Ms. Diviner: The Prodigal Daughter's Return Chapter 1424: Tears of Joy

In the city, at an unannounced moment, a cacophony of desperate cries pierced the air. Crowds of worn-out citizens and weary soldiers materialized on the streets, their faces etched with a shared, unyielding resolve.

They were aware that Lu'an City was under siege, but the thought of being subjected to a slow, agonizing demise by the Exotic Beasts was far worse than a valiant, last stand.

The mournful blare of horns continued to resound, like a funeral dirge played far too soon.

"Charge!" At that exact moment, a thunderous roar of battle cries erupted from the rear.

Witnessing the swift, youthful figures and the potent Sword Lights, imbued with the Qi of a Sword Master, the citizens who had braced themselves for a final fight were momentarily stunned. Then, as if their last reserves of strength had evaporated, they slumped to the ground, tears of relief streaming down their faces.

But these were tears of pure joy; they understood, with profound certainty, that salvation had arrived.

In the span of a single breath, Mu Hanyan and her companions plunged into the fray of Exotic Beasts, just as they had observed earlier. These creatures, too, bore the marks of incessant combat and were clearly nearing the limits of their endurance.

While they had previously managed to engage the equally depleted City Guard soldiers in a fight to the death, how could they possibly contend with this vibrant, spirited group of reinforcements?

Nearly every flash of a Sword Light was accompanied by a spray of crimson mist and the pained shrieks of a vanquished Exotic Beast.

Through the combined efforts of Mu Hanyan and the City Guard soldiers, an hour later, the battlefield was reduced to a landscape littered only with the lifeless forms of Exotic Beasts.

As if on cue, a gentle drizzle began to fall, silently cleansing the residual bloodstains from the earth.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the ranks of the City Guard soldiers. Overcome by a profound exhaustion, each warrior sank to the ground where they stood, drawing ragged breaths.

However, the elderly, white-haired general, his movements heavy with fatigue, made his way towards Mu Hanyan and her group. With visible effort, he clasped his fists in a formal salute, stating, "I am Luo Pengcheng, the City Lord of Lu'an City. You must be the elite warriors dispatched from the Eight Great Families of the Capital and the Holy Court?"

"I am Dan Tai Xuan, Steward of the Outer Court of the Holy Court," Dan Tai Xuan declared with an air of unmistakable arrogance. Having so effortlessly annihilated over a thousand Exotic Beasts and averted the crisis in Lu’an City, his prior frustration vanished, and his inclination to boast resurfaced.

"I am Mu Hanyan," Mu Hanyan responded concisely.

Despite the fact that the Exotic Beasts were already at their weakest, significantly diminishing their combat prowess, she perceived them as being somewhat less formidable than anticipated. If this was the caliber of Exotic Beasts attacking the city, she mused, their assistance might not have been needed at all.

"Indeed, your arrival is most timely. You must proceed swiftly to Beining Pass and Qingyang Pass; should those two points fall, Lu'an City's fate is sealed," Luo Pengcheng urged with palpable urgency.

"Beining and Qingyang Passes? What are those?" Dan Tai Xuan inquired, a flicker of confusion crossing his features.

"Beining and Qingyang Passes are integral defenses within Lu'an City’s Sword Guard Mansion. Their strategic placement amidst the mountains provides a significant advantage for defense. More importantly, these two gateways serve as the primary bulwark against the main thrust of the Exotic Beasts' assault on Lu'an City. Were it not for these passes acting in concert with Lu'an City, the city would have succumbed long ago.

This current offensive, a major push by the Exotic Beasts, saw them strike Beining and Qingyang Passes simultaneously with their assault on Lu'an City. While those passes benefit from favorable terrain, their defending forces are limited. Based on the strength of the beasts encountered earlier, they did not appear overwhelmingly powerful, but the Exotic Beasts targeting Beining and Qingyang Passes might be of a different caliber. If reinforcements do not arrive swiftly, those passes may not hold.

