Patrol Captain

As many "wise men" in Sichuan predicted, with the rise of the Northern Liang army and its invasion of Guanzhong, the war intensified, triggering a chain reaction in Sichuan, and demons began to stir on the southwestern front.

On the ninth day after the Northern Liang cavalry broke through the pass, scouts on the southern front, who had penetrated deep into the heartland where the dead creatures roamed, sent back video intelligence. A large number of demons were seen in the misty sea that isolated the Ten Thousand Mountains. The demons were trying to explore and leave the mountains.
At midnight on the tenth day, on the western front at Dingyuan Pass, the Demon Kingdom launched a demonic tide, overwhelming the city and besieging it. A demon king was born, and the defending troops inside the pass fought a bloody battle, suffering countless casualties, turning the place into a battlefield. The people inside the pass were terrified and fled in panic. When the news reached Jin Guan, the people and gentry in the city became increasingly uneasy. On that day, the carriages and horses fleeing north stretched for miles outside the city, including many local officials and their families. Panic spread throughout the city, rumors spread, and the number of people taking the opportunity to cause trouble increased.
On the twelfth day, the city was ordered to be sealed off. The four city garrisons took over the security of Jin Guan, patrolling the streets and arresting those who spread rumors and disturbed the peace. They were severely punished according to the special period laws, and some were beheaded and their heads displayed to the public. Some people used violence to disrupt the order, resulting in the deaths and injuries of more than a hundred soldiers. At the city gate, the crowds who wanted to escape Jin Guan aroused public resentment and clashed with the city gate guards. There were a total of twenty-three incidents, and one hundred and sixty-one people were killed on the spot. A person with great supernatural powers took advantage of the chaos to break through the city gate, laughing wildly as he left, killing and wounding forty-six guards.
On this day, the thirteenth morning after the Northern Liang broke through the pass, the weather on Cloud Peak Mountain was clear and crisp, but the Xuntian Hall was filled with soldiers in full armor, and axemen were lined up in the square.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was as cold and biting as the dead of winter. In the middle of the hall, golden-armored soldiers stood tall, their metal masks gleaming with an inhuman coldness. At their feet, more than twenty people knelt on the ground, bound by cold iron chains, their hands tied behind their backs. They were all trembling, disheveled, and filled with fear.
These people were not ordinary citizens. Some were dressed in green bird-patterned robes, some in military armor, some were local prefects or magistrates, and some were military officers in the army who were supposed to lead troops to support the front lines.
They are now bound here. Some wanted to abandon their posts and flee Chengdu with their families, while others received urgent orders to support the western front, which was in dire need of fighting and to hold back the breach in the demonic tide. However, they deserted along the way.
Fleeing in the face of battle is a major taboo, especially for these leading civil and military officials.

Having been brought here, they only have one path to face!

"Imperial Preceptor, spare my life!"

"My lord, spare my life! I was flustered and acted rashly!"

"."

Faced with the suffocating atmosphere of the main hall, these people felt a deep fear, and were filled with trepidation. They kept kowtowing and begging for mercy, some even crying.

Meanwhile, seated at the head of the table, the Imperial Preceptor Helian Shan, who had aged considerably in recent days, sat with particularly alarming bloodshot eyes. He resembled a frail, old beast, yet still struggling, his voice hoarse and even laced with gritted teeth.
"You are fed by the emperor, bear his worries, and are entrusted by the people. You should protect them. You are favored by the emperor and wear official robes. You should be the last line of defense to protect the land and the people. But now, when war is raging, you have abandoned your armor like worn-out shoes, abandoned the people to fire and water, your legs go weak at the sound of the enemy and you flee like rats at the sight of swords. Now, the soldiers on the front lines are fighting bloody battles and the dead are countless, but you are deserting your posts."

"Smack!"

He slammed his hand on the chair, like the sound of a gavel, and his eyes snapped open, the bloodshot veins in the whites of his eyes seeming to want to devour someone.
"Deserves to be killed!"

"Strip them of their official armor, imprison their souls, drag them away and execute them!"

Like the roar of an old lion, the armored soldiers standing in front of the palace immediately became like tigers and wolves, grabbing at the criminal officials one by one with their large hands, scaring the criminal officials below out of their wits.

A magistrate of the southern city was being held by the arms by two soldiers of the Heavenly Army. His official hat had already fallen off, and his gray hair was disheveled and plastered to his face. His green official robe, adorned with flying birds, had been roughly torn open, revealing a silk undergarment underneath, and he was being dragged backward. He struggled violently but to no avail; the soldiers' hands on his shoulders were like iron clamps. His fear was amplified infinitely, and his voice trembled with sobs.

"My lord, spare my life! I have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old child at home. Please, my lord, have mercy! Please, my lord, have mercy!"

