My lord, spare his life!

Doumu Xie was already weak.

Da Mi bit down with all its might, and Dou Mu Xie let out a near-death cry, but instead of surrendering, it chose to fight back. It suddenly sprang up from the murky puddle on the ground, locked its front hooves around Da Mi's neck, and twisted its body with sudden force. The sound of rain could not cover up the tearing and cracking sound of the bones as the two beasts entangled, and the scarlet blood quickly mixed with the rain.

"roar!"

The more Zhang Dami suffered, the more irritable she became.

Water splashed and blood foam gushed out.

It flailed wildly with its four claws, but the thick fur of the Doumu Xie had turned into slippery, cold scales, covered in rainwater, making it impossible to touch. Zhang Dami used to be a tyrant in the mountains, able to terrify its prey with its sheer tiger-like power. After being captured by Zhang Yang, it spent its days incubating eggs, raising chickens and ducks, and its limited combat experience was honed by the damned Zhang Dagu and the equally damned Zhang Damiao.

At this moment, the Doumu Xie, which was in a final burst of energy, was entangled. Its long, thick body was rolled up by the other party, and it was forced to fly up and down and spin like a withered leaf. It could not exert any force and could not break free.

Although it wasn't covered in armor to protect its vitals, its body was still stronger than bronze and iron. It had nothing but sheer strength and an impenetrable thick skin. Holding its breath, it relentlessly bit its prey, its tiger eyes blazing with terrifying ferocity. The longer it held on, the stronger its momentum grew. Meanwhile, the fighting wood demon, which had been trying to break its bones, was showing signs of exhaustion, and the restraints on Zhang Dami slowly loosened. Zhang Dami's eyes lit up; it gathered its strength, broke free, and with a powerful thrust of its waist, flung the massive fighting wood demon away!

Before the latter could even land, another fierce attack followed.

The Doumu Xie let out a long, mournful cry.

He collapsed to the ground, his body disintegrating into specks of starlight.

Zhang Yang had already fled elsewhere.

"You damned tiger!"

"Ahhhhh—"

The guard, pinned to the flagpole by her two arrows, gritted his teeth and let out a hoarse, agonizing scream. She bent her knees and swung her legs slightly, one foot bracing against the flagpole, risking being torn apart by the arrow shaft and widening her wounds, forcing her way through the golden arrows. Ignoring the two horrific bloody holes in her shoulders, she casually pulled out one of the arrows and summoned her longbow with her other hand.

Draw the bow and shoot the arrow!

Zhang Dami was slightly out of breath from battling the Doumu Xie, but not yet at a point where it couldn't dodge. It dodged, its four paws touching the ground as it launched another attack. The arrow that the guard had missed pierced precisely through the Tianyue soldiers.

If one arrow fails, try another.

They forcibly lured Zhang Dami away from the guards' area.

Several more people were shot and killed during the incident.

The air was filled with shouts of killing, and the rain was thick with the stench of blood.

Everything around Zhang Dami was stimulating the most primal star beast instincts within her. If Zhang Yang were here, he would see the health bar on the guard's head hanging by a thread, and the Yin energy belonging to the Star Descending Fiend was stirring restlessly, about to reveal its ferocious claws.

"roar--"

Zhang Dami was provoked and completely went berserk.

In just a few breaths, its body grew into a colossal creature taller than the city wall. It raised its paw to smash its target, but the tiger's claw was hindered mid-air, failing to turn the guard into a small meat patty as expected. Zhang Dami regained consciousness for a moment.

Just as it was about to lift its paw to see what was happening, a mountain-like force erupted from beneath its claws, and a giant blue dog, no smaller than itself, appeared out of thin air. The intense yin energy made Zhang Dami extremely uncomfortable, and even its reactions were much slower than usual.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Damiao appeared from the side.

The sharp claws precisely sliced ​​across the neck of the blue giant dog.

Zhang Da Miao's claws could easily slice through city walls, yet they couldn't even cut a few strands of the thick fur under the blue giant dog's neck. Seeing this, Zhang Da Miao decisively chose to rely on his superior strength.

Upon hearing the commotion, Zhang Yang turned back and attacked.

The scarlet name on the head of the giant blue dog was clearly visible.

[Zongzheng County Military General (Feng Dog)]

The health bar, which should have been reduced to a sliver, was now fully restored.

"How can it restore health?" Zhang Yang was certain that this giant blue dog was the same guard she had just nailed to the flagpole. Also, what was this "蜪犬" in parentheses in her name?

"My lord, stop it!" The torrential rain relentlessly washed over everything and everyone on the ground, and Fan You couldn't tell if the liquid flowing down his body was rain or blood. While suppressing the lustful demon stirred by the yin energy, he sent a message to Zhang Yang: "This is a 'Ghost Dog,' it eats people!"

The stars descend in fury, like magpies.

The leech is like a dog, green in color, and it eats people, starting from the head.

Zhang Yang immediately realized what was happening.

"Isn't that something from the Classic of Mountains and Seas?"

