Chapter Eighteen: Abandoning the City

  Has the first layer been activated? Leng Xiao's face revealed a look of surprise as he stared at the copper-colored light emanating from his body. Fortunately, this radiance only lasted for three breaths before it was completely absorbed into Leng Xiao's body.

  It's so hot! Leng Xiangyao felt a surge of heat spreading throughout his body, and sweat kept breaking out on the surface of his skin. In an instant, Leng Xiangyao's clothes were soaked through, and a layer of black grime appeared on the surface of his skin, emitting a foul odor.

  Half an hour later, Leng Xiao's body had returned to normal. At this moment, Leng Xiao felt that he had endless energy throughout his body. What was going on? Leng Xiao looked at the layer of filth covering his skin and was filled with confusion. Could it be that these were all toxins discharged from his own body?

  Leng Xiangyao rushed towards the well, wanting to fetch a few buckets of water to wash off the pungent filth on his body first. But as soon as he took a step forward, he felt his body become light and airy, and with just one stride, he had already covered three zhang in distance. He was startled, wondering when he had developed such great elasticity? Was this the surprise and power brought by the first layer of the Hunyuan Pearl?

  At this thought, Leng Xiao Yao didn't care about much anymore. After all, the battle was still going on outside. He casually splashed a few buckets of cold water and rushed down, washing away the dirt on his skin. Without even thinking, Leng Xiao Yao grasped the Broken Sword and sprinted towards the outer battlefield, as fast as lightning, but only he himself knew that.

  After Leng Xiangyou had fled, an old man in black clothes appeared at the place where Leng Xiangyou was just now. This old man was Fu Bo, who came to protect Leng Xiangyou before his own death.

  "It's strange, the young master hasn't learned any martial arts, so why do I feel a huge power inside his body? And what was that power that just appeared outside the young master's body? It doesn't seem like martial arts or magic... could there be another kind of power existing on this Maya continent?" Fu Bo's eyes were filled with confusion, looking puzzled and unable to figure it out.

  "How could this be?" Leng Xiangyao rushed to the battlefield of Tiger Gate City Wall, only to see that all the people and horses inside the city wall were surrounded by beastmen, while his own side's people and horses were being defeated by the beastman troops.

  He glanced at the situation on the field, and his eyes fell on his companions in the tent. He swung his short sword and rushed over to where Xing Ziyue was standing, asking, "Captain, how did it become like this?"

  "Xiaoyao, where did you go just now? We were worried that you had run off somewhere. Fortunately, nothing happened." Xiaoyao's current state was not much better, although he was a mid-level swordsman. The beastmen's bear-like physique gave them an innate advantage, equivalent to that of a high-ranking warrior. Their relentless attacks would exhaust even a great swordsman, let alone someone of Xiaoyao's level.

  "I just got a bit injured, applied some medicine at the back, how did the enemy suddenly increase in number?" Coldly said with a hint of concern.

  When the self-taught heard the words of Leng Xiang, his face revealed a look of anger and said: "The Beast Country is really despicable. This time, they actually mobilized 2.5 million troops, taking advantage of our unpreparedness, and suddenly launched a surprise attack at night, shattering the city gate. The bear people's unit and the cow-headed people's unit are now at the forefront, and the enemy behind them is constantly attacking us. Our troops have already suffered heavy losses."

  "Pass on my order, have the city residents evacuate immediately, heavy cavalry will lead the way, light cavalry and vanguard will cover the rear, quickly." Shi Hu's voice rang out on the battlefield, seemingly wanting to open the Tiger Gate.

  "Xiao Yao, let's go." As he walked, Zixuan saw that the vanguard troops were gathering and called out to Xiao Yao beside him.

  "Is it just going to be abandoned like this?" A hint of unwillingness flashed in Leng Xiao's eyes.

  Xing Zixue, who had been in the army for a long time, naturally saw through Leng Xiao's thoughts and said: "Leng Xiao, don't think too much. As long as we leave the green hills intact, we won't have to worry about running out of firewood. If we don't retreat, once we're all defeated, the beastman troops will inevitably slaughter all the poor civilians in Tiger Gate. General, your actions are meant to protect the poor people living in Tiger Gate, do you understand? Let's go quickly."

  His face revealed a reluctant expression, he glanced at the high city wall of Humen, turned his head and followed the main force to retreat, protecting the poor people's withdrawal mission.

