We Can't Hold It Any Longer

Hao Nhien woke as the glow of sunset settled over Cat Loi City.

A band of orange light slipped through the gap in the door and stretched across the stone floor. The room was quiet. Tieu Nhan was asleep against the wall nearby, with a basin of cold water, several bloodstained cloths, and a few empty medicine bottles on the small table in front of her.

The moment Hao Nhien pushed himself upright, her eyes opened.

“Hao Nhien!”

Tieu Nhan sprang to her feet and hurried over.

“How do you feel?”

“Much better.”

Hao Nhien leaned back against the headboard and sent his spiritual sense inward to inspect his body. More than half of his spiritual energy had recovered. The meridians around his shoulders still burned from repeatedly erupting with Spirit Wings, but the external wound had already closed. His sea of consciousness still felt somewhat heavy, though the exhaustion from before he fell asleep had clearly eased.

He circulated his spiritual energy once before opening his eyes again.

Tieu Nhan was still staring at him.

“You slept for almost half a day. The City Lord came twice, and Hoa Duong came too, but they all decided to let you rest.”

Hao Nhien looked at the redness around her eyes.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You should sleep too.”

Tieu Nhan immediately shook her head.

“I’m not tired.”

The moment she finished speaking, she let out a long yawn.

Hao Nhien looked at her.

Tieu Nhan turned her face away and tried to maintain a calm expression.

“The room is just a little stuffy.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“Right. Must be the room.”

Tieu Nhan flushed and quickly gathered several empty medicine bottles from the table.

“Since you’re awake, I’ll go call the City Lord.”

“Wait.”

Hao Nhien got out of bed. His body still felt somewhat heavy when his feet touched the floor, but he was steady enough to stand on his own. He put on a clean outer robe.

“I’ll go myself.”

Tieu Nhan studied him for a few breaths before finally deciding not to stop him.

“I’m coming with you.”

After a full day of repairs, Cat Loi City already looked different.

The most heavily damaged sections of the wall had not yet been fully restored, but the broken stones had been cleared to either side, wooden supports had been erected beneath the larger cracks, and formation masters were kneeling close to the wall as they carefully carved new spiritual patterns into the damaged sections.

At the eastern gate, Cat Loi warriors and Hoa Van soldiers had already begun rotating shifts together. Hoa Van soldiers carried spirit stones toward the formation nodes, Cat Loi warriors checked the reins of the Sa Ma, while another group worked together to haul usable crossbow frames back onto the wall.

After fighting through one night side by side, the two sides had begun to understand where they needed to stand when the person beside them required help.

As Hao Nhien passed, a warrior carrying stones noticed him first and placed a fist against his chest.

“Clan Chief Hao.”

The man beside him also turned and cupped his hands.

Hao Nhien simply nodded in acknowledgment and continued onward.

Dinner that evening was quiet.

Only a few tables of simple food had been set out in the main hall, and there was nothing about the atmosphere that resembled a victory feast.

Cat Thanh sat at the head of the table. The elders, Hoa Duong, Luu Thanh, and several people responsible for the city’s defenses sat on either side.

Before anyone began eating, Cat Thanh stood and raised a cup of wine.

“This cup is for those who are still here.”

Everyone drank.

A second cup was poured, but this time Cat Thanh tilted his hand and let the wine spill onto the stone floor.

“This one is for those who cannot sit here with us today.”

The others followed.

No one said anything more.

After that, a map was spread across the table, and the meal quickly turned into a meeting.

Cat Thanh pointed north.

“The farthest flying-sword scouts have returned. The main traces left by the besieging army continue westward. So far, we haven’t found any large force near the city.”

Hao Nhien studied the markings on the map.

“Have the three scouting lines separated their routes?”

“Yes. One near line, one middle line, and one far line. None of them use the same route.”

“If more than six hours pass without a report, treat that area as compromised.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

That was exactly what Cat Loi had lacked when the city was caught off guard before: earlier detection and enough layers of information to avoid waiting until danger reached the walls before reacting.

He turned toward Hoa Duong.

“You stay here for now. The Hoa Van forces will coordinate their defense according to the City Lord’s command.”

Hoa Duong cupped his hands.

“Understood.”

