All along this journey, he had been simmering with suppressed anger. He hadn't known what Lian Bai was escorting until they were already on the road. The entire trip had been shrouded in secrecy, nothing but incessant marching. He and his twenty companions were nearly worked to the bone; yet, from start to finish, absolutely nothing of note had occurred.

Wasn't this simply tormenting people?

Everyone from the Zhao Clan looked grim, as if they had just buried their own mothers; meanwhile, the other group, whoever those sons-of-bitches were, walked around full of arrogance. Damn it, these people treated his crew like mere servants! Did they think they were the Emperor’s personal guard? Thus, throughout the journey, Meng Xiaosong was thoroughly vexed.

At this very moment, especially after a full day of relentless travel that had practically split his backside in two from the saddle, as the night curtain began to fall, just as he was sighing in relief that rest was finally near—thinking of finding an inn, downing some fine ale, and perhaps finding a pretty girl for some enjoyment if the mood struck—a sudden, jarring order to increase speed was issued from up ahead!

Is there any heaven left? Is there any reason left in this world?!

Every mission my men take feels like a pleasant outing; we’ve never been this ragged!

If it weren't for the sky-high price of fifty thousand taels of silver you promised, why would I bother making this trip myself? But I treat you with respect, so you shouldn't go digging your own graves!

With that, Meng Xiaosong, Vice Guild Master Meng, could hold back no longer, stepping forward to roar his accusation.

“The matter is of great importance! We must proceed with caution! Guild Master Meng’s magnanimity is appreciated; please bear with us a little longer.” Zhao Wuji managed a strained smile and cupped his fists.

“Damn it! Great importance, great importance—you’ve repeated that phrase at least eight hundred times on this road! If you aren’t tired of hearing it, I am! Zhao Wuji, I advise you not to mistake my courtesy for weakness. We were heavily remunerated to come and guard this, not to serve as your Zhao family lackeys. You had better make that distinction clear, and don't let greed blind you!”

Meng Xiaosong was boiling. Hearing ‘great importance’ had made his ears ring, and now, at this critical juncture, hearing it again caused him to finally erupt.

Zhao Wuji gave a wry smile, about to speak—he certainly couldn't let internal strife break out—when suddenly, four imposing figures on powerful horses galloped towards them. The four riders approached with cold expressions, glaring at Meng Xiaosong, and said sharply, “What’s the ruckus? Why are you shouting as if your mother just died? What dissatisfaction do you have?”

These four knights were members of the Divine Wind Guard. They too were suffering from the arduous journey, but seeing Meng Xiaosong start trouble first, they were instantly displeased. We haven't even voiced a complaint, and who are you to start making demands?

Meng Xiaosong distinctly felt the chilling murderous intent radiating from these four! His heart immediately flared with rage: A few mere Jin Xuan realm warriors daring to show off in front of me, a Di Xuan master? And they dare to threaten me? And curse me?! Is there any heaven left in this world? Is there any logic to this?

“What? Do you have a problem with that?” Meng Xiaosong shot back with a cold glare, one hand already resting on his sword hilt, meeting their hostility in kind.

But Meng Xiaosong regretted it almost instantly. In the blink of an eye, dozens of warriors swarmed in from all directions. With several swift swishes, gleaming longswords and broadswords were drawn. At a unified shout, the dozens of men charged straight at him without another word, their blades hacking down mercilessly!

“They’ve gone mad! All of them are mad!”

While it was true that these men, despite their sheer numbers, were only at the Jin Xuan cultivation level and might not truly subdue Meng Xiaosong, who had reached the Di Xuan realm, their actions were utterly unexpected. No matter how annoyed Meng Xiaosong was, he certainly wouldn't resort to outright violence against supposed comrades. Yet these men showed zero restraint! They attacked the moment the thought arose, without any preamble. “Stop! Stop this! We are on the same side!” Zhao Wuji, sweating profusely, rushed over to mediate.

With a few bangs and clangs, they managed to weather the initial onslaught, but another wave of knights was already preparing to charge. Clearly, though these warriors weren't individually powerful, they were adept at synchronized battle formations. Once they started attacking, they would come in waves, relentless, refusing to stop until the enemy was completely subdued!

Zhao Wuji was so flustered he could barely speak: “Gentlemen! Gentlemen, we are all allies; we are all working towards a great cause. Why must we sour our relations over this?”

After much persuasion, both sides finally lowered their weapons.

The Second Prince’s guards were accustomed to acting lawlessly and certainly held Meng Xiaosong in low regard. So what if he was a Di Xuan master? He had already killed several Di Xuan experts under his command; what was one more to him?

Never mind that he was Di Xuan and they were only Jin Xuan. They were the Imperial Guard, officials of the realm! As long as he hadn't ascended to the transcendent level beyond Tian Xuan, they could do whatever they pleased with him, and he wouldn't dare object! If he still didn't submit, they could slap the label of rebellion on him and toss him in jail!

Several of the Prince’s guards shot lecherous, malicious glances at Meng Xiaosong’s plump backside (whispers circulated that the heaviest convicts in prison enjoyed... intimate relations...).

Meng Xiaosong was about to flare up again, but a single sentence whispered into his ear by Zhao Wuji immediately quelled his anger.

