The Shengshan Border Army (Part Two)

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Xinyao came out.

Xu Yuan looked up and saw that her slender figure was wrapped in a light blue dress, and her expression had returned to normal.

Just like before, whenever she was sad, she would only be sad in secret, carefully keeping her emotions to herself so as not to affect others.

Looking at her, whose expression remained unchanged, Xu Yuan said softly:

"Are you alright?"

Xu Xinyao said in a low voice:

"Okay, it's alright now."

Xu Yuan slowly stood up, took half a step to the side, and introduced the two women:

"This is Ran Qingmo, and this is my younger sister, Xu Xinyao."

"."

Ran Qingmo's clear eyes looked at Xu Xinyao. Their gazes met for a fleeting moment in the air. A flicker of emotion crossed Xu Xinyao's eyes as she whispered to Xu Yuan:

"Third Brother, is this your sister-in-law?"

This was her judgment based on her Third Brother's past lifestyle.

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes:

"You can just call her Ran Qingmo."

Xu Xinyao hesitated slightly, then bowed to Ran Qingmo:

"Sister Qingmo".

"She's younger than you, only seventeen." Xu Yuan interrupted Ran Qingmo before she could speak.

Xu Xinyao glanced at her Third Brother with gentle, tender eyes and whispered:

"They're all the same."

Xu Yuan paused for a moment, then grinned:

"Whatever you want."

Ran Qingmo looked around the room for two, and finally slowly got up:

"Hello, thank you for saving Shengshan County."

She had just heard Xu Yuan say that if she hadn't happened to run into Xu Xinyao, Shengshan County would have been doomed.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xinyao's expression faltered slightly. She subconsciously looked away and whispered:

"This matter started because of me. If it weren't for my formation, it wouldn't have escalated to this point."

Ran Qingmo tilted her head and said in a clear voice, tinged with doubt:

"But isn't the murderer from the Wanxiang Sect?"

"..." Xu Xinyao blinked her beautiful eyes as she looked at her.

Ran Qingmo's eyes were free of any impurities:

"I heard from city people that you were..."

"Ran Qingmo".

Xu Yuan interrupted at this moment, "It is true that she misjudged people, and this whole thing was caused by her."

Ran Qingmo glanced at Xu Yuan and said softly:

"But."

Xu Yuan emphasized:

"Ran Qingmo".

Ran Qingmo remained silent.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan casually said:

"Let's go to Shengshan County and see for ourselves the good deeds you've done."

Xu Xinyao's expression was complicated, but she nodded slightly.

"Um"

Since the distance wasn't far, Xu Yuan didn't use the Saint's Remnant Soul to lift him up again while traveling, but he did witness the abilities of this Fourth Sister.

Her boots were engraved with an extremely magical array pattern that allowed her to reach the speed of Grandmaster for a short time, while the array pattern on her clothes protected her from the damage caused by acceleration. Her reaction speed also seemed to be enhanced by some kind of array pattern, and she still had the energy to communicate with him telepathically while traveling.

No wonder the Fourth Sister in Cangyuan is so powerful in combat.

The distance of several miles was quickly covered, and they landed in front of the illusory mist array, which seemed like an insurmountable Illusion Mist Array. Xu Xinyao took out a light blue token from the Sumeru Ring on her fingertip, and after casting a few Method Formula, the Illusion Mist Array in front of her surged and opened up a semi-circular passage about ten feet wide to both sides.

As you enter, the mist surges on both sides, and you can even faintly hear the roars of Demon Beast within.

Although the fate of Shengshan County being slaughtered had been changed by manipulating the Illusion Mist Array, the array was ultimately just a trapping formation and could not effectively kill the Demon Beast within it; the Demon Beast trapped inside the array still existed.

After walking across the uneven dirt surface, the three of them emerged from the narrow, misty path.

Xu Yuan stared blankly at the scene before him and said:

"It seems the crisis here can only be resolved once reinforcements arrive from the surrounding areas."

As soon as he finished speaking, following Xu Yuan's gaze, all that came into view was ruins and corpses scattered all over the ground.

The area around the city walls of Shengshan County had been cleared into an open space, where countless Demon Beast corpses lay scattered, interspersed with a few torn human limbs, the uniforms of the Shengshan Border Army still faintly visible on their bodies.

But these are just minor details.

As the three looked ahead from the continuous mass of Demon Beast and border soldiers on the ground, at the edge of their vision, there was a wall of flesh and blood. The wall was made up of Demon Beast and the shattered corpses of border soldiers, and they could even see the arms of some border soldiers who had struggled desperately before they died but eventually let their arms fall limply.

That place was the edge of the City Protection Array of Shengshan County.

Countless piles of flesh and blood formed a mountain, stretching as far as the eye could see, even higher than the city walls of Shengshan County!

Xu Yuan did not use the saint's soul power to fly over, but instead moved forward step by step.