Luu Thanh looked over the map.

“I continue handling the eastern wall?”

Cat Thanh replied:

“Work with my archers. Also choose several people and teach them how to divide firing angles and rotate positions.”

Luu Thanh nodded.

“Fine.”

One of the Cat Loi elders asked:

“Are more supplies still coming from Hoa Van?”

Hoa Duong answered:

“The second supply convoy is already on the way. Pills, spirit stones, repair materials, and medicine for the wounded. If nothing happens on the road, they should arrive within three days.”

The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly.

Hao Nhien continued looking at the map.

Two scouting positions to the north had yet to report back.

He pointed toward them.

“How late are these two teams?”

Cat Thanh followed his finger, his expression darkening slightly.

“Almost two hours.”

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

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A warrior rushed into the hall.

“City Lord, the northwest scouts have returned!”

Cat Thanh stood immediately.

“Bring them in.”

Two young men were helped into the hall.

Their sand-yellow robes were torn in several places, their faces were covered in dust, and their lips were cracked dry.

The moment they entered, both cupped their hands.

“Greetings, City Lord.”

The man in front drew in a breath before speaking.

“Our three teams split routes. We lost contact with the northern team, and the middle team disappeared as well. We had to circle back through the south to return.”

Cat Thanh frowned.

“Ambush?”

“No.”

The scout shook his head.

“An army.”

The hall immediately fell silent.

“How large?”

“We couldn’t count accurately. The dust stretched for dozens of miles, and the ground kept trembling. There were many Sa Ma, war wagons, and heavy crossbows. They weren’t even trying to conceal their movement.”

Hao Nhien asked:

“At their current speed, how long until they reach the outer range of Cat Loi?”

The scout thought for a moment.

“If they maintain their direction and pace, around three days. Four at the latest.”

Cat Thanh’s hand tightened.

The scout paused.

“The banners belonged to Huu Thanh.”

Several elders looked at one another at once.

Hao Nhien raised his head.

“Huu Thanh?”

“We saw clearly.”

Cat Thanh stepped toward the map and placed a finger on the northwest.

“Huu Thanh…”

The scout added:

“We didn’t dare get close. We only know there were several auras so strong that even from a distance we didn’t dare look for long.”

Hao Nhien studied the map for several more breaths.

“I’ll go see.”

Cat Thanh turned toward him.

“Now?”

“I need to see their formation myself, especially the number of war wagons, siege artifacts, and how their experts are positioned. If this is only a collection of tribal troops, our preparations will be one thing. If it is a disciplined army equipped with proper siege weapons, then the entire plan has to change.”

Cat Thanh still did not agree immediately.

“You just woke up.”

“I’m only scouting. I won’t fight.”

Cat Thanh looked at him for several breaths before finally nodding.

“Fine. But don’t go too close. Once you’ve seen enough, come back.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“I know.”

Luu Thanh let out a quiet laugh beside them.

Cat Thanh turned.

“What are you laughing at?”

Luu Thanh immediately straightened his face.

“Nothing.”

Hao Nhien pretended not to hear.

Before leaving the city, he swallowed a high-grade Qi-Vitality Pill so the remaining deficit in his spiritual energy could continue recovering along the way.

The Tieu Dao Sword appeared beneath his feet.

Hao Nhien left Cat Loi at high but steady speed. This was a scouting mission, so he deliberately preserved his strength, avoided using Spirit Wings, and kept the Tieu Dao Sword fast enough to shorten the distance without exhausting himself before the return journey.

For more than three hours, the landscape beneath him continuously slid backward.

The traces of battle around Cat Loi gradually disappeared, replaced by long stretches of sand that had barely been disturbed. The night wind also grew stronger, carrying thin layers of dust across the ground.

By the time Hao Nhien had traveled far beyond Cat Loi’s normal scouting range, the first faint tremors began to reach him.

At first they were slight, but the rhythm was steady and prolonged, completely unlike an earthquake or the footsteps of a single large spirit beast.

It was the sound produced when a very large number of people, Sa Ma, and war wagons moved across the ground together.

Hao Nhien immediately slowed.

The Tieu Dao Sword dropped lower and began following the terrain instead of remaining high in the air.

