Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

’How could this have happened?’

’Weren’t the front-line defenses always solid?’

’My senior brothers... surely nothing has happened to them!’

Chu Lingguang was deeply worried.

Yang Shaorong, Li Murong, Wu Feihong, and Wang Chao were all on the front lines, fighting off the Turkic soldiers.

Now that the defenses had been breached by the Turkic forces, an army of two hundred thousand would reach Mazhou Prefecture by tomorrow. ’I have no idea how the four of them are doing.’

Chu Lingguang quickly arrived at Lin Shirong’s tent.

"Commander Chu, you’ve arrived just in time. The Holy Emperor has decreed that you are to lead ten thousand soldiers from Wolf Valley Pass, cut across the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and strike directly at Andre’s main camp to relieve the siege on Mazhou Prefecture."

Lin Shirong presented the Court’s military order.

"Yes, I accept my orders."

Chu Lingguang said respectfully.

He looked at the map.

Wolf Valley Pass was within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, near Chaojiang City. Chaojiang City bordered Mazhou Prefecture.

With his speed, it would only take him four hours to reach the border of Mazhou Prefecture. But to get to Yunchuan City, even for him, it would take a full day and night.

Now that the National Border had been breached, the Turkic army was pushing south. The first to bear the brunt of the attack was Yunchuan City, defended by Mr. Du.

Within the Hundred Thousand Mountains bordering Yunchuan City, fifty thousand Turkic soldiers were in a standoff with Yunchuan City’s forces. Once the two-hundred-thousand-strong army arrived at Yunchuan City’s gates, it would be incredibly difficult to defend.

And if Yunchuan City fell, the entirety of Mazhou Prefecture would be turned to ash under the iron hooves of the Turkic cavalry.

Yunchuan City was like a critical checkpoint for the Great Yuan. If it fell, Mazhou Prefecture, Qiling Prefecture, and every city in the Northern Territory would be in grave danger.

This urgent order, therefore, was for Chu Lingguang and his ten thousand soldiers to act as a suicide squad, risk crossing the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and launch a direct assault on Andre’s main camp to slow the advance of the two-hundred-thousand-strong army.

It was to buy the Court enough time.

As long as Yunchuan City held, Mazhou Prefecture would not fall.

"Commander Chu, the Holy Emperor demands that this mission must succeed. Failure is not an option!"

Lin Shirong said gravely.

"I understand!"

Chu Lingguang nodded.

’The Emperor of Great Yuan wants me and my ten thousand soldiers to remain in Turkic territory. Unless the army of two hundred thousand retreats, we are expected to fight to the last man.’

’If the emperor wants his subject to die, the subject must die.’

But the thought of leading ten thousand soldiers to their deaths filled Chu Lingguang with indignation.

With his current strength, he could easily walk away, head to the South Sea, flee overseas, and even claim an island in the South Sea to become its king.

But deserting in the face of battle was a despised act.

Besides, Yunchuan City’s fate was tied to the safety of the entire Mazhou and Qiling Prefectures, and even the whole of the Northern Territory. If the Northern Territory fell into Turkic hands, it would become a living hell.

Chu Lingguang could not simply turn a blind eye.

Although he was a transmigrator and held little affection for the Great Yuan, he had followed Guo Wei and been influenced by everything he saw and heard. A sense of duty to his home and country had long since taken root in him.

He had worked so hard to master his Martial Arts. If he could save the people from their suffering, Chu Lingguang was willing to try.

He knew that if Guo Wei knew of his current situation, he would support his decision to step forward rather than desert. Besides, his four senior brothers—Yang Shaorong, Wu Feihong, Li Murong, and Wang Chao—were all on the front lines.

With the defenses broken, their fates were unknown.

If Yunchuan City were to fall, the four brothers of Mo Shan would not be spared either.

Mr. Du, Du Juan, Du Wushuang, Master Yan, Leader Ma, Da Wu, Xiao Wu, Da Wang, Xiao Wang, Second Aunt, Zhang Da, Hei Hu, Guo Fang...

One by one, familiar faces flashed before Chu Lingguang’s eyes.

Even if this battle meant certain death, he had to charge forward without hesitation.

"Little Red, to the battlefield with me!"

Chu Lingguang mounted the Little Red Horse.

Guo Wei had bought it for him from the county market for over one hundred taels of silver, hoping it would help Chu Lingguang achieve good scores in the Lance and Mounted Archery sections of the Martial Arts Examination.

Ever since starting down the path of the Martial Arts Examination, Chu Lingguang had imagined that one day, he would be able to ride the Little Red Horse onto the battlefield.

No matter the danger ahead, he hoped the Little Red Horse would fight alongside him.

"NEIGHHH!"

The Little Red Horse reared up, letting out a loud neigh. It had been by Chu Lingguang’s side for years. Though it had not yet developed Spiritual Wisdom, it could still understand its master’s emotions and commands.

Its greatest torment was being cooped up in the stables by Chu Lingguang. As a horse, it longed to gallop across grasslands, race through fields, weave through forests, charge through surging waves, and leap over bottomless chasms.

"All troops, on my command! Into the mountains!"

After giving the order, Chu Lingguang led the ten thousand soldiers on a rapid march into Sen Mountain.

The thirty thousand soldiers at Wolf Valley Pass were the Court’s elite, each capable of fighting ten men. If Yunchuan City weren’t in such peril, the Court would never have mobilized these troops to serve as a suicide squad.

Chu Lingguang had been stationed here for over a year.

He usually got along well with the soldiers. He had maintained his habits from Black Bear Island, drilling the troops daily and practicing the Basic Spear Skill with them.

He even taught them a few of the basic Martial Arts from his own sect.

His Favor Points increased daily. Although the gains were small, they added up over time, and he had built up a troop of loyal men under his command.

The ten-thousand-strong force moved like a long dragon, making its way toward the Turkic territory.

"Sir, where are we headed?"

Captain Ma Zhong asked.

Chu Lingguang had suddenly led ten thousand men out of Wolf Valley Pass and toward Turkic territory. The soldiers were all discussing it, sensing that something unusual was happening.

But their access to information was cut off.

Few of them knew what orders Chu Lingguang had received, that the National Border had fallen, or that Yunchuan City was in peril. More importantly, they didn’t know that this mission meant almost certain death.

But it was impossible for Chu Lingguang not to feel the weight of leading ten thousand men to their deaths.