King of Creation Chapter 1792 - 1777: Calamity After Calamity

Gilded lives, as lived by the Nobility of Great Zhou, are undeniably decadent.

Beyond their cultivation pursuits, their existence can only be described as one of unrestrained luxury.

Xio Qiangu, the esteemed leader of the Western Patrol, was no different.

It was his daily ritual, a habit ingrained before or after his cultivation sessions, to partake in a cleansing bath.

While ordinary folk might simply soak in hot water, Xio Qiangu’s bathing ceremony was a spectacle of opulence.

Within the expansive Hot Spring Hall adjoining his chambers, a collection of pools, varying in size and depth, beckoned. Crafted from exquisite Warm Jade and Cold Jade, they were perpetually fed with naturally heated or chilled waters.

Currently, Xio Qiangu reclined in a Warm Jade pool, his eyes delicately lidded, attended by a retinue of eight slender maids clad in sheer, gauzy attire.

Some tenderly massaged his feet and shoulders, while others diligently scrubbed his legs and cleansed his form. The embrace of the soft jade and the ambient fragrant mist created an atmosphere of unparalleled delight.

With a gentle parting of his lips, a maid presented him with a peeled, ice-cold jade grape. As he delicately bit into it, its juice burst forth, flooding his mouth with sweetness. The sharp contrast of the grape’s chill against the steamy warmth of the pool sent a thrilling shiver through him.

In a moment of escalating desire, one of the maids’ fingertips inadvertently grazed Xio Qiangu’s chest. His passion ignited, he swiftly drew the startled maid into his embrace, intending to deepen his pleasure.

This was a moment fit for an emperor, a true indulgence.

Yet, this kingly revelry was shattered by the abrupt entrance of Weis Gang.

As Xio Qiangu’s most trusted second-in-command, Weis Gang was typically a paragon of unflappable composure, his actions precise and his demeanor calm, even in the face of catastrophe.

However, in this instance, Weis Gang burst into the Hot Spring Hall in a state of disarray rarely, if ever, witnessed, his voice laced with alarm as he cried out, "My lord, a grave incident has transpired."

His luxuriant repose shattered, Xio Qiangu’s gaze fixed upon Weis Gang with palpable displeasure. "Such unbridled panic, such disarray. What a disgrace!" he scolded, his voice dripping with disdain. "Has your cultivation been faltering lately?"

Starkly taken aback by the reprimand, Weis Gang swiftly composed himself, suppressing Xio Qiangu’s nascent annoyance. "My lord, it is not my panic, but the gravity of the event itself," he insisted urgently. "In Changshi County of Pingzhou, a hundred thousand soldiers of the Demon Clan have materialized without warning, descending upon Dongxi County in a brutal massacre."

"What? A hundred thousand Demon Clan soldiers? Appearing in Changshi County, Pingzhou? Are you jesting with me?" Xio Qiangu exclaimed, his disbelief palpable.

"My lord, how could I possibly dare to deceive you? This report is irrefutable. Both the Prefect of Changshi County and the Magistrate of Dongxi County have dispatched urgent communiques, and the Third Route Wind Patrol Envoy overseeing Pingzhou has corroborated these accounts with his own emergency dispatches. Indeed, a hundred thousand Demon Clan warriors have utterly annihilated Dongxi County City!" Weis Gang anxiously thrust the urgent report from their Western Patrol’s Third Route Wind Patrol Envoy into Xio Qiangu’s hands.

A mere glance was enough to widen Xio Qiangu’s eyes in sheer astonishment.

"Are the Human Demon Battlefield and the Ten Thousand Prisons Mountain Range nothing more than sieves? How could such a colossal force of one hundred thousand Demon Clan soldiers infiltrate the very heartland of Great Zhou?"

As his eyes widened in alarm, Xio Qiangu’s fingers instinctively tightened their grip. With a sickening crack, the incipient cry of the maid in his arms was abruptly silenced—her life extinguished short.

In his sheer shock, Xio Qiangu’s crushing pressure had far exceeded acceptable limits, annihilating the very maid he had intended to ravish.

The remaining maids erupted in piercing shrieks of terror, scattering in every direction like frightened birds.

With a cold, dismissive snort, Xio Qiangu watched the seven terrified maids dissolve into crimson mist under his devastating power.

Then, throwing on his robes and stepping out of the pool, he commanded, "Report the full details, immediately."

This unprecedented development sent profound shockwaves through Xio Qiangu.

He recalled a past incursion, a mere thousand-plus Demon Clan soldiers he himself had orchestrated, during which even the venerable Emperor Ji Long could not shield Ye Zhen. Ye Zhen had only escaped with his life through sheer cunning.