A long sand ridge appeared ahead. Hao Nhien circled behind its hidden side, concealed his aura, and only then slowly approached the highest edge.

One glance was enough to darken his expression.

A massive wall of dust was moving slowly across the horizon.

Beneath it was an army.

A vast army.

Black-armored infantry marched at the front, broad shields arranged in ordered rows, long spears angled in the same direction. Sa Ma units stretched along both flanks, while war wagons followed behind in continuous lines.

Hundreds of them.

Some carried heavy crossbows. Others transported formation pillars. There were also enormous artifacts covered in black cloth, with only massive metal corners visible beneath the fabric.

The army stretched far into the distance, yet remained tightly ordered. The spacing between units barely changed. There were none of the scattered groups moving ahead on their own, nor the chaotic shouting common among hastily assembled tribal coalitions.

There was only the sound of footsteps, hooves, and wheels merging into a heavy rhythm across the desert.

Hao Nhien did not try to take in everything at once.

He divided the formation into sections, estimating the number of ranks, its width, and its length before comparing those figures with the rear portion still obscured by distant dust.

Seven thousand was probably too low.

Even eight thousand might not be enough.

The actual number was very likely close to ten thousand, perhaps even more.

Hao Nhien could not determine the exact figure, but for Cat Loi in its current condition, the difference between seven thousand and ten thousand was no longer the most important thing.

This was an entirely different scale from the battle they had just fought.

Black banners flew from tall poles throughout the formation.

Two white characters stood out clearly.

Huu Thanh.

Hao Nhien stared for a long time.

Foundation Establishment auras were distributed throughout the army, ranging from early to late stage.

The central formation was different.

The spiritual fluctuations there were denser and heavier, disturbing even the surrounding currents of air.

Hao Nhien tried to observe a little more, then stopped.

His sensitivity to wind could tell him where too many obstacles, movements, or spiritual fluctuations were disrupting the air, but it could not replace spiritual sense and tell him exactly how strong the people inside were.

Even so, the pressure coming from the central formation was enough to convince him not to approach any closer.

There were people there far stronger than he was.

Hao Nhien continued studying the war wagons and the army’s marching speed.

A force of this scale could not have received news of the defeat at Cat Loi and then immediately appeared here.

Thousands of soldiers, Sa Ma, food, water, spirit stones, war wagons, and siege artifacts all required advance preparation.

That meant this army had likely already been on the move before the previous night’s battle even began.

Hao Nhien’s gaze turned cold.

The earlier siege had only been one part of a larger plan.

It might have been nothing more than the vanguard.

His eyes moved toward the massive artifacts hidden deeper in the central formation.

An army like this had no need to march so far merely to test a city or seize a few storehouses.

If Cat Loi truly remained the target, then whatever lay behind the city had become even more suspicious.

He had seen enough.

Hao Nhien slowly withdrew behind the ridge and maintained his speed until the disturbances caused by the army no longer noticeably affected the surrounding airflow.

Only then did he turn the Tieu Dao Sword back toward Cat Loi.

By the time he returned, it was already late at night.

The main hall was still lit.

Cat Thanh, Hoa Duong, Luu Thanh, the elders, and those responsible for the formations were all waiting.

The moment Hao Nhien entered, Cat Thanh asked:

“How bad?”

Hao Nhien walked directly to the map.

“Huu Thanh. At least seven or eight thousand, very possibly close to ten thousand. A disciplined army, fully equipped with war wagons and siege artifacts. There are many Foundation Establishment cultivators as well, and the central formation contains auras I couldn’t identify.”

One elder drew in a sharp breath.

Hoa Duong asked:

“Marching speed?”

“About three days. Faster if they accelerate.”

Luu Thanh frowned.

“Still heading toward Cat Loi?”

“At the moment, yes. They can still change direction, but I saw no sign that they intend to.”

A Cat Loi elder asked:

“Then do we call every reinforcement we can?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien pointed toward the map.

“But for now, don’t prepare on the assumption that we must fight a decisive battle. An army of this size could not have been assembled in a day or two. They were already marching before the previous battle ended.”

Hoa Duong’s voice turned heavy.

“You think the force we just fought may have been only the advance unit?”

“Very likely.”

