Volume 1, Chapter 47 – Huangfu Yun

The man in black armor walked up to the gathered martial artists and came to a stop, then took off his helmet, mask and all.

Beneath the mask was a robust man who looked a little over thirty, with dark skin, a straight, upright frame, slightly disheveled temples, and eyes that seemed bottomless.

There was an old scar on the top of his head, running straight across his forehead like a claw mark, lending his features an extra hint of ferocity.

He swept his gaze over the group of martial artists. Everyone who met his eyes felt as if they were being seen through.

After he had looked over everyone, the man grinned. “Not bad. You’re at least presentable. My name is Huangfu Yun, a centurion under the Demon-Suppressing Army. From today on, you eighteen will be under my command. If you have any questions, you can ask them now.”

The martial artists looked at each other, then fixed their gazes on Shi Lan, Yan Shan, and the strongest of them—the black-robed man.

“Sir Centurion, this subordinate wishes to know whether the calamity of demonic beasts has already reached the point of threatening Twin Moon City?” The black-robed man slipped into his role quickly. He stepped forward and asked.

Huangfu Yun nodded. “That’s right. Demonic beasts have indeed begun appearing in the vicinity. What’s your name?”

“This subordinate is Jiang Li.”

“Any other questions?”

Jiang Li was silent for a moment, staring at Huangfu Yun as he asked, enunciating each word, “Is Twin Moon City beyond saving?”

Huangfu Yun nodded carelessly. “Barring any surprises, there’s an eighty percent chance it can’t be held.”

Rеаd on ΚаtReаdіոɡСαfе

At that, the expressions of the martial artists all changed drastically, especially those few who were natives of Twin Moon City. Even Shi Lan, who had been half prepared for this, felt her heart sink.

“If the city falls, where are we supposed to go? And the hundreds of thousands of commoners in Twin Moon City—where are they supposed to go?”

Huangfu Yun grinned. “If the city stands, people may not live. If the city falls, everyone dies!”

The martial artists all went a little blank. What Huangfu Yun meant was nothing less than defending Twin Moon City to the death.

A chill suddenly rose in Shi Lan’s heart. That abruptly issued city lockdown order, and Nie Yangze’s earlier words, all clearly showed that the Demon-Suppressing Army had tied the hundreds of thousands of commoners in Twin Moon City to the city itself.

If one prospers, all prosper; if one suffers, all suffer.

“That’s hundreds of thousands of lives!” Jiang Li’s voice rose, bloodshot veins faintly visible in his eyes.

The smile faded from Huangfu Yun’s face. He fixed his gaze on Jiang Li. “So what? How do you think it should be handled?”

“The city lockdown order should be lifted. We should escort the city’s commoners as they flee! Resisting demonic beasts and protecting the people—that’s the Demon-Suppressing Army’s duty, isn’t it?!”

“Escorting the city’s commoners as they flee?” Huangfu Yun let out a cold snort, his eyes on Jiang Li full of chill.

“Do you have any idea what it looks like when hundreds of thousands of Mortals migrate together? Do you know how many demonic beasts the blood and qi of hundreds of thousands of Mortals will attract? Without knowledge of the martial path, without city walls to protect them, what difference is there between Mortals before demonic beasts and pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered?”

Rеаԁ оn KаtReαdіոɡСαfe

Jiang Li’s face flushed red. “Waiting around to die is worse than a desperate struggle. With the Demon-Suppressing Army’s protection, we can at least keep some people alive!”

“Counting myself, Twin Moon City has three hundred and twenty-seven Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers. Even if I add you eighteen, we still don’t reach three hundred and fifty. With that many people, escorting hundreds of thousands of Mortals on a migration—do you think that’s a desperate struggle, or just delivering food to the demonic beasts?”

A hint of self-mockery flashed through Huangfu Yun’s eyes. “Or did you think everyone in the Demon-Suppressing Army is some peerless fiend who can slaughter ten thousand beasts with one hand?”

Jiang Li took a step back, his expression full of dejection.

“You’re not the first to have that idea. Someone even put it into action. Do you want to know how it turned out?” Huangfu Yun took a step forward as he spoke.

Jiang Li froze, then muttered a shaken “no” and shook his head.

“I originally had a hundred and four people under my command. Now, counting myself, there are thirteen left. Of the hundreds of thousands of commoners who migrated, fewer than one in ten thousand survived.”

There wasn’t a trace of emotion in Huangfu Yun’s tone, yet everyone felt an oppressive heaviness.

“In that case, why seal the city and hide the truth? Why not let the commoners flee on their own?”

Huangfu Yun shook his head. “Right now, news of the demonic beast invasion hasn’t spread through this region yet. If word gets out and we let those commoners pour out of the city at will, every city in the area will be dragged into it, and chaos will erupt everywhere!”

Here, Huangfu Yun paused slightly, then went on:

Rеαⅾ оn КatReаⅾіnɡСаfе

“At that point, the commoners all around will be fleeing for their lives. The panic will grow worse and worse. Eventually, some cities will be left with no one to defend them—only empty shells. The demon race will be able to drive straight in and swallow up vast stretches of human territory once again.”

“And once those commoners step into the wilderness, they’ll do nothing but die meaningless deaths in the maws of demonic beasts. It’ll only add to the casualties.”

A sliver of ruthlessness flashed through Huangfu Yun’s eyes. “Since we’ve come to this, I’ll be blunt. The hundreds of thousands in this city must live and die with Twin Moon City. We’ll use the city walls and do everything we can to hold the demonic beasts back!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a system notification sounded in Shi Lan’s ears.

【Side quest complete. Reward: one Basic Draw.】

Even with the quest complete, there wasn’t the slightest joy in Shi Lan’s heart.

Huangfu Yun looked at Jiang Li. “Any other questions?”

Jiang Li shook his head helplessly and stepped back into the group of martial artists.

“What about the rest of you?”

“Earlier, the Demon-Suppressing Army went through the city searching for and registering information on children and even youths. What was that for?” Shi Lan stepped forward and asked.

“Two days from now, a Cloudsoar Treasure Ship will pass by Twin Moon City. It will take away all the children in the city with better talent, as well as your families and loved ones, and deliver them safely into the Sacred Martial Immortal Sect’s protection,” Huangfu Yun replied calmly.

Rеаԁ οn KαtRеαdіnɡСаfе

“What did the light on that stone tablet represent?”

Huangfu Yun didn’t hide anything. “The light represented the strength of one’s innate aptitude. White means a mediocre sort. Green, two or three out of a hundred. Black, one out of a thousand. Red, one in ten thousand, with exceptional talent. As for anything higher—there shouldn’t be such prodigies in Twin Moon City.”

“Sir Centurion, what level of aptitude is required to board the Cloudsoar Treasure Ship?” a martial artist native to Twin Moon City asked. The grief on his face was now tinged with a sliver of hope.

“Black may board alone. With red aptitude, you can bring one family member or loved one.”

At that, the martial artist who had asked let out a long breath of relief, his expression easing.

Huangfu Yun swept his gaze over the group. “Slots to board the Cloudsoar Treasure Ship are extremely precious. The two slots you’ve been given are already a generous reward. I hope you all understand that.”

“If you have any more questions, ask them now.”

No one answered. Silence fell.

Seeing this, Huangfu Yun grinned, the scar on his forehead twisting, making him look even more ferocious. “In that case, I’ll ask you all to be ready to leave your lives here!”