Chapter 724

Chapter 724: White Robe Sacrificial Song

As dusk fell over the mountain ranges.

At this moment, the sky was gradually darkening. The region, already shrouded in dim sunlight, appeared even more somber as if layers of thick, water-soaked fabric were covering the sky, descending and compressing the world below.

On the ground, everywhere there were howling and roaring demons of various forms—blood-red fiends, giant serpents with human-faced patterns, four-handed great ghost apes, spectral souls densely clustered like schools of fish in the sky, and countless low-ranking demonic beasts with bizarre appearances.

These demons all originated from the fissures in the subterranean world. Some evolved naturally, while others were once cultivated by the Yama Palace as necro-skeletons. They bared their fangs and claws, grinding their black, sharp hooks and teeth, and growled ahead.

At the exit of the Great Rift, soldiers clad in dark yellow armor stood on the low city walls built from rubble. Rows of red-scaled shields formed a tight formation. Spears were placed between the shields, pointing outward. Behind them, the battlefield continuously launched black arrows, resembling swarms of locusts, falling into the surging horde of black beasts.

Given the current situation, aiming was unnecessary; any arrow shot would hit a demon. However, even with the fall of numerous demons, more continued to take their place, seemingly endless in number.

“How is the situation?” Tu Hao brought several people out from the valley and approached the battlefield at the mouth of the valley.

“Reporting to you, sir, we can barely hold our ground. Although these demons are individually ordinary, their sheer numbers are overwhelming,” a general in dark bronze armor responded, bowing his fists.

“Is that so?”

Tu Hao looked up, seeing these demons gathering from all directions across the mountains. Some could even fly, preparing to rush into the valley. Fortunately, the dragon knights of the dynasty were powerful enough to swiftly slay most of these invading demons.

The red-scaled fire dragon roared in the sky, its accumulated flames pouring down like a tangible force, burning many of the fierce demons.

Some powerful individuals among them were enraged and began to counterattack.

Thirty-two evil vultures with brownish-gray iron feathers soared through the sky, their speed increasing, acting like moving steel blades, occasionally slicing down from above. They tore through the air, scraping off scales from the fire dragon and causing blood to spurt.

Though these evil vultures did not coordinate well, they relied on the strength of the Necromancer Sequence 6 and their overwhelming numbers, finally causing the dynasty’s dragon riders to sustain injuries, no longer able to dominate as easily as before.

Looking at the scene in the sky where flames and shadows clashed and moved, Tu Hao’s expression grew serious.

It was undeniable that the dragon knights of the dynasty, after rigorous training and mastering flying dragons, could cooperate to unleash formidable power. But the current issue was that even the strongest and most skilled warriors had limited stamina.

These dragon knights had barely slept for two days, and if this continued, there would likely be heavy casualties.

Thus, Tu Hao gripped the hard wooden railing in front of him, making a difficult decision in his mind.

Nowadays, it was not like six years ago when sequence 5 dragon knights were considered reserves, and the dynasty even had organized sequence 7 dragon knight legions.

Unfortunately, these years had changed much. Now, sequence 5 dragon knights were the most elite combat forces of the dynasty, and sequence 6 were mostly commanders of dragon knight legions.

These commanders were under the jurisdiction of the colonels of each state, and even the provincial governors could not mobilize them. For the colonels to command large-scale dragon knight operations, they needed the dynasty’s central tiger talisman. Bringing out sixteen dragon knights was already the limit of his authority; any more would be crossing a line.

After all, he was not a specially appointed general of the dynasty and had no right to mobilize such elite troops.

Below the battlements, wave after wave of demons surged forward, only to be cut down by the defending soldiers. Their corpses piled up, forming a slope beneath the battlements, and the defensive formations gradually lost their advantageous position.

Watching this, he waved slowly, instructing his adjutant to order the soldiers to retreat temporarily and move to the rear to build another wall behind them.

“Yes, sir.”

Then, gongs sounded, and the command flags fluttered in the air. Tens of thousands of border troops of the dynasty retreated step by step, vacating the ravaged and bloody battlefield, regrouping to the rear.

