A Situation of Certain Death

The universe is infinite and boundless.

At the other end of the starry sky.

Ye City.

A few short days passed in a flash.

The conscription had long since concluded, and the imminent war, like an arrow on a taut bowstring, broke out as expected. Although Ye City had profound foundations, the alliance of the other cities was not to be underestimated. Coupled with the assistance of various powerful guest martial artists, Ye City ultimately began to show signs of defeat.

Thirty miles...

Twenty miles.

Ten miles!

The enemy forces pressed forward again and again, breaking through line after line of defense. Ultimately, the great army marched in and set up camp less than ten miles outside Ye City. The entire Ye City could only construct a defensive line at the northern city wall and defend it to the death. Both sides temporarily fell into a stalemate.

With the clash of weapons ceasing not, panic spread among the people.

Everyone knew clearly that with the strength of several cities besieging Ye City, victory or defeat was only a matter of time. Even in a war of attrition, Ye City could not afford to drag it out.

The outcome of this war seemed to have already been decided.

I am afraid that in a few days, Ye City will be breached. The several great armies will surely march south, killing, wounding, and looting wherever they pass. The cheap lives of the commoners will be worse than ants. A bloody disaster is right before our eyes.

In this critical moment of crisis.

The small towns near Ye City were already in utter chaos. Those who abandoned their homes and fled were countless. Long lines of refugees could be seen everywhere. Along the official roads, tragic sights were innumerable.

Even though Qinghe Town was hundreds of miles away, it was also infected by this panic. Gradually, rumors spread everywhere, and everyone in the entire town felt their lives were in danger.

At dusk.

In a large courtyard.

The old mayor and several others sat stiffly with sorrowful faces. The patriarch also had a conflicted expression. It was evident they had been arguing fiercely.

"Old brothers, if we keep going on like this, it won't do! The way I see it, other towns have already started fleeing. Let's take everyone and run away too!"

"Run? Where to? We have lived in Qinghe Town for generations, and our ancestors' estates are all here. How can we just leave it all behind and run?"

"Exactly! There aren't many with cultivation bases in our town. Most are farmers and hunters, and there are plenty of elderly people. How can we outrun the troops and horses of several cities?"

"Alas, it's chaos and war outside. Who knows how many people will die if we run out there!"

"Then tell me, what on earth should we do?!"

...

Even though those seated were basically all highly prestigious elders in the town with a lifetime of rich experience, facing a disaster like a city-destroying war, no one had an idea. Even the old patriarch remained silent at this moment.

Everyone argued endlessly, but still could not reach a conclusion. Finally, having no other choice, they could only look towards the old patriarch.

"Patriarch, say something!"

"Yes, Patriarch, if you have any solutions, speak up so everyone can hear!"

As the only Martial Spirit expert in the town, to some extent, his prestige was even a tiny bit higher than the mayor's. At this critical moment, he was naturally trusted more by the people.

After all, the strong are always revered.

Hearing the voices, the upright-sitting old patriarch slowly raised his eyes.

His gaze swept over the expectant elders and the anxious mayor. He wished he could immediately voice some earth-shattering, brilliant plan to solve everyone's urgent crisis and protect the peace of the entire town.

But this life-and-death matter of marching and fighting a war was definitely not something that could be explained clearly in a few words. Whether it was judging the situation or resettling the populace, there was profound knowledge involved.

After holding it in for a long time, the old patriarch could only let out a long sigh.

"Alas..."

"This old man is not good at devising strategies. If it were a contest of cultivation, I might have some insights. But such a major event is by no means something an ordinary person can see clearly. How to make a choice in today's complex situation, perhaps only a scholar of great wisdom can have a brilliant opinion."

As soon as these words sounded, everyone sat blankly in disappointment.

They looked at each other in dismay, their eyes full of disappointment.

Qinghe Town was mostly made up of impoverished hunters. Although there were some cultivators, they barely recognized a few characters. They had already exhausted all their strength just to survive, so how could they understand any strategies?

Not knowing whose mind was in a mess, someone could not help but complain coldly.

"At this critical juncture, where are we supposed to find a scholar?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of several people suddenly lit up.

The old mayor also seemed to think of something and abruptly stood up.

"A scholar!?"

"Don't we have a ready-made scholar right in our village!"

The old patriarch was also reminded and fiercely slapped his forehead!

"That's right!"

"How could I forget Master Yi, this great man of letters! He is well-read in poetry and literature and will definitely have a good idea. To think I forgot such a capable person at a crucial time, I must have lost my mind from anxiety!"

These few words made everyone's eyes immediately gleam with bright light.

Without waiting to say a few more words, the two anxious old brothers led the crowd out the door. A group of old men marched grandly under the cover of night towards the schoolhouse at the foot of the mountain.

Not long after, urgent knocks on the door sounded!

"Thump thump! Thump thump!"

"Master Yi, are you asleep!?"

