Dark Cloud Guard of the Chuyun Empire

Why did the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits always maintain a number of nine? ☮♕  💘ඏ

Why did the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits not recruit subordinates or gather manpower?

Why could the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits move freely through the Illusionary Mist Mountain Range without being affected?

Why had the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits repeatedly escaped the Jia Ma Empire's official extermination campaigns?

And there were many more whys, all of which Zhang Yuan received answers to at this moment.

"What a tremendous surprise."

The nine members of the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits were no ordinary people. They were the Chuyun Empire's Dark Cloud Guard!

The Dark Cloud Guard was a special organization directly under the Chuyun Empire Royal Family. It was somewhat like the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Ming Dynasty on Earth, except it placed greater emphasis on assassination and intelligence gathering.

The Dark Cloud Guard gathered orphans throughout the Chuyun Empire and selected the more talented among them through a survival-of-the-fittest method, then trained them to the highest standards. Even the weakest official members possessed the strength of Dou Masters, and they obeyed only the emperor's orders.

The Chuyun Empire's border adjoined the Jia Ma Empire's Northeast Province. Both nations planted spies to gather intelligence within the other country, which was why the Chuyun Empire's emperor had noticed the Illusionary Mist Mountain Range in the Northeast Province.

A mountain range being shrouded in mist year-round was nothing unusual. But if that mist could induce hallucinations and even trap Dou Wang experts, that was truly peculiar—especially in the eyes of a group of poison masters.

In fact, after the Illusionary Mist appeared, forces such as the Jia Ma Empire Royal Family, the Misty Cloud Sect, and the Alchemist Guild, as well as some powerful experts, had all explored it. However, they gained nothing and eventually gave up.

After the Chuyun Empire's emperor noticed the Illusionary Mist Mountain Range, he wished to investigate it. But he could not send powerful experts to search it openly and on a large scale, so he dispatched nine Dark Cloud Guards to infiltrate the Jia Ma Empire and investigate Misty Mountain.

As Dark Cloud Guards trained by the Chuyun Empire, they had grown up surrounded by poisons since childhood. Coupled with the special cultivation techniques they practiced, they possessed tremendous resistance to the Illusionary Mist. They would be fine anywhere outside the core region of the Illusionary Mist Mountain Range, allowing them to come and go freely and establish themselves there.

As for why there were nine of them, it was because they had cultivated a formation called the "Nine Palaces Darkwater Formation." With the Four-Element Dark Tortoise Pearl—of which a Fourth-tier Magical Beast, the Water Nether Tortoise, might produce one in its lifetime—they could survey an area within a radius of ten li. That was why, whenever they were surrounded and hunted, they could detect Dou Ling and Dou Wang experts in advance and hide.

Too many people would make hiding inconvenient, and they would be superfluous to the formation. It would also easily draw attention and expose their identities. That was why they had always maintained this number, neither recruiting subordinates within the Jia Ma Empire nor colluding with certain families. If they lost personnel, they would request the Chuyun Empire Royal Family to dispatch replacements.

Playing the role of bandits was also one of their disguises. At the same time, they took advantage of the favorable terrain and timing to seize resources for their own use. Had they not encountered Zhang Yuan, their plan would indeed have proceeded smoothly. They had not made a single mistake in over a decade. Of the original nine, the remaining three had all become Da Dou Shi, and Sen Ma Rong was only one step away from becoming a Dou Ling.

"After more than ten years of investigation, they have already identified several locations that may contain supreme treasures. I certainly can't let others have such good things. It's enough that only I know this news. I'll investigate them once my strength is sufficient."

"The Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits have become nine Dark Cloud Guards of the Chuyun Empire. That completely changes the meaning of this. The Jia Lie family and Ao Ba family did not merely violate imperial laws—they committed treason and rebellion."

Zhang Yuan's gaze flickered, and he quickly came up with a plan.

He crouched down again, placed one hand on Sen Ma Rong, and smiled. "You answered very well. I'll give you a little reward."

As he spoke, he injected Heavenly Flames into him once more.

"Ah!" Sen Ma Rong let out a miserable scream.

Ling Ying, hidden in the shadows: ???

Several dozen breaths later, Zhang Yuan withdrew his hand and smiled. "That was burning pain amplified fourfold. How did it feel?"

"Demon... you're a demon... I've already told you everything I know..." Sen Ma Rong panted, his voice hoarse and his eyes filled with despair and fear.

