Chapter 185: The Demon Race Attacks!
"Let us out!"
"Please, I beg you, let us out! I don't want to stay here and wait to die!"
"You dog of an official, are you trying to get us all killed?!"
The moment the city gates closed, it was as if someone had snuffed out the last sliver of hope for those trying to flee. They immediately flew into a frenzy, screaming and cursing at the constables guarding the gates—and at Chu Yang, who sat alone atop the city wall.
Their eyes were bloodshot, their rage barely contained, as if they were ready to devour someone alive.
The constables struggled to hold back the crowd from charging the gates, while inwardly cursing their orders. Just moments ago, people had been allowed to leave, and now it was suddenly forbidden. Wasn't that a surefire way to provoke public outrage?
If no one had been allowed to leave from the start, perhaps the people wouldn't have reacted with such fury.
But now, the wealthy had already fled, leaving behind the poor to await death. Anyone would go mad in such a situation.
Some of the stronger young men, overcome with rage, went home to grab cleavers, hoes, and other tools, gathering at the gate and shouting threats—seemingly ready for an all-out clash with the constables.
The tension was on a knife's edge. One wrong move and blood would spill on the spot.
Chu Yang waved his hand again. Controlling the wind, he sent a blast sweeping across the crowd, instantly clearing out the area near the gate.
Men, women, young and old—all were hurled violently to the ground. They looked up at Chu Yang in terror, realizing that what had just happened was beyond any mortal capability.
The crowd was too emotional for reason to work. Trying to talk sense into them would only delay things and risk disaster, so Chu Yang had chosen to give them a show of overwhelming force.
And it worked.
Whether they had calmed down or not, at least they were no longer acting out. But they didn't leave either. Instead, they silently remained where they were.
Some looked dazed, others wore expressions of sorrow.
Soft sobbing began to ripple through the crowd, and a heavy grief spread among them like a dark cloud.
It was then that Chu Yang finally spoke. "The reason I stopped you from leaving... is because I don't want you walking out there just to die in vain."
The sobbing faltered slightly.
Seeing that the cold, godlike man had finally opened his mouth, someone among the crowd summoned the courage to speak. "The nobles and officials are already gone, and they took their guards with them. Staying behind is just waiting to die."
As soon as he said it, others immediately chimed in.
"Exactly! How can we possibly hold Jinling City with so few people? My lord, please, open the gates!"
"Yes! Please, we beg you, let us out!"
"Have mercy—give us a chance to live!"
Chu Yang shook his head. "Let me ask you—once you leave Jinling City, how do you plan to avoid being tracked by the demons? What makes you think you can outrun them?"
A scholar stepped forward from the crowd, speaking with courtesy. "The soldier who brought the news said that General Qi's army is trapped in Wanglong City, which means he came from there. Judging by the distance between Wanglong and Jinling, and the speed of his green-maned horse, we estimate we have at least a day to escape."
"If all goes well, we could reach the next human stronghold before the demon race arrives and seek shelter there."
The crowd, hearing this, began to regain some hope and called again for Chu Yang to open the gates.
Chu Yang gave a cold laugh. "That's what those nobles thought too—and they'll die horribly for it."
The scholar froze, not understanding Chu Yang's reasoning. Thinking the man was just being obstinate, he frowned. "If my logic is sound and you have no proper rebuttal, then please open the gates."
Just then, a refined young man stepped out from the crowd. But on closer inspection, one would notice that his temples were streaked with white and faint wrinkles touched the corners of his eyes. Yet his gaze remained bright—so bright it seemed to shine into people's hearts.
He was so strikingly handsome that it made one instinctively overlook his age.
He walked up to the scholar and explained, "What the lord means is that no matter how fast a human runs, they can't possibly be faster than a high-level demon."
"From what I know, some avian demons can fly dozens of miles with a single flap of their wings. That day's worth of distance you mentioned—those demons could probably cover it in the time it takes to finish a cup of tea."
"And some canine demons have incredibly sharp senses of smell. Tracking scents from three to five days ago is child's play for them."
"If it were just one person traveling alone, the scent might dissipate quickly. But a large group moving through the wild would be detected by the demons almost immediately. That's why the lord keeping you in the city is your only real chance of survival."
After hearing the handsome man's explanation, the ignorant masses finally understood Chu Yang's reasoning. Their anger melted into gratitude. A few still didn't fully believe it, but they no longer dared incite another rush at the gates.
The scholar who had argued with Chu Yang lowered his head in shame. Trying to apply human logic to the demon race had been a grave mistake.
Seeing this, the refined gentleman offered him a smile and said, "General Qi has guarded Jinling well. Even the nearby towns have rarely been touched by demons. This is rare in the entire southern region. It's understandable that you all wouldn't know these things."
