Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 203: Chapter 141: Raging Tide

”General, demons have appeared outside the city. Are you sure we’re not sending men to the Outer City?”

An officer of the City Defense Army, clad in armor and carrying a blade, stood on the wall of the Inner City. He gazed toward the Outer City’s ramparts and asked in a low voice.

”There’s no need.”

The general was Xie Zuowen, General of the Wuling City Defense Army.

Not counting the Taiping Bureau, his power in Wuling City was second only to the City Lord himself.

In the Inner City, the Xie Family’s influence was second only to the Luo Family.

”The Outer City was designed from the very beginning to one day serve as a buffer against a demon uprising,” Xie Zuowen said, his face expressionless.

A demon uprising, especially when it escalated into a Demon Tide, was a terrifying event.

Countless cities had been annihilated by Demon Tides throughout history.

From the moment it was designed, Wuling City’s Outer City was meant to be sacrificed.

In the event of a Demon Tide, the Outer City would bear the brunt of the demons’ initial assault.

If the Outer City managed to hold, that would be ideal. But if it fell, it would have at least worn down the demons, weakening their assault. That would make it much easier for the Inner City to mount a defense.

As for the lives of the people in the Outer City... well, defending against a Demon Tide always came at a price.

”But we only left a single squad of the City Defense Army in the Outer City. Can they, along with that ragtag mob the Taiping Captain scraped together, really hold the line?” the officer asked.

”Whether they can hold the line or not, what does that have to do with us?” Xie Zuowen sneered. ”The Taiping Captain is the one in charge. Even if the Outer City is lost, the blame will fall on that Su Mu.

”He’s still wet behind the ears and utterly unreliable. A mud-leg who thinks that just because he has a little talent and got lucky enough to become a Taiping Captain, he’s some kind of great, world-saving hero.

”Since he volunteered to handle the defense of the Outer City, we’ll let him.

”If he manages to hold on, it’ll be a stroke of luck. If he fails, the responsibility will lie with the Taiping Bureau. No matter what, none of the blame can be pinned on my City Defense Army.”

Xie Zuowen looked down at the wide moat below, sneering inwardly.

’That Su Mu is close to the Luo Family. If he wants to play the hero, then let him have his fill.’

......

Outside Wuling City, several Taiping Captains were sprinting for their lives, constantly striking down the demons chasing them.

They had already made it out of the Daxing Mountain Range. They just had to cross the ten-plus li of open plains ahead to reach Wuling City. The farmlands just outside were already in sight, and the walls of the Outer City were faintly visible.

They all breathed a sigh of relief.

’We finally made it out.’

’The demon uprising was terrifying.’

Even as Taiping Captains, they had never seen so many demons.

”Push on! Only when we’re back in the city can we use the walls to mount a defense. If the demonic assault catches us on these open plains, we’re all dead,” one of the Taiping Captains said, gasping for breath.

Behind them, a dragon of dust and smoke billowed into the sky, and the very earth trembled.

It was the sound of countless demons on the run.

And they were running right in their direction.

”I have no idea what happened deep in the Daxing Mountain Range to make so many demons flee the mountains in a panic,” another Taiping Captain commented, and with a SWISH of his blade, he slew a demon that had caught up to him.

”Whatever happened, the fact is that a Demon Tide has begun,” a female Taiping Captain said.

She was beautiful, with an exceptional figure—it was none other than Zhang Chenchen.

”Based on our observations, the intensity of this Demon Tide has reached at least Tier Five.”

Zhang Chenchen’s face was etched with worry. ’At a time like this, the Governor has gone to the Headquarters. Can Wuling City possibly hold out?’

The intensity of a Demon Tide was ranked from Tier One to Tier Twelve, with the higher number indicating greater strength.

There was a saying in the Da Xuan Dynasty: Tier Five destroys a county; Tier Seven, a city; Tier Nine, a dynasty; Tier Twelve, the world.

In all of recorded history, a Tier Twelve Demon Tide had never once occurred. Tier Nine Demon Tides, however, had broken out several times, and each time, they were followed by the fall of a dynasty.

Since the founding of the Da Xuan Dynasty, there had never been a Tier Nine Demon Tide, though there had been two Tier Seven Demon Tides.

Those two Tier Seven Demon Tides led to the destruction of two major cities, and the Taiping Bureau had to expend immense effort to finally suppress them.

Generally speaking, Demon Tides of Tier Five or higher were already quite rare.

The most dire crisis in Wuling City’s history had been a mere Tier Four Demon Tide. At that time, the Governor of the Wuling City Taiping Bureau was still Zhao Jinglei.

A Tier Four Demon Tide consisted of no more than three thousand demons, led by one or two Tier Three Demons.

A Tier Five Demon Tide involves over five thousand demons, led by three or four Tier Three Demons, and contains no Tier Four Demons.

”Thankfully, it’s only Tier Five. A Tier Five Demon Tide has no Tier Four Demons, so Wuling City’s walls should barely be able to hold. A Tier Four Demon could tear through our walls with ease,” a Taiping Captain said. ”But the Outer City is definitely a lost cause. Against a Tier Five Demon Tide, we’ll be fortunate to defend the Inner City.”

The words had barely left his mouth when he cursed loudly.

The demons behind them had suddenly accelerated, surging forward like a tidal wave and instantly engulfing the small group of Taiping Captains.

......

Su Mu arrived on the wall of the South City District.

Compared to the walls of the Inner City, the Outer City’s walls were shorter and thinner.

Even the moat outside was not as wide as the one protecting the Inner City.

However, compared to the ancient city walls of his previous life, even these Outer City walls were far more magnificent.

”Captain!”

Chen Song and the others bowed.

Su Mu waved his hand, dismissing the formality. ”What’s the situation now?”

He asked, getting straight to the point.

”Demons have been spotted over there. They’re surrounding a few of the Taiping Captains.”