Northern Town's Might Chapter 117: The Siege (Part Six)

“Very well, General Guan, White Tiger, let us depart at once.” With Guan Yu and White Tiger in tow, the group swiftly made their way toward the inner city.

The Northern Frontier Pass was established within a vast valley nestled in the Tianlun Mountains. The expanse of this valley was immense, comparable in size to the most prosperous cities on the continent such as Chang’an and Tiandu. After centuries of construction, the Northern Frontier Pass was divided into five distinct zones. The inner city served as the primary residential area, encompassing dwellings, commerce, and entertainment. The remaining four districts were distributed to the east, south, west, and north of the inner city.

To the east lay the Cold Iron mining region, the main economic powerhouse of the Northern Frontier Pass. Owing to its geographical position, this area was rich in mineral deposits, with Cold Iron being the most renowned and rare among them. To the west stretched a dense forest—the very place where Biluo often ventured. Once a land brimming with vitality, it had grown perilous over the years as White Tiger’s presence infused it with an aura of lethal tension. The forest was effectively a forbidden zone, but Biluo, ever bold, frequently roamed there.

The northern and southern sectors served as military encampments, stationed beneath the respective city walls to guard against enemy incursions. However, the southern camp rarely saw combat, and thus maintained a minimal garrison.

“Hey, kid, have you already awakened those two little fellows?” White Tiger suddenly inquired of Li Qiutong.

Li Qiutong pondered for a moment, unable to grasp which two “little fellows” he meant.

“Who are the little fellows? You’re only a few years older than me,” came a voice from the Yin-Yang Dragon Patterned Staff.

Startled at first, White Tiger then chuckled. “Judging by your tone, you must be Zhilong. You remind me of your father.”

“Hmph.” Shengyang Zhilong within the staff seemed displeased by White Tiger’s condescending tone.

Fortunately, a gentle female voice soon diffused the awkwardness. “Nice to meet you, Senior White Tiger.”

“So polite, it must be Yulong,” came a voice from the Black Tortoise Earth-Shaking Axe wielded by Deng Zhanxuan.

Hearing this, White Tiger softened his tone, though his expression remained stoic. “Yulong, huh? You must be as beautiful as your mother.”

“White Tiger, how can you speak so flippantly to the celestial beasts of heaven and earth? It seems you’ve been living rather comfortably all these years.” Guan Yu’s Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, long silent, finally spoke, chastising White Tiger, who had always flaunted his might.

Upon hearing this familiar voice, White Tiger’s demeanor instantly grew tense. “Azure Dragon, elder brother, what are you doing here?” The commanding presence he had just displayed vanished without a trace. He never expected his superior to silently observe him while he was showing off.

Azure Dragon replied sternly, “I’ve noticed you’ve made no progress all these years. After this is over, I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”

Feeling the aura, Yulong inside the staff was delighted. “Is that Senior Azure Dragon?”

“Yes, indeed. Forgive me for not greeting you earlier; I was unaware both of you had awakened,” Azure Dragon said respectfully.

“Uncle Azure Dragon, you are too courteous. You are all our elders,” Deng Zhanxuan replied.

Deng Zhanxuan, sensing the strange atmosphere of weapons conversing, helplessly glanced at Li Qiutong, who simply returned a look that clearly said: Don’t ask me, I have no idea what’s going on.

The others understood that these voices came from their divine weapons, but Commander Zhu Long was utterly shocked. He had assumed the white tiger was merely a martial form of Wu Yuan Ning. Now, hearing it speak and converse with the weapons, his worldview momentarily shattered.

Soon, the group arrived before the inner city gate. Compared to the outer walls, this gate was modest—less than ten meters tall—but several soldiers stood watch atop the battlements.

Seeing the sudden arrival of thousands of troops and a gigantic tiger, the soldiers grew alarmed.

“Who are you? Identify yourselves!” a soldier shouted, spear pointed downward at the approaching army.

Biluo stepped forward and called loudly, “Xi Zhi, open the gate for this lady at once!”

Recognizing the familiar voice, several soldiers widened their eyes and exclaimed joyfully, “It’s really Miss Beitang! Miss, you’ve returned! Quickly, open the gate!”

“But, captain, there are thousands of soldiers outside. Should we just open the gate?” a new recruit questioned.

“Of course! That’s the lady herself. How could we leave her outside? Open the gate at once—no dawdling.”

As the gate swung open, Xi Zhi burst out in joy. “Miss, you’ve finally returned! We’ve missed you terribly.”

Biluo looked at him with disdain.

“Biluo, who is this fellow?” Li Qiutong asked.

“He’s from one of the founding families—the second son of the Xi family, Xi Zhi. He used to be one of my little followers,” Biluo replied wearily.

Xi Zhi rushed over, ignoring Li Qiutong and the others, focusing only on Biluo. “Miss, where have you been these last few years?”

“Forget that for now. Tell me, where is Zhang Xiu?”

