66. Relationships

Chapter 66: Relationships

In Cang Yu City, aside from the Demon Suppression Division and the City Lord's Mansion, three major families held sway, with the Liu family at the forefront, having established themselves for over a century. The Qi and Zhao families had risen more recently, with the Qi family being a branch that migrated from another city, establishing a significant foundation in just a few decades.

The news of a demon assault on the city quickly reached the heads of these families. The news left all three families shocked, as there hadn't been a demon attack on Cang Yu City in nearly a hundred years. The most notable incident was thirty years ago, when a few great demons invaded the city, causing numerous casualties and a significant uproar. Now, only some elderly people remembered it.

"The military report must be true. Old Zhang, go check it out," Liu Shunqing, the head of the Liu family, immediately sent a family retainer to investigate the situation. The other two families also sent people to scout, quickly receiving reports that confirmed the alarming news.

A large number of demons were emerging from the north, sweeping towards the city, estimated to number at least forty to fifty thousand. Various mountain spirits and monsters mingled among them, clearly led by a great demon. These demons occupied the official roads and blocked other paths. It was rumored that two escort agencies on the southern trade route were attacked, and jewels hidden in grain transports were found.

Demons blocking the roads, with a great demon leading them, signaled an imminent siege!

"The north? Isn't it the demons from the Black Wind Mountains?"

"Are these demons insane? They dare to invade us. Aren't they afraid of the Xia family's wrath, wiping them out completely?"

"Damn it, what is Yue Shuhong doing? Did he offend the demon king?"

"Has anyone seen the Xia family?"

The three families were panicked. The idea of forty to fifty thousand demons was daunting. The entire military force of Cang Yu City only consisted of over twenty thousand soldiers. The demons outnumbered them two to one, but more importantly, these demons must be very confident and thoroughly prepared if they dared to attack. Furthermore, a great demon capable of leading such a force must be at least at the Spirit Traveling Realm, or even at the Fifteen Li level!

...

At the same time, the black demon cloud from the north was drawing near.

With the storm approaching, the entire city was on high alert.

As the purple smoke signal rose into the sky, the city gates were sealed, and all on-duty city defense troops donned their armor and headed to the city walls.

From the northern wall, many soldiers' faces changed as they looked out.

The thick demon cloud, with streaks of red, hovered over the northern sky, rapidly approaching.

"These demons are insane. They dare to attack the city!"

Many of the city defense soldiers were in disbelief. This was Dayu, and although it was a frontier city, it wasn't the most remote outpost. How could the demons dare cross the border and provoke them? Weren't they afraid of angering the imperial family, who might dispatch a large army to retaliate? In the soldiers' decades of service, demons were only an occasional nuisance in the countryside, never assembling in such force.

The news of the demon assault spread through the city. With the gates closed and city defense troops rushing around, it was impossible to keep the news hidden.

Households were ordered not to leave their homes, leaving only the clatter of horse hooves on the streets. Many inns, restaurants, and teahouses shut their doors.

Some people worried that the demons might breach the city defenses and were anxious; others complained that the damned demons were disrupting their business. Some even had their families pack up valuables and instruct servants to prepare carriages, ready to flee the city at any moment.

However, some wealthy families in the city offered to provide gold and resources to the city defense lords, pledging to support the fight against the demons.

In times of disaster, human nature was laid bare.

At this moment, in the City Lord's Mansion.

In a dimly lit underground chamber that resembled a dungeon in the mansion's towering rear courtyard, Yue Shuhong stood, gazing at a painting before him.

Tall and clad in scholarly robes, Yue Shuhong exuded the aura of a learned man, though half of his face was obscured by the lamp's shadow, making it difficult to discern his expression.

The painting depicted a woman in a light green dress, her gaze lively and posture elegant, brought to life by exquisite artistry.

Suddenly, a wisp of black smoke emerged from the shadows behind him, twisting and transforming into a burly man's figure.

