Chapter 101: Attack and Defense Battle!

In the coming days, the situation outside the town grew increasingly tense.

Large numbers of bandits and cultists gathered, and a major battle could break out at any moment.

All the ordinary people inside the town were filled with anxiety.

The city guards and some martial artists patrolled the walls day and night, ready to repel a sudden attack.

At the same time, reinforcements from the county government arrived one after another in many small towns.

That day, at dawn.

Inside a courtyard.

Lu Zhangsheng sat upright on a stone chair, picking up his wine gourd and drinking deeply, quite carefree.

Waves of coolness rose from his belly, even strengthening his qi and blood a little.

These spiritual liquors were brewed from mountain spiritual creatures; long-term consumption brought considerable benefits.

He felt that even his aptitude was slowly increasing.

These days, aside from daily sword practice, he went out of town to scout the cultists' traces.

After long-term covert investigation, he guessed the major battle might occur in these two days.

That group of cultists also procured many bows and long spears, evidently having prepared for a long time.

However, sensing that strong experts existed among the enemy forces, he also dared not get too close.

Just as Lu Zhangsheng was pondering, footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard.

"Lord Lu, you're so carefree, even with the battle approaching you still have leisure to drink."

Not far away, a clear, pleasant voice rang out.

Lu Zhangsheng turned his head and saw Yue Shulan leading a group walking slowly over.

They were indeed some of Lu Zhangsheng's former comrades: Yue Shulan, Lu Xue, and Xiao Chao, among others.

Lu Xue, a modest and virtuous woman, was always rather shy, and Xiao Chao's honest and simple image left Lu Zhangsheng with some impression.

I never expected these few to come support the town.

"We pay our respects, Lord Lu."

After Xiao Chao stepped forward, he bowed with clasped hands, his face full of respect.

For Lu Zhangsheng, a legendary martial artist from common origins, he was the lifelong target of his pursuit—rising from an ordinary body to such heights was rare in the entire history of Changping County.

Yue Shulan and Lu Xue also performed a graceful salute, smiles on their faces.

A snow-white long dress perfectly displayed her figure.

Upon entering the town, they immediately came to see Lu Zhangsheng, their old captain.

Lu Zhangsheng also became their greatest backing within the Demon Subduing Office.

Since the last time Lu Zhangsheng slightly maneuvered to transfer them away from some threatening missions, they had gone through several missions and remained safe.

Moreover, their strength steadily increased, making them all grateful to Lu Zhangsheng.

"No need for excessive courtesy, please sit and chat."

Lu Zhangsheng waved his hand and gave a light smile.

They stood on ceremony, immediately sitting around the stone table.

"Lord Lu, this operation is rather strange; we still need you to point out a clear path."

Xiao Chao, this honest fellow, could never hide his thoughts and couldn't help but speak up right away.

While speaking, his brows knit tightly, his face full of worry.

This kind of mission was already the most dangerous they had ever taken on.

Large numbers of Demon Subduing Office and County Office martial artists went to support many small towns outside the county seat.

However, there is a biggest problem among them: no one knows which town the cultists will attack.

The enemy might also feint east to strike west, luring the tiger away from the mountain.

Such a maneuver is also highly possible.

Between illusion and reality, the enemy hidden while we are exposed, nobody had any certainty in their hearts.

Even ordinary people know the saying: you can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days.

Lu Xue and Yue Shulan also looked at Lu Zhangsheng with eager faces.

They had little backing in the Demon Subduing Office; Lu Zhangsheng was almost the greatest person they had ever met.

At this moment, everyone hoped Lu Zhangsheng could give some guidance.

Some secret information they couldn't uncover, yet it could greatly increase their hopes of survival.

Lu Zhangsheng didn't beat around the bush, speaking in a deep voice: "When the battle comes, if the situation changes, flee immediately—do not hesitate."

He also didn't want them to perish here; these people had decent martial aptitude, and later, after he became Vice Hall Master, they would also be his core followers.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xue and the others' pupils contracted.

This was the first time they had seen Lu Zhangsheng so solemn.

It seemed the situation outside the city was not optimistic.

However, they didn't ask for specifics; some things need not be spelled out too clearly.

They were all veterans of the Demon Subduing Office, naturally knowing some rules.

Certain secrets are not accessible to ordinary people; they also benefited from Lu Zhangsheng's influence.

If anyone with a big mouth went around spreading rumors, that would be courting death.

At this moment, Lu Xue beside him also couldn't help but speak up, complaining:

"Lord Lu, why doesn't the county seat simply dispatch a large army to attack Black Mountain and wipe out the nearby Fragrant Sect in one go? Wouldn't that be a permanent solution?"

"If we remain purely defensive, we can only exhaust ourselves fleeing."

Lu Zhangsheng gave a faint smile, tilted his head back and took a sip of spiritual wine.

The County Lord naturally has his own plans; Black Mountain is easy to defend but hard to attack, with many passes. The previous few County Lords also launched assaults, but all ended without result.

Moreover, that band of bandits has persisted for a hundred years without falling; they are not so easily eradicated.

