Cangyu City.
Besides the Demon Suppression Office and the Lord's Mansion, there are three major families in the city, with the Liu family being the most prominent, having established themselves here for over a hundred years. The other two families, the Qi family and the Zhao family, rose to prominence later. The Qi family is a branch that migrated from another city and has built a considerable foundation in just a few decades.
At this moment, news of the monster attack had reached the heads of the three families. When they learned of it, they were all shocked. In nearly a hundred years, Cangyu City had never experienced such a monster invasion. The most notorious incident happened thirty years ago when several powerful monsters entered the city, causing countless casualties and creating a huge uproar. But now, only a few old folks still remembered it.
"The military report can't be false. Old Zhang, go check it out quickly."
Liu Shunqing, the head of the Liu family, immediately sent a family elder to investigate. The other two families also sent people to look into it, and soon they returned with concrete information. A large number of monsters were appearing from the north, sweeping down with an estimated count of at least forty to fifty thousand. Various mountain spirits and strange creatures were mixed in, clearly under the command of powerful monsters.
These monsters had blocked the main roads and sealed off several others. It was reported that two caravan guards had been ambushed on the southern trade route, and jewels hidden in food supplies had been found along the way. The monsters were blocking the roads, and the powerful ones were closing in—this was clearly an attack on the city!
"From the north? Could it be the monsters from the Black Wind Mountains?"
"Have these monsters gone mad? How dare they invade? Don’t they fear the wrath of the Xia family, who could wipe them out?"
"Damn it, what is Yue Shuhong doing? Did he offend the Monster King?"
"Have you seen anyone from the Xia family?"
The three families were starting to panic. Forty to fifty thousand monsters—what did that even mean? The military defense of Cangyu City only had a little over twenty thousand soldiers. The sheer number of monsters was already double that, and since they were planning an attack, they must have been well-prepared. Moreover, to command such a large number of powerful monsters, they had to be at least at the Divine Travel stage, or even stronger!
Meanwhile, in the north, dark clouds of monsters were closing in. A storm was brewing, and the entire city was on high alert. As the purple smoke signal rose into the sky, all the city gates were locked down. The city defense troops on rotation donned their armor and took their positions on the city walls.
At that moment, looking from the northern city wall, many soldiers’ faces changed. They saw thick clouds of monsters, dark with a hint of red, swirling in the sky above the north, approaching at an alarming speed.
"Are these monsters insane? How dare they attack the city!"
Many of the city defense soldiers found it hard to believe. This was Dayu, a border city, but it wasn't the most remote. How could the monsters dare to cross the border? Didn’t they fear angering the royal family and provoking a military response?
In their decades of serving as city defense, these soldiers had only seen occasional disturbances in the outskirts, but never anything like this. The news of the monster attack spread throughout the city, and with the locked gates and the rushing city defense troops, it was impossible to keep it a secret.
Every household was ordered to stay indoors, and the streets were left with only the sound of galloping hooves. Many inns, restaurants, tea houses, and shops closed their doors. Some people worried about the monsters breaking through the defenses, while others complained that the monsters were ruining their businesses. There were also those who had their families gather valuables and prepare carriages, ready to flee the city at any moment.
However, some wealthy families in the city were trying to reach out to the city defense officers, offering financial support and supplies to help resist the monsters. In the face of disaster, all kinds of human emotions were on display.
At this time, in the Lord's Mansion.
In the grand back courtyard, in a dark underground room that felt like a dungeon.
Yue Shuhong stood there, gazing at a painting in front of him. He was tall and wore a scholar's robe, exuding an air of intellect, but at this moment, half of his face was hidden in the shadow of an oil lamp, making it hard to see clearly.
The painting depicted a woman in a light green dress, her eyes sparkling and her figure graceful, brought to life by the skillful brushwork. Suddenly, a black smoke appeared from the shadows behind him, slightly twisting and transforming into a large, burly man.
The man had a broad face and big eyes, with a thick beard at the corners of his mouth. In the darkness, his eyes seemed to glow with a hint of red.
"Yue, are you thinking about your sister-in-law again?"
