Zhao Ya headed towards the North Gate.
At this moment, the rain was pouring heavier, and the low-lying areas of the city had accumulated deep water. The usually gentle Jade Belt River had also become turbulent.
From time to time, there were crashes and faint cries, the sound of makeshift adobe houses collapsing from the rain.
Zhao Ya glided over the eaves with a cold look in his eyes.
The thing he worried about the most had indeed happened.
For just now, warning fires had flared up simultaneously at the gates to the south and north.
Although there were preparations, with reserve teams at the four city gates, and Shang Jingchuan had sent out all his guards,
Zhao Ya knew this was far from enough.
Because this beast invasion had been planned long ago, incomparable to the previous probing attack.
Not to mention anything else, even just the giant birds hovering in the sky were extremely troublesome.
Although Zhao Ya quickly figured out their weaknesses, for ordinary martial artists, these creatures that could fly quickly in rainy nights with strong dive attacks and claws as hard as iron were still a significant threat.
What worried Zhao Ya the most was that these giant birds were clearly just the vanguard; a large-scale Beast Tide would surely follow.
On this rainy night, most of his previous arrangements had failed, leaving only the towering city walls to rely on.
Suddenly, Zhao Ya glanced down at the scene on the street below, paused with a slight hesitation, and landed on the ground.
On the street, Big Eye Lamp donned a raincoat and held a short spear, followed by dozens of children, each holding a weapon.
These so-called weapons were actually a motley assortment, including even kitchen knives.
Upon seeing Zhao Ya, Big Eye Lamp was delighted and hurried forward.
"Master!"
"What are you doing?" Zhao Ya questioned.
"Tonight, with the exotic beasts attacking the city and you leading the martial artists to defend, as your apprentice, I couldn’t just sit idly. So, I brought them out to support you in battle."
Zhao Ya wanted to scold them for their foolishness, but seeing Big Eye Lamp and the children’s eager eyes, he swallowed back his words.
"Where are Erqiangzi and the others?"
"They’ve already gone to patrol the Jade Belt River, worried that with such heavy rain, more beasts might come in," Big Eye Lamp replied.
Zhao Ya remained silent.
The Jade Belt River was indeed a critical point in their defense. Though there were many martial artists in the city, their strength was stretched thin across the gates.
Thus, Zhao Ya could only let Shang Jingchuan send some government officials and soldiers to guard there.
He didn’t expect these kids to be so perceptive.
He patted Big Eye Lamp’s shoulder and solemnly advised, "Be careful. If you encounter something you can’t resist, preserving your life is the priority."
This wasn’t just for Big Eye Lamp, but also for the children behind him.
Zhao Ya didn’t believe in making unnecessary sacrifices in the heat of the moment.
If they truly faced an insurmountable enemy, retreating wasn’t disgraceful.
"Understood!" Big Eye Lamp nodded vigorously. "I understand!"
Zhao Ya looked at the children once more, their youthful faces full of excitement, and silently sighed, then flew towards the North Gate again.
After he left, Big Eye Lamp raised his short spear.
"Listen up, brothers! Even my master acknowledged our action, so stay sharp and show them the fist techniques I taught you. Let’s give them hell!"
"Got it!" the children shouted in unison.
"Let’s go!"
Big Eye Lamp led the group of teenagers towards the Jade Belt River.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ya had arrived at the North City Gate.
The situation here was even worse than at the South Gate.
Numerous giant birds circled in the air, diving down periodically to attack the castle tower.
Most of the castle tower had already been destroyed, and the people inside could only rely on the ruins to fight these giant birds.
A strong man among them was particularly striking. He was bare-chested, his skin a bronzed hue.
His muscles bulged underneath, forming exaggerated lines. Wielding two massive axes that danced like the wind, whenever he landed a hit, the giant birds let out mournful cries and fell.
As for the birds’ counterattacks, he seemed indifferent.
A giant bird caught him off guard, clawing at his back. But upon contact, it was bounced back, leaving only minor scratches on his skin.
Clearly, this man had trained in a Horizontal Refining Technique similar to the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth Shirt.
Seeing this, even Zhao Ya couldn’t help but silently praise.
A truly invincible brute.
If he donned armor, he would be a fierce general on the battlefield.
Zhao Ya also knew who this man was.
He was Jiao Yousong, the top disciple of the Guangrui Martial Arts Hall.
This was the first time the people of the Guangrui Hall had shown themselves.
Among the four Grand Martial Arts Halls in the Commandery, the Guangrui Hall was the most low-key.
In everyday affairs of the city, the Guangrui Hall rarely got involved, and its disciples seldom appeared in public view.
Yet, such a low-profile martial arts hall possessed the most powerful and vigorous technique of Horizontal Refining as its secret art.
The contrast was undeniably strong.
Zhao Ya had only met Jiao Yousong a few times, and they hadn’t even spoken to each other.