With a broad face and big eyes, the man's bushy mustache curled at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes seemed to gleam with a hint of red in the darkness.

"Brother Yue, thinking of your wife again?" the broad-faced man said, grinning slightly.

Yue Shuhong didn't turn, his expression only slightly stirred as he returned from his reverie.

With a soft sigh, he said, "Tiger Robe, how long have we known each other?"

"It's been over twenty years," the broad-faced man replied.

"Twenty years..." Yue Shuhong murmured softly, "I'm fifty-three this year. I entered the Spirit Traveling Realm at thirty, full of vigor, taking up the post of city guardian. In a flash, twenty years have passed."

The man, once thirty and carrying a sword at his waist, now found his waist empty.

The broad-faced man nodded slightly, his eyes reflecting a mix of nostalgia, envy, and jealousy: "You humans are naturally clever, standing above all races. In just a few decades, you can cultivate to the Spirit Traveling Realm, while we demons and spirits require centuries of absorbing the sun and moon to reach this level. It makes me so envious!"

Yue Shuhong's mouth twitched slightly. "But how many humans have you seen live for hundreds of years?"

The broad-faced man shook his head, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "Once you reach the Spirit Traveling Realm, you can live close to a thousand years. But you humans like to seek your own destruction. Look at those guys from the God General's Mansion. They could live in peace and longevity, yet they fight us demons at the border, and they all die young."

Yue Shuhong couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, perhaps that's the difference between humans and demons. The billions of people of Dayu, the vast land of the nineteen provinces, every inch of soil is stained with the blood of those heroes."

"Because some died, more could live."

The broad-faced man squinted slightly. "Brother Yue, you wouldn't be foolish like those idiots, would you?"

Yue Shuhong turned, his once refined face now hidden in darkness.

"For the past twenty years, I've provided you with human meat, trying to meet your demands. Why does it have to come to this?"

His voice was soft, as if talking to himself.

The broad-faced man stared at him deeply, sighing, "I didn't wish for this either. The Red-Browed Daoist has awakened from seclusion, hungry, and our goal isn't just to fill our stomachs. Our true target is the Xia family."

"The Xia family?"

"Yes, you asked for their help, but they dared not come because they are dealing with more pressing matters. If Cang Yu City falls and the entire city is destroyed, it will affect them. If your emperor in the palace is angered and punishes the Xia family, even better."

The broad-faced man continued, "So, you can't protect Cang Yu City."

Yue Shuhong took a deep breath, closing his eyes slightly.

So, the demons were playing such a grand game.

"Brother Yue, I'm here to ask you to open the north gate. Cang Yu City's fall is inevitable. If you open the gate, I can put in a good word for you with the Red-Browed Daoist, giving you a way out," the broad-faced man said.

Yue Shuhong opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Thank you, Brother Tiger Robe."

"Get on with it," the broad-faced man urged. "Our friendship is here. I'll definitely protect you."

"Mm."

Yue Shuhong nodded, then turned away, not to his desk but to the weapon rack.

"Brother Yue?"

"Brother Tiger Robe."

"So that's how it is."

The red glow in the broad-faced man's eyes intensified, his mouth curling into a grin. "Brother Yue, you're really breaking my heart!"

"I'm saddened, too, for your sake."

Yue Shuhong chuckled softly. "Brother Tiger Robe, our twenty-year friendship, I'll brew the finest wine with your tiger head."

"Thank you."

The broad-faced man's teeth gradually sharpened. "I'll savor yours slowly."

As their auras grew stronger, their spirits emerged, Yue Shuhong's gathering above his head, and a fierce, massive tiger faintly appearing behind the broad-faced man.

"So, this is where you were hiding."

Suddenly, a voice sounded beside them.

The ceiling of the underground chamber cracked open, and a figure descended slowly, standing between them.

Dressed in a demon-slaying uniform, holding a damaged black blade, the newcomer was Li Hao, who had rushed back to the city.