Chapter 17: Kill Yourself, Spearman!

Legend has it that before Xiang Yu raised his army, a meteorite once fell from the heavens upon Kuaiji Commandery.

Later, Xiang Liang privately commissioned a master blacksmith to extract iron from this stone to forge a weapon.

After nine days and nine nights, he finally forged a massive, gold-inlaid Tiger-Head Spear.

It measured one zhang, two chi, and nine cun in length, weighing 129 jin, with a shaft as thick as a bowl.

An ordinary person would require two people working in unison just to lift it, but Xiang Yu was born with divine strength. He could wield this spear with a single hand, and later created an invincible spear technique of his own.

The power of these moves was immense, yet the forms themselves were simple and unadorned.

They were fundamental spear techniques: thrusting, stabbing, striking, circling, blocking, pointing, parrying, and flourishing.

Combined with Xiang Yu's innate divine strength, extraordinary physique, and solid foundation, these basic moves were transformed through various combinations into a myriad of complex forms.

In later generations, this spear technique was passed down to Zhang Fei of the Three Kingdoms period, who further refined it.

From then on, it evolved through countless generations into different variations.

Thus, it became known as the progenitor of all spear techniques—the "Eighteen Single-Handed Flips"!

The weapon Li Yelaie held was not a long spear, nor was it a halberd.

However, as a long-reach weapon, he could still perform parts of the Eighteen Single-Handed Flips.

Thus, facing the sudden charge of the spear knight, Li Yelaie did not retreat; instead, he pressed forward, gripping the blade with his hand to absorb the impact!

*Bang!* The violent collision sent a sharp pain through Li Yelaie's web of the thumb. The opponent's strength was immense—stronger than his own!

But Li Yelaie had already grasped the enemy's capabilities.

The most troublesome trait was the knight's eerie displacement ability; he could even swing his spear from a safe distance and then instantly flash directly in front of the target just as the strike was about to land, leaving no openings.

To use an analogy, it was like a massive boulder falling from a great height, only to have a "pause button" pressed the moment before impact, preserving all its kinetic energy and acceleration before being instantly transferred directly above the target's head.

Against such a cheating enemy, conventional tactics would not work.

The opponent would charge up at a safe distance, executing an opening move that appeared to have a flaw, only to flash in and attack precisely on time, leaving Li Yelaie to take the hit passively.

Furthermore, even if Li Yelaie gained an advantage, the moment he tried to pursue, the opponent would flash away again.

His dual pupils flickered as Li Yelaie rapidly scanned the spear knight's body.

Clad in heavy armor, the knight was resistant to blades and swords; Li Yelaie had to use the weakness of his Dual Pupils to see through the armor and break it!

As Li Yelaie thought, his long blade swung repeatedly.

Seizing the moment the knight flashed back several meters, Li Yelaie charged at full speed with his left hand holding the blade, transitioned to a two-handed grip, and used the momentum of his sprint to leap into a downward cleave!

However, the knight vanished into mist once more. After dodging Li Yelaie's attack, he reappeared behind him, thrusting his long spear violently toward Li Yelaie's spine.

Using the momentum, Li Yelaie dropped into a squat, gripped the blade with one hand again, and immediately executed a horizontal counter-slash!

While blocking the spear behind him, he spun upward like a rising spring.

The spear knight seized the opportunity to thrust, clearly intending to impale Li Yelaie while he was mid-air.

In reality, this move was indeed perilous; an ordinary person leaping into the air is merely a target, and without perfect timing, they would be pierced through.

Therefore, despite their power, moves like the jumping cleave were rarely used.

But as a Psion, Li Yelaie performed mid-air steps, using the air itself to gain leverage and create more distance.

As he landed, he transitioned into a "Qin Qiong's Sword-on-Back" maneuver, using his back to block the spear thrust.

He then spun the blade in a single-handed flourish over his back, using the back of the blade to intercept the spear—yet it wasn't a true block.

The moment the spear struck the blade, there was no significant resistance.

The spear nearly grazed the surface of the blade, sending sparks flying.

This was not a defense, but a way to use the opponent's own force against them, forcing the spear knight to commit to a full thrust, thereby causing him to lose balance and suffer a recovery delay!

This was exactly the opportunity Li Yelaie had been waiting for!

While feinting the spear, he lunged forward, gripping the blade with both hands to deliver a horizontal slash toward the knight's neck.

That was the weakness his Dual Pupils had identified!