Zhang Yuan's smile did not change. "I never suspected you of lying. I let you experience pain four times stronger because I was afraid you might forget that feeling of wishing you were dead. I was simply helping you remember, because I need you to cooperate with me on something."

"Tell me. I'll agree to anything," Sen Ma Rong said, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes. "As long as you give me a quick death."

The hope he sought was not survival, but death as soon as possible—a swift death.

"Simple. In a moment, you..."

Zhang Yuan gave Sen Ma Rong some instructions, then asked, "Do you remember?"

"I remember," Sen Ma Rong replied tearfully.

It was such a simple matter. He would agree to it without hesitation. Why did he have to endure even greater pain first?

"I hope you keep your word. Otherwise, next time it'll be tenfold pain—and it will last for many long years." Zhang Yuan's voice sounded beside Sen Ma Rong's ear like a demon's whisper.

Then, he lifted Sen Ma Rong and once again formed Exotic Fire Wings, flying back in the direction from which he had come. After landing roughly near the area, he walked back to where the ambush had taken place.

"Captain, all the heads of the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits have been taken," Ye Ya and the other personal guards immediately stepped forward to report.

The Dark Cloud Guard were death warriors of the Chuyun Empire Royal Family. They would either fight to the final moment and self-destruct, or trigger the poison within their bodies to commit suicide after being captured.

Aside from Sen Ma Rong, only one other Da Dou Shi remained alive because Zhang Yuan had knocked him unconscious. The other seven, along with Jia Lie Bi, had been reduced to heads. They needed to be brought back for identification and converted into military merit.

"Mhm."

Zhang Yuan nodded in satisfaction and handed Sen Ma Rong over to Ye Ya to watch. Then he walked over to the unconscious Da Dou Shi, first injected Heavenly Flames to control his Dou Crystal, and then woke him.

The moment the man saw Zhang Yuan, he immediately tried to self-destruct and kill himself, only to discover that he had lost control of his body.

"I need you to answer my questions. Once you finish answering, I'll give you a quick death," Zhang Yuan said.

"Pah!" The Da Dou Shi sneered. "You little bastard of the Jia Ma Empire, stop dreaming. I won't say a single word, or else my surname isn't Liu Chuan."

"" Upon hearing those somewhat familiar words, Sen Ma Rong's eyes revealed both sympathy and relief.

At last, he was not the only one suffering the demon's torment.

Ling Ying, hidden in the shadows: ""

Did everyone from the Chuyun Empire play with poison? Could it affect their brains?

"That is an excellent answer." Zhang Yuan smiled and carried the Da Dou Shi away.

About half an incense stick later, he returned with the man and casually threw him beside Sen Ma Rong.

The two exchanged a look, both feeling so mutually miserable that they wanted to cry.

"Now, the interrogation begins."

Zhang Yuan called Xiao Boyuan over. His expression turned serious as he looked at the two men and asked, "Who are you?"

"Dark Cloud Guard of the Chuyun Empire." The two answered in perfect unison, as if they had been trained for it.

Their answer caused Lin Zhengqing, Master Gu Ni, and the others' expressions to change drastically.

The Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits had truly come from the Chuyun Empire—and they were even Dark Cloud Guards directly under the royal family!?

"What is your purpose in coming here?" Zhang Yuan continued.

"To hinder the development of the Jia Ma Empire's Northeast Province, gather intelligence in secret, and create favorable conditions for the empire to deploy troops in the future. But because the emperor is seriously ill, we are currently only conducting reconnaissance and gathering intelligence," Sen Ma Rong answered.

"Why did you come to ambush me?" Zhang Yuan asked again.

"Because our hidden contacts asked us to eliminate you," the other Da Dou Shi said. "They are the Jia Lie family and Ao Ba family of Wutan City. They regularly supplied us with resources by pretending to have been robbed. We have several strongholds in the mountain range, and a great deal of supplies are stored there. You can verify it."

Zhang Yuan nodded, then said to Ye Ya, "Tie them up and bring them back to the military camp."

As he spoke, he transmitted his voice to the two of them. "You will die on the way. Don't worry, I won't break my promise."

Then he looked at Lin Zhengqing and Master Gu Ni. "Master Gu Ni, go back and notify my Uncle. Tell him to hold his position and make no moves. City Lord Lin, please accompany me to Qingyun Town."

Lin Zhengqing and Master Gu Ni exchanged glances, then both nodded in agreement.

The skies over Wutan City were about to change completely!

(End of Chapter)

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