https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-122-Heavenly-Sky-Banner-8th-Update-/13450116/
Chapter 121: A Lone Rescue
Chapter 121: A Lone Rescue
At the end of Dragon Pass Road lies Cangya City.
Heavenly Gate Pass is located outside the city.
Cangya City is built against a sheer cliff, with its vast walls towering and sturdy, reaching into the clouds.
Inside, there are grand city towers, arrow towers, and bustling residential areas, filled with lively activity and prosperity. This place is also a trading hub between the Dayu Frontier and the Beilin Kingdom, with a constant flow of carriages and horses.
But that was eight hundred years ago.
Now.
All that remains is a small mound of earth.
The words "Cangya" are carved on this mound, marking the city.
A camp of military tents surrounds the mound, firmly entrenched with it at the center.
At the edges of the tents, several battle flags are planted.
These flags flutter in the biting cold wind, each bearing the ancient characters "Tianyuan."
This is the flag of the Li Family.
The Five Divine General Manors each have their own titles. For example, the Wang Family's Heavenly Radiance Divine General's Mansion, and the Li Family's Heavenly Origin Divine General's Mansion.
At this moment, the cold wind howls, and dust and sand swirl.
Behind the military tents, at the edge of the sheer cliff, lie various-sized graves, marked by crudely carved wooden memorial tablets, serving as tombstones and as markers for those buried within.
Grunt, grunt.
Nearby, a few soldiers with tattered armor are digging holes with shovels.
Before long, a few more soldiers carry a stretcher over. On the stretcher lies a hand, a severed leg, torn armor, and a dented helmet.
Once the hole is dug, they place these items inside and cover them with sand.
They then find a tree, cut a first-rank branch into a wooden tablet, and carve a few words with their fingers before planting it on the grave.
Some stretchers carry only a few fingers and a dropped boot.
These, too, are buried, with the wooden tablet inscribed with four words:
Li Family Soldiers.
The cold wind blows silently, sweeping over the military tents and whistling mournfully through the gaps between them.
Li Hongzhuang, dressed in bright red armor, stands expressionless before the graves.
Most of the wooden tablets here bear no names, for the battles against the Demons are too fierce, and it is a rare feat to preserve a complete body.
Once the new graves are all properly buried, she extends her hand, and a deputy commander hands her a flask of strong liquor.
With a flick of her finger, she kicks off the stopper and pours the liquor over the graves.
She then takes a swig herself, drinking to the fallen heroes.
Afterward, she doesn't linger, turning to leave.
She has been doing this for twenty years, and she has seen this scene for twenty years.
From a deputy commander to the current Commander.
Her Third Brother and Sixth Brother, whom she once helped to pour liquor, have both fallen.
Thus, despite being a woman, she chose to step forward.
To hold up the sky for the great Liangzhou!
Li Hongzhuang is the youngest daughter of Li Tianzong. She has nine brothers, each renowned and revered, with the most fearsome being Li Junye.
But he passed away over a decade ago.
At that time, she was stationed at this Border Pass and could not leave her post, unable to attend her Ninth Brother's funeral, who had grown up playing in the same courtyard. Her tears could only fall on this battlefield.
She still remembers when she was young, her father saying that he named her with the hope that she would find a good husband and lead a life of domestic bliss, abandoning her sword for books.
To avoid the hardships of battling Demons.
But from a young age, seeing the wounds on the soldiers who reported back to the courtyard and the empty memorial tablets in the Ancestral Hall, she knew she could not give up her sword.
So, she trained diligently, sought out great mentors, and learned secret techniques.
Then, she descended from the mountain and entered the world, wielding her three-foot-long sword to slay the millions of Demons beyond the pass.
She has been fighting here for twenty years!
Twenty years of wind and battle have turned her once smooth skin as rough as sandpaper.
Her once flowing black hair is now tied up in her helmet, stained with oil and the blood of Demons, dirty and with a faint stench.
This is something most women find intolerable, but she has grown accustomed to it.
Except for her face, which remains as beautiful and captivating as ever, unchanged.
But her eyes, once clear and gentle, have become cold and sharp like cold stars.
"Commander, we just took a count. We've slain 28 Demons, with seven fatalities and twelve injured."
