Night Battle at Xiong Pass (Part Two)

Wang Yuanyuan and Chen Yinger exchanged a glance, then suddenly jumped up and swiftly dragged over the other two empty beds. Clearly, the two girls intended to follow Cai'er's example. After all, they were girls and needed privacy more than the men did. Cai'er's actions had undoubtedly awakened them to that.

Lin Xin, Sima Xian, and Han Yu all showed obvious envy. Long Haochen was the youngest male member of the Demon Hunt Squad, yet he was the first to have a beloved woman of his own. Their relationship truly made others envious.

Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Long Haochen looked up at them, his face reddening. "Battalion Commander Zhang said just now that we could be called up to the city walls to fight at any time. Everyone should make the most of the time and rest." Had it been someone else, with personalities like Lin Xin's and Sima Xian's, they would definitely have teased him a few times. But when it came to Long Haochen, they really did not dare. Long Haochen himself was nothing, but they had no desire to experience Cai'er's terrifying killing intent. Anyone could see that, in Cai'er's heart, aside from her brother, mother, father, and Long Haochen, she did not care much about anything else.

According to the original story, Cai'er should have climbed into Long Haochen's bed, but that would not happen now.

In the end, the girls slept with the girls, and the boys slept with the boys.

Don't ask why I didn't climb into Long Haochen's bed—because I'm here. What the hell was he supposed to be? By the standards of the present, they had to be married before she could sleep in his bed. Nothing else would do.

Bang, bang, bang. Someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Sima Xian called out loudly.

"Hello, I'm looking for Cai'er." A gentle voice with a hint of huskiness came from outside.

The moment she heard that voice, Cai'er immediately sat up in bed. It was her mother's voice.

She immediately skipped over to the door and said, "Mom, why are you here?"

"You brat, why can't your mother come? Shouldn't I see what sort of son-in-law you've found for me?"

Cai'er smiled mischievously.

I thought she would climb into his bed, but after looking, well, it was pretty good that she had not.

"But Mom, what are you here for?"

"You brat, didn't I come to see you? To see you. I heard you had someone you liked, so I came to see whether he was suitable to be my son-in-law. Isn't that right?"

At this moment, everyone in Long Haochen's team was dumbfounded.

She was icy cold outside, but in front of her parents, she was truly so adorable. So lively!

"How did you sleep yesterday?"

"Mom, yesterday the girls slept with the girls and the boys slept with the boys. Although we were in the same dormitory, we were separate, hehe."

"That's good."

Afterward, Lan Yanyu checked Cai'er's current cultivation and discovered in shock—

"Cai'er, you're Ninth Rank?"

"Mom, keep your voice down."

It was true that Mother had shouted a little too loudly. A little too loudly. "It's fine, it's fine."

"Yes, I'm already Ninth Rank."

"What exactly is going on?"

"Reporting to Mother, mid-stage Ninth Rank."

"Didn't you only skip five stages while undergoing training? How did you reach Ninth Rank so quickly? You skipped four realms in a row!"

"Mom, Brother has returned."

"Ah, you're saying Sheng'er has returned? Where is he now? Hurry and take Mother to see him. I haven't seen him for far too long. Mother misses him terribly."

Ever since Mother left, Mother's appearance had become somewhat haggard. Now that Brother had returned—

Mother was very happy, and then—

"Okay, Mom, I'll take you there right away." Without another word, she turned and left, ignoring every member of the Demon Hunt Squad as she directly tore open space.

They stepped through it and arrived before me.

At that moment, I was concentrating on reading and had not noticed that anyone had arrived.

Lan Yanyu saw me, but she did not disturb me. After waiting for about half an hour, I finished reading and finally noticed my dear mother.

"Mother, when did you get here? Why didn't you notify me?"

"You too—Mother came, and you didn't notify your brother."

"Brother, it wasn't that I didn't want to tell you. Mom wouldn't let me. She saw that you were focused on reading, so she didn't disturb you and just sat beside you waiting."

"Uh... all right."

In the end, when he looked at Mother, he noticed that the skin on her face had aged somewhat. He immediately took out several beauty-preserving and complexion-enhancing prescriptions, as well as a medicinal garden.

