Midnight's Siege

As night descended, the bandits attacked the village from all four sides. Many of them were immediately caught by the booby traps laid by the villagers, taking out 20 bandits. The bandits retaliated by launching arrows tipped with fire, setting the villagers' houses ablaze.

Zen, utilizing his elemental arts of fire and water, sprang into action. He used his fire abilities to counter the flames and his water abilities to douse the burning structures. Infused with special herbs that enhanced their stamina and strength, Zen and the villagers stood their ground with renewed vigor.

The bandits' cavalry charged after the initial archery assault, but the mercenaries, armed with spears and defensive weapons, held firm. The villagers' poisoned arrows proved highly effective against the cavalry.

Meanwhile, Yun and his group of soldiers flanked the enemy from a distance, aiming to catch them off guard. The bandits, anticipating a potential flanking maneuver, had stationed some members to alert them of any surprise attacks.

Yun first targeted the bandits' hideout, launching a surprise assault. He quickly captured the hideout and instructed his men to hide and prepare for an ambush. Yun found Zong's sister Daiyu, and he told the rest of them to go find shelter somewhere, somewhere, where one of his men would help them. The bandits used smoke signals to notify Taotei of the attack.

Surprised by the signal, Taotei dispatched 40 men led by his captain, Leon, to deal with the threat. Yun signaled for his men to spread out and prepare for the attack. His eyes locked onto Leon, the bandit captain, who stood near the center.

When Leon arrived, Yun was ready and waiting. Spotting Yun, he called out, "So, you're the one causing all this trouble. Yun was surprised at how he was easily found out. Impressive, but it ends here."

In the ensuing battle, most of Leon's subordinates were killed by a surprise attack. Impressed by Leon's skills, Yun challenged him to a duel, both using their bows as primary weapons. The forest became their battlefield, with arrows flying in a deadly dance. Leon turned out to be a hard foe for Yun, but Yun was aided by his comrades.

Leon was the second-strongest member of the Nightraiders, specializing in archery. He was a fourth-class elementary fighter. Leon quickly took care of some of Yun comrades, as he knew where they attacked his comrades from. Leon then focused his attention on Yun. With a deep breath, Yun whispered to himself, "This ends tonight."

Their battle ensued, and Leon, while fighting Yun, was also killing his comrades simultaneously. Leon smirked and fired an arrow, which Yun deftly dodged. The forest around them turned into a battleground as they both vanished into the shadows, their arrows flying with deadly precision. The battle quickly spread through the trees, with both archers using the terrain to their advantage.

Leon taunted Yun by saying, You think you can defeat me in my own territory? and fired an arrow from the back of a big tree. Leon had a good advantage as he was familiar with the terrain, but Leon didn't know that Yun was also familiar with it. One absolute advantage Leon had was that he was good at seeing in the dark. The clash of their arrows was swift and relentless.

Leon's arrows were powerful and accurate, but Yun's agility allowed him to evade and counter with equal skill. Both men were experts, but Yun had a plan. He noticed that Leon favored his right side when firing, a subtle but exploitable weakness.

Yun climbed a nearby tree, positioning himself above Leon. He fired an arrow that ricocheted off a branch, drawing Leon's attention. As Leon turned to track the source, Yun dropped silently behind him, unleashing a volley of arrows.

Leon spun around just in time to block with his bow, but Yun was already moving. "You're fast," Leon admitted, "but not fast enough. Leon used the elemental art of the wind, which made his arrows significantly faster than Yun.

Yun gambled, charging straight at Leon and hoping to catch him off guard. He aimed for Leon's head but missed slightly, the arrow cutting a gash on Leon's cheek. Leon fired back, and his arrow struck Yun's leg, causing him to stumble and grimace in pain.

"You're too reckless," Leon taunted, advancing on Yun, confident in his apparent advantage.

Yun, struggling to stay on his feet, knew he had to rely on his plan. The arrow that cut Leon's cheek was tipped with a slow-acting paralytic and hallucinogenic toxin. He just needed to buy time.

Leon lunged at Yun, but Yun's comrades intervened, attempting to hold the bandit captain back. Leon, with deadly precision, killed them one by one, leaving Yun exposed and vulnerable.

"This is your end," Leon declared, raising his bow for the final shot.

But as Leon aimed, he felt a strange sensation spreading from the cut on his cheek. His vision blurred, and the forest seemed to warp around him. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, but the hallucinations grew stronger. He became reckless, firing arrows wildly and missing his targets.

"What... what's happening?" Leon muttered, his confidence wavering.

Yun, using the distraction, moved deeper into the forest, his leg throbbing with pain. Leon, driven by rage and confusion, chased after him, unaware of the full effects of the toxin.

The hallucinations intensified, and Leon's vision darkened. He stumbled, barely able to see. "Show yourself, coward!" he yelled into the darkness.

Yun, hiding behind a tree, whispered, "Just a little longer..."

Leon dropped to one knee, struggling to stay upright. "What... what did you do?" he gasped, his strength fading.

Leon, now barely able to see, sneered, "Such cheap tricks."

Yun aimed his bow at Leon's heart and said, "Everything is fair in this unjust world."

In the aftermath, only four Yun comrades remained alive. The forest once again felt silent, and Yun rushed in to help Zen, but he collapsed.

Back in the village, the battle raged on. Despite the traps and fierce defense, the villagers suffered heavy casualties. The bandits lost dozens of men, but the villagers lost many more.

