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墨書 Inktalez
As they approached the city gate, Chen Rui whispered to the Cavalry Captain, "This is where I can help you."
With that, before the Cavalry Captain could react, he slipped away with Lovisah into the ranks of soldiers behind them, disappearing from sight in an instant.
Li Xue watched in panic as Chen Rui suddenly vanished. She wanted to rush into the ranks to find him but was pulled back by the Cavalry Captain.
"We're entering the city now. It's not convenient for him to show himself. After we get inside, you can look for him, but you can't go after him right now."
If Chen Rui had entered the city as a High Elf leading them, it would have been seen as relying on the power of the Elves to survive. However, if a Tang warrior led them into the city, it would greatly encourage both the military and civilians within: Tang had not abandoned them; Tang still had the strength to fight.
Upon seeing the newcomers, the guards were so excited that they hesitated to open the gates. They quickly reported to General Wang Wei at the West City Wall. General Wang Wei personally led a team to open the East Gate and welcome the warriors.
They had expected that hundreds of thousands of troops had repelled the enemy and entered Yongyang, but seeing only a thousand people enter dampened the enthusiasm of Yongyang's military and civilians by half.
Wang Wei looked at those who hung their heads in despair and shouted, "What do you understand? The fact that Eternal Peace can still arrange troops to come to our aid and break through enemy blockades to enter Yongyang means something! If Eternal Peace can send a thousand men now, then in the future they can surely send thousands or tens of thousands more, or even directly crush the enemy!"
Wang Wei forced himself to believe these words, which he knew were unrealistic. Although he didn't know how this thousand had broken through enemy lines, he understood that this was definitely the last batch of reinforcements.
The next moment, the Three Races Alliance would launch a full-scale attack on Yongyang. If they delayed any longer, they would face assaults from Tang's forces across various states and counties. Moreover, the Light Cavalry far in the west would quickly return to Eternal Peace upon receiving news. Therefore, they needed to resolve this swiftly.
Undoubtedly, Wang Wei's words and the aura of these Thousand Warriors greatly encouraged the defenders. Wang Wei smiled wryly at the Cavalry Captain and said, "It's not just you who are exhausted; I predict they will soon launch a full-scale attack."
The Cavalry Captain smiled faintly and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "That's exactly why we're here!"
As everyone followed General Wang Wei up onto the East City Wall, the once timid defenders felt a surge of excitement upon seeing these brave warriors who had crossed enemy lines standing alongside them. Their fear naturally began to dissipate.
For a long time, however, the enemy's movements were completely different from what they had anticipated. Instead of advancing further, they retreated even farther back and began setting up camp, seemingly not intending to attack Yongyang anytime soon.
The afternoon passed without any movement from the Three Races Alliance. Wang Wei knew that his soldiers were extremely fatigued, but he feared that the enemy might seize the moment to attack, so he refrained from ordering a break.
"General Wang, it seems the enemy won't be attacking anytime soon. Why not allow the soldiers to rest for a while?" Yuki Chiba suggested with a smile.
Wang Wei looked at her in confusion. "How do you know that?"
"By observation," Yuki Chiba replied, pointing to her eyes and then gesturing towards the enemy camp in the distance. "They seem to be preparing food, so we should take this opportunity to rest. We can't have our soldiers facing the enemy on empty stomachs."
Wang Wei cast a doubtful glance at Yuki Chiba, but after seeing the Cavalry Captain nodding reassuringly, he felt more at ease. He immediately ordered that only a few soldiers remain on duty at the walls while the others prepared for a meal.
Due to the previous danger of an attack, even the Firehead Army had been stationed on the walls, leaving no one to prepare dinner. However, there was no need to worry about the soldiers going hungry; the Yongyang Commoners had already prepared meals and brought them to the foot of the walls. It was just that without Wang Wei's orders, no one dared to descend from the walls to eat.
In fact, after a day of internal struggle, those Yongyang Commoners who remained in the city had come to accept their dire situation. Yet, as Tang People, they maintained their good character and upbringing. Although they could not contribute directly to defending the city, preparing dinner for the soldiers was not too much trouble.
The hundreds of players received even better treatment. After all, these Warriors had fought their way through Eternal Peace and were treated like saviors. Many residents invited them into their homes for dinner.
Of course, those inviting them were mostly burly men, and their main purpose was not merely to share a meal but rather to urgently marry off their unmarried daughters.
These residents generally believed that these warriors could provide support in battle for Yongyang; even if they could not defend Yongyang City, they could help their daughters escape from enemy encirclement.
Most accepted this goodwill with gratitude since Eternal Peace girls were known for their beauty, and this was a legal form of polygamy! For some of those predefined players, it was akin to making friends within the game.
A few individuals declined this 'kindness' and sought out taverns and restaurants instead. Almost all establishments offered free dinners to these warriors, though there were a few exceptions.
Interestingly enough, these rare exceptions were thriving businesses because they had put up signs stating: "Dining here allows you to summon Elf Doctors and Madams for service." In Tang Dynasty times, male servers in taverns were referred to as "Doctors," implying expertise or mastery, while female servers were called "Madams."
Although many players could roughly guess which elf this was, they still couldn't help but dig into their pockets for a bit of fun. After all, seeing an elf up close was something only the lucky ones or those with high enough ranks could experience.
