Chapter 7121
Nowhere to Escape
Chapter 7121 Nowhere to Escape
"Can it be blocked?"
These words caused a brief moment of silence in the teahouse, which was then quickly replaced by an even more chaotic discussion.
"We have to stop them even if we can't, otherwise are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"
"No, I need to figure out the specifics. If things get really bad, I'll run!"
"Are you just going to throw away the family fortune you've worked so hard to build?"
The crowd was filled with indignation, but there were also many sighs and lamentations. The atmosphere seemed more lively, but it carried a heavy sense of helplessness.
Tang Zhen held his teacup, his gaze fixed on the street outside the window.
The lives of ordinary people in the city are subtly filled with a sense of unease, clearly influenced by the news.
The peddler carrying his load hurried along, some vendors began to pack up in a panic, and even schoolchildren carrying schoolbags were hurriedly picked up by their anxious family members.
Lin Xiaoman clutched the hem of her clothes and whispered, "Mr. Tang, is there really going to be a beast tide?"
"meeting."
Tang Zhen's tone was calm, but without a trace of panic, "And it's even worse than they said."
He had long sensed a strange and violent aura emanating from the depths of the mountains and forests outside the city, like an invisible hand stirring the hearts and minds of the beasts.
It did not form naturally, but was deliberately triggered by special means.
Sure enough, within an hour, urgent alarm bells rang throughout the city from the direction of the city lord's mansion.
"Boom-thump-thump-"
The three deep, resonant sounds made one's heart tighten.
Upon hearing this, the people on the street turned pale instantly, for this sound signified that something big was about to happen.
Like an air raid siren, it signifies war and disaster, and could potentially kill a large number of people.
Not long after, government notices were quickly posted all over the streets and alleys, the words in bright red ink: Strange beasts are moving outside the city, and there is a fear of a beast tide. The whole city is under martial law. If needed, able-bodied men must be ready to be conscripted at any time. No mistakes will be tolerated.
The Lord's Mansion of Nuchuan City.
The city lord, Zhao Heng, was nearly fifty years old, clad in armor, and had a resolute face.
He stood in the center of the hall, looking down at the panicked representatives from all walks of life, and said in a booming voice: "Gentlemen, there is no need to panic. Although the strange beasts are approaching, they will not break through the city walls at all."
"I was well prepared. The monks of Nuchuan Academy will also fight alongside the city's defense forces. As long as we are united, we will surely be able to hold the city!"
The crowd calmed down slightly upon hearing this, but they were still somewhat flustered and silently began to make various plans.
Beast tides are not uncommon and have occurred occasionally in the past, but everyone felt that this time was clearly different.
The specifics will only be known after further investigation.
That afternoon, a reconnaissance team of more than two hundred people hurriedly left the city.
Leading the group was none other than Master Su, accompanied by the deputy commander of the city defense battalion and several senior teachers from the academy. The group included cultivators and elite soldiers, all carrying magical artifacts, talismans, and elixirs, their expressions solemn.
At first, the mountain road was relatively calm, but the deeper we went, the stronger the smell of blood became in the air.
Broken bones and dried bloodstains were scattered everywhere on the ground. Thick trees were snapped in half, and huge claw marks were deeply embedded in the soil, a horrifying sight.
"Something's not right, it's too quiet," a disciple of the academy whispered. "There aren't even any birds chirping."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a piercing wolf howl suddenly rang out.
From within the dense forest, more than thirty bluish-gray figures swiftly pounced out; they were none other than the first-tier exotic beasts, the Azure-Striped Wolves.
Their eyes were bloodshot, drool dripped from their mouths, and they were completely irrational. As soon as they met, they charged forward fearlessly.
"Set up the formation!"
With a loud shout, Master Su unfurled a scroll made of human skin, its spiritual energy surging and transforming into a barrier of runes.
The academy disciples cooperated with each other and immediately formed the Three Powers Defense Formation. The city defense soldiers drew their bows and nocked arrows, and spiritual arrows shot out into the air.
The battle erupted instantly.
The sounds of spiritual energy exploding, beast roars, and screams mingled together.
The blue-striped wolf was extremely fast, and its sharp claws easily tore through ordinary armor. Several academy disciples who were unable to dodge in time were knocked down on the spot, and blood splattered everywhere.