  "Oh, oh, oh, oh!" The beastman troops saw the human troops retreat and let out a victorious roar.

  "Dog Head Unit, Wolf Man Unit, Tiger Man Unit, pursue and attack." This time, the commander of the Beastman Units, Batoru, gave the order to pursue.

  "Kill!" The beastman troops were high-spirited, and every single one of them seemed to have forgotten the previous difficult battle. At this moment, they completely forgot the cruel scene just now, and had been dazed by victory.

  "Damn it, these beastmen are getting more and more outrageous, they even dare to pursue us, it seems like they want to wipe us out completely." Xing Zi Xue said while killing the pursuing soldiers, speaking to Leng Xiao Yao.

  Leng Xiao Yao's face was icy cold, his previous life's undefeated record had become a failure in this life. It was a blow to Leng Xiao Yao, but at this moment he had also come to realize that there is no eternal victory or defeat in the world, only who laughs last.

  "It's still uncertain who will win or lose, but I'll be back sooner or later." Leng Xiao said coldly, while exerting his strength to slaughter the enemies chasing after him.

  Shi Hu gazed at the dense pursuing troops behind him, his face growing even more somber. He instructed the team leaders of each camp beside him: "At this rate, we'll be caught up by the enemy sooner or later. I hereby declare that the heavy cavalry will abandon their heavy armor and gear up lightly to retreat with the refugees to the Tiger Stone Mountain Valley, where we'll block the enemy's advance. The light cavalry will hold them off for now, while the vanguard prepares to cover our rear."

  "General, the vanguard battalion has no horses. If you arrange it this way, won't the brothers of the vanguard battalion have no way to retreat? General, let us leave some light cavalry as a rearguard!" The commander of the light cavalry, Yan Menggui, asked for instructions on the spot.

  "It won't work. Without the light cavalry leading the way for the poor, our vanguard camp can't take people on the road at all. Let's have our vanguard camp cut off the rear instead." Wang Shu immediately retorted.

  Yan Menggui's face turned red with anger when he heard Wang Shu say this, and he bellowed: "Wang Shu, do you know that you are joking with the lives of soldiers? Have you ever thought about the families of these soldiers?"

  "Damn it, Old Yan! I appreciate your kindness, but does that mean only the soldiers of our Vanguard Regiment have families with elderly and children, while you Light Cavalrymen don't? Have you thought about what will happen to those poor people at Humen?" Wang Shu glared at Yan Menggui.

  "Alright, stop arguing, it's settled then. The Vanguard Regiment has training in mountain warfare, and as soon as we break through, we'll be successful." Shi Hu said this with a glint in his eye, looking at Wang Shu: "You just need to hold out for one day, and you can bring your troops into the Tiger Stone Mountain. With your training, you should be able to move around in the mountains, and then hurry to meet up with us at Tiger Valley."

  "Yes, General." Wang Shu said with a serious expression, saluting him.

  "Remember, just one day, I don't care how many casualties the vanguard camp has, you must hold on for one day, do you understand?" Shi Hu shouted loudly, but his eyes were red and moist. As a commander of an army, how could he not know what the outcome would be when using 8,000 men to block 80,000? One day was already an overestimation; it wouldn't take half a day, and this army might become history. However, Shi Hu had no choice but to give this order. Without the vanguard camp to delay for time, his own side's casualties would be even more severe, not to mention the tens of thousands of poor civilians at Tiger Gate who would also perish.

  Wang Shu's eyes reddened as he saluted General Shi Hu, saying: "General, please be at ease. The Vanguard Camp will fight to the last soldier and never retreat."

  Shi Hu gazed at Wang Shu in front of him for a long time, then patted Wang Shu's shoulder heavily and said, "Take care."

  "Come back alive." Shi Hu passed by Wang Shu's side and whispered a sentence in his ear.

  Wang Shu heard Shi Hu's words and his whole body trembled, with a more determined look in his eyes.

  "Old Wang, take care of yourself, remember, you must come back. You still owe me a few rounds of drinks that haven't been repaid yet. If you dare to die, I'll dig up your grave and pull you out even if it's after you're buried. I'll help hold down the fort for an hour first, hurry up and arrange personnel." Yan Menggui also left a sentence from his heart as he passed by Wang Shu's side.

  Wang Shu Mu saw off Shi Hu and others, and silently said in his heart: "Brothers, thank you for your concern."

  "Damn it, when did I become so sentimental?" Wang Shu self-mocked.

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