The Name of Eternals

Chapter 120: A One-Man Reinforcement

At the end of Dragon Pass Road was Cangya City.

Tianmen Pass was outside the city.

Cangya City was built leaning against a cliff, with vast city walls that towered into the clouds.

Inside were grand city towers, arrow towers, and bustling city districts where residents went about their lives. It was lively and extremely prosperous. It used to be a major trade hub between the Great Yu Kingdom and the Northern Lin Kingdom, with numerous carriages and horses coming and going.

But that was eight hundred years ago.

Now.

All that was left was a small mound.

On the small mound were the words "Cangya," and this was the city.

A cluster of military tents surrounded the small mound, firmly entrenched with the mound as their center.

Around the edges of the tents, several battle flags were planted.

The battle flags fluttered in the biting cold wind, emblazoned with the ancient characters "Tianyuan."

This was the Li family's flag.

Among the five great God General Manors, each had its own title. For example, the Wang family's was the Tianzhao God General Manor, while the Li family's was the Tianyuan God General Manor.

At this moment, the cold wind howled, and dust and sand swirled.

Behind the military tents, near the cliff, were variously sized burial mounds, marked with ragged wooden plaques serving as gravestones and identifying the fallen.

"Huff, huff."

Nearby, a few soldiers with tattered armor were digging a pit with shovels.

Before long, others came carrying a stretcher, on which lay a hand, a severed leg, torn armor, and a dented helmet.

When the pit was dug, they placed these remains inside and covered them with sand.

Then they found a tree, cut off a piece, split it into a wooden plaque, and carved some words with their fingers, placing it in the mound.

Some stretchers carried only a few fingers and a fallen boot.

Nevertheless, they were buried, and the plaque read: Li Family Soldiers.

The cold wind quietly howled, blowing through the gaps between the tents, producing a mournful wail.

Li Hongzhuang, clad in bright red armor, stood expressionlessly before the burial mounds.

Most of the plaques bore no names because the battles with demons were so brutal that intact corpses were rare.

When the new mounds were all covered, she extended her hand, and a deputy handed her a jug of strong wine.

She flicked the stopper off with her finger, pouring the wine over the mounds.

The remaining mouthful she drank, as if sharing a drink with the fallen warriors.

Then, without a backward glance, she turned and left.

She had been doing this for twenty years, witnessing scenes like this for twenty years.

From the deputy who handed out wine to the current commander.

Because her third and sixth brothers, who once helped with the wine, had fallen in battle.

Thus, despite being a woman, she chose to stand up.

To hold up the sky for the Great Liangzhou! Li Hongzhuang was the youngest daughter of Li Tianzong. She had nine brothers who were all famous and admired, with the most exceptional among them being Li Junye.

But he had died more than ten years ago.

At that time, she was stationed at the border and couldn't leave, even missing the funeral of her childhood companion and brother, shedding her tears on the battlefield.

She remembered her father saying that he named her in hopes she would find a good husband, marry, and live a peaceful life away from the sword's suffering.

But growing up seeing the scars on the soldiers reporting back and the empty ancestral tablets in the shrine, she knew she couldn't abandon the sword.

So she trained diligently, apprenticed under renowned masters, and mastered exceptional skills.

Then she descended the mountain and entered the world, wielding her three-foot blade to slay millions of demons outside the pass.

She had fought here for twenty years!

The twenty years of frost and battles had made her once delicate skin as rough as sandpaper.

Her once flowing hair was now tied in a helmet, soaked with grease and demon blood, dirty and slightly foul-smelling.

It was something a woman could hardly bear, but she had grown used to it.

Only her face remained as beautiful and enchanting as ever, unchanged.

But her eyes had transformed from gentle and clear to cold and sharp like the stars.

"Commander, after the battle, we counted twenty-eight demons slain, with seven killed and twelve wounded on our side."

A deputy reported to Li Hongzhuang as they approached.

Li Hongzhuang showed no expression, having witnessed the battle and roughly knowing the casualties. She merely said: "A letter from the family said reinforcements would arrive soon. Once they do, we will rotate out."

"Have we detected where the reinforcements are?"

The deputy slightly shook his head, about to speak when suddenly, a horn sounded outside the military camp.

Their expressions changed simultaneously, and they quickly moved, leaping into the air.

They saw from the direction of Dragon Pass Road a few small figures approaching. As they drew near, they saw it was a young man and woman, and a white fox.

"How can anyone come from Dragon Pass Road?"

The two were puzzled and swiftly flew over.

They had been guarding Tianmen Pass for years, with reinforcements arriving sporadically, and the road had been overtaken by demons.

Even reinforcements circled outside the road, with some armies suffering heavy losses before even reaching the end.

"A military camp?"

At this moment, Li Hao and Ren Qianqian arrived, equally puzzled.

They had expected the end of the road to be Cangya City but instead saw military tents, cracks in the ground, unhandled demon corpses, and tattered banners—a scene of a fierce battlefield.

Li Hao heard the horn and saw two figures descending.

"Who are you?"

Li Hongzhuang looked at the boy before her, finding him familiar, and frowned in confusion.

Li Hao was about to speak but suddenly fell silent.

He had said he wouldn't use the surname Li anymore, so how should he introduce himself? His eyes showed a hint of confusion, but soon he thought of a name and said, "My surname is Ji. You can call me Ji Hao. I'm here as the reinforcements to replace you."

"Ji Hao?"