Are supernatural beings no longer enough to satisfy the diverse species of the celestial beings descending from the heavens? Time was of the essence, and Fan You didn't offer too many hints, but the information he provided was enough for her to deduce part of the truth. The monstrous serpent isn't a dog, but it likely enhances its abilities by cannibalizing humans.

On the battlefield, there are many corpses, and many other things are plentiful.

Zhang Yang shoved Zhang Dami's head, whose fur was stained with blood, aside. His peach blossom eyes coldly stared at the dog's gaping maw, which reeked of blood, and he said indifferently, "Dami, you two get out of the way."

At the same time, Wang Qi glanced at Zhang Yang out of the corner of his eye.

The mountain spirit's figure was as light as smoke and illusion, even lighter than the thick fog rising from the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, it leaped more than twenty feet above the magpie, and with a flick of its finger, golden light flowed out, forming a golden bow and golden arrow.

hum!

A golden arrow pierced the blue claws of the gnawed dog.

The arrow's force remained undiminished; the sharp edge of the arrowhead nearly grazed the dog's ear, leaving a gash from which blood flowed.

The dog, in pain, extended both claws.

hum!

Another fierce and earth-shattering arrow.

The golden arrow left a golden arc in the air.

The arrow nimbly slipped between the giant blue dog's paws, piercing its upper jaw and then its lower jaw. Just as the dog was about to erupt in fury, Zhang Yang's movements became a blur, followed by a series of rapidly advancing arrows.

The golden arrow was "sewn" around the edge of the dog's muzzle.

Since the monstrous beast among the descending stars can devour people, wouldn't it be safer to sew its mouth shut temporarily? Zhang Yang finally transformed the golden bow into a golden brick: "Great! Strength! Creates! Miracles!"

A burst of golden light shot out and slammed into the dog with a loud bang.

Its head was covered in blood bars as it jumped off the building and was cut in half at the waist.

The gold brick sizzled as it touched the leopard's skin, wisps of white smoke rising in the air. The leopard's screams caused it to break free of the golden arrow in its muzzle, bleeding profusely. As the yin energy gradually dissipated, a mangled humanoid body was finally revealed.

The other party remained motionless, and it was unclear whether they were alive or dead.

Zhang Yang was surprised.

"Still alive? That's tough!"

A sliver of blood stubbornly clung to the health bar.

Wang Qi then knew there was nothing to worry about.

A heavy blow knocked the man unconscious and threw him aside.

Fan You demanded that as few people as possible be killed; if they could be wounded or maimed, they should be spared from death. Zongzheng County was not a large county, and the number of elite troops it could train was limited. Every person killed meant one less soldier in their future forces.

Aside from a few who fought with deadly force on the city walls, those who broke through the pass mainly focused on rendering the enemy incapable of fighting again. Wang Qi found it rather pointless; what's the difference between not using ruthlessness in battle and flirting?

Well, there are probably some differences.

For the first time, Lu Yuan felt that showing too much leniency was not a good thing.

As soon as Zhang Yang made his move, the Imperial Throne City monitored the situation. Their ambush force had been preparing for battle for some time, and from mobilization to deployment, it took less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea. To ensure effective surveillance, the Imperial Throne City commander went to great lengths, specifically capturing a special star beast with exceptional eyesight. How good was its vision? From the highest point of Imperial Throne City, it could clearly see everything happening on the horizon. Crucially, it could also fly, and its speed was such that few star beasts could catch it.

As soon as the news came out, the commander of the Imperial Throne City knew about it.

"Lu Bafeng, what kind of people did they send out?"

"What's wrong? Trying to find out about me?"

"I really want to know. I've never heard of you having such a strongman under your command before." The garrison commander thought about the defensive capabilities and construction costs of the city wall at that pass, and then about the dilapidated and patched gates of his own Imperial City. His lips twitched. "I've never heard of anyone trying to breach a city with brute force without even bringing a single siege log—"

"I can do that too."

Is this something that's difficult?

The Imperial City garrison commander said, "We will not use star beasts or evil spirits that descend from the stars; we will rely solely on physical strength and brute force."

Lu Yuan: "...Then I can't."

I couldn't immediately recall which one was under my adoptive mother's command.

She called Zhang Yang her adoptive mother, but had little idea of ​​the size and talent pool under her tutelage. She was most familiar with her adoptive brother Guan Zong and his crony Xiao Sui. Guan Zong's health and strength had declined significantly, but it was clear he greatly feared and dreaded his half-brother Guan Si. Perhaps, this person was Guan Si?

Lu Yuan claimed to have a deep friendship with the commander of the Imperial City, but to be honest, he didn't say a word more than necessary, and even if he guessed it, he pretended not to know.

The Imperial City's garrison commander: "My warriors, it's time to set off!"

