Iron Wall's Perilous City

When Li Xuan and Chen Feng returned to Iron Wall City, the city gates were already under strict guard.

The guards on the city wall appeared to be facing a great enemy, with archers fully deployed and piles of rolling logs and rocks stacked higher than a person.

A tense atmosphere permeated the air, and even the wind carried the scent of blood.

"Halt!"

The captain of the guard stopped the two, his eyes wary. "State your names and affiliations!"

"Li Xuan, Iron Fist martial arts school, Black Stone City."

"Chen Feng."

The captain scrutinized them, his gaze lingering on Li Xuan.

Although Li Xuan had changed into clean clothes, the wounds on his face, the bloodstains on his body, and the killing intent emanating from him, as if he had just crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, could not be hidden.

"Wait." The captain turned to report.

A moment later, Wang Meng personally arrived at the city wall.

The Northern General bore several new scars on his face, and his armor was stained with dried blood. He stood behind the battlements, looking down at the two below with a complex expression.

"Open the city gates and let them in."

At the General's mansion, in the council hall.

As soon as Li Xuan and Chen Feng crossed the threshold, they saw Zhao Wuji.

He was seated in the lower seat, also injured, but much less so than Li Xuan. He was currently holding a cup of tea, leisurely blowing on the foam.

Seeing them enter, he looked up, a cold sneer curling his lips.

"Junior Brother Li, Senior Brother Chen, you're still alive." He put down his teacup. "You're quite lucky."

"You're not dead either," Li Xuan replied calmly.

Wang Meng sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.

"In the battle at Wolf Fang Pass, five of you went, and three returned." He paused. "Where are Sun Wu and Liu Qingqing?"

"We don't know," Chen Feng shook his head. "We got separated and lost them."

"Zhao Wuji," Wang Meng looked at him. "Tell me what happened."

Zhao Wuji stood up and cupped his fists. "Reporting to the General, last night we infiltrated Wolf Fang Pass as planned. Li Xuan volunteered to go to the main tent to assassinate Wanyan Lie, while Senior Brother Chen and I split up to start fires and create chaos."

He paused, a look of grief and indignation on his face. "But who knew, Li Xuan... he never intended to assassinate Wanyan Lie! He was there to deliver information!"

The council hall fell silent.

Even the guards outside the hall pricked up their ears.

"Continue," Wang Meng's expression darkened.

"After I started the fires, I was worried about Li Xuan and went to the main tent to support him." Zhao Wuji's acting was superb, his eyes reddening. "But I saw... I saw Li Xuan secretly talking with Wanyan Lie! He revealed our entire plan to him! Wanyan Lie immediately ordered us to be surrounded and killed. I fought my way out desperately, and Senior Brother Chen was also deceived by him..."

"You're spouting nonsense!" Chen Feng roared, drawing his sword and preparing to charge.

Li Xuan held him back.

"Let him finish."

Zhao Wuji wiped nonexistent tears from the corner of his eyes. "General, I know this is hard to believe. But Li Xuan... his origins are unknown. He was a refugee, and in just one month, he rose from an errand boy to the inner court, his combat power increasing by leaps and bounds. This is already unreasonable. Thinking about it now, he must be a barbarian spy, lurking in the martial arts school with ulterior motives!"

He knelt with a thud. "General, if this scoundrel is not eliminated, Iron Wall City will be in danger!"

The hall was deathly silent.

Wang Meng stared at Li Xuan. "Do you have anything to say?"

Li Xuan smiled.

"Senior Brother Zhao, the story is well-written." He took a step forward. "But you forgot one thing—is Wanyan Lie dead or alive right now?"

Zhao Wuji's expression flickered.

"Last night, I fought him and severely wounded his chest and abdomen. If you hadn't suddenly betrayed me and stabbed me, he would be a corpse by now." Li Xuan pulled open his collar, revealing the wound on his left shoulder—a sword wound layered over an arrow wound, the flesh and skin torn open, exposing bone.

"This sword wound is from your swordsmanship."

He then pointed to his chest. "Wanyan Lie's punch broke four of my ribs. But your sword was more vicious than his punch."

Everyone in the hall looked at Zhao Wuji.

Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth. "That was you and Wanyan Lie acting! A ploy to gain sympathy!"

"A ploy to gain sympathy?" Li Xuan turned to Wang Meng. "General, please summon the military doctor to examine the wounds. Wanyan Lie's fist technique was fierce and domineering, the wound is a spiral tear. Zhao Wuji's swordsmanship is soft and subtle, the wound is smooth and neat. It's obvious."

