Chapter 234: The Reinforcements Have Arrived
“Let’s do it your way; we’ll create a distraction in the east while they strike from the west!”
Li Tietou and Zhu Sanming were gazing at Yumen Pass, shrouded in the chaos of battle, when they heard Luxianbei say this. They were momentarily stunned and exchanged looks of surprise.
It sounded like a good proposal, and it would attract the attention of the Shaman Queen’s Army to the front. They indeed had a way to sneak into the city smoothly…
Having grown up on this land and served as scouts in the Longxiang Army for three years, they were more familiar with the terrain around Yumen Pass than their own backyard.
They knew exactly where to navigate, which paths led to dead ends, where secret passages were hidden, and even how many dog holes were available for entry along the surrounding city walls.
However, this proposal only sounded good.
How could she alone attract the attention of tens of thousands of enemy troops?
Even if she could, how would she ensure her safe retreat?
Or did… they already prepare for d*ath?
At this thought, both men suddenly felt a tightening in their chests, as if something soft yet sharp had sliced through, their gaze trembling slightly.
“Miss Shen, you all…”
“Hey!” Luxianbei interrupted, waving her hand. “That old fool from Longxiang sent you two to escort these tokens back to Yumen Pass, which means you should be familiar with the terrain around there. Just head toward Yumen Pass; as for us…”
“Didn’t I already tell you? Once we promised to escort you back to Yumen Pass, we would never go back on our word.”
At this point, Luxianbei paused and nudged Shen Baiwei with her shoulder, giving her a playful wink. “Right, cutie?”
But still… didn’t we also promise that if things went awry, we would leave these two behind and save ourselves? Shen Baiwei thought with annoyance, turning her face away and rolling her eyes.
Li Tietou and Zhu Sanming stood tall, gazing intently at Shen Baiwei and Luxianbei, their mouths open but momentarily lost for words.
After hearing Luxianbei’s words, they were more certain than ever that the two Shen girls were likely prepared to risk their lives to buy them time to infiltrate the city.
There was no doubt about it!
During their three years in the Longxiang Army, they had witnessed their fair share of partings and deaths. Their predecessors, now buried in the sands, had also made similar seemingly casual remarks and tones before heading to battle, hinting at their final farewells, just like the two Shen girls now.
At this thought, the anger that had accumulated due to the “Big Shen Girl’s” eccentric behavior dissipated, replaced by deep respect.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Seeing the two still hesitating, Luxianbei waved her hand again, urging, “What are you standing around for? Go do what you have to do!”
As she spoke, she gazed into the distance, not once looking at Li Tietou and Zhu Sanming. The breeze tousled her silvery hair, sweeping across her profile.
Her exquisite face remained cold and composed, as if indifferent to life and d*ath.
Seeing this, the hesitant looks in their eyes gradually turned resolute. They cupped their fists toward Luxianbei and deeply bowed, then hefted two iron boxes, donned the black cloaks prepared for them by the Longxiang Army, turned, and briskly headed toward Yumen Pass.
Li Tietou thought, “…I really misjudged the two Shen girls; they are truly heroines!”
Zhu Sanming thought, “Don’t worry, Miss Shen! I, Zhu Sanming, won’t forget you; not only will I remember, but I’ll also set up a memorial for you so that future generations will remember you and pay homage!”
They vaguely recalled their commander in the Longxiang Army saying upon their entry, “What is a hero? Knowing full well they may not return, yet for the sake of righteousness, fearless in the face of d*ath, that is true heroism!”
And at the moment they turned to rush toward Yumen Pass, they felt that the two Shen girls were indeed the kind of heroes their commander had spoken of…
—————
Watching Li Tietou and Zhu Sanming disappear beyond a dirt mound over a hundred meters away, Luxianbei stood up, stretched, then turned to Shen Baiwei and said, “Alright, cutie, it’s time for us to move too!”
Shen Baiwei looked up at Luxianbei, furrowed her brows, hesitated for a moment, and said, “I won’t! If you want to go d*e, go by yourself; don’t drag me into this; your suicidal actions are completely meaningless!”
It’s true, even if it’s to attract attention, there are better ways to do it; just give me a few minutes to prepare… Shen Baiwei thought silently, but her thoughts were interrupted by Luxianbei’s actions.
Luxianbei tilted her head and observed Shen Baiwei for a few seconds before she leaned down, cupped her chin with one hand, and brought her face close, positioning it just a palm’s length from her own. Their eyes locked subtly, a brief silence hanging in the air.
In the silence, she pressed her lips together, making her red lips glisten with a slight moisture.
