Chapter 224: The Army at the City’s Gates, Flowers Weeping in War

Time passed slowly. The first rays of dawn streamed in through the window, illuminating Ye Luo Baihua’s beautiful and pure face, making her appear even more radiant and enchanting in the golden light. Gazing at the sky outside, Ye Luo Baihua said to herself, “It’s already the third day. I wonder how he is. I hope everything is going well.”

At that moment, footsteps were heard in the hall. As the footsteps stopped, an aged yet concerned voice spoke, “Princess, haven’t you rested at all overnight?” The speaker was one of Ye Luo’s six elders, Ye Luo Jianmu.

Hearing the voice, Ye Luo Baihua slowly turned her head and looked at Ye Luo Jianmu. “Uncle Jian, haven’t you rested either?” she asked.

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded gently. His kind face now carried a hint of worry as he stepped closer to her. “It’s already the third day. The deadline set by Ye Luo Xiong has arrived. It’s time for us to make a decision. How can we possibly think about resting in such a critical situation?” His words were filled with deep sighs.

Ye Luo Baihua nodded. “Uncle Jian is right. It’s already the third day. It’s time for a result.”

Ye Luo Jianmu glanced at the white clouds floating outside and sighed. “Although Young Master Liu’s plan seems good, the Great Wasteland is indeed extremely dangerous. The beasts there are terrifying beyond imagination. It seems Young Master Liu still hasn’t returned—he must have encountered trouble.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Luo Baihua asked anxiously, “How could that be? Isn’t it a simple task? He just needs to lure the beasts back.”

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded. “It may seem simple, but we’ve overlooked one thing. The Great Wasteland Mountain is a secluded place from ancient times. Most of the animals there are fierce, brutal, and extremely powerful. Even if Young Master Liu can lure the beasts out, how could the inferior ‘Scorpion Birds’ escape the pursuit of ancient monsters? Although Young Master Liu is highly skilled, I think this task will be very troublesome. I hope he can return safely.”

Ye Luo Baihua looked at Ye Luo Jianmu, seemingly understanding what he meant, and continued, “Uncle Jian, did you already know about the dangers in that mountain? Did you also know that the ‘Scorpion Birds’ couldn’t help him escape the monsters? Then why… why did you still send him there?”

Seeing Ye Luo Baihua’s anxious expression, Ye Luo Jianmu shook his head helplessly. “Princess, calm down. Young Master Liu’s skills are the highest we’ve ever seen. Only he can handle this task. Besides, do we have any other choice? If he doesn’t go, we’ll lose our only hope of fighting back. If he goes, at least we still have a chance to prevent our people from suffering destruction and displacement.”

Ye Luo Baihua shook her head. “No, Uncle Jian. We clearly know how dangerous it is there, yet we still send him. Aren’t we being selfish?”

Ye Luo Jianmu looked at the Princess Baihua’s expression, shook his head, and said, “Princess, you’ve changed—you’ve become so sentimental. I know you’re very worried about him, but… you also need to think about our people, about Tearsless City, and about the future of the Ye Luo clan. Do you think I’d want to rely on an outsider to save our clan? But… there really is no other way now. I think the princess should understand Young Master Liu’s character. You owe him a favor, and even if he knows how dangerous this mission is, he will still go, won’t he?”
Ye Luo Baihua didn’t argue further, because she knew that although she hadn’t spent much time with Liu Yi, all those experiences and facts told her that Ye Luo Jianmu was right. Even if Liu Yi knew how dangerous it was, he would still go.
Turning to look at the rising sun and the white clouds floating in the deep blue sky, Ye Luo Baihua spoke as if to herself or seeking an answer from Ye Luo Jianmu, “Will he come back?”
Ye Luo Jianmu also sighed with deep concern, “Perhaps… he will.”
Just then, rapid footsteps were heard outside the hall. As the footsteps grew louder, a voice said, “Reporting to Elder Jian, Ye Luo Xiong sends his final warning to Tearsless City. If the city gates are not opened after noon, he will declare war.”
Ye Luo Jianmu nodded and said, “I understand. Go tell Elder Ming to reply to Ye Luo Xiong that we need some time to consider it.”
The guard nodded and turned to leave the hall…
Ye Luo Jianmu shook his head and said, “What’s meant to happen will happen. We can’t avoid it. All we can do now is do as Young Master Liu suggested—try to buy time until he returns… Perhaps only he can be our hope.”
Ye Luo Baihua nodded gently and said, “He will definitely come back. I just wonder how he is now.”
Meanwhile, when Liu Yi opened his eyes, the sun had already risen in the east. The air in the primeval forest was refreshingly clean. Looking at Tie Shi, who was still sleeping behind him, Liu Yi slapped his own head and said, “Oh no, it’s already the third day. It’s getting late. I wonder if we can make it back to Tearsless City today.” Without further thought, Liu Yi went to Tie Shi’s ear and shouted loudly, “Wake up!”
Although Liu Yi’s strength wasn’t comparable to Tie Shi’s, shouting in his ear was like thunder. Sure enough, as soon as Liu Yi finished shouting, Tie Shi woke up. His massive body seemed clumsy, but his reaction was fast. With a tremor of the ground, his mountain-like body stood up.
Liu Yi was surprised by Tie Shi’s quick reaction after waking up so suddenly. He leaped onto Tie Shi’s shoulders and said, “You slept in. Look at the time—we might not make it back to Tearsless City.”
Tie Shi stretched and let out a joyful roar, “We still have time. We still have time.”
Liu Yi continued, “Alright, let’s get started then. I’ll use Blood of Fury to lure the beasts out of the forest, and you keep running eastward. I’ll keep releasing Blood of Fury along the way. Be careful—don’t let those beasts catch you.”

