Chapter 117: To Die for a Cause

Bruce led the remaining hundred thousand Demon Race soldiers toward Vast Sea City, with Yu Wenrong immediately following behind at the head of six hundred thousand cavalry.

The weather shifted in an instant, cloudy skies turning to a light drizzle, raindrops the size of peas pelting the fresh white snow.

………………

Two days later, at dawn, the rising sun glowed red on the horizon.

An egg-sized pinecone rolled from a tree and landed on the snowy mound covering Moran and Muyan.

A squirrel scurried down the massive tree, darting over to grab the pinecone. Just as it snatched its prize, two powerful hands burst from the snow beneath it.

“Eek.” The squirrel froze for an instant, wide-eyed with confusion, then shot off in a panic.

An instant later the two heaps of snow exploded into the air, leaving giant pits behind as two figures leapt up.

Suspended in midair, they looked toward Vast Sea City in the distance. The two of them stretched, joints popping and cracking across their bodies.

Muyan’s face twisted in bitterness. “After lying here for two whole days, I’ve finally recovered some magic—my wounds aren’t as bad now.”

“This time, we got careless. The loss was huge, we almost died. Looks like our only option is to fall back to Yingchun City and figure things out from there.” Moran clenched his fist, sighing heavily.

Not far away, a vast army swept forward like a tide, countless figures packed together like swarming ants. One silhouette shot toward Moran and Muyan at top speed.

Bruce’s face lit up in relief. “Thank goodness! Both Marshals, you’re alright!”

Hearing Bruce’s cry, Moran and Muyan turned in unison, their faces paling in shock.

“Bruce, didn’t I order you to hold Yingchun City? What are you doing here?” Moran stared at Bruce, eyes wide with disbelief.

Muyan’s brows knit tight. “Yeah, Bruce. Before you set out, didn’t both of us tell you to defend Yingchun City with your life?”

“Oh no, something’s wrong!” Both men seemed to arrive at the same conclusion, their faces draining of color as they spoke in unison.

Bruce, slow on the uptake, stammered, “Uh, Marshals, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Moran’s face darkened as he pointed behind Bruce. “You idiot, not only did you abandon the city, you even led the damn Humans straight to us. Looks like fate’s turning against us now!”

Muyan looked up at the sky. “Forget it, fate is decided. We’re both badly wounded, barely a tenth of our strength left. This disaster is impossible to dodge.”

“How… how did it end up like this?” Bruce turned in horror. Behind him, half the hundred-thousand elite Demon troops he’d brought had already been wiped out.

Yu Wenrong’s six hundred thousand iron cavalry arrived just as the three met. Right in front of Vast Sea City, the Human and Demon Races clashed in a brutal melee.

The Humans outnumbered Demons several times over. Dressed in ornate armor, wielding sharp weapons, they stormed at the Demons with overwhelming force.

The Demons faced one against five. Towering bodies, black skin, vicious fangs and claws bared, they fought with a barrage of raw power and speed that could easily tear apart the Human lines.

It was carnage. Soldiers of both sides cut each other down, blood and bodies flying everywhere.

Demon warriors roared deep and low. Human soldiers shouted battle cries, each fighting for home and honor.

Though the Demons were ferocious, their long march had left them thoroughly spent. Now, they faced another relentless charge from the armored cavalry.

With nowhere to go, they fell wave after wave, speared without mercy as the cavalry crashed over them. In a flash, more than half of those hundred thousand Demon elites were slaughtered.

As the Human cavalry pressed in ever closer, the last few tens of thousands of Demon soldiers could do nothing but fight as they retreated. Those who lagged for even a moment were run through and fell where they stood.

In an instant, this once-peaceful snowy land became shrouded in death and bloodshed.

Corpses sprawled everywhere, blood staining every inch of flawless snow. Severed limbs lay scattered about, a grisly mural no one could bear to look at.

The metallic stench of blood and scattered organs filled the air, thick enough to choke.

The snow was no longer white but a sea of red, blood soaking six fathoms deep beneath the ground.

Blood ran in rivers, corpses littered the battlefield, every drop a lost life, every fallen body a silent tragedy.

Each life lost—a parent, a spouse, a child—countless dreams and hopes shattered in a single day.

Now, on this blood-soaked land, there was nothing but the silence of death.

