Chapter 77: The Great Host at the Gates

Qian Ye suddenly stopped, and the feeling of being tracked that had persisted until this moment vanished. He frowned, a hint of frustration in his heart: “How could they be so impatient?”

In the wilderness, it was common for hunters to spend several days tracking their prey. In this hunting game, Qian Ye had deliberately exposed himself several times, but the opponents had not taken the bait, indicating that they too were master hunters. What worried Qian Ye was the possibility of other hidden strongmen lurking beyond the two he was aware of. If it were just the two of them, with the Dongyue in hand, Qian Ye could unleash his full power, making the knight realize that the so-called “unbreakable shield” was nothing but bragging.

Regardless, shaking off the pursuers behind him brought a sense of relief. Qian Ye had been looking for the best opportunity to counterattack, which is why he had prolonged the situation. After all, this was a war of hire; unless absolutely necessary, Qian Ye did not wish to get injured or take too many risks.

His recent achievements, added together, were worth at least one dream-eating worm, which was already a fair return to Su Dingqian, considering the war had just begun.

However, for the rest of the day, apart from catching two isolated enemy soldiers, Qian Ye didn’t encounter any decent teams or lone strongmen. The battlefield suddenly became unusually quiet, as if life had never existed there.

Any veteran soldier who had experienced the battlefield knew that such an eerie silence was not a good sign. Qian Ye ceased his wandering, choosing a spot with a good vantage point to hide and observe, waiting for the changes to come.

The change came at dawn.

Qian Ye, who had been sitting calmly, was suddenly startled by the vibration of the earth. The tremors were subtle and rhythmic. As an experienced hunter, Qian Ye judged that the source was about ten kilometers away. The fact that the vibrations could travel such a distance made his heart tighten.

The trembling gradually increased, indicating that the source was getting closer. Qian Ye remained motionless, concealing his aura to the extreme. At this time, perhaps the opponent’s strongmen would soon appear on the battlefield, or a transcendent true strongman might have already descended, scanning the land. Being discovered at this moment would not bode well.

As the tremors intensified, a row of dark figures broke through the night’s mist on the horizon, appearing in Qian Ye’s field of vision.

These were a group of warriors clad in heavy armor, marching in perfect unison toward the direction of Lingang City. These warriors were exceptionally tall, each standing three meters high, with human-like upper bodies and short, stout insect-like lower bodies. They resembled spider demons, but instead of eight segmented legs, they had four thick elephant-like legs supporting their lower bodies.

Each warrior carried uniformly heavy weapons, moving forward like machines, maintaining a constant speed.

After one row, another followed, and in no time, thousands of heavily armored warriors appeared before Qian Ye, with more emerging from the mist, seemingly endless.

Qian Ye even doubted whether they were living beings or machines. Even if they were mechanical puppets, they couldn’t move so perfectly synchronized.

A long, resonant roar echoed from afar, reverberating across the wilderness. A behemoth, tens of meters tall, appeared on the horizon, walking step by step, also heading toward Lingang City. Its steps were slow, yet each stride covered more than ten meters, making its speed not slow.

On the back of the behemoth, armor was laid out, and fortifications were built, clearly indicating it was a tamed war beast.

The behemoth was not alone; two more emerged from the morning mist.

Behind the behemoths, dense armies followed. Each step of the behemoths shook the earth, causing the cargo trucks to bounce and sway. The transport trucks stubbornly followed the behemoths, with some soldiers unable to bear the rough ride, opting to follow on foot.

Qian Ye looked up at the sky, and indeed, a fleet of enormous airships appeared. These were not new warships but bulky cargo airships. This was precisely what made them terrifying, as cargo airships could transport a large amount of equipment and troops.

On the ground and in the sky, a torrent of flesh and steel surged forward, targeting Lingang City. This massive army marched through the night without rest, likely reaching Lingang City within a day. Lingang City might still be unaware of the impending doom.

Qian Ye’s face turned grim. He had envisioned various scenarios, even the worst-case scenario, but he never imagined such a formidable army.

In an instant, Qian Ye had a thought: Lingang City couldn’t hold out.

Whether Lingang City could hold out or not, Qian Ye wasn’t particularly concerned, as long as he did his best and earned his pay. But Nighteye and Zhujī were still in Lingang City. If the city fell, anything could happen in the chaos. Qian Ye didn’t linger, quietly rising and quickly heading toward Lingang City.

If there was even a day to prepare, the situation in Lingang City would be much better. Su Dingqian could at least withdraw his main forces from the city, trading space for time. In the Neutral Lands, as long as there were strongmen and troops, acquiring territory wouldn’t be a problem.