Wang Meng waved his hand. "Send for the military doctor."

The military doctor soon arrived.

He was an old man with graying hair, his fingers rough but exceptionally nimble. He carefully examined Li Xuan's wounds and then looked at Zhao Wuji's sword.

"Reporting to the General," the military doctor said respectfully, "this person's shoulder wound was indeed caused by a long sword, one inch and two fen wide, consistent with Young Master Zhao's sword. The chest and abdomen injuries... were caused by the barbarian 'Blood Wolf Fist,' a fierce and powerful technique, at least at the Body Tempering eighth level."

Wang Meng looked at Zhao Wuji.

Zhao Wuji's forehead was sweating, and he forced himself to calm down. "This... this can't prove anything either! Maybe he conspired with Wanyan Lie and did it on purpose!"

"Enough."

Wang Meng stood up.

He walked to the center of the hall and looked at the three of them. "You each have your own story, and I can't judge. But one thing is certain—"

He paused. "Wanyan Lie is severely injured, and the barbarians are enraged. Scouts report that the Blood Wolf Tribe's army of 30,000 has marched out in full force. They will reach the city walls by noon tomorrow at the latest."

Everyone in the hall changed their expressions.

Thirty thousand barbarian soldiers!

Iron Wall City's garrison numbered only 8,000, and with reinforcements from various routes, the total was barely 12,000.

The disparity in numbers was huge.

"General," Chen Feng cupped his fists, "the priority now is to defend the city. Whether Li Xuan is a traitor can be investigated after the battle!"

"No," Zhao Wuji said urgently, "if we keep him in the city, what if he colludes with the enemy from the inside..."

"Then lock him up," Wang Meng interrupted. "Li Xuan, Chen Feng, Zhao Wuji, the three of you will be temporarily detained in the military camp and are not allowed to go out. Once the city defenses are stable, you will be interrogated."

"General!" Chen Feng wanted to argue further.

Wang Meng raised his hand. "There's no need to say more. Take them away."

The guards stepped forward.

Li Xuan did not resist.

He glanced at Zhao Wuji, his gaze like he was looking at a dead man.

Zhao Wuji shivered.

The military camp prison.

It was called a prison, but it was actually just a few single cells separated by wooden bars. Dry grass was spread on the ground, and a chamber pot was placed in the corner, emitting a foul odor.

Li Xuan and Chen Feng were locked up together, while Zhao Wuji was in a separate cell.

Outside the bars, four guards stood with their swords drawn, their eyes vigilant.

"Damn it," Chen Feng punched the wall. "That dog Zhao Wuji!"

Li Xuan sat cross-legged on the dry grass, his eyes closed, regulating his breathing.

"You're still in the mood to practice your skills?" Chen Feng glared.

"If I don't practice, am I supposed to wait for death?" Li Xuan opened his eyes. "The barbarians will arrive tomorrow, and Iron Wall City won't be able to hold."

"Then why are you..."

"That's why I need to recover as quickly as possible," Li Xuan said. "Wang Meng isn't stupid; he knows Zhao Wuji is lying. But he doesn't dare to take the risk—if I really have a problem and he lets me out, I'll be a scourge. That's why he locked us up."

He paused. "When the barbarians attack and the city is on the verge of falling, he won't have time to worry about us. That's when... that will be our chance."

Chen Feng was stunned. "What chance?"

"A chance to kill Zhao Wuji," Li Xuan's voice was icy. "And... a chance to earn merit."

He closed his eyes again, circulating his vital energy and blood.

Inside his body, there were still remaining potential points.

[Potential: 3.7 → 1.2]

He had just added 2.5 to his physique, leaving 1.2.

He added it all to his Strength.

[Strength: 3.0 → 4.2]

A warm current surged through him.

His broken bones healed faster, and his meridians were nourished and recovered.

Although he was still far from his peak condition, at least... he had the strength to fight.

Late at night.

Footsteps were heard outside the prison.

It wasn't the guards' routine patrol; it was the footsteps of two people—one light, one heavy.

Li Xuan opened his eyes.

Outside the bars, Wang Meng stood there, accompanied by a personal guard.

"Open the door," Wang Meng said.

The guard opened the prison door.

Wang Meng walked in, his gaze falling on Li Xuan. "You survived Wanyan Lie and even severely injured him. Your strength is not weak."

Li Xuan stood up. "General, you flatter me."

"I'm not praising you," Wang Meng stared at him. "I'm wondering, who exactly are you."

