I am Master Maoshan

"Fine, I'll die, so they can leave." General Hanyi said slowly, each word seemingly uttered with all his might.

The sound, though not loud, was filled with determination, like a thunderclap that resounded across the battlefield.

"General!" Hundreds of soldiers cried out in grief at the same time. They tried to rush forward to stop General Hanyi, but they were intimidated by his eyes and majestic aura, and their steps involuntarily stopped.

"Quiet! This is a military order!" General Hanyi suddenly shouted.

With tears in their eyes, the soldiers silently accepted the order, uttering no more words. Their hearts were filled with grief and helplessness, but also with deep respect and gratitude for General Han Yi. They knew that the general had made this sacrifice for them.

General Hanyi slowly turned around, his gaze softening as he looked at his adjutant beside him. The resoluteness and authority he had displayed moments before were gone, replaced by a deep tenderness and concern.

"Take good care of your sister-in-law and my unborn child," General Hanyi said softly to his deputy, his voice trembling with emotion. "Tell them that although I cannot be by their side, I will be watching over them from heaven and protecting them."

The lieutenant's eyes were also filled with tears. He nodded heavily and said, "General, rest assured, we will take good care of your wife and child, just like we would our own family."

General Hanyi nodded slightly, then slowly turned around and walked towards the black cloak.

He knew that his departure would be a permanent farewell to this world, but he had no regrets. Because he had given his life to save the lives of hundreds of soldiers and to ensure the safety of his wife and children.

"Han Yi, I'm sorry." The man in the black cloak sighed softly, his voice sounding particularly deep amidst the howling wind.

He slowly raised the strangely shaped snake-like sword in his hand. The blade gleamed with a cold, eerie light, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

The serpentine sword pierced General Hanyi's chest.

General Hanyi was stabbed, but he stood there quietly, his posture upright. Although his armor was stained with blood and he was about to die, his eyes remained firm.

Upon hearing the words of the man in the black cloak, he slightly raised his head, his face showing no fear or anger, but calmly looking at the other person, as if he had already anticipated all of this.

"I hope you won't break your promise." General Hanyi spoke slowly, his voice weak but full of strength.

There was no hatred in his eyes, no fear of death. After saying those words, he seemed to have used up all his strength; his body swayed slightly, and then he fell straight down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"General!" "General!"

When General Hanyi's men saw their general fall, they erupted in a series of grief-stricken cries. Their eyes widened in disbelief and boundless sorrow.

Some soldiers' legs buckled, and they knelt on the ground, covering their faces with their hands, tears streaming through their fingers; others gripped their weapons tightly, their bodies trembling slightly with anger.

"Fight them!" A lieutenant general's eyes were bloodshot, like a raging beast.

He roared, veins bulging on his face, and raised his long sword high as if to kill all the enemies in front of him.

Upon hearing the deputy general's shout, these hundreds of wounded soldiers were instantly filled with a burning desire for revenge. Although they were injured, some even maimed, they forgot their pain at that moment, their eyes filled only with hatred for the enemy and loyalty to their general.

They gripped their weapons tightly, approaching the black-cloaked, black-armored demon soldiers step by step, each step filled with the determination to perish together.

"We can fight, but if you die, no one will collect General Hanyi's body." The man in the black cloak looked at the angry soldiers in front of him expressionlessly and said coldly.

As he spoke, he pointed to General Han Yi's corpse on the ground. The once majestic body of the general now lay there quietly.

Upon hearing the words of the man in the black cloak, the soldiers paused slightly, a hint of hesitation and pain flashing in their eyes.

They knew that if they charged now, they would likely all die, and their general's body would go unburied. But they were unwilling to give up their revenge.

"Quiet down!" A deputy general, who usually had some prestige in the army, stepped forward and shouted.

He also wanted to avenge the general, but he was still rational and knew that now was not the time to act impulsively. He had to calm down before he could avenge the general.

The deputy general began to arrange the soldiers, instructing the less wounded to take care of the more seriously wounded, and then organized a group of people to prepare to collect General Han Yi's body.

He personally led these men, suppressing his inner pain, and walked step by step toward General Hanyi. With each step, his heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife, but he knew that he had to be strong and had to do one last thing for the general.

They carefully lifted General Hanyi's body, their movements gentle and solemn, as if afraid of disturbing the general's spirit.

General Hanyi's face still held that calm expression, as if he were asleep.

The lieutenant looked at the general's face, tears streaming down his face, but he forced back his grief and said to the crowd, "We must avenge the general, but now is not the time. Let's take the general home first."

"Let them go." The man in the black cloak watched as the soldiers finished cleaning up General Han Yi's body, then waved his hand and said coldly.

As the black-cloaked figure finished speaking, the black-armored demon soldiers instantly parted to make way. They stood expressionless on both sides, their weapons still gleaming coldly, as if ready to attack again at any moment. The soldiers carried General Han Yi's body, walking step by step towards the end of the road, their backs appearing so lonely and tragic.

