Standing in the shadows, Qin Ran studied the five-man cavalry squad before him.
Their matching regulation leather armor, helmets, and longswords showed that they belonged to the same force, but that force could not have come from this town.
Even putting aside the differences between their equipment and that of the guards he had seen earlier, five strong, agile warhorses alone were beyond the means of a rundown little town.
There was mud at the town entrance and grime on the townspeople's faces and hands. Everyone wore cheap linen, and some children ran around bare-bottomed. Even the finest-looking building in town was only a two-story structure in the center, and there was nothing particularly noteworthy about it.
Qin Ran did not believe that an impoverished town of roughly two hundred people could support five warhorses whose manes were meticulously groomed.
It might have a few nags for working the fields and hauling goods.
But warhorses?
Impossible!
Outsiders sent to capture me?
Qin Ran speculated about their identities as he stepped out of the shadows.
He needed more information.
The cavalrymen before him were an excellent place to start.
"There he is!"
A few seconds later, the lead cavalryman finally spotted his target. He shouted and urged his horse into a charge toward Qin Ran.
The four cavalrymen behind him followed closely, drawing their longswords.
"Hmm?"
Qin Ran raised an eyebrow at the cavalrymen, who held their swords high without showing any intention of slowing down.
Clearly, they had no intention of capturing him.
They meant to kill him.
Silencing a witness!
The phrase flashed through Qin Ran's mind.
Then...
What made them decide to silence me?
Several possibilities instantly sprang to mind.
None of them boded well.
At the very least, meeting the master of Swote Castle would now take