"Disciple of the Black Stone City Iron Fist martial arts school, Li Xuan."

"From a refugee background, reaching Body Tempering fifth layer in one month, with combat power comparable to the sixth layer." Wang Meng shook his head. "This is not normal."

Li Xuan remained silent.

He knew what Wang Meng suspected.

"General," Chen Feng interjected, "If Li Xuan were truly a spy, Wanyan Lie wouldn't have been heavily injured at Wolf Fang Pass last night. He could have easily cooperated with the barbarians, attacking from both inside and out to take Iron Wall City."

"I know," Wang Meng said, "That's why I'm here."

He took out a letter from his embrace and handed it to Li Xuan.

The letter was from the Headmaster.

"Headmaster Lin wrote in his letter that although your origins are unknown, your character is resilient and you are not an evil person," Wang Meng said. "He asked me to give you a chance."

"What chance?"

"Defend the city tomorrow," Wang Meng said. "For the barbarians' first wave of attack, you will lead a charge out of the city. Kill a hundred enemies, or kill one barbarian general, and I will believe in your innocence."

Chen Feng's expression changed drastically. "General! Li Xuan is still heavily injured and hasn't recovered. Charging out of the city is certain death!"

"Then he will die," Wang Meng's voice was cold. "If you are innocent, you will die a hero's death. If you are a spy, you will die as you deserve."

He looked at Li Xuan. "Do you dare?"

Li Xuan took the letter, read it, and burned it.

"I dare."

Just one word.

Wang Meng stared at him for three seconds, then nodded. "Good. Gather at the North Gate at Chen Shi tomorrow. I'll give you fifty men, all death warriors from the army. If you survive, I will personally request a commendation for you."

After speaking, he turned and left.

The gate was locked again.

"Are you crazy?" Chen Feng grabbed Li Xuan's shoulder. "In your current state, charging out is suicide!"

"Not going is also death," Li Xuan said. "Wang Meng won't allow a suspect to remain in the city. Charging out is a way for him to save face, and for me too."

He paused. "Besides... I need military merit."

"Military merit?"

"Killing barbarians earns potential points," Li Xuan said in a low voice. "The more I kill, the faster I recover. This is my only chance."

Chen Feng was stunned.

He didn't understand what "potential points" were, but he understood Li Xuan's meaning.

"I'll go with you."

"No," Li Xuan shook his head. "You need to stay in the city. If I die... you must live and tell Headmaster Lin about Zhao Wuji."

Chen Feng gritted his teeth, and finally nodded.

The next day, at Chen Shi.

Outside the North Gate, the atmosphere was as cold as iron.

Fifty death warriors were already lined up. They wore tattered leather armor, wielded worn swords, and their faces held no fear, only numbness. These were all old soldiers who had lost everything on the battlefield, living one day at a time.

Li Xuan stood at the front of the line, holding a newly issued standard saber. This saber was just ordinary iron, but it was better than nothing.

He wore leather armor stripped from barbarian corpses, the bloodstains not yet washed off, emitting a foul odor. The wound on his left shoulder was tightly bound with cloth strips, but it still hurt when he moved.

On the city wall, Wang Meng stood there, looking down.

Zhao Wuji was also there, standing beside Wang Meng, a cold smile on his lips.

"Li Xuan," Wang Meng said. "Do you see?"

He pointed to the north.

On the horizon, a dense barbarian army surged forward like a tide. Banners stood like a forest, and the glint of blades was like snow. At the very front were three hundred wolf riders—the barbarian elite, each riding a sturdy snow wolf with glowing green eyes and bared fangs.

"Your mission is to break the wolf rider vanguard," Wang Meng said. "You don't need to fight to the death, just disrupt their formation. I will order the archers and crossbowmen to provide cover."

"Understood," Li Xuan cupped his fists.

He mounted his horse.

The fifty death warriors followed him onto their horses.

"Open the city gate!"

The heavy city gate slowly creaked open.

Outside the gate, thirty thousand barbarian soldiers.

Inside the gate, fifty death warriors.

"Kill--!"

Li Xuan charged out at the forefront.

Fifty death warriors followed closely, silent as iron.

On the city wall, Zhao Wuji sneered, "Seeking death."

Wang Meng said nothing, merely tightening his grip on his sword hilt.

Three hundred paces.

Two hundred paces.

One hundred paces!

Howl~

The barbarian wolf riders discovered the small squad and let out excited howls.

Three hundred wolf riders turned their direction and charged like arrows!

Snow wolves galloped, the ground trembling.

Li Xuan's eyes were ice-cold.

