"Ye Qingxuan, aren't you going too far?"
Lin Qingxian could not help stepping forward.
She had seen everything clearly. Earlier, Ye Qingxuan had been the one insisting on preserving her engagement with Xiao Chen. Now that Xiao Chen had just been sentenced to death by the Saintly Wasteland Old Man, Ye Qingxuan was immediately turning her back on him?
Even if she wanted to break off the engagement, could she not discuss it privately? Breaking it off in front of everyone was no different from grinding Xiao Chen's face into the dirt. How was he supposed to face anyone in the future?
"Too far? How is this too far? Am I, the dignified Ninth Princess of Great Xia, supposed to marry a piece of trash?"
Ye Qingxuan sneered.
"You..."
"What? If you like trash so much, then go marry Xiao Chen yourself!"
Ye Qingxuan's face was filled with disdain. Then she looked at Xiao Chen. "Xiao Chen, I know you like me, but we are no longer suited for each other. I hope you can let go and fulfill my wish!"
Seeing the arrogance in Ye Qingxuan's eyes, an inexplicable fury immediately surged from Xiao Chen's heart.
He had already agreed to dissolve the engagement, yet this woman still would not let it go. How damn annoying!
He walked straight over to Xiao Zhentian and held out his hand. "Give me the marriage contract!"
Earlier, Xiao Chen had seen Ye Qingxuan hand the marriage contract to Xiao Zhentian.
Xiao Zhentian was slightly stunned. After hesitating for a moment, he still handed the contract to Xiao Chen. "You and Qingxuan were destined to belong to different worlds. I hope you..."
Xiao Zhentian thought Xiao Chen would act as he had before, desperately trying to win Ye Qingxuan back. He had wanted to rebuke him a few times, but before he could finish, he froze.
Because he saw Xiao Chen rip the marriage contract in his hand into powder at an astonishing speed.
Not only Xiao Zhentian, but everyone present was stunned as well.
That was the Ninth Princess of Great Xia—beautiful as a celestial maiden and of exalted status. He was simply giving up a wife like that?
Seeing Xiao Chen tear apart the marriage contract with such utter decisiveness, Ye Qingxuan was caught completely off guard. She had thought Xiao Chen would beg her for another chance. She had never expected him to be so indifferent, casually tearing up the contract.
Last time, she had bought the marriage contract from him. She had assumed he was playing hard to get, trying to change her impression of him.
But this time, she wavered. Could it be that Xiao Chen had truly fallen for someone else and now liked Lin Qingxian?
That made her feel somewhat miserable. A man who had liked her for more than ten years had suddenly begun liking someone else. Even if that man was trash, it was still intolerable to a woman as proud as her!
"You won't even try to win me back?"
Ye Qingxuan looked at Xiao Chen and gritted her teeth.
"Heh, win you back? Are you worthy? Ye Qingxuan, I already told you last time not to come bother me. Yet you sent the marriage contract back to Xiao Zhentian. This time, I tore it up. From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other!"
Xiao Chen shot Ye Qingxuan a cold smile, casually scattered the scraps in his hand into the air, then turned to leave.
Ye Qingxuan stood rooted to the spot. Seeing Xiao Chen's utterly unconcerned expression, she trembled with rage.
Xiao Chen was definitely putting on an act. As a cripple, he could never find a wife better than her. How could he possibly not be heartbroken?
"Bad news, Zhenbei King! Several thousand demons have surrounded Bear Martial City. They seem to be planning to slaughter the entire city!"
At that moment, a blood-covered soldier staggered over.
Hearing this, a trace of panic flashed through Xiao Chen's eyes.
Bear Martial City had been besieged by the Demon Race. Would Liu Sanji not be in danger?
"Bear Martial City has been surrounded? How many demons came? What realm are they?"
Xiao Zhentian's expression changed abruptly as well.
Bear Martial City was a small city under Barren North Province. Its population numbered only several hundred thousand, and it bordered Barren North City.
Its defenses were relatively weak. If the Demon Race attacked the city, it likely would not hold out for long.
"Several thousand! Most are Demon Disciple Seventh Level, with some at Demon Disciple Eighth Level! Some people from the Demon God Hall have come as well! The city guards could not resist them at all. More than half are already dead, and the City Lord has fallen in battle!"
The soldier said in a trembling voice.
"Se... several thousand demons! The Demon God Hall has come too?"
Everyone present revealed horrified expressions. Quite a few of them had even begun to tremble.
