Author: A work by book friend [Jun Xing]
This is my first time writing a parody. If it's not good, please don't flame me, okay?
Please be encouraging.
Thick, dark clouds blanketed the sky over Luoshui City. Yet, the clouds were thinner where the sun was, casting an eerie brightness upon the overcast heavens. This strange weather only added to the oppressive atmosphere hanging over the city.
The Lord of Luoshui City and the clan leaders of the Four Great Families stood upon the city walls, gazing into the distance. Luoo Zhanhao, the City Lord, sighed. "Gentlemen, it seems the heavens have doomed Luoshui City this time. As its lord, it is my undeniable duty to live or die with the city. But there is no need for you all to wait here to die with me."
"City Lord, you are mistaken," Chen Tongsheng, the Chen Family Patriarch, said melancholically. "Luoshui raised me. My childhood innocence, my teenage rebellion, my youthful ambition, my middle-aged stability—they are all here. Now, let the Luoshui River be my final resting place! Besides, the Chen Family's entire fortune is in Luoshui City. We have nowhere else to go."
"Old Chen, the Luoshui River didn't just raise you. We all grew up beside it," the Yangg Family Head, Yang Tiecheng, laughed, though his laughter was filled with helplessness. "We should be thinking more about how to survive! The damn Demon Race is staging a full-scale invasion of the Human Race. Wherever they pass, not a single person or animal is left alive," the Nie Family Patriarch, Nie Haotian, said faintly. "Alright, let's go back and discuss how to face the impending Demon Race invasion," Luoo Zhanhao said before being the first to descend the city wall.
Inside the City Lord's Mansion, the Mansion Master, the clan leaders of the Four Great Families, and some of Luoshui City's other influential figures were gathered. "I've called you all here today to discuss the matter of the Demon Race invasion. The demons are about to attack Luoshui City, and with our current strength, we cannot possibly stop them..."
"Lord City Lord, what are we going to do?" Li Fu, the owner of the Fuyung Money Shop, interrupted before Luoo Zhanhao could finish. "How could this happen..."
"I heard the Demon Race is incomparably vicious..."
"Isn't that the truth? The Demon Race wants to exterminate our entire Human Race..." Upon hearing of the invasion, the crowd immediately erupted into a clamor of discussion. "Alright, everyone, quiet down!" Yang Tiecheng roared. The chatter came to an abrupt halt as all eyes turned to him. "According to reports from the front, the Demon Race will be at the gates of Luoshui City in one day at most. We don't have time to waste here. The Mansion Master and the few of us have already discussed it. Faced with such a desperate situation, we have no choice but to abandon Luoshui City and evacuate everyone." As soon as Yang Tiecheng's words fell, they were like a giant boulder crashing into a calm lake, creating monstrous waves.
"What? A full evacuation? Our families have lived in Luoshui City for generations! Where would we go? All of our property is here! What will we do after we leave!?"
"Exactly! We can't leave..."
"..."
"..."
SLAP!
Just as the crowd was growing agitated, Luoo Zhanhao slammed his palm on the table, shattering it into pieces. The noise instantly vanished. "Hmph. You still have the mind to worry about money? By nightfall, you might not even have your lives," Luoo Zhanhao said coldly to the crowd. "The current situation is so dire that even a full evacuation is impossible. A portion of our people must stay behind to cover the retreat. The four clan leaders and I will be staying. Now, all of you, go back and arrange for the evacuation of your clan members. We hope to at least preserve some seed for Luoshui City's future. Gather at Luoshui Plaza in one hour."
"The four of you should go back and make arrangements as well." After speaking, he turned and walked into the Inner Mansion. Upon returning to the Nie Family estate, Nie Haotian directly ordered his steward to notify all members of the inner branch to pack and prepare to gather at the plaza. In his eyes, only the inner branch truly belonged to the Nie Family; the outer branches were merely servants. With disaster imminent, how could he possibly give the hope of survival to servants? Thus, without consulting the other clan members, he decided that the inner branch would leave first. At that moment, the entirety of Luoshui City was in chaos. The other families might not have been as extreme as the Nie Family in evacuating only their inner branches, but they were not far off. Ultimately, there was always a distinction between the inner and outer circles. One hour later, Luoshui Plaza was packed with people, some who understood the situation and some who did not.
"Let's stick to the original plan and have the women, children, and elderly leave first!"
"Mansion Master, didn't we agree to let the inner branch members of each family leave first?"
"I can't bear to see so many women, children, and elderly left behind! Let the inner branches of each clan take these people with them. That way, more will survive." The clan leaders thought about it and agreed. 'He's right. If we abandon everyone here and only evacuate our own inner branches, we might not even make it out of Luoshui City before the masses tear us limb from limb.'