“These men are the Imperial Guards!” Those few simple words extinguished all of Meng Xiaosong’s fury, replacing it with sheer terror.

Since ancient times, the common people do not contend with officials!

This is an unshakeable, eternal truth!

The Emperor's own personal guards could execute a local magistrate without cause, and no one would dare utter a word of protest. How much less a mere Jianghu figure like himself? Especially one with a family and business to protect?

No wonder Zhao Wuji was acting subserviently. So, this mission was for the Royal Family. Now that he thought about it, if this matter succeeded, perhaps he could secure a minor official post for himself? With this realization, Meng Xiaosong’s gaze toward the Imperial Guards took on a distinct hue of fawning respect.

The procession continued, but the atmosphere within the group had become considerably more strained following the minor disturbance.

Ahead lay a mountain, which was the Tianxiang Iron Wall Mountain, the natural barrier protecting the Tianxiang capital city!

Once they reached the summit of this mountain, they would be able to vaguely make out Tianxiang City in the distance!

Having arrived here, it could be said that ninety-nine percent of the mission was complete!

Finally, they could breathe a sigh of relief!

Zhao Wuji let out a long breath, raised his hand, and ordered a brief rest at the foot of the mountain. The company quickly set up camp, prepared food, intending to eat their fill before pushing hard to cover the remaining distance, hoping to find some place of pleasure within Tianxiang City to celebrate together...

Smoke curled up from the cooking fires; the fragrance of rice drifted from the large pots, and the aroma of roasting meat wafted from the iron racks nearby. All the burly men were greedily swallowing their saliva. This journey, fraught with mental strain and physical exhaustion, had been truly brutal.

At last, a moment of rest, a chance to feast freely.

“Dinner is served!” Zhao Wutian called out excitedly, approaching with a large iron bowl.

“Heh heh heh... Dinner? Do you still think you’ll be eating? I could have let you become ghosts full of food, but our time is severely limited, so we’ll just send all of you to the Underworld for your meal instead!” A sinister, cold laugh, like a gust of wind blowing from Hell, drifted over, chillingly piercing the air.

“Who is it? Show yourself!” Everyone instantly tensed, springing up simultaneously, swords half-drawn, scanning the dim surrounding woods with vigilance.

“I’m here to rob you!” Amidst almost no warning, a loud, gleeful shout erupted, followed by a sudden burst of dazzling blue light. The six large cooking pots on the ground exploded with a bang, scattering cooked rice grains everywhere, iron fragments flying in all directions. Five or six cries of pain followed instantly, as a few unlucky men were struck by shrapnel.

“Tian Xuan master?” A chorus of shouts rose, no one exempt, whether it was the Di Xuan master Meng Xiaosong or the previously arrogant Imperial Guards.

A blue figure shot out like a rocket. With several pangs and thuds, a few warriors were tossed into the air like embroidered balls, soaring briefly as if riding the clouds. A black-clad, masked figure now stood in the center of the clearing. He held one hand extended, gripping Zhao Wutian by the neck, lifting him entirely as easily as if he were a small chick, leaving his limbs flailing uselessly in the air, his face turning purplish-red from lack of air.

“Speak! Where are those repeating crossbows?” The black-clad figure flickered with blue light, his fingers gradually tightening, a brutal coldness flashing in his eyes.

“Kill!” A great shout rose from the surroundings. Thirty to forty men drew their blades and swords, completely ignoring Zhao Wutian’s peril, and charged straight ahead. Zhao Wuji cried out in alarm: “My second brother!” From the dark woods came another excited roar, and another black-clad, blue-glowing masked figure darted out, wielding a sword in his right hand and an open palm in his left, commencing a slaughter!

The first black-clad figure coldly watched Zhao Wutian struggle weakly in his grip, his voice devoid of emotion: “If you don't speak now, you die! Do not dare tell me they are in the carriage; I don't believe such a childish lie. If you dare deceive me, you will all face only one outcome! !!”

“Th-they are... they are...” Zhao Wutian kicked his legs frantically, his eyes wide with terror. Just then, a flash of yellow light cut through the air. Zhao Wutian let out a sharp cry, convulsed twice, and went still.

“Damn it!” the black-clad man cursed furiously, turning and lunging out. The convoy of nearly five hundred men, spread across three sections, immediately descended into chaos.

In the pandemonium, Zhao Wuji let out a piercing wail: “Second Brother!!” His eyes suddenly blazing with rage, he lunged at a richly dressed warrior: “You... you actually killed my second brother!”

This richly dressed warrior was Zhang Cunxiao, the leader of the Second Prince's Divine Wind Guard. Facing Zhao Wuji’s accusation, he seemed only more enraged, his face flushed crimson as he roared back: “Zhao Wuji, are you trying to ruin the Second Master’s great undertaking? Your brother was afraid of death; if I had been slightly slower, he would have already revealed the secret! Killing him was the right thing to do! If he had leaked information and jeopardized the mission, your entire Zhao Clan would face the executioner’s axe! You idiot!”

Zhao Wuji shuddered and stopped, his immense grief and indignation having nowhere to vent. He suddenly roared and charged towards the black-clad masked man.

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