The scholar gave a shallow bow and turned toward Chu Yang on the city wall, bowing once more before departing, his face flushed red. Whether he'd truly accepted the explanation remained unclear.
After dispersing the crowd, the refined gentleman leapt up onto the wall, meeting Chu Yang's gaze. He cupped his hands in greeting. "Your Highness, it's been many years. I trust you've been well?"
"When I ranked as Third Place Scholar back then, people gave me jewels, beauties, and promised me high office. But no one knew the sorrow I carried in my heart—I just wanted to drink myself into oblivion."
"It was you who poured me the best daughter's red wine in the capital and accompanied me in my drunken stupor. I still remember the taste of that wine."
"I never imagined that ten years later, your Daoist arts would be so close to perfection. Truly remarkable."
The man was none other than Li Xunhuan—the Third Place Scholar of a decade ago, now known as Little Li Flying Dagger.
Back then, Chu Yang hadn't deliberately invited Li Xunhuan to drink. He'd simply been under heavy pressure from the emperor and needed a release. It was purely by chance that he met the wandering Li Xunhuan.
They only drank together that one time. Shortly after, Li Xunhuan resigned and vanished from court.
"What are you doing in Jinling City?" Chu Yang asked in surprise.
"I was being chased and ended up here."
Li Xunhuan gave a wry smile. "I've been beyond the frontier for ten years. I finally decided to return and was immediately found by people from the Dragon-Guard Villa. I must admit, their intelligence network truly is the best in the land."
Chu Yang asked curiously, "Why were they chasing you?"
"They want me to take office, but I don't want it. And not just any post—they want me as Chief Instructor of the 800,000-strong Imperial Guard. How could I possibly be fit for such a lofty role? I had no choice but to flee to Jinling to lay low."
Chu Yang's face turned cold. "Wasn't the Chief Instructor still Head Constable Guo Bujing of the Six Gates? Why was he replaced?"
Li Xunhuan replied, "According to the two agents chasing me, His Majesty was worried about Guo overworking himself in dual roles, so he relieved him of one post for the sake of his health."
Chu Yang closed his eyes in thought. After a moment, he opened them again, his gaze icy. "His Majesty certainly is... considerate."
"I just wonder if, after so many years of ruling alone, His Majesty might also be... a bit tired himself."
Hearing the implication behind Chu Yang's words, Li Xunhuan trembled and looked stunned.
"Since you're here, why not stay and help defend the city? Your Little Li Flying Dagger is the bane of avian-type demons."
Chu Yang didn't care how shocked Li Xunhuan was. All that mattered now was handling the current crisis.
"I was planning on it," Li Xunhuan replied. From the moment he stepped out of the crowd, he had no intention of staying uninvolved.
"Then I'll have to trouble you to assist at the other gate."
Jinling City had two gates—front and back. The one beneath Chu Yang faced south, directly toward Wanglong City, and would bear the brunt of the demon attack.
Li Xunhuan asked, puzzled, "You don't need my help here?"
"One man is enough," Chu Yang replied. "And those constables below—you can take them with you."
"One man to guard the city?" Li Xunhuan hesitated.
He wasn't sure how to judge Chu Yang's confidence—or arrogance.
Defending a city was no child's play. Even top martial artists could perish against an army, let alone against a force of demons.
Demons were naturally superior to humans in strength. The average demon soldier was stronger than its human counterpart. In a direct clash, the demon army held the advantage.
"I know Your Highness has mastered Daoist arts, but guarding the city alone... perhaps that's too much. You've spent years in the capital and may not have seen real war lately."
Li Xunhuan tried earnestly to dissuade him.
"There's no need to worry," came a voice from afar. A man approached, wearing a Embroidered Spring Blade at his waist—it was Li Gexiao.
"Lord Li?"
Li Xunhuan looked at him in shock.
"Long time no see, Third Place Scholar. I heard you went beyond the frontier. How was the scenery?"
"Endless wind and snow in that bitter land—so much for scenery," Li Xunhuan laughed bitterly.
"If you were going to retire, why not find a nicer place? Why suffer beyond the border?" Li Gexiao asked.
"I did something I regret. So I went out there to suffer on purpose."
For the first time, a pained expression appeared on Li Xunhuan's face. Li Gexiao immediately understood—his sorrow was tied to lost love.
"In that case, let's not speak of it." Li Gexiao waved his hand and turned to Chu Yang, cupping his fist. "Your Highness, the other gate is secure. Lu Xiaofeng and the others found Anti-Demon Heavy Crossbows at General Qi's residence—they'll help with the defense."
