Chaotic World Book-Chapter 292 - 287: The Torch

The city walls quickly turned into a meat grinder.

Yesterday’s bodies had not yet been cleared, and today they were joined by new recruits.

With breaches in the walls, it didn’t necessarily mean it was indefensible, only that fewer tactics could be used, requiring even more solid strength and courage.

No matter how numerous the enemy, how many could squeeze through the breach at the same time?

The weather grew colder by the day, the snowfall heavier. Just hold out until the snowy weather fully sets in, and the barbarians would retreat of their own accord. They, too, were flesh and blood, with tribal families; they couldn’t endlessly stir trouble here without end.

With this realization, there came boundless courage.

No matter how exhausted, no matter how depleted of arrows and provisions, hope remained.

Huangfu Yongxian personally took his stand at the breach, his long spear piercing straight through, impaling two barbarian warriors together, and with a mighty heave flung the corpses back, toppling a swath of the enemy formation.

Cui Yuanyong’s swordplay was as fluid as a ribbon, guarding by Huangfu Yongxian’s side, and he couldn’t help but admire.

He wondered if he would still possess such divine power when older.

As a legitimate son of the aristocratic family, the earlier Cui Yuanyong struggled to empathize with the sentiments of frontier soldiers or to understand what Huangfu Yongxian was thinking. In his view, even if the barbarians breached the borders, they’d likely have to compromise with the Cui Family to stabilize and rule over the land quickly; after all, a mere change of flags wouldn’t alter the fact that the Qinghe Cui remained the Qinghe Cui.

"The imperial family changes like a flowing river, the aristocratic family is as permanent as wrought iron." Isn’t the Huangfu Family the same? Why endure such hardship...

The Emperor doesn’t care? Isn’t that rather good? We can be the local kings, unimpeded.

He claimed he came to the frontier to aid in its defense, but in truth, it was more for the experience of war – he wished to ascend to the Human List, and this was the ideal place for such hardening.

However, months into the fighting, Cui Yuanyong’s heart underwent a subtle change.

The comrades who just yesterday were laughing and swearing over drinks, today lay as skeletons upon the city walls; his subordinates, who respectfully called him Young Master Cui and Commander Cui, had seen several changes of guard in these months, young faces flickering past like a spinning lantern.

There was a numbness, life and death felt diluted.

But there was also a burning in the blood.

As if his own blood had been poured into the fortification alongside theirs, every brick here was not just a brick, but blood and flesh. His friends’, his subordinates’, as well as his own heart and soul.

This was something not experienced through the adventures of the Worldly Society, a heart entwined with the fate of the city.

As long as I stand, the city remains.

Cui Yuanyong finally understood Huangfu Yongxian. Letting such a person give up was harder than killing him.

Then do not give up.

Father says if it’s a lost cause, retreat back to Qinghe... sorry, that I cannot do.

"Clang!" Not far away, several long spears struck Situ Xiao, ringing out like the clash of metal.

Situ Xiao flashed a toothy grin, his heavy sword sweeping across, heads flying.

Cui Yuanyong felt envious of this bulletproof horizontal training; in such battles, it was incredibly convenient. Others needed to don armor, cumbersome and less protective than what Situ Xiao had. People like Situ emerged here with much greater potential than himself.

But overturns could happen. Bullying common soldiers was easy, but once facing a master, it became easy to break through.

"Cousin Situ, watch out!" Cui Yuanyong struck like a shooting star, his sword piercing an assailant’s throat.

Situ Xiao turned and smiled, "Thanks. Wasn’t keen on joining the Hero Camp, didn’t want to see the stuck-up faces of the aristocratic family sons, but you’re pretty good, better than Wang Zhaoqing."

Cui Yuanyong helplessly replied, "Now’s not the time for this."

"I mean, if you retreat, I won’t mock you. The legitimate son of Qinghe Cui has no business dying here."

"Why can’t the legitimate son of Qinghe Cui die here?" Cui Yuanyong asked curiously, countering, "Does Divine Brilliance Sect’s legitimate heir intend to leave?"

Situ Xiao replied, "We are just martial artists of the Worldly Society; live for the moment, for today’s pleasure. Divine Brilliance Sect will carry on without me; there are plenty of others."

Cui Yuanyong thrust his sword toward an enemy’s throat, smiling, "Coincidentally, so do I."

Situ Xiao laughed heartily, looking to the skies, "Then let’s not speak of such unlucky matters; we won’t die."

Dammit, who started with the unlucky talk? Cui Yuanyong grumbled, "What makes you think we won’t die?"

Situ Xiao said, "Nothing, just trying to keep spirits high. Anyway, as long as we survive this, ascending to the Human List is assured. I don’t believe the likes of Xue Canghai have been through what we have."