He raised his battle saber.

"Scatter! Wedge formation!"

The fifty death warriors quickly changed formation, with Li Xuan as the arrowhead, charging forward in a wedge.

The distance between the two sides rapidly closed.

Fifty paces!

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

At the request of many readers, we are now offering a VIP member ad-free feature.

Click to view.

"Release arrows!" Wang Meng's roar came from the city wall.

Swish swish swish!

A rain of arrows poured down from the city wall, shooting towards the wolf riders from behind.

But the wolf riders were too fast; the arrow rain only took down a dozen riders.

Thirty paces!

Li Xuan could already see the ferocious expressions on the faces of the barbarians at the very front.

It was a one-eyed barbarian, wielding a scimitar, his wolf-like eyes bloodshot.

Body Forging Layer Six.

"Die!"

The one-eyed barbarian slashed down with his scimitar!

Li Xuan neither dodged nor blocked, raising his battle saber!

The two sabers clashed.

Li Xuan's tiger mouth split, and his battle saber almost flew out of his hand.

But he didn't retreat.

Shadow Step erupted instantly, and he leaped from his horse, circling around to the one-eyed barbarian's flank like a phantom.

His battle saber slashed horizontally!

A head flew off!

Blood splattered!

He landed, rolled, dodged the lunge of another wolf rider, and stabbed his saber into the wolf's abdomen with a backhand strike.

The snow wolf cried out and fell.

The barbarian who fell from it hadn't gotten up yet when Li Xuan severed his neck with a saber strike.

He continued to kill!

Li Xuan was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep; wherever his battle saber passed, broken limbs and severed arms flew.

The fifty death warriors also went into a killing frenzy.

They were all veterans, experienced and coordinated.

In groups of three, they covered each other, specifically attacking the wolf riders' weak points.

But the difference in numbers was too great.

Fifty against three hundred, and cavalry against cavalry at that.

Soon, the death warriors began to suffer casualties.

A veteran was struck on the shoulder by a scimitar, his upper body cleaved open, but before he died, he tightly grabbed the barbarian's leg, creating an opportunity for his comrade.

Another veteran had his throat bitten by a snow wolf, but the saber in his hand also plunged into the barbarian's heart.

Mutual destruction.

Brutal.

Li Xuan sustained three more wounds.

His left leg was slashed open by a wolf's claw, deep enough to the bone. His back took a blade, shattering his leather armor. His right arm was grazed by a scimitar, leaving a bloody groove.

But he kept killing.

Every person he killed, his potential points increased by one.

Every time he was injured, his potential points were used for repairs.

[Stamina: 8.7 → 9.5]

[Strength: 4.2 → 5.8]

The more he fought, the stronger he became!

The barbarians finally noticed something was wrong.

How was this Southern general getting stronger and stronger as they fought?

"Surround him!" a barbarian chieftain roared.

Twenty wolf riders simultaneously converged on Li Xuan.

Li Xuan's eyes sharpened.

He couldn't fight them head-on.

He turned his horse and charged towards the flank.

But the barbarians pursued relentlessly.

Just as he was about to be surrounded—

A horn blast suddenly echoed from the city walls.

It was the charge horn!

The north gate opened again.

This time, five hundred cavalry poured out!

The elite defenders of Iron Wall City, led by Chen Feng!

"Li Xuan! Hold on!" Chen Feng roared from his horse.

Li Xuan's spirit surged.

He swung his saber again, cutting down another barbarian.

The cavalry of both sides collided.

A melee erupted.

Li Xuan's pressure greatly reduced, and he began to specifically target the barbarian chieftains.

One at Body Tempering level five, potential +0.15.

One at Body Tempering level six, potential +0.3.

Kill! Kill! Kill!

An unknown amount of time passed.

The barbarian horn sounded, an order to retreat.

The wolf riders began to withdraw.

Li Xuan wanted to pursue, but Chen Feng held him back.

"That's enough! Back to the city!"

Five hundred cavalry covered the remaining death warriors as they retreated into the city.

The city gates closed.

Li Xuan slid off his horse and collapsed onto the ground.

Covered in blood, it was impossible to tell if it was his own or the enemy's.

But he smiled.

On his status panel, his potential points had risen to 8.6.

In this battle, he had killed at least thirty barbarian warriors.

He had profited immensely.

"Li Xuan!"

Wang Meng descended from the city walls and strode before him, his eyes complex.

"How many enemies did you slay?"

"I didn't count," Li Xuan panted. "The wolf rider vanguard... should be broken."

