Chapter 217 Volume 2 Epilogue (2/2)
At Jinyang City, it was more eventful.
From the previous battle with the Imperial Army, after they rescued Zhou Cang and Lu Zhi, the entire Jinyang horsemen rampaged through the ranks of confused Imperial soldiers.
Two hours after the chaotic fight, all surviving Imperial soldiers surrendered to Lu Bu as the leading nobles all died by Lu Bu's hands, increasing his reputation.
10,000 Soldiers were captured and turned into the prisoners-of-war. Zhang Liao advised Lu Bu to integrate them into Jinyang City as Ding Yuan would not have enough troops to defend the border if they were to leave Jinyang again.
Lu Bu Army returned to Jinyang with 10,000 prisoners from the previous battle.
However, he later prepared to march with all his subordinates and resupplied 50,000 Xiongnu Cavalries to Julu as he wanted to beat Tong. Fortunately, Lu Bu's wife, lady Yan, wanted her daughter to be with her father once in a while, so Lu Bu canceled the schedule and decided to stay home until spring.
On the other hand, Lu Zhi, his family, and Zhou Cang departed from Jinyang to Julu as planned with Gao Shun and his 10,000 Xiongnu Cavalries as their escorts.
…
…
November 30th, 182 A.D.
Tong, Xu Huang, and Jia Xu reached Julu. Jia Xu groaned, yet a smile appeared on his face.
”Finally, I can rest!”
Tong nodded, ”Yeah, me too.”
Everyone was exhausted from the tough fight and a long journey through the winter weather. Seeing the nostalgia city wall rejuvenated their spirits.
Zhang Jiao, Sima Fang, and the others stood in front of the south gate to welcome their heroes. The Julu civilians also came to see the returning troops on top of the wall. Family members of soldiers also waited for their husband or father to return home.
Tong looked at the civilians on the wall with a bitter smile. Some of them might be disappointed today as not all of them had returned alive, and there were also crippled soldiers returning as well.
The families of these fallen heroes had to be compensated.
It reminded Tong that war was always cruel to the peasants. He had to end this civil war as soon as possible in this world.
Sima Fang bowed, ”Welcome home, young master Zhang.”
”Welcome home, son,” Smiled Zhang Jiao.
Tong stepped down from his horse. He walked toward his father and shamelessly hugged him.
”I'm home, dad.”
”If you keep doing this, your master will scold you again,” Zhang Jiao reprimanded.
”I don't care anymore. I'll make the hugging a new custom in my cities.”
Zhang Jiao laughed and patted his son's back, ”If you say so.”
The soldiers and the officials gazed at the reunion of the father and son duo with a warm smile. The image of a loving family soothed the heart of everyone.
”I'll hug my parents when I get home,” A soldier muttered.
”I'll hug my wife.”
”I'll hug your wife, too.”
”Then, I'll hug your sister.”
”Meh, I prefer older women. I'll hug his mother.”
”None of you are cultured! I'll hug his daughter!”
”Hold it, you lots!”
The soldiers laughed and messed with their friends like brothers. As they went through thick and thin together in a battlefield, a sense of brotherhood formed in their heart. Everybody marched into the city with laughter and smiles.
Unlike in movies, the soldiers did not enter the city to get their parade welcome from the civilians, but they moved to their designated camps outside the walls. However, an order came from the government that all of them could get inside the city once they left the weapons and armors inside their camps first.
Zhang Jiao did not want everyone to report themselves at the government hall right away. He decided to postpone the meeting for a day to let the returnees rest.
Tong used this chance to return home after the long months of working on the field. Upon entering his courtyard, Hua Shi and Friday, who was still in Xiao Wu form, was already there. There was also a new guest, or he could say [A new member].
He Xing was resting there with her child.
”I'm going to need an explanation now. Can anyone start?” Tong asked his family.
…
…
On the top of Mount Kunlun, a woman, who looked as if she was in her 20s with curly blond hair, was sitting on a rock as she read the logs from the system menu. Her ten black tentacle wings fluttered in the air. Each of the tentacles was longer than the wings of Medusa.
She was the new owner of this realm, the daughter of Lilith, Lilim.
Unlike her mother, she did not commit any heinous crime that she had to be sanctioned into a fragmented world. However, she was transferred here as a condition for Lilith's cooperation with the matter in the Netherworld.
Until the Netherworld regained its peace, Lilith's daughter had the right to seek asylum here while she took over Lilith's role as the system goddess.
”What are all these [Skills]!?”
Lilim was baffled by the skills of the otherworlders. They were too bizarre.
She continued reading all log files until she read the comments of her mother.
[Zhang Tong and Liu Ping's souls were bound by a huge karma thread. Do not get in involved in their feuds.]