Instead of departing by water, they chose to leave the city directly via the mountain paths. The heavy rain, strong winds, and lack of moonlight tonight provided excellent cover, allowing them to quickly ambush the Zongzheng County reinforcements. The Imperial Capital's garrison was entirely under Lü Yuan's command. The reason was straightforward—they were all longtime acquaintances, and Lü Yuan knew perfectly well which route the Zongzheng County reinforcements would take, handling the situation with the ease of returning home.

Ignoring the cold wind and rain, the commander of the Imperial City laughed gleefully in the pouring downpour: "You scoundrel, I'll have to be careful of you from now on. I can't just drink with you without taking precautions."

As the Commandant of Chesi County, Lü Yuan was so familiar with the routes and terrain within Zongzheng County that the garrison commander of Dizuo City suspected that when Lü Yuan had friends all over the mountains and casual affairs, he might have secretly looked at the maps and secrets of those people under the guise of intimacy.

Lu Yuan laughed and scolded, "Get lost, drive!"

drink wine?

If the two of them drink, Lu Yuan has to pay for everything.

Before I brought that sum of money and supplies to the Imperial Throne City, it was in such a dilapidated state. How impoverished were the people there? Alcohol tolerance is something that is trained. The garrison commander of the Imperial Throne City probably couldn't afford good wine, nor did he have the opportunity to drink often.

Xiao Sui also rode her warhorse and barely managed to keep up with the speed.

Unlike the two who could laugh and joke even after enduring a bellyful of cold wind and rain, and unlike them who disregarded their image and manners, she maintained her utmost dignity and beauty even while hurrying through the rain.

Iron hooves pounded the muddy pits, splashing up murky water at high speed.

This surprise attack was like a sharp arrow piercing the reinforcements' ribs.

The reinforcements, upon receiving the distress call, set off immediately. Time was of the essence, and they didn't even have the energy to consider the possibility of an enemy ambush along the way. By the time the reinforcements noticed the commotion, the leading officer had already heard a very familiar loud laugh.

His warhorse, too, was intimidated by the rapidly approaching aura, visibly growing restless. The general glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw a troop of soldiers emerge from the darkness. At the forefront of this troop was a raging, inextinguishable, reddish-purple flame, unyielding to wind or rain. This flame, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a long, linear serpent. Upon closer inspection, however, it was no longer a fire serpent.

It is clearly a long weapon!

The wielder of the long weapon broke away from his own troops and charged directly at them.

"The Eight Winds of Law"

The military officer recognized the man's identity as soon as he saw the long weapon.

He managed to dodge, but his warhorse couldn't withstand the sudden, abrupt braking. Retreating, it was still scorched by the crimson-purple flames, letting out a painful neigh. A blur of light appeared before his eyes, and the strange, alternating hot and cold flames nearly touched his face. He was forced to switch from wielding his weapon with one hand to two, using the shaft to parry. With a clang, the brilliant sparks from the clashing metal almost flew into his eyes.

"Your arm strength isn't what it used to be."

The flames and shockwaves splattered around the two of them, soaking them in the rain.

The firelight illuminated Lu Yuan's sharp features, his silhouette rising and falling in the light. Even the anger reflected in his eyes appeared as a faint, ambiguous smile in the flickering light and shadow.

However, what the general personally felt was a heavy killing intent.

Lu Yuan came here with the intention of killing him.

He was thrown backward by the force.

The series of events that happened tonight was too rapid for him to think calmly, but one thing was certain—the one who was attacking the pass and plotting against the Imperial Clan was Lu Yuan: "As long as I can carry you!"

These words were clearly the most intimate flirting between a man and a woman, but a closer look at the general's eyes revealed only pure killing intent. Lu Yuan wanted his life, and he was certainly not one to sit idly by and wait for death.

The burst of flames caused a significant portion of the reddish-purple fire to be suppressed.

Explosions erupted all around, but what they encountered was not the two men's weapons, but an ambush force that had launched a surprise attack to cut off the reinforcements. The Zongzheng County reinforcements were caught between two fronts, while the ambush force was gaining momentum.

The general realized something was wrong after only a few moves against Lü Yuan.

This ambush force was disguised, but the troops of the Imperial Throne City and Lu Yuan's elite personal guards were not fully integrated, and their fighting styles differed slightly. The general easily discovered that a third force was mixed in with Lu Yuan's ambush force. Considering the direction Lu Yuan emerged from and the fact that he hadn't noticed the ambush beforehand, he easily pinpointed the true identity of the third force—the Imperial Throne City!

"Lv Yuan, you have quite the ambition."

The rain curtain was disrupted by the gust of air, creating a momentary dry patch, which made it easier for him to see that rain-soaked face clearly. The two had indeed had a brief affair many years ago, but she was notoriously fickle and prone to changing her affections, her tastes unpredictable and her tendency to tire of the old quickly was astonishing. Putting that aside, they were generally good friends. He thought he understood Lü Bafeng, but today he realized it was only the tip of the iceberg.

Lu Yuan grinned.

"You're wrong, I feed on ambition."

A tonic, a highly nourishing food.

??(σ???)σ..:*☆

The weather was perfect; this year's Qingming Festival was one of the few sunny days in recent years.