He had heard Qin Ruobing mention some of the secrets.

From the brief exchanges with the other side, Lu Zhangsheng learned that the three heads of the Black Mountain bandits likely possess Transcendent-level strength.

They are on par with the three FuduDianZhu of the DemonSubduingOffice.

As for the County Lord, he seems to be waiting for something.

Perhaps it is support from Qingning Prefecture.

But this battle will come sooner or later; for Lu Zhangsheng, the later the better.

He needs enough time to develop.

Although the Blood-Transmuted level is not weak, it cannot determine the outcome of the war.

In the next two years, he must devote himself entirely to strengthening his own power.

"Thank you, Lord Lu, for your guidance."

Yue Shulan and the others nodded gratefully, their eyes flickering uncertainly.

Under Lu Zhangsheng's guidance, they gained much more confidence to survive.

Should the situation change, they will surround Lu Zhangsheng and break through the encirclement.

While they were talking, a graceful figure slowly appeared outside the courtyard.

It was the woman Tong Yuhua.

"We pay our respects, Lord Tong."

Xiao Chao and the others hurried to rise and salute, their faces full of respect.

"No need for formalities."

Tong Yuhua waved her hand, hurried to Lu Zhangsheng's side, and sat down.

Then, with a solemn expression, she said, "The great battle may be within these two days; I suspect this town is one of the enemy's targets, not a mere feint..."

"When the time comes, the two of us will act according to the situation."

She cannot infiltrate the circle of aristocratic warriors, so she must once again enlist her old acquaintance Lu Zhangsheng to join forces against the enemy.

"That is natural."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled and nodded.

"But there's no need to be overly pessimistic; perhaps the enemy cannot breach this town at all."

He softly comforted the group with a sentence.

Afterwards, they discussed a few details and each rose to depart.

……

Outside Wuqiong Town, in a dense forest.

Two middle‑aged men in black stood on the lawn, their faces full of murderous aura.

One of them was slender, his hands like chicken claws, his brows and eyes as sharp as knives; he was Duan Changhe, a master‑level strongman of the Fragrant Sect.

His aura was impressive, possessing late‑stage Blood‑Transmuted cultivation.

The other was robust, his gaze like lightning, exuding great pressure.

He was Zhu Quan, a mid‑stage Blood‑Transmuted strongman of the Black Mountain bandits.

"Brother Duan, the town's defenses are tight; the walls are manned by many soldiers with bows and crossbows, plus the County Lord's warrior support. Can we break through with just us?"

Zhu Quan wore a puzzled expression.

Although they also have some bows and crossbows, it would be hard to capture this small town with only those.

Not to mention the several Blood‑Transmuted strongmen inside the town.

A forced assault would yield no benefit.

"Jie jie jie... The fortress may be solid, impossible to breach from outside, but what if something goes wrong inside?"

Duan Changhe let out a chuckling "heh", his eyes lingering.

"You mean...?"

Zhu Quan gave an equally cold smile.

He instantly understood the other's scheme; these Wenxiang Sect members have likely been preparing for years.

As long as it's not a direct assault, they still have a great chance to capture the town. "After taking this place, our Black Mountain stronghold will claim the majority of its wealth."

Zhu Quan spoke again, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

This had also been agreed upon earlier between their clan chief and the other side.

"But you may not touch the town's populace; don't make my position difficult."

Duan Changhe's tone was icy.

Zhu Quan nodded lightly.

He also knew the Wenxiang Sect's practices, using human essence blood to forge pills, glorifying them as "Prenatal Pill", "Essence Pill", and so on.

Nevertheless he did not object; since they need people, he would provide them.

Although Zhu Quan sneered at this.

The two exchanged a few more words and then went their separate ways.

The scene soon returned to calm.

……

Inside the town, at a hidden location.

Father, are we really going to do this? Once we take this step, there's no turning back.

A white-clad young man's face was full of struggle.

Sigh... When we ate that thing, it was already destined.

The old man's eyes flickered uncertainly.

Upon hearing this, the young man's body tensed, as if recalling something unpleasant.

That feeling of wishing for death over life, he never wanted to experience again.

Their minds had long been implanted with parasitic worms; besides obeying, they had no other choice.

Overthrowing this increasingly corrupt dynasty is our only chance for a turn...

The young man forced himself to muster a bit of confidence.

The old man silently gazed at his somewhat naive son, unable to bear shattering his illusion.

Those cultists are clearly involved with demons and evil; they merely live day by day, with no hope of a turn.

Time slowly passed,.

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

That day, at noon.

Lu Zhangsheng was practicing martial arts in the courtyard when suddenly a piercing alarm sounded in his ears.

Enemy attack, everyone hurry to the city gate to reinforce……

A voice full of vigor echoed throughout the small town, coming from the commander of the town guard.

Whoosh……

Numerous martial artists and Armored Soldiers rushed toward the city gate, while townsfolk all fled indoors, the whole town in an uproar.

Soon, only the silhouettes of some martial artists sprinting remained on the main street.

Also, many strongmen had come from the county city.

A group surged forward in great numbers along the street.

