Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

The soldiers are all burly, rough men; they wouldn't know how to coax a child.

The surviving children in the city are all very young. Having just lost their loved ones and been traumatized, they huddle in the courtyards where they have been placed, and all they can do is cry.

The two soldiers assigned to guard the children were at their wits' end. With a major battle imminent, they were preoccupied with fighting the enemy and had no time to comfort these crying babies.

Just as he was at his wit's end, he looked up and saw a young woman walking towards him.

They recognized the man who had fallen from the roof earlier; he seemed to know the head coach well.

The commander-in-chief had specifically instructed them to look after her if there was any danger. The two of them were thinking to themselves: taking care of these children was already exhausting enough, and now they had to look after another one? This job was not as enjoyable as going to the front lines to fight the enemy.

But to everyone's surprise, this young woman managed to soothe the crying children so well in no time.

In the courtyard, not a single cry or fuss remained.

Is that amazing?

The two men pricked up their ears suspiciously, eager to hear what method she was using.

Chai Xiaomi squatted down and waved to the smallest one.

"Why are you crying?" She wiped the little face clean with her sleeve. "Come on, let me tell you a story."

The little girl looked at her, sobbing.

Chai Xiaomi cleared her throat and, in a high-pitched voice, imitated the old woman's voice: "Once upon a time, there lived a big tiger in the mountains—"

The children's eyes lit up, and they all pricked up their ears and crowded around her.

"Sit still, sit still." Chai Xiaomi put on a stern face. "Whoever sits still will be eaten by the tiger."

The children's expressions changed.

She gave an awkward laugh and quickly waved her hands, "Uh, no, no! Tigers don't eat anyone!"

The courtyard fell silent instantly.

A group of little radish-like children sat ramrod straight, not daring to breathe, for fear that if they moved, they would be snatched away by the tiger.

The two soldiers: "..."

As the story unfolded, even the two soldiers became engrossed in listening.

One of them couldn't help but ask, "Was that guy who killed the tiger really that skilled? He killed the tiger with just a stick?"

Chai Xiaomi glared at him: "Don't interrupt."

The other soldier shut his mouth sheepishly, but he couldn't bear to go far, so he quietly shuffled forward a couple of steps.

"Tigers don't actually eat good people," Chai Xiaomi said softly. "They only eat bad guys who bully children. So if you behave well, the tiger will not only not eat you, but it will also protect you."

The youngest girl asked timidly, "Really?"

"Of course it's true." Chai Xiaomi patted her head. "I've seen that tiger. It's very majestic, but it never eats good children."

The children looked at each other, and the fear on their faces gradually subsided.

A boy suddenly asked, "Sister, will those bad guys outside be eaten by tigers?"

Chai Xiaomi paused for a moment, then looked up towards the city gate.

"Yes, we will," she said softly. "There are people here who are even stronger than tigers, protecting us."

As soon as he finished speaking, a white light slowly streaked across the sky.

At the top of the tallest tower in the city, a young man stood against the wind.

Wearing an indigo Miao dress with fine silver thread embroidered on the collar and sleeves, and a silver necklace that jingles with every movement, she exudes a unique Miao charm, a wildness tinged with a touch of untamed arrogance.

Her dark hair was tied up high, with a few stray strands falling across her forehead, which were slightly disheveled by the wind.

His hands flew, forming hand seals, and as his fingertips moved, yellow talismans fluttered around him like butterflies, their light reflected in his heterochromatic eyes.

A barrier rose from all around, spreading like ripples on water, slowly enveloping the entire Deer City.

"Wow--"

The children gasped in surprise, tilting their heads back and staring wide-eyed.

A little girl couldn't help but tug at Chai Xiaomi's sleeve: "Sister, that big brother is so handsome! He's practically glowing!"

Chai Xiaomi gazed at the figure atop the tower, a slight smile curving her lips.

"Mmm," she replied softly, a hint of pride in her voice, "He is very handsome."

But his face was as cold as ice.

Although his body was surrounded by spiritual energy and talismans, it still exuded a sense of the dead of winter.

He was clearly still seething with anger, and it was unclear when it would subside.

From the distant city wall, horns suddenly blared.

It wasn't an ordinary warning; it was a long, throat-ripping wail, one after another, urgent like a death knell, striking the hearts of everyone.

The ground seemed to be trembling.

At first it was subtle, like a horse's hoof treading across the distant horizon, then it drew closer and closer, becoming heavier and heavier, until even the bricks and stones beneath our feet trembled, and tiny grains of sand jumped incessantly between the gaps.

