Volume 2 - Chapter 3: A Lone Rescuer
At the end of dragon pass stood Cangya City.
Tianmen Pass was outside the city.
Cangya City, built against towering cliffs, was vast and imposing. Its mighty walls soared into the clouds, housing majestic watchtowers, arrow towers, and a bustling urban district where residents thrived. This vibrant city also served as a trading hub between the Great Yu Dynasty and the Northern Frost Kingdom, with a constant flow of carriages and horses.
But that was eight hundred years ago.
Now...
Only a small mound of dirt remained.
Carved on the mound were the words "Cangya," marking the place once called a city.
Around the mound was an expanse of military tents, forming a tight encampment with the mound at its center.
At the edge of the encampment, several war banners were planted.
The banners fluttered in the biting wind, bearing the ancient characters "Tianyuan."
These were the flags of the Li Family.
Among the Five Divine General Mansions, each had a title. For instance, the Wang Family's Tianzhao Divine General Mansion, and here, the Li Family’s Tianyuan Divine General Mansion.
The cold wind howled, whipping up dust and sand.
Behind the military tents, near the edge of the towering cliff, lay rows of uneven burial mounds. Crudely carved wooden plaques served as makeshift tombstones and marked the identities of those buried beneath.
“Huff… huff…”
Nearby, a few soldiers in broken armor wielded iron shovels, digging new graves.
Before long, others arrived, carrying stretchers bearing severed hands, a mangled leg, torn armor, and a crushed helmet.
Once the pit was ready, the remains were lowered in, and sand was shoveled to cover them.
A tree was then found, a segment was chopped off to fashion a wooden plaque, and words were carved into it by hand before it was planted at the grave.
Some stretchers carried only a few fingers or a lone boot.
Even so, they were buried all the same, with plaques inscribed with four solemn characters:
"Li Family Soldiers."
The icy wind whistled through the camp, slipping between the gaps in the tents and producing a mournful wail.
Li Hongzhuang, clad in crimson armor, stood silently before the mounds, her face devoid of emotion.
Most of the plaques bore no names, for the brutal battles against the demons often left little more than fragmented remains.
When the last of the new graves was filled, she extended her hand. A deputy by her side handed her a jug of strong liquor.
With a flick of her finger, she popped the cork, pouring the liquor over the graves.
The last swig she raised to her lips, draining it in a single gulp.
It was her way of drinking with the fallen heroes.
She cast one final glance at the graves, then turned away without a word.
This was a ritual she had repeated for twenty years, a scene she had witnessed countless times.
From a soldier offering liquor to the commander she was now, her position had changed.
Her third and sixth elder brothers, who had once stood by her, had both fallen.
Thus, though a woman, she chose to take their place.
To hold up the skies of Liang Province!
Li Hongzhuang was the youngest daughter of Li Tianzong. She had nine elder brothers, each renowned across the land for their extraordinary talents, admired by all. The most brilliant among them was none other than Li Junye.
But he, too, had perished over a decade ago.
At that time, she had been stationed at this border pass and could not leave her post. She had even missed the funeral of her Ninth Brother, with whom she had played as a child in their family courtyard. Tears had fallen not on his grave but on this battlefield.
She still remembered her father saying, when naming her, that he wished for her to find a good family, marry, and settle down.
To become a wife and mother, to abandon the sword for a book.
To be spared the bloodshed of slaying demons.
But from a young age, she had seen the scars on the soldiers returning to report to the family estate and noticed the empty spaces among the ancestral tablets in the shrine. She had understood then that she could not part with her sword.
And so, she trained rigorously, apprenticed under renowned masters, and learned supreme techniques.
Afterward, she descended from the mountains to face the world, relying on her three-foot-long Azure Edge Sword to cut down the demonic hordes beyond the pass.
For twenty years, she had fought here unceasingly!
Twenty years of wind and battle had hardened her once delicate skin, making it as coarse as sandpaper.
Her youthful, flowing black hair was now tucked under her helmet, soaked with grease and the blood of demons, filthy and reeking.
Though such grime was unbearable for a woman, she had grown accustomed to it.
Only her face remained as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, unchanging.
Her eyes, however, had transformed from the clear and gentle gaze of her youth to the cold, piercing sharpness of starlight.