The wind blew through, carrying the reek of blood, as if mourning all the souls lost here.

The killing didn’t stop. With every fresh scream and body thudding to the ground, new lives were claimed by war.

Yu Wenrong commanded the Armor-Breaking Army and his cavalry, methodically herding the battered Demon remnants like predators toying with their prey.

Only some thirty thousand Demons made it back in a panic, gathering desperately around Moran, Muyan and Bruce.

“Those are the Demon leaders. Don’t act rashly. We’ll wait and watch.” Yu Wenrong signaled for his army to halt their advance.

“Marshals, we’ve been ambushed. Our losses are massive, there’s no way to break out of the Human encirclement,” one Demon commander cried out, dropping to his knees, voice breaking.

One young officer’s eyes flashed with resolve. “Marshals, run! As long as you live, we still have hope. We’ll fight to the death and hold them off so you can escape!”

“Commander, it was my fault. Let me stay and cover your retreat!” Bruce bit down hard and knelt on one knee, determination etched across his face.

“We beg you—go now!” the tens of thousands of Demon soldiers dropped to one knee in unison, gazes unwavering as they faced their leaders.

Moran covered his face and gave a bitter laugh. “Twice now I’ve run away, shamefully escaping through the back door. Now I have to rely on my warriors’ lives to flee again? I’m a commander—should I really be hiding behind my men?”

“Even if I do escape, how can I face the people of the Demon Domain? I’d disgrace myself and betray the king’s trust if I hid while so many brave souls died thanks to my mistake.”

“Today, I deserve death. I won’t run again. I’ll stand and fight with you all, live or die together!”

“Demon warriors, will you choose a coward’s life, or will you stand with me, Moran, and die a hero’s death here on this field?” Moran stepped forward, sweeping his gaze over the soldiers.

Bruce stood, eyes blazing. “We’ll follow the commander to the end. Live or die—we fight together!”

“We swear to follow the Marshal to the very end, live or die—no retreat!” The Demon soldiers roared as one, rising to their feet.

Muyan laughed aloud. “Well then, let’s show the Humans our resolve. Today, we’ll turn the world upside down in blood!”

Led by Moran, Muyan, and Bruce, the last thirty thousand Demons charged at Yu Wenrong’s Armor-Breaking Army and cavalry, fully prepared to die.

The battlefield filled with a deafening clash of steel, furious roars, and agonized screams—a storm of chaos.

Corpses dropped in droves, and new fighters rushed in to take their place, the endless slaughter grinding on until bodies littered the ground and the sky seemed to hang heavy with a blood-red moon.

Atop the highest tower in Vast Sea City, Lu Buwei stood with Lu Liang, witnessing everything unfold, both of them sighing in resignation.

Lu Liang spoke quietly beside him. “Teacher, should we intervene in this?”

Lu Buwei shook his head, sighing. “Destruction is inevitable for all things. We’ve intervened twice already. The karma is too great, and after today, whatever the outcome, worldly affairs have nothing to do with us anymore.”

As if the heavens themselves mourned, snow began to fall heavily. The two men turned and walked away.

………………

The battle raged on and on.

In the end, Moran and Muyan stood tall and proud, smiles on their faces as dozens of spears pierced through their bodies.

Bruce’s head was severed from his shoulders. Thus ended the half-month-long war between the Human and Demon Races.

After the fight, death hung thick on the battlefield, blood and mud mingling to create an appalling scene.

Human soldiers went about collecting the Demon corpses, burdened by a somber and heavy mood.

Though they’d claimed victory, the Humans had paid dearly at the hands of the Demons’ desperate last stand.

Moran and Muyan’s bodies were carried back to the Human camp, covered in wounds, all blood long congealed.

But both wore faint smiles, as if to say they didn’t regret their choice.

Bruce’s head was sent to the Human leader, Yu Wenrong.

His eyes remained wide open, telling of his fury and unwillingness to yield.

This war reminded everyone just how cruel battle really was—every victory stained with unimaginable cost.

On the 8,101st day of the Jianqi Era, the first war sparked by the Demon Race ended with Moran and Muyan leading a million Demons against Yu Wenrong’s million-strong cavalry.

The invasion that shook the continent finally ended with the complete destruction of the Demon Race at Sky Sword City, Heavenfire City, and Vast Sea City.