Seeing the enemies leave, some demons tried to take advantage, but unfortunately, the sky was filled with the flames of over a dozen fire dragons, burning the battlefield littered with corpses, temporarily blocking these demons.

Outside the valley, the emergence of so many demons caused the valley’s residents to worry again. This was perhaps the fifth time in nearly a month they felt fear. Sometimes, the beast roars woke them up at night.

In the shrine, Granny Ge Luo leaned against the door frame, gazing at the chaotic and intense battlefield, her eyes filled with concern. The border troops were fighting and retreating, while the demons gathered in greater numbers, tilting the battle’s balance towards them. Without reinforcements, these demons might completely surge into the valley tomorrow or the day after, and then everything would be over.

“They actually found that horn… Alas, it’s all destined. Jade Sword, Bronze Candle, and Crane Feather.”

With those words, she seemed to have made a decision, summoning several ghost-slaying envoys dressed in black robes.

This witch instructed them, and the black-robed ghost-slaying envoys disappeared outside the shrine, rushing into the valley.

Soon after, elders, village chiefs, and clan leaders representing the You Clan received messages and walked with heavy steps, gradually converging outside the shrine.

When they saw the white lanterns hanging inside and outside the shrine, they seemed prepared, lowering their heads and entering.

The night was spent without sleep, and the shrine was brightly lit.

Tonight, apart from Granny Ge Luo, everyone else present were esteemed figures of the You Clan.

They listened quietly to Granny Ge Luo’s narration, each feeling heavy-hearted.

Finally, several of the oldest representatives stepped out from the crowd.

These elderly men had white hair, beards, and eyebrows, some even leaning on canes, walking unsteadily.

“Granny Ge Luo.”

Their voices were excited and sincere, as if tears were welling up.

“We feel ashamed and guilty for not being able to repay your efforts over the past 67 years since you entered this shrine, working tirelessly to support our You Clan, guiding us in farming, treating illnesses, planning the seasons, managing the dragon veins, and repelling demons.”

“We didn’t expect that in our twilight years, we wouldn’t let you enjoy a peaceful life but instead forced you to do this…”

Several of the elderly members of the You Clan knelt down, bowing before this witch.

Following these elders, others also knelt and bowed, leaving no one standing in the shrine hall.

The candles burned fiercely in the hall, casting flickering light on the eldest man at the highest seat.

She seemed moved, breathing heavily, slowly raising and lowering her hand, then closing her eyes.

“All I can do is this. I hope you won’t hate me in the future.” With that, her voice faded away.

Near dawn, these elderly members of the You Clan left one by one. Soon after, cries, arguments, and a stifled silence echoed through every household in the valley.

The You Clan was known for wearing black clothing and using black cloth, but today, white cloth appeared in the valley.

Households began to hang white lanterns, and makeshift white coats were made.

As night approached, lanterns hung from the eaves of the shrine, forming a continuous line stretching outwards and into the valley.

One lantern after another, the candlelight within flickered slightly in the air, creating a long corridor leading straight to the shrine in the dark valley.

Candles that were usually sparingly used were taken out tonight, illuminating the streets. Members of the You Clan, dressed in black, stood quietly, their originally pale faces illuminated by the warm light.

One by one, special members of the You Clan emerged from their homes, all wearing different white coats, their faces covered with white cloth, visible only by their footsteps.

Most of these people were in their twenties to forties, the prime of their lives.

The tranquil and silent valley began to echo with drumbeats, deep and slow, reminiscent of ancient rituals.

An archaic song, difficult to pronounce, slowly rose from the valley. Following the elders of their tribe, they recited the language of the ancient You Kingdom, their voices distant and sorrowful.

Tonight, the border troops of the House of Plantagenet were kept outside, watching silently as a group of You Clan members dressed in white robes slowly walked through the streets, approaching the open space in front of the shrine lined with lanterns.

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PS: Music will be attached at the end of the chapter. You can open it in the comment section of the Start app. (Highly recommended)

Song Title: Awakening – Takumi Ozawa

If you can’t find it, search for ‘Music Referenced in Not a Witch’ playlist on NetEase Cloud Music.

Additionally, there is a variation of this song titled ‘Scythe – Takumi Ozawa.’

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(End of Chapter)