Throne of Gods: Divine thunder descends, and the Qilin descends upon the world!

Chapter 21: Promise, City Defense, and a Demon-Hunting Team Like Hungry Wolves
(Thanks to the young master of the Ye family for the reward!)
...

"You...you actually!"

Lan Yanyu's pupils suddenly contracted, her face drained of color instantly, and her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched involuntarily.

Cai'er slowly straightened up, her voice as cold as ice: "What happened between us?"

"How could you... You're still just a child!" Lan Yanyu's magical power fluctuated violently.

As she watched her fourteen-year-old daughter being held in the arms of a young man, her chest heaved violently.

Cai'er quickly grabbed the veil from the bedside and put it on, then nimbly rolled over to block Yuehui's path.

The bamboo staff slammed heavily on the ground, making a dull thud.

"This is a military camp, a heavily guarded area." She said each word clearly, her voice carrying a chilling coldness. "You are neither the officer on duty nor my guardian. Please leave immediately!"

The temperature inside the barracks suddenly dropped, and Lan Yanyu suddenly raised her hand and shot a sharp ice spike straight at Yuehui's face.

"Thunder Shield·Yu!"

Purple lightning instantly intertwined into a net, precisely intercepting the incoming ice spikes.

Yuehui slowly got out of bed and stood still, her voice carrying a restrained chill:
“Aunt, I have been lenient with you because I respect you as Cai’er’s mother. If you insist on taking action,” lightning flickered at his fingertips, “then don’t blame me for being impolite.”

Although he could understand the parents' fury at seeing their daughter being held in the arms of a strange man, the murderous intent had crossed his bottom line.

He never expected that the entire Sheng family could be so eccentric, with rules no less strict than those of the Long family.

"You!" Lan Yanyu was about to lash out when Cai'er drew her dark gold dagger and pressed it against her heart.

The girl's voice was chillingly cold:
"If you dare touch him, I'll kill you."

Lan Yanyu stared in disbelief at the sharp blade pressed against her chest: "Cai'er, I'm your mother."

"Mom?" Cai'er sneered, "Where were you when I was thrown into a cold cave for seven days and seven nights? Where were you when I was paralyzed in bed for two years?"

The dagger moved closer, another half-inch. "I've had no parents since I was thrown into the cave!"

The anger on Lan Yanyu's face vanished instantly, leaving only a deathly pallor: "In your heart... I'm not even as good as an outsider?"

"Watch your words!" Cai'er's voice suddenly rose. "The moonlight gave me warmth and a sense of security, promising to protect me for life. And you?"

"My memories of the past fourteen years are filled with nothing but cultivation, loneliness, and coldness—not my parents!"

"Go, and don't ever show your face again." Cai'er sheathed her dagger, her voice eerily calm. "I made my decision the day I came out of seclusion—I am an orphan."

Lan Yanyu staggered backward, her face ashen.

She finally broke down in tears and ran out of the door.

“Cai’er”.

Moonlight gently embraced her, his palm softly patting her slightly trembling back.

He could clearly feel the turbulent emotions of the girl in his arms, like a small boat in a storm.

Cai'er buried her face deep in Yuehui's chest, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist: "I won't cry for her in that cave, my tears have long since dried up."

Her voice was muffled, but it couldn't hide the dampness coming from the fabric of Yuehui's chest.

"Dang——dang——dang——"

The silence was suddenly shattered by a rapid clanging of metal, followed by a flurry of footsteps and shouts from outside.

"It's a military assembly order," Han Yu said in a deep voice.

Everyone looked at Cai'er in Yuehui's arms without prior arrangement.

The girl had already raised her head, and apart from her slightly reddened eyes, her face showed no emotion whatsoever.

"I'm fine," she said calmly. "Let's go to the assembly point."

Moonlight lowered its head and placed a kiss on her smooth forehead: "Remember, I will always be by your side!"

"Mmm." Cai'er nodded gently and took his hand.

Her slender fingers firmly interlocked with his, as if this were her whole world.

……

Outside the barracks, soldiers were rapidly assembling.

