Chapter 68: Duty and Honor
In the western part of the city.
An old, dilapidated mansion lay there, its side rooms bearing burn marks, the courtyard pond stagnant and overgrown with weeds and green moss.
This place had long been abandoned.
Inside the courtyard, Li Yuanzhao and his group, dressed in dark robes, were led by Cui Fan as they wielded their weapons, searching all around the mansion for traces of demon activity.
But it was clear that the demons had left long ago, and they found nothing.
Just as Cui Fan was about to call off the search, a gray sparrow suddenly flew over.
Surprised, Cui Fan raised his hand to catch it.
The gray sparrow landed obediently, a small scroll tied to its leg.
Cui Fan unfurled the paper and examined it closely, his expression changing abruptly.
“What’s wrong?” asked Yu Wei, who was nearby.
Clenching the note, Cui Fan replied darkly, “The patrol mission has ended. I just received word—there’s been a demon attack on the city. We’re to regroup at the City Defense Division in the western part of the city to discuss our deployment.”
“A demon attack?”
Everyone was taken aback, visibly alarmed.
Even though they’d been stationed here for some time, they knew well how serious a demon assault on the city could be.
“Then we should go, quickly!” Li Yuanzhao reacted first, speaking immediately.
Cui Fan’s face showed uncertainty, unable to comprehend how demons could be attacking the city. Was the information exaggerated? They could only head to the west part of the city to see for themselves.
“Let’s go.” He gave a shout and took the lead.
...
Suddenly, two figures descended rapidly from the sky and arrived one after the other.
“Qianqian!”
“Yuanzhao!”
The newcomers were none other than Wei Feng and Li Fu. They had already heard about the demon assault on the city and witnessed the thick demon fog gathering in the north—an extremely dire situation.
“Wei Shu?” Ren Qianqian was stunned, clearly not expecting Wei Shu to have followed her here.
Her intuition quickly pieced together that he must have been covertly watching over her, protecting her in the shadows along the way.
She frowned slightly, feeling a sense of helplessness. She had come here to train and experience the world, yet her father still couldn’t let her go. How would she ever be able to stand on her own?
“Fu Bo?”
Li Yuanzhao was also taken aback, but then he realized—it was because Fu Bo was worried about Brother Hao.
“Where’s Hao’er?” Li Fu scanned the area, not spotting Li Hao, and asked urgently.
Li Yuanzhao replied honestly, “Brother Hao ate too much at lunch and went to the latrine.”
“This brat… how could he be missing at such a critical moment?” Li Fu muttered, visibly frustrated.
...
With a perceptive gaze, Cui Fan immediately realized that these two powerhouses were secretly guarding these young ones, and he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. He spoke respectfully, “Honored seniors, we’ve just received news of a demon assault on the city. Is it true?”
“What, you don’t trust the intelligence from your own city?” Li Fu replied with a hint of irritation.
Cui Fan, slightly embarrassed, was nonetheless alarmed internally. So, the information was true—a demon assault on the city, an event that hadn’t happened for a hundred years.
“Are there truly demons attacking the city? Are there many of them?” Ren Qianqian asked quickly.
Li Yuanzhao and the others shared her concern.
Wei Feng sighed, “The demons have been plotting for some time. You’re just here at an unfortunate moment. Qianqian, come with me; I can ensure you get out of the city safely.”
Ren Qianqian shook her head at once, replying firmly, “I won’t go. I’m here to train. This is a rare opportunity. Wei Shu, can’t you repel the demons with your strength? You’re a Fifteen Li-level cultivator, more than capable of defending a large city!”
Wei Feng’s expression turned complicated. “I sensed a very deep demon aura in the demon fog—a being also at the Fifteen Li level, and an extremely powerful one at that. Whether there are more hidden demons remains uncertain. If I were alone, I might be willing to try, but with you here…”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll protect myself,” Ren Qianqian replied immediately.
Wei Feng shook his head. “There are far too many demons. I am here by your master’s order, and my duty is to keep you safe.”
“Wei Shu, you—” Ren Qianqian said, frustrated.
Nearby, Li Fu, having heard Wei Feng’s words, looked complicated. He turned to Li Yuanzhao, saying, “Find your Brother Hao, and stay close to him. I’ll send word back to the mansion immediately. Though this is the Xia family’s territory, there’s no time for formalities now. I’ll go north to provide assistance; otherwise, this city might very well fall.”
He turned to Wei Feng and said, “Brother Wei, please look after my Li family juniors as well. The Li family will remember this favor!”
Wei Feng did not refuse. Earning the gratitude of the Li family was indeed a valuable opportunity.
Since he was already looking after one young one, he figured watching over three wouldn’t be much different.
“Very well. Are you truly going to the northern front?” Wei Feng asked.