Yi Feng was enjoying the starlight at night in the courtyard. Suddenly hearing such urgent knocking, he hastily got up and went over. Opening the door to look, it was actually the mayor and the old patriarch coming in person, and behind them outside the door were full of highly respected elders of the town.

What matter was so urgent?

Out of courtesy, he first invited everyone inside.

"Everyone, please come in."

Waiting for the group of old men to enter the courtyard, before they even took their seats, the mayor was actually so anxious that he asked a question first.

"Master Yi, seeing that Ye City is about to be breached, what should our Qinghe Town do?"

Hearing these words, Yi Feng, who had not even had time to take a few steps, froze and looked back.

"Such a major matter, why are you asking me?"

As soon as his voice fell, the old men responded all at once, each more anxious than the last!

"Master's talent and learning are extraordinary, you must have a good idea!"

"Master is joking. Most of us are illiterate and have never experienced such a thing. Besides asking for your advice, we really have no other way!"

"Yes, Master is a cultured person, you must come up with an idea."

Looking at the white-haired elders whose eyes were full of worry, Yi Feng was also quite moved.

The birth, aging, sickness, and death of mortals were truly the miseries of the human world.

Even with white hair, they could not escape the pain of life and death. Ordinary people could only struggle bitterly to survive, never having much external power to rely on, let alone being cared about by anyone. It was just as helpless as this mortal realm. What fell into the eyes of the world was only the myriad purples and reds of spring, while the dust and mud drifting in the world gave everything, yet no one ever asked about them.

Amidst the urgent voices of the group of people, the old patriarch also gritted his teeth, stepped forward to bow, explained the pros and cons of the larger situation he was conflicted about, and apprehensively asked for advice.

"Master Yi."

"Right now, Ye City is about to be breached. Most of us want to flee now, but this old man also knows that if Ye City is broken, Qinghe Town will definitely cease to exist. Without the greater family, how can there be a smaller family."

"However, if we send people to reinforce them, relying on the mere flesh and blood of a thousand people from Qinghe Town, we may not necessarily be able to defend Ye City and avert this bloody disaster."

"How to make a choice, please enlighten us, Master!"

At this moment, the old patriarch also disregarded everything and asked for advice truthfully.

Even though Yi Feng was just a young man, and perhaps even a junior he would guide in the future, in the face of a major matter of life and death, this scholar might be able to point out a clear path. Even if the hope was not great, they had to give him a try!

Facing the extremely anxious and distressed looks filling the courtyard.

Yi Feng did not directly speak out to guide them, but only gave an ambiguous answer.

"In a matter of life and death such as this, following your heart is the right answer. As an outsider, it is truly not my place to speak. I hope you can forgive me."

Hearing these words, the few of them stared blankly at each other.

After pondering for a few breaths, seemingly having gained some inspiration, the mayor and the old patriarch nodded slightly to each other, expressed their gratitude, and led the crowd away.

...

City Lord's Manor.

The night grew deep.

The main hall was filled with figures. There were soldiers clad in military armor, as well as patriarchs at the Martial King level with unfathomable auras. Everyone remained silent, their expressions extremely solemn.

This continued until the city's foremost general, seated just below the main seat, broke the silence.

"Everyone."

"I'm sure you are all clearer than anyone else about the current situation of our Ye City, so there is no need for this general to say more. If anyone can offer a good strategy to defeat the enemy, I will surely reward them heavily!"

The domineering voice spoke, promising a reward of immense value.

Under a heavy reward, there are bound to be brave men!

However.

With Ye City's defeat now almost certain, even defending the city was an extremely arduous task. No one knew how much longer they could hold out, and as for defeating the enemy, no one had any confidence at all.

For a time, the big shots filling the room silently looked at each other, the atmosphere incredibly oppressive.

The General's expression darkened considerably as he glared around and spoke!

"You are all the outstanding talents of my Ye City. In this critical moment, is there truly not a single person with a good plan in mind? Are we just going to sit here and wait for them to break into the city, perishing together with them?!"

Under this stern shout, someone finally cupped their fists and responded.

"Please forgive us, General."

"It is not that we are incompetent, but the enemy simply has too many people. We truly lack the strength to carry out our intentions. If it were only the soldiers of a few cities, I alone could fight them. But those cities have invited many reinforcements, completely nullifying our Ye City's advantage in high-level combat power."

"Right now, whether it is ordinary soldiers or combat power at the Martial King level, we are outnumbered. Unless we can invite a secluded Martial Emperor senior to take action, our Ye City is in grave danger!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a layer of gloom shrouded everyone's faces.

Even this General, who was under one person but above ten thousand, seemed to have lost all will to fight.

Right at this moment.

Someone suddenly seemed to think of something, abruptly looking up and cupping their fists as they spoke!

"General!"

"Isn't there a Martial Emperor senior in Qinghe Town? Why don't we go and invite Master Yi?!"

As the words fell, the General's eyes flickered fiercely.

Master Yi?!

Clearly, they had long known about the fact that there was a Martial Emperor in Qinghe Town and that the City Lord had personally visited him.