Chapter 2547: Chapter 2548: Winning Hearts and Minds
The Guard Captain’s expression grew even uglier at those words.
"What about those Grand Elders, then? Don’t tell me they also went off to act as protectors?" The Captain frowned and asked.
"Reporting to Protector, those Elders and the Grand Elders have all gone to guard the inheritance bearer. The Ancestor has decreed that the inheritance bearer concerns the lifeblood of our Moonwater Tribe, and the other clans will definitely seize the chance to come assassinate them, so they must be protected at all costs!" the Guard replied.
The Guard Captain was so angry he actually laughed. "Then tell me, where are those True Disciples? Have they also gone to guard the inheritance bearer? Fine, even if I accept that, what about the Core Disciples? Why is there only a small number of Core Disciples here?"
"Reporting to Captain, that is indeed the case!"
"Hmph, if this goes on, our Moonwater Tribe will definitely be wiped out. Looks like they intend to abandon us!" The Guard Captain snorted coldly.
By rights, as the Commander of the Guards, he shouldn’t be saying such things in front of these Guards, but the actions of the Moonwater Tribe’s upper echelon truly chilled one’s heart.
"Captain, what should we do then?" the Guard asked bitterly.
If they kept holding the line, every one of these Guards would be facing the danger of death.
"What should we do? Behind us are our clansmen—our parents, wives, children, and friends, and those ordinary folk who are unarmed and know nothing of cultivation. If we let go, those people will die. For their sake, we must hold our ground. If I remember correctly, your child was only born a few months ago, wasn’t he?" the Guard Captain suddenly roared.
Those words instantly moved most of the Guards. What they were defending was not the Moonwater Tribe’s upper echelon, nor the tribe’s inheritance bearer, but the most ordinary clanspeople—who were also the families of these Guards.
"Swear to defend the Moonwater Tribe to the death!"
At once, the Guards began to shout.
Only, though their will had firmed by a great deal, it was still hard to change the outcome of being outmatched!
Moreover, cultivators were still pouring in from all sides without end. It seemed that this time those clans were determined to uproot the Moonwater Tribe entirely.
Some even sensed the Strength of the totems surging from the depths of Moonwater Palace—and that was precisely where the inheritance bearer resided.
Clearly, the totems of the great clans had begun to take action. Of course, that was a battlefield on an even higher level; these Guards naturally could not take part.
At this moment, the Guard Captain found himself surrounded by three middle-aged men. Each one of them was no weaker than he was, and after the fierce battles earlier his consumption was immense. For these three to kill him would be no difficult task.
"For the sake of you being a true man, we’ll let you go. The Moonwater Tribe is no longer worth your guarding," one of the middle-aged men said on the spot.
But the Guard Captain only shook his head. "I won’t leave. My family is right behind me. To die in battle here is the best final resting place I could ask for!"
His eyes were already full of despair. His resolve to die was set.
Hearing this, the three middle-aged men all let out a sigh.
"In that case, we’ll grant your wish!"
With that, the three of them struck at once. Violent Power of Laws exploded among them.
With just a single combined strike, the Guard Captain was gravely wounded, blood gushing nonstop—but this was also the result he had anticipated.
Not only was there no fear in his eyes, he instead burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, good! Again!"
He soared back into the air once more.
The three middle-aged men opposite him frowned. For him to still have the strength to fight after taking their combined strike truly surprised them.
"Since you insist on seeking death, we’ll fulfill your wish!"
Immediately, the three middle-aged men unleashed another joint attack. Although this kind of strike could not be compared with the three Ancestors of the Moonwater Tribe, it was still anything but trivial; at the very least, taking the Captain’s life was absolutely no problem.
"Hmph, people of my Moonwater Tribe are not so easy to kill!"
A clear, feminine shout rang out from the sky. Then, a graceful figure abruptly appeared—a red dress like the evening clouds.
Her fluttering clothes, ethereal aura, and the faint flames rising from within her body made her look like a Phoenix bathed in blood.
She had barely appeared when she thrust out a palm.
"Not good!"
The three middle-aged men cried out in alarm and retreated in haste.
But it was already too late. Princess Xiu’s attack was incomparably fierce; how could these three possibly withstand it?
Rumble!
With a thunderous boom, the three of them were sent flying like kites with their strings cut. The three were extremely cunning as well—seeing they were outmatched, they took the chance to vanish without a trace.
"Princess Xiu!" The Guard Captain ignored the wounds on his body and immediately bowed to Princess Xiu.
At the same time, he could not conceal the excitement on his face. The fact that Princess Xiu had taken action meant that she had definitely come to reinforce them!
If the forces of Qingxiu Peak joined the fight, at the very least the Moonwater Tribe could hold out a bit longer.
"No need for formalities. I already understand the situation. Take these Elixirs and treat your injuries first—leave things here to me!"
Princess Xiu said sharply. The Guard Captain was not a wishy-washy man; he hurriedly accepted the Elixirs.
"Guards of our tribe, hear my order! Princess Xiu will be taking over the Moonwater Tribe. From this moment on, all orders are to be carried out according to Princess Xiu’s commands!"
With this shout, he essentially handed all the authority in his hands over to Princess Xiu.
The other Guards immediately burst into cheers.
Although there had been some conflict between Princess Xiu and the Moonwater Tribe before, she was, after all, the true future Clan Leader. In their hearts, these Guards still acknowledged her greatly.
And what time was it now? It was as if the upper echelon of the Moonwater Tribe had already abandoned them. Although these Guards did not say it out loud, they were perfectly clear about it in their hearts.
Now, Princess Xiu descended from the heavens bringing the experts of Qingxiu Peak. "Timely aid in a snowstorm" was hardly enough to describe it!
One could say that with this single move, she immediately won over the hearts of more than half the Guards—and this kind of winning over made them akin to deathsworn: utterly loyal, unto death.
"Everyone, there’s no need to worry. Fight with everything you’ve got. This time, not only have I come, the Vice Clan Leader has returned with me as well. Furthermore, your families have already begun to be evacuated to Qingxiu Peak!" Princess Xiu said with a soft laugh.
Her calm expression and her words instantly steadied the hearts of these Guards.
Most of these Guards were composed of Inner Sect Disciples and Core Disciples, along with quite a few Elders, and some specially assigned Moonwater Palace Guards. The cultivators’ strengths were uneven, but their numbers were anything but small.
The reason they had been routed so miserably before was entirely because, in their hearts, they felt powerless to resist. Now that their fighting spirit had been ignited, the situation immediately began to change.
