Chapter 155: The Rise of the City (Make-up Update 2125)
Chapter 155: The Rise of the City (Make-up Update 2125)
With the retreat of the Three Demon Kings, the Demon Tide beyond the Pass also crumbled, scattering in all directions. However, most of them were cut down by the chaotic blades and swords.
Many Grandmasters returned to the camp, paying their respects to Lu Chunsheng and Li Muxiu one after another, then gathered before Li Hao.
Most of them were covered in blood, with some severely injured, their arms broken, others with their legs torn apart and bandaged, and some with their eyes and half their faces mutilated, their wounds coated with medicinal powder.
If Lu Chunsheng hadn't arrived in time, they would have been annihilated.
"We won!"
Someone said, and the others' spirits lifted slightly.
Compared to them, the number of Demons who died here was even greater.
However, among the fallen were many valiant warriors from various states, who now rested in eternal peace.
Li Hao said nothing, only bowing deeply to them.
Although it was the Heavenly Mechanism Tower that guided and arranged their arrival, the sacrifices these people made were very real.
Lu Chunsheng didn't stay long, saying to Li Hao, "I'll be waiting for you at the Heavenly Mechanism Tower."
Then he turned and vanished.
In the distance, a group of warhorses galloped toward them, led by a figure in bright red armor—Li Red Makeup, who had returned from Qingzhou.
Seeing Li Hao's blood-soaked and torn appearance, she, who had seen countless soldiers die, felt her eyes moisten. She stepped forward and said, "I came too late!"
Li Hao shook his head slightly. "Thank you for the reinforcement."
"Don't thank me", Li Red Makeup said with red eyes.
Li Hao didn't respond, instead turning to Great Grandmaster Lin Qingfeng, who was uninjured, and said, "Please, sir, help me count the fallen heroes. If you can identify them, that would be even better."
Lin Qingfeng nodded and called a few others, then turned and left.
Li Red Makeup said, "I can handle this."
She turned and called out, "Brothers, go and count the fallen. Bring back all the bodies, and try to piece together any remains!"
"Yes!"
Her Blood Fiend Army responded in unison, then rode off.
Li Hao sat down on the ground, the Sacred Heart Amulet in his hand having burned away completely.
Thinking about how Eunuch Chu Jiuyue had given him this amulet, he suspected that Chu Jiuyue had foreseen today's events.
And when he used the Sacred Heart Amulet, Lu Chunsheng, the head of the tower, "happened" to appear. Everything seemed too coincidental.
Li Hao sat cross-legged on the sandy ground, his eyes gazing at the calm sunset, a bitter smile on his lips.
Regardless, the support from the other side had been real and timely. Without it, he would have either died or been severely injured today, and the agreement would have been broken.
If Emperor Yu was indeed the old man playing chess by the willow tree, Li Hao could only say that he had won the two games back then, but today's move had hit his vital point. The other side had played a ruthless hand!
...
...
Yuzhou, Imperial Capital.
In the majestic palace's rear garden, where the snow was thin, a flower bed was already showing new shoots. The harsh winter was drawing to a close, about to give way to spring.
"Your Majesty, the plum blossoms stand proud, and the forsythia will soon bloom", Eunuch Chu Jiuyue said softly, looking at the faint yellow buds in the flower bed.
The snow in the garden had been cleared, and this flower bed had been carefully tended. The seeds were carefully selected from thousands, ensuring the best varieties.
"Yes, the bitter cold is almost over, and the spring rains will be here soon..."
Emperor Yu strolled slowly through the garden. At the sound of Eunuch Chu Jiuyue's voice, he paused before a flower bed, glanced at it, and then looked up toward the distant horizon.
His eyes flickered, and he murmured softly,
"The matter at Heavenly Gate Pass should be coming to an end soon."
Eunuch Chu Jiuyue calculated the time and nodded, "In two days, the news of the Spring Awakening should arrive."
"This time, the intent is too obvious; the child will likely notice it."
A slight smile curved Emperor Yu's lips as he thought of the young man by the river, who had said, "Fame and fortune are but dust, and glory and wealth are like passing clouds."
The young man had dared to abandon the Li Family name, which seemed to fit his words: young men have their own wildness.
While he had let go of the pursuit of fame and power, he still harbored a wild heart, which Emperor Yu found very appealing.
"Didn't Your Majesty intend for him to know?"
Eunuch Chu Jiuyue played dumb. If he had directly flattered the emperor by saying that no one could see through his plans, it would have been too cliché and lowbrow. Besides, the emperor greatly appreciated the young man, and such words would have seemed like a slight, which was not a clever thing to say.
"If he sees through it, will he have other thoughts and blame Your Majesty?"
Eunuch Chu Jiuyue asked.
He knew that Emperor Yu wanted more than just flattery.
"Ha ha..."
Hearing Eunuch Chu Jiuyue's words, Emperor Yu chuckled, "As long as there is a plan, there is a path, and any path can be seen through."
"Among all the schemes in the world, nothing compares to genuine sincerity."
"Only a true heart is unseeable."
