Shen Family Fortress

"A true man should kill; with bloody hands, he can awe gods and spirits!"

Eight thousand Overlord's Soldiers, clad in blood-red, streamed like a crimson river along the main road between two cities. All the Overlord's Soldiers and bandits proudly extended their right hands, flicking their index fingers against the blood-colored leather helmets they wore, producing a uniform 'pat, pat' sound. Their song was filled with killing intent, their high-pitched voices seeming to tear the very clouds in the sky to shreds. A pale sun hung in the sky, devoid of color, indifferently scattering sunlight below.

On the two small cities, the city lords, their commanding officers, and a host of officials stood frozen. Their bodies trembled violently as they watched the Overlord's Soldiers rush past the city walls.

The responsibility of defending the land, the duty of pacifying the territory – the officials on the city walls had no such thoughts in their minds at that moment. They wished they could burn incense and pray to heaven to let this group of ferocious bandits pass quickly. To think of mobilizing the city's garrison to clear out the Overlord's Soldiers? They wouldn't even dare to dream of it.

Riding a fiery red warhorse, Ling Batian suddenly roared, "Halt!"

'Whoosh!' All eight thousand Overlord's Soldiers stopped simultaneously, like a surging great river suddenly entering an ice-bound period, transitioning from extreme motion to extreme stillness, yet doing so with such natural harmony and effortless grace. The officials and soldiers on the city walls were stunned. What a terrifying army this was!

On the city wall of the small city to the left of the main road, the city lord rolled his eyes and fainted from the shock of the Overlord's Soldiers' sudden stop.

On the city wall of the small city to the right of the main road, the city lord trembled like a sieve, but somehow managed to remain standing. He raised his voice, hoarse like a plucked duck, and wailed, "Esteemed Overlord, this city is small and poor, with no martial arts experts. Please, I beg you, spare our city!"

According to the laws of the Great Yuan Kingdom, any city lord whose city is breached during their tenure will have their entire family enslaved!

Ling Batian glanced at the city lord and waved his hand, "I won't attack your city. Each of your cities will offer five hundred taels of gold, five thousand taels of silver, and five million copper coins, and then my men and I will leave!"

'Thud!' The city lord who could still stand promptly sat down on the ground. Trembling all over, he looked at Ling Batian, nearly fainting like his counterpart across the way. The amount Ling Batian demanded was an astronomical sum for their two small cities. However, refusing to pay was clearly impossible. Everyone knew Overlord Ling Batian's notorious temper: he was obsessed with money. If his demands weren't met, it would only take the time it takes to brew a cup of tea for his eight thousand Overlord's Soldiers to breach these two small cities.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the gates of both cities opened wide, and a team of horsemen emerged from each, carrying the heavy tribute for Ling Batian.

Pitiably, the two small city lords had emptied their treasuries to gather this immense sum. The carts even contained silver-inlaid chamber pots, which were sent to make up the difference. The Overlord's Soldiers, however, did not show any disdain. Like Ling Batian, they didn't discriminate against any gold, silver, or shiny copper coins.

This minor interlude lasted only about thirty minutes before the Overlord's Soldiers continued their relentless march forward.

It was at this moment that Lin Xiao woke up. He had been placed on a grain transport cart, the soft grain beneath him making the jolting ride somewhat comfortable. Lying on his back, Lin Xiao opened his eyes and stared blankly at the sky. After a long while, he suddenly realized his situation. Startled, he cried out and scrambled to his feet, standing atop the tall pile of grain. Ahead lay a long line of blood-red figures, and behind him, another long line of blood-red soldiers. In the wasteland on either side of the road, he could see blood-clad scouts riding back and forth.

He was indeed among the Overlord's Soldiers! Lin Xiao couldn't quite articulate how he felt, simply sitting cross-legged on the grain sacks, staring blankly at the blood-clad soldiers ahead.

A burly man in blood-red armor rode up to Lin Xiao and casually shoved a small bundle into his hand. The man said gruffly, "Kid, this is your bundle. All the gold, silver, and valuables inside have been confiscated. From now on, the Overlord's Soldiers are your family, so you don't need to save any private money."