The broad-faced man grinned, his smile ambiguous.
Yue Shuhong didn’t turn around but seemed slightly stirred from his thoughts. He sighed softly and said, "Tiger Robe, how long have we known each other?"
"Over twenty years," the broad-faced man replied.
"Twenty years..."
Yue Shuhong murmured, "I’m fifty-three this year. I entered the Divine Travel stage when I was thirty, full of ambition, and was assigned to guard this city. In the blink of an eye, it’s already been twenty years."
Once a man who stood tall at thirty with a sword at his waist, now he found himself empty-handed.
The broad-faced man nodded slightly, his eyes reflecting a mix of emotions, including envy:
"You humans are naturally clever, standing above the myriad races. In just a few decades, you can reach the Divine Travel stage, while our monster clan needs hundreds of years to cultivate to this level. It truly makes me jealous!"
Yue Shuhong’s lips twitched slightly, "But Tiger Robe, have you seen many of our kind who live for hundreds of years?"
The broad-faced man shook his head, his eyes showing a hint of disdain:
"Reaching the Divine Travel stage can allow one to live for nearly a thousand years, but you humans seem to enjoy seeking death. Look at those from the Divine General Mansion—they could live comfortably, yet they choose to fight to the death against us at the border. In the end, they all die young."
Yue Shuhong couldn’t help but chuckle:
"Yes, perhaps that’s the difference between us humans and your monster clan. The millions of people in Dayu, the vast lands of nineteen states, every inch of soil has soaked up the blood of those proud heroes."
"Because some people die, more can live on!"
The broad-faced man squinted slightly, "Yue, you wouldn’t be foolish enough to act like those stupid guys, would you?"
Yue Shuhong turned around, his previously illuminated scholarly face now shrouded in darkness.
"For the past twenty years, I’ve provided you with human meat, trying to meet your needs. Why has it come to this?"
His voice was soft, almost as if he were talking to himself.
The broad-faced man stared at him for a moment, sighed, and said, "This journey isn’t my choice. The Red Brow Daoist has just woken up from seclusion and is quite hungry. Moreover, this trip isn’t solely about filling his belly; it’s actually aimed at your Cangyu City. The real target is the Xia family."
"The Xia family?"
"Exactly. You seek help from the Xia family, but they don’t dare come because they are facing an even more troublesome problem and can’t afford to be distracted. If Cangyu City falls, it will definitely affect them. If your emperor sitting in the court gets angry and punishes the Xia family, that would be even better."
The broad-faced man said softly, "So, Cangyu City... you can’t protect it."
Yue Shuhong took a deep breath and closed his eyes slightly.
So, the monster clan was playing such a game.
"Yue, I came here to ask you to open the northern city gate. The fall of Cangyu City is inevitable. If you open the gate, I can speak a few words for you in front of the Red Brow Daoist and give you a way out," the broad-faced man said.
Yue Shuhong opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face: "Thank you, Tiger Robe."
"Get it done quickly," the broad-faced man urged, "Our friendship is at stake here, and I will definitely ensure your safety."
"Okay."
Yue Shuhong nodded and then turned to walk aside, not towards the desk but towards the weapon rack.
"Yue?"
"Tiger Robe."
"Now I understand."
The red glow in the broad-faced man’s eyes intensified, and his mouth stretched into a grin: "Yue, you’re really breaking my heart!"
"I’m sad too, feeling sorry for you."
Yue Shuhong chuckled, "Tiger Robe, for our friendship over these twenty years, I will use your tiger head to brew the finest wine."
"Thank you."
The broad-faced man’s teeth gradually sharpened: "I will savor it slowly."
As the auras of the two men grew stronger, their souls began to reveal themselves. Yue Shuhong’s soul gathered above his head, while behind the broad-faced man, a massive and fierce tiger began to emerge.
"So you’re here."
Suddenly, a voice echoed in their ears.
Then, a crack appeared in the ceiling of the basement, and a figure slowly descended, standing between the two men.
Dressed in black, holding a broken black knife, the newcomer was none other than Li Hao, who had returned to the city.
(End of Chapter)