Before he could finish speaking, another soldier stepped forward, grabbed the collar of his official robe with one hand, and ripped the robe off his body like tearing cloth. Then, he punched the man in the mouth, instantly breaking his teeth, collapsing his nose, and causing blood to flow from his nose and mouth. He was then dragged away like a dead dog.

The official robe that the armored soldier had casually tossed aside landed on the lap of a blue-armored captain in the Dragon Guard. This man was a leading captain in the Dragon Guard, broad-shouldered and burly, but at this moment, he was being held firmly to the ground by two armored soldiers, his armor torn off, his face contorted with fear, struggling to crawl forward, kowtowing to the Imperial Preceptor above, his forehead thumping against the stone slabs.

"Injustice! I've been wronged! I was acting under orders from General Wang and was forced into this situation. I beg Your Excellency, Grand Preceptor, to investigate thoroughly."

Before he could finish speaking, one of the armored soldiers kicked the man in the head, knocking him unconscious. Then, two golden-armored soldiers dragged him by his legs and carried him outside.

And so, amidst cries of alarm, sobs, pleas for mercy, and voices of injustice, these officials were stripped of their official robes by the fierce, armored soldiers and dragged out of the palace.

Once they crossed the threshold of the main hall, the sounds suddenly intensified, like the gates of hell, where passing through meant bloodshed, dismemberment, and certain death.

But no matter how loud the cries and pleas for mercy were, Helian Shan, sitting on the main seat, did not lose the fierce glint in his eyes, nor did he waver in the slightest.

Upon realizing he had no way out, one of the guards' officers, as he was being dragged out of the palace, suddenly became hysterical.

"Grand Preceptor Helian, you send us to our deaths, why don't you go yourself? You're the one who's afraid of death! It's obvious the west can't be defended, yet you're using our soldiers' lives to pay the price. I wanted to escape; dying there isn't worth it. But your misjudgment has left us unable to return to the interior. If Shu falls and the court is in trouble, you'll be the real culprit. You're incompetent against those demons and the Northern Liang rebels, yet you're using your own people as bait. On what grounds? On what grounds?"

The hysterical curses echoed in the hall, causing the eyelids of the officials seated on both sides of the hall to twitch wildly.

"Drag them away!" The commander of the Sky Army, who was in charge of the operation, roared angrily.

On the main seat, Helian Shan's face twitched, his fingers gripping the armrest tightly, and the bloodshot eyes looked ferocious.

Those curses were like resounding slaps to the face of this old minister who had served three dynasties.

Although he knew these were just the resentful words of these people before they died, the fact remained that the situation in Shu was out of control and he was powerless to do anything about his predicament.

"Click"

The armrest of the chair he was holding was broken.

Outside the hall, the executioners raised their broadswords, and with a swift stroke, the cold light of their blades fell, splattering pools of scarlet blood. The pleas for mercy, cries, and curses from outside the hall abruptly ceased, until only deathly silence remained.

Inside the hall, the remaining officials and military officers who witnessed this scene felt a chill run down their spines.

Chaos!

It's all chaos.

The demons haven't even arrived yet, but everyone in Chengdu is already living in fear. Even officials and soldiers are hesitant to fight, and the situation has become a mess. How can we possibly deal with the crisis that is about to unfold?

Everyone knew that even if the Grand Preceptor Helian, who was in charge of the situation, publicly executed a group of officials who fled in fear, it would only be a temporary deterrent. If no solution was found to deal with the impending pressure from both the demons and monsters, the entire city of Chengdu would fall apart.

In this suffocating silence, someone dared to stand up. It was someone standing at the very end of the hall, whose rank and status were insignificant among the officials in the hall.

"This humble general, Gao Yu, a seventh-rank military advisor of the Daofu Division, dares to speak to the Imperial Preceptor: the current situation is extremely urgent. I urge Your Excellency to invite the former Ninth Mountain General back to the mountain to stabilize the situation."

The man who stepped forward was a scholar, around forty years old, with the air of a Confucian general. He had a fair complexion, a three-inch beard, wore a light green armor over a black flowing robe, and a white cloak on his back.

Gao Yu, Registrar of the Provincial Administration Commission!

He raised his hand, bowed, and lowered his head. Now, the original staff of the Fusi were almost all gone. The generals and the few remaining lieutenant generals had all gone to Tianxiong Pass, and the elites of the Ninth Mountain had all left and had not returned. In this hall, there were only a few people left in the Fusi, and they could not speak.

But given the current situation, with the entire government in chaos, even though I am insignificant and have little influence, I must stand up and say something.

Upon hearing this, gasps of astonishment filled the hall.

At this time, to dare to mention General Chen is tantamount to courting death.
Everyone knows that there's General Chen in Shu, a man of extraordinary abilities. But as we've seen recently, General Chen resigned from his post, and the Grand Preceptor tried several times to persuade him to stay, but to no avail. He lost face, and last time, the Grand Preceptor even flew into a rage. Isn't this military advisor adding fuel to the fire at this time, publicly humiliating the Grand Preceptor Helian?