"Mom, these are things that can help preserve your beauty and make you younger. You can try eating them."

"Ah, Mom is fine. I just missed you too much, so I became ugly."

"No, Mom. We've only been apart for a few days, and you missed me this much? I didn't even go back. Things over there have already settled down."

"You should still take those beauty prescriptions I gave you. In just a few days, you've worried yourself into looking like this. Eat more of them, okay? Don't become so ugly in the future. Anyway, you don't need to worry about that battlefield anymore. In the end, it will be the world of you and the person you like."

"We shouldn't disturb them, right?"

"Right, right."

"By the way, Mom, what do you want to eat now? I'll make it for you. I have lots and lots of food here."

"Mom doesn't need anything in particular. I just came to see you and take a look at the person Cai'er likes, that's all."

Then Mom had already met her. Mom, what did you think of her?

She was all right, but not even half as good as you. Actually, Mom had long since picked out the son-in-law in her heart—it was you. But you only saw your sister Cai'er as a sibling. You never crossed that line.

Sigh, hasn't little sister found herself a sweetheart now? Anyway, don't interfere with his life anymore. Just let him be happy.

You mean...?

All right, let's not talk about it for now. I'll make you something tasty first.

Oh, son, your cooking really hasn't declined at all. It just keeps getting better. It tastes even better than mine.

Oh, listen to you.

After chatting with his parents and sister for another dozen or so hours, a series of clanging sounds suddenly rang out.

Brother, what are those clanging sounds?

It should be time for you to assemble and head to the battlefield. Go on, hurry.

All right, I understand.

After Cai'er had walked some distance away, she said, "Brother, actually, I don't like him. The one I like is you."

Huh, Cai'er, what did you just say? Your brother didn't hear you.

No, it's nothing. Brother, I'll go assemble first.

Mm-hm, be careful on the way!

All right, Brother!

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang..." A string of piercing metallic collisions came from outside. At once, noisy sounds erupted beyond the room, and it seemed as though the entire place had suddenly come alive.

Han Yu said, "That's the military assembly order."

Everyone instinctively turned to Long Haochen. Sima Xian said, "Captain, Vice-Captain Cai'er's emotions are so unstable. How about you don't go for now?"

"No." Long Haochen's expression hardened. "I promised Battalion Commander Zhang that I would obey orders and follow command. We are soldiers now. How can we refuse to carry out military orders? I'll protect Cai'er. Let's go."

Cai'er also straightened up and grabbed the Green Bamboo Staff beside her. Her expression seemed to have completely regained its calm in that brief time. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Long Haochen nodded, then pulled her into his arms again and gently kissed her forehead. In a low voice, he said, "No matter when it is, you still have me. Even if only for my sake, you have to live well. All I want is to see my Cai'er happy and blissful."

"Mm." Cai'er nodded softly and took Long Haochen's hand of her own accord.

"Let's go." Long Haochen called to his companions and, holding Cai'er's hand, rushed out of the barracks.

Outside the barracks, the soldiers of the First Battalion were rapidly assembling. The officers' shouts rang out from time to time.

Zhang Hairong stood in the open space before the barracks. This whole area was the First Battalion's garrison. He was already dressed in full battle gear, wearing heavy plate armor and gripping a broad-bladed battle axe that gleamed coldly in each hand. He watched the soldiers with a grim gaze.

Long Haochen hurriedly led his companions to Zhang Hairong and gave him a military salute. "Battalion Commander, the seven members of the personal guard squad are reporting in."

With war at hand, Zhang Hairong no longer showed his earlier courtesy. He said coldly, "Form up behind me. Soon, you will follow this general up the wall to kill the enemy."

"Yes." Long Haochen answered and led his companions to stand behind Zhang Hairong.

Among the seven of them, some were tall and some short, and there were even three girls. They all looked so young that they immediately drew the First Battalion soldiers' attention. The First Battalion officers standing at the front, in particular, kept casting curious glances their way.