Sure enough, as soon as they entered the shop, they saw Chen Rui dressed in a round-collared robe made of Shu brocade and Lovisah in a silk dress. Neither of them wore long robes, so their golden hair and pointed ears were clearly visible; they were undoubtedly pure-blooded elves.
Many players teased Chen Rui, asking, "Are you out of money?" "Why are you working here?" "Sir, who has kept you here? I’ll go take care of him right away..."
With so many players being so enthusiastic, Chen Rui naturally smiled widely, repeatedly saying, "Experiencing life, experiencing life. Please come in, gentlemen!"
Most players were satisfied with this response. After all, Chen Rui had a good standing both in the real world and in the Dream Game World, so there was nothing wrong with wanting to experience life.
However, someone like the man before him who was deliberately looking for trouble was not so easily dismissed.
"I had a bad feeling about you earlier. See? I was right," Lovisah said with a mischievous smile as she quickly responded to a customer's call. "I’ll take my leave now; you can have your fun with him."
Chen Rui looked at the burly man before him with a wry smile; he was none other than the Cavalry Captain, the top contender from the semifinals of the Ninth Lower Martial Arts Tournament.
"You all go ahead and order; I’ll have a word with him," Cavalry Captain instructed the other seven brothers to enter the shop first, leaving just himself and Chen Rui at the door.
"So, what’s going on between you and Sister Li? Or what have you done?" Cavalry Captain leaned against the doorframe and asked with a grin. "Just to clarify, I’m a reporter. Regardless of whether you want to or not, our conversation—actions and expressions—will appear in the next issue of Time Magazine. And it will be the headline!"
Chen Rui scratched his head, realizing he was dealing with a tricky character. He replied with a smile, "Sorry, I’m an insider and you’re an outsider, so there are some things I can’t disclose. But I need to tell you that I haven’t been involved in any matters concerning Sister Li for the past five years, whether personal or professional."
"Then how does Sister Li Xue not know you?"
"I can’t disclose that either. In short, from planning to execution, I haven’t interfered in this matter at all. Moreover, this matter complies with national laws and is the best choice for Sister Li."
The Cavalry Captain sneered, using a tone that seemed oddly familiar as he teased, "Have you ever considered that the best choice is objective rather than subjective? For her personally, it may not necessarily be the best choice."
Chen Rui ignored the Cavalry Captain and smiled at the two approaching Mage Sisters. "Ladies, please come inside!"
As Li Xue passed by Chen Rui, her gaze lingered on him for quite some time, but she said nothing, merely following Yuki Chiba into the shop with a distracted air.
After the two had walked away, the Cavalry Captain heard a low voice that sent chills down his spine and filled him with dread.
"Write whatever you want; just don't write what you shouldn't."
Dinner dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Perhaps due to the exhausting journey they had all endured, everyone was tired. Moreover, there had been no news from the city walls; it seemed the enemy was not planning to attack.
At sunset, Wang Wei personally led a third of the soldiers to continue guarding the city while allowing the rest to rest at their base. The warriors who had come to support them also settled into the inn, but no one was preparing for sleep.
No attack in the afternoon, no attack at sunset; surely there would be an assault at dawn!
Sure enough, as fatigue began to weigh heavily on everyone in the deep of night, the alarm bells rang out across Yongyang City. The once pitch-black city suddenly lit up as if every household had sprung from their beds to check their gear once more...
All the soldiers defending the city rushed up onto the walls. The archers had already nocked their Feathered Arrows onto their bows, and everyone was ready to meet the enemy's charge.
Though it was dark outside the walls, they could still hear the distant sounds of troops moving, especially the heavy footsteps of the Giant Race; the enemy was preparing for an attack.
One minute... no sign of the enemy.
Two minutes... still nothing.
One hour... two hours...
In the blink of an eye, everyone had stood on the city wall for three hours. The sky was gradually brightening, and although no one knew why, the enemy had undoubtedly missed their best opportunity to attack.
As dawn broke, a crisp female voice exclaimed, "Oh no! They've left!"
Countless gazes were drawn in that direction, and amidst the defenders stood a Half-Elf girl.
The air felt tense. Previously, Yongyang had been surrounded, so the Emperor's decree had not reached Yongyang. The people and soldiers of Yongyang harbored a certain resistance towards Half-Elves, especially since this one was a mage; their disdain even surpassed that for ordinary Elves.
"Where's your robe?!" Yuki Chiba exclaimed.
Last night, Li Xue had been drinking with her like a madwoman, leading them to stumble into a guest room in the tavern's backyard. It seemed she had rushed out in the middle of the night and forgotten her robe at the tavern.
"Hey! Your robe!" A man in military uniform tossed a black robe with red edges into Li Xue's hands. "Put it on quickly!"
Then, this 'soldier' immediately rushed to Wang Wei's side, kneeling on one knee to report, "Report! No enemy traces have been found within ten miles of Yongyang. It is estimated that the enemy forces are approaching Eternal Peace!"
Wang Wei scrutinized this 'soldier,' and upon seeing the ears hidden beneath the helmet and the golden hair, he managed a bitter smile. He finally understood how this person had crossed through enemy lines.
Li Xue stood frozen, holding the robe as memories flooded her mind while watching the 'soldier' retreating figure.
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