The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 259: Chapter 259: The Great Chaos Is About to Begin

「The 44th year of Yuanding. Autumn.」

The Xuan Yang Army amassed at the foot of the Northern Great Wall. The Grand General of the North led a hundred-thousand-strong army north to purge the demons in a campaign that would be recorded in history as the Battle to Drive out the North.

"I wonder what will become of us after this battle."

"That kid Wang Daming has already gone back to West River."

"Zhu Wu, you’re not planning to run off too, are you?"

Yang Fangyu looked at the guilt-ridden Zhu Wu.

’Yep, that’s the look of someone who’s about to bolt.’

He pressed a hand to his forehead.

’Forget it. It’s better this way. At least not all of us brothers will lose our lives here.’

For once, Zhu Wu looked serious. "Fang Yu, if you die in battle, I’ll take good care of your wife and the child in her womb for you."

"Go to hell! Who the hell needs you to take care of them?"

Yang Fangyu swore and sent Zhu Wu sprawling with a kick.

It was true. Not long ago, Yan Hongxiu had begun vomiting frequently, and a check-up revealed she was pregnant.

Yang Fangyu was overjoyed.

Once a Martial Artist surpassed the Blood Refining Pass, it became much more difficult to conceive children.

That was why people only saw that the King of Qingzhou was able to have children, but no one knew the hardship he endured to sow his seeds.

Yang Fangyu only had one official wife, Yan Hongxiu, and had taken no concubines. He had already given up on the idea of having children before he turned fifty, so he never expected the heavens to smile upon him.

However, with the great war in the Northern Territory about to begin, he ultimately could not remain by Yan Hongxiu’s side.

Upon learning of Yan Hongxiu’s pregnancy, the Yang Family immediately sent people to escort her back to Jiangnan to ensure a safe pregnancy.

Yang Fangyu had no objection to this; after all, nothing was certain in war.

He suddenly sensed something was amiss and snapped his gaze toward Lu Yu, who was standing nearby.

"You’re leaving too?"

Lu Yu’s uncharacteristic silence today was a dead giveaway.

"Yes."

Lu Yu nodded.

The Fang Family had already abandoned Ling Province, so he no longer had a reason to remain.

Fortunately, he had built up some wealth in Ling Province, so he wouldn’t be bullied too severely upon his return to the Fang Family.

He would undoubtedly face his share of scorn, but thankfully, he was already used to a life of dependency.

At this, Yang Fangyu sighed softly. "It’s for the best. Is Sister Lu going with you?"

Lu Yu shook his head.

Although the Lu Family existed in name only, the title of Uncle Yongzhuang was still in effect. If Lu Shanshan also left Ling Province, the title would certainly be reclaimed by the Court.

Moreover, Lu Yu was a matrilocal husband. If he were to bring a dependent with him to the Fang Family, life would only be more unbearable for Lu Shanshan. She was better off staying in Ling Province.

Yang Fangyu nodded. "That’s for the best. I’ll help look after Sister Lu. As for the Fang Family, I know people there. I’ll write a letter and have it sent to Lu State right away."

Hearing this, Lu Yu was deeply moved.

That Yang Fangyu was willing to offer such a significant favor spoke volumes about their brotherhood.

The fact that their small circle of friends remained so tight-knit was inseparable from Yang Fangyu’s warm-hearted nature.

"Brother Yang, thank you."

Lu Yu said with a solemn fist-and-palm salute.

The Yang Family was a great clan, and Yang Fangyu was one of its most outstanding members. A letter from him carried considerable weight and would save Lu Yu a lot of trouble.

"Ah Yuan, the next time we meet, I’ll definitely surpass you."

Lu Yu turned his head to look at Bai Yuan, who was standing nearby.

Among their group, he had known Bai Yuan the longest.

Yet he had always been overshadowed by Bai Yuan, which was truly infuriating.

Bai Yuan said, "Once you’re in Lu State, don’t let them push you around like some timid new bride."

"Damn it. Screw you."

Lu Yu rolled his eyes.

Yang Fangyu also looked toward Bai Yuan. "Ah Yuan, what are your plans for your wife?"