Li Hongzhuang and the deputy had never heard of the name, but upon hearing his words, their hearts leapt with joy, looking beyond Li Hao into the distance:

"Where are the others?"

They were confused, seeing no one behind Li Hao.

"It's just me," Li Hao said.

The two were stunned, their excitement turning to disappointment, looking at Li Hao, "Just you?" "Not just me."

Li Hao said, "This is my sword servant, and this is my companion. The three of us."

As for Feng Lao, he had hidden himself and was Li Hao's backup, but he couldn't be introduced.

Feng Lao's identity was despised by society and was sensitive. Only Er Ye and he knew about it, and revealing it would cause an uproar.

"…"

Hearing Li Hao's words, Li Hongzhuang and the deputy were dumbfounded, showing rare surprise on their weathered faces.

Looking around, there were indeed no other presences.

Just this boy?

Reinforcements?

Li Hongzhuang was both shocked and angry, "Are you joking?"

After waiting so long, they only got a teenager. Anger surged within her.

Li Hao shook his head earnestly, "I'm not joking. I'm really here to replace you. For the next three years, I will guard this place until I die."

"You think you can hold out for three years?"

Li Hongzhuang almost laughed. Guard a lone city by himself? Even she didn't dare claim that! "Seventh Brother must be mad!"

Ignoring Li Hao, she told the deputy, "Send a message back immediately, ask Li Tiangang what he means by this. Has he given up completely or has some other plan?"

The deputy took the order and was about to leave.

Suddenly, a figure flew over, landing before them.

An elderly man in armor with grey-white hair and calm eyes.

He glanced at Li Hao, then bowed to Li Hongzhuang, "Miss."

Li Hongzhuang sensed the Three Immortal realm aura from him, scrutinizing him but not recognizing him.

The deputy seemed to recognize him, exclaiming, "Are you General Li He?"

"Li He?"

Li Hongzhuang thought for a moment, then showed surprise. When she was a child training in the martial field, Li He had already made a name for himself.

He was from the previous generation, a peer of Second Uncle, but from a lesser branch.

Li He was one of the outstanding members of his generation's lesser branch.

"Miss Hongzhuang, may I have a word?" Li He said.

Li Hongzhuang was puzzled but followed him aside.

Li Hao remained with the deputy.

Seeing the old man appear didn't surprise Li Hao. Though it was their first close encounter, he had followed them from Qingzhou to here for five days.

According to Feng Lao, he was likely sent by Li Tiangang to protect Li Hao.

Li Hao felt nothing about this.

Most of the demons along the way were handled by Feng Lao and himself. Once he healed, he didn't need Feng Lao's help against anything below the Immortal realm.

As Li He and his aunt talked privately, Li Hao asked the deputy:

"Isn't the end of Dragon Pass Road supposed to be Cangya City? How much further do we need to go?"

The deputy said gravely, "You are standing in Cangya City."

"Hmm?"

Li Hao was stunned, looking at him in shock.

Then he looked around—no city in sight.

"Centuries of battles, frequent and fierce demon attacks, have left Cangya City battered. Rebuilding the walls and restoring the runes is beyond our capacity. The entire city has been razed."

The deputy explained, "Now only that remains, our stronghold."

Pointing to a small mound.

Li Hao looked and was stunned.

The mound was only a few meters high, easily toppled with a push.

This was… Cangya City?

He knew border wars were brutal but hadn't expected such devastation.

A whole city, reduced to rubble.

"So you just stand here with no cover, fighting off demons as they come?" Li Hao asked.

The deputy's face was expressionless, "Our bodies are the only walls."

"…"

Li Hao said no more.

Before long, Li Hongzhuang and Li He returned.

Li Hongzhuang looked at Li Hao with a complex expression, "You're Hao'er!"

Li Hao glanced at the old man, guessing he had explained things to his aunt.

"It's me. Now you believe me, you can withdraw."

Li Hongzhuang's eyes were filled with sadness and pain, "How could Seventh Brother be so cruel? Just a small conflict, why escalate it to this? What about Fifth Uncle, Second Uncle, and the rest? Aren't they intervening?"

Li Hao shook his head, not wanting to discuss it further.

"Hao'er, you're too impulsive. Go back quickly. If you stay here, you'll die!" Li Hongzhuang urged.

Although it was their first meeting, she didn't want to see her nephew make a foolish decision.

"No problem."

Li Hao smiled slightly, "Dying here would at least make me a martyr. Dying elsewhere, I'd be nothing."

"Why are you so stubborn? Your father wouldn't really kill you." Li Hongzhuang looked pained.

Li Hao shook his head, "Aunt, it's getting late. You should withdraw. These soldiers have been guarding this place for many years. They should go home to see their families."

Hearing this, the deputy's body trembled, his cracked face showing signs of moisture.

Li Hongzhuang suddenly fell silent, then shook her head, "Others can leave, but I won't."

She looked at the small mound behind them, no longer a city.

But it was where her third and sixth brothers gave their lives.

She wanted to fight here until her last breath.

"The souls of the soldiers here need someone to stay with them."

Li Hongzhuang's eyes were sharp and resolute, "I planned to stay with the reinforcements and continue fighting. Since it's just you, Aunt will stay and kill demons with you, as many as we can!"

"This is the land of the Great Yu Kingdom, guarded by our Li family for years."

"Unless commanded otherwise by the Emperor, we will not cede an inch!"

Her eyes shone with determination, her feminine figure as unyielding as the Great Wall.