The next morning, on the drill ground.

The chill of early spring enveloped the drill ground.

At the very front of the field stood a dense assembly of cavalry.

At a glance, the entire formation was black, stationary, resembling a deep, dark pool, exuding a palpable, oppressive killing intent that stole one's breath.

“Commander, my company’s men are all present.” Bai Qi stood clad in cold-iron heavy armor, gripping a dark, nearly ten-foot-long spear.

His mount was a magnificent, fiery-red warhorse, easily over nine feet tall at the shoulder.

“Set off!” Lord Ji Hong, the silver-haired man in black robes and the foremost of the Four Commanders, spoke in a cold voice.

“Set off!” Bai Qi gave the unified command.

The dense ranks of cavalry behind him moved.

Five hundred soldiers, all clad in top-grade heavy armor and armed with long spears, rode steeds worth a thousand taels of silver each—the Black-Patterned Horse.

And the five centurions leading them were all outfitted in Crimson Iron heavy armor, holding long spears, and mounted on Azure-Maned Steeds valued at five thousand taels of silver apiece.

Led by Commander Bai Qi and the five centurions, the five hundred men of the Black-Armored Army’s First Regiment, Third Battalion, quickly departed Jiangning Prefecture City, following the main road toward Huafeng City.

About eighty li outside Jiangning Prefecture City, on the official road.

“Giddy up!” “Giddy up!” “Giddy up!” More than ten fine horses galloped down the road, kicking up clouds of dust.

“Grandfather! Why must we flee? Does that scoundrel dare to attack us within the Prefecture City?” a youth asked while spurring his horse alongside the old man riding next to him.

The old man sighed, “Dan Chen, you don’t understand! If we don’t flee, our Yan family will truly be finished!” “Your father trusted that Wang Fang too deeply.

Not only did he fall for Wang Fang’s massive deception, but he also gave that Wang Fang leverage over us.

Your father’s businesses are ruined! Moreover, he now owes Wang Fang five hundred thousand taels of silver! Five hundred thousand taels—even all the remaining assets of our Yan family wouldn’t cover it! And we never owed him a thing to begin with.

It was this viper who schemed against us.

We can only run now.

Flee Jiangning Prefecture and go somewhere else.” The youth fell silent.

He didn't know the full story… In Jiangning Prefecture City, his Yan family had been a wealthy merchant house.

He, Yan Dan Chen, had been born without a care for food or clothing, and in his youth, he had even become an initial disciple of Green Lake Island.

He never expected that returning home to visit relatives this time would lead to such a catastrophe.

His Yan family was ruined! His father’s entire business was gone; now, they could only take what little they had left and leave Jiangning Prefecture.

According to family rules, Yan Dan Chen was supposed to return home from Green Lake Island upon reaching adulthood to take up the merchant trade.

Yan Dan Chen had studied martial arts diligently while on the island.

Among the youths there, his skill was considered quite respectable.

In his free time, Yan Dan Chen imagined returning, establishing his business, acquiring a few pretty serving girls and some guards, living a comfortable, secure life, and preserving the ancestral estate.

But now, it seemed Yan Dan Chen’s destiny was about to change drastically.

“Father…” Yan Dan Chen looked toward the man galloping at the very front—that was his father, Yan Xing! A shrewd merchant, who could have imagined he’d stumble so badly this time, a single fall wiping out the efforts of several generations of the Yan family, leaving only their last remaining meager holdings.

Just as the youth’s mind was a confusing mess— “Hahaha… Master Yan, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?” A hearty laugh echoed across the sky.

The expressions of the fleeing Yan family members immediately darkened.

From behind the weeds along a distant fork in the road, groups of warhorses charged out.

The man leading them had long, disheveled hair and a powerful build, gripping a dark-red sabre nearly five feet long.

The wild-haired brute roared with laughter, “Hahaha, Master Yan, still planning to escape with your wealth?” At least a hundred bandits appeared.

“Bandits!” Some of the Yan family members cried out in alarm.