Bai Yuan replied, "I’m sending her out of Ling Province tomorrow."

...

「The next morning.」

A magnificent carriage was stopped at the gates of Huanglong City.

"Brother Yuan."

Xiao Qiaoniang gazed at Bai Yuan, her eyes filled with reluctance to part.

Those who lived in the Jianghu were separated more often than they were together, so she cherished every meeting.

Bai Yuan gently stroked Sister Qiao’s hair. "Once the fighting subsides, I’ll come and get you."

He was now not only the Shenfu Sect Master, but also the Demon-slaying Guard General and Chief Constable of the Patrol Office for Ling Province. If he chose to flee, he would be forced to spend the rest of his life in hiding deep in the mountains.

He had no intention of living the rest of his life in anonymity, and besides, he was confident he could survive the chaos of war.

This separation from Sister Qiao was only temporary; they would surely meet again. But if she remained in Ling Province, the assassins from the Soul-Chasing Tower would undoubtedly use her to threaten him.

An open attack is easy to dodge, but a hidden threat is hard to guard against. Bai Yuan couldn’t protect Sister Qiao and her companions at all times. Rather than let her remain in danger, it was better for her to leave Ling Province.

Zhou Siming said, "Qiaoniang, child, let’s go. We’ll only be a burden to Bai if we stay here."

Liang E nodded in agreement.

Xiao Qiaoniang hummed softly. How could she not understand the reasoning?

She simply couldn’t bear to leave.

As Sister Qiao stepped into the carriage, she looked back over her shoulder at Bai Yuan one last time.

The curtain fell.

With a cry of "Hya!" from Zhou Siming, the carriage slowly made its way onto the Official Road, gradually disappearing from sight.

...

"Sect Leader, the lady has left Ling Province."

Yu Hui reported.

Bai Yuan nodded. "Thank you, Commander Yu."

He had sent Yu Hui with a three-hundred-man escort from the Firearms Team, only having them turn back once the carriage was clear of Ling Province.

With Liang E and Zhou Siming accompanying her, catching them would be difficult, especially in the mountains. Capturing a Demon Hunter in the wild was no easy task.

Linzhou was far from the war in the Northern Territory, so it should be safe.

Ling Province had grown much quieter, and Huanglong Prefecture was no different.

The outside powers had come here as opportunists. But now, with the grim outlook of the war in the Northern Territory, most had chosen to withdraw. The ones who remained in Ling Province were, for the most part, gamblers.

"Any news from the Northern Plains?"

Bai Yuan asked.

He’d heard that the Grand General of the North had already led the main army beyond the Great Wall, but there had been no news since.

But that was to be expected.

Concealing one’s movements was fundamental to a military campaign. The saying "a general in the field is not always bound by his sovereign’s command" existed precisely because communication was so unreliable.

"Miss Shanshan probably hasn’t received any intelligence yet."

Yu Hui replied.

Bai Yuan hummed thoughtfully.

Ever since Lu Yu left Ling Province, Lu Shanshan and Uncle Xiaoyongzhuang had been living in the Lu Mansion. ’It must be lonely for them,’ Bai Yuan thought. ’Lu Yu is my brother and my subordinate. I should go and check on her.’

He immediately descended the mountain and headed into the city.

Just as he had expected, the once-bustling Huanglong Prefecture had become much more desolate. Even the peddlers’ cries seemed quieter.

He made his way through the streets to the Lu Mansion.

"Lord Bai, please, come in."

An old woman pushed open the door, and her face lit up with pleasant surprise upon seeing Bai Yuan.

She had been with Lu Shanshan for a long time and remembered Bai Yuan well.

Bai Yuan stepped into the courtyard and saw Lu Shanshan and Jiang Yan standing in a long corridor in the distance.

"Miss Jiang?"

Bai Yuan walked up to the two women.

Previously, for a variety of reasons, Jiang Yan had been summoned back to Ling Province by Jiang Changping.

He hadn’t expected her to have quietly returned to Huanglong Prefecture.

Jiang Yan looked at Bai Yuan apologetically. "Brother Bai, I’m sorry."