The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy again.

Hao Nhien continued:

“Hoa Van goes to the highest state of alert immediately. Send word to Tam Thanh as well.”

He looked toward Cat Thanh.

Cat Thanh understood and turned toward the others.

“Everyone else, continue with the duties already assigned. Clan Chief Hao and I still have something to discuss.”

The others left one after another.

Hoa Duong was the last to go. Before closing the door, he gave Hao Nhien one final look.

Only two people remained in the hall.

Cat Thanh stood before the map for a long time.

Hao Nhien did not hurry him.

Eventually, Cat Thanh asked:

“You think Cat Loi can’t be held?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Hao Nhien stepped closer to the map.

“If we only consider numbers, the city can still hold for a time. We have the grand formation, we have you, we have the Hoa Van forces, and reinforcements may still arrive.”

He paused.

“But right now I don’t know how strong the people in their central formation are, how many formation-breaking artifacts they possess, or whether Huu Thanh has more troops following behind.”

Hao Nhien looked directly at Cat Thanh.

“I don’t think we should gamble the entire Cat Loi Tribe on things we don’t know.”

Cat Thanh fell silent.

Hao Nhien placed a finger on the area behind the city.

“If they truly came for the Thunder Rite, one failed siege will not make them stop.”

Cat Thanh’s hand tightened.

“What are you saying?”

“Prepare to evacuate the tribe.”

Cat Thanh’s head snapped up.

“No.”

The answer came instantly.

He stepped away from the table.

“This is Cat Loi City. My father was born here. My grandfather died here. Our ancestral graves are behind the mountain, and the Thunder Rite is there as well. Generations of Cat Loi have guarded this place.”

His voice dropped.

“If I lead the entire tribe away from the city, how am I supposed to face our ancestors afterward?”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a moment.

He understood what Cat Thanh meant.

This was not a temporary camp that could be dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere.

This was home.

After a while, Hao Nhien finally spoke.

“I’m not telling you to abandon Cat Loi.”

Cat Thanh looked at him.

Hao Nhien placed his hand on the map.

“I’m telling you to take Cat Loi with you.”

Cat Thanh froze.

Hao Nhien continued:

“As long as the clansmen survive and the inheritance survives, Cat Loi survives with them. Walls can be rebuilt. Lost land can be reclaimed. But if everyone dies here, then who are these hundreds of zhang of stone walls supposed to protect?”

Cat Thanh said nothing.

Hao Nhien pointed toward Hoa Van on the map.

“Send the children, the elderly, the wounded, and everyone unable to fight to Hoa Van first. The warriors and everyone still capable of defending the city remain behind and withdraw in stages.”

“Hoa Van has water, an alchemy room, food reserves, formations, and communication routes to Tam Thanh. We can shorten the defensive line, preserve the people and our fighting strength, and then look for a chance to recover what was lost.”

Cat Thanh’s voice turned hoarse.

“What about the Thunder Rite?”

“Seal the route in. Hide whatever can be hidden and destroy the sections of the path that need to be destroyed so the enemy can’t reach it easily. The goal is to delay them, not to destroy it ourselves.”

Cat Thanh looked at him.

“Are you certain we’ll ever come back?”

Hao Nhien was silent for a beat.

“No.”

Cat Thanh stiffened slightly.

Hao Nhien did not offer comforting words.

“I can’t promise when we’ll return, and I can’t guarantee we’ll recover this place. But as long as the tribe survives, there will still be people who can come back one day.”

He met Cat Thanh’s eyes.

“If everyone dies here, that day will never come.”

Cat Thanh turned away and walked toward the entrance of the hall.

Outside, the fires from the repair work were still burning.

A woman was gathering broken stones while a child of seven or eight carried smaller pieces and placed them to one side. Farther away, several lightly injured people were helping one another back toward the resting area.

Beyond the rooftops rose the dark mountainside where generations of Cat Loi ancestors had been laid to rest.

Cat Thanh stood there for a long time.

Before him were the people still struggling to preserve Cat Loi’s tomorrow.

Behind the rooftops lay the place where generations of the tribe’s past had already been buried.

Hao Nhien did not urge him.

In the end, this was a choice only Cat Thanh could make.