Meeting those golden eyes that hid a hint of scarlet, Shen Baiwei felt unexpectedly shy in the first instant, warmth flooding her cheeks, but a split second later, her senses returned, and she promptly closed her eyes and pushed Luxianbei away with force.
“Get away! You actually want to charm me into dying? You calamity, you have no heart!”
She yelled while swinging her arms like windmills to prevent Luxianbei from getting close again.
“I think you might have misunderstood…” Luxianbei replied flatly, standing upright, “How could I bear to let my cute one go d*e? Not only do I not plan to let you d*e, but I also don’t plan to d*e myself.”
What nonsense!
Although affected by the chaos of the witch’s essence, I might seem a bit insane, but I’m not foolish enough to seek d*ath.
Even if the whole world were to go d*e, I’d still find a scapegoat for myself, Luxianbei thought.
“Then what were you doing just now?!” Shen Baiwei questioned, still with her eyes shut.
“Just now?” Luxianbei answered without hesitation, “I just suddenly found you beautiful and wanted to observe you up close for a while.”
She knew it was strange to say this. She merely wanted to soothe Shen Baiwei’s emotions, but it came out sounding like an invitation to take her to bed and arrange her in eighteen different poses. Yet she couldn’t help herself.
It felt as if hundreds of versions of Water Brother were crawling over her, and she opened her mouth to say all sorts of odd things.
Maybe it was just the witch’s instincts!
Shen Baiwei, “???”
What the hell? You’re not right! Didn’t you just say earlier, looking at me is worse than looking in a mirror?
As Shen Baiwei was lost in thought, the roar of engines filled her ears. Following that, before she could even ponder what had happened, a second engine’s roar blasted nearby.
Then came the third, fourth, fifth…
Until the countless roar of truck engines converged into a deafening roar, Shen Baiwei began to sense something was off and finally couldn’t resist the risk of being charmed, opening her eyes.
Upon opening her eyes, she adjusted her glasses and, when she saw the scene before her, her eyes widened, and her mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Luxianbei had inexplicably changed into a magnificent azure gown, arms crossed over her chest, chin lifted slightly, gazing into the distance toward Yumen Pass, her silver hair blowing in the strong wind.
Behind her, nearly thirty trucks lined up on a relatively flat dirt mound, their engines roared, like restless beasts, seemingly ready to charge down the long slope toward the battlefield below.
The scene was honestly quite spectacular, yet also subtly bizarre…
It was akin to some grand summoning ritual of a brave hero from another world.
“Cute one, do you think it would be interesting if these trucks charged toward the Shaman Queen’s Army?”
She had purposely parked the trucks here. Since she heard the sounds of battle from Yumen Pass, she had been scouting for advantageous terrain.
This place had excellent geography!
Shen Baiwei stared blankly at the trucks Luxianbei had summoned, only coming back to her senses after a long pause. “Are you seriously planning to just crash these trucks into them?”
“I know, I know!” Luxianbei waved her hand dismissively at Shen Baiwei. “It is indeed a bit lacking, but it can’t be helped! Summoning twenty-seven trucks is the limit of my abilities right now.”
This was supposed to be the Paper Cicada Immortal’s job.
But being in this space-time, Luxianbei couldn’t summon enough Paper Cicada Immortals in a short amount of time, so she could only utilize Zhang Yu’s powers to summon these trucks, stuffing a dog into one of them just to make do.
It was her inadequate familiarity with Zhang Yu’s powers and lack of experience driving vehicles, among other factors, that limited her performance. Otherwise, what the Shaman Queen’s Army would face would not merely be a charge of twenty-seven trucks.
Shen Baiwei twitched her mouth indignantly and scolded, “b*stard! I was asking you why there are so few trucks!”
“What I meant to say is, do you realize the impact using modern industrial products like trucks to attack the Shaman Queen’s Army could have on the past?”
Is this a plan to mow down the Shaman Queen’s Army?
No, this is a plan to obliterate Shen Baiwei!
Though the trucks had yet to charge forward, just the deafening roar of the engines had already started giving her the phantom pain of being crushed under dozens of wildly racing trucks, and…
Shen Baiwei’s gaze slightly shifted, crossing over Luxianbei’s figure.
Where there should have only been a desolate dirt mound shrouded in the night sky, rolling with wind and sand, she beheld a twisted, sinister serpent coiled there.
Countless “Shen Baiwei” composed the serpent’s body, their hollow eyes staring intently at her, mouths that were pale, decayed, or reduced to mere bones opening and closing slowly and mechanically as they beckoned.