"Commander, the count is complete. We slew twenty-eight demons. Seven men died, and twelve were wounded."
Another deputy approached, reporting to Li Hongzhuang.
She listened without expression. She had seen the battle herself and already had an idea of the casualties. She simply responded, "The family sent word that reinforcements are arriving soon. Once they’re here, we’ll rotate the troops out for rest."
"Have we located the reinforcements yet?"
The deputy shook his head slightly and was about to answer when a horn suddenly blared from outside the camp.
Both of their expressions changed. They swiftly moved, leaping into the air and soaring high.
Outside the military tents, toward the direction of dragon pass, a few small figures were rapidly approaching. As they drew near, their forms became clear: a young man and woman, accompanied by a white fox.
"Why would anyone still come through dragon pass?"
Both were momentarily stunned and quickly flew toward the group.
Tianmen Pass had been under their watch for years, and while reinforcements had arrived sporadically, the numbers were few, as if the pass was being abandoned.
Dragon pass itself had long fallen, overrun by demons.
Even the troops who came as reinforcements avoided the road, opting to detour. Many had met their demise along it, suffering heavy losses.
“Military encampment?”
Li Hao and Ren Qianqian, who were making their way along the road, also looked puzzled.
They had expected the endpoint to be Cangya City, but instead, what lay before them were tents, scattered craters, unprocessed demon corpses, and tattered military banners. This place was clearly a desolate battlefield.
As the horn sounded, Li Hao looked up and saw two figures descending from the sky.
“Who are you?”
Li Hongzhuang studied the young man before her. His face seemed faintly familiar, and she frowned in confusion.
Li Hao was about to reply but paused.
He had decided to no longer bear the surname Li. So how should he address himself?
His gaze flickered with hesitation before he quickly thought of a name. He said, “I am Ji Hao. Just call me Ji Hao. I’m the reinforcement sent to relieve you.”
“Ji Hao?”
Li Hongzhuang and her deputy had never heard of this name. However, upon hearing his words, their hearts leapt with hope. They both turned to look behind him, scanning the distance.
“Where are the others?”
The two looked perplexed, for the area behind Li Hao was completely empty.
“I am the reinforcement,” Li Hao said.
The two were stunned. Their initial excitement deflated instantly. They both turned to look at Li Hao.
“Just you?”
“Not just me,” Li Hao replied. “This is my sword attendant, and this little one is my companion. There are three of us.”
As for Feng Lao, he had concealed himself. Feng Lao was Li Hao’s trump card and the reason he dared come to Tianmen Pass, but his presence could not be disclosed. Feng Lao’s identity was controversial, despised by many. His relationship with Li Hao’s second uncle was private and unknown to the public. If it became widely known, it would cause an uproar.
“…”
Hearing Li Hao’s explanation, Li Hongzhuang and her deputy froze. For the first time in years, surprise flickered across their battle-hardened faces.
They looked around carefully. Indeed, there were no other presences nearby.
This young man?
As reinforcement?
Li Hongzhuang’s shock quickly turned to anger. “Are you joking with me?”
After all this time waiting, hoping desperately for reinforcements, only to have a teenager show up, her heart surged with fury.
Li Hao shook his head and said seriously, “I’m not joking. I am indeed the reinforcement. For the next three years, I’ll guard this place. If I fall, then I’ll fall here.”
“You, guard this place for three years?”
Li Hongzhuang was so furious she almost laughed. A lone teenager guarding an isolated outpost? Even she wouldn’t dare make such a claim!
“Seventh Brother must have lost his mind!”
Li Hongzhuang ignored Li Hao and turned to her deputy. “Send a message back immediately and ask Li Tiangang what he means by this. Is he truly abandoning us, or is there some hidden intent?”
The deputy acknowledged the order and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, a figure flew over and landed in front of them.
It was an elderly man clad in armor, his hair gray but his demeanor calm and composed.
The man first glanced at Li Hao, then bowed to Li Hongzhuang. “Miss.”
Sensing the aura of the Three Immortals emanating from the man, Li Hongzhuang scrutinized him closely but could not recognize him.
The deputy beside her, however, seemed to recognize him and exclaimed, “Are you General Li He?”
“Li He?”
Li Hongzhuang thought for a moment, then her expression turned to surprise. She remembered hearing about him in her youth. At that time, he was already a renowned figure.