Lin Xiao clutched the bundle and looked blankly at the burly man.

The man grinned strangely a few times, nodded at Lin Xiao, and said, "I'm Xue Wu, the fifth of the Overlord's eighteen Blood Kill Guard. You can call me Fifth Brother. Is that family tree yours? Damn, thirty-six generations of single heirs, tsk tsk. It's only in your generation that you had two brothers, but now, only you are left! Your Lin family has had a tough time!"

His words struck Lin Xiao's deepest wound. He gasped for breath a few times and glared angrily at Xue Wu. Xue Wu looked at Lin Xiao dismissively and continued his unbearable 'cackle.' Lin Xiao gritted his teeth fiercely. After a long while, he managed to suppress the anger and sorrow in his heart, lowered his voice, and asked, "Guihua City, is it true?"

"Wiped out clean, not a single rat left!" Xue Wu shouted. "Under the Jimo Sect's Four Phases Soul Locking Array, not a mosquito could escape, let alone living people! So, you are the last root of your family now. If you don't want to die, obediently be the military doctor for our Overlord's Soldiers, and we won't treat you badly. When you're a couple of years older, we'll find you a pretty wife, and you can have a bunch of kids to continue your Lin family line! Hahaha!"

He patted his mount's head and rode away laughing wildly. Lin Xiao sat on the grain sacks, his mind churning with the unfamiliar terms 'Jimo Sect' and 'Four Phases Soul Locking Array.' He didn't yet understand what these two names truly represented, but he knew that his life now had its first unavoidable mission: to destroy the Jimo Sect!

"Daddy!" Lin Xiao suddenly sobbed, clutching the small bundle. The face of Lin Shan flashed before his eyes. Ever since he could remember, Lin Shan's kind, clear, and refined face had been Lin Xiao's entire world. Yet, such a beloved face had been utterly destroyed by the forces called the Jimo Sect! Even the detestable Hua Wuniang and Lin Yao, Lin Xiao missed them intensely at this moment. At least, with them around, Lin Xiao wouldn't feel so utterly alone.

After all, the current Lin Xiao was just a boy of fifteen or sixteen!

Xue Wu rode up to Ling Batian and reported in a low voice, "Boss, there's nothing suspicious on that kid. That poisonous land, it's probably from some herb they planted at Spring Return Hall by accident. This kid is a complete novice, scared out of his wits, nothing noteworthy."

"Accidentally created?" Ling Batian's rugged face showed a shrewd glint that was completely at odds with his appearance. He sneered, "An accidentally created poisonous land could force twelve experts from the Jimo Sect, who were on the verge of forming a core, to cut off their own arms? Hmph, that's a deadly poison used by cultivators, not something ordinary people can create."

Xue Wu said anxiously, "But, Boss, when the kid was unconscious, we searched him thoroughly. He had no suspicious items on him. His internal energy cultivation is just the common martial artist's methods, nothing strange. We even dismantled that secret room, and found nothing unusual. This kid probably really has nothing valuable on him."

"Never mind all that! In any case, keep him within the Overlord's Soldiers. Send people to watch him carefully. He must not die, and he must not escape." Ling Batian frowned and muttered, "I have a feeling things aren't that simple. That bastard Wutian Commander, hmph, he must have hidden something from me. I should have cleaved him with my saber long ago."

With a cold snort, two streaks of blood light shot out from Ling Batian's eyes, extending nearly three inches. The blood light flashed and disappeared. Ling Batian said calmly, "Keep an eye on that kid. Hmm, even if he doesn't have anything important on him, he'll do as a military doctor. At least, we Overlord's Soldiers aren't like the Black Blade Bandits, who are eager to sacrifice their men in large numbers to refine magic. We need battle-hardened warriors, not those filthy undead."

"Yes!" Xue Wu replied respectfully and slowly rode away.

"Jimo Sect! Hmph, this time, we Blood Kill Demonic Path will have a good showdown with you!" A ferocious smile flashed across Ling Batian's face.