Now, faced with an onslaught of one hundred thousand Demon Clan soldiers, the magnitude of this crisis dwarfed that previous event a hundredfold.

The appearance of such a vast Demon Clan army within Great Zhou’s domain, culminating in the destruction of an entire county, signaled nothing less than an invasion of Great Zhou’s territories—a catastrophic strategic failure.

It was a series of brutal blows against the pride of Great Zhou, leaving its military leadership utterly disgraced.

Furthermore, it cast a long, ominous shadow over their own Western Patrol of the Heavenly Patrol Department.

As the primary intelligence and espionage arm of the Heavenly Patrol Department, the complete lack of awareness regarding the infiltration of one hundred thousand Demon Clan soldiers constituted a monumental dereliction of duty.

Should they falter in tracking this rampaging Demon Clan army in the aftermath of this devastation, the repercussions would surely be of unimaginable severity.

A single error could plunge the entire Western Patrol into severe trouble.

"Were any units sent out? Have any trace of the Demon Clan army been detected? One hundred thousand Demon Clan soldiers should not be so difficult to locate, should they?" Xio Qiangu inquired.

"My Lord, within my purview, I've already mobilized the Third Route Wind Patrol Envoy's contingent from the Pingzhou vicinity. I've also commanded the nearby Fifth and Seventh Route Wind Patrol Envoys to dispatch forces and converge around Changshi County.

Nevertheless, up to this moment, there remains no indication of the Demon Clan's army."

"Still no sign?" Xio Qiangu's demeanor grew stern.

"It's possible that with the cover of night, their operations have already commenced. However, my Lord, it would be prudent to deploy additional forces," Weis Gang advised.

Noding in agreement, Xio Qiangu issued a series of directives. He ordered the deployment of two thousand Heavenly Patrol Divine Hunters from the Western Patrol's main contingent for rapid reinforcement. An additional three thousand were to be provided by his own Xio Family.

Furthermore, he instructed the closest garrison to mobilize troops for an encirclement and suppression mission, while also directing the nearby Wind Patrol Envoys to provide full support for the operation.

Under the coordinated command of various Wind Patrol Envoys, Spirit Scouts and Secret Scouts began to pour in, resembling a torrential downpour.

Once these arrangements were finalized, Xio Qiangu's expression remained exceedingly grim. "This situation carries immense gravity. We must devise a strategy to deflect any potential blame."

His anger escalated as he continued, "Damn it all, an invasion by one hundred thousand Demon Clan soldiers! Could this signify a collapse on the Human Demon Battlefield?"

"My Lord, it would be most wise to establish contact with Prince Ji Yuan, who is currently stationed at the Human Demon Battlefield," Weis Gang suggested.

Xio Qiangu acknowledged the suggestion with a nod. "Speaking of which, what is the precise situation in the county that was overrun by the Demon Clan army? What was the extent of the casualties?"

At this inquiry, Weis Gang's expression shifted, becoming somewhat peculiar. "My Lord, the county that suffered the massacre by the one hundred thousand Demon Clan army was Dongxi County. The primary loss incurred was to the Xio Mansion within Dongxi County..."

"What? Dongxi County? What did you just say?"

It was only at this moment that Xio Qiangu grasped the gravity of the situation, his face contorting in shock. He seized Weis Gang by the collar, lifting him off his feet.

Cough, cough, cough!

Observing Weis Gang's labored breathing and violent coughing, Xio Qiangu gradually released his grip, though his visage remained fierce and menacing.

"Speak quickly!"

"The Xio Mansion in Dongxi County City was utterly plundered and annihilated by the Demon Clan army. The entirety of the male population was put to the sword, resulting in over thirty-eight thousand fatalities. Only approximately three thousand women, children, and non-combatants, along with more than forty Realm King Realm experts who were away on assignments, survived.

Beyond these individuals, no other male survivors remain within the Xio Mansion!" Weis Gang reported, his voice trembling.

"What?"

Xio Qiangu staggered, his voice filled with disbelief. "That implies the elite members of the Dongxi Clan are all..."

Before Xio Qiangu could complete his grim realization, another Talisman Light descended into Weis Gang's hand. Upon a mere glance, his face turned deathly pale, and he hastily handed it to Xio Qiangu.

After a brief perusal, all color drained from Xio Qiangu's face.

"What... An army of one hundred thousand Demon Clan soldiers swept through Dachang Mountain in Dongxi County. Over a hundred mineral veins and thousands of mining shafts were all obliterated..."