Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Bloody Battle (Part 1)
"Yunzhou’s dragon soars! The dragon soars in Yunzhou!"
With the crack of a cannon, the escort flags unfurled. Thirty Darts Masters and ten carriages—an escort team large enough to be called massive—emerged from the Escort Agency’s main gate, proceeding in a grand procession toward Yunzhou’s east gate.
An Escort Team this conspicuous could not escape the notice of watchful eyes, so there was no point in trying to be stealthy. On the contrary, the more high-profile, the better; the more imposing their presence, the better. Petty thieves with no real strength were no cause for concern, and even powerful bandit strongholds would have to think twice before acting against such a display of force.
The Escort Team proceeded steadily eastward. Zhao Xingyang might have appeared bold and unconcerned with minor details, but in truth, he was as meticulous as they come.
A flag-bearing scout ranged ten li ahead, while other scouts fanned out on both flanks. They entered any forest and crossed any river they encountered. Working in pairs and rotating in shifts, they employed tactics straight out of a military reconnaissance manual.
It seemed Zhao Xingyang’s reading was not limited to classics and miscellanea; he had apparently delved into military strategy as well. With such a formation, any potential ambush would be discovered long before it could ever get near the Escort Team.
"Yunzhou’s dragon soars! The dragon soars in Yunzhou!"
The Escort Team continued their chant as they passed through several dangerous areas without the slightest incident. Though there were undoubtedly eyes watching them, the sheer size of the procession and the tight screen of their scouts were enough to make anyone with ill intentions reconsider and stay put.
This continued until Zhao Xingyang led the team past the North Slope of Chicken Mountain, through Lei County, and began to approach the Leigong River.
The Leigong River was over a hundred feet wide, its waters churning violently around jagged rocks. During the summer rains, its roar was said to resemble thunder, which was how it earned its name.
Riding in the center of the Escort Team to keep an eye on both the front and rear, Zhao Xingyang could already faintly hear the rushing sound of the turbulent river.
His brow furrowed slightly, and he asked the Darts Master beside him:
"We’re almost at the Leigong River. Why haven’t the scouts ahead reported back yet?"
"That would be Xiaolinzi’s group. I’ll send someone to check on them and take over their shift."
The Darts Master gestured to a scout, who immediately shot forward like a wisp of smoke.
The Escort Team slowed its pace. A full ten minutes passed, yet there was still no word from the front.
Normally, when the forward scouts rotated, one man would go forward to relieve another, and the relieved scout would return to report. But now, someone had gone out and no one had come back. It was a breach of protocol.
Zhao Xingyang waited another moment before raising his hand to halt the Escort Team. In a grim voice, he said:
"Something’s not right! It’s not just the scouts at the front who are silent—the ones on the flanks have also missed their rotation point! They’ve run into trouble."
He ordered the Escort Team to form a defensive perimeter and remain on high alert. Then, he spurred his horse up a nearby slope. From that high vantage point, his Third Training-level eyesight allowed him to easily see the Leigong River, which was now not far off.
The waters of the Leigong River surged, and a suspension bridge swayed precariously above, looking as if it might snap at any moment.
A large crowd was gathered by the riverbank. They were all coarsely dressed, and a quick count suggested there were at least forty or fifty of them.
Beside the group, several figures were being forced to kneel on the ground.
Zhao Xingyang’s eyes shot wide open. Those kneeling men were the Escort Team’s scouts!
The burly leader of the group spotted Zhao Xingyang as well. His eyes narrowed as he let out a booming laugh.
"Master Zhao, it’s been a while!"
"Song! What are you doing here? What do you want?"
Zhao Xingyang’s voice was heavy. Even without deliberately projecting it, his words carried clearly over the long distance.
’The scouts didn’t even have time to send a signal. Their leader must have dealt with them himself.’
’This is dozens of li from Chicken Mountain. How did they get from the mountains to the riverbank?’
"What do I want? We’re bandits, and you’re an escort team. What do you think I want?"
Boss Song chuckled darkly, nonchalantly patting the face of one of the captives.
Zhao Xingyang’s grip tightened on his longspear as he said in an icy voice:
"Let them go!"
"Let them go? Fine!"