Taotei himself entered the fray, wielding his spear with deadly precision. Zen and the mercenary leader, Qin Shi, fought him together, but Taotei's skill with the spear and his sturdy armor made it difficult to land a blow. Zen's fire and water attacks had little effect on Taotei's armored form.

Taotei offered Zen a chance to join him, impressed by his abilities. Zen refused, insulting Taotei, which only fueled his anger. 

Ors, the second captain of the Night Raiders, was wrecking havoc, so Zen told Qin Shi to fight him while he fought Taotei alone. 

Qin Shi engaged Taotei's first captain, Ors, a hulking man, with a bian as his primary weapon. He was a third-class elementary fighter. Qin Shi, too, was a third-class elemental fighter.

Qin Shi's primary weapon was the broadsword, which he was proud of. They exchanged blow after blow, eventually destroying both of their weapons. After that, both men fought in fierce hand-to-hand combat, bruising and throwing up blood everywhere. Qin Shi and Ors both enjoyed the thrill of battle.

Both their raw strength and unwavering determination. The blood bath ensued, which terrified the onlookers there. Finally, both of them asked for a second weapon. Both of them fought with a sword. Ors couldn't get a replacement for his club, so he had to use a sword.

Ors said to Qin Shi, "I don't use a sword, but I'll cut you with my sword and place your head on the spike for everyone to see."

Qin laughed in response to this and said, "We'll see."

Qin had an advantage using the sword, but Or's raw strength helped him. Ors just flung his sword carelessly, while Qin was more agile with his sword. The duel between these two titans intensified, each showcasing their formidable strength and skill.

Qin Shi utilized his speed and agility, darting in and out of Ors' range, looking for openings to exploit. Ors, relying on his sheer power, unleashed devastating strikes, each one testing Qin Shi's defenses.

With a calculated maneuver, Qin Shi feinted a high strike, drawing Ors' attention upward. In a swift motion, Qin Shi shifted his stance and executed a textbook-perfect side-step technique. Evading Ors' next swing by a hair's breadth, Qin Shi closed the distance between them in an instant.

Seizing the opportunity presented by Ors' momentary imbalance, Qin Shi drove his broadsword forward with precise aim. The blade pierced through the chink in Ors' armor, finding its mark in Ors' abdomen.

A grunt of pain escaped Ors' lips as the broadsword embedded itself deep into his flesh. Simultaneously, Ors also pierced through Qin's right shoulder, rendering it useless.

Despite the injury, Qin Shi gritted his teeth and maintained his grip on his broadsword. He gave out a loud cry. With steely resolve, he withdrew his blade from Ors' abdomen, the sound of metal scraping against bone filling the air. The onlookers were scared at their battle, and the ground filled with each of their blood sent chills through everyone there.

Many of the Ors men fled from the battle after seeing Ors defeated like that; most were killed by the villagers. With a solemn nod of acknowledgment, Qin Shi turned away from Ors, his focus shifting back to the ongoing battle against Taotei's. There was no time to celebrate victory; the fight continued, and Qin Shi joined Zen in fighting Taotei.

Taotei was sad to see the state of Qin Shi, as he knew that Ors had been killed in battle. It motivated him further to end all of this and have less cruelty. 

Meanwhile Another captain, Clog, fought the leader of reinforcements, Zu, both wielding iron staffs. Clog was an elementary, third-level fighter. Both Clog and ZU were cautious, but Zu was only an elemental fighter, so he struggled with Clog.

Clog bested him in the battle of staffs. With every attack from the clog, it pushed back and forth. However, Zu, undeterred by Clog's relentless assault, remained focused and determined. Sensing an opportunity amidst the chaos, one of the village women, taught by Yun in the arts of poison and subterfuge, seized her chance. With practiced precision, she launched a poisoned dart towards Clog, aiming for a vulnerable spot but missing. The poison dart landed on Clog's leg, making him tumble and lose balance.

Zu noticed this and was enraged, but this ultimately allowed ZU to deliver a fatal blow to Clog's head. As Clog's defeat settled in, a sense of somber victory washed over the battlefield. Zu bowed his head in respect for his fallen opponent, acknowledging the fierce battle they had waged. Lian, Clog's brother and another of Taotei's captains, charged at Zu in a rage.

Lian was not as strong as his brother and was an elementary fighter. Liam used daggers as his primary weapon of choice and was trained to immobilize his opponents first. Liam, being skilled with daggers, and Zu, already worn out from fighting clogs, were struggling.

Liam said, "I'll cut you piece by piece for what you've done and feed you to dogs," with red eyes filled with anger.

Despite Liam being weaker than Zu, his agility is better, and he easily sees through his fatigued and listless moves. He cuts through his wrist, making him unable to use his iron staff. Zu then picked up a sword to fight Liam, and Liam laughed and mocked Zu.

Zu, unbothered, kept fighting. Laim then slashed another wrist of Zu's, and then Zu was rendered weaponless. Zu kept on fighting and laim swiftly cut both of his Achilles tendon, finally rendering him useless.

In the quiet aftermath, Lian's thoughts turned to his fallen brother, Clog, whose memory fueled his relentless pursuit of vengeance. He whispered a solemn vow to honor Clog's memory with every breath he took and every blow he delivered.

It was still 2 o'clock in the morning. Liam then started the assault on the women and the villagers and went to aid Taotei. The fifth messenger finally arrived. With him came a contingent of fifty reinforcements, whose arrival was marked by the urgent clamor of war horns and the thunder of galloping horses.

On the other hand, a fierce fight between Taotei and Zen continued.