The three of them remained silent as they climbed step by step up the high wall built of blood and flesh, which allowed them to see the scene Shengshan County.

A large section of the city wall had collapsed, and the remaining sections were riddled with holes. The array patterns on some parts of the wall were still functioning, but their light had dimmed, and the walls were on the verge of collapse.

But deeper inside lies a living hell.

The number of human corpses inside the collapsed city walls suddenly surged, with severed limbs and broken arms almost everywhere. Countless corpses were torn in half by the ferocious maws of Demon Beast. These scenes spread along the broken streets into the city, and the once prosperous Flourishing Mountain Border City was now covered in blood.

As dawn broke, on a deathly silent street, a few surviving soldiers of the Shengshan Border Army, along with some martial arts groups and merchants, searched the streets for any possible survivors.

At this moment,

Xu Yuan truly understood the meaning of "rivers of blood".

Beneath my feet lay soft, raw flesh.

Xu Yuan clenched his fist slightly, glanced sideways at his sworn sister in the light blue dress beside him, and asked:

"How does it feel?"

Xu Xinyao clenched her fists, her breathing becoming labored.

"I... I just wanted to save them."

His feet were covered in thick, sticky blood plasma. The bloody scene and the stench constantly assaulted Xu Yuan's senses. Xu Yuan muttered in a low voice:

"Good intentions gone wrong are still bad deeds."

"Um"

Xu Xinyao pressed hard on the two wounds on the back of her hand, the excruciating pain barely keeping her conscious. "I... I understand."

Xu Yuan stepped down towards the foot of the mountain of flesh and said in a low voice:

"Little Four, the array formations you've learned, and your status as the Fourth Miss of the Prime Minister's Estate, mean that your every move affects the lives of many. Think more about the consequences of your actions. I've already informed Father about this matter, and he'll handle things with the Wanxiang Sect, but you won't be so lucky next time."

Xu Xinyao followed Xu Yuan in silence. After a long while, he said softly:

"Father, are you planning to attack the Wanxiang Sect? Do you have any evidence?"

Xu Yuan asked indifferently, "What, do you have evidence?"

Xu Xinyao shook her head. "No, they only provided me with the resources and silver to set up the array. They don't know anything else, and they can't even be traced back to the control point of the array."

Xu Yuan shook his head and whispered:

"I previously captured someone from the Wanxiang Sect who knew about this, and I've already handed them over to the Black Scale Guard at Huanglong Market. Once we get the information from the interrogation and find substantial evidence, Father will take action."

"Thank you," Xu Xinyao said, her voice filled with guilt.

Xu Yuan glanced at her:

"If you truly feel guilty, then listen carefully to what I said earlier."

A strange glint flashed in Xu Xinyao's lowered eyes.

The three of them stepped onto the crumbling city wall. Xu Yuan stood there, looking into the distance, trembling for a long time, when a dark shadow quickly swept towards them from inside the city.

He circulated his Cultivation Method into his eyes and finally saw that the person who had come was none other than Colonel Wang he had not seen for several days.

Landing in front of the three people,

Colonel Wang and Xu Yuan exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, Wang knelt down before him, clasping his hands in a salute.

"On behalf of the people of Shengshan County, I thank Young Master Zhou for his great kindness."

"."

The air was silent for a moment.

Xu Yuan slowly stepped forward and helped the other person up.

Compared to when he left, the middle-aged man with graying temples now looked extremely haggard, a bright red wound almost piercing through his waist and abdomen, and his eyes were filled with deep weariness.

The deaths and injuries of his comrades over the past few days, along with his own physical wounds, had left this burly man physically and mentally exhausted.

With a sigh, Xu Yuan said in a low voice:

"Colonel Wang, I only did what I wanted to do."

Colonel Wang looked at the young man before him, his weary eyes swirling with emotion:

"Young Master Zhou, this may not mean much to you, but without you, Shengshan County might not even exist today."

Xu Yuan shook his head and changed the subject, saying in a low voice:

"Tell me, why did it turn out like this in just three days?"

Colonel Wang remained silent, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he said through gritted teeth:

"The Wanxiang Sect has deployed assassins within the caravans in the city; they used small Source Crystal bombs to destroy several key positions."

Xu Yuan frowned, looked around and saw several charred marks on the inner wall of the city, then sighed:

"The Wanxiang Sect did indeed have a backup plan."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan patted Colonel Wang on the shoulder and whispered:

"Reinforcements from the surrounding counties should arrive within ten days. They will then deal with the remaining Demon Beast within the formation. You should all get some rest."

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan glanced sideways at Xu Xinyao:

"Miss Xu, hand over the token controlling the formation to Colonel Wang."

Upon hearing this, Colonel Wang paused slightly, then turned to look at Xu Xinyao. A complex mix of emotions flashed in his eyes the instant he saw her.

There was anger, but also gratitude.

Finally, the burly man bowed his head and saluted Xu Xinyao.