Tieshi nodded, his massive claws patting his chest as he said in a deep voice, “Okay.”
Liu Yi didn’t overthink it, knowing his time was running out—so the faster, the better. He extended his right hand and forced out a drop of black blood using his vital energy. As it seeped out, Liu Yi flicked his hand and threw the drop onto the ground, then shouted, “Run!”
Responding to the order, Tieshi dashed eastward like an arrow released from a bow. The moment he moved, the forest became chaotic—birds flew in from all directions, and beasts gathered swiftly. Some were enormous, while others were pitifully small; there were all sorts of creatures. More monsters of various shapes kept flying toward Tieshi’s direction. The smaller ones were crushed under his mountain-like feet, while the larger ones were sent flying upon colliding with his body.
In an instant, the once peaceful forest became turbulent. Almost all the monsters in the vicinity rushed forward, shaking the ground even more violently. The birds in the sky were of all kinds. Liu Yi nodded and thought to himself, “That’s right. Now it depends on Tieshi’s speed.” After saying that, he threw another drop of black blood. Soon, the monsters behind them chased after them eagerly. Those slightly slower in front were trampled underfoot by the larger monsters behind.
Tieshi seemed equally excited. The advantage of his mountain-sized body was that each step covered dozens of feet, and a single jump covered over thirty feet. His speed far surpassed that of the Scorpion Birds. Liu Yi couldn’t help but exclaim, “What luck. Without Tieshi, it would be impossible to drive the monsters back using just the Scorpion Birds.”
Tieshi ran faster and faster, sometimes leaping high. Due to his relentless movement, a flat path formed in the Great Wasteland Mountains… Before long, Tieshi had left the primeval forest, his massive body landing on the open land like a mountain. Though Liu Yi didn’t know how much time had passed, he felt they were moving very fast. If this continued, they would definitely reach Tearsless City by noon. Liu Yi slowly stood up, feeling Tieshi’s incredible speed while also wondering what had become of Ye Luoxiong.
Another drop of violent blood fell to the ground, and an endless swarm of strange birds blocked out the sunlight, rushing forward in overwhelming numbers. The ground trembled, yellow dust billowed everywhere, and fierce, violent beasts chased behind, drawn by the scent of blood. Yet Tieshi’s massive body always kept a distance from those countless monsters.
The desolate land was no longer lonely, but filled with brutality—the most primal fury of beasts. Liu Yi used the black blood to drive these furious beasts to keep chasing after Tieshi. To avoid being overwhelmed by them, Tieshi accelerated even more. The “boom” sounds echoed like thunder, and the ground shook more violently with each jump.
Time passed slowly. The sun was already high in the sky. Ye Luobai looked at the time and shook her head, saying, “It’s almost noon. Why hasn’t he returned yet? Could something have happened?”

