Chapter 653: They're Here

The insect tide arrived as promised.

Rolling in with yellow dust, it came like a sky-splitting wave, and then struck dead upon the celestial veil beyond the city's walls.

Compared to the beast tide, the insect tide may seem terrifying in appearance, yet in reality, its threat is far less severe.

A powerful race will always claim the most favorable terrain for survival. In theory, these creatures should have been driven into the barren, lifeless dunes of the Great Desert by the demonic beasts.

The sharp, clawed limbs, the hardened exoskeletons, and the eerie quality of not dying at all—these are the dreadful traits of insect demons. Yet none of these horrors can conceal the frailty of their slender bodies.

Once the exoskeleton on their bodies is shattered, the insects are merely seconds from death, for they lack the ability to regenerate their shells—or their life force cannot sustain the long, arduous process of healing.

Yet now, the sheer numbers of the insect tide have erased this vulnerability.

The first wave of contact between the celestial veil and the tide ended swiftly. The western city of Zhunxi was built upon rugged terrain, with only a single hundred-foot footbridge linking the two sides of the Thousand Thorns Gorge. Countless insect corpses writhed,

and before they could fall into the abyss, the following waves of insect demons devoured them all.

Soon, those gathered beneath the city walls, hoping to pressure the authorities into opening the gates, witnessed what true ant-like siege warfare truly looked like.

At first, the towering, majestic walls blocked their view, and they could only faintly hear, through the barrier, the creeping sounds from beyond the city's edge.

Not long after, the noises grew dense, sharp and piercing—harsh, grating screeches, accompanied by endless, agonizing hammering—when the first insect demon emerged, clinging to the sky’s vault.

Then another. Then another. Then a third. Until half the protective sky-silk was entirely swallowed by the tide of creatures.

Countless insects clung to the fabric of the sky, their bodies moving in thick, writhing masses, spreading relentlessly along the surface, seeping outward in every direction. The heavens above the western town darkened visibly, one moment to the next.

And when the last sliver of sunlight was devoured by the sea of insects, the ruined buildings set aflame by the rioters stood out starkly—like wounds in the earth. The haunting symphony of the perpetrators’ frenzied shouts and the victims’ terrified cries suddenly fell silent.

The rioters turned their eyes upward, yet they could no longer see the once-vast, clear blue sky.

All they could see now,

were the countless blood-red, greedy eyes, fixed upon the city below, peering through the outer veil of the sky.

"Look up! Look up!"

"What are those things?"

"Insect beasts?"

"Why are there so many insect beasts?"

"Hahaha! No wonder the western garrison retreated—they knew these creatures were coming and just ran away. A bunch of cowards!"

"Where are the western garrison troops?! Where are those scum of soldiers?"

"Damn it! Are those soldiers just eating their pay? Can't they see those insects?!"

When true despair descended, the rioters—once expecting chaos—instead began to crave the protection of order enforcers.

But when their pleas fell unanswered, amid raging curses and wailing cries, a far greater uprising erupted.

One house after another was set ablaze. Orderly civilians were dragged from their homes to be slaughtered and raped. With no restraint, the rabid outcasts unleashed the worst of human depravity, indulging in their final, unbridled madness.

"General Changtian, are you not intervening in the riots within the city?"

In the softly fragrant chamber of the Military Command, Li Junwu's voice carried a hint of hesitation.

When the riots erupted within the city, peace still reigned inside the prefectural office. After several reckless fools were slaughtered for attempting to storm the hall, no rebel dared approach the vicinity of the official quarters again.

At the very instant he heard the sound, Xu Yuan opened his eyes, closed in meditation, and spoke calmly:

"Whatever."

Li Junwu furrowed his brow, countering:

"Right now, the unrest within the city could only happen because the Second Garrison has been fully redeployed to our prefectural office. Otherwise, three curves of troops would have been sufficient to suppress those unorganized rioters."

Xu Yuan's voice was coldly still:

"Junwu, every matter has its urgency and priority. I'm not unwilling to send troops to quell the uprising—rather, the damage caused by these rabble is not worth the risk."

Li Junwu remained puzzled:

"Three curves of soldiers cannot possibly affect the overall situation—how could it be considered a risk?"

