Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 297: 166, Defending the City

"Kill these Demon Sect traitors!"

"Yongzhou villains, every one of them deserves death."

"Blow open the East Gate of Tongling, grant peace to the people of Yongzhou for generations to come!"

"Kill..."

"Kill them..."

......

Endless shrieks and roars filled the area outside the East Gate of Tongling.

The slogans of the Xuzhou Army were nothing more than talk of slaying demons and crushing the Demon Sect to restore the clear skies over Yongzhou. Though their words might seem empty, one look at their excited expressions and it was clear they believed them.

The blood qi wave formed by the forty thousand warriors was immense, like a surging torrent crashing down, creating a terrifying scene.

The ground began to tremble; not just snakes and insects, but even larger beasts trembled in fear and fled into the distance.

In an instant, the entire area outside the East Gate was swarmed with soldiers from Xuzhou. They released their blood qi ferociously, wielding their weapons and climbing the city walls with reckless abandon. In just a moment, some had already scaled the walls, starting their fight.

The vast East Gate of Tongling now seemed incredibly small by comparison...

"Xuzhou, in pursuit of selfish desires, resurrected the Blood Demon, causing chaos first in Tongling, then attacked Holy Church's territory without reason. Brothers, hold them back; we mustn't let this pack of dogs break through and kill!"

"Yes!"

Atop the city walls, Gui Yutang let out a sharp call, and the seven thousand Mansion Army soldiers responded in unison, their voices startling everyone and echoing in all directions.

They were armed to the teeth and resolutely defended the city walls. Any attackers climbing up were immediately surrounded and eliminated. Within a hundred breaths, not a single Xuzhou soldier could stand firm on the wall.

But as time passed, changes began to happen...

Among the forty thousand soldiers of Xuzhou, there were undoubtedly some Warriors of the Gang Qi Realm. These individuals, far stronger than ordinary troops, could leap onto the city walls in two bounds. Once they opened a breach, ordinary soldiers streamed endlessly behind them, claiming a small spot and quickly expanding their hold.

"Second Elder, constantly watch the gate's condition and immediately report any changes. Everyone else, to the front with me—don't let them all climb up the walls!"

"Alright, big brother."

"We obey!"

It was then, amid the noise, that Hou Yuxiao issued orders. The Hou Clan, who had been waiting atop the city walls for some time, sprang into action as well.

With over three thousand Hou Clan soldiers, they wouldn't stand a chance in open battle against more than forty thousand, but they were in a defensive position. The forty thousand couldn't all climb the walls at once; they came in small groups, only managing to scale the walls under the leadership of one or a few Warriors of the Gang Qi Realm.

As the three thousand-plus of the Hou Clan pushed forward, the pressure on the seven thousand Mansion Army soldiers defending the city diminished greatly, and the momentum of the Xuzhou Army's assault was immediately thwarted.

"Thank you, Master of Hou Family!"

Seeing the Hou Clan's people sincerely helping in the defense, Gui Yutang's face lit up with gratitude as he shouted across the crowd to Hou Yuxiao.

Bang... Bang... Bang...

Just as Hou Yuxiao was about to reply, a rhythmic booming sound came from below the city walls, immediately causing his expression to change. He leaped onto the wall and looked towards the city door below:

The dense Xuzhou Army looked like ants swarming, endless at a glance. They gathered below, with some wielding shields to protect against crossbow arrows shot from above, while others relentlessly assaulted the East Gate with their weapons. These booming sounds were coming from the East Gate being bombarded.

The Xuzhou Army wasn't foolish; those scaling the walls were only a small part of their force. Many more were trying to break through the East Gate.

Tian Fazheng had already taken his position below the wall, while Lu Guanqing evaded and used the True Qi conjured from his longsword to keep bombarding the gate. The massive cast iron gate soon developed terrifying cracks, and it seemed that in just a few more strikes, the gate would completely collapse.

Hou Yuxiao looked at the imminent destruction of the gate with a dark expression.

If the East Gate were to fall, the Xuzhou Army would no longer scale the walls but would instead pour directly through the gate. With only ten thousand or so people in the city to resist them, stopping the invasion would be nearly impossible.

The East Gate, it must not fall!

Hou Yuxiao pondered for a moment and took a small step forward.

But just then, a fierce shout came from above.

"Lu Guanqing, stop right there!"

Hou Yuxiao's right foot, which had just stepped forward, was instantly retracted. When it came to defending the gate, Fan Longhe, the Tongling Governor, was clearly more suited for the task than he was.

Grandmasters, far beyond ordinary warriors, had a strength all their own. Fan Longhe's True Qi coalesced around him, and with a tremor on the city wall, he scattered a group of Xuzhou soldiers attempting to climb. He then leaped down, heading straight for Lu Guanqing, intending to stop his continued assault on the gate.

Hou Yuxiao, holding a long staff, swept the edge of the city wall, and immediately five or six Xuzhou soldiers were cut down. His cultivation as a Second Realm Grandmaster allowed him to easily handle these Body Opening Warriors, and he alone could defend a large area.

"Family Head, the East Gate must not fall!"

Amidst the commotion, Hou Fei's voice reached Hou Yuxiao's ears. Standing steadily, he stood atop the wall's point. First, he glanced back at Hou Fei, then looked down at Fan Longhe, who was already entangled with Lu Guanqing at the gate. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he said nothing.

The East Gate must not fall. He understood that too. Fan Longhe had already been badly injured in the previous fight with Ding Dian and Ding Buhai. Now, to hold back Lu Guanqing was virtually impossible. Not to mention, by Lu Guanqing's side, there was the still-unmoved Tian Fazheng.