Extermination and Serena Feng in Danger
Prince Nolan fought with his sword, his presence overwhelming. His rain-soaked hair whipped behind him in the wind, blurring everything around him until only his silhouette stood out, growing sharper by the moment.
In that instant, it felt as if the entire world held only Prince Nolan. Not even the torrential rain could mask the chilling murderous intent radiating from him.
The dark guards and personal troops were stunned by Prince Nolan’s aura. Though they worried for him, his oppressive force kept them from stepping forward or daring to disobey his orders.
Gritting their teeth, the dark guards retreated, forced to watch as Prince Nolan was surrounded by a group of women, his expression growing darker by the second.
Even with the heavy rain washing everything clean, being encircled by so many women made Prince Nolan visibly disgusted—his face was gloomier than the storm itself.
The dark guards and personal troops dared not look directly at him, but the Heartshadow Pavilion women seemed crazed, unfazed by Prince Nolan’s killing intent. They charged at him in a frenzy—any outsider might think he was a man who had wronged them all.
Prince Nolan snorted coldly and raised his sword to meet them. The blade’s flash cut through the mist and rain, scattering droplets everywhere—those struck by them felt their cheeks burn instantly.
Though Prince Nolan’s strikes were fierce, they carried no true intent to kill. As he fought, he gradually widened the circle of combat, drawing farther from the carriage and his personal troops. His adviser, sensing his intent, silently praised Nolan’s boldness.
In moments like this, outsiders see clearly while those involved are lost in confusion. The Heartshadow Pavilion women were neither stupid nor weak, but their anger blinded them.
All they wanted was to kill Prince Nolan, so they let him lead them without realizing it. By the time they snapped out of it, Nolan had already drawn them to a lightning-struck tree, the air still thick with the scent of charred wood.
The distance grew, the rain blocked their view, but the personal guards and dark guards could still vaguely see Prince Nolan’s silhouette. Seeing him move with ease in the midst of the women’s encirclement, everyone relaxed. The adviser guessed Prince Nolan’s intent and immediately ordered, “You, go bring the thunder-blast grenades.”
"Yes." The dark guards didn’t hesitate. To prevent the rain from extinguishing the fuses, they grabbed several grenades, hunched over, and tucked them inside their cloaks.
The soft, shuffling footsteps were nearly inaudible in the pouring rain—even if you listened closely, you might miss them. But the moment the dark guards arrived, Prince Nolan sensed it. He stopped lingering in battle, withdrew, and called to the dark guards, “Blast!”
Prince Nolan was still within the battle circle, but the dark guards didn’t dare question his command. They lit the fuses right away, careful not to let the rain soak them, and threw the grenades just as the fuses were about to burn out.
Sparks sizzled—thunder-blast grenades tumbled through the air, and before hitting the ground, one exploded with a deafening boom. Fire shot out, the scent of gunpowder filled the air, but the rain quickly doused the flames and no one was hurt.
"What was that? A signal flare?" The Heartshadow Pavilion women glanced back, saw that the thing caused no harm, and didn’t worry about it. They turned to chase Prince Nolan.
One throw missed, so the dark guards tried again. But luck didn’t stay with them—seven or eight grenades thrown afterward failed to explode. All the fuses were soaked out by the rain; the grenades thudded into the mud, looking no different from ordinary iron balls.
No way—could none of them go off?
The dark guards stared wide-eyed at each other, grenades in hand, unsure whether to throw or hold back.
While they hesitated, Prince Nolan’s command rang out again: “Blast!”
Whether it was fate or something else, just as Prince Nolan finished speaking, the torrential rain suddenly stopped, the clouds parted, and the sky—instantly brightened. Blinding sunlight poured down over the earth.
"Quick!" For once, the dark guards’ stoic faces broke into wild joy. They lit the grenades and hurled them toward Prince Nolan and the Heartshadow Pavilion crowd.
The Heartshadow Pavilion disciples had seen the grenades’ “power” before; they didn’t take these signal-like things seriously and kept pressing Prince Nolan, not even glancing at the grenades behind them.
Prince Nolan flashed a cold, sharp smile. As the grenades flew in, he didn’t care about the sword behind him—he broke away from the fight.
Thud—the sword pierced his shoulder blade, but Prince Nolan acted as if he felt no pain. Without turning his head, he walked forward, letting the blade stab in and pull out.
Wounding Prince Nolan sent the Heartshadow Pavilion women into a frenzy. Their spirits soared, victory seemed within reach—until the grenades thrown by the dark guards exploded.
Without the rain to dampen them, the grenades unleashed their true power. Boom—a deafening blast threw several women at the center of the explosion into the air, while those nearby were cut by shrapnel and the blast wave.
"No—help, help!" The grenades’ deadly force sent the Heartshadow Pavilion women into panic. They had no idea how to fight back, just screamed and ran for their lives.
But the dark guards and personal troops gave them no chance. Before the women could react, they threw their last two grenades and kicked the earlier duds into the blast center.
Boom—boom—boom! Three explosions in a row. Fire blazed, mud flew, water droplets shot skyward. Sunlight pierced through, refracting off the airborne spray, casting rainbow colors over the smoky blast—an eerie kind of beauty.
"No survivors." Prince Nolan stood outside the blast zone. Seeing a few lucky ones still alive, he ordered mercilessly.
He turned and stripped off his blood-stained, woman-scented robe, letting it fall into the mud.
"Yes, sir." Dark guards and personal troops drew their swords, finishing off the survivors. The wounded women, terrified and helpless, couldn’t resist at all.
All fifteen Heartshadow Pavilion disciples—wiped out.
After counting the bodies, the dark guards and personal troops reported to Prince Nolan, excitement in their voices.
The army doctor was bandaging Prince Nolan’s wound. Hearing the report, Prince Nolan didn’t even lift his eyelids. He ordered, “Cut off their heads and send them to Damien of Southlyn.”
It was both a warning and a threat. Evidence or not, Prince Nolan was certain Damien was behind it—and even if he wasn’t, it didn’t matter.
With clear skies, the army doctor finished bandaging the wounded soldiers. Prince Nolan had no intention of lingering; he ordered everyone to take a detour and march on.
The next few days passed quietly. Whether the Heartshadow Pavilion was too confident to send more, or too frightened by the losses, no ambush appeared—even when Prince Nolan deliberately exposed his route.
Just as Prince Nolan suspected the enemy was planning something bigger, a dark guard brought urgent news: Serena Feng is in trouble!