Chapter Twenty-Two: Calling for Reinforcements

Ye Feng arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion, where he found Murong Yan already waiting in the main hall.

Not long after, Xu Yaozu, Xu Zhihui, and Murong Bao arrived, and the meeting promptly began.

During the meeting, Murong Yan assigned the city defense duties to each person, instructing everyone strictly not to engage the enemy without orders—anyone who disobeyed would be executed on the spot.

She especially admonished Murong Bao again and again, urging him to act with caution and not to recklessly leave the city.

Afterward, she led the group out of the mansion and up onto the city walls.

Peering down from the battlements, they saw a demon general with an iron-blue face standing below, cursing them with a torrent of insults.

He stood nearly nine feet tall, broad-shouldered and barrel-chested—the demon commander Meng Keshu himself!

From his vigorous appearance, it was hard to believe he had been gravely wounded just yesterday.

Xu Yaozu, seeing this from atop the wall, recoiled in fright, his tongue sticking out and his neck shrinking as he exclaimed, “Good heavens, this Meng Keshu is truly formidable! I only said his regenerative powers were strong, but he should need two days to recover! Who would have thought this fiend would be as good as new by the second day? How are we to contend with him?!”

Meng Keshu, looking up, spotted Murong Yan and the others.

He immediately pointed and shouted, “Little girl, are you Murong Yan?!”

Murong Yan nodded, replying, “That’s me!”

He then pointed at Ye Feng: “Boy, we clashed twice yesterday, but I didn’t have the chance to ask your name. Are you Ye Feng?!”

Ye Feng nodded, saying, “That’s right, it’s your young master!”

Meng Keshu sneered, “You two brats! Yesterday, you relied on numbers to beset me alone—hardly heroic. Today I stand before you; if you have any courage, come out and fight me one-on-one! If not, you may as well go home to your mothers!”

Murong Yan burst out laughing. “Meng Keshu, you might provoke others, but not me! I’ll stay right here on the wall—what of it? If you’ve got the skills, come up here yourself! But if you do, don’t expect the luck you had yesterday!”

Her words infuriated Meng Keshu, who began to shout and curse, “You brats! A pair of wretched lovers, may you die a miserable death!”

He charged forward on horseback, but instantly a hail of arrows rained down, forcing him back—he could not approach the wall again.

Though others listened to Meng Keshu’s insults with indifference, Murong Yan and Ye Feng were both mortified, their faces flushed with shame.

Xu Yaozu, however, saw everything from his vantage.

Murong Yan soon withdrew, flustered.

The others returned to their assigned posts on the walls.

Thus, Meng Keshu came daily to the city, hurling challenges and insults, while Ye Feng and his companions held their ground, refusing to engage.

When his provocations failed, Meng Keshu ordered his demon soldiers to assault the city, but each attack was repelled by the righteous army’s defenders, with heavy casualties among the enemy.

Over four months passed swiftly. Supplies within the city grew increasingly scarce.

Murong Yan ordered the rations reduced: each defender received half a pound of rice per day, and each civilian three ounces, striving to stretch the provisions as long as possible.

Yet this was no lasting solution; sooner or later, the food would run out. When that happened, Heitu City would fall without a fight, and all its people would be doomed.

With no other recourse, Murong Yan convened the generals once more to discuss their options.

Murong Bao, already simmering with frustration, rolled up his sleeves and cursed, “To hell with this dithering! Let’s all charge out together and fight the demon army to the death—wouldn’t that be simpler?!”

Murong Yan’s face darkened. “Nonsense! How many lives do you have to throw away? Can you hope to outfight Meng Keshu? If you could, we wouldn’t be in this predicament!”

Her rebuke left Murong Bao speechless; he muttered, “Fine, fine, if we don’t fight, we don’t fight. I was just saying—you don’t have to bite my head off.”

Ye Feng then spoke: “Chief, I have long had an idea, but it seemed impossible to carry out, so I never proposed it. Now that we’re in such dire straits, we’ve little choice but to try.”

Murong Yan brightened and said, “Master Ye, please share your plan. Let us judge its merits.”

Ye Feng replied, “We could send someone to break through the siege and seek reinforcements!”

Xu Yaozu immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum. “Feng’er, what foolishness is this? Among tens of thousands of demon soldiers, there are countless experts—how could anyone break through? And even if you did, where would you find reinforcements?!”

Ye Feng explained, “Senior, breaking the siege may be difficult, but finding aid might not be! Have you forgotten there’s a righteous army in Menglian Mountain? We could appeal to them for help.”

Xu Yaozu remained unconvinced. “Feng’er, that’s wishful thinking. We don’t know the Menglian Mountain army, nor have we any ties with them. Why should they help us?”

Ye Feng reasoned, “That’s where persuasion comes in. We must make them see that if we fall, the Demon Kingdom will turn its full might against them next. Then, they’ll be isolated and doomed sooner or later—regret will come too late!”

Xu Yaozu persisted, “Feng’er, as the saying goes, ‘No one rises early without profit.’ You think a few words will make them risk their lives for you? That’s too naive. And if they make unreasonable demands, how will we answer?”

His words gave Ye Feng pause. He hesitated, saying, “Senior, you have a point… but the Menglian Mountain force is known for its righteous deeds. They wouldn’t stoop to such opportunism, would they?”

Murong Yan slapped the table and stood up. “Aid in times of crisis is like fighting a fire—we cannot afford to hesitate! I have decided: whoever can break through the siege and bring back reinforcements will be richly rewarded!”

Ye Feng immediately stood and clasped his fists. “I volunteer for the mission!”