The matter of the newly promoted Demon Hunt Squad coming to Demon Expelling City for training was highly classified. It was not something these low- and mid-ranking officers could know.

Very quickly, the First Battalion soldiers had all assembled. Although night had already fallen, the entire First Battalion stood in strict formation, without the slightest hint of panic.

Most of the soldiers carried thick-backed sabers. In addition to their uniforms, they wore leather armor. Some officers wore chainmail. Zhang Hairong was the only one equipped with plate armor.

Seeing that the soldiers had finished assembling, Zhang Hairong shouted, "Brothers! Those damn demon bastards have been attacking especially fiercely these past few days. Today, we're taking the field early. I won't say much else. Once we're on the wall, anyone who dares to be a coward and disgrace the First Battalion's honor, don't blame these twin axes of mine for not recognizing friend from foe. Move out!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The First Battalion infantry raised their weapons high. Under the stunned gazes of Long Haochen's group of seven, they roared three times like a mountain-shaking tide, then immediately set off, running in orderly ranks toward the city wall.

Zhang Hairong did not say much, but the scene before them made it clear that he had absolute control over this army. These soldiers were clearly not stepping onto the battlefield for the first time. Most of them were merely first- or second-tier warriors with a measure of External Spiritual Power, yet the frenzied fighting spirit in their eyes immediately made Long Haochen's group of seven feel the bloody atmosphere unique to a battlefield.

Zhang Hairong ran at the very front with his pair of great axes, while Long Haochen's group of seven followed close behind. Everyone clearly remembered the formation arranged over the past few days. They advanced in a Shuttle Formation. Long Haochen was at the front, with Wang Yuanyuan and Sima Xian to his left and right, while Han Yu covered the rear. Cai'er, Chen Yinger, and Lin Xin, the mage, were in the center.

Although Chen Yinger and Lin Xin were a summoner and a mage, their bodies had been strengthened by spiritual power for years, making them far stronger than ordinary first- or second-tier warriors. As they ran now, they had no trouble keeping up with the group.

Very quickly, under Zhang Hairong's lead, they ascended to the top of Demon Expelling City from one side of the city wall. It was Long Haochen's first time reaching the strongest defensive point of Demon Expelling Pass, and he was secretly astonished. The city wall was simply too high. He could not see its overall thickness of a hundred meters, but he could clearly sense its immense solidity. Deafening battle cries, screams, collisions, and the clanging of metal constantly rang out from the direction of the wall. He was finally stepping onto the battlefield for the first time. Amid his nervousness, Long Haochen felt a trace of excitement.

Very soon, Zhang Hairong led them onto the city wall.

Holding both battle axes in his left hand, Zhang Hairong grabbed a soldier who was carrying rolling stones. "Where's your battalion commander?"

The soldier shouted, "Fighting the enemy at the wall!"

Zhang Hairong laughed heartily. "Good! Go tell your battalion commander that the First Battalion is here to relieve you. Have your brothers go down and rest. Leave the job of killing demon bastards to us. Brothers of the First Battalion, follow me!" As he spoke, the burly man gripped his great axes and charged toward the front of the wall in huge strides.

Long Haochen's group of seven were personal guards now, so naturally they did not dare delay. They followed Zhang Hairong and rushed forward. At a time like this, and with this being their first time on a battlefield, they had no time to observe their surroundings. While stunned by the grand scene of war before them, the blood within their bodies seemed to boil as well.

The city wall was more than a hundred meters wide, with vast quantities of defensive supplies piled upon it. Battle cries filled the wall, while blood kept spraying from the very front, and the shouts of combat suddenly grew much louder.

Zhang Hairong rushed to the front of the wall. Suddenly, a Zelin Clan Dual-Blade Demon about one and a half meters long sprang up from the wall, waving its sharp forelimbs as it pounced on a defending soldier.

Zhang Hairong let out a thunderous roar. With his left foot striking the ground, he launched himself into the air, and his twin great axes slashed fiercely forward. With a splat, the Zelin Clan Dual-Blade Demon was instantly chopped into pieces.

The soldier Zhang Hairong had saved was already drenched in blood. He turned and glanced at Zhang Hairong, gave him a thumbs-up, then swayed and collapsed onto the ground.