Another deputy commander stepped forward to report to Li Hongzhuang.
Li Hongzhuang remained expressionless. She had witnessed the previous battle and had a rough estimate of the casualties. She said, "The family sent a letter, stating that reinforcements will arrive soon. Once the reinforcements arrive, we will be rotated out."
"Have you managed to locate where the reinforcements are now?"
The deputy commander shook his head slightly, about to speak, when suddenly, a horn sounded from outside the military tent.
Both of their faces changed, and they quickly moved, flying out and soaring into the sky.
They saw several small dots approaching from the direction of Dragon Pass Road. As they drew closer, it became clear that it was a young couple and a white fox.
"How could there still be people coming from Dragon Pass Road?"
Both were taken aback and swiftly flew over.
They had been stationed at Heavenly Gate Pass for years. Although reinforcements had occasionally arrived, their numbers were few, and it seemed that the idea of abandoning Heavenly Gate Pass was becoming more prevalent.
Dragon Pass Road had long since fallen, occupied by the Monsters.
Even the reinforcements that did come had to detour around Dragon Pass Road, with some suffering heavy losses along the way.
"Is this a military camp?"
At that moment, Li Hao and Ren Qianqian walked up, both with puzzled expressions. They had expected to reach Cangya City, but instead, they saw military tents scattered everywhere, the ground riddled with cracks, and the remains of unattended Demon corpses, along with tattered military banners, indicating a brutal battlefield.
Just then, Li Hao heard the horn and saw two figures descending from the sky.
"Who are you?"
Li Hongzhuang looked at the young man before her, feeling that his face seemed familiar, and furrowed her brow in confusion.
Li Hao was about to speak but suddenly fell silent.
He had said he would no longer use the Li surname. How should he introduce himself?
His eyes showed a moment of confusion, but he quickly found a solution. "I go by Ji, you can call me Ji Hao. I'm here to replace you as the reinforcements."
"Ji Hao?"
Neither Li Hongzhuang nor the deputy commander had heard of this name, but they felt a surge of hope at Li Hao's words and looked in the distance behind him.
"Where are the others?"
Both were puzzled, as there was no one else behind Li Hao.
"I'm it", Li Hao said.
They were taken aback, their excitement immediately fading. They looked at Li Hao, "Just you?"
"Not just me."
Li Hao continued, "This is my Sword Attendant, and this is my companion. We are three."
As for Old Feng, he was already hidden nearby, serving as Li Hao's support for coming to Heavenly Gate Pass. However, he couldn't introduce Old Feng to these people. Old Feng's identity was despised and shunned by the world, making it a sensitive matter. He only had a private relationship with Second Uncle and Li Hao, and no one else knew about it.
"..."
Hearing Li Hao's words, Li Hongzhuang and the deputy commander were stunned, their weathered faces showing a mix of surprise and disbelief.
Looking around, they found no other presence.
Just this young man?
Reinforcements?
Li Hongzhuang was both shocked and angry. "Are you joking?"
After waiting and hoping for so long, they had only received a teenager. Her anger flared.
Li Hao shook his head, speaking earnestly, "No, I'm not. I am indeed here to replace you. I will guard this place for the next three years, until I die."
"Based on your abilities, how do you plan to hold out for three years?"
Li Hongzhuang was so angry she almost laughed. Guarding a lonely city by oneself? Even she wouldn't dare say such a thing!
"Has Seventh Brother gone mad!"
Li Hongzhuang ignored Li Hao and turned to the deputy commander. "Send a message back immediately. Ask what Li Tiangang means by this. Is he really planning to abandon us, or does he have another intention?"
The deputy commander nodded and was about to leave.
Suddenly, a figure flew over and landed before them.
It was an elderly man in battle armor, with gray hair and a calm, composed gaze.
He first glanced at Li Hao, then bowed to Li Hongzhuang, "Young Miss."
Li Hongzhuang sensed the same aura of the Three Immortalities from him and scrutinized him closely but couldn't recognize him.
The deputy commander, however, seemed to recognize him and exclaimed, "You're General Li He?"
"Li He?"
Li Hongzhuang thought for a moment and her face showed surprise. She remembered that when she was training at the Cultivation Grounds as a child, Li He had already gained a reputation outside.
