Chapter 6: The Reinforcement of Romance Saint

The battle for the inner walls halfway up the mountain became more intense by the minute, with soldiers from both sides spilling their blood to compose a frantic symphony of war. Li Bing gazed at the enemy forces, black as a sea below, and the black banners of the enemy's fire-wreathed army fluttering from their distant camp. The feeling of despair grew stronger.

Yilian was curled up in Li Bing's arms, while Marti, holding a longsword, watched the battle coldly. It seemed that the city of Luoshui was indeed understaffed. Even after a long time, no patrols appeared near them.

Just as Li Bing was about to lose all hope, a huge roar suddenly came from the mountaintop. Massive light swords plunged into the enemy forces, sending splashes of blood into the air. Then, warm white halos descended from the peak, quickly merging into the defense lines. The wounded soldiers, still groaning, stood up, weapons in hand, and continued their relentless slaughter.

Li Bing looked up and saw a middle-aged man in white robes, standing in a pavilion at the top of the mountain. He was wielding a staff, casting spell after spell. But apart from the earlier powerful attacks, he was now slowly tossing glowing orbs of light.

"Ortiga…" Marti's voice choked with emotion.

"Godfather…" Yilian's voice carried a tinge of sadness.

"Godfather? That's *Ortiga*?" Li Bing was puzzled. Why were their reactions so ambiguous? It didn't seem like they were enemies about to face each other with hostility.

"Back in the day, the old city lord, Ortiga, and I were known as the 'Three Heroes of Luoshui'. Our friendship used to be…" Marti saw the confusion in Li Bing's eyes and spoke sorrowfully, "But why…"

"Ortiga uncle is a priest of the Church of Light, and he's also my godfather. I joined the Church because of him... He once promised to protect me for life, but after my father died…" A cold autumn breeze blew through, darkening the previously clear sky. Yilian's tears flew freely, eventually falling from the sky like raindrops.

The heavy rain didn't make the enemy retreat, nor did it crush the defenders' morale. Watching the defenders' perseverance, Li Bing suddenly thought that Ortiga had some real skills. After all, even though he had betrayed, so many people were still willing to fight and die for him. Up to that point, Li Bing hadn't seen a single defender surrender.

"Li, shall we go meet Ortiga uncle?" Yilian's words almost gave Li Bing a heart attack. What was this overly pure girl thinking?

Before Li Bing could respond, Yilian grabbed his hand and began walking up the stone steps towards the mountain peak. Marti silently followed behind them, his longsword sending a chill down Li Bing's spine as he feared being accidentally stabbed if he lagged behind.

Along the way, there were many buildings resembling "cave dwellings," where the elderly, women, and wounded soldiers lived. The way the people reacted to Yilian left Li Bing stunned. One by one, they offered heartfelt blessings, and even some soldiers gave kind nods when they saw her, with no indication of wanting to claim rewards for her capture. Several women who seemed to be officials directly advised Yilian to escape.

Though Li Bing didn't know what Yilian had done in the past, the reactions of the people made it clear how kind-hearted she must be. Realizing this, Li Bing felt even more ashamed of his own vile thoughts.

Ortiga was a man with a mature charm. When Li Bing saw him, his white robes were soaked with blood. He coughed up blood while casting light magic, his sharp features pale and his once sturdy body now trembling.

Several of Ortiga's guards shielded him from view and kept signaling for Yilian to leave. Li Bing was more confused than ever. If their hearts were with Yilian, why would they still follow Ortiga? At this point, Ortiga had become so weak that a gust of wind might knock him over, making it impossible for him to handle any betrayal from his subordinates.

"Godfather." When Yilian stood before Ortiga and called him this, Ortiga showed no surprise. His melancholic gaze was enough to break any woman's heart.

"Marti, you still don't understand me… I made you a jailer so that Yilian could leave, but you…" Ortiga spoke with great difficulty, and Li Bing almost doubted his own ears.

Ortiga gently stroked Yilian's hair and smiled faintly. "Yilian, I've always regarded you as my own daughter. I want you to be happy, and I wish I could protect you for the rest of my life… But I never imagined the bastard daughter the count brought back from the battlefield would be a demon slave… I am a servant of the God of Light, and my teachings don't allow me to tolerate demons… Yet my ugly, despicable feelings stop me from killing you. I baptized you with my own hands, and now I'm putting the magic restraining collar on you with my own hands. What a cruel irony!" Ortiga's body convulsed a few times, and he coughed up more blood. "The demon race caused the kingdom's downfall. Only the God of Light can save the people. I had to go independent! I had to break away from this country still holding on to hope in the Star God Church! The Star God Church's failed prophecy about the demon race's emergence has already killed so many people!"