Ye Luo Jianmu sat on a chair in the hall, sipping his tea gently before shaking his head and saying, “Princess, no matter what we think or guess now, it’s useless. The only thing that can give us an answer is time. Let’s wait patiently.”

Ye Luo Baihua nodded softly. Just then, footsteps were heard outside the hall, sounding urgent. Soon, Ye Luo Ming appeared in the hall. Seeing him, Ye Luo Jianmu quickly asked, “Brother Ming, what’s wrong? Has something happened outside?”

Ye Luo Ming glanced anxiously at Ye Luo Baihua, then turned to Ye Luo Jianmu and said, “Brother Jian, go take a look. Ye Luo Xiong is already preparing to attack Wulei City. It’s almost noon now, and he’s waiting outside for our reply.”

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded, his brows furrowed. “It seems we can only try to buy time. Hopefully, Young Master Liu can still make it back to help us. Princess, Brother Ming, let’s go take a look together.”

Ye Luo Ming nodded and led the way out of the hall.

On the high city walls stood two elders and a woman—the princess of the Ye Luo family, Ye Luo Baihua. The two elders behind her were Ye Luo Jianmu and Ye Luo Ming. The sun was warm, and a gentle breeze blew, but everyone’s heart was filled with worry. Looking down, it was clear that ten miles away, there were countless troops. Over the past three days, Ye Luo Xiong had gathered a huge army. The deadline had arrived, and they were ready to attack Wulei City.

Ye Luo Ming took a bamboo tube and handed it to Ye Luo Baihua, saying, “Princess, please take a look.”

Ye Luo Baihua took the bamboo tube, held it in front of her eyes, and looked into the distance. She could see everything ten miles away clearly. Ye Luo Xiong’s troops were densely packed. From above, it was impossible to estimate their exact number. In front, several giant monsters pulled stone carts loaded with boulders. Behind them were three large, heavily covered wooden carts, with sharp iron bars across the front, pushed by dozens of people—apparently meant to break down the city gates. Further back, dozens of strange war carts each carried three round stones, likely used to attack the city walls. At the back were neatly arranged infantry, with an initial estimate of over five thousand men. Finally, there were iron-clad cavalry, so dense that they were impossible to count. Hundreds of birds circled in the sky, their claws gripping huge boulders, seemingly ready to drop them from above.

Under Ye Luo Xiong’s command, those troops were gradually approaching Wulei City. Ye Luo Baihua returned the bamboo tube to Ye Luo Ming and shook her head, saying, “The strength on both sides is incomparable. Ye Luo Xiong has gathered far too many troops, and they’re well-prepared. If we launch an attack now, I don’t think we even have the ability to defend ourselves.”

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded and said, “Yes. All we can do is keep buying time, hoping for a miracle.”

Ye Luo Baihua remained silent. Hearing what Ye Luo Jianmu said, she was not worried about the current situation at all. Instead, she was more concerned about the person who had had no news for three days. She couldn’t even give herself an explanation—the lives of thousands in the city depended on a single moment, yet her thoughts were not on them but on one person alone.

As time passed and the sun slowly sank lower, with yellow dust swirling in the air, Ye Luo Xiong’s army had stopped five hundred zhang away. At that moment, an old man in silver armor, with a gloomy expression and a thin, frail body, stepped forward. His white beard fluttered in the breeze as he looked at Ye Luo Baihua, Ye Luo Jianmu, and Ye Luo Ming on the city walls. He said, “Everyone, I think we all clearly understand whether this long war is necessary. Why didn’t you give me an answer earlier?”

Ye Luo Baihua glanced at the elders beside her and then at the tall, thin old man below. She said, “Ye Luo Xiong, you are unfilial and have rebelled against your clan. How dare you speak here?”

Ye Luo Xiong looked at Ye Luo Baihua, took a few steps forward, shook his head as his red cloak flapped, and said, “Baihua, do you know the law of this world? The victor takes all. Since you lack the ability to control the Ye Luo clan, why not give up? It would be better to hand it over to Uncle Xiong—so you can live a more peaceful life.”

Ye Luo Baihua shook her head. “Handing it to you would ruin the Ye Luo clan’s thousand-year reputation. People like you deserve to die.”