Upon hearing the alarm, Lu Zhangsheng immediately put away his Pig Slaughter Knife and headed out of the courtyard.

Leaving the courtyard, he hurried all the way.

Some ordinary martial artists on either side stepped aside, faces full of respect.

Many also recognized Lu Zhangsheng, this Patrol Envoy, and dared not offend him in the slightest.

Not long after.

Lu Zhangsheng then arrived atop the eastern city wall.

At this moment, many martial artists had gathered around, and Tong Yuhua and a few others were among them.

Upon seeing Lu Zhangsheng arrive, they all gave him a slight smile.

Commander Wan Yun Mo was also directing a group of Armored Soldiers to transport arrows and stones.

Lu Zhangsheng's gaze swept over the surrounding martial artists.

The highest cultivator here, aside from Zhao Yicheng of the Demon Subduing Office, was this town guard commander.

Next came the two Patrol Envoys, Zhu Houyu.

Of course, Lu Zhangsheng's cultivation had not yet been revealed.

Further down were some Bone-forging Strongmen who had come to reinforce, and some martial families from the town.

Among them, the Yang family was the most renowned, with seven or eight Bone-forging Strongmen in the clan, their strength not to be underestimated.

Leading them was an old man in green robes named Yang Guanghong, his complexion a jujube red, possessing perfected bone-forging prowess, and he enjoyed considerable prestige in the town.

A group of martial artists stood ready, solemn faces fixed on the many figures outside the city.

Among the many cultists, the two martial artists ahead had breaths as deep as an abyss, causing everyone inside the city to tense up.

These two were Duan Changhe and Zhu Quan, both blood-exchange cultivators.

Behind them were some Bone-forging Warriors, along with many Refining Skin and Refining Meat martial artists, these people holding crossbows and spears, their eyes brimming with killing intent.

They are the sect leader of the Wenxiang Sect and a strongman of the Black Mountain bandits.

Tong Yuhua, standing beside Lu Zhangsheng, looked quite tense.

Who would have thought these cultists would again collude with bandits, even planning to jointly attack Wuqiong Town.

These two are ranked fairly high on the official wanted list.

Lu Zhangsheng also recognized them immediately.

According to the Demon Subduing Office intelligence, this Duan Changhe had massacred many civilians and martial artists, his hands stained with blood, extremely brutal.

This made the official martial artists hate him intensely.

Kill.

Duan Changhe exploded with a shout, his icy voice ringing across the field.

He knew the officials would never surrender, saw no need for more talk, and launched straight into battle.

A huge number of cultist bandits surged wildly toward the city walls, like a tide.

Many still held crossbows and short spears in their hands.

Upon reaching near the city gate, they immediately stopped, feet planted apart, bodies leaned back, nocked arrows, and quickly drew their crossbows to full.

Shoot.

At the sound of the command.

Countless arrows shot toward the city gate, forming in midair a barrage of giant arrow rain that made hearts tremble.

All guard troops, immediately raise your shields to block the arrow rain.

The archers prepared to strike back.

Seeing that the enemy had already begun the siege, Mo Wanyun immediately issued a counterattack order.

Ha...

A large contingent of guards raised their hardwood shields high, forming a continuous wall to block the high‑altitude arrows.

A group of archers behind them also drew their bows to the full, firing toward the cultists outside the city.

The clash between the two sides erupted in an instant.

The battlefield rang with shouts and the clamor of killing, dust and smoke billowed, and the scene was a wreck.

Clang clang clang...

On the city wall, several warriors waved their weapons, fending off the dense rain of arrows ahead.

Before the cultist bandits' strongmen are deployed, they will not take the initiative to strike.

Beside them, Tong Yuhua and the others tightly surrounded Lu Zhangsheng, jointly repelling the attacks from outside the city.

As for Lu Zhangsheng and his strong companions, it was even more relaxed.

Some ordinary arrows could not harm him at all.

He deflected arrows and flying spears while scanning the entire battlefield.

He also harbored some doubt in his heart; the enemy's offensive would be hard to break through the town's defense force.

Even if Duan Changhe, a strongman at the late stage of blood renewal, intervened, it would still not be enough.

These cultists would not be so foolish; clearly they still have hidden tactics that have not been revealed.

This made Lu Zhangsheng rather vigilant.

Both factions continued to battle at the city gate, but none of the strongmen made a move, showing great tacit understanding.

The whole fight lasted for several hours.

Until nightfall approached, the group of cultists slowly retreated.

Outside the city, some corpses remained, and blood had stained the ground stones red.

The first day's battle passed easily like this.

Neither side's blood‑renewal strongmen acted.

Repelling that group of cultists so effortlessly left many warriors in disbelief.

"Could the enemy be merely feigning an attack? Or perhaps their target isn't this place?"

Yue Shulan and a few others wore puzzled expressions.

"The enemy may be trying to hold us back, preventing us from supporting other towns."

Beside them, Xiao Chao also voiced a speculation.

"It's only the first day, and even the blood‑renewal strongmen haven't acted; we must remain vigilant."

Tong Yuhua directly cut off their conjecture.

She would not be so optimistic.

(End of chapter)