Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 220 A Choice Amidst Bloodshed

The faint light of the Shu Mountain barrier's restoration had not yet faded from Shen Anzhi's memory when the eerie winds of the thousand-year-old Shu Road swept her into a blood-red abyss of despair. As she stepped out onto the bluestone slabs at the end of the Shu Road, the first thing she smelled was not the familiar aroma of barley from Qiang City, but the pervasive stench of blood and decay.

A thick layer of blood mist shrouded the sky above Qiang City, completely obscuring the sunlight. Only a suffocating dark red remained between heaven and earth, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the city walls carried a tooth-grinding howl.

"Destroy Shu—Destroy Shu—"

A deep and eerie voice came from the depths of the blood mist, like countless demons shouting in unison, each word making people tremble.

Shen Anzhi gripped the demon-slaying sword at his waist. The runes on the sword, sensing the overwhelming demonic energy, began to tremble slightly, as if warning of the danger before him.

She strode toward the central command tent, the sights along the way making her heart sink. The bodies of Qiang soldiers were hastily carried to the mass graves outside the city, and the wounded lay on straw mats outside the tents, some with broken arms and others with missing legs. Groans and cries mingled together, dragging the morale of the Qiang city to rock bottom.

As the curtain of the central command tent was lifted, a heavy atmosphere immediately enveloped the user.

The leader of the Rimai tribe sat in the main seat, his silver beard disheveled, his once sharp eyes now bloodshot. He clutched a battle report that had long been crumpled, his knuckles white from the force.

The generals inside the tent kept their heads down, some sighing, others silently wiping the bloodstains off their weapons, but none dared to look up into the eyes of the Rimai leader.

Since the disciples of Shushan returned to aid Shushan, they have not received any reports of reinforcements supporting Qiangcheng. In particular, news from the direction of Huangquan Valley seems to have disappeared without a trace. Only the blood mist over Qiangcheng grows thicker day by day.

“Miss Shen, you’re back.” The leader of the Rimai tribe’s voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded. He raised his head, his eyes filled with exhaustion and despair: “There’s some news. You…you need to be prepared.”

Shen Anzhi's heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over her. She looked at the Rimai chieftain and asked with difficulty, "Chieftain, is it...is something wrong at Yellow Spring Valley?"

Chief Rimai nodded heavily and handed over the battle report: "Yesterday, we received the last message from Huangquan Valley. Rimai Yongga, Zilingxuan, Monk Tongda, and Senior Xuanfeng Yicheng... they... they have been besieged by the demon soldiers in Huangquan Valley. The disciple who sent the message only managed to say at the last moment that there were a million demon soldiers and no hope of breaking through."

"What?" Shen Anzhi took the battle report, his fingertips touching the still-wet bloodstains on the paper. Instantly, images of Rimai Yongga charging forward on his horse, Zi Lingxuan wielding the Emei dagger, the monk Tongda reciting scriptures with composure, and the figure of Senior Xuanfeng Yicheng riding the wind flashed before his eyes. These companions who had fought alongside her were now trapped in the Valley of the Underworld, their fates unknown.

"Chief, we must go and save them!" Shen Anzhi suddenly stood up, the Demon-Slaying Sword ringing crisply in its sheath. "With the Demon-Slaying Sword in hand, and some elite soldiers selected, we will surely break through the demon soldiers' encirclement and rescue them!"

Chief Rimai shook his head, his eyes filled with helplessness: "Miss Shen, look outside the city." He pointed outside the tent, his voice trembling slightly: "The Demon Lord Yuanjin is furious because the Shushan barrier has not been broken. He has sent a million demon soldiers and Go people. We can barely hold Qiang City now. Our tribesmen have suffered heavy casualties, and less than 30% of our soldiers are still able to fight. How can we go to save Huangquan Valley?" Shen Anzhi walked quickly to the tent, lifted the curtain and looked outside. She saw that outside Qiang City, a dark mass of demon soldiers and Go people gathered like a tide under the city walls. They were shoulder to shoulder, densely packed across the entire plain, and even the distant horizon was covered by this black torrent.

The weapons in the hands of the demon soldiers glowed with an eerie green light. The Go people were shirtless, their skin painted with strange black patterns, and they roared. The scene was so dense that it made one's scalp tingle. Shen Anzhi even felt his heart contracting, and a strong sense of trypophobia surged into his heart.

“A million strong…” Shen Anzhi murmured to herself. She had never seen such a massive enemy army. Even the demon soldiers in the Battle of Dragon Cauldron Mountain were not a tenth as large as the one before her.

“Miss Shen, it’s not that I don’t want to save Yongga and the others, he’s my son.” Chief Rimai walked to her side, his voice low: “But given the current situation, the success rate of supporting Huangquan Valley is almost zero. All we can do is preserve our strength and defend Qiang City. Qiang City is the gateway to the Bashu region. Once Qiang City falls, the demonic army will advance south along the Shu Road. Tianfu Kingdom, Ancient Shu Kingdom, Ba tribes… all living beings will become food for the demonic army. At that time, the entire Bashu region will be devastated!”

Shen Anzhi fell silent. Chief Rimai's words struck her heart like a heavy hammer. She knew the chief was right; the safety of Qiang City concerned the fate of the entire Bashu region. She couldn't let her personal obsession plunge more innocent people into danger. But the thought of Rimai Yongga and the others struggling in Huangquan Valley, and the thought of Zi Lingxuan possibly sacrificing herself to protect her companions like Kui Ran of Sanqing Mountain, caused her heart to ache as if it were being cut by a knife.

"I can't watch them die." Shen Anzhi's voice was firm. She gripped the Demon-Slaying Sword in her hand, and the runes on the sword lit up again: "Chief, Qiang City needs someone to protect it. I must go to Yellow Spring Valley. Even if I'm alone, I will try."

"Miss Shen!" Chief Rimai exclaimed anxiously, reaching out to grab her: "You're playing with your life!"

Shen Anzhi gently pushed his hand away and turned to walk out of the tent. Her steps were firm and unwavering. Her figure appeared particularly frail in the blood-red light, yet it carried an undeniable resolve.

The generals inside the tent watched her retreating figure. Some shook their heads and sighed, while others had a hint of admiration in their eyes. However, no one dared to dissuade her. They knew that once this girl, who held the demon-slaying sword, made a decision, she would never compromise easily.

Shen Anzhi climbed the city wall of Qiang City again. The demon soldiers and Ge people outside the city were still roaring. The black torrent kept crashing against the deer antler formation under the city wall. Each impact was accompanied by the screams of soldiers and the sound of weapons clashing.

She gazed towards the distant Yellow Springs Valley, shrouded in thick demonic energy, where no movement could be seen. The Demon-Slaying Sword in her hand felt slightly warm, as if resonating with her heartbeat, reminding her of the danger she was about to face.

“Rimai Yongga, Zi Lingxuan, Monk Tongda, Senior Xuanfeng Yicheng… wait for me.” Shen Anzhi said softly, a resolute glint in his eyes: “Even if it’s a million demon soldiers, I will still try to break through.”

Under the blood-red sky, Shen Anzhi stood atop the city wall, gripping her demon-slaying sword tightly, her gaze fixed on the distant torrent of demon soldiers.

Although the situation was extremely critical and she knew that this journey was fraught with danger, she did not flinch in the slightest. She was determined to go to the Valley of the Underworld to rescue her companions.