https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-123-Advanced-Cultivation-Techniques/13450117/
Chapter 122: Heavenly Sky Banner! (8th Update)
Chapter 122: Heavenly Sky Banner! (8th Update)
The news of the retreat spread, and the soldiers who had been resting and recuperating in their tents emerged in a daze.
When they heard the repeated announcements from the deputy generals, a glimmer of life gradually returned to their numb faces, followed by a chorus of mournful cries.
Many soldiers embraced each other and wept, while others ran to the graves of their fallen comrades, laughing and crying, then scooped up handfuls of yellow earth to hide in their armor, taking it back home.
"Report, Commander!"
"Of the Red Letter Camp's ten thousand Blood Fiend Army, 9,623 have returned!"
"Please give your orders!!"
A middle-aged deputy general from the Li Family’s Secondary Lineage stepped forward, his voice hoarse but firm.
His eyes were already moist.
Li Hongzhuang’s snow-moon-like face trembled slightly as she scanned the deputy general, then looked at the gaunt, pale faces behind him, each filled with tears and hope.
Finally, her gaze fell on the distant graves.
The remaining ninety thousand had long since found their eternal rest here.
Each one had been personally trained by her!
The vast expanse of graves extended far beyond ninety thousand, including those of Third Brother, Sixth Brother, and their respective camps, stretching endlessly.
Even the usually composed Li Hongzhuang felt her eyes well up with tears.
She suppressed her emotions, took a deep breath, and declared loudly, "I hereby announce that the Blood Fiend Army will set out today, to return home!!"
The words "return home" echoed in the ears of the 9,623 soldiers, and all of them were moved to tears.
"Blood Fiend Army, acknowledged!!"
The three deputy generals and all the soldiers roared in unison.
They spoke of the entire army, including the ninety thousand heroic souls buried here, whom they would also bring home.
Finally, they could embark on their journey back home...
Amidst the emotional and tearful farewells, a deputy general stepped forward, bowed to Li Hongzhuang, and asked, "Commander, what about our reinforcements?"
"Reinforcements..."
Li Hongzhuang glanced at Li Hao and said, "He is here to take over as your reinforcements."
The deputy general’s eyes widened as he looked at Li Hao.
To take over... from a mere child?
"Commander, this..."
"Stop asking questions. Go, and get home early. The road will be difficult to travel when it gets dark!" Li Hongzhuang’s face resumed its stern, cold expression.
The deputy general, seeing her demeanor, dared not say more. He nodded, gave Li Hao a second look, and memorized the young man’s appearance.
The other soldiers had also heard their conversation. After the initial excitement, they were all shocked. They were all retreating, and this place was being left to a child?
Many soldiers, seeing this, called out anxiously, demanding explanations, and some even insisted that they should stay.
But Li Hongzhuang remained cold and silent, and under the urging of the deputy generals, the soldiers were eventually persuaded to leave, gathering their armor and equipment before setting out for home.
Li Hao watched silently as the soldiers passed by him, their bodies exuding the scent of dust and the strong smell of blood.
Little White Fox crouched beside him, behaving obediently.
Ren Qianqian, holding her sword, stood quietly behind Li Hao. The young girl, seeing the soldiers’ scars, their tattered armor, and their bent blades, felt a deep emotional tremor, her eyes welling with tears.
"Commander, are you not leaving?"
Another deputy general looked at Li Hongzhuang, unable to hold back his question.
Li Hongzhuang shook her head slightly. "You go ahead. I will follow later. There’s no need to wait for me."
She knew that if she said she was staying, many of the soldiers would insist on staying with her, no matter how much she tried to persuade them.
After all, they had fought together for years, sharing life and death. How could they easily abandon each other?
Hearing this, the deputy general hesitated, then glanced at Li Hao, still puzzled as to why a young man who looked like a wealthy young master had been sent to reinforce and defend this desolate city.
But Li Hongzhuang gave no explanation, and they could only guess. Military orders were absolute, and they had to follow.
With the departure of over nine thousand people, the camp suddenly became quiet and empty.
Only Li Hongzhuang, Li Hao, and Ren Qianqian remained, along with a little fox.
Li He had disappeared, but he had privately told Li Hongzhuang that he would only act from the shadows, intervening only if Li Hao's life was in danger. Otherwise, he would not get involved in anything.
Li Hongzhuang didn't say much about it.
She had learned from Li He about Li Hao and Seventh Brother, but since she hadn't been truly involved, she didn't know the specifics.
Her focus was solely on defending this lonely city.
Apart from explaining Li Hao's situation, Li He had also conveyed a message to her.
Dayu was now engulfed in flames of war, with demons causing chaos everywhere. The Heavenly Gate Pass had already been temporarily abandoned by Emperor Yu. He planned to reclaim it once Dayu regained its strength.
Thus, even if this place were to fall, there would be no blame. Any punishment would be borne by Li Tiangang.
And with Li Tiangang's great contributions in Yanbei, the most he would face would be a few reprimands and a deduction in salary. The so-called punishment was merely for show, to set an example for other officials.
In other words, this place had already been abandoned.
No reinforcements would come!
Li He informed Li Hongzhuang that she could leave at any time, lest she lose her life here.
But leave?
Li Hongzhuang gazed at the countless mounds of earth, recalling the scenes of Third Brother and Sixth Brother drinking and fighting here, shedding blood and sweat. Every inch of this land was soaked with the blood of their soldiers!
Emperor Yu might abandon it, Seventh Brother might abandon it, but... she didn't want to abandon it!
Li Hongzhuang took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and walked into the camp.
Although the soldiers had left, not all the tents had been dismantled. They could be used as a decoy to make the demons think they still had a large number of troops.