Bai Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

It was all due to circumstances beyond her control, but their friendship could never be the same as it once was.

Jiang Yan knew, of course, that her father hadn’t summoned her back to Ling Province because he missed her, but to keep an eye on Dong Wanjun and Bai Yuan.

Now, with the situation of the war in the Northern Territory uncertain, Jiang Changping had sent her to Huanglong Prefecture, which was even farther from the battlefield.

As the Prefect of Lingzhou, Jiang Changping had countless eyes on him.

If he had sent Jiang Yan out of Ling Province, it would only be a matter of days before memorials of impeachment from young Imperial Censors landed on the Emperor’s desk. Sending her to Huanglong Prefecture was the most he could do.

Sometimes, the higher one’s official rank, the less one was master of one’s own fate.

Bai Yuan asked, "Shanshan, has there been any news from the Northern Territory?"

Lu Shanshan shook her head. "No news."

Bai Yuan wasn’t particularly surprised.

Even Du Qinghui was likely in the dark, so how could Lu Shanshan possibly know anything?

Then, with a grave expression, Lu Shanshan added, "But I have a feeling the situation isn’t good."

"Why?"

"Intuition."

"..."

Bai Yuan said no more.

The atmosphere between the three of them grew heavy.

If the Northern Territory fell, the Great Wall would surely be breached, and Ling Province would be plunged into a sea of fire and blood.

As Prefect of Lingzhou, Jiang Yan’s father would have to share its fate, for better or worse.

Of course, the same was true for Bai Yuan.

The Court’s stipend was not so easily earned.

Eight days passed.

There was still not a whisper of news from the Northern Territory.

Or perhaps, someone of Bai Yuan’s rank was not yet authorized to receive such intelligence.

On the other hand, the Demon Sect members from the Northern Plains who were in Huanglong Prefecture had quieted down considerably.

This frustrated Bai Yuan greatly.

After all, he was counting on those monsters and Demons to earn enhancement points.

Whether it was upgrading his skills or his class, he needed a huge number of enhancement points, just like grinding mobs in a video game.

He had no choice but to return to his old trade: heading into the great mountains to find targets.

...

"Is there any news?"

Du Qinghui’s expression was ice-cold.

After this period of recuperation, he had recovered most of his strength.

Such a terrifying recovery speed was, of course, thanks to a mountain of spiritual pills and elixirs. Otherwise, a typical Martial Artist would have been bedridden for at least half a year.

Aside from Bai Yuan’s Spirit Soup, most of those pills had been bestowed by the Court.

Jiang Changping bowed. "No news yet."

At these words, the hall once again fell into a dead silence.

Lu Wu took a deep breath. "Should we send more scouts to investigate?"

Du Qinghui waved his hand.

Lu Wu had been a General in the Zhenxi Army, but with the northern war effort becoming critical, Emperor Xuanyang had simply ordered him to remain in Ling Province to support the campaign.

Now, both he and the Heavy Armor Army were under Du Qinghui’s command.

This news had nearly sent the Grand General Zhenxi into a rage; who knows what benefits the Court promised to smooth the matter over.

Du Qinghui suddenly turned his head to look at Dong Wanjun.

"Lord Dong, what are your thoughts?"

As soon as he spoke, the other three men in the hall turned in unison to look at Dong Wanjun.

When it came to understanding the Northern Plains, not even the old veterans of the Northern Garrison Army could necessarily compare to Dong Wanjun.

After all, Dong Wanjun had spent several years in the Northern Plains by himself and had made quite a name for himself there.

Dong Wanjun mused, "The Northern Plains are full of treacherous terrain, and the Northern Garrison Army is advancing deep into it alone..."

He didn’t continue, but everyone present understood his meaning.

It seemed it would be very difficult for the Northern Garrison Army to return victorious.

Dong Wanjun fell silent again.

Only he truly knew just how treacherous the Northern Plains were, with glaciers that stretched for tens of thousands of li and cliffs that were thousands of zhang high.

The people and demons who lived there had only ever had one desperate wish: to survive.

...