Ultragenic Warlord

Chapter 486: A Triumphant Return

"Enough, Zhang Lie! I've had enough of you! Did you know that I used to respect you for killing two sura kings as a human and treading new ground in the second realm? You are very strong, I'll admit that, and perhaps no one will be able to surpass you in the future. But look at what you've done! You sent out the members of Team Zenith and all your forces to die on your behalf!"

If nothing else, Zhou Liao was on friendly terms with Zhang Lie, and he wouldn't attack Zhang Lie with such vitriol. However, the other reinforcements were different. Seeing Zhang Lie's ridiculous behavior, they couldn't help but heckle him.

"When we heard the rumors that you had sent your most loyal subordinates to die, we didn't believe them—but now that we're finally here, it seems like we have no choice but to! What happened to the hero who saved Qi?"

Someone added, "We came to Renhuang with the expectation that we might die in order to support a promising human city—only to find you, the governor, lost in your own daydreams! When are you going to wake up?!"

"Wake up, wake up! If you keep this up, Renhuang really will be destroyed!"

"All you've done is hung up a banner! Do you really think the members of Team Zenith can destroy the seven sura kings by themselves? If you don't start preparing to defend the city now, we'll all be doomed!"

Zhang Lie really didn't know what to say. These reinforcements clearly didn't believe that the members of Team Zenith were strong enough to handle the sura kings by themselves, whereas he thought it obvious enough that he didn't know how to convince them off-hand.

While he was deep in thought, however, a Yeluo scout rushed over. "Governor, they're back, they're back!"

Zhang Lie beamed even as Zhou Liao frowned, asking, "Who's back?"

"Our troops, of course! I'm going to give the troops a warm welcome."

Zhang Lie flashed over to the city walls. The human reinforcements didn't know what was going on, but their curiosity was whetted enough by Zhang Lie's sudden change in behavior that they followed him over.

Far over the horizon, a group of hunters could be seen heading back to Renhuang. Their armor and skin bore the scars of violent combat. They were smiling with relief, their steps light with victory. Leading them was Fang Yi.

"Welcome home!" Zhang Lie shouted.

The Yeluo began beating on drums and blowing into ivory horns in celebration.

When Fang Yi saw Zhang Lie waiting for him at the city gates, he rushed forward, his spear pointing straight up in the air as he knelt down on one knee. "Captain, we slew ten thousand sura, among them the sura king Moyan!"

Zhang Lie clasped his hands behind his back. "Very good, General Fang."

Fang Yi raised his head and looked at Zhang Lie, and the two of them burst into laughter at once.

Zhang Lie pulled him up with one arm. "What's with the kneeling?"

Fang Yi smiled. "I watched a few historical dramas in my free time, and I've always wanted to re-enact one of those scenes. You improvised very well, Captain!"

"Haha, I simply followed your lead."

The reinforcements all stilled. The hunter in front of them was clearly Fang Yi from Team Zenith.

Hadn't Fang Yi perished? He had gone off to battle against a sura king. Could he have escaped? If he had really killed a sura king like he reported...

"I apologize that I was unable to recover Moyan's head, Captain. His body disintegrated during the fight."

They could have recovered the heads of his sura troops, whose corpses were strewn all across the land, but that would have been meaningless.

The human reinforcements stared at Fang Yi in amazement.

Had he really killed a sura king?

Surely that couldn't be true!

Zhang Lie seemed unperturbed. "What would I do with a sura king's head? I can get them myself."

Zhou Liao finally seemed to return to his senses. "Are you Fang Yi? Haven't you... died?"

"Zhou Liao?" Fang Yi picked up his spear. "Are you cursing me to die right after a long battle? Do you want to fight me? Don't think that you'll be able to best me just because I'm tired—I could deal with someone like you with one hand!"

Zhou Liao stepped back, waving his hands. "No, that's not what I meant! Didn't you set off to fight against a sura king?"

"Of course."

"What was the outcome?"

Fang Yi cocked his head. "My troops and I have all ?returned. What other outcome could there possibly be? We slaughtered the sura king Moyan and his forces."

Despite seeing Fang Yi and his troops safe and sound, Zhou Liao couldn't help but be amazed when Fang Yi confirmed his victory. Was Fang Yi really so strong that he could take down a sura king?

Did Zhang Lie really send out the members of Team Zenith because they were skilled enough to take down the six sura kings themselves?! How could that be? Were the members of Team Zenith really that talented that they too could stand against sura kings themselves?

There were still a few naysayers among the human reinforcements.

"Impossible! How could everyone in Team Zenith have the strength to take on a sura king?!"

"But if that really were the case..."

"Zhang Lie, was there some sort of trick or specific strategy you implemented?"

The hunters understood that, rationally, Zhang Lie and Fang Yi had no reason to lie to them, but their claims seemed so ludicrous that they defied all belief. Were they the ones who were living in their own daydreams?

Fang Yi turned to the reinforcements. "Who are all these hunters?"

Zhang Lie explained, "They're all reinforcements sent by the various human cities on behalf of Martial Sage Hong Tianqi. Unfortunately, they were too late."

Surely this was a fluke? Fang Yi was one of two deputy leaders of Team Zenith, after all, and if anyone else in Team Zenith were able to stand up against a sura king, it had to be him. The other members of Team Zenith certainly couldn't do the same...

After all, their opponents were sura kings, the peak existences of the second realm!

Yes, that had to be it, Fang Yi was the only survivor of Team Zenith!

Very quickly, however, the reinforcements found themselves proven wrong once more. The second set of troops made their way back.

"It's Zhou Ying!" one of the residents of Renhuang called out.

The first thing she did upon her return was to hug Zhang Lie tightly, a hug that Zhang Lie returned with fervor and pride.

When the reinforcements saw Zhou Ying and her troops appear on the horizon, their jaws dropped.