I Have a Golden Crow

At noon, the main road leading in and out of West Ancient Pine Tower City was unprecedentedly busy.

The sounds of people chattering, pet beasts bellowing, and cars lining up in long queues created a symphony of honking that unsettled everyone’s nerves.

"Beep!"

"Beep beep! Beep!" Various vehicles crept along, inching forward in the line.

In truth, the vehicles were not moving slowly, but the anxiety in people’s hearts made the pace seem like a crawl.

"Quiet!"

"Don’t panic! Exit the city in an orderly manner!" A team of soldiers was working to manage the traffic and also trying to calm people’s emotions.

One of the soldiers, in his mid-thirties, patted the hood of the car beside him: "Stop honking!"

"Roar!" Behind the middle-aged soldier stood a gigantic Earth Bear, letting out a growl at the driver.

The driver flinched, lifting his hand from the horn.

"Mom..." The little boy in the back seat, already scared, burst into tears.

"Don’t be afraid, mommy’s here." The woman hugged her child, suppressing the panic in her heart, constantly soothing him.

However, the child’s cries continued, and the road out of the city remained noisy.

"Xiaofang."

The middle-aged soldier turned his head to see an elegant woman, riding a Wolf Lake Dog, weaving through the traffic.

"Sis." Seeing his sister, Su Fang stepped forward to meet her.

"Woo~" The Earth Bear, seeing the Great Breeder, immediately dragged its enormous body, crawling over on all fours.

Su Ming’an: "Is there anything I can do to help? I have many Demon Beasts."

"No need, sis." Su Fang shook his head repeatedly, "Where are you headed, Bohai Province City? To see my brother-in-law?"

Su Ming’an shook her head: "I have too many Demon Beasts, heading to Three Yang Forest to settle first."

"Ms. Su." Another soldier approached quickly, recognizing the renowned Breeder of Ancient Pine Tower City, "In your team of Demon Beasts, is there any Demon Skill that can calm people’s emotions?"

"Yes!" Su Ming’an dismounted from the Wolf Lake Dog, patting its head, "Go, let Linglan Flower Bell help out."

"Woo~" The Wolf Lake Dog jumped onto a private car, looked around, and then ran back.

Su Fang leaned in and whispered: "Sis, did you receive any news?"

Upon hearing this, a bitter smile crossed Su Ming’an’s face.

News?

More than a week ago, her daughter had earnestly advised her to start preparing to move Demon Pet Paradise away from Ancient Pine Tower.

Her daughter said that this city might face unrest in the future.

But... moving? That’s not an easy task.

Especially since her daughter mentioned the future, no one expected that just a week later, Ancient Pine Tower City would give such an order.

In truth, you can’t blame Lin Shiwei, as the Cold Tree hadn’t reached a point of no return.

Until now, Du Yu had only cut down two branches of the Cold Tree, and Great Xia’s resistance was merely budding.

Therefore, evacuating the entire city truly seemed like Great Xia’s way of preventing disaster before it could occur.

Considering the incalculable impacts and losses from various aspects, Great Xia stood firm against all pressure, choosing "people."

Su Fang lowered his voice: "What did Shiwei tell you? By the way, where is Shiwei?"

Su Ming’an looked dejected, shaking her head: "I can’t reach Xiaowei; she must be on a mission, maybe gone to..."

The woman didn’t finish her sentence, but Su Fang understood his sister’s implication.

Regarding the eradication of Bottomless and felling of the Cold Tree, the world believed there was only one person capable of achieving this—Du Yu.

Every time Du Yu appeared, if you paid attention, you’d always notice a short-haired girl silently accompanying him.

Yes, the invasion of the Asa Empire was known worldwide.

In this age of information explosion, within just a few hours, the entire internet was flooded with news of Asa City being overtaken.

All sorts of reports, all kinds of videos.

Countless citizens trapped in Asa City, trapped in their homes, were pleading for help online.

Those crying, panic-stricken faces kept every viewer’s heart suspended.

The Youhan Tree, the bewildering cold mist, the endless Demon Beasts...

And at such a moment, the officials of Ancient Pine Tower City, Great Xia Bookstore, and the Demon Spirit Squad jointly issued a notice, starting the evacuation of citizens from Ancient Pine Tower City.

This acted like a huge bombshell, making people’s minds buzz.

As a city with a resident population of over three million... evacuate the entire city?!

Ancient Pine Tower isn’t some sparsely populated village, not some residential building awaiting demolition!

How much determination did Great Xia need, what deep considerations were made to arrive at such a monumental decision?

This was clearly not a drill!

Even as stated before, the impact and loss brought about by this decision were inestimable.

And during the evacuation, some keen observers could faintly feel that the coordination within Ancient Pine Tower was seamless.

Not to mention the trains and planes making trip after trip, or the massive transport convoys that appeared suddenly from within the city; the Demon Spirit Squad that Su Fang was part of immediately arrived at this main road to maintain order.

It’s as if Ancient Pine Tower City had long known something was coming and had already made a series of plans?

"Sis, don’t worry, Xiaowei is incredibly strong, and she has Master Qing with her." Su Fang comforted Su Ming’an, adding another sentence, "Besides, she also has Du Yu by her side."

"Woo!" Hearing Du Yu’s name, the Earth Bear lying beside Su Fang immediately let out a call.

Su Ming’an patted the Earth Bear’s massive head, recalling the first meeting between the boy and the bear.

Once, the boy who lay sleeping on the Earth Bear’s belly had now grown to a height admired by all.

Indeed, only he in this world could sever the Cold Tree.

Her stubborn daughter must have followed him to the Asa Empire.

They will come back safely, right?

Yes... they definitely will.

