Chapter 2: The Treacherous Villain
The soldiers of the Mu Family Army shouted angrily, their voices filled with righteous fury. They recognized no one as their leader except for Mu Tian.
Nan Hao ignored their curses, sneering at Mu Tian from atop the city walls. "General Mu, we cannot open the gates now. If we do, the enemy will inevitably pour in, and the million citizens of Jiuyuan City will face slaughter. I beg you to hold on just a while longer; reinforcements will arrive soon."
The Mu Family Army below erupted in rage. Some even drew their bows, aiming at Nan Hao, but Mu Tian swiftly stopped them.
"General! This treacherous Nan Hao wants nothing more than to see us dead—he's plotting against you!" one soldier cried.
"Yes, General! Let us storm the gates!" others echoed.
Mu Tian glared at Nan Hao, then turned to his son Mu Feng, his voice cold and sharp. "Feng'er, remember this man."
Mu Feng's eyes flickered with a chilling light as he nodded solemnly.
Turning back to his troops, Mu Tian raised his spear and roared, "Mu Family Army, charge!"
He spurred his horse forward, leading the charge against the enemy. The remaining tens of thousands of soldiers hesitated for a moment before gritting their teeth and following him with defiant shouts. Mu Feng stayed by his father's side, wreaking havoc amidst the chaotic battlefield.
Blood soaked the boy's silver armor, painting his youthful face with an iron-blooded aura that belied his tender age. Even the crimson heart-shaped pendant on his chest glimmered ominously, bathed in blood.
Ten thousand soldiers stood against an army ten times their size. The outcome was inevitable. The Mu Family Army was soon surrounded and dwindled in numbers as the battle raged on.
At last, only over a thousand bloodied and battered soldiers remained. Mu Tian, his spear gripped tightly in one hand, had lost the other to the enemy's blade. His mount, the Green-Scaled Unicorn Horse, had long perished.
Mu Feng's armor lay in tatters, a gaping wound deep enough to reveal bone across his chest. Countless smaller injuries marked his body. Yet despite their grievous wounds, father and son stood unyielding, their gazes sharp and fearless.
The surviving soldiers, all gravely injured, showed no sign of weakness or fear in their eyes.
Across the battlefield, a burly man clad in black armor and a blood-red cloak sat atop a tiger-like beast. Observing the Mu Family Army's tenacity, he could not help but feel a measure of respect.
"Mu Tian, surrender. Nanling has abandoned you. Why not join Tianfeng? A man of your loyalty and strength would receive far better treatment under my command," the general called out.
"Surrender?" Mu Tian's bloodstained face twisted into a mocking smile.
"For generations, the Mu family has served as soldiers. We know no surrender. As warriors, our duty is to defend our homeland. As cultivators, we stand unbowed. Better to die advancing one step forward than to live retreating one step back. Brothers, will you surrender?" Mu Tian roared at the soldiers behind him.
"Better to die advancing one step forward than to live retreating one step back! We will follow the General to the death!" came the unanimous shout of the Mu Family Army, their eyes aflame with determination.
Tears welled in Mu Tian's fierce eyes. Turning to Mu Feng, he leaned forward to touch foreheads with his son and whispered, his voice laden with guilt, "Feng'er, I'm sorry. From the time you were young, I've been harsh with you, never giving you the warmth other fathers might offer. And today, I've dragged you into this deathtrap. I've failed as a father."
Mu Tian, a man who bled but never cried, could no longer hold back his tears. Who said iron-blooded men cannot cry? They simply wait until the moment is deeply felt.
Mu Feng smiled, his pale face radiating neither regret nor resentment. "Father, in my heart, you are the greatest father in the world. Since I was a child, I have always admired you and dreamed of being as strong and iron-willed as you. Your strictness has always been for my sake."
"Ha! With a son like you, what more could I ask for?" Mu Tian laughed, a sound tinged with profound sorrow. He turned to his thousand remaining soldiers, knelt down on one knee, and shouted, "Brothers, I've failed you. I've let you be betrayed by a vile schemer and led you into a dead end."
"General!" the soldiers cried, their voices trembling.
"When we joined the Mu Family Army, we swore to defend our homeland and follow the General, even if it meant dying in battle. We have no regrets!"
"Even if we die, we have no regrets!" The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing with heartfelt loyalty.
"Good, good! My brothers, you are the finest soldiers and warriors. Fighting alongside you has been the honor of my life. If there is a next life, let us be brothers again!" Mu Tian stood, his voice resolute.
"Mu Family Army!" he shouted.
"Present!" the soldiers replied.
"Charge!" Mu Tian raised his spear and charged toward the overwhelming enemy. The thousand soldiers followed him, their cries shaking the heavens. They knew they were charging toward death, but they did so without hesitation or fear.
From the distant city walls, the soldiers of Jiuyuan City watched with tears streaming down their faces, clutching their weapons tightly.
Nan Hao, meanwhile, smirked coldly at the scene. "Mu Tian, oh Mu Tian. This was your fate. Don't blame me for your demise."
In the end, the Mu Family Army was annihilated outside Jiuyuan City. Mu Tian fell, pierced through the chest by the enemy general who had earlier sought his surrender.
"I rarely respect anyone, but you, Mu Tian, are one of the few," the general murmured, pulling his sword free as Mu Tian collapsed into his arms.
Meanwhile, in a valley behind Jiuyuan City, a hidden army that had waited for hours finally received the order to move. The reinforcements had been present all along but, following Nan Hao's orders, had remained hidden until the Mu Family Army was wiped out.
As they entered the battlefield and joined the defenders, the enemy withdrew. The enemy general even took Mu Tian's body with him.
Amidst the sea of corpses, Mu Feng's lifeless body lay still. His heart had been pierced by an arrow, and his body had grown cold.
But the crimson, heart-shaped pendant on his chest suddenly emitted a blood-red glow, merging into his chest. The shattered heart began to heal, radiating a sinister red light as it resumed beating. A surge of overbearing energy coursed through his body, tearing through his Yuan channels with blood-like ferocity.
"Look! Someone's alive here!"
"Isn't that General Mu's son, Mu Feng?"
"It is! Quickly, hide him! If the prince learns of this, he won't spare Mu Feng. General Mu was a paragon of loyalty. We can't let his line end here!"
A few sympathetic soldiers secretly carried Mu Feng away and delivered him to the Mu family estate in Nanling's capital.