The Prefect Killed by an Automatic Rebound

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The shattered spearhead broke into dozens of fragments that shot toward the light cavalry like flying knives. A string of wet impacts sounded, followed by more than a dozen screams.

Thud!

Thud!

More than a dozen riders fell to the ground.

Their leader took the worst of it. He coughed blood as he flew more than ten yards from his saddle, hit the ground hard, and rolled a dozen times before the force finally spent itself.

He tried to stagger to his feet, but his arms and legs would barely obey him. He stared at Ding Ling in shock and terror. "Y-you... who are you?!"

He was so frightened that his tongue tied itself in knots, leaving him unable to get a full sentence out.

Ding Ling did not answer. He merely glanced at the cavalry officer and said evenly, "Who are you, and why did you attack me without cause?"

"I-I'm Chang Xi, the officer commanding Hu County's garrison. There's a curfew tonight. I'm patrolling the area, and I'm authorized to arrest anyone suspicious on sight. You were in the city, acting suspiciously, so I... I..."

His words had begun to flow more easily, but he stammered again at the end.

"Chang Xi?" Ding Ling recognized the name. "One of the Mount Tai Bandits?"

"I've been an officer of the Imperial Court for years."

Chang Xi's expression shifted. He seemed ashamed of his past as a bandit, and his speech grew fluent again. "My elder brother and more than a dozen others have long served as garrison commanders across the empire! Plenty of powerful figures at court support us and seek our favor! I, Chang Xi, am no nameless nobody, much less one of the Mount Tai Bandits. I ask that you not insult me."

It was