Ye Luo Xiong smiled triumphantly at the angry Ye Luo Baihua and said, “Niece Baihua, haven’t you realized the situation yet? Don’t tell Uncle Xiong that you intend to face death bravely in front of me and fight against those remaining soldiers of Wu Lei City. Please don’t do that… Niece Baihua, you will die a miserable death.” With that, he burst into laughter.

Hearing this, Ye Luo Jianmu snapped, “Shut up! Even if only one soldier remains in Wu Lei City, they will fight to the end!”

Ye Luo Xiong didn’t get angry. He just smiled coldly, shook his head, and said, “Fight to the end? Hm? What right do you have to say that to me? With just a flick of my finger, I can flatten Wu Lei City in an instant. The Ye Luo clan has reached its current state because that old fool refused to give up his position. Now I’ll show him that I, Ye Luo Xiong, can also take his place through my own efforts.”

Ye Luo Ming retorted angrily, “Shut up! You are cruel, heartless, and narrow-minded. How can you be the leader of the Ye Luo clan? Even if you ever manage to rule it, you’ll be overthrown by another Ye Luo Xiong.”

Ye Luo Jianmu added, “Ye Luo Xiong, it’s not too late for you to turn back. Remember, heaven is watching everything you do. Don’t be too greedy. You already have enough. Otherwise… retribution will soon fall upon you.”

Hearing this, Ye Luo Xiong seemed somewhat angry. He said, “Heaven? How could heaven watch me? Retribution? If there is any retribution, it will be me punishing the Ye Luo clan—and it will happen today.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Luo Baihua seemed to sense that Ye Luo Xiong was about to launch an attack. She hurriedly said, “Ye Luo Xiong, although I am reluctant to hand over Tearsless City to you, I am even more unwilling to see my people left homeless and displaced. If you agree to my conditions, then I might consider opening the city gates.”

Before Ye Luo Xiong could speak, Ye Luo Jianmu and Ye Luo Ming rushed to interject, “Princess, no! We must not hand over the Ye Luo clan to such a person.”

Ye Luo Xiong turned his eyes and glanced at Ye Luo Baihua on the city wall. He seemed surprised as well that Princess Baihua would give up the clan so easily, but being an old fox, he quickly replied, “Princess Baihua, you originally had no right to negotiate with me, but… I, Ye Luo Xiong, am always merciful and cannot bear to see bloodshed and piles of corpses within our clan. If war can be avoided, then I will naturally consider your conditions.”

How could Ye Luo Xiong care about how many people died? He simply didn’t want his power to be threatened. If he could regain control of the Ye Luo clan without war, not only would his strength remain intact, but it would even grow stronger.

Ye Luo Baihua looked at Ye Luo Jianmu beside her and said, “First, you must not kill anyone once you enter the city. Second, spare Uncle Jian and Uncle Ming. Just these two simple conditions. If you agree, Ye Luo Baihua will leave.”

How could Ye Luo Jianmu and Ye Luo Ming agree? They shook their heads and said, “Princess, no! We are not afraid of death.”

Ye Luo Xiong, who was listening below, sneered coldly, “These two conditions aren’t even considered conditions in my eyes. Killing those two old fools means little to me anyway.”

At that moment, Ye Luo Jianmu blocked Ye Luo Baihua’s meridians, preventing her from speaking, and said, “Princess, I’m sorry. If the Ye Luo clan is to perish like this, we absolutely cannot do it. Even if we die here today, we will not surrender.”

Ye Luo Ming nodded and said, “Brother Jian is right. Even if the people of Tearsless City find out, they won’t blame us. We’re just protecting ourselves and them. But if we hand over the Ye Luo clan to such a person, it’s better to perish altogether.”

Ye Luo Baihua’s eyes could move, but she couldn’t speak. Watching Ye Luo Jianmu and the others’ actions, she was only filled with urgency. Was war really the only solution? Looking at the well-organized troops below and the elders on both sides, she felt even more helpless. She wanted to use her abilities one last time to prevent bloodshed and piles of corpses. Yet, her pride prevented her from even doing such a simple thing.

Her crystal-clear tears slowly fell. Her world became silent. All she could see were the armored cavalry raising their shields high, the archers drawing their bows, the war tools ready, and her own soldiers picking up weapons, with archers aiming at the enemy. The battle was imminent. The sunlight was no longer warm; slaughter filled the peace. This land too had fallen, without any sanctuary left…