They made no sound, but Shen Baiwei understood their intent.
They were calling her, urging her to return to that cramped little room deep within the Tethys Laboratory, to lay down quietly with them, to become a part of them, to fall into a slumber, to lose herself, to rot and decay.
As Luxianbei and Shen Baiwei acted, they continuously impacted the past, and the small accumulations of change were driving the Snake of Time, eager for sustenance, to grow impatient.
Thus it ended its long wandering, drawing close to Shen Baiwei’s side, just waiting for her to succumb to the increasingly intense punishment of time, ready to swallow her whole.
“Cute one, are you looking at that strange snake? Don’t be afraid; I’m here.” Luxianbei said without looking at Shen Baiwei, her expression calm.
Her tone was steady, yet exuded a resolute strength, as if what lingered there wasn’t a serpent possessing the power of time, but a wild dog that could be kicked away.
As Luxianbei finished speaking, the strange serpent seemed angered; it raised its massive head, opened its gaping maw, and its rib-like fangs rubbed against each other, producing a hum only Shen Baiwei and Luxianbei could hear.
The horrifying scene unfolded before her eyes, and Luxianbei instantly regretted having said that.
d*mn! Was that yet another “Water Brother-style” scoundrel remark?
Just saying “I’m here,” without guaranteeing any protection—if real danger arose, she might end up being swallowed along with her. Wasn’t that harmful?
Luxianbei thought nervously, but her face remained calm as if she didn’t care at all, grabbing Shen Baiwei’s hand and effortlessly pulling her behind herself before marching directly toward a nearby truck without a sideways glance.
This was exactly when she had to hold firm. If she showed any sign of weakness, the serpent would surely take advantage of it.
Meanwhile, Shen Baiwei, who was entirely unaware of Luxianbei’s thoughts, stared at her back, a dazed expression crossing her face.
She had long been devoid of the sense of safety that came from being protected by someone.
She could vaguely recall the last time she felt this way, many years ago, when her father would wait at the mouth of the unlit alleyway to pick her up after night study.
Back then, she hadn’t yet contracted Nightfall Syndrome…
But with each forced use of her time-reversal ability, the serpent known as Time had swallowed her repeatedly, and those memories seemed to have been affected, leaving only vague outlines in her mind.
Wait, that’s not right!
Flashes of memories surged through her mind, and Shen Baiwei suddenly realized something terrible, turning to Luxianbei with wide eyes.
She, the calamity, could actually see the Snake of Time?
How could this happen?!
Earlier, Luxianbei had told her that during their shared experiences in time reversal, she had seen some horrifying sights, which made Shen Baiwei understand why she had made that wish…
At first, she thought that even if calamity had truly glimpsed some sights, it wouldn’t be clear or coherent, and those words were merely a means to gain her trust; she only believed about twenty percent of it.
After all, how could there be that much empathy in the world? Unless… they had experienced it personally.
And calamity’s words and actions were enough evidence that she truly could see the Snake of Time, that she realized, even if slightly, the threat Shen Baiwei faced constantly from it.
But…
Could she really, would she really protect me? Shen Baiwei thought dazedly.
Just as she was lost in thought, Luxianbei lifted the hood of the truck in front of her, stuffing a pure white puppy, which she seemed to have somehow obtained, into the engine compartment of a nearby truck and with a “bang” closed it back down.
Thus, a makeshift nuclear bomb truck was completed!
Luxianbei patted the truck’s hood containing the white puppy, nodding in satisfaction. “This should be just about right, now… let the first limited event of the Flower City torments the King’s otherworldly journey with a success rate of 0.001551% commence!”
As her thought shifted, the headlights of twenty-seven trucks lit up synchronously, fifty-four beams of light converged, piercing the chaotic night, illuminating a substantial part of the battlefield ahead.
It was like daylight!
That was in the opposite direction from where Zhu Sanming and Li Tietou had departed.
“Woo——!”
Then, the horns of twenty-seven trucks blared simultaneously, a piercing sound resonating through the air.
Initially, these trucks had been obscured by the night, their engines drowned out by the sounds of battle.
In an instant, both the Shaman Queen’s Army and the Longxiang Army atop the walls felt panic and confusion rise within their hearts.
What terrifying monsters were these? Friend or foe? Everyone bore the same question in their minds, catching sight of the silver-haired girl driving those steel beasts.
————
Though Zhu Sanming and Li Tietou were exceptionally familiar with the terrain around Yumen Pass, managing to evade the enemies surrounding it to the greatest extent, the sheer number of foes was overwhelming. It was less than five minutes since they had parted ways with Luxianbei and Shen Baiwei when they encountered a ten-man squad from a certain tribe blocking their path.