Wang Meng looked outside the city.

Three hundred wolf riders, less than a hundred escaped back. The ground was littered with corpses, most of them belonging to barbarians.

"Good!" Wang Meng heavily patted Li Xuan's shoulder. "For this battle, you are the chief contributor!"

He paused. "I will investigate Zhao Wuji's matter thoroughly. If he truly dared to collude with the enemy... I will personally execute him!"

Li Xuan nodded.

He looked towards the city wall.

Zhao Wuji had already disappeared.

Had he run?

Or...

Li Xuan's eyes were cold.

No matter where he ran, he would die.

General's Mansion, side courtyard.

Zhao Wuji hastily packed his belongings.

He hadn't expected Li Xuan to return alive, and even make such a great contribution.

This was bad.

Wang Meng was already suspicious. If he stayed any longer, he would surely die.

"Young Master Zhao, leaving in such a hurry?"

A voice came from the doorway.

Zhao Wuji stiffened.

He turned around.

Li Xuan stood there, leaning against the doorframe, still dripping blood, but his eyes were clear.

"You... How did you get in?" Zhao Wuji drew his sword.

"I walked in," Li Xuan said. "I knocked out the guards."

"What do you want?" Zhao Wuji retreated. "This is the General's Mansion!"

"To kill you," Li Xuan spat out two words.

"You dare! General Wang won't let you go!"

"General Wang is currently investigating evidence of your collusion with the enemy," Li Xuan slowly walked into the room. "By the time he finishes, you'll die even more miserably. It's better if I kill you now and say you fled in fear of punishment and were intercepted by me."

Zhao Wuji's face turned pale.

He knew Li Xuan was right.

"Li Xuan... Junior Brother Li!" he forced a smile. "We are fellow disciples, why must you be so ruthless? I... I can give you money! Gold! My father has a lot of money!"

"Money?" Li Xuan smiled. "What do I need money for?"

"Then what do you want? Cultivation Methods? Pills? My father can get them all!"

"I want you dead."

Li Xuan moved.

Shadow Step erupted, instantly closing the distance.

Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth and thrust his sword.

He knew it was a fight to the death today.

The two swords clashed.

Zhao Wuji retreated three steps, his arm numb.

He was at the sixth level of Body Tempering, so he shouldn't be this weak.

But Li Xuan now... his combat power was already close to the seventh level!

"Die!"

Li Xuan attacked again.

His battle saber was like a storm, forcing Zhao Wuji into a purely defensive stance.

Ten moves.

Twenty moves.

The thirtieth move—

Pfft!

The battle saber pierced Zhao Wuji's chest.

Zhao Wuji froze.

He looked down at the knife in his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You... you actually dared..."

"What's there to not dare?" Li Xuan pulled out his blade.

Blood sprayed out.

Zhao Wuji fell to the ground, twitched twice, and lay still.

Li Xuan squatted down and searched Zhao Wuji's person, finding a letter.

It was a secret letter from Elder Zhao to Wanyan Lie.

It detailed the information of the five people sent by the Iron Fist martial arts school, their travel route, and... a promise of internal cooperation within Iron Wall City.

The evidence was conclusive.

Li Xuan burned the letter.

Then, he carried Zhao Wuji's corpse and walked out of the room.

Outside the door, Wang Meng stood there.

He had been waiting for a while.

"General." Li Xuan threw the corpse onto the ground. "Zhao Wuji fled to avoid punishment, and I intercepted him."

Wang Meng glanced at the corpse, then at Li Xuan.

"Where's the secret letter?"

"Burned."

"Why?"

"Elder Zhao has a lot of influence in the martial arts school," Li Xuan said. "Keeping it would make things difficult for the Master. Burning it makes it seem like Zhao Wuji died in battle. It's better for the martial arts school and for you, General."

Wang Meng stared at him for a long time.

Finally, he nodded.

"You're smarter than I thought."

He turned. "Clean yourself up and come to the council hall. The main barbarian force has arrived, and the real tough fight... is just beginning."

Li Xuan watched Wang Meng's retreating back, then looked at the corpse on the ground.

He bent down and took a small cloth bag from Zhao Wuji's person.

Inside were five pills and a thin booklet.

The pills were Body Tempering Pills, mid-grade common.

The booklet...

A fragment of the Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique.

Li Xuan's pupils contracted.

Zhao Wuji had this?

He opened the booklet.

There were only three pages, detailing the first level of the bone forging technique's cultivation method.

But it was enough.

As long as he had a way, he could deduce the rest.