Scratching his head, Xi Zhi thought for a moment. “Zhang Xiu? He should be at the Northern Frontier Mansion.”

Upon learning Zhang Xiu’s whereabouts, Biluo turned to Li Qiutong. “Let’s head straight to the Northern Frontier Mansion to capture Zhang Xiu.”

“Very well, lead the way.”

Without hesitation, Biluo tugged the reins and galloped forward. “You go back and inform your father to come to the Northern Frontier Square soon to meet me.” With that, the thousands of soldiers surged into the city under Xi Zhi’s bewildered gaze.

“Captain, have we made some mistake?” Xi Zhi asked, dazed.

“Probably not,” came the uncertain reply.

Biluo led the charge, paying no heed to the surroundings. The others closely followed. They swiftly navigated the city streets, while confused pedestrians hurriedly scattered to avoid the charging army.

“What’s happening? Where did this army come from?”

“So many soldiers! That must be Miss Beitang leading them.”

“That tiger looks like the fierce beast of Xilin.”

As the crowd thickened, Biluo brandished Wu Yuan and shouted, “I am Beitang Biluo, returned! Everyone, make way!”

Recognizing her voice, the townsfolk parted without hesitation. Over four thousand troops proceeded unimpeded toward the Northern Frontier Mansion at the city’s heart.

Pushing through winding streets, they soon beheld a striking structure. Within a three-to-four-meter-high stone wall stood a house atop a hundred-tiered staircase. The building’s architecture was grand yet rugged, modest in size but able to accommodate hundreds.

Biluo halted before the ancient iron gate bearing six majestic, flowing characters.

“Guard this place, secure the northern border,” Li Qiutong slowly read aloud.

“These characters were inscribed by the first Northern Frontier General himself, who wished for his descendants to eternally defend this land and repel foreign invaders,” Biluo explained.

“I see. Those who left these words must have been heroes of their era,” Li Qiutong mused.

Biluo nodded in agreement. “The first generation overcame countless hardships to establish the Northern Frontier Pass as it is today. Without their silent guardianship, how could the eastern lands remain secure?”

Staring at the six grand characters, Li Qiutong made a solemn vow. “Ancestors, today I claim the Northern Frontier Pass. I will uphold your spirit. As long as I live, the Northern Army shall never set foot in the East.”

“Commander Zhu, surround this place with your troops. The rest of us will enter to capture Zhang Xiu.”

“Understood.” Zhu Long nodded and began deploying his forces. Meanwhile, Li Qiutong and the others followed Biluo into the Northern Frontier Mansion.

What they hadn’t realized before entering was how vast this estate truly was. From outside, only the house atop the stairs was visible; within the walls, no other buildings stood. The area around the steps was an open expanse of bluestone paving, dotted with a few solitary statues beneath the staircase.

Li Qiutong surveyed the surroundings. The estate’s size was just slightly smaller than his own Beitong Pass.

“This really is a residence?” he asked in surprise.

“Of course. Our ancestors preferred open spaces rather than crowded buildings. Soldiers would celebrate victories here with drinking and revelry that lasted all night,” Biluo explained.

“That’s rather charming,” Li Qiutong smiled, already imagining how to utilize the open grounds in the future.

“Zhang Xiu should be in the council chamber. I’ll go up to find him.”

The council chamber was the lone building. Though the staircase had nearly a hundred steps, for these top-tier warriors, it posed little difficulty. Soon, they reached the summit.

Upon entering the chamber, they were met not with alarm but with loud snores. Gazing toward the sound, they saw a burly man sprawled lazily across a table, drooling at the corners of his mouth.

“This is Zhang Xiu?” Li Qiutong looked at Biluo in disbelief. The man’s sleeping posture rivaled his own.

Biluo nodded and strode forward. Nocking an arrow, she aimed at the sleeping Zhang Xiu.

“Zhang Xiu, wake up!” she commanded sharply.

Startled awake, Zhang Xiu’s eyes snapped open. “Who dares disturb General Zhang’s rest?” Furious, he prepared to curse but froze when he noticed the gleaming arrow pointed at him.

“Raise your hands,” Biluo ordered sternly.

With life and death at stake, Zhang Xiu complied. “Hey, beauty, aren’t you the daughter of General Beitang? What’s this all about?”

“From this moment, the Northern Frontier Pass no longer belongs to you. The Northern Frontier General Li Qiutong behind me will assume command.”

Zhang Xiu’s face paled. “What? You little girl, what nonsense is this? I am the lord of the Northern Frontier Pass, personally appointed by Emperor Qin! Are you trying to rebel?”

Li Qiutong stepped forward, fixing him with a cold gaze. “Indeed, we are rebelling. Kneel and hand over the Northern Frontier Pass, or I’ll send you to meet the King of Hell.”

Glancing at the formidable figures surrounding him, Zhang Xiu’s small eyes darted left and right, contemplating his options.