"Brothers of the Sixth Battalion, you may fall back. Leave the defense to our First Battalion!" Zhang Hairong roared. His twin giant axes spread out, and he charged to the very front of the wall like a meat grinder. Any demon that leaped up was met with an axe straight to the head.

The First Battalion soldiers swiftly took up key positions along the city wall. Some resisted the powerful enemy, while others helped the Sixth Battalion withdraw the wounded. The entire process proceeded in perfect order.

Dedicated medical personnel treated the wounded, and the entire rotation took less than twenty breaths.

Standing atop the city wall, Zhang Hairong suddenly felt warmth spread through his entire body. As his fighting spirit surged, the Inner Spiritual Power within him churned even more fiercely. Looking down, he discovered a faint layer of white light rippling across his body.

Long Haochen came to his side, fully equipped in the Holy Spirit Set. That white radiance was emanating from him.

It was not just him—every member of the Soldier Grade One Demon Hunt Squad had also prepared for battle.

Standing beside Zhang Hairong, Long Haochen looked down beyond the wall. As far as he could see, there were demons everywhere, blanketing the land. The most numerous among them were the Zelin Clan Dual-Blade Demons. Vast numbers of Dual-Blade Demons were climbing the city walls with their sharp forelimbs. The soldiers atop the wall defended tensely yet orderly with rolling stones, flaming oil, logs, and all manner of defensive equipment.

The demon army stretched beyond sight. Great numbers of Dual-Blade Demons were smashed down, yet these demons were indeed formidable. So long as their vital points were not struck, nearly all of them could launch another assault. The battle atop the city wall was exceptionally fierce.

Zhang Hairong split a Dual-Blade Demon away with one axe strike and said to Long Haochen, "Guardian Knight?"

Long Haochen nodded.

Zhang Hairong said, "Forget about your class. Kill the enemy with me. The more you kill, the better."

"First—"

Long Haochen turned to his companions. "Wang Yuanyuan, protect Ying'er. Sima Xian, protect Lin Xin. Han Yu, focus on healing and coordination. We fight side by side."

Defending a city was not the same as charging through enemy lines. Their wedge-shaped battle formation naturally had no use here. Fortunately, they could spread out and fight the enemy.

A hazy golden glow rippled out from Long Haochen's body. Eight golden runes rapidly spread outward, covering an area roughly twenty meters in diameter.

At once, a faint golden mist rose from everyone's bodies, making them look somewhat like knights using the Accumulating Power skill.

This was one of the two Guardian Knight Secret Skills Long Haochen had selected from the Alliance Treasure Pavilion: Spirit Gathering Halo. It consumed his own spiritual power to increase all his companions' spiritual power recovery speed by thirty percent.

At this moment, Long Haochen fully displayed his powerful supportive abilities. Spirit Gathering Halo, Holy Spirit Protection, and then Guardian's Grace. The three halo-type area enhancement skills instantly strengthened the entire group.

At the same time, he pointed the Holy Spirit Sword in his right hand forward. Dozens of white flashes vanished in an instant, and the three Dual-Blade Demons that had leaped onto the wall were immediately riddled with holes before falling back down.

With Long Haochen's support, Sima Xian let out a roar. "Kill—" The staff in his hand swung like a black dragon. He did not use any skills; his powerful physical strength erupted in full, and every swing of his staff blasted an approaching Dual-Blade Demon into chunks of flesh.

Wang Yuanyuan was even fiercer than Sima Xian. The girl stepped directly onto the battlements and swung the Giant Spirit God Shield in her hand, utterly unstoppable. For a time, not a single Dual-Blade Demon could rush up from their direction.

When the rotation had just begun, Zhang Hairong's twin battle axes had been constantly busy, and he had been killing to his heart's content. Yet after only a few breaths, he realized that he was under no pressure at all. Only two or three scattered enemies could occasionally make it up directly ahead of him, while all enemies on the left and right flanks had been taken care of by Long Haochen and the others. This stretch of city wall, over twenty meters long, was suddenly cleared completely.