"Ring ring~ ring~"

The Linglan Flower Bell, along the endless line of cars, spread its soothing chimes, pacifying all souls.

As the Flower Bell flew by, its melodious sound reached the convoy, seeping into a luxury black sedan.

"Don’t worry, Nannan will be safe." The middle-aged man looked at his ex-wife in the passenger seat, gently calming her, "There are many people with her.

Her master, senior brothers, senior sisters... Du Yu."

"Woof!" In the back seat, the Wolf Lake Dog echoed its owner’s words.

Li Hong looked at the phone screen and asked, "Nannan mentioned the relocation to you, didn’t she?"

She didn’t appear as calm as she seemed; the ringtone forcibly soothed her mind and suppressed the surging emotions within her heart.

This unique feeling was indescribable.

Very contradictory.

"She did, but I didn’t expect this day to come so quickly." Li Kuanren nodded lightly.

Mr. Li’s indulgence towards Li Mengnan left him and his ex-wife with nowhere to go at the moment.

Because, at his daughter’s constant request, he had already secured a place in the Great Xia Capital City, near the Twenty-Ninth Bureau.

Mr. Li once thought it was like buying a house near her workplace for his daughter, who knew...

"Ah..." Li Kuanren sighed lightly, his daughter invited him several times to enter the Peach Blossom Realm with her mother.

But as a normal person, a person with societal attributes needing a normal life, how could he give up everything he worked for, abandon his own life, to dwell in that primitive world?

Li Hong said quietly, "The child, why hasn’t she answered the phone yet."

Li Kuanren came to his senses, providing comfort, "Nannan might be on a mission or cultivating in the Peach Blossom Realm, so that’s why the phone isn’t reachable."

Li Hong didn’t respond and dialed another call.

Li Kuanren watched his ex-wife listen to the busy signal and wait anxiously, slowly, he reached out and held the hand he hadn’t touched for over a decade.

The woman’s hand trembled slightly but didn’t pull away.

"Beep... beep..."

"Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable, please try again later..."

Li Hong quietly put down the phone, feeling the strength of the hand holding hers, feeling a trace of comfort.

The car moved forward slowly, the interior silent, even the Wolf Lake Dog obediently curled up in the back seat, silent.

"Buzz~ Buzz~"

The phone suddenly vibrated again and again, Li Hong seemed startled awake, hurriedly answered the call, "Nannan?"

"Mom? What’s wrong with you?" Li Mengnan’s voice carried a hint of anxiety, "Calling so many times, did something happen?"

"Hiss..." From the background noise in the receiver, a vague roar could be heard.

Li Hong’s heart tightened, "Where are you?"

Meanwhile, far across the continent to the west - above Asa Empire’s capital city.

Li Mengnan listened on the phone with one hand, while the other suddenly swung the tail of her cloak.

The Wind Witch’s long tail turned into a disc, slicing through the blood wind bats with claws extended before her.

Blood splashed all over Li Mengnan’s face.

She wiped her cheek with one hand, "I’m... I’m in Xunyang City, on a mission in Ganjiang Province! What happened, mom?"

"Sorry, sorry." As a mother, the usually strong Li Hong apologized repeatedly, "I’m fine, quickly focus on completing your mission."

Without waiting for her daughter to respond, Li Hong hung up first, not even mentioning the evacuation of Ancient Pine Tower City.

"Where is Nannan?" Li Kuanren suppressed his inner worry and asked calmly.

"Over in Ganjiang Province, Xunyang City." Li Hong named a city that Li Kuanren had never thought of.

But for precisely this reason, it seemed even more credible.

"Xunyang City?" Li Kuanren frowned slightly, isn’t it the Asa Empire?

To this day, even in ordinary people’s minds, one knowledge remains—it’s almost a social consensus: One who fells the Cold Wood is Du Yu!

In a nation on the same continent, such a major event occurred, Du Yu didn’t go to the Asa Empire?

Impossible!

When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer.

The collapse of the Asa Empire marks the beginning of the collapse of the entire Great Xia Continent.

It could even be the start of worldwide downfall.

Not only will Great Xia deploy troops to rescue, but even Demon Tamers from other continents and civilizations will come to help!

Could it be that Du Yu went there, and Li Mengnan was left in Great Xia?

"Ah! Ah..."

"Rumble—"

"Help! Help, please come save me..." Crying sounds mixed with the collapse of buildings filled the car.

Li Kuanren turned his head, seeing his ex-wife again watching frontline news videos.

The man in the video continued to cry out, speaking in Asa language that Li Kuanren didn’t understand, yet anyone could see his despair and helplessness.

Li Kuanren drove onward, gently advising, "Stop watching this news, we need to..."

"Ah! Ah!!" The Asa man’s screams interrupted Li Kuanren’s words.

Li Hong covered her mouth with one hand, the video showed only the man’s terrified face, she didn’t know what he saw.

But she knew what might happen next.

"Roar!" The ferocious roar came as expected.

The man clutched his head abruptly, the camera shook violently, "No! No!!"

"Crack!"

It was the crisp sound of the Demon Breath Battle Robe shattering.

"Are you hurt?" A sweet voice from the phone rang out, carrying a hint of compassion, those familiar Great Xia Language words, clear and precise.

Li Kuanren’s eyes widened suddenly, he turned to look at the phone in his ex-wife’s hand.

But the screen had already turned black, leaving only sounds.

He suddenly realized, this wasn’t a news video but a live rescue from the battle zone civilians!

Li Hong’s face grew rigid, the voice, she would never mistake it.

Her hand that was continuously held, now tightly gripped the man’s large hand.

You aren’t...

You aren’t in Ganjiang Province, in Xunyang City?