Eunuch Chu Jiuyue was slightly taken aback. He glanced at the emperor, wondering if the emperor was truly sincere about the young man.
His eyes flickered, unsure whether to believe it.
But since the emperor had said it, he could only believe it.
...
...
Liangzhou, Heavenly Gate Pass.
In the camp of Cangya City, one-third of the martial artists and grandmasters who had come to assist were now dead, and another third had bid Li Hao farewell and left.
The remaining few planned to stay and help Li Hao defend the First Rank for a while longer.
Everyone had seen Li Hao's severe injuries and was waiting for him to recover.
The cemetery within the pass had many new graves.
Among the fallen grandmasters were those whose wives and disciples had come to retrieve their bodies for proper burial.
Li Hao, of course, agreed to their requests.
On a hill beyond the pass.
Two figures sat there, the wind and snow absent, with only two small jars of wine between them. They were Li Muxiu and Feng Boping.
"Anything interesting catch lately?"
Feng Boping took a sip of wine, gazing at the snowy landscape, and asked casually.
Li Muxiu shook his head slightly, "No mood for fishing."
Feng Boping was taken aback, glancing at his old friend, and suddenly said, "Was your arrival for reinforcements really arranged by the True Dragon of your Li Family?"
Li Muxiu lowered his head, tracing the snow on the ground with his fingers, but remained silent.
Feng Boping, guessing the answer, sighed, "By saying that, do you mean to persuade Li Hao to return? Are you sure you want him to go back to that place? Even I, an outsider, can't bear to see it. I don't believe you really want him to go."
Li Muxiu's fingers stopped drawing circles in the snow. He lifted his head and turned to look at Feng Boping.
"If I don't say that, will Li Hao go back? You saw how dangerous it was for him this time. We almost died!"
Even if it means holding his nose to go back, at least it’s safe there. In the future, when Li Hao inherits the True Dragon, his power will surpass his father’s. Why should he have to endure the other party’s attitude then?
Feng Boping fell silent for a moment before saying, "What about the true intentions of the True Dragon? Since you’re not his envoy, he must know what Heavenly Gate Pass will face, right?"
Li Muxiu sighed, "He went to the eastern border of Liangzhou. The border garrison there was attacked, and Xuan Li couldn’t send reinforcements from the west in time. Moreover, the attack there is likely a feint by the Demons, so he personally led the troops into battle."
"Red Makeup returned just as he set out. These are troubled times, and the next few years are uncertain."
Feng Boping was surprised, "It’s that chaotic? With the Demons showing up outside Liangzhou, now that you’ve detected their movements, they shouldn’t launch a surprise attack or shift their base, right? There’s no need to keep an eye on this place."
"Besides, hasn’t the emperor sent reinforcements? This is a rare opportunity to lure and kill them."
Li Muxiu shook his head, "The emperor’s forces are stretched thin. It’s not just Liangzhou that has been attacked; several major provinces are in dire straits. You don’t know how close Qizhou came to losing its border defenses three months ago. Three cities were destroyed in a single night, with no survivors. That’s Xia Clan territory, and now they’re on high alert."
"Did you go to the Xia Clan because of this?"
Li Muxiu took a sip from the wine jug and didn’t say much. Discussing these military matters in detail with Feng Boping wouldn’t do his old friend any good.
Feng Boping also realized he had asked too much. Though they were close friends, some boundaries shouldn’t be crossed.
"Don’t worry about Li Hao. This old life of mine can still hold on for a few more years."
Feng Boping said to him.
Li Muxiu glanced at him and nodded, "It’s been tough for you, being tied up here for the past three years."
"Don’t give me that. If you really feel bad, let me take a look around the Li Family’s Ancestor Treasure Vault sometime." Feng Boping huffed.
Li Muxiu rolled his eyes, "Not a chance."
…
The people remaining at Heavenly Gate Pass looked at the small mound that was once Cangya City, and the vast graveyard that stretched endlessly like a city wall. They were all speechless with shock.
At this moment, they finally understood what a true border city was.
It was a city of blood and flesh, a city of Heroic Souls!
Many were moved and chose to stay, helping Li Hao rebuild Cangya City.
With the assistance of these martial artists, the project quickly got underway and progressed rapidly.
There’s strength in numbers, and their combined network of connections was vast. They could source the stone and wood needed for the city’s construction from outside the Pass, while other living supplies were transported from various cities.
Thus, on the Dragon Pass Road, which had been deserted for decades, the banners of merchant caravans began to appear.
And the numbers of the escort companies passed through.
This once-quiet highway was now bustling with people, becoming a true thoroughfare!
At the end of this road lay Cangya City.
Outside the small mound, a towering city wall had already risen. With the help of numerous Fifteenth Li Realm and Grandmaster martial artists, transporting large stones was effortless, and the city’s construction progressed at a divine speed.
Buildings sprang up from the ground, intricately carved with dragons and phoenixes, beautifully constructed.
On the city wall, a military banner unfurled in the wind.
On it were two large, dark characters:
Hao Tian!
(End of Chapter)
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