In the dense forest atop a high slope some thirty yards from the road, several figures stood.
At their head was Xue Yin, armored and helmeted, with a long saber on his back.
Half a step behind him stood a gaunt man wearing the same centurion's armor.
Perhaps because he was too thin, every joint in the man's body stood out sharply. His knuckles in particular were as large as green dates, and his skin carried a faint oily yellow tint.
The man swept a bored glance over the mountain road below, then withdrew his gaze and looked toward the distant scenery. Somewhat listlessly, he said,
"They're just a few petty bandits robbing a merchant caravan. Why did we have to come all this way?"
"Since when did our Martial Suppression Battalion become escorts?"
Xue Yin took out a letter from his robes and handed it to the man.
"The people below aren't petty bandits."
The man took the paper and quickly scanned it. "Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall, Azure Dragon Martial Hall, Three Suns Sect... Hiss. Did those few men we captured some days ago spill this?"
Xue Yin first nodded, then sighed.
"They talked, but it was completely useless. They were either ordinary disciples or people who had already graduated years ago. They can't serve as evidence."
"Now, we can only hope to capture some core disciples among these people."
The man fell silent for a moment upon hearing that.
"Wouldn't doing this mean going against Colonel Shen?"
Xue Yin asked in return,
"Then why did you come along?"
The man chuckled. "Colonel Shen naturally has his own plans, but the Martial Suppression Battalion's duty is to keep Great Fortune stable and strengthen the nation through martial force. Those people crossed the line, so naturally we must deal