Gu Zheng accelerated, breaking through the gales and plummeting down on top of the three men.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The Sword Gang descended like a curtain of rain, blanketing the men from above and leaving no gaps.

"BANG! BANG~!"

Muffled thuds shook the air as Powerful Qi tore through the space.

The three men in black quickly countered, releasing three waves of Divine Wondrous power. The auras were identical, but their strengths were all different.

The two weaker auras lasted for only three breaths before their life forces rapidly faded amidst the sickening sound of blades tearing through flesh.

In the next instant, two mangled, incomplete corpses lay on the ground.

"SPURT~" "SPURT!"

The blade flashed, and blood blossomed.

With a ripping sound, an arm was severed from a body and sent flying high into the air.

The third man in black, still standing, grunted in pain. He employed an elusive footwork technique, weaving left and right as he charged toward a forest up ahead.

SHING!

A flash of light, almost a thin line, cut through the air with incredible speed.

Gu Zheng pursued him, moving even faster. He overtook the man, brushing past him as he moved ahead.

"SQUELCH~!"

Blood splattered as another arm was severed and tossed into the air.

The fleeing man in black swayed and immediately began to fall.

But before he hit the ground, Gu Zheng grabbed his collar from behind. Holding him up with one hand, he reached around with the other, seized the man’s chin, and dislocated it with a sharp pull. CRACK! The man’s lower jaw hung loose, unable to close. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Just then, the chaotic Powerful Qi began to settle, and the swirling sand and dust rained down from the sky.

Gu Zheng lifted the now-armless man in black, staunched the bleeding slightly, and walked slowly back.

"Mr. Gu!"

"Boss, is the one you’ve got still alive?"

Back on the main road, Zhang Boshong and Zhang Ning had already returned. An Xiaoxue and Tao Liu were looking around nervously.

Seeing Gu Zheng return with a man in black, Zhang Ning hurried over and said quickly, "The ones we pursued... three committed suicide after being seriously injured, and two took poison."

"This one’s still alive."

Gu Zheng tossed the man onto the ground and said calmly, "I dislocated his jaw. Before you set it, check his mouth for a poison pill."

"You got it."

Zhang Ning was delighted. He squatted down, ripped the black cloth from the man’s face to reveal the sallow complexion of a middle-aged man, and then supported his head with one hand while checking his mouth with the other.

Soon, he exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Mr. Gu, you were right! There are poison pills! Two of them, even."

As he spoke, he reached into the man’s mouth and removed two small black pills.

"Hiding poison in their mouths... who are these people?"

Tao Liu’s face was a mask of shock and anger. His voice was low and shaky with lingering fear as he asked, "Are they the people backing Chen Zhizhen? How did they know we’d already found out about his betrayal?"

"We’ll have to ask him."

An Xiaoxue gritted her teeth, her face also showing residual fear. "To think they were waiting for us all this time, ambushing us as soon as we left the State City."

"I’m curious how they knew which route we were taking," Zhang Boshong said grimly. "Could it be...?"

"There’s no need for wild guesses."

Gu Zheng interrupted them quietly. "Zhang Ning, can you get any information out of this one?"

"Don’t worry, leave it to me!"

Zhang Ning gave a sinister laugh and called out to Zhang Boshong, "Zhang, give me a hand."

"Right."

Zhang Boshong agreed, taking two steps forward to help Zhang Ning. They began to employ their methods on the pale, expressionless middle-aged man.

"Ngh... AHH!!"

A bloodcurdling scream soon rang out.

Gu Zheng turned and walked a short distance away. He popped a Rejuvenation Pill into his mouth and circulated his energy to quickly recover his spent Divine Wondrous power, then waited for the results.

Hearing the screams, An Xiaoxue frowned and retreated further away.

Amidst the screams, Yan Hongxue’s figure returned from behind the steep slope, carrying a person in her hand.

"Sister Yan, you caught one alive too?" An Xiaoxue saw her and went to greet her happily.

"AGHHH!!!"

Behind them, the middle-aged man’s screams suddenly intensified, turning into agonized roars.

"I’ll talk! I’ll talk!"

Before Yan Hongxue could speak, the person she was carrying—a pale-faced young man whose mask had fallen off—heard the screams and was the first to speak. His body trembled as he shrieked, "I’ll say anything! Don’t kill me! I was forced into this! I was forced! Waaaah~"

The young man was so scared he started crying, with tears and snot running down his face. A wet patch also spread across his crotch.

"Yan Hongxue, take him somewhere further away for now."

Gu Zheng glanced at the young man and said calmly, "Zhang Ning, you continue your interrogation. Once he starts talking and gives us information, Yan Hongxue, you can bring your captive back to corroborate his story."

"Huh?" An Xiaoxue was stunned.

Yan Hongxue, however, nodded and replied, "Understood."

With that, she lifted the weeping young man, tapped her toes on the ground, and flew off into the distance.

"AGHHH~!"

The middle-aged man’s agonized roars grew more painful, sharp and hoarse.

"Are you going to talk or not?" Zhang Ning’s sharp shout was just as loud.

"Talk!"

"...Talk..."

"...Ugh... I’ll talk! I’ll talk!!"