How could their dozen or so people stand against nearly a hundred fierce mountain brigands? “Run!” The Yan family members did not slow down, frantically urging their horses onward, attempting to escape.

“Haha, our brothers have been waiting for Master Yan right here.” Another burst of laughter sounded as another group of nearly a hundred bandits charged out from the turn in the road ahead.

The Yan family immediately pulled hard on the reins.

“Master!” “Elder Brother!” Many looked toward the steward of the Yan family, Yan Xing, Yan Dan Chen’s father.

Bandits blocking the front, more chasing from the rear—what were they to do? “Brothers, spare my Yan family, and I will be eternally grateful! Brothers, name your price in silver.

Whatever you want, just say it,” Yan Xing called out loudly.

At this point, the only option left was to buy their lives with money.

“Oh, Master Yan, how much silver can you offer?” the wild-haired bandit leader laughed heartily.

“So many of us brothers—we all need wives and children to support; that costs money, you know.” “Here are fifty thousand taels in bank notes!” Yan Xing pulled out a thick stack of notes from his robes.

“If you let my family go, these notes belong to you brothers.” All the Yan family members stared at the bandits, unwilling to fight when the odds were so stacked against them.

“Tsk, tsk, quite a generous offer.” The bandit leader smiled.

“However, I’m a little greedy.” Yan Xing gritted his teeth.

“All of the Yan family’s gold and silver, leave it to you! Please, just grant my family a path to live.

Otherwise… if these bank notes are torn up, they become worthless.” Yan Xing’s tone carried a threat; if necessary, he would destroy the notes so the bandits would get nothing.

“Hmm?” The bandit leader sneered.

“Master Yan, the gold and silver you brought is likely the family’s last reserve, right? What you hid at home would certainly be real gold and silver! You can destroy bank notes, but can you destroy true gold and silver?” Yan Xing’s face changed.

Indeed, in this hasty escape, he had secured gold bars at the rear of his horses.

These were the treasures of the Yan manor; they certainly hadn't been cash notes.

“Our brothers don’t just want your silver; we want Master Wang’s silver too! If we don’t kill you, how can we collect Master Wang’s payment? Therefore, all of you must die!” the bandit leader cackled.

“Master Wang also instructed us to pass on a message to Master Yan—‘Brother, have a safe journey’!” Yan Xing’s face turned purple with rage, and he shrieked, “Wang Lao Er, if I die, I will haunt you even as a ghost!” “Brothers, kill!” the bandit leader suddenly roared.

Immediately, the two opposing forces—nearly two hundred bandits—charged toward the dozen-odd people.

Yan Xing roared in fury and drew the battle saber at his waist.

“Father, take Dan Chen and run,” Yan Xing bellowed, immediately charging forward.

Facing nearly two hundred charging bandits, how could those dozen or so people survive? “Thwack!” “Agh!” The young men of the Yan family were cut down one by one.

Only four among them possessed internal energy: Yan Xing, his third brother, Yan Dan Chen, and Yan Dan Chen’s grandfather.

“Mother!” Yan Dan Chen screamed mournfully.

He managed to dodge a slashing saber blow aimed at him, and in return, thrust his own sword through the bandit’s throat.

His mother, who did not know internal force, had been killed in the first wave of the assault.

Yan Xing fought like a madman, taking three cuts but continuing his frenzied slaughter: “Father, you must take Dan Chen and flee quickly!” Yan Xing desperately shielded his son and father, trying to allow his own father and son to escape.

Since falling into the scheme, he had been filled with endless regret the moment he realized the truth and lost everything in his business.

Many times, he had considered suicide! The regretful Yan Xing, now at this moment, no longer feared death.

He only wished for his son to live! “Dan Chen, hurry and go,” Yan Xing roared.

“Dan Chen, go!” Grandfather also shouted.

“Father…” Though filled with pain, Yan Dan Chen, pulled along by his grandfather, cut through the flashing blades and shadows, fleeing toward the west.

