The Protagonist is Always Intimidating Me - Chapter 55

Everything around was shrouded in chaos. The moon had been mostly obscured by dark clouds, leaving only a faint sliver of light resembling a thin, crescent fang, a dim, somber sight, as though a countdown to the end of the world had begun.

At this moment, the border of the isolated abyss was almost completely devoid of light, and even the air carried a suffocating haze of dust. A thin white mist rose into the sky. As Bai Meng inadvertently looked up, he caught sight of tall, looming ghostly figures drifting over the surface of the distant river. Along the way, unidentified beings wandered among the large trees and shrubs, clinging to them.

This was the Crying River.

The Crying River was not really a river but more of a swamp, though watery enough to allow boats to pass through and make the journey more manageable. Otherwise, trudging through these eerie, chilling waters would likely cost a person half their life.

The path to the border lay through a narrow, cramped valley. The ground was strewn with heaps of ominous, white bones, piling up along both sides of the path and forming a pathway inward.

Midway along the road hung an intact, mysterious long bone. It was said to be the remnant of an ancestor with dragon’s blood, who had once assumed their original form to fend off demons. The skeletal remains had remained here ever since, coiled in eternal repose, as though frozen for millennia.

The group moved with trained efficiency, scaling the bones of those who came before them. When they landed, Bai Meng opened his eyes. They had reached the threshold between the border and the abyss.

Everyone stared intently at the dim glow of the moon on the horizon. From the depths of the abyss came a piercing wind, the shrill wails penetrating everyone’s ears. Bai Meng frowned slightly, his dark pupils reflecting only the abyss’s blackness, void of any light.

Lan Wei, in response, merely curved his lips into a faint smile and looked at Bai Meng. “Afraid?”

“…It’s fine,” Bai Meng lowered his long, crow-feather-like lashes, his expression indifferent. “Just a vague sense of foreboding… Maybe it’s just my imagination.”

“Don’t chicken out, kid.”

Lan Wei lazily patted a large, round bundle in his luggage. “We’re just going to be fighting this bunch for ten days, that’s all. Once the moon reappears in ten days, we’ll go fix the broken barrier and wrap it up. Easy, right?”

Bai Meng: “……”

Oh, heavens.

You make it sound so easy, so why do so many people still end up dead?!

Mo Jiuge, his face usually adorned with a gentle smile, was now completely stern. His lips pressed into a firm line, and his expression was resolute. “During these ten days, everyone must guard this place with their lives. No matter how many demons come, or how fierce they are, we must protect the Hall Master and Elder Lan Wei. Even if it means dying… we cannot retreat, cannot show weakness. If you fall in battle, the Hall will care for your families. But deserters will forever be traitors to Xingge Hall!”

“So, for the dynasty, for your loved ones, for the world… We cannot back down!”

“Did everyone hear that?!”

“I hear it!!!”

“Are you ready to fight?!”

“Yes!!!”

“Not that we have a choice…” Mo Lengsui muttered quietly next to Bai Meng, “We’re already here…”

Bai Meng: “???”

The moonlight had grown increasingly dim. Mo Jiuge walked to the very front of the group. He turned and looked at everyone, his tea-brown eyes filled with determination. Bai Meng turned to glance at them, noting the range of emotions on their faces—melancholy, pride, disdain…

But in their eyes, there had never been even a trace of fear.

If I fall in battle, do not bury my bones.

Let my death shine like a star, my life fade like morning dew.

If I fall in battle, do not bury my bones.

Let my body merge with mountains and sky.

If I fall in battle, do not bury my bones.

Let me dwell forever in your heart.

……………

Bai Meng’s hand, wielding the Xuan-Tie sword, moved stiffly, the blade’s sharp edge dripping blood.

The heavy black longsword sliced through the air, splitting a demon surrounding Bai Meng cleanly in half. Blood spattered across Bai Meng’s pale, clean face, tracing vivid streaks as it trickled down.

“F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck!!!”

Mo Yu swung his longsword in a panic, a horde of pitch-black demons surging behind him. Though not intelligent, these demons were winged and swift, making them particularly troublesome when they gathered in swarms.

“Mo Yu, stop running around like that!”

Mo Jiuge’s hand formed a long needle from condensed energy, glinting faintly as it shot forward, though the movement was soon swallowed by the chaos around them.

“There are so many of them behind me, ahhh! They’re pouring out from the ground fissures like cockroaches, absolutely disgusting! And worst of all, they’re all chasing me! I can’t lead them toward the back, because that’s where the non-combat personnel are!”

In the darkness, the abyss stretched into unfathomable depths. Hordes of demons surged outward from within, while others remained hidden, their eyeless pupils fixed on this side. Venomous fangs and sharp claws lurked in the cold gloom, waiting to strike when least expected, to bite and tear their prey to shreds.

One wrong move and a person might end up buried here.

Bai Meng, a skilled close-combat fighter, liked to control the rhythm, preferring quick, decisive bouts. However, endurance battles were not his strength, for a simple reason—like a hamster, his stamina was lacking…

“Hold the line!…”

Bai Meng clenched his teeth, repeating something to himself in his mind…

“Hold the line…”

We’re so close to victory…

Just a little longer…

They had already lasted nine days, losing nearly four-fifths of their numbers. Yet the remaining few did not waver. Blood from demons and beastmen alike covered them, and everyone was in a wretched state, including Lan Wei and Mo Hankui, who bore numerous wounds…

Some were already close to exhausting their Sheng energy, their faces pale, yet they still gripped their weapons tightly. Facing the demons, they dared not show even a sliver of fear. They had to protect their loved ones, their families, and their homeland. Kill! The thought surged through their hearts. Kill those demons! Their families were waiting for them to return!

But they all knew they might never go back… Still, they had to hold the line.

Some even fought in their true forms to resist the demons.

The pitch-black demons tore them apart, staining the ground red with blood…

No one would be there to collect their remains. Before they left, they simply smiled and said goodbye to their families. Blood and tears would fall in places their loved ones would never find.

They would never return…

So… those remaining had to hold the line…

Bai Meng wiped the blood from his face casually, but then, unexpectedly, tears fell.

Only now did he begin to understand what it was they had all fought so hard to protect.

“Those who remain, hold the line!”

Bai Meng’s hoarse voice echoed as he called out, the Xuan-Tie sword in his hand trembling with exhaustion. But he knew he could not give up…

“No need to say it!”

“Yes!”

“Of course!”

“Protect me, Elder Lan Wei! Ahhh, you shorty!”

It was good that none of them had given up yet.