At that juncture, Lu'an City would find itself isolated and defenseless, undoubtedly leading to its eventual fall," Luo Pengcheng explained with rapid intensity.

The young nobles exchanged uneasy glances. Having just celebrated a hard-won victory and dismissed the threat posed by the Exotic Beasts in Lu’an City, they now grasped the true severity of their underestimation. The situation was far more dire than they had initially conceived.

"Report..." Just then, a blood-spattered officer, astride a swift Red Charcoal Cloud Smoke Beast, galloped into view. Upon reaching the city gate, the mount emitted a prolonged whinny before collapsing heavily to the ground, expelling blood from its mouth – a clear sign it would not survive.

The officer aboard tumbled to the ground but immediately regained his footing, stumbling towards Luo Pengcheng. He fell to one knee before the City Lord and pleaded urgently, "Beining Pass is in critical need, my lord! I implore you, dispatch troops for immediate rescue!"

A young officer stood before them, his voice rough and low, carrying a hint of sobs. It sounded like a cuckoo's mournful cry, and one of his sleeves hung uselessly by his side, severed at the shoulder and still faintly stained with fresh blood.

"What, your lord... what has happened to your lord?" Du Pengcheng asked, his shock evident upon hearing the officer's words.

"My lord swore to face death alongside Beining Pass. If your lord doesn't send reinforcements, he surely won't survive," the young officer choked out, overcome with emotion.

"And what of Qingyang Pass? What is the situation there?" Du Pengcheng inquired after a moment of silence.

"This assault by the Exotic Beasts primarily targeted our Beining Pass. Qingyang Pass is faring slightly better, but without aid, it may not hold out much longer," the young officer replied, gasping for air.

"Lord Tantai, Young Master Mu, you have witnessed the plight of Lu'an City. We are desperately short-handed. Please, render your assistance," Luo Pengcheng pleaded urgently, bowing deeply to Dan Tai Xuan and Mu Hanyan.

"There is no need for such formalities, Lord City Master. We shall divide our forces. I will lead the contingent to Qingyang Pass, while Young Master Mu will lead the rescue to Beining Pass. We pledge our utmost efforts to ensure the safety of both locations without any incident," Dan Tai Xuan declared with righteous conviction.

Luo Pengcheng was taken aback by this declaration. During the recent chaos, he hadn't paid close attention, but now, with the battle subsided, he realized the young masters from the noble families were split into two groups. One, led by Dan Tai Xuan, comprised around thirteen to fourteen hundred individuals. The other, under Mu Hanyan's command, numbered only about five hundred.

Even with potential differences in strength among the Eight Great Families of the Capital, the disparity in numbers made it obvious who held the greater force, no explanation needed.

Knowing that Beining Pass had endured the fiercest fighting, he questioned why Dan Tai Xuan's significantly larger contingent didn't head there, choosing Qingyang instead. What was the reasoning behind this choice?

Though he felt suspicions, perhaps related to the internal power struggles among the Capital's Eight Great Families or a personal animosity between Dan Tai Xuan and Mu Hanyan, Luo Pengcheng deemed it inappropriate to probe further.

Dan Tai Xuan, noticing Luo Pengcheng's bewildered look, feigned a troubled expression. "Does it not seem peculiar to you, Lord City Master, that our group, clearly superior in numbers, bypasses Beining for Qingyang? To be truthful, we faced an onslaught of Exotic Beasts in Wind Pool City yesterday, and we committed all our strength to their defense. Over two hundred perished on that field, and the remainder suffered injuries, many still bearing visible wounds. During the engagement within the city against those beasts, some of our men's old injuries resurfaced, severely diminishing our combat effectiveness. Should we proceed to Beining now, the cost could be dire."

As he concluded, Mo Yanhong and several other young masters from noble families jointly lifted their tunics, revealing prominent claw marks marring their bodies. One man, his ribs clearly fractured and heavily bandaged, winced in pain as he exposed his wounds.