“Shick!” “Shick!” One saber pierced Yan Xing’s chest, and another sliced directly across his head, sending it flying.

Yan Dan Chen, fleeing, looked back and witnessed this scene.

The bandit assault lasted mere moments; only Yan Dan Chen and his grandfather remained of the Yan family.

“Haha, you think you can escape?” Many bandits pursued them from behind.

“Father.

Mother.

Uncle…” Yan Dan Chen, who had lived a life of luxury, never imagined such a day would come.

He glanced back—the roaring bandits, brandishing blood-soaked sabers, were closing in rapidly on their warhorses.

These bandits were expert riders from years of campaigning.

“Dan Chen, you escape quickly!” the grandfather yelled, drawing his long sword, intending to block the bandits.

“Grandfather!” Yan Dan Chen’s face changed drastically.

At that very moment— The ground began to vibrate violently.

“Huh?” The bandit leader abruptly turned his head.

In the far distance behind them, a vast, surging black tide was approaching.

Every man wore black heavy armor, riding warhorses also clad in black mail.

Each steed stood a full eight feet high, and every rider gripped a long spear.

The terrifying speed of their charge was like a roaring steel flood! “The Black-Armored Army!!!” The bandit leader’s face went pale, and he shrieked, “Spread out, brothers, scatter!” But many bandits hadn't even reacted before the Black-Armored Army, which had been a hundred yards away moments before, rushed through them in just a few breaths.

The vast Black-Armored Army showed no sign of slowing, charging through the mass of bandits as if crushing ants.

The glint of spears flashing intermittently claimed one life after another! “What is this…” Yan Dan Chen watched in shock as this terrifying army seemed to descend from the heavens.

“The Black-Armored Army, it’s the Black-Armored Army.” Yan Dan Chen’s grandfather, however, was overjoyed, then his expression shifted sharply.

“Dan Chen, move to the side quickly.” If the Black-Armored Army trampled people in their path while charging, it was considered normal collateral.

However, if they encountered robbers and bandits attempting an ambush, they were to be killed without exception—it served as military training.

But it was too late! The Black-Armored Army moved too fast.

From crushing the bandits to reaching the Yan grandfather and grandson took less than a breath.

“Whoosh!” A black spear lunged forward.

Yan Dan Chen and his grandfather were completely stunned by the overwhelming killing aura emanating from the vast Black-Armored Army, having lost all thought of resistance.

Under the world-shattering momentum of the Black-Armored Army’s charge, even martial artists would hesitate to resist.

“Thump!” The spear suddenly twisted, vibrating twice in front of Yan Dan Chen and the elder, sending them both thrown sideways into a nearby field.

“I… I didn’t die?” Yan Dan Chen froze for a moment, as did his grandfather.

A Black-Armored Army knight, wearing dark-red heavy armor, reined in his steed and halted beside them, holding his spear ready.

Yan Dan Chen stared blankly at the knight, remembering that this was the knight whose spear had knocked them aside.

“You two, hurry and leave.

Don’t get killed by those surviving bandits,” the knight said with a faint smile.

“Brother Qingshan, why waste breath talking nonsense with them? Let’s go!” another knight in dark-red heavy armor shouted.

“Giddy up!” With that, the speaking knight spurred his horse and galloped away swiftly.

The grandfather looked back at the departing Black-Armored Army and sighed, “We were truly lucky.

Dan Chen, that was the Black-Armored Army of the Guiyuan Sect! When this army travels, they slow down and spare ordinary people they encounter on the road.

But if they encounter robbers attempting mayhem, they are to kill them all—it’s part of their training.” Glancing back at the few pale-faced bandits who had survived in the distance, he said, “Dan Chen, let’s go quickly.” “The Black-Armored Army, Brother Qingshan, was that knight named Qingshan?” Yan Dan Chen murmured quietly.

Then, urged by his grandfather, he mounted one of the warhorses that had managed to flee into the field beside them, and they escaped rapidly.