Ortiga didn't continue. His passionate tears moved Li Bing, who was used to watching tragic dramas, deeply.

Ortiga had a noble character, but his fanaticism toward religion made him abandon everything, including his emotions.

Marti, Yilian, and the soldiers around them were crying. The autumn rain fell softly, hiding their tears, but not their sorrow.

"The lady cannot be a demon, Ortiga, you must be mistaken!" Marti and the other soldiers spoke in unison, but Ortiga just smiled and said nothing.

While everyone else was moved, Li Bing had no time for that. He was closely observing the battle situation, which was looking increasingly dire. The enemy, taking advantage of their superior numbers, had captured several more inner walls, and their mages had begun to attack with fireballs and ice pillars, "bombarding" the defenders' positions.

"My God! You are unjust!" The words Li Bing had begun to say habitually slipped out again, his furious shout suddenly making him the center of attention.

"Kid… Did you just say something sacrilegious?" Marti was the first to ask, his face dumbfounded.

"Li, are you sick from the rain?" Yilian asked next, her confused expression was so cute it made Li Bing want to die.

"Poor child, the fear of death has made him forget his faith…" Ortiga sighed, barely clinging to life.

Just as Li Bing was trying to understand the reactions around him, a row of dark shapes suddenly appeared on the horizon.

"It's reinforcements! It's the army that left earlier! They've come back to rescue us!" A soldier with sharp eyes shouted excitedly.

Hope lit up on everyone's faces, including Li Bing's.

The reinforcements moved swiftly. First, a cavalry unit of about two thousand launched a surprise attack on the enemy's flank! Then, a force of around three thousand infantry attacked the enemy's siege troops from behind. The enemy's formation was thrown into disarray, and the defenders launched a counterattack, pushing the panicked enemy back down the mountain.

But despite several days of enemy sieging, they still had over twenty thousand troops. The reinforcements' surprise attack didn't cause significant damage, and the enemy began to use their numbers to encircle the reinforcements.

However, the reinforcements' commander was highly capable. Seeing the enemy's main forces shifting to the flanks, the cavalry rushed back into the city, coordinating with the infantry and defenders to trap nearly a thousand enemy siege troops and push into the defenders' controlled area.

Impressive! Truly impressive!

"It must be Simon! This guy's got some skills!" Ortiga had no suspicion of the reinforcements, and instead began to applaud.

"Who is Simon?" Li Bing whispered to Yilian, noticing the others' joyful expressions.

"He's an officer under my father's command, and also my sister's fiancé. After Uncle Ortiga's rebellion, he was the first to lead a detachment away, saying he was going to the capital to accuse Uncle Ortiga."

Seeing the admiration in Yilian's eyes, Li Bing suddenly felt a pang of jealousy.

Simon appeared—tall, with a chiseled face, golden hair, and piercing blue eyes. His handsome appearance was almost maddening. The gleaming knight's armor only accentuated his heroic aura. Was this the legendary "royal arrogance"?

It's true, people can be infuriating. When Simon placed his hand on his chest and bowed to Yilian, Li Bing wanted to die.

Simon first shot a furious glance at Ortiga, then asked, "Where is Miss Ikalu?"

A deep silence fell. Finally, it was Ortiga who spoke. "The young lady has been escorted by the Judging Tribunal to the distant Eastern Church of the Holy Dragon Kingdom."

"What!" The handsome guy was furious. He drew his longsword and aimed it at Ortiga. "Are you trying to kill her?"

"After you and the other troops left, the Tribunal arrived. I had a word with them, saying that Miss Ikalu was deceived…" Ortiga began to cough up blood again, and his two soldiers desperately held him up.

In the end, Simon didn't strike Ortiga. Sheathing his sword, he said, "I've reported your rebellion to the capital. I came back to quell the rebellion, but with the enemy before us…" Simon gritted his teeth. "Don't think that just because you're a servant of the God of Light, I won't kill you! Leave the remaining troops to help defend the city. The kingdom should not ignore this."

Simon then coldly said, "I'll go and bring Miss Ikalu back myself!"

Once again, Li Bing felt inferior. *What does it mean to be a love guru? This is what a true love guru looks like!*