But Xu Yaozu stopped him. “Feng’er, don’t compete with me for this! Such a deadly task is best left to an old man like me. But if I fail to bring back help, you mustn’t blame me!”

Xu Zhihui grew anxious. “Father, let me go with you!”

Xu Yaozu waved him off. “Zhihui, you’re not cut out for this—don’t make things worse. Stay and defend the city; don’t let the demons break through!”

Murong Yan was worried as well. “Master!”

She urged, “Please be careful.”

Xu Yaozu reassured her, “Yan’er, don’t worry! Your master’s fate is charmed. I’ve fought countless fierce battles with your father and never lost a hair—you need not fret.”

Murong Yan continued, “Master, I’ll have your horse fed and arrange an escort for you.”

Xu Yaozu shook his head. “No need. The more people, the harder it will be. I’ll escape alone at midnight using my flight technique. Just write me a letter to serve as proof!”

Murong Yan nodded and personally wrote the letter, handing it to Xu Yaozu.

He prepared himself thoroughly, and when midnight came, he bade everyone farewell and climbed the city wall alone.

From the wall, he gazed at the sea of enemy camps stretching into the darkness.

A cold wind cut like knives against his skin. Xu Yaozu shuddered, instantly more alert.

Given this situation, breaking through the siege was no simple matter!

If he used the flying technique, there were skilled demons among the enemy—likely lying in wait.

And if a barrier had been set, escape would be impossible!

Xu Yaozu regretted his bravado—if he turned back now, he’d become a laughingstock.

Besides, if he didn’t go, Feng’er would, and how could he let Feng’er die in his stead?

Feng’er had always respected him as a father; to die for him was no great sacrifice.

So be it! If he died, he could be a hero again in twenty years.

Resolved, Xu Yaozu raised his treasured spear, preparing to take flight.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. “I’ve been clever all my life; why charge headlong now? As the saying goes, ‘Outwit the strong, subdue the weak.’ Why not devise a plan and have Meng Keshu escort me out himself?”

With that, he used his mental power to float gently down from the wall.

Once outside, he rolled on the ground, grabbed a handful of dirt and smeared it over his face, transforming himself into a pitiful figure.

He punched himself in the nose, drawing blood, which he wiped on his face for an even more pitiful appearance—red, black, mottled, all colors blending.

He sat on the ground and wailed loudly.

His howling cries pierced the silent night, waking many demon soldiers, who poured from their camps and surrounded him.

A messenger hurried to inform Commander Meng Keshu.

Meng Keshu soon rushed out to see for himself.

He found the old general weeping bitterly, snot and tears streaming, his face smeared with blood and dirt, his clothes filthy and tattered—there was not a clean spot on him.

Meng Keshu had suffered at Xu Yaozu’s hands twice before and hated him to the core.

But seeing him now so wretched, he couldn’t help but feel pity, though he still suspected trickery.

He barked, “Old scoundrel, what are you crying for? If you must wail, do it inside your city, not in front of my camp!”

Xu Yaozu wiped his tears. “I can’t go back—I’ve been driven out! Now I have no way forward or back—the heavens have forsaken me! How could I not weep?”

He sobbed even more pitifully.

Meng Keshu was puzzled—this old scoundrel was a fierce general, how could he be cast out?

He pressed, “Old man, why did Murong Yan drive you out? Judging by your bloody face, were you beaten?”

Xu Yaozu replied between sobs, “That little wench turned her back on me! I saw the people starving in the city and couldn’t bear it, so I urged her to surrender. Who would have thought… she’d beat me severely and drive me out for my trouble!”

Meng Keshu flew into a rage. “Little wretch! So willful, she’ll doom the whole city!”

He then praised Xu Yaozu, “Old General, you are truly wise! If only you’d surrendered sooner, there’d be no need for all this bloodshed!”

His demeanor changed; he smiled obsequiously and treated Xu Yaozu as an honored guest. “Old General, there’s no need to follow that girl—she’s blind to talent! Serve under me and I’ll make you a high official!”

Xu Yaozu leapt up, grinning. “Truly? Such good fortune!”

Then he feigned sorrow. “No, I’m too old for office and battle. Better to return to the countryside and farm, and keep my body whole.”

Meng Keshu nodded repeatedly. “Old General, whether you serve or retire is up to you. I won’t force you. You must be hungry after your ordeal—come, eat your fill in my tent!”

Xu Yaozu laughed heartily and bowed. “Thank you, Marshal Meng! Please, lead the way!”

Meng Keshu escorted Xu Yaozu into his command tent, where they drank and feasted together.

Meng Keshu drank heavily with Xu Yaozu, both becoming thoroughly drunk.

Once Xu Yaozu had eaten and drunk his fill, Meng Keshu escorted him out of the camp.

Along the way, Xu Yaozu spun wild tales, describing the situation in Heitu City as utter chaos and fabricating the city’s defenses without any basis.

Meng Keshu believed every word, listening with great interest and growing ever friendlier.

Finally, Meng Keshu led Xu Yaozu out of the camp and past the barrier, at which point Xu Yaozu relaxed.

He glanced around to ensure there were no witnesses and thought, “Meng Keshu, today you’ve met your match! If I kill you here, there’ll be no need to seek reinforcements!”

With that, he said, “Marshal Meng, after you.”

Meng Keshu nodded and took the lead.

Seeing that Meng Keshu was completely off guard, Xu Yaozu quietly raised his treasured spear high and brought it crashing down on Meng Keshu’s head!

Whether Meng Keshu survived or perished—this will be revealed next time!

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