The air seemed to freeze, and the children who had been marveling just moments before fell silent, even their breathing becoming softer.

Here it comes...

*

Song Yueyao stood atop the city wall, looking down at the massive barbarian army pressing in below.

Leading the charge were giant monsters of various shapes and sizes. Some were covered in scales, while others had fleshy wings on their backs. Their ferocious fangs gleamed coldly in the firelight, and their scarlet eyes were fixed on the city walls.

A foul stench wafted over, carrying the scent of blood and decay.

She took a deep breath.

"All soldiers, listen to my command!"

The sound drowned out the bugle calls, the roars of beasts, and the thunder of a thousand horses.

"Today, the barbarians have once again pressed upon Lucheng. Once the city falls, behind us lies the entire Liangya Prefecture, countless people, your fathers, wives, and children!"

There is no way out.

"No reinforcements."

"Only this city wall beneath my feet, only this weapon in my hand!"

She swung the military flag down abruptly, its tip pointing directly at the surging tide of beasts below the city, her voice hoarse with rage:

"We will defend the city to the death; as long as the city stands, I stand; if the city falls, I fall!"

On the city wall, a thousand bowstrings were taut in unison, and the sound of arrows being nocked was perfectly synchronized.

"Release the arrows—"

The next moment, a rain of arrows poured down, accompanied by sharp whistles as they plunged into the surging tide of beasts.

The barrier Wu Li set up was like a one-way barrier; the demonic beasts outside couldn't get in, but the arrows inside whistled out, temporarily repelling their attacks. However, he had only recently learned how to create this barrier from the white cat, and in his words, he wasn't sure how long it would last.

Several flying beasts swooped down from above, their giant wings beating against the barrier and creating ripples.

The archers on the city wall immediately turned their arrows around, and with a few whooshing sounds, several demonic beasts smelled the scent and retreated in terror.

But there were simply too many of them. Just as one group was driven back from the east, another swarm advanced from the west. The archers' movements gradually slowed, their arms trembled as they drew their bows, and their shooting range became shorter and shorter.

Just as a giant winged monster was gathering its strength again and crashing heavily into the barrier—

Countless tomb bats surged in from all directions, a dark mass that instantly wrapped the monster into a black, cocoon-like mass.

Wu Li frowned, watching the arrows fall limply halfway through their flight, his brow furrowed tightly.

The number of soldiers remaining in the city was already insufficient, and some were temporarily used as archers.

"Draw the bowstring taut!" he couldn't help but yell at the archers, his voice laced with suppressed anger. "Are you starving? The arrows are so soft, are you feeding mosquitoes?"

He snatched the bow from the soldier beside him, raised his hand to nock an arrow, and his movements were swift and decisive.

"Watch closely, the bow isn't drawn by the hands, it's drawn by the back. The hands are just for transmitting power; the real strength comes from here." He tilted his head, gesturing to his latissimus dorsi muscles. "Your hands shake because you're only swinging them with your arms. How much power can your arms have? They'll go limp after three arrows."

As he spoke, he slowly drew back the bowstring, the bowstring taut like a full moon.

Aim, release the string.

The arrow pierced the air with a sharp whistling sound, striking straight through a swooping flying beast...

Wings.

The soldiers who were being taught on the spot were dumbfounded.

He looks like a master, so how come his aim is so bad?

Wu Li tossed the bow back into the soldier's arms and glanced at him:

"Just shoot like that."

"So...shoot the wings?" the soldier asked tentatively.

"..." Wu Li took a deep breath, resisting the urge to snatch the bow back and smash it on his head. "Suit yourself."

He couldn't be bothered to waste words with an idiot.

The surrounding monsters were temporarily suppressed and stopped advancing.

Song Yueyao finally breathed a sigh of relief and kindly reminded the soldier, "He's teaching you how to exert force."

Wu Li didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

Song Yueyao glanced at the figure's back, her brows furrowing slightly, sensing that he was unusually angry.

Did they have another argument?

But she had no time to think about it at the moment. She watched as the barbarians below the city retreated dozens of miles. It seemed that they had not expected that they could not break through with a thousand demon beasts. They were setting up camp on the spot, as if they wanted to make a long-term plan.

She withdrew her gaze and ordered in a deep voice, "Everyone take turns on guard duty. Report any unusual activity immediately."

If we can just get through these five days, there is hope.