"Miss Xin Yao."

Xu Xinyao stepped forward slowly and handed over the token:

"Colonel Wang, I'm sorry."

Colonel Wang lowered his head, took the item, and said in a low voice:

"Miss Xin Yao, you've been used too. But before entering the city, you'd better cover your face like Miss Ying'er did."

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan interjected with great interest:

"Oh? Because the people of the city are very grateful to her?"

Colonel Wang was taken aback, glanced at Young Master Zhou beside him, but honestly said in a deep voice:

"No, Young Master Zhou, you are unaware of the situation. The city now considers Miss Xin Yao an accomplice of the Wanxiang Sect. The shrine has been demolished. Our border troops have tried their best to dissuade them, but the people's riots are a minor issue. The key problem lies with the merchants and martial artists within the chivalrous groups. The Shengshan Border Army are already powerless to maintain order. Given the public outrage, Miss Xin Yao could be in danger if she goes in like this."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan rubbed his temples, understanding the general idea.

People like to create gods, but they also like to drag them down from their pedestals, especially when their own lives are threatened and they need an outlet for their emotions.

He glanced at her sideways:

"Looks like all your efforts have been in vain?"

Those who strive to save people become the objects of resentment among those they save.

She was silent for a moment, then forced a smile:

"Young Master Zhou, this is Xin Yao deserves."

Xu Yuan looked at the smile on her face, shook his head, and then whispered to Colonel Wang:

"Colonel Wang, may I borrow the communication Source Crystal within the city?"

Colonel Wang hesitated slightly and said in a low voice:

"Young Master Zhou, the formation has failed."

Xu Yuan raised his finger and pointed to Xu Xinyao beside him:

"Look, isn't there a formation master here?"

Colonel Wang did not hesitate:

"If needed, Young Master Zhou may use it at will."

Xu Yuan smiled slightly, "Then let's go."

After saying that, Xu Yuan jumped off the city wall. Colonel Wang glanced back at Xu Xinyao, opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. He then followed Xu Yuan and jumped off the city wall.

Xu Xinyao was about to take a step to follow when she suddenly felt someone tug at the corner of her clothes.

Ran Qingmo silently took out a brand-new Veil Hat Sumeru Ring, pulled her close, and gently asked:

"Um... you don't want it?"

Xu Xinyao looked at the Veil Hat and bit her lip:

"I will."

"She wants it." Xu Yuan's voice came from below the city wall. "Ran Qingmo, please put it on for her."

As they ventured deeper into the inner city, the number of living people on the streets gradually increased, but the stench of blood remained undiminished. Countless wounded lay laid flat on both sides of the street, and healers bustled about among them, their painful groans and cacophony of angry curses filling the air.

Most of those maintaining order were traveling merchants and warriors, because the Shengshan Border Army had been almost wiped out while defending the city.

The well-dressed Xu Yuan and his two companions attracted a lot of attention, but most people, overwhelmed by grief over the loss of their loved ones and death, merely glanced at them indifferently before looking away.

Xu Yuan withdrew his gaze and asked in a low voice:

Have you kept statistics on the number of injured people?

"Half" refers to those who are half dead, not those who are injured.

Given the current medical conditions in Shengshan County, these injured people will most likely die from their illnesses.

Colonel Wang walked at the front and replied in a low voice:

"We can't keep track of the numbers, there are too many. The city walls on the south and west sides have been breached. Even if we reach an agreement with those merchant caravans and knightly groups, we simply can't fight our way through. If Young Master Zhou had arrived even half a day later, Flourishing Mountain might already be a dead city."

Without saying another word, he walked all the way to the County Office. When he passed the Drill Ground, Xu Yuan's almost numb thoughts paused again.

On the vast Drill Ground, countless corpses lay scattered about. The white sheets covering the bodies had all been used up, and colorful cloths stretched out in patches, many of which were scattered beneath them, with blood blooming crimson on the cloths like spider lilies.

Xu Yuan asked in a low voice:

"Colonel Wang, how many men are left in your Shengshan Border Army?"

Colonel Wang paused, glanced around the Drill Ground, and managed a forced smile.

"Four hundred and thirty-seven."

An hour later,

Inside the silent stone house, as the array patterns lit up with energy, a huge spherical crystal floated up from the ground.

Standing in front of the Source Crystal Xu Xinyao turned around and whispered:

"Third Brother, the Communication Crystal is repaired."

Xu Yuan didn't speak, but stepped forward, raised his hand and gently stroked the surface of the Source Crystal, his Will Soul and Source Qi surging into it at the same time.

Seeing this, Xu Xinyao fell silent for a moment, preparing to quietly retreat out of the stone house, when Xu Yuan's voice suddenly came:

"I'm going to talk to my father. You stay here."

Thank you to the guild leader I summoned who clenched their fist in an attack gesture to donate. I now owe three single chapters and four two-part chapters.