Headed by a Snake

Wang Lei stood on the rainy beach, staring in disbelief.

The monsters...

They came to kill their god.

Did the creature mean... the sect's divine Guardian Beast? Or... the sect's patron, the Goddess of the Lake?

Whichever it was, it was ominous news...

The enemy was not one that could be bargained with.

The creature reached out its large palm and slammed Elder Huiyin into the sand, moments before another wave crashed into them both.

When the water receded, the blade of the stone monster's axe was plunged into her chest.

It drew its muscled arm back.

It struck down, once more.

And again.

The creature was... even bigger than the ones in his dreams... even stronger.

It laughed as it smashed its axe over and over again in the old woman's corpse.

It was... enjoying the slaughter.

"Blood and thunder!" It cackled.

"""Vict'ry at sea!!""" Its peers resounded...

​ They must have belonged to some kind of cult... singing praises to a still-unknown dark god of cruelty and hatred.

Small voices pleaded in the deep recesses of Lei's consciousness... the barest whisper hidden by the natural elements...

"There's too many of them!!"

"Please!! Spare me!!"

"This is the end of our sect!!!!"

Wang Lei felt the corners of his mouth twitch.

What he was experiencing... was impossible. Was he suffering yet another nightmare?

How could there be more than a single one of the rock-skinned monsters? These creatures? Composed purely of violence? Devoid of mercy?

The hand that held his ringed saber shook as he turned his head... not wanting-- no, absolutely refusing to believe.

The creatures... they emerged from the dark waters, sprinting onto the beach.

They hid in the waves... or rode atop them, screaming slurred war cries.

Some of Wang Lei's peers... scholars... veteran fighters-- they began firing their arrows and launching spirit attacks at... the ocean itself.

It was useless-- beyond useless.

Wang Lei clenched his eyes shut, drowning out the sound of his friends and family members dying all around him.

What should he do?

What... could he do?

Call a retreat?

Withdraw and regroup... hoping to rally around his sister?

The battle had barely begun! It had been scant minutes and the defenses that he called for were already decimated.

No.

NO!

It was nothing but wishful thinking that Ying Yue could make it back in time.

The beach had to be defended...

...not by hoping for a hero to arrive to save them-- but by the courage of men.

However, Wang Lei knew his limitations...

He wasn't as studious or as gifted or... even as old as many of his allies.

But... he loved his home. He loved his sect. He was willing to defend it with his life.

Even if he could prevent a single one of his enemies from breaking through, he had to do just that!

With a roar of false bravado he held up his ring saber and charged into the shallows.

A different monster intercepted him... his rocky skin peach... brighter than the rest of his demonic kin.

Wang Lei swung his saber... and so blessed by the divine fates, it struck true. The blade cut into the creature's flesh, deep into its arm.

"Die, creature!!" Lei demanded. "You and your ilk are NOT welcome on--"

"Oh, shut the F*CK up, boyo."

With a grunt, the creature casually swung its axe. Wang Lei's heavy weapon flew off with a dull clang... and was taken by the roiling waves.

That level of strength...

Wang Lei looked at his bleeding hands in shock.

The creature in front of him was... one of hundreds... all with similar uniforms and piecemeal armor.

It wasn't even one of their elites... and it had the strength of one of the Hidden Lake's Sect Elders.

"Ahahaaaa! Dat's da face I was lookin' for..." A cruel grin crossed the creature's face, "Pure... f*ckin' despair... gehehe... Say g'night, ya li'ul bi--"

A sudden white flash blinded Wang Lei, turning the crimson waters as bright as in the sun. When he opened his eyes... he saw a thin and elegant sword piercing into the creature's flesh... spilling blood into the shallows.

A blessing from the Guardian Beast-- no... from the Lake Goddess, herself.

The creature furrowed its eyes in confusion, staring at the flying sword stabbed halfway through its chest.

Wasting no time, Wang Lei grabbed the hilt, "⌈Unforgiving Jaws!!⌋"

Drawing the blade, he landed near-simultaneous vertical slashes on the monster's chest before leaping out of the water to kick the side of its head.

With a hollow crack, the creature's neck broke and it toppled backwards into the water.

Wang Lei drew a deep breath as he swept his rain-drenched hair out of his eyes, "I told you to guard the sect's inner sanctum... my love."

"I'm sorry, husband..." Li Jing landed gracefully atop the waters, using her chi to prevent breaking its surface, "but... I couldn't just..."

"I wasn't asking for an apology," Wang Lei smirked as he turned to his savior, "It's not the first time you've saved me after all..."

He gulped as his gaze wandered. Though it was not the time nor place to do so, the way that his wife's robes stuck to her skin was... troublesome.

"Mind your eyes, Lei," Li Jing stuck her tongue out. "Why are you like this? You've already seen everything."

Lei held out his hand, his ringed saber emerging from the waters and returning to his grip. Simultaneously, he released his wife's conjured moon blade, which flew back to her own fair hand.

"I'll hold them off as long as I can," He waved. "Go back and warn the others."

Li Jing lowered her head... "I... I won't."

As dry as Wang Lei's throat was, he forcibly swallowed his saliva... "I am the *Commander* of our martial forces, Li Jing."

"I'm... sorry, Lei... I still won't."

Wang Lei grit his teeth. He needed someone to go back... to activate the emergency defense formations...

Still... if Li Jing refused, he could only fight alongside her... to protect her as they gathered as many cultivators as they could to withdraw.

Recently, his wife received a sword manual from the Matriarch of the Frozen Cairn Sect.

She could control two to three flying swords and use them in conjunction with her weapon attacks... It was such a dangerous and deadly technique that only Wang Lei was capable of coordinating with her.

...With her... they could hold back the tide of monsters.

That is... as long as they were not still hiding their strength.