When Gu Xuan awoke, he found himself lying on a crude stretcher carried by a few of his clan brothers, steadily moving forward.
Supporting his pounding head, he looked around and noticed that the surroundings were unfamiliar. The scenery was somewhat better than that of Jiangu Mountain. A forest lay beside the path, deep and tranquil, with a few stumps left from logging.
The trees stood tall and sturdy, their branches bare and devoid of leaves. After all, with the arrival of the Sun's Descent, the weather had grown colder, and the world had turned bleak.
Ahead of his stretcher, countless clansmen trudged onward, their backpacks likely filled with water and food, making them appear even more hurried.
Gu Xuan looked further ahead and saw an elite troop of soldiers marching slowly at the forefront.
Their clothing lacked uniformity; some wore plate armor, while others donned gray robes. Yet this did not obscure their evident precision and discipline. Their eyes were focused, their strides unified, and the scouts' gazes continuously scanned their surroundings.
What shocked Gu Xuan the most was the overwhelming aura radiating from them.
He remembered now — these people had saved them.
"Gu Xuan, you're awake?"
Nearby, Ninth Grandfather, leaning on a tree for support as he struggled to move forward, noticed Gu Xuan waking up and broke into a heartfelt smile. He quickly pulled a waterskin from his pack and handed it over.
"Here, drink some water."
Gu Xuan licked his parched, blood-crusted lips, took the waterskin, and shakily drank a small sip.
The refreshing water flowed down his throat into his stomach, clearing his mind a little more.
"Ninth Grandfather, where are we headed?"
"To Tai Cang."
Ninth Grandfather's tone carried a hint of confusion as he gazed at the steadily advancing soldiers ahead. "I never expected the Lord of Tai Cang to actually dispatch troops to rescue us. And Tai Cang's strength far surpasses what Old Eleventh described."
When he mentioned Old Eleventh from Tai Cang, his expression turned somber. "It's a pity he couldn't hold on. Otherwise, he could've seen his homeland again."
Gu Xuan recalled that sturdy officer, the severed head that had instilled fear in them, and the scene of the general slaying the fiend who had devoured his sister. His heart felt a little lighter.
"Did those boar-tooth bandits escape?"
"Escape?"
One of the clansmen carrying the stretcher turned his head, his eyes glowing with reverence. "How could they escape?
The house where you and Ninth Grandfather were held was at the rear of the mountain. By the time the Tai Cang soldiers came to rescue you, the battle was practically over!"
His words stirred the interest of the other stretcher-bearers, who all chimed in enthusiastically.
"The Tai Cang soldiers were incredibly strong. The gate of the village was cleaved open with a single strike by a female general clad in crimson armor. The troops stormed in, and without a word, began cutting down the boar-tooth bandits. In just a moment, those terrifying bandits were all wiped out!"
"They cut down the bandits' heads as if they were mowing grass, piling them up on the observation platform to the west of the village—two whole zhang high!"
"The most miserable was the boar-tooth leader. Just as he was about to make a move, a burly general shot forward and punched through his body in a few blows. Then he twisted off his head with his bare hands!"
"I wonder when we'll ever be as strong as the Tai Cang warriors!"
Gu Xuan listened dazedly to the chaotic chatter of his clansmen.
Could humans really be that strong?
Slaying boar-tooth bandits like mowing grass?
As he was lost in thought, a young Tai Cang soldier in plate armor approached them. He looked about twenty-six or twenty-seven.
Gu Xuan recognized him.
This was the man who had saved him from the fiend's hands, spearing the nightmare-inducing bandit to avenge his sister.
"You're awake?"
The young Tai Cang soldier smiled warmly, his slightly tanned face radiating a sense of approachability. "Over the past few days while you were unconscious, several elders kept telling me that no matter who else from Jiangu Mountain dies, you must not."
Realizing his position, Gu Xuan struggled to sit up, but a wave of sharp pain surged through his body.
The soldier chuckled. "Your injuries are severe. If not for Lord Shiyang using spiritual energy to sustain your life and the army's healers working tirelessly, you might never have woken up again."
Ninth Grandfather, glancing at Gu Xuan, sighed and asked, "General Shatu, once we reach Tai City, will the Lord of Tai Cang truly be able to heal Gu Xuan?"
Shatu waved a hand. "Don't call me general; I'm just a military official. I'm far from being a general."
After a pause, his expression turned resolute. "Don't worry! Though the army's healers couldn't fully treat his injuries, once we reach Tai City, the Lord of Tai Cang will surely be able to heal him."
"Does the Lord of Tai Cang have expertise in medicine?"
Ninth Grandfather hesitated.
"Not exactly."
Shatu shook his head but spoke with conviction. "But the Lord of Tai Cang is practically omnipotent. A minor injury like this won't trouble him."
Four shattered limbs — a minor injury?
Ninth Grandfather had doubts about Shatu's claim but was filled with curiosity about the Lord of Tai Cang.
During their journey, he often chatted with the soldiers of Tai Cang during breaks. Almost all of them spoke of the Lord of Tai Cang with immense respect, their words brimming with gratitude, admiration, and loyalty.
But that didn't necessarily mean the Lord of Tai Cang was truly omnipotent. Even as a layman, he understood the severity of Gu Xuan's injuries.
His limbs were nearly pulverized, many ribs fractured, and his entire body had few unscathed parts — perhaps only his head and neck remained intact.
If not for that, this young genius of Jiangu Mountain's human clan might have perished.
Gu Xuan seemed to realize his dire situation. His expression dimmed with despair.
"With my right hand crippled, how will I ever draw construct diagrams again?"
Images of intricate construct diagrams and countless runes and structures flashed through his mind before shattering into fragments.
"Even if my hand worked, it wouldn't matter. The ancient spirit forge of Jiangu Mountain, preserved for centuries since the era of kingdoms, has been destroyed. Perhaps I'll never craft another construct again."
Seeing the despondence on Gu Xuan's face, Shatu assumed he doubted the Lord of Tai Cang's ability to heal him.
He offered reassurance, "Not long now. In a few hours, we'll reach Tai Cang. When you meet the Lord, you'll see I wasn't lying."
Gu Xuan muttered a faint thanks, grateful to this kind soldier. He forced a weak smile.
"The Lord of Tai Cang... I wonder what kind of grand figure he must be to inspire such reverence in heroes like this."
Gu Xuan mused quietly.
Time passed swiftly.
After crossing a barren wasteland, where the Tai Cang army swiftly dispatched over a hundred reckless dusk wolves, the clansmen of Jiangu finally glimpsed a city towering in the distance.