Boss Song scoffed, then hauled one of the captives to his feet and dragged him to the edge of the riverbank.
"You’re the one who told me to let him go."
He loosened his grip, and the scout, who was clearly already injured, fell limply into the churning Leigong River and vanished in an instant.
"Xiaolinzi!"
Zhao Xingyang roared, his eyes nearly splitting with fury.
"Song, you’re asking to die!"
He raised his longspear, then lowered it again, his bloodshot eyes locked onto Boss Song.
Seeing that Zhao Xingyang didn’t charge down, Boss Song shook his head in disappointment. He pulled up another man, glancing sideways at Zhao Xingyang on the slope.
"Master Zhao, should I let this one go? How about this: come down here and we can talk. Give your men a chance."
Zhao Xingyang saw the scout struggling in the bandit’s grasp. With a twitch of his hand, he was about to spur his horse forward and charge the dozens of bandits, but the scout suddenly bellowed:
"Boss, don’t come down! It’s a goddamn trap! Don’t worry about me! I’m not afraid to die!"
He fiercely bit down on Boss Song’s hand, but it was like biting into steel; several of his own teeth shattered on impact.
Boss Song’s hand didn’t even seem to register the bite. He shot the scout a cold glance.
"Want to die? I’ll make sure you don’t."
He firmly pulled the scout back, then suddenly kicked a different captive next to him into the river. With his hands on his hips, he roared with laughter.
"Let’s have someone else die instead!
"Zhao, when your men killed my brothers, did you ever imagine this day would come?!"
Zhao Xingyang was seething with a rage so intense he could barely stop himself from throwing his life away for the sake of revenge.
’But what little reason he had left told him that even if he charged, he could never rescue his men from dozens of bandits. Boss Song was at the Fourth Training. Zhao Xingyang could hardly be considered his match one-on-one, to say nothing of the dozens of bandits with him.’
’Boss Song was clearly set on a fight to the death. His scouts were as good as dead the moment they were captured.’
Zhao Xingyang’s mind raced, but he couldn’t think of a single solution. For the first time, a look of utter despair began to creep across his face.
Just then, his ear twitched. A conflicted expression appeared on his face, and he slowly closed his eyes.
A moment later, he opened his eyes again. His expression was now one of grim resolve. He yelled hoarsely toward the riverbank:
"Brothers! It is I, Zhao, who has failed! I am not strong enough to protect you today. I have let you all down! In the next life, I will serve you as an ox or a horse... I swear it! In this life, I will slaughter that bastard Song and everyone connected to him to avenge you!"
"Hahaha, Boss Zhao, what nonsense are you spouting! We would never blame you! We’re brothers in this life, and we’ll be brothers in the next!"
One of the scouts, his hands bound behind him, let out a great laugh. With a sudden, inexplicable burst of strength, he broke free from the men holding him, took a few quick steps, and threw himself into the river.
Tears welled in Zhao Xingyang’s eyes. He took one last, long look at the chaos on the riverbank, then wheeled his horse around and rode away.
Boss Song spat on the ground.
"That brat is quick on his feet! After him, men!"
"Boss, what about these last few..."
"Don’t be an idiot. Zhao Xingyang didn’t take the bait. Throw them all in the river and let’s get moving."
Zhao Xingyang galloped back at full speed. As he rounded a bend, he saw that the Escort Team he had left behind was already engaged in combat.
Another group of forty or fifty bandits had surrounded the Escort Team. The two leading them were both Third Training masters. These two spearheaded the attack, suppressing Qin Hai and the others in their defensive formation and holding a decisive advantage.
Just as the Escort Team was about to be overwhelmed by the horde of bandits, Zhao Xingyang’s suppressed emotions finally erupted.
He threw his head back and let out a heaven-shaking roar, raised his longspear, and charged straight into the throng of bandits!
The bandits were startled, but Zhao Xingyang was too fast. His longspear skewered several men as if they were beads on a string, and he charged directly toward one of the Third Training leaders.
The Third Training leader shouted and moved to intercept him, but Zhao Xingyang let out another furious roar. A faint aura of Blood Qi coalesced around his longspear as he accelerated once more, plunging the weapon directly into the leader’s chest. He skewered the Third Training master just like the others and lifted his body high into the air.
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