He belonged to the previous generation of the Li Family and was of the same age as her uncles.
However, he was of a collateral branch of the family.
Among his generation, Li He had been one of the most outstanding.
“Miss Hongzhuang, may I have a word in private?” Li He asked.
Though puzzled, Li Hongzhuang nodded and followed him to the side.
Li Hao and the deputy remained where they were.
Li Hao was not surprised by the old man’s appearance. Although this was their first close encounter, he had sensed Li He following him from Qingzhou to here. For five days, the man had trailed him.
Feng Lao had mentioned that this was likely someone Li Tiangang had sent to protect him in secret.
Li Hao, however, felt indifferent about it.
Most of the demons along the way had been dealt with by Feng Lao or himself. Now that his injuries had healed, he could handle anything below the Immortal Dao stage without needing Feng Lao’s help.
As Li He and his young aunt conferred in private, Li Hao asked the deputy, “Isn’t Cangya City supposed to be at the end of dragon pass ? How much farther do we need to travel?”
The deputy replied in a grave tone, “You’re standing in it. This is Cangya City.”
“Hm?”
Li Hao was stunned, staring at the deputy in disbelief.
He looked around, seeing only rubble. Where was the city?
“Centuries of war have taken their toll. The demon attacks have been relentless and ferocious. Cangya City has suffered countless devastations, and there’s no longer any way to repair its walls or restore its defensive formations. The entire city has been reduced to nothing.”
The deputy pointed toward a nearby mound. “That over there is all that’s left. That is the city, and this is where we stand guard.”
Li Hao turned to look at the mound and froze.
The small pile of dirt was barely a few meters high—something that could be flattened with a single strike.
This was… Cangya City?
He had known border wars were brutal, but he hadn’t imagined it would be this devastating.
An entire city had been razed to the ground.
“So, you’ve been holding this place with no defenses at all? When the demons attack, you just endure it?” Li Hao asked.
The deputy’s face was stoic as he replied, “The only wall is our bodies.”
“…”
Li Hao fell silent at his words.
Before long, Li Hongzhuang and Li He returned.
Li Hongzhuang’s expression was complicated as she looked at Li Hao. “You’re Hao’er!”
Li Hao glanced at Li He. It seemed the old man had explained things to her.
“It’s me. Now do you believe me? You can withdraw your troops.”
Li Hongzhuang’s gaze was tinged with sadness. “How could Seventh Brother be so cruel? It’s just a minor conflict—why escalate it to this? What about Fifth Uncle, Second Uncle, and Sister-in-law? Do they not care?”
Li Hao shook his head, unwilling to dwell on the topic.
“Hao’er, you’re being too reckless. Go back immediately. If you stay here, you’ll die!” Li Hongzhuang said, her tone filled with pain.
No wonder she had found the young man’s face familiar. Though this was their first meeting, she didn’t want to see her nephew throw his life away.
“It’s fine,” Li Hao said with a faint smile. “If I die here, at least I’ll be a martyr. If I die elsewhere, I’ll be nothing.”
“You’re so stubborn! Your father wouldn’t really kill you,” Li Hongzhuang said, her expression sorrowful.
Li Hao shook his head. “Little Aunt, it’s getting late. You should retreat soon. These soldiers have held this place for years. It’s time for them to go home and see their wives and mothers.”
At these words, the deputy beside them trembled. For the first time in years, something wet glistened in his cracked, emotionless face.
Li Hongzhuang, however, fell silent. After a long pause, she shook her head. “The others can leave. I won’t.”
She looked back at the small mound behind her. Although it could no longer be called a city, it was still the place her third and sixth brothers had given their lives to defend.
“I want to stay here and fight until my last breath.”
Her sharp gaze softened as she spoke, the grief in her eyes transforming into a steely determination.
“The heroic souls of the soldiers buried here need someone to keep them company,” she said, her tone resolute.
“I had intended to stay and fight alongside the reinforcements, but since you’re the only one, your aunt will fight demons with you. We’ll kill as many as we can!”
“This land belongs to the Great Yu Dynasty, and the Li Family has guarded it for generations. Unless commanded by imperial decree, I will not yield even an inch!”
Her eyes shone with fierce determination. Though a woman, she stood as unyielding as the Great Wall itself.