"Everyone, listen to me!" Luoo Zhanhao announced loudly. "Due to the Demon Race invasion, we must now evacuate! All men between the ages of sixteen and fifty will remain behind to cover the retreat! The Four Great Families will each be responsible for protecting a group of women, children, and elderly during the evacuation! The inner branches of each family will arrange for personnel to organize the boarding of the ships. You will travel down the Luoshui River toward the Imperial Capital! The outer branches of each family will stay behind to cover the retreat! The guards of the Four Great Families will be split in half—one half to stay behind, the other to protect those evacuating!"
At that moment, hidden in the crowd, the Fuyung Money Shop's owner, Li Fu, spoke secretly to someone. "Quickly, report this to our master. Tell him the evacuees are mostly women and children, and the evacuation is chaotic. It's the perfect opportunity to send men to intercept them on the road." The person just said, "Yes," and their figure slowly faded away as if they had never been there. Amid the chaos, people boarded the ships group by group, and departed in waves.
After a long time, the last of the ships had departed, and Luoshui City suddenly felt empty.
Just then, Nie Xiaotian brought Nie Tong over to Nie Yun and said, "Don't run off later. Stick with me."
"Stick with you? A useless bum like you and the little good-for-nothing behind you? You want me to go get killed with you?" Nie Yun said with contempt. "What good are you? If it weren't for a useless father like you, I would definitely be an inner branch member right now, leaving with the rest of the clan. You've brought me nothing but shame! I am ashamed to be the son of a waste like you!"
"What did you say? You're ashamed to be my son?" Nie Xiaotian's voice trembled, his eyes filled with pain and a deep, deathly aura. An air of one who had lost all will to live began to emanate from him.
Suddenly, an incredibly powerful aura descended from the sky. Some of those with lower Cultivation even found it difficult to breathe. The faces of the Mansion Master and the clan leaders of the Four Great Families changed simultaneously. 'A Peak Powerhouse of Qi Sect!' "Jye jye jye, today is the day you die! Ga ga! All of you will die! Ga ga ga ga..."
Hearing the extremely arrogant laughter, the faces of the Mansion Master and the Four Great Families' clan leaders darkened. The presence of a Peak of Qi Sect expert was clearly putting immense pressure on them.
"Dammit! A Peak Powerhouse of Qi Sect is here! This doesn't match the intel! We can't possibly fight this!" Luoo Zhanhao said hatefully. "Everyone, retreat toward Xialuo Mountain!"
"Heh heh, thinking of retreating now? Too late. My children, kill them for me!" After speaking, the Peak Powerhouse of Qi Sect from the Demon Race was the first to charge toward the Mansion Master and the others. "Kill! Bone-Dissolving Fist!" "Sunset Annihilation Palm!" Chen Tongsheng and Feng Tianxing decisively struck. A huge shield came hurtling in from the side with a WHOOSH! The shield was golden all over, its surface shimmering with Flowing Light, and it radiated an aura of magnificence, justice, and authority.
"The Divine Wind Golden Shield? Spikes, out!" The Divine Wind Golden Shield was a high-grade weapon of the Marquis Clan, a treasure bestowed upon the City Lord by the Divine Wind Empire. Much like the Official Seal, it carried the majesty of the Divine Wind Empire's Imperial Family. Before it even landed, its imposing presence was felt in all directions, its aura terrifying, carrying a power that was difficult to resist!
"A fine shield. I'll be taking it. This one is called King Ning, so don't go looking for the wrong person in the afterlife! Jye jye jye!" King Ning laughed maniacally. The Mansion Master, Chen Tongsheng, and Feng Tianxing joined forces to resist King Ning. Nie Haotian and Yang Tiecheng, meanwhile, were locked in chaotic battle with other armored Demon Race experts. Hordes of Little Demons scattered in all directions, beginning a frenzied slaughter. The people of Luoshui City began to fight back for their lives.
By now, Nie Yun had already killed numerous Little Demons and was covered in blood. His slaughter attracted the attention of a Mi Demon Race leader. The demon leader charged straight for Nie Yun, but Nie Yun failed to notice the spear hurtling toward him, brimming with killing intent.
"Yun'er, look out!" Nie Xiaotian roared. SQUELCH! The spear pierced straight through Nie Xiaotian's body. Gathering all his strength, Nie Xiaotian thrust his sword through the demon leader's head. Nie Yun stared at the scene before him, his body stiff. He could never have imagined that his father, the man he'd always considered useless, would throw himself in front of him to take that blow. Nie Xiaotian struggled to look back. "Yun'er... Dad has failed you." With those words, he spat out another mouthful of blood. The head he had barely managed to turn drooped, and all signs of life vanished. "Yun'er, Dad has failed you."
