Volume 1, Chapter 60 – The Notice

Shi Lan automatically filtered out the part about quest punishment, opened the System panel, read over the quest rewards twice, and was just about to close it when the System’s voice rang out again.

【Main Quest issued: Within one month, slay one thousand demonic beasts at or above the ninth stage of the Body Tempering Realm. Quest reward: one portion of Innate spirit blood. Quest failure: no penalty.】

Shi Lan was a little surprised. Two main quests had appeared at once.

After pondering for a moment, she asked silently, “What is Innate spirit blood? How much is one portion?”

【Innate spirit blood: the blood of the first beings born in the chaos before the great world was opened. One portion of Innate spirit blood is enough to replace two-thirds of the host’s bloodline and evolve an Innate Spirit Body.】

Shi Lan didn’t bother asking what an Innate Spirit Body was. She would know once she completed the quest. If she failed, asking now was pointless.

Just thinking about a thousand ninth-stage Body Tempering demonic beasts made her feel it was beyond her reach.

After a moment, she pushed those thoughts aside and began cultivating again. No matter what, stepping into the Innate Realm was still the most urgent priority.

…

The next morning, the gong sounded as usual.

After they assembled at the training ground, Huangfu Yun did not lead the troops out of the city. Instead, he took everyone up onto the walls to familiarize themselves with the city’s defenses. Everyone could sense a storm on the horizon.

Once she stepped onto the battlements and caught sight of what was set up there, a flash of surprise crossed Shi Lan’s eyes.

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Siege crossbows over four zhang long were bolted to the ground, each one solid and immovable. The bowstrings alone were as thick as an adult’s arm, black as ink.

Beside every siege crossbow lay a bundle of “arrows” nearly three zhang long and almost as thick as an adult’s thigh. Anyone hit by one of those would hardly need imagining what would be left.

Huangfu Yun walked over to one of the siege crossbows and ran his hand along it as he spoke. “Nine-Bow Siege Crossbow. It can fire nine Cloud-Piercing Bolts at once. It takes either an Innate Realm martial artist, or nine martial artists at the peak of the ninth stage of the Body Tempering Realm working together, to draw the bowstring. Innate Realm demonic beasts can’t withstand it. It can seriously injure, or even kill, an Earth Fiend Realm demonic beast.”

Shi Lan gave the siege crossbow another look, then shifted her gaze outside the city. At the distant horizon, she could already vaguely see plumes of smoke rising in all directions. The demonic beasts weren’t far now…

Once he’d led everyone through the basics of the defenses, Huangfu Yun didn’t send them back down. He had them remain on the walls and go straight into a state of alert.

In the ten-some days prior, during the sweeps outside the walls, thirty-two people had died—twenty-one of them among the new recruits. Of the original forty-one, more than half were already gone.

Now, including Huangfu Yun and the other centurions, there were fewer than three hundred and forty Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers left in the city.

And those three hundred-odd people still had to be spread across the four walls of the city. At once, they seemed thinly scattered.

Demon-Slaying Crossbows and bundles of refined steel bolts were hauled up to the walls without pause.

During the process, Shi Lan spotted a number of martial artists she’d never seen before, all wearing the same style of clothing.

When she found a moment to ask Huangfu Yun, she learned that these martial artists were all subordinates under Nie Yangze.

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Back when Huangfu Yun and the others had first entered Twin Moon City, they had already suggested to Nie Yangze that he fold all of his subordinates into the Demon-Suppressing Army to act in unison.

Nie Yangze had neither refused nor agreed, only saying he would let those martial artists decide for themselves.

Those martial artists, used to the loose life in Twin Moon City, could hardly stomach the rules and discipline of the Demon-Suppressing Army. On top of that, Nie Yangze had also promised each of them two spots on the Cloudsky Treasure Ark.

Under those circumstances, it was only natural that not a single one of them had been willing to join the Demon-Suppressing Army. Huangfu Yun and the others hadn’t forced the issue. As long as they were willing to stay and help defend against the demonic beasts, it was enough.

Even with this batch of martial artists from the City Lord’s residence joining in, the total number of people on the walls still didn’t exceed five hundred.

…

At every gate of Twin Moon City, brand new notices were pasted up.

It was early morning, and there were plenty of people on the streets. In no time, a large crowd had gathered in front of the notices.

“Recently, a large number of demonic beasts have appeared around Twin Moon City, causing havoc in all directions. Twin Moon City has become an isolated island. The City Lord’s residence urgently requires those skilled with bow and crossbow to assist in defending the city. We hope all capable individuals will volunteer.”

Once people understood what the notice said, the noise around it exploded. After a burst of commotion, everyone headed toward the City Lord’s residence as one.

Soon, a sea of people had formed in front of the residence, but none of them were allowed inside. Martial artists blocked them five zhang out from the main gate.

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Nie Yangze stood in front of the gate with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm.

“The demonic beasts have been rampaging around the city for who knows how long. The City Lord’s residence must have known for ages and deliberately kept it from us. What exactly are you plotting?!” A scholar-looking man shouted, his face flushed.

“All those people going in and out the past few days, bringing back all those demonic beast corpses—I knew something was wrong back then.”

“City Lord Nie, when you locked down the city, had you already received this news?!”

“Is Twin Moon City doomed?!”

“Lift the lockdown! We’re going out!”

…

Nie Yangze raised his hand slightly. “Please, everyone, quiet down.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it somehow reached every ear in the crowd. Gradually, everyone fell silent, all eyes fixed on Nie Yangze, waiting for an explanation.

“The situation in Twin Moon City is indeed somewhat dangerous right now.”

His very first sentence made everyone’s faces change.

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“But there’s no need for you all to panic. I, Nie Yangze, am still standing here. If this Twin Moon City truly couldn’t be held, what would I still be doing here?”

Nie Yangze’s expression didn’t change. His tone stayed unhurried.

“That Cloudsky Treasure Ark you all saw in the sky some time ago will be returning soon. When it does, it can take everyone away together.”

Some in the crowd believed him, but most still didn’t. Doubts and accusations kept coming.

Even so, Nie Yangze’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke again. “Let me give you all a word of advice: don’t even think about leaving the city. Right now, demonic beasts surround us on all sides. If you go out, there’s only one possible outcome—your entire family ends up as food in their mouths.”

At those words, the square fell completely silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

“At present, we don’t have enough people to man the walls. We urgently need archers and crossbowmen to help in the defense. If you have some skill, you can go straight up onto the walls.”

He swept a look across the crowd and added, meaningfully, “Right now, the only way out alive is to hold this city until the Cloudsky Treasure Ark returns. Once the city falls, what awaits you is the ruin of your homes and the death of your families. Think more about the wives and children waiting in your houses.”

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions turned uncertain. After a long moment, the crowd began to slowly disperse. A small portion of them broke away and ran toward the city walls.

“City Lord, will the Cloudsky Treasure Ark really come back?” a martial artist standing beside Nie Yangze asked carefully.

“Perhaps it will return very soon.” Nie Yangze looked up at the sky and silently added in his heart, It will come back… when it’s time to retake Twin Moon City.