Chapter 34: Rebellion and Monsters

Lily walked up to the city gate and used a piece of clothing stripped from a corpse to wipe the mud off her body, revealing the red dragon emblem on her leather armor.

"Where are you from?" A large, corpulent feline soldier blocked her path.

"Officer, I'm from Xuanshan."

"Xuanshan?" The cat-soldier looked Lily up and down, then glanced at the bedraggled, thin-furred soldiers behind her. "That territory was long since razed by the Stardust people. I heard the civilians in the city were all wiped out..." The cat-soldier clicked his tongue. "I didn't expect you lot to have escaped. You're certainly lucky." He sneered, but made no move to open the gate.

"What? You won't let the civilians in?" Lily stood tall, her voice sharpening as she began to argue. "Won't you even let us brothers-in-arms inside?"

"The Zhongzhou garrison has issued an order: today, no one—not even high-ranking officials or generals—is permitted to enter! Anyone who attempts to force their way in will be executed on the spot!" The feline warrior drew his bronze sword and growled, while the soldiers behind him raised their halberds, aiming them at their own comrades.

Seeing the crowd gathering at the gate, Lily, desperate to pass through Zhongzhou, began to execute her plan. She let out a roar, drew the sword from her waist, and shouted at the fat cat-soldier, "Damn it! It's one thing not to let us pass, but you won't even let these civilians who barely escaped with their lives through! Are you Zhongzhou people really this heartless? If that evil Stardust army catches up, we'll all die without a burial place, and there won't even be anyone left to collect our bones!"

Lily played the part of a "petitioner for the people" with theatrical flair. Her shouting incited the defeated soldiers behind her to join in. "Screw you! You Zhongzhou soldiers lock your gates and leave us outside to die! You bastards! May that giant reptile’s blue fire roast you all to a crisp!"

It was working. Lily decided to fan the flames. "Look at this child, he’s only six or seven!" She pulled a young feline child over, the boy’s face sallow from days of fleeing. "Look, everyone! Our children have already been reduced to this state... yet these damned guards still won't let us in. They occupy the defensible walls and leave us out here to die!"

Lily shouted to the growing crowd of refugees and soldiers, "I have seen the Stardust army! I’ve seen those murderous legions, those madmen! They can fly by stepping on their shields and charge over to decapitate us one by one. Their spears are as thick as a dense forest, and the light reflecting off thousands of shields is enough to blind you dog-soldiers! And that’s not all! They have giant reptiles that spew fire and phoenixes that discharge electricity!"

Lily’s vivid performance chilled the hearts of the feline refugees, strengthening their resolve to enter the city. Seeing that they were at a breaking point, Lily raised her sword high and cried out, "Are you willing to stay out here like this? Are you?"

"Damn it! These coward soldiers won't fight the Stardust army, but they'll make things difficult for us! Open the gate! We must open the gate!" A massive commotion and roar erupted from the crowd. Some of the fearless soldiers rushed forward to confront the guards.

"Look at them," Lily cried. "The people who should be protecting us are blocking our only path to survival! Damn you bunch of royal-salaried bastards, you deserve to die!"

"A mere guerrilla, and you're this bold!" The fat cat-soldier grabbed a halberd from a comrade and thrust it at Lily. She dodged nimbly, but the soldier followed up with a horizontal sweep. This time, Lily didn't dodge; the blow struck her, sending her sprawling into the mud.

This act completely detonated the anger of the refugees. The furious mob surged toward the Zhongzhou garrison like a thunderclap. The two sides clashed, and the outnumbered city guards quickly lost the upper hand under the pressure of people who no longer cared for their own lives. Before long, the South Gate of Zhongzhou was thrown wide open.

Pushing through the chaotic brawl and the fallen feline corpses, Lily nimbly followed the surge of people into Zhongzhou. She moved quickly along the low buildings toward the North Gate. Just then, a familiar sensation washed over her.

"That guy again!"

"Where do you think you're running, girl?" The Star God’s seductive, magnetic voice resonated in her mind once more.

"Damn it, that voice is back." A splitting headache hit her, and Lily fell to her knees in the mud.

"Damn dog," the Jade God cursed, facing this persistent, leech-like enemy. "This bastard is trying to manipulate you again. It seems I have to deal with the scum behind it myself." The Jade God tried to remain calm, but his voice betrayed his fury. "I will go suppress the creature's ethereal energy, but you'll have to handle the rest yourself."

The True God cut the connection. Soon, the Star God’s sinister voice faded from her ears. "He really just went silent after saying that. Impressive." Lily climbed to her feet and continued toward the North Gate. "Lord Jade God? Old man?" Her calls went unanswered.

"Rrip!" A spatial rift tore open behind her, and several bizarre skeleton soldiers clad in chainmail leaped out. It seemed the Jade God hadn't fully suppressed the Star God or the "bastard" behind him. The skeletons let out eerie chattering sounds and charged straight at Lily.

Sensing the ethereal energy behind her, Lily channeled her energy into her right hand, accumulating sky-blue ethereal vapor. It took the form of ice-like spikes. Lily had dubbed this technique the "Void Ice Needle." With a flick of her right hand, the ice spike struck one of the skeletons, shattering its left arm. However, when Lily turned back, the skeleton had vanished.

The street seemed calm again, but as she took a step, the jarring clatter of bone sounded right beside her. A skeleton soldier lunged at her, shield raised. Lily fired a Void Ice Needle, but due to insufficient energy, it was blocked by the shield. Several surges of ethereal energy materialized behind her.

A shrill shriek pierced the air. Almost instinctively, Lily swung her broken sword with her left hand, striking the neck of the skeleton behind her. Although protected by an ethereal shield, the skeleton's power was inferior to hers. The monster, unable to generate a thick shield, had its neck bone severed instantly. The skull rolled to the ground, but three more skeleton soldiers charged from different directions, brandishing their swords.

"Damn monsters! You persistent bastards!" Lily shattered a skeleton with a Void Ice Needle, then kicked another that lunged from her flank. But another soldier thrust its blade directly at her.

"No... it's too late..."

"Lily!" The Jade God’s voice echoed in her mind. "I'm here to help!"