A city's garrison usually numbered in the tens of thousands. Even a remote little city like Bear Martial City had twenty thousand soldiers. Several thousand demons might not have sounded like much.
But the garrison soldiers were merely physically strong ordinary people, not martial artists. Those several thousand demons, on the other hand, were all Demon Disciples equivalent to Martial Apprentice Realm martial artists. The difference in strength between ordinary humans and demons was simply too great.
Even if those guards could be considered well-trained, before the Demon Race, they were like earthen chickens and pottery dogs—unable to withstand a single blow.
Moreover, due to an agreement between the Demon Race and the Human Race, the Human Race was not allowed to cross the border and attack the Demon Race.
Therefore, to defeat these several thousand demons, the Human Race would have to dispatch at least an equal number of martial artists. But martial artists were scarce resources, and the Human Race simply did not have so many martial artists to contend against the Demon Race.
Take Bear Martial City, for example. The entire city had fewer than a hundred martial artists combined. Facing several thousand demons, they had no ability to fight back at all!
Not to mention the terrifyingly powerful human traitors of the Demon God Hall, who aided the tiger in its evil!
"Where is Bear Martial City's Demon Suppression Office? Where have they gone?"
Xiao Zhentian frowned.
The Great Xia Dynasty had established a Demon Suppression Office in every city specifically to deal with the Demon Race.
Logically, when a demon calamity occurred, the Demon Suppression Office should have been the first to step forward. Why had the city guards come seeking aid instead?
"Reporting to the Zhenbei King, after the Demon Race surrounded the city, we immediately went to the Demon Suppression Office for help. But we never expected them to shut their doors and refuse to come out. They simply allowed the Demon Race to run rampant. We had no choice but to risk our lives breaking through the encirclement and coming to Barren North City for aid!"
The soldier's face was full of indignation!
"Bastard! Bear Martial City's Demon Suppression Office actually behaved like this? Who is the current Chief?"
Xiao Zhentian flew into a rage.
The soldier hesitated for a moment before saying, "You know him as well. It is Zhao Tiangang, the man who once saved Young Master Ling Tian!"
Hearing this name, Xiao Zhentian was immediately stunned.
Two years ago, while Xiao Lingtian was training abroad, he had encountered an attack from a great demon of the Demon Master Realm and nearly died. It was Zhao Tiangang, who happened to be passing by, who drove back the Demon Race and saved Xiao Lingtian.
From then on, Xiao Lingtian had formed a deep friendship with Zhao Tiangang. Xiao Zhentian and Wen Wanrong were also immensely grateful to Zhao Tiangang because of this.
Who would have thought that this man had been transferred to Bear Martial City as the Chief of its Demon Suppression Office?
This was going to be difficult!
"Please, Zhenbei King, quickly send reinforcements! If we delay any longer, it will be too late!"
Seeing Xiao Zhentian remain silent, the soldier's eyes reddened.
Xiao Zhentian nodded slightly, his expression grave.
Several thousand demons had besieged the city, yet he could not take action himself. Resolving this crisis would be far too difficult, nearly impossible!
If the Demon Suppression Office there took action, there might still be a sliver of hope. But now that the office refused to care, things had become even more difficult!
Yet as the military commander of all Barren North Province, he naturally could not stand by and do nothing.
"Everyone, Bear Martial City is in danger. Is anyone willing to go and provide reinforcements?"
Xiao Zhentian swept his gaze across the crowd.
He did have some martial artists under his command, but they were severely undermanned. He needed additional support, and there were quite a few martial artists of suitable realms among the crowd below.
As Xiao Zhentian's gaze passed over them, all the martial artists lowered their heads and said nothing.
Go provide reinforcements?
The Demon Race was powerful, and Bear Martial City had several thousand demons, including many terrifying experts at the half-step Demon Master Realm. If they went, they would surely face grave danger with little chance of survival.
Who would be willing to throw away their life for nothing?
They did not belong to the Dynasty. They had no such obligation!
"No one is willing? Hundreds of thousands of our Human Race compatriots may lose their lives to demon jaws at any moment, yet you can remain so indifferent?"
Xiao Zhentian frowned.
"Zhenbei King, in times like these, it is already good enough if we can take care of ourselves!"
"Exactly. What does the people of Bear Martial City have to do with us in Barren North City?"
"They were besieged by the Demon Race because their luck was bad. They have no one else to blame!"
Some martial artists said righteously.
"You... you all..."
Xiao Zhentian's expression changed drastically.
Before you continue