"Yun'er, Dad has failed you."
....................
Those words exploded in Nie Yun's mind like a thunderclap, repeating over and over. As if his soul had fled his body, Nie Yun stared blankly at the somewhat thin back that now seemed as immense as a mountain.
"Brother, snap out of it!" Nie Tong killed a Little Demon with a single strike and struggled to Nie Yun's side. Seeing Nie Tong covered in wounds, Nie Yun's eyes stung with tears again. "Brother, you go first!" Nie Tong said resolutely. Nie Yun immediately shook his head. "If we're going, we go together." Nie Yun knelt down. "I'll carry you. We'll go together." "Brother, just go. I'll only slow you down..."
"No more nonsense. Get on!" Hearing the anger in Nie Yun's voice, Nie Tong obediently climbed onto his back. Nie Yun immediately broke into a run toward Xialuo Mountain. The commotion from a moment ago had attracted the attention of nearby demons, and they gradually began to surround them. "Brother, you got this?" Nie Yun asked. "As long as I'm with you, I do," Nie Tong said firmly. "Then let's carve a path to survival."
"Kill!" From Nie Yun's back, Nie Tong's strikes were like the wind. With every slash of his sword, a Demon Race person fell dead. His gaze was firm and cold, unchanging no matter how many enemies came at them! As the slaughter continued, the number of demons around them dwindled, and they drew closer and closer to the city gate. They were just about to escape. From within the city, Luoo Zhanhao's furious roar echoed: "Nie Haotian, you dare ambush me?! Why?"
"Why? Let me tell you why! Nie Haotian was possessed by one of my clansmen long ago! Jye jye jye! Today, all of you will die! Jye jye jye! Did you really think we didn't know you sent a group of people to escape first? The other Peak Powerhouse of Qi Sect who came with me has already led a team to hunt them down! After today, there will be no more Luoshui City! Ga ga ga..." King Ning cackled grotesquely. Hearing this news, everyone's eyes turned bloodshot as they stared death-daggers at King Ning.
"Who told you this? Who betrayed Luoshui City?" Chen Tongsheng was the first to demand. "Clan Leader Chen, have you forgotten me?" The speaker was none other than Li Fu. "You all deserve to die! The Four Great Families? What can you do besides bully the weak with your power? I want every last one of you dead! Hahahaha..." Hearing this, Nie Yun ground his teeth so hard they audibly creaked. He secretly swore an oath that one day, he would personally kill the scumbags who betrayed Luoshui City. In that moment of hesitation, the surrounding demons began to close in again. "Brother, hang on! We can definitely break through!" Nie Yun's voice trembled, as if he himself was about to collapse. "Mmm!" Nie Tong replied in a weak but incredibly firm voice. Nie Yun didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually, there were no more pursuing demons around them.
Nie Yun let out a sigh of relief and set Nie Tong down from his back. "Brother, how are you?" he asked anxiously, looking at Nie Tong, who was covered in wounds. "Brother... I'm not useless... I think I'm... still a little useful!" After saying this, Nie Tong looked at Nie Yun, as if seeking his approval. "You are not useless! It's my fault!" Nie Yun's heart felt like it was being sliced by a knife. 'I'm such a bastard... the biggest bastard in the world!' Hearing the words "You are not useless," the fading flame of life in Nie Tong's eyes flared up in an instant, as brilliant as the most spectacular firework. But fireworks are fleeting. With a smile on his face, Nie Tong left the world he had lived in for only fifteen years. Memories of the past flashed before his eyes. An excruciating pain seized his heart. Nie Yun pulled the young boy into his arms, tears streaming down his face.
"I'm an asshole! I'm an asshole! Brother, I'm so sorry, forgive me..." Nie Yun knelt beside Nie Tong's body. He thought of his father, who had taken a spear for him. He thought of his mother, who had fallen from a cliff while searching for medicine for him. He thought of his sister, who had been brutally humiliated while trying to raise money for him... Thinking of all this, his face was awash with tears as he broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! Nie Yun repeatedly slapped his own face. As he wept, he recalled all the despicable things he had done, his hands striking with even more force.
"No! I can't just give up like this! My life isn't my own anymore! I must avenge them all! I will slaughter every last member of the Demon Race! Demon Race! I, Nie Yun, swear that this is a feud that will not end until one of us is dead!" Nie Yun roared at the heavens.