National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 139: The Sound of Wailing from Every Corner of Qingping City

Above a Border City of the Great Xia Empire.

Strands of sunlight pierced through the gauze-like clouds.

They spilled gently and warmly over the magnificent, rolling mountains and rivers,

draping the lush forests in a brilliant, golden sheen.

Some of these mountain ranges were treacherous and steep, like sharp swords piercing the heavens.

Others were gentle and soft, their rolling peaks forming graceful curves.

Mist coiled through the mountains, at times gathering into a vast sea of clouds, at others drifting away like ethereal wisps of smoke.

Scattered across this vast borderland were quaint and peaceful villages.

Built by the mountains and rivers, they existed in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings.

The houses in the villages were mostly wooden structures,

their blue-tiled roofs arranged neatly beneath the cover of green trees.

Once, the villagers here had lived simple, rustic lives, working from sunrise to sunset.

The crowing of roosters, the barking of dogs, and the cheerful laughter of children would often echo through the village alleys.

But now, this Border City was filled with nothing but endless desolation and a sense of foreboding.

From time to time, waves of wailing could still be heard from the villages.

The mountain wind, when it gusted, carried a bizarre, chilling stench of blood.

Even in such a wide, open land, the smell had not dissipated after several days.

One could only imagine how horrific the scene must have been when the stench was at its peak.

Chu He appeared as if from nowhere, stepping through the void like a phantom. With each step, his figure flickered unpredictably.

Even the Border City Guard of the Great Xia Empire, who were on patrol, failed to notice his silent arrival.

In this once peaceful and self-sufficient mountain city, most homes now had white cloth hanging by their doors.

The sounds of wailing came from every corner of Qingping City.

Chu He’s Spiritual Power spread out in all directions like a tide,

revealing bodies still lying by the roadside, covered only by a simple white cloth.

They were so badly mutilated that identification was necessary.

But the attempts at identification only revealed that their families had also perished.

Many houses had been reduced to collapsed ruins by that strange power.

On the grass, on the trees, and on the ground, bloodstains remained, not yet fully cleaned away.

Chu He slowly descended onto a village road, walking forward one slow step at a time.

"Who are you?"

A squad of patrolling Guards spotted Chu He.

Chu He’s attire, bearing, and overall presence were completely different from anyone in Qingping City.

If someone like him had been in Qingping City before, these patrolling Guards would have surely known about it.

The squad, consisting of ten members, quickly surrounded Chu He.

One of them, who looked like a squad leader, already had his hand on his communication device.

At the slightest sign of trouble, he would press the alarm without hesitation,

and this place would be completely locked down.

Ever since the grave incident of the White Elephant Empire’s attack on Qingping City,

a large number of Defense Teams had been dispatched to the city, with more than ten experts of the King’s Realm stationed there.

The only downside was that the Great Xia Empire still had not produced a single expert of the Emperor Realm.

Therefore, even with over a dozen King’s Realm experts guarding Qingping City,

the Guard members here didn’t dare to relax their vigilance in the slightest.

"I am Chu He. Your superiors should have already notified you."

Chu He said in a calm tone.

"Mr. Chu?!"

The squad’s eyes widened in an instant. They all sized Chu He up and down with astonishment.

The squad leader immediately pressed his communication device, reporting the situation to the current person in charge of Qingping City.

Soon, a disheveled middle-aged man with a face etched with exhaustion hurried over.

He was flanked by several security personnel, as well as the former heads of Qingping City’s various departments.

All of them bore injuries of varying severity.

"Mr. Chu, you’re actually here!"

Upon seeing Chu He, a look of joyful surprise immediately appeared on the middle-aged man’s face.

At this moment, panic had gripped all of Qingping City, and many citizens had already fled.

For him, the one in charge of Qingping City,

the City Lord, Chu He’s arrival was like a godsend.

"Mr. Chu, my name is Liu Gang.

The Royal City has already sent a notice, saying that once you arrived, Mr. Chu,

you would take full command of all affairs in Qingping City.

I am willing to serve as your subordinate, Mr. Chu.

For Qingping City to have ended up like this, I, as the City Lord, must bear the primary responsibility.

If I hadn’t been so incompetent and foolish, Qingping City wouldn’t be in this state."

It was clear that this City Lord, Liu Gang, was truly heartbroken.

"That won’t be necessary.

You are the City Lord of Qingping City, and you know the situation here best.

Everyone has their own expertise. It’s best to let the professionals handle their own affairs."

Chu He shook his head. He had no interest whatsoever in so-called power, which he saw as ephemeral.

The old order of Blue Star was long gone. Only the power of a strong Martial Artist could control everything now.

"I am a sinner to all of Qingping City. I’ve failed all its people. How can I still have the face to continue as its City Lord?"

Liu Gang said, filled with guilt.

"Now is not the time for assigning blame."

Chu He shook his head again, then started walking toward the winding, rugged mountain path ahead.

"Mr. Chu, where are you going?"

Liu Gang asked, utterly confused.

The notice from the Royal City had only mentioned that Chu He was coming,

but it hadn’t specified what his purpose was.

It had also stated that upon Chu He’s arrival in Qingping City, everyone was to follow his arrangements.

Liu Gang guessed that he had failed to fulfill his duties as City Lord, which was why the Great Xia Empire’s Royal City had sent Chu He over in a fit of anger to completely take over all his responsibilities. He had no objection to this, however, because he knew he was indeed no longer worthy of serving as the City Lord of Qingping City.

But to his surprise, after Chu He arrived, he didn’t ask a single thing about these matters.

Instead, he started walking in the direction of the White Elephant Empire.

"Revenge." Chu He’s reply was simple and clear.

"Are you going alone?"

Liu Gang and the other high-ranking officials asked, utterly shocked.

"Yes." Chu He didn’t turn back.

"Mr. Chu, we Guard members can follow you into battle.

We’re very good at that sort of thing."

The Guard members chimed in one after another, not a trace of fear on their faces.

Some of them were locals from Qingping City,

so a torrent of hatred and fury surged in each of their hearts.

"Just stay and guard Qingping City. Prevent any lowlifes from launching a sneak attack."

Chu He said, pausing in his steps.

Just as he turned around,

Chu He saw survivors slowly emerging onto the village roads.

Some had gauze wrapped around their heads, already stained with blood.

Some were missing limbs,

but they stood strong on the village roads with the help of others.

Others had tear-filled eyes, choking back silent sobs.

Then, one by one, all the people knelt in Chu He’s direction.

[Thank you to boss Gu Hua Yue Yu Fei for the 1666 Book Coin reward! So generous!! May you be blessed with the five fortunes and have a prosperous future!!!]