"Damn," Cui Yuanyong looked up at the endless sea of people and felt a true sense of impending death.

Suddenly a thought struck him: It had been so long since Zhao Changhe had disappeared behind enemy lines, having previously appeared in the Chaotic World Book, and then fell silent without a trace. Their intelligence network had lost all sign of him.

Could he already be dead? Oh no, if the Hidden Dragon had fallen, the Chaotic World Book should have flickered, its steadiness meant he was still alive.

He had no idea what kind of fish Zhao was trying to catch.

He wondered, between himself and Zhao Changhe, whose death would sadden his sister more.

"General!" Someone rushed to Huangfu Yongxian nearby to report, "There is dust rising in the distance to the northwest, suspected to be the War Lion Tribe approaching."

Huangfu Yongxian speared a foreigner and his expression shifted slightly, "They have finally arrived..."

Those around Cui Yuanyong, who heard this, all wore grim expressions.

They had hoped to hold out until the snow... but now with this fresh enemy force, they truly feared they could not hold any longer...

...

In the foreign Golden Horde’s tent.

Tie Muer stood behind the lines, gazing at the battle upon the city walls.

The Xia army was clearly out of ammunition and provisions; they had previously poured boiling oil down upon the attackers, but now they were out of oil and were purely relying on blood and flesh to resist.

But they also couldn’t breach the defenses, someone as experienced as Huangfu Yongxian had almost no vulnerabilities in his arrangement, tougher to crack than a turtle. If they dragged this out for a few more days, morale in his own ranks would start to crumble.

Many subordinates and tribes couldn’t comprehend why he wouldn’t take matters into his own hands and charge in to take Huangfu Yongxian’s head.

But he knew it was not possible.

It wasn’t because others fantasized that Xia Longyuan would appear to hold them back; Tie Muer knew that wasn’t the case - Xia Longyuan was still in the Capital, and he couldn’t perform Instantaneous Movement.

Some lines should not be crossed... If today you from the Heavenly List can penetrate the battle formation to kill a Main General, tomorrow Xia Longyuan would dare to ride freely across the grasslands, slaying anyone he met, turning the entire grassland into a Blood Sea.

Even someone like Yue Hongling rampaging in the background is hard to capture for many, what if it was Xia Longyuan?

At this level, a certain degree of tacit agreement must be followed.

Tie Muer did actually admire the Maitreya Sect, for an internal strife like what Xia Longyuan wouldn’t even give Maitreya a pass for, he dared to... even the Wang Family did not dare.

Yet Xia Longyuan still hadn’t moved, how odd and mysterious.

Tie Muer’s gaze lingered more on Cui Yuanyong, Situ Xiao, and others, his eyes filled with a sigh.

Such is the Hidden Dragon of Central Earth, their Qi is not yet extinguished. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Although in truth, there are few who deserve such praise... there still are some.

As long as there are, the Qi is not dispersed.

However, it was a pity that they were outnumbered... A breach in the city wall was a clear sign they were nearly at their limit.

After observing for a long while, Tie Muer slightly raised his hand, "Let the Vulture Tribe press forward."

At that moment, a report came in, "The Battle Lion Tribe is approaching from the northwest, claiming to come in support."

Tie Muer paused, his brow furrowing slightly, "My envoy to the Battle Lion Tribe hasn’t returned yet, and they have already come by themselves? How many troops?"

The soldier replied, "There appears to be seventy or eighty thousand."

Seventy or eighty thousand troops were far from being as powerful as the Golden Horde Khanate in absolute terms, but at this moment, it was a potentially fatal variable.

Never mind seventy or eighty thousand, even ten or twenty thousand would cause a major headache, let alone seventy or eighty thousand which could be deadly.

"Ba Tu coming this way must have passed through the Yellow Sand Market, how did Wu Balu fail to send a message? Allowing Ba Tu to arrive so unexpectedly!"

No one could answer the Great Khan’s question.

Someone cautiously said, "If Ba Tu bypassed the Yellow Sand Market, General Wu Balu would have certainly noticed something wrong and by this time should be leading troops to pursue them from behind..."

"Redirect the Vulture Tribe toward the flanks, and arrange troops in the northwest," Tie Muer stood up briskly, "Whatever Ba Tu has come for, and whether Wu Balu comes to attack from behind or not, we cannot be careless. Mr. Bo..."

He turned to the shaman inside the tent, his expression solemn, "This is a battle against the Southern Barbarians. If someone should cause civil strife, this isn’t just an ordinary tribal conflict anymore. Will the Divine Hall intervene?"

The shaman stood up and bowed, "Great Khan, please be patient. What courage would Ba Tu have to cause chaos? It is likely that he indeed comes to fight. Please allow me to meet with Ba Tu to confirm his intentions."

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