Chapter 809: Chapter 46 Who Goes and Who Stays

Just like that, Long Long, relying on his wisdom, courage, and scanning ability, successfully led Long Hu and Qin Lie through the water route and directly to the water gate beneath Yuanjiang City.

The port of Yuanjiang City, originally used for the docking, resupplying, and taxing of merchant fleets, was now completely sealed off during wartime, with the water gate tightly shut.

Thus, a problem arose: how to inform the city’s garrison?

Knocking on the gate was impossible; if the city’s garrison didn’t hear them, it might attract the enemy forces outside instead.

Even if the garrison received the message and came to inquire, proving their identities posed another problem.

The two instinctively turned their eyes to Long Long to see if he had any good ideas on how to enter the heavily fortified Yuanjiang City without alerting the enemy forces outside.

“Why are you looking at me?” Long Long asked in confusion.

“Waiting for you to come up with a plan,” Long Hu directly stated.

“Wait for me?” Long Long was astonished, “Use your Golden Crow Divine Fire Fan!”

Long Hu’s face turned red instantly, having forgotten about this magical treasure.

Last time, while underground, everyone had relied on the Golden Crow Divine Fire Fan to melt gold and stone from the riverbed, carving out a tunnel and escaping–how could she have forgotten so soon?

Ashamed for a moment, Long Hu attributed it to Long Long’s attitude of taking charge and doing everything himself, which she claimed stifled her usually sharp mind.

She activated the True Yuan in the Golden Crow Divine Fire Fan and waved it around.

In the waters, countless bubbles instantly swirled up; flames poured downward, quickly melting a Great Hollow in the riverbed.

Long Hu led the way with the fire, tunneling underground with the two of them, then gradually dug upward.

Finally, light appeared above, and the three were instantly excited and hastily broke through the ground… only to be surrounded by a large group of Feathered Clan cultivators.

It wasn’t Long Hu’s fault. Given the powerful might of the Golden Crow Divine Fire Fan, the ruckus it created was naturally not small.

Last time, they dug deep under the riverbed, so no one noticed. This time, however, they were navigating through shallow ground surfaces. The city’s Feathered Clan cultivators quickly felt unceasing tremors on the ground, and faint red heat seeping through the soil… It would be odd not to notice unless everyone was blind.

Upon seeing the three emerge from the ground, the Feathered Clan cultivators didn’t wait for them to identify themselves and immediately launched attacks from all directions.

Long Long reacted the fastest. Seeing that most attacks were Feathered Clan flying swords, he quickly threw out the Coiled Dragon Gold-Dissolving Ball.

A great magnetic force appeared, immediately disrupting the flying swords around, causing them to lose balance and be attracted to the ball.

Long Hu also hurriedly activated the Eastern Pure Light Glazed Lamp, and instantly an endless brilliance emerged, forming a brightly shining lamp shield around them, protecting everyone within. No matter what divine secret skills the outside Feathered Clan cultivators launched, they only hit the lamp shield and could not break through.

Qin Lie looked the calmest, holding the red feather arrow given by Feng Yan as if it were an imperial saber, not moving at all.

Soon, a Feathered Clan leader noticed the object in her hand, and immediately shouted in surprise:

“Stop! Everyone stop!”

“By the order of Princess Feng Yan, Long Long of the Dragon Clan has come to rescue the garrison of Yuanjiang City!” Qin Lie continued to borrow power from others’ fame, loudly declaring, “All Feathered Clan, must cooperate unconditionally. Seeing this feather is as seeing the Princess!”

“You don’t need to say the last part.” Long Long corrected quietly beside her.

“Got it,” Qin Lie nodded.

While they whispered among themselves, the surrounding Feathered Clan cultivators showed no hint of doubt, but rather, they were tearfully grateful and extremely emotional, unable to contain themselves.