The Overlord's Soldiers pressed forward, relentlessly plundering the populace and amassing a fortune. As the wealth they 'collected' grew, Ling Batian's smile became ever brighter. Amassing treasure was his greatest hobby. Purely a personal hobby, purely so.

Lin Xiao remained seated on the tall grain cart, coldly observing the Overlord's Soldiers, who seemed to possess inexhaustible energy, as they traveled day and night. He didn't know where they were going or what they intended to do; it was all irrelevant to him. He simply kept recalling every word Lin Shan had told him.

The Pill Token, kept in his inner pocket, continuously released wisps of cool energy, nourishing his body. It was precisely this cool, gentle, and vibrant energy that allowed the mentally exhausted Lin Xiao to endure these past few days. Lin Xiao knew clearly that someone else had touched the Pill Token, because the originally faintly glowing blue Pill Token had now become withered, like a piece of dark, rotten wood, appearing utterly unremarkable. If not for the miraculous aura emanating from it, Lin Xiao wouldn't have believed this was the Pill Token Lin Shan had given him.

Clenching the Pill Token, Lin Xiao raised his head and looked at the bright moon hanging in the sky, sighing softly.

The road ahead was vast and uncertain. Lin Xiao didn't know where his future lay.

Perhaps even the moon in the sky, capable of seeing everything in the world, could not offer Lin Xiao any guidance?

Sitting cross-legged on the grain sacks, the night wind gently brushed his cheeks, and cool mist sprayed his face. A strange emotion surged within Lin Xiao's heart. He didn't understand this emotion that made his heart ache until much later, when he realized it was loneliness.

Ling Batian rode up from behind, constantly encouraging his soldiers and telling them their objective was on the hillside less than twenty miles ahead. As he passed the grain cart, Ling Batian suddenly saw Lin Xiao sitting cross-legged on it. The pale moonlight fell on Lin Xiao, dressed in a green robe. His handsome features were filled with a loneliness and solitude that did not belong to his age. A few strands of messy hair danced in the night breeze behind his head, and an aura of refined, otherworldly spirit emanated from him, causing Ling Batian to momentarily hold his breath.

Many, many years later, Ling Batian would boast about this night as the greatest highlight of his life. He would tell everyone he knew that he had known that night that Lin Xiao was destined for greatness, and that was why, when Lin Xiao fled with his people, he had magnanimously let him go, sparing his life.

The Overlord's Soldiers sped forward again. After another twenty miles, a large mountain appeared ahead.

This area, for dozens of miles around, was flat sand and gravel. A great river meandered from north to south. The mountain stood proudly on this small plain, exuding an imposing aura in all directions. A castle of immense scale stood on the mountainside, and a winding horse trail led from the foot of the mountain to the castle gate.

The scale of this castle was comparable to a small city, but the specifications of its walls were definitely of a prefectural city level.

The five-zhang high city walls, with their brick joints filled with molten copper, gave an impression of invincibility. The heavy city gates were covered with inch-long spikes, glinting with a cold, blue light under the moonlight. Teams of proud castle guards, armed with sharp blades, patrolled the city walls. Between the battlements, several forbidden siege crossbows were mounted!

On the city wall, a flagpole was raised high. On a large flag with a black background and red border, a huge golden character 'Shen' was printed in golden ink.

"Damn! What imposing momentum!" Ling Batian lightly scratched his beard and said strangely, "It seems the guardian of Feiyun Pass has a lucrative post, otherwise, how could such a large fortress be built? Tsk, Xue Yi, figure this out, if we take this fortress, how much gold and silver will we get?"

A burly man in blood-red armor, closely following Ling Batian, grinned and said, "Boss, judging by the scale of this fortress, if there isn't a hundred thousand or eighty thousand in gold and silver inside, it won't be worth our brothers' effort!"

"A hundred thousand or eighty thousand in gold and silver?" Ling Batian's eyes changed. He tightened his grip on his Three-Pointed, Two-Edged Blade and said strangely, "So, even if the Third Prince hadn't asked, I would have to take this fortress. Men, charge! Damn it, take Shen Family Fortress, and I'll give each of you two liang—no, one liang—no, five qian of private money as a reward!"

