Xuanqing Guard

Just as they reached the central parade ground of the military camp, three Xuanqing Guard Inspectors walked over.

"Gentlemen, please show your waist tokens and documents. This is an inspection." The one in the center, young but with a cross-shaped scar on his face, asked politely.

"Didn’t they check just now?"

"Previously it was the border army, now it’s us. Mainly because you’re unfamiliar faces. Routine procedure, and it’ll be quick."

This Xuanqing Guard spoke gently both times, clearly not making things difficult. The other two surrounded from the sides.

"Here, these are our waist tokens and documents."

"Oh! Officers from the Ministry of War! That’s rare indeed." The young man glanced over the items quickly before handing them back. He casually patted the nearest horse, Xu Qian’s mount, and smiled: "Then I won’t interrupt your duties any longer. But I noticed your horses seem quite tired. Want to head to the supply area for some water and feed so they can rest?"

Xu Qian shook his head and said: "There’s no time. We’ll just walk them for a bit, that’ll count as a break for them."

"Hehe, then sorry for the bother." The young man cupped his hands and stepped aside.

Ma San and the other two continued on, encountering no further obstruction as they exited the camp and took to the side road.

After traveling for about half an hour, Xu Qian’s horse suddenly slowed, and before he could react, collapsed with a thud, dead.

Caught off guard, Xu Qian was momentarily clumsy, stumbling as he flipped off and landed awkwardly.

"Damn! What’s wrong with this horse!"

Zhang De pulled the reins and jumped off, laughing: "What else? It ran itself to death."

"Why are your horses still fine?"

"People aren’t all the same, how could horses be? Let’s go, it’s not far. Use your body technique from now on."

"..." Xu Qian cursed under his breath, but had no choice except to apply his body technique and follow along.

Ma San and the others had barely left the horse corpse for ten breaths when a Xuanqing Guard emerged from the forest, following a certain scent. Once he confirmed the horse, he took out a Thousand-Mile Sound charm and sent a message.

Several miles away, Shen Hao’s Thousand-Mile Sound vibrated in his hand. He checked it: Target spotted, expected to arrive at ambush site soon.

Shen Hao pocketed the charm, raised his hand, and Wang Yiming’s eyes lit up. He immediately grabbed the command flag and waved it a few times. Quickly, five hundred Xuanqing Guards got the message, silently hiding within the concealment array.

The forces here were Shen Hao’s best. He hadn’t brought Wang Jian or anyone from the Four Divisions. Even within the Xuanqing Guard, Shen Hao didn’t want the Four Divisions known. This mission’s orders only said: "Capture." No specifics on who, or why such a huge mobilization, and Shen Hao told them nothing.

After the last "martial contest", the morale united by Shen Hao—and his leadership—gave the Black Banner Battalion absolute obedience. They asked nothing, heard nothing they weren’t meant to.

Everyone lay in wait, but tension was unavoidable. Wang Yiming felt it too. Compared to ordinary soldiers, he felt distinctly "accepted." At least for this confidential operation, Lord Shen hadn’t excluded him. He wasn’t as trusted as Wang Jian, but Wang Yiming sensed Shen Hao’s trust in him was growing.

...

Ma San rode at a gallop. Though his mount was clearly exhausted, he forced the pace, urged on by a growing sense of unease.

"Ma San, slow down, Xu Qian can’t keep up." Zhang De had to call out again for Ma San to reduce speed; Xu Qian struggled behind.

"Let’s rest after we pass the next mountain hollow." Ma San realized they couldn’t keep charging. He suggested a pause—he wanted to speak with Xu Qian and Zhang De, maybe split up three ways to cover the rest. He felt deeply unsettled, desperately wishing to leave.

"Fine, once we reach that hollow up ahead, we’ll rest and let the horses breathe. They probably can’t go much farther."

Soon, the three reached the mountain hollow.

The last two horses snorted heavily, exhausted. Xu Qian, who’d been running with his body technique the whole way, was sweaty and short of breath.

"Whew! We should be about there, right?"

"Yeah, half a day more. Here, drink some water." Zhang De handed a canteen to Xu Qian, taking out a meat pie for himself.

Only Ma San remained uneasy.

"Gentlemen, I still think something’s wrong. The last bit isn’t far; let’s split three ways, sneak through the forest, and converge at the predetermined spot."

"Split up? Sneak through the woods?"

"Is that necessary?"

Ma San insisted: "It is. Better safe than sorry. Trust my intuition—this trip... damn!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

Before Ma San could finish, the arrow rain from his nightmares suddenly returned, this time even denser and deadlier. Not only the arrows, but the hollow was engulfed in an illusion realm, warping their senses and reactions.

"Breaking Arrows?!"

Only up close could they hear the whooshing, and the threat pressed in so hard that Zhang De and Xu Qian responded immediately, activating magical artifact defenses. Ma San did the same.

The next instant—"clang clang clang..." The dense arrow rain slammed down, the force making all three instinctively duck.

They blocked the arrow rain for now, but escape was nearly impossible.

"Shit! The array here anchors the earth spirit qi. Earth Escape won’t work!"

"What the hell is this illusion realm? Can’t break through!"

"Split up! Scatter and break out!"

At this moment, Ma San desperately wished he had a Blood Escape Talisman. But he didn’t, so like Zhang De and Xu Qian he was crushed beneath the illusion realm and arrow rain, unable to move.

Under relentless arrow rain, their magical artifacts were soon smashed to pieces.

Xu Qian, already exhausted from running, had little True Qi left. So when his magical artifact was destroyed, he failed to erect his True Qi Shield in time—barely half a breath late—and more than ten breaking arrows pierced him, one straight through the neck into his chest. He died instantly.

Zhang De and Ma San fared a little better. Their artifacts were destroyed too, but they managed to raise True Qi Shields. Not enough to cover everything, but enough to lessen the force of the feathered arrows.

Ma San was faster than Zhang De; he shattered the illusion realm and slid behind Zhang De, striking down with his palm.

"You!"

Zhang De was horrified, but Ma San’s palm force, plus the arrows outside, left him no chance to dodge—he took the hit square in the back.

"Pfft!"

Zhang De spat blood, body pitching forward, then Ma San kicked him, sending him flying. Ma San immediately bent low, pressing to the ground and used Zhang De’s body as a shield, rapidly moving sideways.

Meanwhile, Zhang De became nothing but a ruined heap under the baptism of feathered arrows...