"But it's best we send someone to request reinforcements from the capital. That's the only way to ensure we're not caught off guard."
Chu Yang said, "Then you go. It's a good chance to settle things between you and Yan Song."
To his surprise, Li Gexiao shook his head without hesitation. "I must stay to help defend the city. Whoever wants Yan Shifan's life can take it—it no longer concerns me."
This caught Chu Yang off guard. He'd assumed that the pain of losing his wife would drive Li Gexiao to pursue vengeance at any cost.
"If it's someone to send for reinforcements you need, I've got two good candidates," Li Xunhuan said with a grin. "Remember how I mentioned I was being chased to Jinling?"
"You mean the Dragon-Guard Villa?" Chu Yang asked.
Li Xunhuan nodded. "The ones chasing me were Tianzi First-Rank Agent Duan Tianya and Dizi First-Rank Agent Guihai Yidao."
"My servant, Tie Chuanjia, led them elsewhere. But by now, they should almost be here."
Li Gexiao, though curious why Dragon-Guard Villa was after Li Xunhuan, focused on the task at hand. "The Dragon-Guard Villa often works with the Divine Marquis Manor. While the manor handles demons directly, they specialize in gathering intelligence. They're adept at avoiding demonic detection."
"With Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao delivering the message, we can be certain reinforcements will arrive."
With Chu Yang guarding Jinling, the city could hold. But the other cities in the south might not be so lucky. The sooner the imperial army moved, the more lives could be saved.
Suddenly, Chu Yang said, "In that case, find them quickly. But only one needs to deliver the message—the other, I have a task for."
Li Xunhuan asked, "What is it?"
Chu Yang replied, "I want to know what's going on in Wanglong City. How exactly did General Qi and the Qi Family Army end up trapped there?"
Li Xunhuan understood Chu Yang's intent and gave a bitter smile. "Your Highness, Jinling City can barely fend for itself, and yet you're thinking about aiding the Qi Family Army in Wanglong City?"
His words all but spelled out: You must be dreaming.
Li Gexiao grinned and said, "Scholar Li really isn't cut out to be an official. Good thing you resigned back then, or you'd be suffering now."
Li Xunhuan asked in confusion, "What do you mean, Lord Li?"
Li Gexiao patted his shoulder and whispered, "Back when I was still a squad leader, my teacher once told me: 'As long as you ask less and do more, you'll rarely go wrong.'"
Before Li Xunhuan could process it, Li Gexiao dragged him down from the city wall.
After the two left, Chu Yang stood atop the wall and gave a whistle. Before long, a massive wolfdog appeared at the base of the wall, looking up at him with a flattering grin.
The hundred-meter-high wall was too tall for it to scale, so Chu Yang cast a spell to lift it up.
If Wangcai stayed outside, it might be killed by the attacking demon horde. With its heavy human scent, the great demons would easily know it had recognized a master.
Wangcai had been working hard without complaint these past few days—it was time to reward him. Chu Yang took out a handful of Blood Bodhi and stuffed it into his mouth. The potent blood essence transformed into pure energy, coursing through the hound's body.
Wangcai's eyes instantly bulged wide.
Chu Yang chuckled. "If I gave this to Li Gexiao instead, he'd be back to peak condition in a single day. But it wouldn't benefit his martial path at all."
"Losing his foundation also means he can rebuild from the ground up. He can correct what was lacking before and make his martial path even more complete."
"I never imagined Yan Nantian would show up midway and pass on his Martial Garment Divine Art…"
"All I can say is—it's fate."
After swallowing the Blood Bodhi, Wangcai's fur gleamed with renewed luster. He wagged his tail frantically, hoping for more rewards from Chu Yang.
"That's enough—don't be greedy. Eat too much and you'll end up slaughtered like those pigs last year."
The moment Wangcai heard that, his tail froze. Just as excited as he had been a moment ago, he was now equally terrified.
Chu Yang chuckled, his gaze turning outward toward the vast plains beyond the city. He watched the sun slowly disappear over the horizon.
Night fell.
The city's households shuttered their doors, gathering around dim lamplight in prayer.
In that moment, they became the most devout believers of every god and spirit in the heavens.
Moonlight spilled across the city gates, mingling with the torches in the darkness to light the way ahead.
The constables stood tensely around the Anti-Demon Heavy Crossbows—only these supreme killing tools could give them the tiniest shred of security.
The cold wind suddenly turned piercing.
An unusual presence was spreading through the air.
Pairs of eyes hidden in the darkness glowed like ghostly fire, staring fixedly at Jinling City, their crimson gazes brimming with greed.
Wangcai bared his fangs, glaring fiercely into the night!
Chu Yang stroked his head.
"They're finally here."