Chapter 66: Friendship

Cangyu City.

Besides the Demon Suppression Office and the Governor’s Mansion, three major families held sway here, with the Liu family at the head, rooted in Cangyu for over a century.

The Qi and Zhao families rose later; the Qi family migrated here as a branch from another city, built their foundation in a single generation, and in just decades established considerable influence.

At this moment, the news of demonic beasts attacking the city had reached the heads of all three families.

Upon seeing the report, all three were stunned—Cangyu City had not suffered a demonic assault in nearly a hundred years.

The most notorious incident was thirty years ago, when several great demons entered the city, causing massive casualties and sparking widespread alarm.

But now, only the elderly still remembered it.

“Military reports don’t lie. Old Zhang, go check it out.”

Liu Shunqing, head of the Liu family, immediately dispatched family patrons to verify the truth.

The other two families also sent messengers at once, soon returning with confirmed reports.

A vast horde of demonic beasts was advancing from the north, sweeping toward the city—roughly estimated at forty to fifty thousand.

Various mountain spirits and ghostly monsters were mixed among them, clearly under the command of a great demon.

These beasts had seized the imperial road and blockaded several other routes; rumors said two escort agencies on the southern trade route had been slaughtered, and jewels hidden within grain shipments had been found along the way.

The demons had sealed the roads and a great demon loomed at the gates—this was clearly an assault on the city! “The north? Could these not be the demons from Black Wind Mountain?”

“Are these demons mad? How dare they invade so boldly? Don’t they fear the Xia family’s wrath and a full-scale annihilation?”

“Damn it, what is Yue Shuhong doing? Did he offend the Demon King?”

“Have you seen any Xia family members?”

All three families were growing panicked—forty to fifty thousand demonic beasts? What did that mean? The entire military garrison of Cangyu City numbered barely twenty thousand.

The sheer number being double was secondary; these demons, if they intended to attack the city, must have been fully prepared and confident of victory.

And a great demon capable of commanding such a horde must be at least a Spirit Traveler—or even a Fifteen-Li Realm master!…

Meanwhile, in the north, dark demonic clouds had drawn near.

The storm was coming; the entire city was on alert.

As purple smoke signals ignited and rose into the sky, all four city gates were sealed, and the city defense troops on duty donned their battle armor and took their positions on the walls.

At this moment, soldiers gazing northward from the ramparts had turned pale.

Before them, thick demonic clouds, black with streaks of crimson, swirled above the northern sky, closing in at an astonishing speed.

“Are these demons insane? How dare they attack the city!”

Many city defense troops could hardly believe it—this was Dayu, a frontier city, yes, but not the outermost one. How could the enemy dare cross the border and provoke them? Didn’t they fear the imperial court sending a punitive army? In their decades of service, these demons had only occasionally caused disturbances beyond the city walls; they had never seen such a massive force.

The news of the demonic assault spread through the entire city; with gates sealed and defense troops rushing through the streets, it was impossible to hide.

Every household was ordered to stay indoors; the streets echoed only with the thunder of galloping hooves.

Many inns, taverns, teahouses, and shops had shut their doors.

Some feared the demons would breach the defenses and fretted deeply; others complained that the damned demons were ruining their business; still others had already ordered their families to pack gold and valuables, dispatched servants to prepare carts and horses, and were ready to flee the city at any moment.

Yet among the city’s wealthy families, some had used connections to send word to the city defense commander, offering to donate gold, supplies, and aid in resisting the demons.

In the face of disaster, the full spectrum of human nature was laid bare.

At this moment, within the Governor’s Mansion.

In a dark, dungeon-like basement beneath the towering mansion.

Yue Shuhong stood there, gazing at a painting before him.

Tall and slender, dressed in a scholar’s robe, he carried the air of a learned man—but now half his face was swallowed by the shadow of an oil lamp, hidden from view.

The painting depicted a woman in a light green silk dress, her eyes glancing, her posture graceful; the brushwork was exquisite, making the figure appear lifelike.

Suddenly, a wisp of black smoke emerged from the shadows behind him, twisted slightly, and took the form of a massive, burly man.