"You've forgotten? The potential traitors within the Western Garrison have not yet been fully purged."

Xu Yuan spoke slowly and steadily, his voice without a single tremor, stating the facts plainly: "Order the Second Garrison to rush back to the magistrate's office—first, to stabilize the turbulent military morale; second, to clear the city walls."

As he spoke, a slight furrow appeared between Xu Yuan's brows. He spoke solemnly:

"The Western Town Garrison is my third encounter with a siege defense. In the previous two instances of urban defense crises, the initial breach came from within the city—someone attacking the walls, damaging the defensive array. Even though the odds of capturing a traitor outside are slim, we cannot afford to send anyone out. Everyone must be under constant watch."

"Send a cultivator to supervise the garrison?" Li Junwu murmured softly.

"Who? My own personnel have already been dispatched to monitor the defensive array. On your side, aside from Jin's commander, the only one you can confirm as loyal is Lin Lan. But are you certain that sending that fool out won't create even greater chaos?"

"What then? Let those thugs rape and slaughter others in open sight?" Li Junwu's hand tightened slightly on the edge of the table.

"..." Xu Yuan.

From a purely pragmatic standpoint, at this critical juncture, whether or not to deal with these rioters mattered little.

The number of rioters involved was less than half of the city's total population, and most of them were ordinary folk. Moreover, these foolish, headstrong brutes would gather in groups, losing their wits and storming noble households, attempting to seize wealth from those protected by cultivators.

Even if they were left to wreak havoc, the damage would be limited to a few districts—utterly insignificant when compared to the overall safety of the Western Town Garrison.

So, Xu Yuan didn't pursue the topic further:

"Now the main issue isn't the rabble, but the swarms clinging to the sky-mantle above."

"The swarms won't breach the defenses—given the current energy consumption of our formations, the city's source-crystal reserves should last at least ten days. But if we don't control those outlaws, more and more people will join them."

At this point, Li Junwu's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice sharpening with sternness: "Chang Tian, this is a border prefecture city—most of those who come here are desperate outlaws!"

".."

Seeing his younger brother's stubborn resistance, Xu Yuan instinctively felt a wave of impatience rise.

Indeed.

Even if troops were sent to suppress them, the chance of damaging the city's defensive formation was negligible.

But what if they did?

They were already walking a tightrope—no mistakes were permitted.

At that moment, a million people within the city would perish from the chain reaction of the Six Sages' schemes, and the collapse of the capital would be so vast as to be beyond bearable.

Is this truly such a difficult choice?!

"Li Junwu, mercy does not govern warfare. You—"

Xu Yuan wished to scorn Li Junwu's naivety, but as she spoke, her slender eyes flickered with emotion—so sudden, so piercing—that she froze mid-sentence.

It was a familiar emotion. One that had once stirred within his own eyes. An emotion belonging to a human being.

"..."

Her hand, concealed beneath her sleeve, tightened slightly. Xu Yuan lifted her head, pressing hard against her brow, exhaled deeply:

"Alright. I'll have someone handle this."

And then, after those words, she said nothing more.

Li Junwu sensed his irritation, pressed her thin lips together, and slowly rose from behind the desk, stepping to stand beside him. Then, leaning gently against the chair, she lowered herself to sit beside him, nudging his arm gently with her elbow, and whispered softly:

"Hey, do you really have to be so angry about it?"

Xu Yuan glanced at her, speaking with calm indifference:

"If you want to know how I'm handling those rabble-rousers, just ask directly. Si Zi Jing and Huang Shiwei can't leave the city walls—they must guard against anyone attempting to approach them. That's non-negotiable.

"But although this insect tide triggered unrest within the city, it also pushed the noble families and major trading syndicates inside our camp. With the tide, they no longer desire to leave the city. And that's precisely why I'm going to let them deal with these rabble-rousers themselves."

"."

Li Junwu recalled the scenes she had witnessed through the city's defensive array.

Previously, the noble houses and large martial groups had even plotted to storm the city gates.

Thinking this, she cautiously asked:

"Will they cooperate? Their leaders might be traitors, and since we previously barred them from leaving the city, they might harbor resentment."