This was from the previous generation of the Li Family, the same generation as Second Uncle.
But he was a descendant of the Secondary Lineage.
Li He was one of the outstanding figures among the Secondary Lineage descendants of that generation.
"Miss Hongzhuang, may I speak with you for a moment?" Li He said.
Li Hongzhuang felt a bit puzzled but still followed him, flying to one side.
Li Hao and the deputy commander remained where they were.
Li Hao was not surprised by the sudden appearance of the old man. Although this was the first time they had met face to face, the old man had been following them from Qingzhou all the way here for five days.
According to Master Fengzi, this was most likely someone Li Tiangang had sent to secretly protect him.
Li Hao felt nothing about it.
Most of the monsters on the journey had been dealt with by Old Feng and himself. Once his injuries healed, he wouldn't need Old Feng's help to handle any monsters below the Immortal Realm.
At the moment, while the old man was having a private conversation with the aunt, Li Hao asked the deputy commander:
"Isn't the end of Dragon Pass Road Cangya City? How much longer do we have to go?"
The deputy commander replied in a deep voice, "You're standing in Cangya City right now."
"Huh?"
Li Hao was taken aback, looking at him in surprise.
He then looked around, but there was no sign of a city.
"Centuries of warfare and frequent, fierce attacks by Demons have left Cangya City in ruins. It has suffered too many devastating blows and is no longer capable of repairing its walls or reconstructing its magical patterns. The entire city has been reduced to rubble."
The deputy commander continued, "Now, only that small hill over there can be considered the city, and it's also where we are stationed."
As he spoke, he pointed to a small mound nearby.
Li Hao looked over and was stunned.
The small mound was only a few meters high and could be flattened with a single push.
This was... Cangya City?
He knew the Border Pass war was brutal, but he hadn't expected it to be this severe.
An entire city had been flattened to the ground.
"So, you mean to say that you guard this place without any cover? You just stand and fight the Demons when they come?" Li Hao asked.
The deputy commander replied expressionlessly, "The only wall we have is our bodies."
"..."
Li Hao didn't say anything more.
Soon, Li Hongzhuang and Li He returned.
Li Hongzhuang looked at Li Hao with a complex expression and said, "You're actually Li Hao!"
Li Hao glanced at the old man, guessing that he had told the aunt everything.
"It's me. Now do you believe me? You can withdraw your troops."
Li Hongzhuang's eyes were filled with complexity and sorrow. "How could Seventh Brother be so heartless? It was just a small conflict, why did it escalate like this? What about Uncle Wu, Second Uncle, and Elder Sister-in-Law? Why don't they care?"
Li Hao shook his head slightly, not wanting to discuss it further.
"Li Hao, you're being too impulsive. You should go back. If you stay here, you'll die!" Li Hongzhuang said.
No wonder she had felt that this young man's face was familiar. Despite this being their first meeting, she didn't want to see her nephew make a foolish mistake.
"It's fine."
Li Hao smiled slightly. "Dying here would at least make me a martyr. Dying elsewhere would mean nothing."
"How can you be so stubborn? Your father wouldn't really kill you", Li Hongzhuang said, her face filled with sorrow.
Li Hao shook his head. "Auntie, it's getting late. You should withdraw your troops as soon as possible. I heard these soldiers have been stationed here for many years. They should go back to see their families."
Hearing this, the deputy commander beside him trembled slightly, his weathered face showing a hint of moisture.
Li Hongzhuang fell silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Others can leave, but I won't."
She looked up at the small mound behind her, though it could no longer be called a city.
But this was where Third Brother and Sixth Brother had fought and died.
She wanted to fight until her last breath here.
"The heroic spirits of the soldiers here still need someone to keep them company."
Li Hongzhuang's eyes were sharp and determined. She said slowly, "I had planned to stay and fight with the reinforcements when they arrived. But since it's just you, Auntie will stay and fight with you. We'll kill as many Demons as we can!"
"This is the land of the Dayu Dynasty and a place the Li Family has guarded for many years."
"Unless ordered by the emperor, we will not give up even an inch!"
Her eyes shone with a fierce light, and her figure, though that of a woman, stood as strong as a great wall.
(End of Chapter)
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