The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

As the two walked out of the courtyard gate, Qin Jiaojiao chased after them and called out.

"Dad, come home for dinner soon!"

Wang Longtou waved his hand without turning around.

"Father knows."

Inside the Imperial Study of the Great Qian Palace.

Murong Yuan stood before a huge map, his expression solemn.

Murong Hao also stood to the side, holding a newly delivered military report in his hand, his brows furrowed with an unusual seriousness.

When Wang Long pushed the door open and entered, Murong Yuan immediately turned around.

"Wang Long, you've come at the perfect time!"

Tiny spatial rifts began to appear in various parts of the Eastern Region.

At first, there were only tiny marks, like cracks quietly spreading on the surface of porcelain, which were almost imperceptible unless you looked closely.

But those cracks are widening little by little.

The first crack appeared on a barren mountain thirty miles outside Qingzhou City.

It was midday, and the sun was blazing. Several villagers who were gathering herbs saw with their own eyes that the sky looked as if something had torn a hole in it from the inside.

A dark red light leaked out from the crack, and then a giant beast covered in dark red scales squeezed out of the fissure, its landing causing the entire mountain to tremble slightly.

Those men ran desperately back to the county town to report the news. By the time the county government arrived with the garrison, half the houses in the village had already been trampled to the ground.

Broken farm tools and pieces of clothing were scattered on the ground, and a pungent, fishy stench filled the air.

Three days later, a second rift appeared over a small border town in the North.

This time, the number of monsters pouring out of the crack was several times greater than the first time. They swarmed out like locusts, leveling the entire town.

When the news reached the capital, Murong Yuan's face was so dark it could drip water.

"News from the Eastern Region indicates that similar incidents have occurred in various states. The most severe cases are in several counties in Pingzhou, where tens of thousands of people have reportedly been massacred. By the time the nearby garrison arrived, the entire county had been reduced to ruins, and not a single intact corpse could be found."

He paused, then placed a letter bearing the emblem of Tianque City on the table.

"Tianque City has also confirmed this. City Lord Song has ordered the formation of a demon-hunting team, led by top experts from various regions, specifically to eliminate the demonic beasts emerging from the rifts. Any cultivator participating in the demon-hunting can exchange for corresponding rewards based on the number of demonic beasts they slay."

After reading the letter, Wang Long remained silent for a moment.

He raised his head and looked at Murong Yuan.

"Any unusual activity on the border of the Great Qian Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Yuan's expression became complicated.

"I was just about to tell you this. Just yesterday, scouts from the northern border sent an urgent report that a huge spatial rift had appeared on the border. It is roughly estimated to be about a hundred feet in size, and a dark mass of demonic beasts is pouring out of it. Their numbers... are probably in the tens of thousands."

"The Northern Guard has already taken up positions, but as you know, those ordinary soldiers are only capable of dealing with low-level magical beasts. Once high-level magical beasts appear, it's a one-sided massacre."

Wang Long suddenly stood up.

"I'll go take a look!"

Ye Niannu stood up immediately and grasped the hilt of the sword at her waist.

"I'll stay with you!"

Wang Long did not refuse and turned to look at Murong Yuan.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not allow anything to happen to the Great Qian!"

Murong Yuan nodded emphatically.

"Wang Long, thank you for your hard work!"

Wang Long smiled and shook his head. This was also his hometown, and it was his duty to protect it!

A moment later, Xiao Qiu's golden figure soared into the sky again, speeding towards the northern border.

The wind whistled in his ears as Wang Long stood on Xiao Qiu's broad back, his gaze coldly fixed on the distant horizon shrouded in gray-black clouds.

The northern border of the Great Qian Dynasty, Canglang Pass.

This important border town has now been transformed into a battlefield.

On the city walls, beneath the city gates, and on the plains outside the passes, the figures of surging monsters were everywhere.

They vary in size, ranging from gray wolves that are half a person tall to giant bears that are several meters tall, and are a mixed species.

They all charged toward the pass with an almost fanatical ferocity, one after another.

On the city walls, the defenders formed a dense battle formation, their shields and spears crisscrossing into a steel jungle, pushing back the monsters that tried to climb the walls time and time again.

Some people had their shields torn apart by the monster's claws and were thrown off the city wall along with their shields.

They fell into the surging tide of beasts below and were drowned out before they could even scream.

Someone was struck in the chest by a giant beast's paw, sent flying backward, crashing into a pillar of the city wall, spitting out blood.

He struggled to his feet and gripped the spear tightly once more.

The garrison commander stood atop the highest point of the city wall, his body covered in blood, his long sword bearing several nicks, yet his gaze remained as steady as iron.

He gazed at the dark, surging tide of beasts below, then glanced back at the orderly retreating civilians within the city. Gritting his teeth, he roared hoarsely.

"Hold on! Hold out for another half hour! The people haven't all been evacuated yet!"

"General! A crack has appeared in the north city wall!"

A messenger covered in blood stumbled up the city wall, his voice hoarse.

The commander turned around abruptly, his gaze falling on the section of the city wall to the north that was being rammed by dozens of giant beasts at the same time.

Several obvious cracks have appeared in the wall, and gravel is constantly falling from the cracks.

He took a deep breath and gripped the nicked longsword in his hand tightly.

"Follow me and plug that gap!"

Before the words were finished, a dull thud came from the north city wall, and that section of the wall finally gave way and collapsed.

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, dozens of demonic beasts roared excitedly as they surged wildly through the breach.

The defenders did not retreat; they surged toward the breach like a tide, using their bodies, shields, and spears.

They built a solid line of flesh and blood, keeping the demonic beasts firmly outside the breach.

A young soldier had his left arm bitten by a monster. He gritted his teeth and plunged the dagger in his other hand into the monster's throat.

The monster opened its mouth in pain and staggered back half a step. Its left arm was already a bloody mess, but it still did not retreat.

Behind him, a younger soldier trembled as he raised his spear, his voice filled with fear, yet he did not retreat an inch.

"Kill...kill them!"

Just as the defensive line was about to be completely breached, a golden light suddenly shone in the sky.

The light, which was initially just a small dot on the horizon, transformed in the blink of an eye into a colossal golden shadow that blotted out the sky, swooping down from the heavens with intense wind pressure.

A clear and melodious cry resounded throughout the heavens and earth, like a great bell, causing the surging tide of beasts below to pause in unison.

The monsters that were frantically attacking the breach suddenly froze as if something had pressed down on the back of their necks, and their bodies began to tremble involuntarily.

Immediately afterwards, golden flames descended from the sky, precisely sweeping across the ground in front of the gap, instantly turning dozens of magical beasts in that area to ashes like a plow.

The defenders at the breach were stunned.

They looked up and saw a gray figure leap down from the back of the giant golden bird, its robes fluttering in the wind, its body enveloped in a warm golden light.

The moment Wang Long landed, he raised his hand, and nine golden sword lights shot out from behind him, transforming into nine streams of light.

It drew nine sharp arcs in the air, sweeping past the surging tide of beasts outside the city wall.