Damn it!
Sure enough, on the main seat, the horrified Grand Preceptor Helian turned his gaze to Gao Yu, his eyes rolling with an imposing aura.

Just as everyone in the hall held their breath, Helian Shan uttered only one sentence.
"It's gone!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Helian Shan's figure disappeared from the main seat.

Seeing this, the people in the hall looked at each other, and the tension in their chests slowly subsided. They looked tired and said nothing, but gradually dispersed silently.

Upon exiting the hall, they saw decapitated corpses scattered across the square, along with crimson bloodstains on the ground. A chill ran through them, their expressions suddenly turned somber, their eyes filled with bewilderment as they shook their heads and sighed.

What should we do now?

Inside the main hall, Gao Yu withdrew his hand. The officials around him walked past him, showing no interest in or concern for this lowly seventh-rank military advisor.

Only one official, with his hands behind his back and wearing a scarlet robe, passed by, and a pair of eyes gave him a cold glance.

"Watch your mouth from now on, and don't say things you shouldn't. How can you, such insignificant people, have the right to interfere in important matters of the court!" With that, his face darkened, he snorted coldly, flicked his wide sleeves, creating a gust of wind that pushed Gao Yu aside, and led several officials from the capital away from the main hall.

This man, with his unfriendly tone and domineering manner, was none other than Fang La, the Imperial Censor!
Gao Yu's face paled slightly, and he was blown back a few steps by the wind, when a large hand braced against his back.

"Brother Gao, are you alright?" a voice asked with concern in Gao Yu's ear.

A fierce-looking general with a dark face, bushy beard, thick eyebrows, and bushy sideburns, wearing an official robe with a beast-patterned belt, and a large belly and thick waist, helped Gao Yu up.

It was Fan Chou, a fellow soldier who had also served in the military!

"It's nothing, thank you, Brother Fan." Gao Yu shook his head, his face slightly pale from being shaken by Fang La's aura, but his eyes remained sharp.

"Alas, what Brother Gao just said is also what I was thinking. Seeing our Fusi Commandery being abandoned, killed, or scattered, it is heartbreaking. But I don't have the courage to speak up like Brother Gao. If only General Chen could do it." Fan Chou sighed with a sorrowful expression.

Back in the Ninth Mountain, Chen Yuan was the pillar of the Fusi. Even when the situation was perilous, everyone worked together as one and won one triumphant battle after another.

But now things have changed, leaving him with countless sorrows and nowhere to vent them.

Gao Yu shook his head, "It's a pity that we are too insignificant to rise to such a high position."

"Let's go!"

The two could only leave the main hall with heavy hearts.

Meanwhile, in a room behind the main hall, the vanished Helian Shan, his eyes bloodshot, revealed endless exhaustion.

The curses that had just been heard in the hall seemed to echo in my ears.

His voice was hoarse, as if his throat hadn't drunk water in a long time; it had become dry and hoarse.
"Leishan!"

Soon, a bolt of lightning crackled and struck the room, from which stepped the Thunder God with thunderous wings on his back.

The extraordinary man, known as Thunder God, bowed slightly and said, "My lord!"

Helian Shan's reddened eyes rolled toward him, "What is His Majesty's reply?"

The Thunder God, a strange and powerful figure, had his eyes, as black as bronze paint, drooping downwards, avoiding eye contact with the now-unwell Imperial Advisor.

"His Majesty wants you to... persevere a little longer!"

Upon hearing this, Helian Shan's face seemed to drain of all its strength, visibly aging, with deep wrinkles forming deep folds.
"persist in?"

“I can hold on, but the Shu region is now surrounded by demons from two sides. The western front is being filled with lives, and it will be breached sooner or later. Can’t Your Majesty see that?”

“I don’t care about being infamous, but if we delay even a second, the lives of hundreds and thousands of soldiers and civilians will be lost.”

How could I, an old man, remain unmoved?

At this point, Helian Shan's tone suddenly became urgent, "Will His Majesty issue the decree or not?"

The Thunder God was intimidated by this aura; his tall figure seemed to shrink, and his voice became hesitant.
"Please calm down, my lord. His Majesty must be extremely troubled by the affairs of Northern Liang."

Helian Shan abruptly interrupted, his crimson eyes fixed on the imperial messenger.

"You're not telling the truth; it seems His Majesty won't allow it!"

Lei Gong Yiren remained silent.

Helian Shan's expression changed rapidly, and he shouted, "Foolish! The country is already in grave danger, and he's still playing games with imperial tactics!"

He suddenly stood up, startling Lei Gong.

"What are you doing, sir?"

"To Qingshan County!" (End of Chapter)