Chapter Seventy-One: The Enemy Strikes!

Zhang Fengli thought carefully for a moment. “No,” he replied.

Chu Xiao was overjoyed. It seemed that the Lord of the Underworld would not notice this place for now, so, as in the previous life, it would become the safest haven for humanity.

“Excellent! Make sure no one uses communication devices or any smart software. That way, the Lord of the Underworld won’t be able to track your location, and you’ll be relatively safe. Do you understand?” Chu Xiao spoke patiently.

Zhang Fengli nodded. “I understand! Please rest assured—I will lead the people of Jiuzhou and protect this place.”

“Good. Stow the weapons first. I’ll stay here for a while and look around, see if there are any other issues.”

“Understood!” Zhang Fengli turned and left with his men.

“Mom, has everything been going well recently?” Chu Xiao gazed at his mother, whom he had not seen in so long, tears shimmering in his eyes.

Qin Lihua nodded. “All is well! I just miss you and your father. Don’t worry, my employees and I will defend Xishan Province.”

Time had left little trace on Qin Lihua’s beautiful face; if anything, she had gained a deeper charm.

“Thank you for everything,” Chu Xiao said, hugging Qin Lihua tightly, savoring the warmth only a mother could give.

Qin Lihua patted Chu Xiao’s shoulder. “Alright, why are you still acting like a child? There are others waiting for you.”

Chu Xiao looked around—it was Wang Lulu.

Wang Lulu had heard early on that Chu Xiao would be coming and found a spot to wait for him.

Chu Xiao approached her. “What brings you here?”

Wang Lulu hesitated. “I knew you were coming, so I waited for you. Besides, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?” Chu Xiao could guess what Wang Lulu wanted to say.

“This time, I’m going with you!” Wang Lulu’s gaze was resolute and passionate.

Chu Xiao didn’t even hesitate. “No. It’s too dangerous.”

“I absolutely won’t let you go!” Chu Xiao swore to himself that he would never let what happened in his last life happen again. He could not bear to watch Wang Lulu die in front of him once more.

“No! I must go! Do you know how many nights I’ve spent here, worrying about your safety? Besides, I am a daughter of Jiuzhou too. I have a duty to contribute to our homeland!” Wang Lulu’s doe-like eyes shone with an unusual brilliance, brighter than ever.

Looking into her eyes, Chu Xiao was momentarily stunned. The words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.

“You can stay here and still help. But if you insist on going, I’ll imprison you!” Chu Xiao shifted his gaze, his words icy cold.

Wang Lulu was startled by this. “No! I want to go! I want to go!” She threw her arms around Chu Xiao, refusing to let go.

People nearby glanced their way, then quickly looked away.

“If you go and something happens, what am I supposed to do? I can barely protect myself, how can I protect you? Are you really going to make me worry myself to death?” Chu Xiao nearly shouted the words.

“No! I must go! If you don’t let me, I’ll jump down from here!” Wang Lulu released him and stood at the edge of the fortress—beneath her was a dizzying drop of dozens of meters.

Chu Xiao caught her hand just in time. “Don’t! I’ll let you go! I’ll let you go! But I won’t allow you on the front lines.”

“Really?” Wang Lulu smiled mischievously.

“Really! Come back now, be good!” This time, Chu Xiao was truly frightened.

Wang Lulu kissed him on the lips, and Chu Xiao hugged her tightly, terrified of losing her again.

“That’s more like it!” Wang Lulu pinched his cheeks, grinning.

Chu Xiao looked into those bright eyes and sighed deeply. He had fallen into her trap again.

Everyone watched from the sidelines, witnessing a scene straight out of a clichéd romance.

After checking everything and confirming there were no problems in Xishan Province, Chu Xiao returned to Mingzhu City.

Ji Kaicheng saw Chu Xiao bring back a young girl and looked her up and down with curiosity.

“Hey, General, bringing back a girl? Is she even of age?” Ji Kaicheng nearly pressed his face to hers.

Chu Xiao shielded Wang Lulu behind him. “Stop staring.”

Ji Kaicheng was about to speak when a sudden explosion sounded in his ear.

Outside, someone shouted, “We’re under attack! The Lord of the Underworld’s mechanical army is here!”

“There are countless turret cannons! Everyone, get ready!”

…

Ji Kaicheng and Chu Xiao’s faces changed instantly.

“I’m heading out!” Ji Kaicheng threw out the words and rushed toward the outer fortress.

Chu Xiao glanced at Wang Lulu, then at the fortress.

“Listen to me! Stay here and don’t move. Take care of yourself. Remember—don’t go near the fortress! Be good!” Chu Xiao pressed a kiss to Wang Lulu’s forehead and turned to leave.

Wang Lulu watched Chu Xiao’s retreating figure from afar, her gaze gentle.

This time, Wang Lulu didn’t move, waiting in place for Chu Xiao.

She knew that if she went up, she would only add to his burden and distract him.

Chu Xiao picked up his binoculars and surveyed the enemy.

Almost all he could see were turret cannons; besides those, there were some fire-spitting birds, a few mechanical dogs, and humanoid robots.

With so many turret cannons, the battle would be a nightmare. If they didn’t take them down quickly, the fortress would be destroyed by these machines.

“Everyone, listen to me! Don’t panic! There are no sonic machines this time—it seems the Lord of the Underworld knows they’re useless against us and has decided to launch a direct assault!”

“But we’re not pushovers! Bring out all our guns and cannons. Let’s feed these monsters some firepower—blow them to pieces!” Chu Xiao’s voice grew louder, ending in a near shout.

“Blow them to hell!” everyone roared.

Chu Xiao raised the ‘Fire of the Sun’, blasting holes in the turret cannons, then used the laser cannon to fire into them, shattering them completely.

“Teams of two—one uses the ‘Fire of the Sun’, the other the laser cannon! Use the ‘Fire of the Sun’ to punch a hole in the target, then blast it with the laser cannon. Shatter them quickly, or the fortress won’t hold for long!”

As soon as Chu Xiao finished speaking, everyone hurriedly formed teams, almost instinctively, without needing direction.

Ji Kaicheng and Chu Xiao paired up, each firing with abandon, relishing the fight.

Explosions echoed in their ears, forming a rhythmically chaotic symphony that was oddly pleasing.

Suddenly, disaster struck!

A hole opened up in the lower right corner of the fortress—it had been blasted open!

They had underestimated the enemy.

Everyone was thrown into momentary panic.

“What are you panicking for!” Qiao Xu leapt to the breach, ready to face the invaders.