They had some potential for spirit energy, and in their three years with the Longxiang Army, they not only learned martial skills but also accumulated a bit of spirit energy, which gave them extraordinary combat strength when combined, so they were not afraid of the ten-man squad.
This was likely one of the reasons the Longxiang Army had kept the two young men as messengers until the end.
“Thud——!”
With a muffled sound of splattering bl**d, the last enemy fell before a panting Li Tietou. He steadied his breath and stepped forward, drawing a dagger from the enemy’s corpse, slowly expelling a breath of foul air.
After a fierce battle, although he and Zhu Sanming had sustained minor injuries, they could continue without issue.
With his long kn*fe sheathed and a firm look shared with his companion, the two were about to advance when suddenly, a high-pitched, piercing cry filled their ears.
They recognized the sound well, having heard the similar roars of Big Shen’s steed before, but…
Why did it sound so chaotic and high-pitched? As if many terrifying monsters were simultaneously roaring.
Filled with confusion, they hurriedly climbed a nearby towering wind-eroded hill, swiftly crouching down, concealing their figures behind the massive rocks on the mound. They looked in the direction of the sound and witnessed a horrifying sight.
They saw about thirty iron beasts spitting smoke and dazzling white light, emitting piercing roars as they rushed toward the Shaman Queen’s Army’s formations, stirring up dust and causing the ground to tremble.
Five hundred meters, three hundred meters, one hundred meters…
As they observed those giants barreling forward, the tribal warriors below, in a state of panic, grasped their weapons and formed a hasty defense. However, the moment they made contact with those beasts, their defense line was instantly shredded to pieces.
Amidst the sudden screams, countless weapons and the arms that wielded them twisted and distorted.
Figures were hurled through the air by the massive bodies of the beasts, and some unfortunate souls were caught beneath their “iron hooves,” their flesh torn apart, bodies shattered, and hot bl**d sprayed everywhere.
In just two or three breaths, those beasts carved a series of vividly gruesome tracks through the Shaman Queen’s Army, with twisted, broken limbs, stark white bones, and squirming entrails scattered everywhere.
“Gulp——!”
Watching such a scene, Li Tietou swallowed hard.
In his three years of military service, he had seen bloodshed, even grimmer and more horrific scenes in villages ravaged by marauding tribes, yet… seeing such devastation wrought in the blink of an eye was simply unprecedented for him.
Could the commander do something like this? Surely, but he had never witnessed it personally…
It seemed his concerns for the two Shen girls had been somewhat unnecessary, Li Tietou thought.
However, beside him, Zhu Sanming’s thoughts took a different turn.
Great! With such power, the two Shen girls were certainly in no danger!
But…
Did they still need memorials? Hmm, perhaps a longevity tablet would be better! Zhu Sanming thought.
After a brief observation, noticing that Luxianbei and Shen Baiwei successfully captured the enemy’s attention and were in no mortal peril, Li Tietou and Zhu Sanming decided not to linger any longer. They left the wind-eroded hill and resumed their journey.
————
On the southern wall of Yumen Pass.
Thanks to the expansive view provided by the towering walls, Long Bang had early on noticed the monsters appearing on the frontline dirt mounds. However, he could never have imagined that those monsters, just moments after appearing, would gather a large number of similar creatures, as if about to embark on a hunt.
As those monsters unleashed a blinding light from their eyes and roared while dashing toward Yumen Pass, his heart, which had been suspended in mid-air, leapt to his throat.
The defenders were already in a precarious situation, and the Longxiang Army could be delayed in returning to Yumen Pass, even risking having the enemy breach the city. Suddenly, a frightening horde of indistinguishable monsters had emerged…
Could they really hold their ground?
Long Bang was deep in worry, the chorus of screams and wails mingled with the sickening sounds of bl**d and flesh being torn and the screech of twisting metal, all reverberating in his ears.
And the source of the screams and wails was the Shaman Queen’s Army below the walls…
Those monsters were attacking the Shaman Queen’s Army!
Could it be reinforcements?
Long Bang hurried to the edge of the wall and peered outside. Upon seeing the striking crimson trails below and the two girls riding the giants in the distance, following the herd of beasts and arriving late, excitement lit up his eyes, and he couldn’t help but shout out.
“It’s… it’s the Shen girls! The Shen girls are back! Hold strong, everyone, our reinforcements have arrived!”
Hearing his call, a faint glimmer ignited in the lifeless eyes of the soldiers…
