Grinding to Martial Emperor from the Border Army

In that moment, they were actually suppressing his Personal Guard.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan rushed forward. He leaped high into the air, his blade slashing down at a Meridian Passage Realm expert from the Charm Demon Sect. This was the man who had just slain one of his Personal Guards.

The sight filled Lu Yuan’s eyes with murderous rage as his blade descended.

The Charm Demon Sect expert was prepared, but even so, Lu Yuan still cut him down in a single strike.

Before him, experts of the same realm were like children.

To say nothing of those at a lower realm.

Of all the Charm Demon Sect members, only Hua Niang could last more than a few moves against him, and even then, not for long.

Lu Yuan was a tiger among sheep, specifically targeting their strongest fighters.

In moments, several more Charm Demon Sect experts had fallen to his blade.

The remaining disciples stared at Lu Yuan, their eyes filled with horror. He stood amidst the carnage, drenched in blood. In one hand, he held Hua Niang’s severed head; in the other, he wielded his cleaving blade, looking like a veritable Demon God.

Finally, one of the disciples could take no more and turned to flee.

Once the first broke, the rest scattered, fleeing for their lives.

Under the night sky, Lu Yuan cut down two more before deciding not to order a pursuit.

After all, his primary mission was to protect his mother.

Besides, all the Charm Demon Sect’s experts at the Organ Refining Realm and above had been annihilated. With virtually none of their leadership escaping, the remaining disciples posed no real threat.

"Zhou Xiong," Lu Yuan said, his voice hoarse, "get a casualty count. Bring all our fallen brothers with us. We’ll give them a proper burial when we get back."

"Yes, sir!"

Zhou Xiong acknowledged the order and began the headcount.

Just then, a sound came from within the carriage. Lu Yuan strode over as the Lu Clan matriarch pushed aside the curtain. "Mother," he said, "the assassins have been driven back. Rest well. By tomorrow, we’ll be home."

Seeing the corpses on the ground and smelling the thick scent of blood in the air, the Lu Clan matriarch’s face was pale. Still, she forced herself to sound strong. "Just protect yourself. I’m fine."

Yunzhou had been peaceful for many years, a land of plenty. The Lu Clan matriarch had never witnessed such a scene, and the recent events had truly terrified her.

’But as long as I can be with my son, a few bumps in the road are nothing.’

She retreated back into the carriage and did not emerge again.

She was worried she would be a distraction for Lu Yuan.

Just then, Zhou Xiong hurried over and spoke softly in Lu Yuan’s ear. "Sir, I’ve finished the count. We lost twenty-three brothers. Two have minor wounds, but none are seriously injured. These Charm Demon Sect people are vicious. They strike to kill, leaving almost no one alive."

His eyes burned with anger as he spoke.

They had been together day and night. His brothers hadn’t died on the battlefield against the Northern Barbarians, only to fall to the remnants of some depraved sect. How could he not be furious?

Lu Yuan nodded. "We leave at dawn. Bring the bodies of all our fallen brothers. The Charm Demon Sect won’t let this matter rest, but neither will I. One day, I will annihilate this demonic sect."

No one could doubt the authenticity of the killing intent in his voice.

"Yes, sir!" Zhou Xiong replied at once.

He then withdrew to begin clearing the battlefield.

The heads of the Charm Demon Sect members, along with their Identity Tokens, were of course collected. This was tangible military merit. Hua Niang’s was especially valuable, as she was the leader of the Charm Demon Sect in the Northern Border.

Now that Lu Yuan had taken her head, it was no exaggeration to call it a great meritorious deed.

As his men bustled about, Lu Yuan did not sleep, but merely sat by the campfire to rest.

「Soon, it was the next day.」

The heads of all the Charm Demon Sect leaders were tied to the warhorses.

The bodies of Lu Yuan’s fallen Personal Guard were laid across the backs of other horses.

After a simple meal, the group continued toward Icefield Fortress. They encountered many merchant caravans along the road, whose members looked upon Lu Yuan’s party with a mixture of awe and avoidance.

It was mainly due to the sheer number of severed heads tied to their saddles.

The thick stench of blood preceded them, noticeable from a great distance.

However, some of the groups they encountered sized them up with keen interest.

One glance was enough to tell these were no ordinary men. They were likely elites dispatched to the Northern Border by powerful noble families.

Each man was exceptionally well-equipped.

Yet their armor was distinct from that of the imperial army.

They carried themselves with an air of arrogance that was quite off-putting.

Lu Yuan merely watched them with a cold, expressionless face as his group drew closer to Icefield Fortress.

He discovered that Sai City was much livelier than in the past.

The city gates bustled with merchant caravans, several times more than before.

Lu Yuan stopped one of the caravans and asked, "Why are there so many merchants in Icefield Fortress all of a sudden?"

The caravan leader was a middle-aged man who did business in the Northern Border year-round. He had seen Lu Yuan from a distance before and, not daring to show any disrespect, immediately replied, "Sir, a number of new powers have sprung up Beyond the Passes recently, and they’re at war every day."

"They’re buying up massive amounts of grain and medicinal supplies. We merchants simply go where the business is, and that’s why we’re here."

"But rest assured, we never carry contraband like salt and iron."

Lu Yuan nodded. ’If the Imperial City isn’t controlling the outflow of these goods,’ he thought, ’it must mean they’re waiting to see who comes out on top in the buffer zone.’

Then, he asked in a low voice, "Are there any powerful strongholds near Icefield Fortress?"

"That would be the Celestial King Stronghold, of course," the caravan leader replied hastily. "It’s said they’ve already amassed a hundred thousand soldiers. Even people from the Imperial City have to ask them for help."