He had a broad face, large eyes, thick whiskers, and in the darkness, his gaze faintly glowed red.

“Brother Yue, thinking of your wife again?”

The broad-faced man smirked faintly.

Yue Shuhong did not turn, but his expression flickered slightly, snapping back from his thoughts. He sighed softly and said, “Hu Pao, how long have we known each other?”

“Over twenty years,” the broad-faced man replied.

“Twenty years…”

Yue Shuhong murmured, “I am fifty-three now. At thirty, I reached Spirit Traveler, full of ambition, assigned here as Garrison Commander—and now, it’s already been twenty years.”

The man who once wore a sword at his waist at thirty has now nothing there.

The broad-faced man nodded slightly, his eyes filled with regret, a touch of admiration, and envy:

“Your kind are naturally gifted, standing above all other races—within decades, you reach Spirit Traveler. We, demonic beasts and spirits, must spend centuries absorbing the sun and moon to reach such a level. It makes me envious!”

Yue Shuhong’s lips twitched slightly: “But have you ever seen how many of your kind live to be hundreds of years old?”

The broad-faced man shook his head, a hint of disdain in his eyes: “Even Spirit Travelers can live nearly a thousand years. But your kind always seek death. Look at those generals in the Divine General’s Mansion—they could live in peace and immortality, yet they insist on dying on the frontier fighting us. In the end, they all die young.”

Yue Shuhong smiled faintly:

“Yes, perhaps that is the difference between your kind and ours. The billions of Dayu’s people, the vast lands of the nineteen provinces—every inch of soil is soaked in the blood of those prodigies.”

“Because some died, others could live!”

The broad-faced man narrowed his eyes: “Brother Yue, you wouldn’t be as foolish as those idiots, would you?”

Yue Shuhong turned, and the half of his face previously lit by the warm oil lamp now vanished into shadow.

“For twenty years, I’ve provided you with human flesh, fulfilled your demands—why, then, must it come to this?”

His voice was soft, as if speaking to himself.

The broad-faced man stared at him deeply, sighed, and said, “This mission isn’t my wish. Chi Mei the Daoist has awakened from seclusion and is starving. But this isn’t just about feeding him—your Cangyu City is not the true target. The real target is the Xia family.”

“The Xia family?”

“Correct. You begged the Xia family for aid, but they dared not come—they’re facing a more pressing crisis and can’t afford distraction. If your rear, Cangyu City, falls and is destroyed, it will affect them. And if your emperor, seated in his palace, blames the Xia family for this, all the better.”

The broad-faced man whispered, “So, Cangyu City… you cannot save it.”

Yue Shuhong drew a deep breath and closed his eyes slightly.

So, the demonic race was playing a grand game.

“Brother Yue, I’ve come to ask you to open the northern gate. Cangyu’s fall is inevitable. Open the gate, and I’ll speak a word for you before Chi Mei the Daoist—I’ll secure you a path to survival,” said the broad-faced man.

Yue Shuhong opened his eyes, a faint smile on his face: “Thank you, Brother Hu Pao.”

“Do it at once,” the broad-faced man said. “Our friendship is here—I’ll protect you.”

“Mm.”

Yue Shuhong nodded, then turned away—not toward the desk, but toward the weapon rack.

“Brother Yue?”

“Brother Hu Pao.”

“So it is.”

The red glow in the broad-faced man’s eyes flared intensely; his mouth curled open: “Brother Yue, this truly hurts me!”

“I’m sorry too—for you.”

Yue Shuhong smiled gently: “Brother Hu Pao, this twenty-year friendship—I’ll brew the finest wine from your tiger’s head.”

“Thank you.”

The broad-faced man’s teeth slowly lengthened into sharp fangs: “And I’ll savor yours slowly.”

As their energies surged, their primordial spirits emerged—Yue Shuhong’s spirit gathered above his head, while behind the broad-faced man, a monstrous, fearsome tiger began to take shape.

“So this is where you are.”

Suddenly, a voice sounded beside their ears.

Instantly, a crack split open above the basement, and a figure drifted down slowly, landing between the two adversaries.

Dressed in black robes, wielding a broken black blade—the man was Li Hao, returned to the city.

(End of Chapter)