Chapter 158 — Struggle
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 6 of 6
Everyone started and turned to look back. Along the crowded street, the common folk all turned their heads as one. In the distance, the high city wall—which had also been thronged with people—was now a scene of people running in every direction. Through the misty rain, a shrill shriek rang out across the sky. A colossal bird of prey spread its wings and swooped down from the heavens, its great eyes flickering with a sinister blood-red light. Its outstretched wings, astonishingly, spanned the width of half a city gate—truly horrifying.
The giant bird stirred up a tremendous wind, and the gale came howling in. The masts atop the city wall were snapped clean by the ferocious blast and came crashing down. The people on the wall, terrified beyond measure, fled in all directions. The giant bird descended from the sky with a shriek, and its huge, razor-sharp talons, like a demon's hands, seized two fleeing people outright, then soared back into the heavens, vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.
The whole of He Yin City fell instantly into a dead silence. A long while later, no one knew who was the first to scream aloud: "Beast-demons—the beast-demons are here! We're done for!..."
In an instant the entire city was plunged into hysteria. Countless people wailed and wept, cries of grief rising on every side, and all was chaos.
Only the misty rain between heaven and earth went on falling quietly, as though nothing had happened at all.