However, sensing the danger, the knight instantly turned into mist, causing Li Yelaie's seemingly successful attack to miss once again.

It had to be said that this spear knight was a true expert; his spearplay was grand and sweeping, swift and lethal.

Despite his heavy armor, his speed was not significantly hindered.

He held the advantage in strength, and with his armor, he held the advantage in defense.

But because he used a rigid spear, he lacked variety; otherwise, parrying him would have been even more taxing for Li Yelaie.

Li Yelaie glanced at his bloodied thumb and felt a surge of resolve: "Heh, I can hold on!"

At this moment, Li Yelaie's combat experience began to skyrocket. Just like those recent maneuvers, he was absorbing techniques and experience from the immersive battlefield of Xiang Yu's phantom. His mastery of the Eighteen Single-Handed Flips was growing similarly.

Unfortunately, against an enemy like this, special means were required.

Li Yelaie exhaled, and the spear knight moved again!

Their weapons collided frantically, locked in a fierce stalemate.

To an outside observer, the two seemed stuck in a deadlock.

On the other side, the Detective was thinking rapidly. He already knew that both knights were summons. The best way to deal with summons was to attack the summoner!

This wasn't an e-sport; hitting the summons didn't prevent you from hitting the summoner.

Unfortunately, Wang De clearly knew he was a vulnerability.

The second summon, the dual-blade knight, remained stationed constantly in front of him.

"Sigh, if only my ability were Illusion Pupils or Petrification Eyes," the Detective thought regretfully. He possessed almost no combat skills; he was a novice, and his first awakened ability was Trace Tracking. If he rushed into the fight or attempted to assault Wang De, he would likely be killed by the knights.

"But for now, this guy only has two knights," the Detective mused, an idea immediately forming. Since only one knight could fight at a time, he still had plenty of options.

Thus, the Detective raised his hand, pointing his revolver at the middle-aged woman who could no longer stand.

It was a bizarre scene. From a standpoint of interest, they were supposed to be on the same side.

The middle-aged woman wailed in panic: "What are you doing? Don't... don't! Daddy, save me!"

Wang De's expression indeed shifted.

Of course, this wasn't out of paternal affection; he was the murderer who had killed those very blood relatives.

It was because only the blood relatives he killed using his knights could replenish his lifespan.

If the third daughter were killed by the Detective, he would lose a target for life-absorption.

"Heh heh," the Detective sneered upon seeing this.

Two knights: one pinning down Li Yelaie, the other protecting Wang De.

If the Detective fired, Wang De would have to either kill or protect the woman immediately to avoid losing lifespan.

Based on the information that he killed one person per year, always in late September, it appeared Wang De could only kill one person under specific circumstances to devour their life.

Therefore, he could kill at most one person while simultaneously protecting the others.

Who would he send to protect them? The dual-blade knight? If so, the Detective would simply fire his second gun. Though he lacked combat skills, his marksmanship was excellent. At this distance, once Wang De was unprotected, the Detective had the confidence to take a headshot!

The spear knight? Don't be ridiculous. Li Yelaie and the spear knight were locked in combat; if the spear knight left the fight, Li Yelaie would attack Wang De directly. Even with the dual-blade knight guarding him, Wang De would be in danger. Furthermore, the dual-blade knight might be forced to use his teleportation to protect Wang De.

Of course, there was one more option: letting the dual-blade knight kill the Detective himself. But the Detective could at least struggle; as long as he wasn't killed instantly, he would have a chance to fire several shots at Wang De.

Wang De looked coldly at the Detective: "Don't think you can threaten me with this. I already have great-grandsons and great-great-grandsons. I don't need one more relative."

The middle-aged woman and the young man looked terrified, but the girl in the white dress stepped forward and took the pistol from the Detective's waist.

She pressed the gun against her own temple.

This caused both the Detective and Wang De to pale: "What are you doing?"

He indeed could not afford to waste blood relatives.

He could only obtain lifespan from killed relatives during this time of year.

And since this year's assassination attempt on the second son had failed, his lifespan was nearly depleted. Days? Hours? Perhaps even less!

To ensure safety, the most foolproof method was to kill the relatives on the scene.

There were three left; he had to save at least one, or kill one directly to ensure he wouldn't suddenly die of old age.

Seeing his most beloved granddaughter attempting suicide, how could he not be shocked?

The girl in the white dress looked at Wang De with eyes full of hatred: "Even if I die, I won't give a monster like you a single second of life!"