These strange beasts from the depths of the forest seemed oblivious to pain; even severely wounded, they continued their frenzied attack.
"They're not hunting for food, they're being manipulated!" The deputy commander cleaved a wolf's head in two with his sword, his expression changing drastically. "They only kill, they don't eat their prey at all!"
Master Su's heart sank.
Having cultivated for a hundred years, he had witnessed many beast tides, but he had never seen such a bizarre and well-organized attack.
The beasts moved in an orderly fashion, flanking from both sides, clearly under covert command.
Before everyone could catch their breath, the ground suddenly shook.
A massive ironback bear crashed through trees and charged forward. Its thick fur was impervious to swords and spears, and it slapped two armored soldiers away with a single paw.
Immediately afterwards, countless venomous snakes sprang out of the grass, spewing black mist from their mouths, which caused immediate decay upon contact with the substance.
Above the treetops, the Blood-Striped Leopard leaped down, its wind blades slicing through the air and tearing gaps in the defensive array.
In an instant, the expedition team suffered a sharp increase in casualties, blood stained the grass, and corpses and wounded were everywhere, putting them in a precarious situation.
Master Su exhausted his cultivation to fight the Blood-Striped Leopard head-on, his spiritual energy almost completely depleted, and blood kept spilling from the corners of his mouth.
Watching the people around him fall one after another, he finally realized that going deeper into the investigation was tantamount to suicide.
"Retreat! Retreat immediately! Send word that the beast tide is approaching; the entire city must defend to the death!"
The surviving cultivators fled in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons along the way.
When they staggered back into the city, the group of over two hundred men had dwindled to just over seventy, half of whom were seriously injured and on the verge of collapse.
Master Su, his white hair disheveled and his aura weak, uttered only one sentence upon seeing the city lord: "The beast tide will arrive within three days, the number of strange beasts far exceeds our imagination, and... they are being controlled by someone."
Before long, the news spread, immediately causing even greater panic.
The entire city was gripped by fear, which spread like wildfire.
Driven by fear, most people are thinking of fleeing rather than defending the city.
Staying in Nuchuan City means the city gates will eventually be breached by monstrous beasts, leaving no trace of your remains. Only by escaping the city will there be a glimmer of hope.
At dusk, the east and north gates of Nuchuan City were crowded with people and caravans.
Families, carrying bundles and pushing carts, wept and wailed as they surged out of the city. Some even defied the ban and forcibly broke through the city gates.
"Let us out!"
"Rather than wait to die in the city, we'd rather escape!"
"The city lord can't keep us locked up here to feed the monsters!"
The guards tried their best to stop them, but they couldn't withstand the sheer number of people, and eventually a large number of civilians poured out of the city.
Unexpectedly, only half an hour later, several mournful cries came from outside the city.
Several blood-soaked, tattered civilians scrambled back into the city, their faces ashen and their voices hoarse: "Don't go out! There are bandits outside! Murder! They're all dead!"
Everyone was startled.
"Bandits? How many?"
"They're not ordinary bandits!" One man collapsed to the ground, trembling all over. "They blocked the road, were well-equipped, and ruthless. They robbed and killed anyone they saw! They didn't care about the old or the young, they left no one alive!"
In the following days, more and more people who had escaped returned, and the news they brought was increasingly chilling.
All four main routes out of the city were blocked by bandits wielding swords and knives.
The bandits were numerous, well-trained, and skilled with knives; they were clearly not a rabble.
They not only plundered gold, silver, grain, and horses, but also deliberately blocked the roads, killing anyone who tried to cross them.
Corpses piled up on the ground, blood flowed like a river, a truly horrific sight.
"They weren't after money!" a merchant who had narrowly escaped said, still shaken. "We handed over all our goods, but they still wanted to kill us! They were clearly trying to prevent anyone from leaving Nuchuan City!"
One sentence sent chills down everyone's spine.
Beasts besieged the city in front, while bandits blocked the road behind.
There was no way to go to heaven, and no way to go to hell.
The entire city of Nuchuan became a giant cage.
The people were in utter despair, and the streets were filled with weeping. Some collapsed to the ground, some cursed wildly, and some hugged their families and wept silently.
With monsters devouring people in front and bandits slaughtering people behind, it seems that no matter which choice you make, you will only face certain death.