“As a military man, I cannot turn away from demons. Even though this is the Xia family’s jurisdiction, I cannot ignore this,” Li Fu said solemnly.
Wei Feng’s gaze turned respectful, and he clasped his hands toward Li Fu. “Brother Li, your sense of duty is commendable. You can go without worry; if I survive, I will ensure their safety.”
“Good. With your word, I’m at ease,” Li Fu nodded.
Knowing that Wei Feng, a Fifteen Li cultivator, would be watching over the youths put Li Fu’s mind at ease. He then turned to Li Yuanzhao and instructed, “Yuanzhao, follow orders, and don’t go anywhere. Find Hao’er!”
With a heavy nod from Li Yuanzhao, Li Fu immediately leapt into the distance, heading north.
...
Wei Feng watched him disappear into the distance, then turned to Li Yuanzhao. “Come, let’s find your brother.”
Li Yuanzhao, now anxious about Li Hao’s safety, nodded quickly but glanced toward Cui Fan.
Cui Fan gave a resigned smile. “Since that’s the case, let’s regroup and then check the western part of the city.”
Wei Feng shook his head. “Defending the city is your responsibility. I’m only here to protect my lady and the Li family young master. As for those assessment points, handle them however you like.”
He emphasized the words “handle them however you like,” his tone clearly warning.
Unlike Li Fu, Wei Feng wasn’t bound by a military role, so he could leave or stay as he pleased.
Cui Fan was speechless, nodding quickly. “The patrol mission has ended, and their performance was excellent. I’ll make sure to score them fairly, but…”
Wei Feng scoffed, aware that Cui Fan wanted to entangle him in the city’s defense, and was about to rebuke him when Ren Qianqian interrupted loudly, “Wei Shu, I’m going to defend the city! I won’t let these citizens be slaughtered by demons!”
“Young lady!” Wei Feng’s face darkened.
Ren Qianqian unsheathed her sword and held it against her arm, looking at Wei Feng resolutely.
“If you dare knock me unconscious and take me away, I’ll cut off my own arm the moment I wake up!”
“Young lady…” Wei Feng felt his heart clench, knowing her soft-heartedness and naivety, but her resolve was too unyielding.
He sighed and said, “Fine. I’ll accompany you to assess the situation first. If things look bad, you must listen to me. Otherwise, I’ll take you straight back to the mountain and let your master handle you.”
Ren Qianqian’s expression shifted, but she nodded. “Understood!”
Their agreement made, they didn’t linger further, immediately setting off for the Demon Subduing Division.
...
Yet when they arrived, they found the headquarters desolate, with most personnel already dispatched to the four corners of the city, following the City Defense Division’s instructions.
“Hao’er! Hao’er!”
Li Yuanzhao shouted, searching for Li Hao throughout the Demon Subduing Division, but he was nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile, a yellow signal smoke rose from the city walls.
It was a sign of battle.
Ren Qianqian’s expression tightened. “There’s no time left. We need to get to the western part of the city. Wei Shu, can you use your Divine Soul to locate Li Hao?”
Wei Feng nodded, calm despite the tension. He hadn’t seen the Li family elder they’d met before, so he assumed the man was still around, hidden. Li Fu’s confidence to leave likely stemmed from knowing this other guardian was nearby.
That man could easily vanquish two Fifteen Li-level flood dragons; if he intervened, the demon threat to the city could be eliminated.
Under Wei Feng’s guidance, the group made their way to the western city wall.
...
Wei Feng’s power earned the City Defense Division’s respect, and they allowed the group onto the wall.
As soon as they ascended, they saw the desolate plains outside, where countless demons were gathering.
The demons surged forward from the distant woods, seemingly joining forces with the northern ones to assault the city from multiple fronts.
“So many demons!”
Watching the oncoming horde, both Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian turned pale.
It was hard to blame them—even the seasoned soldiers on the city wall couldn’t suppress their fear, their hearts pounding as they looked on.
The demons numbered at least in the thousands, enormous and hideous, with some transforming mid-air into thick clouds of demon fog.
In this scene of utter chaos, twisted laughter filled the air, sending chills down everyone’s spines.
“Wei Shu, have you found Brother Hao yet?”
...
Li Yuanzhao asked Wei Feng urgently, his face pale.
Wei Feng was just about to respond when he sensed something, his gaze shifting. He turned and saw two figures approaching rapidly from the distance, one following closely behind the other.
When he caught sight of the young man in dark robes leading the way, Wei Feng froze.
If he wasn’t mistaken, that young man was the very one from the Divine General Mansion he’d been guarding!
But now, he was soaring through the air?!
In Wei Feng’s astonished gaze, Li Hao and the city guardian Yue Shuhong descended gracefully before them.