Lin Xiao, sitting on the grain cart, looked at Ling Batian in astonishment. How could such a stingy bandit leader lead such a fierce and formidable army?

However, Xue Yi's supplement provided Lin Xiao with the best explanation. Xue Yi roared, "Men, after we loot Shen Family Fortress, it's meat for all, wine for all! Whichever team breaches the fortress first will have the right to learn the third level of the 'Blood Kill Demonic Art'! Men, kill! Break Shen Family Fortress, kill!"

Eight thousand Overlord's Soldiers let out an excited roar, each one rubbing their fists together and adjusting their armor. Gripping their sharp blades, they rapidly advanced towards Shen Family Fortress. Their formation appeared chaotic, but upon closer inspection, it was clear these Overlord's Soldiers had arranged themselves into an incredibly profound and complex formation. The eight thousand men moved as one, like a collapsing mountain, surging forward with an unstoppable momentum.

The boundless killing intent of the eight thousand battle-hardened soldiers condensed into a faint, blood-red aura, charging towards the battlements of Shen Family Fortress like a demonic dragon.

A fierce wind suddenly whipped up from the flat ground, snapping the flagpole on Shen Family Fortress's battlements. It swayed and fell from the wall, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

'Clang, clang, clang,' rapid gong sounds rang out from the battlements. The guards patrolling the city walls shouted loudly, "Bandits attacking, bandits attacking! Everyone come quickly, bandits attacking!"

Several ballistae on the city walls were quickly drawn back. Dozens of pure steel bolts, six feet long and as thick as a thumb, were nocked onto the strings. At a command, dozens of steel arrows tore through the air, fired indiscriminately.

'Thwack, thwack,' more than a dozen Overlord's Soldiers couldn't dodge in time and were struck by the incoming steel arrows. The powerful force of the ballistae drove the steel arrows straight through their bodies, embedding them deep into the ground. Blood spurted from the wounded Overlord's Soldiers, rendering them immobile on the spot. They could only lie on the ground, enraged, hacking wildly at the ground with their sabers, sending sparks flying.

Lin Xiao's work had arrived. Piles of medicine were thrown before him as wounded soldiers were continuously brought in. Xue Wu stood beside him, a smile on his face, and said calmly, "Military Doctor Lin, everything is in your hands now. The brothers are severely wounded. As they say, a doctor's heart is like a parent's. You won't refuse to save them, will you?"

A doctor's heart is like a parent's? Lin Xiao looked at Xue Wu with mockery and said coldly, "Save them, only to kill others later?"

Xue Wu's eyes blinked, and he suddenly drew a saber, holding it to Lin Xiao's neck. Xue Wu said calmly, "Your Lin family has only had one son for thirty-six generations!"

Lin Xiao's vision suddenly flashed with Lin Shan's face. Lin Xiao gritted his teeth fiercely and said indignantly, "I... I'll treat them!"

The wounded soldiers of the Overlord's Soldiers were in trouble. A doctor's heart is like a parent's. Therefore, Lin Xiao, the forcibly conscripted military doctor, must be a stepfather, a stepmother! He applied the most irritating medicine to the soldiers' wounds, stitched their wounds with the most brutal methods, and tied their bandages with the greatest force. Then, he forced them to drink a decoction of herbs he had deliberately brewed with several bitter ingredients that exceeded the normal limit of human tolerance.

Lin Xiao's medical methods were very effective. All the wounded Overlord's Soldiers survived, even one whose abdomen was split open, with his internal organs exposed, was saved by Lin Xiao's emergency treatment. However, all the Overlord's Soldiers treated by Lin Xiao lay on the open ground nearby, howling hysterically. They felt as though they could die at any moment, and their treated wounds seemed to hurt a hundred times more than when they were just injured!

Xue Wu's eyes and the corners of his mouth twitched. If he hadn't heard the wounded soldiers' screams growing stronger and louder, he would have been unable to resist attacking Lin Xiao. The Overlord's Soldiers did have a few doctors with them, but when others treated patients, was it ever this brutal? (To be continued)