Chapter 117: Demon Beast Siege

Propelled by his Zhenqi and Flying Sword, Mu Yuan soared over a hundred miles before halting. Looking down, he found himself above a bustling, crowded city. Spotting an empty street below, he descended. The female cultivator beside him trembled with fear and uncertainty. Mu Yuan sighed inwardly. Such a fragile temperament isn’t suited for the path of cultivation, he thought. Practitioners of the Dao valued composure, remaining unshaken by honor or disgrace, facing sudden calamity or upheaval without flinching. This woman was far too easily disturbed.

“Senior Sister, there’s no need for such grief,” Mu Yuan said gently. “That Senior Brother achieved what he sought; we need not grieve excessively.”

Sniffing back tears, the woman managed a thank you. “We owe our escape to you, Junior Brother. May I ask under which Elder Uncle’s tutelage you trained?”

Mu Yuan avoided the question with a faint smile. “I escaped with Senior Sisters Meng Shuirou and Yue Ranzhu. We were separated by pursuing demon beasts after leaving the Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Southern Wildlands. Lost and pondering my next move, I unexpectedly encountered fellow sect members!”

“Oh,” the woman murmured, her eyes seeming unfocused. “And your name, Junior Brother?”

After a moment’s thought, Mu Yuan replied, “Senior Sister may call me Mu Yuan. Might I know your esteemed name?”

“I am Shangguan Shuiqing, a disciple under Elder Kong Lingdao. The brother who fell just now was Senior Brother Liu Chao, also under Elder Kong. We, too, were pursued by demon birds. Their king, an exceptionally powerful multicolored peacock, wielded strange five-colored demon light and a Flying Sword that came and went without a trace. Senior Brother Liu was gravely injured by its blade. We struggled to escape the mountains, only to be immediately ambushed by disciples of the Demonic Sect just outside… and Senior Brother he…” Her voice choked, tears threatening once more.

Mu Yuan felt quite disapproving inwardly, but outwardly maintained courtesy. “What are your plans now, Senior Sister Shangguan?”

“I… I don’t know,” she admitted. “But since I’ve encountered you, Junior Brother, I shall follow your lead.”

As they spoke, they wandered unknowingly into the busy heart of the city. Mu Yuan intended to find a teahouse to rest when a squad of soldiers rushed past in panicked haste. Pedestrians hastily made way. A middle-aged officer leading them bellowed, “Demon beasts invade! Return to your homes immediately! Avoid stray arrows!”

Mu Yuan was surprised. This was the territory of the Tianlong Kingdom. While Tianlong lay primarily north of the Tiandu Kingdom, a narrow strip of its land extended between Tiandu and Tianyu, barely bordering the vast southern demon beast territory. Yet, even this sliver was now under attack.

Troubled by this, Mu Yuan grabbed the arm of a man hurrying home. “Honored Brother, are demon beasts truly attacking here too?”

The man gave Mu Yuan a quick once-over. “Young man, you must be from elsewhere! It’s not just here! Tiandu, Tianyu… all the surrounding kingdoms face demon beast sieges! These beasts rage like mad. Some possess demonic powers. Fearsome opponents! The officials have been recruiting cultivators just to fight them. Even the capital has sent magicians to reinforce us against the beasts!” Looking concerned, he advised, “My advice? Find a place to hide or, if you can, flee north immediately for safety! Ah, if it weren’t for my family roots being here, I would’ve left long ago.”

Mu Yuan smiled slightly. “Thank you for the warning. We’ll leave shortly.”

As the man hurried off, Mu Yuan glanced skyward. True enough, distant dark flocks of birds swarmed, like thick storm clouds blotting the horizon. Their shapes were indistinct. The inheritor of the Eternal Art is who knows where, he considered, no brilliant plan comes to mind right now. Turning to Shangguan Shuiqing, he proposed, “Senior Sister, perhaps we should visit the city defenses? These demon beasts destroyed our Clear Water Palace. If we can help the officials fight them here, it would serve as both vengeance and a meritorious deed.”

Shangguan Shuiqing offered no objection, so they headed for the city walls. Along the way, they passed many soldiers converging toward the gates, grim-faced and heavily armed with swords, spears, pikes, and shields, ready for battle.

Reaching the broad ramparts atop the outer walls, a man dressed as the defense commander barked at them as they ascended the watchtower steps, “You there! Halt! This is a battle zone! Danger everywhere! What are you young folk doing here? Get yourselves away while you can, lest you lose your lives and regret it!”

Mu Yuan smiled warmly. He recognized the brusque command as concern, not rudeness. “Commander, please don’t be angry. We were raised since childhood in a Taoist Temple and possess some knowledge of mystic arts. Hearing of the demon beasts’ rampage, we wished to offer our humble services if possible.”

The commander’s stern expression instantly softened into relief. “Ah! Magicians! Forgive my roughness! Please, come up! The sheer numbers of beasts are bad enough, but many spew smoke and flames, control water, or freeze the air with ice! What times are these, where even beasts run wild and defy the law!”

As the commander continued his agitated chatter, Shangguan Shuiqing seemed visibly annoyed. Noticing her displeasure, Mu Yuan addressed the commander again, “Commander, we won’t trouble you further. Attend to your troops. If you need our aid, give the word.”

“Good! Excellent!” The commander pointed eagerly. “Head over there! The esteemed masters assisting us are gathered there.”

Following his gesture, they saw figures seated on the watchtower battlements: several monks, Taoist priests, and a nun. Strong winds whipped their robes, lending an air of profound detachment. Besides them, others in secular clothing – men and women – stood watchful. Mu Yuan and Shangguan Shuiqing moved towards the group. A few glanced briefly in their direction but remained silent, their focus fixed intently on the approaching horde beyond the walls.

Standing atop the high watchtower offered a commanding view: a vast, open plain stretching to infinity. Mu Yuan finally understood the meaning of “Boundless Beasts”. A black tide of creatures seemed to merge with the distant horizon. It rolled forward like thunderous storm clouds, like a raging floodwave. Even from miles away, the ground trembled beneath the watchtower. The drumming impact of countless hooves and paws striking the earth boomed like incessant thunderclaps, powerful as spring storms.

As the tide surged closer and closer, the sound filled Mu Yuan’s ears – no, his entire being: the BOOM-BOOM-BOOM was like a relentless bombardment of exploding celestial thunder, as if the sky was falling and the earth splitting apart. All other sound vanished. His own heartbeat seemed to seize and then fall in sync with that monstrous, relentless rhythm. Awe completely enveloped him.

Scanning the defenses, he saw layers upon layers of soldiers packed tightly on the battlements. They clutched powerful crossbows, arrows nocked, bows bent. Swords hung at waists; pikes and spears rested at angles. The entire wall-top bristled with weaponry: stacks of assorted-sized stones, barrels of gunpowder, racks of repeating crossbows, cannons, pots of burning pitch…

Mu Yuan was no stranger to battlefields, yet this sight was different. Calmly, he took out his Flying Sword. Clear light gathered upon his palm, shaping into talismanic script characters which began flowing onto the blade, repairing subtle fractures in the energy-woven Talisman Sword.

“FIRE!”

When the monstrous tide finally surged into crossbow range, a faint, fierce shout seemed to pierce the thunderous din. The commander’s flag swept downward violently. His battle-cry likely reached only a fraction of the crowd amidst the overwhelming noise, but the descent of the flag was command enough. Instantly, arrows erupted skyward in a hissing, deadly shroud like torrential rain.