"Stop! I never intended to kill you! All this property is yours! Don't do anything foolish! I did all this just to be with you!" Wang De cursed inwardly while soothing the girl aloud. His body, however, moved toward the brick house as he calculated the timing.

As long as he hid in the room, the Detective's bullets could no longer threaten him, and he could release the dual-blade knight from his protection.

However, at that moment, the sound of heavy, rapid footsteps echoed from the stairs leading to the first floor.

The Detective's expression changed. Signal was cut off here; he couldn't call for backup.

The only people who could be coming were Wang De's men!

And they were indeed Wang De's men. He had previously ordered the armed personnel to stay outside, but he had left a coded instruction.

The actual command was: if he had not returned in ten minutes, descend immediately!

Hearing the footsteps, Wang De felt a surge of joy. With these fresh troops, killing two Psions would be easy.

What was there to worry about then?

Wang De decisively barked: "Kill the one with the blade first!"

Between the two Psions, Li Yelaie was the greatest threat, so he had to be eliminated first!

But in the very next second, he heard a sharp *crack*.

He looked over in confusion, only to see Li Yelaie swinging his blade with all his might, snapping the spear right out of the spear knight's hands!

Simultaneously, the momentum of the blade did not stop, striking directly against the knight's thick plate armor.

Against heavy plate, blades and swords often struggle to be effective.

This was the terror of armored warriors.

In an ancient battlefield, if the Iron Pagoda of the Wanyan family charged across the field, they were indeed formidable.

But if I brought out the Beiwei Army, carrying the Yue flag, how would you respond?

Part of the reason was that while the Beiwei Army wore heavy armor, they also wielded massive axes, which could effectively break armor!

For low-awakened Psions, iron armor remained a potent defense. Moreover, the spear knight's armor was no ordinary object; its psionic resistance was excellent, capable of weakening many Psions' abilities.

But Li Yelaie's long-handled blade pierced directly into the spear knight's thick plate, the edge forcibly carving a massive rift into the knight's chest.

In truth, this was the opportunity Li Yelaie had been searching for.

Against an enemy with teleportation, being too passive was fatal.

You chase him, he moves; you defend, he attacks.

Against such an enemy, there is only one way to win!

After feeding the enemy enough moves, Li Yelaie finally found the moment where the spear and the black lines of weakness on the armor overlapped!

And so, he executed the leaping cleave!

This resulted in the current scene: the spear knight, heavily wounded, was forced to flash back to Wang De's side.

This left Wang De stunned, his eyes filled with terror.

If he could already heavily wound the spear knight with one blow, then if the dual-blade knight also fell to Li Yelaie, he would truly be finished.

But fortunately, his contingency plan had arrived!

Seeing the dozen or so armed men rushing down the stairs, Wang De roared his command.

"Kill him! Quick! Use thermite!"

The armed men immediately raised their weapons, and gunfire erupted instantly, sending blood spraying in all directions.

Wang De felt a momentary sense of relief, but he was soon frozen in place.

Because just dozens of steps away, the armed men he thought were his backup had all turned their weapons on their own comrades.

As the gunfire rang out, every single armed man was killed by his own teammates. In an instant, blood flowed profusely.

"What happened?" Even the Detective and the others were bewildered, completely unable to comprehend the situation.

Had this group come down to commit mass suicide?

The other family members and the butler watched the scene, vomiting uncontrollably.

Li Yelaie let out a breath and said, "You finally showed up."

"I thought he would just surrender." A graceful figure walked down the stairs, wearing a dark red evening gown, beautiful and elegant. Yet, walking amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, she looked exceptionally eerie.

It was Cheese!

She had been hiding in this building all along; with her "Babbling Path" ability, hiding was not difficult.

After discovering the whereabouts of Li Yelaie and the others, she had followed from a distance, but had been blocked by the armed personnel.

"So, just to be safe, I gave them a hypnotic command: 'If you attack official Psions, commit suicide immediately'." Cheese glanced at the corpses beneath her feet before looking at Wang De and his two knights in the distance. "It seems I arrived just in time."

"You've been a huge help." Li Yelaie approached Wang De with his blade held ready. "Be careful, those two knights have teleportation and invisibility. Don't let them slip past to the backline."

"Since they are summons and you've already broken their armor, their psionic resistance has plummeted. That shouldn't be a problem. Let me show you the power of the Babbling ability." Cheese's beautiful eyes fixed on the spear knight whose armor had been breached by Li Yelaie. Her cherry lips parted as she unleashed her power.

"【Listen to me】—commit suicide, Spearman!"