As the sun gradually set, it cast their shadows long and thin.

The man in the black cloak and his black-armored demon soldiers stood quietly in place, watching them leave.

"Alas, how pitiful and lamentable!" Liu Jun hovered in mid-air, his face filled with sorrow and his eyes revealing endless resentment.

A loyal and dedicated demon general who made great contributions to the entire demon race died quietly and tragically at the hands of his own demon.

Liu Jun's thoughts drifted involuntarily to the human world of his previous life. In that complex and chaotic world, countless loyal ministers and generals, devoted to their country, were ultimately murdered by their own people.

Some of these loyal ministers and generals died unjustly, their eyes wide open in death; some were falsely accused of treason, their reputations ruined; and some were plotted against by their political enemies, their wives and children torn apart—none of them met a good end.

These events filled Liu Jun with an indescribable grief and indignation. He couldn't understand why people could be so wicked. Wasn't it said that good people are rewarded? Why was fate so unfair?

"Let's go, the tragedy is yet to come." The old man's voice rang in Liu Jun's ears, but his eyes revealed a profound wisdom and a calm demeanor born of experience.

"What do you mean?" Liu Jun was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly asked, his eyes filled with doubt and unease.

The moment the words left their mouths, the scene before them shifted as if in a dream. Space instantly distorted, beams of light flashed, as if time itself were changing. Then, they were back at General Han Yi's residence. Only this time, the residence was completely different.

Flames soared into the sky inside the mansion, the raging fire resembling ferocious dragons, wantonly devouring everything in its path.

The general's mansion was in complete chaos. Servants were running in all directions, and shouts, cries for help, and sobs filled the air. Many corpses lay on the ground, some decapitated, some with mutilated limbs, and some with their eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.

The blood of these corpses flowed all over the ground, pooling into rivers of blood, emitting a pungent, nauseating stench.

"They're going to silence us!" Liu Jun exclaimed in shock, his voice trembling with anger and tension.

But there's nothing he can do right now. Even if he weren't invisible, in his current state, he'd just be offering himself up as a free kill and wouldn't serve any purpose.

The old man nodded without saying a word, his eyes revealing a calmness. Clearly, he had seen this scene far too often, so much so that he was used to it.

Soon, a series of piercing cries echoed from within the mansion. Immediately afterwards, the general's wife, carrying her newborn baby, was led into the courtyard.

The general's wife looked haggard, her hair disheveled and draped over her shoulders, her eyes filled with despair and helplessness. She clutched the baby tightly in her arms, as if it were her last hope in life. The baby was still in swaddling clothes, sleeping soundly, completely unaware that it was in danger.

"You heartless bastards!" roared a deputy general who was left behind, his voice booming like thunder.

The lieutenant flashed forward like lightning, rushing towards the men holding the general's wife, trying to rescue the poor mother and child.

However, at that moment, a group of men in black emerged from all directions. They were dressed in tight-fitting black clothing, their faces covered with black cloth, revealing only pairs of cold and cruel eyes. They carried sharp weapons and pounced on the lieutenant general and the general's wife like a pack of hungry wolves.

Undeterred, the lieutenant gritted his teeth and engaged in a fierce battle with the men in black. He moved nimbly among them, each attack precise and deadly. However, the men in black were numerous and each exceptionally skilled, and the lieutenant gradually found himself struggling to keep up.

"Pfft"

With that muffled groan, the lieutenant's tall body jolted violently as several gleaming, sharp weapons mercilessly pierced his body.

The lieutenant's eyes widened; his once bright and spirited eyes were now filled with disbelief and endless pain.

His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to shout something, but he only spat out a mouthful of scalding blood. The blood drew a shocking arc in the air, and then he fell straight to the ground like a collapsing mountain, raising a cloud of dust.

"Deputy General Yuan!" General Hanyi's wife let out an extremely shrill scream.

Her face was now contorted beyond recognition by extreme grief. She stumbled towards the lieutenant, carrying the child, but was stopped by the man in black.

She stretched out one hand, waving helplessly in the air, trying to grasp the fading life, tears streaming down her face.

"Madam, it's time for you and the child to get going," a man in black said coldly, his voice as if it came from an ice cellar, devoid of any emotion.

The general's wife slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with hatred, a hatred like a burning flame, as if she wanted to burn the men in black in front of her to ashes.

"Come on, even as a ghost I will not let you go!" she said through gritted teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth, filled with endless determination and hatred.

Without the slightest hesitation, the man in black swiftly brought his knife down, the sharp blade slicing across the general's wife's neck. Blood gushed out instantly, splattering onto the surrounding ground.

The blood also fell onto the baby's face in the swaddling clothes, instantly staining the once pink and tender face crimson. The baby seemed to sense this sudden fear and let out a weak cry. (End of Chapter)