Chapter 17: A Grateful Su Lie, A Sudden Demon Invasion

Senju Princess: Carl-kun, you're here~ ^o^ God Among Mortals: I am. What If My Little Sister Has Chuunibyou: Good afternoon, Boss! Heavenblade King: Good day, Carl-dono! God Among Mortals: Hello, everyone. God Among Mortals: What are you all talking about? You seem lively. Senju Princess: Oh, nothing special~ Just chatting about what we bought at the store. Commander of the Wall Guard: My luck's as bad as ever... Heavenblade King: Haha, aren't we all in the same boat? Heavenblade King: Only Carl-dono seems truly blessed. Every check-in nets him 10 points! Commander of the Wall Guard: That's true. Commander of the Wall Guard: Still, bad luck aside, I'm in a pretty good mood today. [Commander of the Wall Guard has sent a red envelope.] [Heavenblade King received 52 points.] [What If My Little Sister Has Chuunibyou received 62 points.] [Senju Princess received 60 points.] [God Among Mortals received 188 points.] [Commander of the Wall Guard received 49 points.] Commander of the Wall Guard: Hahaha, see what I mean? Even my red envelope luck is garbage! What If My Little Sister Has Chuunibyou: Thank you, General Su! Heavenblade King: Much appreciated ????‍♂️????‍♂️ God Among Mortals: Thanks a lot, General Su. Senju Princess: Thanks~ ???????? Commander of the Wall Guard: Haha, no need to thank me. Commander of the Wall Guard: I had some points left over after buying Haki, all thanks to Carl-dono. Commander of the Wall Guard: Not quite enough to level it up, so I figured, why not share a little luck? Heavenblade King: Something good must've happened, huh, General Su? Heavenblade King: You're in such a good mood, even sent out a red envelope! Senju Princess: Yeah! You're positively glowing~ Spill it, what happened? Commander of the Wall Guard: Something amazing, actually. Commander of the Wall Guard: Remember how I mentioned we were reopening the city gates for trade? Heavenblade King: Yeah, I remember. Commander of the Wall Guard: The market's open now, and it's packed! Commander of the Wall Guard: Bustling crowds, tons of merchants and travelers. Commander of the Wall Guard: It almost feels like Chang'an out there. Commander of the Wall Guard: Reopening the gates was absolutely the right call. [A video was uploaded by the Commander of the Wall Guard.] Everyone clicked it. It was a short clip recorded by Su Lie. In the video, the streets were teeming with life. People walked back and forth, voices rising above the stalls where vendors hawked their wares. The entire scene was vibrant and full of energy. Even more fascinating were the non-human hybrids among the crowd, passersby with animal-like features: fur-covered ears, swaying tails, or shimmering scales. Senju Princess: Whoa! This is incredible. You'd never guess this is a border city! To Tsunade, currently in the war-torn world of the Second Shinobi War, border towns were typically deserted, war-worn places. This kind of prosperity was unimaginable. Heavenblade King: This place looks amazing! I'd love to visit someday. What If My Little Sister Has Chuunibyou: Congrats! Looks like a real festival out there! Commander of the Wall Guard: Haha, thanks everyone! Commander of the Wall Guard: If any of you want to drop by, you're more than welcome. Commander of the Wall Guard: That said, the system hasn't unlocked any travel missions just yet... Heavenblade King: Aw, bummer. What If My Little Sister Has Chuunibyou: +1. Would've loved to go sightseeing there. Su Lie smiled as he watched the chat fill with reactions. Then, A sudden commotion broke out nearby. Before he could move, a panicked lieutenant rushed over. "General Su! Emergency!" Still wearing a faint smile, Su Lie turned toward him. "What is it?" "A massive horde of demonkind has just appeared outside the market!" "What?!" Su Lie's expression turned cold in an instant. "How? Where did they come from?" At the moment, both the Wall Guard and the Yucheng army had withdrawn to allow civilians to trade freely. There were no stationed troops, only ordinary townsfolk from the Wall and Yucheng. Su Lie and a few officers had remained behind solely to oversee the market's order. If demons attacked now... it would be catastrophic. "I don't know, sir!" The lieutenant's face was pale. "They appeared out of nowhere!" While the soldier was panicking, Su Lie had already steeled himself. He had served on the Wall for over a decade, seen more battles than most could imagine. Now, as the commanding officer, it was his job to remain calm. "Return to the Wall immediately. Call for reinforcements!" Su Lie ordered. The lieutenant hesitated. "But General, what about you, " "I'll stay. I'll hold them off." Su Lie drew the blade from his waist. His eyes were resolute. "Go. Now." "Y-Yes, sir!" The lieutenant turned and sprinted back. Now, the safety of the entire market rested on Su Lie alone. He ran toward the city gate, where ominous shadows loomed in the distance. At the head of the demon horde stood a monstrous figure. Over four meters tall, with curled bull-like horns and a body built like iron, it exuded a terrifying aura. Two more powerful demons stood beside it, and behind them, a sea of hundreds surged forward like a living storm. "So many..." Su Lie muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. A few, he could handle. But this wasn't a raid, it was an invasion. And the one leading them was clearly no ordinary beast. "I just need to hold them off... until reinforcements arrive!" With a roar, Su Lie charged into the fray. For over ten years, he had guarded the Wall. This fortress was his home. As long as the Wall stood, so would his homeland. Retreat was not an option. He crashed into the first wave of demons, sword flashing, movements swift and precise. But these monsters weren't like anything he'd fought before. Within moments, he was overwhelmed, barely able to hold his ground. Three elite demons circled him, pressing hard. Their strength was immense. He couldn't land a single blow. And the worst was still to come. In the distance, the rest of the horde surged forward, now less than twenty meters away. Su Lie could already see the madness in their eyes, the hunger for blood. He was struggling just to block the three in front of him. How could he possibly stop the hundreds more? But he knew one thing. If he fell here, if he died, The market would be torn apart. Men, women, children... slaughtered. They had no weapons. No armor. No chance. So he stood his ground. Even if it cost him everything.