As for the city’s civilians, it didn’t matter who ruled them; they just needed to live their lives, for better or worse.

Within a short distance of a hundred kilometers, Qian Ye saw Lingang City. The city was in chaos, with many people fleeing with their families and belongings, scattering in all directions.

Seeing this, Qian Ye realized the city had already received news of the approaching army, and he felt slightly relieved. Some civilians had already evacuated earlier, and this large-scale exodus clearly indicated they knew the enemy was closing in.

Many people fled, but more chose to stay. Most had faith in Su Dingqian, as he had protected the city for years. A god-general was a divine presence in the Neutral Lands.

Qian Ye entered Lingang City and headed home first.

The courtyard was like a tranquil spring lake, serene and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Zhujī was sleeping in the room, while Nighteye was reading in the yard, though the book in her hand had changed from the Imperial History to a geographical and cultural guide of the Neutral Lands.

When he saw Nighteye, Qian Ye felt a moment of disorientation, as if something about her had changed. But the feeling was fleeting, and upon closer inspection, she was still the same, even if her mask hid her features, it couldn’t conceal her grace and poise.

“What, are you entranced?” Nighteye laughed softly.

“Nothing,” Qian Ye dismissed the strange feeling, saying, “There’s some bad news. The enemy army is extremely powerful, and Lingang City can’t withstand it. I need to inform the city guards to prepare. You should pack and get ready to take Zhujī away.”

“And you?”

“I promised Su Dingqian to help defend the city, so I’ll stay. Don’t worry about me; if things go south, I can escape. But you should leave with Zhujī and find a safe place to hide. I’ll come find you.”

Nighteye smiled, saying, “A safe place? Is there any truly safe place in the Neutral Lands?”

Qian Ye thought for a moment, then said, “What about Spider Emperor’s territory? It’s relatively stable, and many humans live there.”

Nighteye shook her head, saying, “No, I’ll stay. If we’re together, we can escape even a god-general.”

Qian Ye pondered briefly, then said, “Alright, but try not to leave the courtyard and avoid getting involved in the battle.”

Hiding Nighteye, who was as powerful as Qian Ye, was a trump card. Whether in direct combat or stealth attacks, she was an expert, and would definitely surprise the enemy if they were unaware.

Qian Ye left hastily, heading to the headquarters of the city guards. In truth, he wanted to stay to secure the two additional dream-eating worms promised by Su Dingqian.

After Qian Ye left, Nighteye’s lips curved into a mysterious smile.

In the operations room, Su Dingqian stood with his hands behind his back, his face grim. In front of him, Liu Daoming, Su Yueyuan, and several city guard generals were gathered, all wearing worried expressions.

“What do you think we should do now?” Su Dingqian asked.

The others exchanged glances, all looking troubled. Finally, Liu Daoming stood up and said, “Sir, the best course of action is to leave Lingang City.”

“Leave? I’ve never left since I arrived here!” Su Dingqian’s voice contained a hint of thunder.

However, Liu Daoming, who had a deep relationship with Su Dingqian, continued, “Sir, the only valuable thing in Lingang City is the dragon. There’s nothing else worth much, just burdens. As long as you are here, and we are with you, a city can always be retaken.”

Su Dingqian frowned, remaining silent. Su Yueyuan chimed in, “Father, with such a scale of military force, it must be that the three families have united. We have no way to resist. Let them have this place for now, and once they lose their target, they might turn on each other.”

Su Dingqian snorted, saying, “Foolish! We don’t know how they united, and how can you be sure they will fight among themselves after taking Lingang City?”

Su Dingqian’s eyes flickered, his mind struggling. Liu Daoming could see he was hesitant about whether to fight a decisive battle. Among the god-generals, Su Dingqian was known for his strong combat ability, even though his original force cultivation was average. Even against a massive enemy army, he was confident he could retreat after a battle. However, the issue was that, after the battle, aside from a few high-ranking strongmen like Liu Daoming, most of the others would likely perish.

For someone like Su Dingqian, the only consideration was gain and loss, not casualties. In the Neutral Lands, there were plenty of followers and strongmen willing to attach themselves to a king, and they were not lacking.

Liu Daoming, growing anxious, thought for a moment and said, “Sir, maybe they came for the dragon.”

“The dragon!” Su Dingqian suddenly realized. He had always been in Lingang City and never thought about the dragon, so he hadn’t considered this aspect. With Liu Daoming’s reminder, he sneered, “Their ambitions are truly grand!”