"You can choose any tent. Conditions here are quite basic. Since the city was breached, there have been no civilians left. They were all relocated over ten years ago", Li Hongzhuang casually told Li Hao before walking straight into the camp.
Li Hao nodded, looked around, and then saw the uneven mounds of earth in the distance.
He led Ren Qianqian and the little white fox over, his gaze scanning the wooden plaques with names or unified titles carved on them.
The cold wind blew, making Li Hao feel a bone-chilling sensation.
"These... are all the heroes who died here?" Ren Qianqian's face was pale, and she covered her mouth, her voice trembling.
Seeing the countless mounds, the impact was indescribable. It wasn't just tens of thousands of graves; it was a staggering number.
The little white fox, usually jumping around, now sat quietly by Li Hao's feet, silently watching.
Li Hao fell into a brief silence.
He had come here to repay his debt of blood. Once three years were up, he would have repaid it.
But seeing the countless soldiers here, he suddenly felt that there was more to his visit than just repaying the debt.
During these three years, he seemed to have a greater purpose.
Unfortunately, his cultivation was still too weak.
At the Tianren Master Realm, he could establish a sect within the realm, but in this dangerous Border Pass, he could die at any moment and still needed Old Feng's protection.
If he reached the Three Immortalities Realm, he would have the strength to protect himself.
"My cultivation is still too slow..." Li Hao's eyes were deep and serious.
Although he had entered the Tianren Realm at fourteen, which was astonishing, it was still not enough for his current situation.
He needed to become stronger and advance faster!
Li Hao took a deep breath, left the graveyard, and walked into the camp.
He searched through the other tents but found nothing to eat or drink. As he walked, he saw Li Hongzhuang sitting on a small mound marked "Cangya City", polishing her sword.
"Senior Red Makeup."
Li Hao called out and walked over.
Li Hongzhuang raised an eyebrow and looked at the approaching young man, frowning. "You should call me Auntie."
“I am no longer a part of the Li Family,” Li Hao said.
Li Hongzhuang, recalling Li He’s words, her expression darkened. “Why has it come to this?”
Li Hao shook his head slightly, not wanting to elaborate. “It’s almost evening. Are you hungry? I’ll go find something to eat.”
“Night is approaching, and Demons are active. You’d better not leave on your own,” Li Hongzhuang said. She knew Li He would protect Li Hao from the shadows, but she still didn’t want him to take unnecessary risks.
Li Hao looked up, seeing the moon had risen, and the stars were gradually appearing.
He smiled, turned away from the small mound, and led Ren Qianqian and Little White Fox around the camp, wandering between the neatly arranged tents.
The tents were clean, but some broken armor and tattered, foul-smelling clothes were still left inside. Li Hao found a cook’s tent and rummaged through it, finding some salt jars.
He smiled, summoned his Divine Soul, and sent it to scout the surrounding area. Soon, he found a Monster in the wilderness near the camp.
He bent down, picked up a broken sword fragment, and flicked it like a skipping stone.
The fragment flew through the air, appearing thirty miles away, and with a thud, pierced the Monster’s head with pinpoint accuracy.
The Monster’s body trembled twice and then went limp.
Using his Object Control Power, Li Hao retrieved the Monster’s corpse.
It was a three-ton Monster, resembling a mix of a pig and a lion, with protruding tusks.
Li Hao took Ren Qianqian’s sword and used it like a butcher’s knife to cut open the Monster’s body, quickly removing the organs and slicing the meat into pieces.
“Qianqian, help me set up the fire.”
“Sure.”
Over the past few days, Ren Qianqian had grown accustomed to assisting Li Hao. She nodded and gathered some firewood, quickly starting the campfire.
By the time the fire was blazing, Li Hao had finished preparing the meat. He selected the best cuts, skewering them on sharpened sticks or broken spear shafts, and placed them over the fire to roast.
He seasoned the meat simply with salt and other seasonings, but the sizzling fat and the aroma that wafted from the roasting meat were still enticing.
While the meat was cooking, Li Hao went to one of the tents.
He examined the black and yellow striped tent, then packed it away. Using his sword, he cut it into several uniform pieces of fabric.
Next, he used the Monster’s fur to make a brush, dipped it in the Monster’s blood, and began painting on the fabric.
“What are you doing?”
Li Hongzhuang, drawn by the smell of the roasting meat, silently approached the campfire and asked Li Hao, who was busy with his task.
Li Hao looked up at her, smiled, and said, “Your Blood Fiend Army has left, and the war banners are gone. I’m making a new one.”
“My war banners haven’t been completely removed; some are still here,” Li Hongzhuang said.
Li Hao smiled. “Those are yours. This one is mine.”
“Hmm?”
Li Hongzhuang looked over.
By then, Li Hao had finished writing. He used his power to dry the blood on the fabric, then extended his Object Control Power to the nearby forest, cutting down several trees and bringing them over.
He quickly trimmed the trees into poles, wrapped one end with the excess fabric, and planted the other end in the ground.
Thus, a simple war banner was erected.
The fabric hung down, fluttering in the night breeze.
Two large characters, written in the Monster’s blood, swayed in the wind:
Hao Tian!
Li Hongzhuang was taken aback, staring at the banner for a moment before turning to look at Li Hao. “You’re actually at the Fifteenth Li Realm?”
Li Hao shook his head slightly.
“I am at the Tianren Realm,” he said honestly.
“?”
Li Hongzhuang’s pupils contracted, and she was momentarily stunned.
Tianren Realm?
Li He hadn’t mentioned Li Hao’s cultivation level, only the events that had transpired in the manor.
She had spent years at the Border Pass, isolated from the interior, always on guard against Monsters, and had little time to think about what was happening inside the realm.
(End of Chapter)
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