Zhang Hairong stood fully armed in the center of the open space, his entire body covered in heavy plate armor, each hand holding a gleaming battle axe. "Report! Seven men in the personal guard squad..." Yuehui suddenly changed his address, "No, it should be eight reporting to you!" He gave a crisp military salute.

"Eight people?" Zhang Hairong was taken aback, then saw Gao Yingjie rushing over.

The sudden appearance of this seventh-tier paladin, the leader of the No. 1 Demon Hunter Team, greatly surprised him.

"Sir Knight, what brings you here?" Zhang Hairong asked, unable to hide his surprise.

"As the commander's guardian knight, I naturally have to go into battle with him," Gao Yingjie said firmly.

Zhang Hairong stared wide-eyed, speechless for a moment.

A seventh-tier paladin becomes a guardian knight for a warrior-level demon hunter group?

Am I still asleep, or are you still asleep?

"Battalion Commander?" Yuehui's call brought him back to his senses.

Looking at the soldiers lined up, Zhang Hairong suppressed his doubts and loudly ordered, "Never mind, all of you, follow me to kill the enemy!"

"As ordered!"

...

Led by Zhang Hairong, the group quickly climbed the city wall steps to the top of the exorcism city.

The sounds of fighting on the city walls were deafening, a cacophony of clashing weapons, roars, and screams.

Zhang Hairong gripped both axes in his left hand and grabbed a soldier who was carrying rolling stones: "Where is your battalion commander?"

"We're at the front lines defending against the enemy!" the soldier hurriedly replied.

"Alright! Go and inform your battalion commander that the First Battalion has come to relieve us! Tell the brothers to go and rest; we'll take care of these demon bastards!"

Zhang Hairong turned around and roared, "First Battalion, fight me!"

Having said that, he brandished his double axes and charged toward the city wall.

As Yuehui watched Zhang Hairong's retreating figure, she inexplicably thought of a certain legendary regimental commander.

[Second Battalion Commander, where's your Italian cannon?!]

As personal guards, the No. 1 Demon Hunter Squad quickly dispersed around Zhang Hairong to form a protective formation.

On the hundred-meter-wide city wall, demons surged in like a tide, and the front line was already littered with flying blood and flesh.

"Brothers of the Sixth Battalion, retreat! First Battalion, take over!" Zhang Hairong roared, and with one axe, he cleaved the Zelin tribe's double-sword demon who had leaped onto the city wall in two.

His double axes flew like a meat grinder, and any demons who tried to climb the city were cleaved in two.

The soldiers of the battalion were well-trained and divided into two teams: one team took over the defense line, and the other team assisted in the evacuation of the wounded.

The entire process was smooth and efficient, and the change of guard was completed in just twenty breaths.

"Haochen, Hanyu, team leader, apply buffs!" Yuehui gave the order.

In an instant, six dazzling halos bloomed atop the city wall:

Long Haochen's spirit-gathering halo and the Holy Spirit's protection intertwined to form a golden light curtain.
Han Yu's aura of courage and blessing of protection rippled with crimson light.
Gao Yingjie's divine halo and radiant protection showered down a holy rain of light.

Soldiers from the first battalion within a 20-meter radius simultaneously let out a satisfied inhale.

Zhang Hairong gripped his battle axe, feeling the surging power within him: "That feels great!"

"Yuanyuan, protect Ying'er; Hanyu, watch over Lu Xi; Haochen and the team leader can do whatever they want," Yuehui said quickly. "Cai'er, you're in charge of finishing off the enemy!"

"understand!"

The group instantly dispersed and launched an attack like efficient killing machines.

Long Haochen switched to punishment mode with a turn of his sword, and the two swords emitted a dazzling white light. Each slash accurately took the life of a Zelin Twin Blade Demon.

The sacred fire in Gao Yingjie's hands surged, each golden flame capable of wiping out a section of demons.

Wang Yuanyuan was even more ferocious, leaping directly onto the battlements. The Giant Spirit God's Shield swept across with a whistling sound, sending demons flying off the city walls wherever it passed.

In the blink of an eye, not a single dual-wielding mage could break through the section of the city wall they were defending!

(End of this chapter)