"Those who know when to act are truly wise. There will always be some who will cooperate—even if they are all from sects, not every one of them will die for their beliefs."

Xu Yuan's reply was simple and direct.

Large martial factions and noble merchant guilds both possessed rudimentary military formation techniques. Even if only a few agreed to cooperate, they could easily suppress the riots within the city.

As he spoke, Xu Yuan reached out and pushed Kui Junwu away from leaning against him, his eyes fixed on hers as he spoke in a solemn tone:

"Kui Junwu, this is the last time.

"If you truly wish to lead the Western Prefecture, then you must quickly abandon your womanly leniency."

....

Kui Junwu's red lips instinctively parted, as though ready to object, but ultimately she only nodded in submission.

Xu Yuan took a deep breath, adjusted his facial expression, and redirected the conversation back to its proper course:

"Now let's talk about how to deal with those disgusting insect swarms."

"Hmph, disgusting? You're so old now, Chang Tian, are you still afraid of insects?"

"." Xu Yuan stared at her, maintaining a resolute silence.

"." Li Junwu's smile froze upon her face.

Averting her gaze, Li Junwu murmured softly, "I... I was only trying to make a jest, to lighten the atmosphere."

For a fleeting instant, amusement threatened to break through, yet Xu Yuan betrayed nothing, continuing in a tone as cold as ice:

"You must have realized by now that the sect members do not expect the insect tide to breach the formation. Ever since the sky was blotted out by those creatures, the detection runes of the city defense array have been steadily failing. What they truly desire is to sever our connection with the outside world."

The methods of detection were divided into two distinct realms: source and intent-soul.

The array runes were incapable of condensing an intent-soul inherent to living beings; they could only utilize source to scan the surroundings. However, a certain pheromone secreted by those insects was presently disrupting both the source and the intent-soul in the vicinity.

The entire citadel of Zhenxi Mansion was rapidly losing all means of perceiving the world beyond its walls.

In other words, even if the Six Saints were to manifest simultaneously in the low skies just above Zhenxi Mansion, gathering their absolute might for a devastating strike right before their eyes, the defenders would remain utterly blind to their movements through the grand defensive array.

Li Junwu offered no further reply, lapsing into a brief, contemplative silence before she finally spoke in a hushed voice:

“Are you saying they’re forcing us to convert the city’s protective aura into a killing array?”

“Yes.”

“Then if we alter the array, energy consumption will spike, and changing the operational patterns of the city’s defensive formation will create a massive gap—unless we ignore the array’s energy drain and overload the charging system.” Li Junwu pondered and offered the suggestion.

“That’s unnecessary. I’m only letting you know.”

“. . .” Li Junwu.

Disrupting the source and the soul’s essence does not mean one can disrupt his spiritual sight.

This is also one of Xu Yuan’s hidden reserves.

“I have a way to penetrate their shielding and perceive the outside world. If they plan to simultaneously build up their power to break through the array, I can take advantage of the situation and act accordingly—I’ll notify you then.”

With that, Xu Yuan swiftly stood and walked out of the hall.

Li Junwu instinctively asked:

"Where are you going?"

Xu Yuan didn't turn around. He turned his back and muttered angrily:

"You just said a moment ago you were going to suppress the rebellion! How could I not go and inform the lower ranks to contact those noble merchant houses?"

"."

Li Junwu's clear eyes flickered for a moment, then she smiled lightly and said:

"Shall I come with you? I can currently activate the city's protective array to shield you."

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan immediately halted at the threshold.

Li Junwu, seeing his pause, assumed he had agreed and stepped forward with a light laugh. But as she reached beside him, she noticed his serious expression fixed upon the dark tide crawling across the sky—unrelenting, ominous.

Staring at it for several breaths, Xu Yuan sighed helplessly and turned to look at her.

"It seems I won't be able to keep the promise I made a moment ago."

"Ah?"

"Do you remember what I said just now?"

"."

Li Junwu's heart raced:

"Was it the line about playing their game?"

"Yes."

Xu Yuan looked upward, feeling the surging source vibration beyond the swarm of insects in the sky, his fist clenched tightly beneath his sleeve, and spoke in a low, steady voice:

"They've arrived."