Although the Feathered Clan was generally xenophobic, often habitually giving a hard time to non-Feathered Clan cultivators, these cultivators had been trapped inside Yuanjiang City for a long time, calling to heaven in vain, and even unsure if reinforcement would arrive. They watched daily as the resources to maintain the Defensive Array dwindled, nearly worrying themselves to the point of losing feathers.

Now that reinforcements have finally arrived, although they are from the Dragon Clan instead of the Feathered Clan, what does it matter?

We can finally escape unscathed!

As Long Long inquired in detail, the Feathered Clan cultivators looked at each other for a moment before pushing a young Feathered Clan member forward.

It turned out that the lord of Yuanjiang City, Qiu Jiang, who was originally in charge of the city’s defenses, was accidentally killed by several cultivators of the Dong Yuan Realm during the siege by the Qilin and White Tiger allied forces.

According to the rules of the Feathered Clan, the leadership would be handed over to his eldest son, who was this disheveled young commander named “Qiu Ying”.

Although Qiu Ying was young, he had been toughened by war and had lost the typical haughty demeanor of Feathered Clan nobility, and simply said to Long Long:

“Now that our allies possess the Red Feather Arrow, just give us your orders. Even if it requires us going through fire and water, we will not hesitate!”

“Very well,” Long Long nodded, “I indeed need you guys to go through fire and water.”

“What?” Qiu Ying was shocked.

“Our mission is to save as many of you as possible, not to cling to Yuanjiang City,” Long Long stated bluntly, “but with so many of you, if we blatantly leave with you, leaving an empty city, the White Tiger Divine General would surely notice and send a large army to intercept us halfway.”

“The best strategy now is to let some of you leave first, and leave the rest to continue defending the city, making the enemy believe that the city’s defenders are still trapped.”

“As for who leaves and who stays…” Long Long quickly scanned the number of people in the city, estimated the defense needs, and then swiftly said, “About two-thirds of the people will leave first, leaving one-third behind. You all decide the specific names.”

Immediately, the atmosphere around became tense.

Yuanjiang City now resembled a sinking ship, with everyone wanting to abandon ship and escape, only to find out the lifeboat could only carry a portion of them, making it quite awkward.

If I leave and he stays, he would definitely be upset. But what criteria should be used to decide who goes and who stays?

Sorry to say, no matter what criteria are proposed, the cultivators who are determined to stay will certainly feel the criteria are unfair.

Qiu Ying pondered painfully for a moment and said:

“Then let the High Rank Cultivators stay here, and the Low Rank Cultivators leave first with the ally!”

Noticing the slight change in expression among the senior officers (the High Rank Cultivators were mostly elders), he hastily added:

“Of course, as the commander, I am definitely staying with the elders!”

The High Rank Cultivators were originally ready to protest, but Qiu Ying’s remark “I will also stay” somewhat silenced those who intended to criticize him, only to hear Long Long curiously remark:

“Although I am an outsider, I still need to remind you: Shouldn’t you all be aware of why Lord Feng Yan sent someone to save you?”

“Exactly!” the senior officers exclaimed in great relief, “The lord wants to preserve our vital force, but if all the High Rank Cultivators die in battle, what vital force will remain?”

The Low Rank Cultivators felt somewhat unconvinced, but given the difference in seniority, age, and cultivation level, they had no argument to offer at the moment.

“Then let the High Rank Cultivators leave first, and the Low Rank Cultivators stay!” Realizing something was amiss, Qiu Ying quickly corrected his statement.

The young commanders immediately began to clamor, only to hear Long Long say again:

“If all the High Rank Cultivators are gone, do you really think that you lowlifes can defend the city for long? And could that possibly be concealed from the White Tiger Divine General?”

Thus, the young commanders silently cried in their hearts: Although what he says is to help us, why does it feel so annoying to hear?

Qiu Ying immediately found himself speechless, stunned for a long while, then suddenly enlightened, he respectfully said:

“Since the ally has come bearing the Red Feather Arrow, then your wish is also the wish of our lord. You should be the one to decide who goes and who stays!”